Monday, July 18, 2011

Still Alive...

Just to let you guys know I am still alive and kicking, I'm joining Sandra in Happy Homemaker Monday...

The weather in my neck of the woods:
High of 90 expected today.  While so many of my friends and family have been dealing with temps over 100 for months now, we have had a summer of high 80's - mid 90's.  It's been AWESOME.

Things that make me happy: 
My son Bones is flying in today for a visit -- for the first time in the 2 years we have been here.
Book I'm reading:
Eternity Road by Jack McDevitt.  Post Apocalyptic Science Fiction


What's on my TV today: 
I will have the Netflix on in the sewing room where I will spend most of the day. 


On the menu for dinner:
Today is Bones favorite Steak Stroganof, tomorrow will be his request of Chicken Souvaki with tzatziki. Plus he has requested green chile dip. 


On my To Do List:

Finish my big project before our vacation
Pickle the jalapeno's from my plants before vacation
Write a to-do/instructions list for the house sitter


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
We have been eating very very cheap to conserve money for vacation - so its has been breakfast for dinner, tomato mac, hamburgers and tacos for a bit. 


In the craft basket:
A bucket load of quilts


Looking forward to this week:
Bones being here and leaving for vacation


Tips and Tricks:
Teach your kids to pack their own vacation suitcase (or camp). Have them lay everything out they think they need and then check it before THEY pack it.  If they pack it themselves THEY will know where their stuff is when they arrive and need it. This keeps the suitcases neater and teaches a life skill while still under your wing. We start this with 5 year olds.  And guess what -- if they do forget something, they WILL remember it next time. (And if its critical and you are in the states you know you can go buy it.) 




My favorite blog post this week: 
I've been really busy with a few things so I am just scanning blogs this week and nothing comes to mind.


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Surviving the Suburbs  - I found this blog recently and have really enjoyed it. Basically the writer is a "thrivalist".  She believes in peak oil crisis and that the world will be changing over time to be very different (not an apocalyptic event kind of thing...just a change in how we will all live).  Her blog is about self sustaining type living right where you are -- in your own home, on your own lawn.  



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):


Lesson learned the past few days:
There is always another "great deal".  We started the process to buy a used travel trailer for about 10k.  We took the weekend to really think about it while they did the paperwork. In this time we did our pro's and con's lists. We ended up discovering conflicting info on what the Durango could safely pull....which resulted in changing our minds to be safe (we've put an awful lot of money in that truck this year).  Since our loan was already approved they showed us a new trailer and offered it too us at a fantastic price and said it would only be a couple of dollars more a month as they could extend the time to pay it off and get a better interest rate as it was new.  Most people would have done this.  But bottom line is it was almost TWICE the debt.  There will be another deal.  We walked away.  Our sales guy knows what we want and what I'm willing to pay.  We started the look a good 5 months prior to the time we really want to have it.  Learn to wait. Look at the bigger picture.


On my mind:
Vacation
Lake house trip in August




So as you can see, its still going to be a busy time for me and I probably wont post much.  Time is flying by!

4 comments:

  1. I love that top tip about getting kids to pack their own suitcase..!
    It reminds me of a time we had my eldest pack her bag for a trip to the in-laws and because we were travelling at night she was in her p-j's ready to hit the sack when we arrived. We were 15 minutes along the road when from the back sit she shouted, "I forgot my trousers!!" so we had to do a quick turn around to get them! To this day we always ask, "have you got your trousers!?" She has yet to forget! LOL

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  2. Writing up a house-sitter list can be quite the eye opener. We have plenty of pocket pets, dogs and cats, plus livestock and the garden so our house-sitter gets a full page of instructions. It's a wonder they ever come back :) Enjoy your upcoming trip.

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  3. Great tip about the kids packing their own suitcase. I also liked your lesson learned and I'm thrilled that you joined in today :)

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  4. The big boy visiting AND Jalapeno's ready to pick?! Sounds like you have a great week planned! Enjoy every minute.
    I will have to make my children more responsible with packing. Since I am likely to forget things myself, maybe they will remember better than I! Good idea.

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