by Sarah | Nov 15, 2011 | All About Home, Crap, Random
[flickr id=”6348904912″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]On my fridge I have a list. It has 9 cleaning products on it and how I make them. I plan on adding more as I find them.
I’d like to say I do this for a noble cause.
Because it’s better for the earth. Safer for my kids. They clean better.
All of those reasons ARE true.
But the main reason I started was money.
These suckers are a lot cheaper in the long run.
The last item I’ve added to my revenue was laundry detergent.
My husband was skeptical all along. On some days he still is. In the end? I keep doing it because they work. Because I’m not spending scads of dollars every week buying MORE cleaning supplies that are harsh on my nose and eyes and hands.
Now if only I could find a great toilet cleaner I’d be a very happy woman.
***
In a couple of days I’ll go into more detail about a few of them. Mainly the laundry detergent (the saver of my HE washer) and my all purpose cleaners.
by Sarah | Nov 14, 2011 | Photography
I LOVED my prompt this week. I love it every time I get this prompt anywhere.
Just call me Beavis…
“hehehehehehe…FIRE! Hehehe…FIRE!FIRE!FIRE!”
.
[flickr id=”6346615078″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
Like I said…I love this prompt. Here’s a few others from my photo stream that are fitting…
[flickr id=”6345865037″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”] [flickr id=”6345864951″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”] [flickr id=”6248354478″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”] [flickr id=”6247831533″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”none”]
For this week, Chris Hughes challenged me with “Fire” and I challenged Maren with “Humor.”
by Sarah | Nov 13, 2011 | All About Me, Crap, Random
[flickr id=”6271416484″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]When it is cold and dark outside.
You seek the warmth.
When things seem the darkest.
You look for the light.
Some days the struggle blinds you to the light.
Right now I am stressed.
The new job cuts into my week. I have things to learn and my mind is racing while I’m there with making sure I get things done right. There wasn’t a learning curve so much as sink or swim. I had basic training and was out there. It’s how I like to learn, but it can be overwhelming.
I’m getting over a cold while Angel is getting one (always a panic button issue).
We are still without an official permanent sitter for the kids with my new job. While we’re managing to wiggle through now w/ hubby taking a late lunch daily to watch the kids until Brandon comes home, my in-laws are watching on Fridays until they go down South and my Dad has offered to watch after that for ‘a while’…we need something permanent and set. If Middle School didn’t run a full hour later than elementary (or it was the other way around) we’d be fine. No such luck, though.
We had meetings with Riley’s school several times the past few weeks. Things were not good. We were not happy. Steps have been taken to make things better, but I’m still not completely happy. We’ll see how the next months go along.
Christmas is coming and we are not ready for it. Finances are tight. The new job has started, but we’ve yet to see the fruit of my labor there. We feel like we’re gasping for air, and floundering.
I am always the one that sees the silver lining, but I feel like I haven’t had time lately. For once I’ve been the negative Nellie, tense and short tempered. I know it’s still adjusting to the new job. To the shift in my schedule and my families.
I just want to feel like me again.
by Sarah | Nov 12, 2011 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Random
Since I failed to take out my camera this week, I won’t be doing a Weekly Winners or Scavenger Hunt Sunday post this week. Instead I went into the October Prompts from the NaBloPoMo site to find a prompt to inspire me today. I found this one:
If your life flashed before your eyes, what are 5 moments you know would be included?
My immediate response was the births of my three kids and my wedding, taking me up to four moments in the matter of a heartbeat. What else would there be? What one moment stuck out to me in the realm of the birth of my children and the marriage to my wonderhubs?
Would it be the last dance I shared with my Grampa? The one at my brother’s wedding? Would it be the last heart to heart talk I had with my grandma on her front porch the year before she passed away? What about our family trips to Disney World? Our weekends at the campground? The summer that it rained every day the entire summer? Of course I could remember the days spent at the hunting lodge with my dad, uncle and cousins.
Or would it be a place that we all gathered? Where so many of my family could be found?
A 4th of July celebration at our cottage in Ontario. Where all of the family (both sides) had gathered to join the bonfire. Watch the fireworks.
I think that is the last memory that would flash for me.
Every one of the moments would be deep, profound and special. Surrounded by family. Love. Excitement and wonder.
by Sarah | Nov 11, 2011 | All of Us, Photography, Writing
[flickr id=”5230179046″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] Another Friday Fragments installment!
****On my first day of working at the library I was warned that it’s as bad as working at a school with all the illness that goes around. Turns out they weren’t lying. I just started a week ago and already I’m sick as a dog.
****Last night I had a dream that I met Hugh Jackman. The only thing I said to him? “Wow, you really are tall!” Yup, even in dreams I’m a total dork.
****I have a dog again. Well, she’s not ours to keep, but we’re dog sitting my parents dog. She’s always a welcome addition to our house. The kids love her and she is a sweetheart.
****My job is seriously cutting into my photography time. I’ve gotten nothing done again this week.
****In just over a week I’ll have a post up at Band Back Together. First time submitting a post somewhere else.
****While I’m not actively participating in NaNoWriMo, I’ve managed to get 20k words written so far this month. I’m feeling productive at least a little bit.
Time to take some Nyquil and pass out.
by Sarah | Nov 10, 2011 | All About Me, All of Us, Crap, Random
[flickr id=”6070441022″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]The other day it was my Mom’s birthday. I took 2/3 of the kids over for cake & ice cream (1/3 was in trouble). While there it was the usual sort of gaiety and confusion that occurs when so many grandchildren are in one place.
The night was winding to a close when I commented about next year being a big birthday for my mom. She looked at me in confusion and asked what I meant.
“Well, you’ll be turning sixty.”
“No.”
“Mom. You were born in ’52. Next year is 2012. You’ll be sixty.”
“Oh. I thought this was my 58th birthday. I’m 59?”
I laughed and said, “Yeah. Happy birthday I just stole a year from you.”
Ooops.
Quite possibly the crappiest gift I’ve ever given.
