Pandora Radio.
Create your own stations with whatever you like and listen to it streaming ... no downloads, no fees. I've got a station for Gregorian chant, one for classical, one for 80s, and the one I'm listening to now, which is trance/trip hop. Tomorrow I'll make something kid-friendly and listen with the boys.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Commitment to Loveliness!
I'm participating in the Commitment to Loveliness. According to Emma at Charming the Birds from the Trees, "This is a fun way to increase femininity and beauty in our lives each week without even trying! All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life!"
Here is my list for this week:
1. Make and take a meal to a family in need.
2. Bake the cherry sour cream coffee cake from this month's Cooking Light and share it with neighbors.
3. Pray the Our Father, Glory Be and Hail Mary with my oldest every day.
4. Catch up on laundry.
5. Go to the gym four times and take one class I've never done before.
That's it! Click here to read about others' commitments!
For everything else ...
Rib-eye steaks: $12.47. Heirloom tomatoes for a salad with organic feta cheese and shallots: $4.99/lb plus $4.99 for the cheese. Fresh garlic-potato bread: $2.99. Italian red wine: $6.99.
Small hands tearing into dinner with gleeful abandon before we've even sat down to pray: priceless.
Small hands tearing into dinner with gleeful abandon before we've even sat down to pray: priceless.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
My baby is 4.
Four years ago, I was thrown headfirst into the churning sea of motherhood and told I had to learn to swim. Not only my life would depend on it, but his.
There is no better proof of the love and grace of God than that one as unprepared as I could, four years later, call herself the proud parent of this faithful, kind, intelligent, creative and inquisitive little boy:
Happy birthday, sweetheart. As long as I'm living, my BIG BOY you'll be.
Friday, June 13, 2008
I bought a $500 thermometer.
Actually, it was $509 after shipping. All I have to say is, this thing better work:
I've been eyeing the LadyComp for a while, because I fell out of charting when I was pregnant with my littlest guy and have yet to really get back into it, mostly because I don't have Ovusoft installed on my new laptop and don't feel like paying another $40 to get a new license (it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing). And even if I did pay the fee and reinstall the software, there remains the fact that I hate waking up at the crack of dawn to take my temperature, and then having to remember to enter the data in the computer sometime during the day. None of this is a hardship, but the truth of it is that I really can be that lazy, and this is one of those things I'm lazy about.
Since I'm terrible about recording things on paper and I don't even remember how to plot the coverline because the computer always did it for me before, I've been doing what I call "half-assed Creighton," just paying attention to my body and physical signs and avoiding relations when there's even the most remote chance of pregnancy. Obviously, there's a whole lotta abstaining going on at my house. (Obvious disclaimer: My husband I have discerned serious reasons to avoid pregnancy at this time. Your situation may differ, so please consult with your own spouse and spiritual director, if needed, before using LadyComp or any other form of NFP.)
We need a better solution than avoiding each other most of the month, and since a miraculous increase in my fortitude and diligence is a nice thought, but probably not likely (at least not quickly and without some effort on my part), my husband urged me to give the LadyComp a try. His reasoning is that A) I'm 27 and probably have decades of childbearing potential left and B) We are not in a position to accept the blessing of a new child every year or so for that span, so the average $50 a year the LadyComp averages out to over its estimated ten-year lifespan is totally worth not having to ever enter another number into a computer, write it on a piece of paper, plot another graph, or roll mucus between my fingers and figure out what kind it is.
Please understand, I don't mean to knock NFP. It has worked for us and we are thankful for it. But we are technological people who like technological solutions. And the easier a product makes my life, the better. So I sprung for the LadyComp. I sure hope it works as well as the reviews I've seen say it does. It's basically just a very precise thermometer, but it also contains and internal computer with a database of something like 7,000 womens' cycles, and it stores data on your own cycle as it goes, so it learns your body as time goes on and tailors its recommendations and calculations to your own cycle. And the makers claim it works well with people who get up at night or have irregular periods.
Anyway, we'll see how this goes. Here are some more pics of the LadyComp (it's a lot bigger than I expected!). I'll let y'all know how it works.
I've been eyeing the LadyComp for a while, because I fell out of charting when I was pregnant with my littlest guy and have yet to really get back into it, mostly because I don't have Ovusoft installed on my new laptop and don't feel like paying another $40 to get a new license (it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing). And even if I did pay the fee and reinstall the software, there remains the fact that I hate waking up at the crack of dawn to take my temperature, and then having to remember to enter the data in the computer sometime during the day. None of this is a hardship, but the truth of it is that I really can be that lazy, and this is one of those things I'm lazy about.
Since I'm terrible about recording things on paper and I don't even remember how to plot the coverline because the computer always did it for me before, I've been doing what I call "half-assed Creighton," just paying attention to my body and physical signs and avoiding relations when there's even the most remote chance of pregnancy. Obviously, there's a whole lotta abstaining going on at my house. (Obvious disclaimer: My husband I have discerned serious reasons to avoid pregnancy at this time. Your situation may differ, so please consult with your own spouse and spiritual director, if needed, before using LadyComp or any other form of NFP.)
We need a better solution than avoiding each other most of the month, and since a miraculous increase in my fortitude and diligence is a nice thought, but probably not likely (at least not quickly and without some effort on my part), my husband urged me to give the LadyComp a try. His reasoning is that A) I'm 27 and probably have decades of childbearing potential left and B) We are not in a position to accept the blessing of a new child every year or so for that span, so the average $50 a year the LadyComp averages out to over its estimated ten-year lifespan is totally worth not having to ever enter another number into a computer, write it on a piece of paper, plot another graph, or roll mucus between my fingers and figure out what kind it is.
Please understand, I don't mean to knock NFP. It has worked for us and we are thankful for it. But we are technological people who like technological solutions. And the easier a product makes my life, the better. So I sprung for the LadyComp. I sure hope it works as well as the reviews I've seen say it does. It's basically just a very precise thermometer, but it also contains and internal computer with a database of something like 7,000 womens' cycles, and it stores data on your own cycle as it goes, so it learns your body as time goes on and tailors its recommendations and calculations to your own cycle. And the makers claim it works well with people who get up at night or have irregular periods.
Anyway, we'll see how this goes. Here are some more pics of the LadyComp (it's a lot bigger than I expected!). I'll let y'all know how it works.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Side by Side
Today, I found hidden treasure. My old Photobucket account, which I use sporadically for things like creating avatars and blog headers, contains 111 pictures spread out over six pages. I never look at them. I use the account to host whatever image I need to use at that moment, and then forget about it.
So today, I decided to check out the earliest pictures and see what they were. How could I have forgotten?!
Before I tell you what I found, I first need to give some background. Part of the reason I started this blog was to help me sort my thoughts on homemaking. By the grace of God, and thanks to the advice and insight offered by the wonderful people I've linked to in my Resources and Inspiration list, my house is fairly well-run and looks pretty decent these days. Albeit, my version of "well-run" may look a bit different than some, and there are still a few rooms I keep closed up when company comes over, but they are finally the minority -- most rooms in my house are actually quite lovely. But it wasn't always this way ... much to the consternation of my husband, who in a fit of frustration sometime toward the end of my oldest child's first year, threw everything in my slovenly home office in the trash -- including my laptop computer.
In fairness, the screen was broken and I was not using it. But I had not removed the hard drive yet to put it in a safe place, and that drive contained all of the photographic evidence of Ian's first year. To say I was upset would obviously be an understatement. By the time I realized what had happened, my computer was long gone, and with it, my precious pictures.
So what did I find today in my Photobucket account, but a page-and-a-half worth of baby photos of my oldest son -- all my favorites, no less! I guess I put them there to share on one forum or another back in the dark ages before Flickr and the Blog (is that a great name for a band or what?), and they sat there all this time waiting to be rediscovered! Better yet, my Dad says he has lots of pictures that I've e-mailed to him over the years and is going to burn them onto a CD for me. So I am a happy woman, indeed.
So, what's up with the title of this post? What does "Side by Side" have to do with anything?
Well, this is actually going to be more like "Over and Under," since I can't figure out how to get Blogger to let me put two images side by side. But in each of the next two sets, the top photo is my youngest, and the bottom is my oldest at about the same age. I'm in awe of both the similarities and the differences. God is an incredible artist.
Top photo: My youngest at about a week old (he was six weeks premature).
Bottom photo: My eldest at about a week old (he was full term).
Top photo: Youngest today, at seven months old.
Bottom photo: Eldest in March 2005, at nine months old.
As you can see, the little one overcame his prematurity very well and is now every bit as large and agile than his full-term brother was at the same age or older. God is good, and we are thankful for both of our babies' health and beauty.
So today, I decided to check out the earliest pictures and see what they were. How could I have forgotten?!
Before I tell you what I found, I first need to give some background. Part of the reason I started this blog was to help me sort my thoughts on homemaking. By the grace of God, and thanks to the advice and insight offered by the wonderful people I've linked to in my Resources and Inspiration list, my house is fairly well-run and looks pretty decent these days. Albeit, my version of "well-run" may look a bit different than some, and there are still a few rooms I keep closed up when company comes over, but they are finally the minority -- most rooms in my house are actually quite lovely. But it wasn't always this way ... much to the consternation of my husband, who in a fit of frustration sometime toward the end of my oldest child's first year, threw everything in my slovenly home office in the trash -- including my laptop computer.
In fairness, the screen was broken and I was not using it. But I had not removed the hard drive yet to put it in a safe place, and that drive contained all of the photographic evidence of Ian's first year. To say I was upset would obviously be an understatement. By the time I realized what had happened, my computer was long gone, and with it, my precious pictures.
So what did I find today in my Photobucket account, but a page-and-a-half worth of baby photos of my oldest son -- all my favorites, no less! I guess I put them there to share on one forum or another back in the dark ages before Flickr and the Blog (is that a great name for a band or what?), and they sat there all this time waiting to be rediscovered! Better yet, my Dad says he has lots of pictures that I've e-mailed to him over the years and is going to burn them onto a CD for me. So I am a happy woman, indeed.
So, what's up with the title of this post? What does "Side by Side" have to do with anything?
Well, this is actually going to be more like "Over and Under," since I can't figure out how to get Blogger to let me put two images side by side. But in each of the next two sets, the top photo is my youngest, and the bottom is my oldest at about the same age. I'm in awe of both the similarities and the differences. God is an incredible artist.
Top photo: My youngest at about a week old (he was six weeks premature).
Bottom photo: My eldest at about a week old (he was full term).
Top photo: Youngest today, at seven months old.
Bottom photo: Eldest in March 2005, at nine months old.
As you can see, the little one overcame his prematurity very well and is now every bit as large and agile than his full-term brother was at the same age or older. God is good, and we are thankful for both of our babies' health and beauty.
Shopping with Emeril
Of all the nights to have forgotten my phone, not to mention my digital camera ...
Monday night, I stopped at Whole Foods Market on my way home from running a few errands to grab something quick and healthy-ish for dinner. Our Whole Foods is fancier than most, party because it's new, partly because it's in a fairly posh part of town, and partly because it has to compete with nearby Wegmans, which in my neck of the woods is like a culinary Disneyland.
Anyway, I mention the fanciness factor because the store has five mini-restaurants in it that all serve beer and wine, plus there is a wine bar upstairs. So when I walked into the restaurant and heard some bombastic guy in the back of the store whooping it up, with a crowd egging him on, my first thought was, "Who is this drunk idiot in Whole Foods on a Monday night?" (So charitable of me, I know.)
So I headed back in that direction, not to see the drunk guy, but because whole organic chicken was $1.99 a pound and that's usually where they keep it, and at that price I wasn't leaving without some.
As I approached the refrigerated sale bin, this big blond guy rushes up to me and physically blocks my way like we're in a basketball game and he's my defender. Bewildered, I gave him an "are you kidding me" look and tried to get around him. It was then that I noticed that there was a huge crowd of people over by the fish, not a soul near the chicken, and a huge flank of television cameras pointed right at me. Oops. Minus one for lack of observation.
I asked what was going on, and the blond gentleman turned into a living, breathing promotional spot for Emeril Green, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's new show on Discovery's "Planet Green" channel. I turned around in disbelief and saw that, indeed, Emeril Lagasse was standing twenty feet away from me, cooking and hollering and carrying on.
It was very cool. But I didn't have my phone to call home, so I couldn't stay and watch, and I didn't have my camera, so I didn't get a photo. However, I did find this photo, which is a close approximation of what I witnessed:
Anyway, if you watch the show, you might see me -- I'll be the disheveled girl wearing a lavender tunic and khaki walking shorts, standing by the chicken with a very surprised look on my face.
Monday night, I stopped at Whole Foods Market on my way home from running a few errands to grab something quick and healthy-ish for dinner. Our Whole Foods is fancier than most, party because it's new, partly because it's in a fairly posh part of town, and partly because it has to compete with nearby Wegmans, which in my neck of the woods is like a culinary Disneyland.
Anyway, I mention the fanciness factor because the store has five mini-restaurants in it that all serve beer and wine, plus there is a wine bar upstairs. So when I walked into the restaurant and heard some bombastic guy in the back of the store whooping it up, with a crowd egging him on, my first thought was, "Who is this drunk idiot in Whole Foods on a Monday night?" (So charitable of me, I know.)
So I headed back in that direction, not to see the drunk guy, but because whole organic chicken was $1.99 a pound and that's usually where they keep it, and at that price I wasn't leaving without some.
As I approached the refrigerated sale bin, this big blond guy rushes up to me and physically blocks my way like we're in a basketball game and he's my defender. Bewildered, I gave him an "are you kidding me" look and tried to get around him. It was then that I noticed that there was a huge crowd of people over by the fish, not a soul near the chicken, and a huge flank of television cameras pointed right at me. Oops. Minus one for lack of observation.
I asked what was going on, and the blond gentleman turned into a living, breathing promotional spot for Emeril Green, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's new show on Discovery's "Planet Green" channel. I turned around in disbelief and saw that, indeed, Emeril Lagasse was standing twenty feet away from me, cooking and hollering and carrying on.
It was very cool. But I didn't have my phone to call home, so I couldn't stay and watch, and I didn't have my camera, so I didn't get a photo. However, I did find this photo, which is a close approximation of what I witnessed:
Anyway, if you watch the show, you might see me -- I'll be the disheveled girl wearing a lavender tunic and khaki walking shorts, standing by the chicken with a very surprised look on my face.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Chocolate makes everything better.
Yes, that's a cast on my three year old's arm. He fell down the concrete stairs in front of the neighbor's house. I was spared the horror of watching it happen. I was inside, cleaning the boys' bedrooms while my husband watched them outside ... and then I heard that scream. You know, THE scream that can only mean the next stop is the nearest E.R..
Thank God he was wearing a bike helmet at the time, because he landed on his head. We'll take a broken elbow over a broken skull. We have a follow up appointment June 17 to see whether it's healed ... they don't like to keep casts on little guys longer than three weeks. Which is a good thing, because it's SUMMER! Sandboxes, swimming pools, sprinklers, water fights ... all a bit hard to do with a cast on your arm.
He's been quite a trooper. I think he's braver than I am. And we'll soon have lots and lots of pictures of him in his little blue cast, because his birthday is the 14th, and so is the party! My little guy is turning 4. Amazing.
Friday, May 30, 2008
A Note to Real Estate Agents, Buyers and Sellers
We have been in the process of trying to get our house on the market for over two years. Lack of funds, time and good babysitters means we've had to do most of the work ourselves, piecemeal, and it sucks. We missed the peak, the beginning of the decline and now that we're well into the doldrums, we're just about ready to sell.
In my I-can't-do-another-thing moments, I sit and search real estate listings and try to remind myself why we're doing all this. I've noticed a few things, things I must share. It's a tough market out there, and hopefully these tips will help someone.
NOTES TO AGENTS:
1. Learn to spell. Failing that, please write your listings in a good word processing program that has spell-check, then copy and paste the corrected version into the MLS. Poor spelling is always annoying, but it makes me loathe to even think of dealing with you as a listing agent on a property I'm interested in if you are so oblivious and/or careless as to mangle words related to your own profession, such as SALE, SUITE or LOCATION.
2. Learn to take decent photos. You don't have to become a pro, just keep your thumb out of the shot, make sure you're photographing the home's rooms and features instead of just the homeowner's stuff (I'm not buying the couch, bed, dining set or cool antique sewing machine, so I don't need a closeup). This goes double for people's trinket collections, especially if it's something creepy like dolls (shudder). Also, and this is just a pet peeve, turn off the TV in the media room EVEN IF IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME and the seller pitched a fit. If it's that important to them that they not miss a single minute, they should have gotten a Tivo. I'm really tired of looking at pictures of 52" football games.
For advice on taking good listing photos (and examples of bad ones), I recommend this blog.
3. If the house backs up to the freaking cemetery, you might as well mention that in the listing instead of wasting everyone's time. I guarantee you'd only get very serious buyers coming through the door. Same deal with the house that shares a 9-foot barbed wire fence with an impound lot, and the house that's pretty much IN the busy restaurant's parking lot.
4. Don't be snotty. Just don't. It doesn't impress anyone, and neither does your leased Mercedes, Hummer or Lexus. Be polite, return phone calls, and always remember that (especially in my area) you never know who you are dealing with, so it's safest to treat everyone as if they were a big shot.
NOTES TO BUYERS:
1. My house has people living in it. Two of them are under the age of four. We also have a cat. I'm sorry if you hate children, or cats, with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns. I promise if you buy my house, I will take my children and my cat with me, along with every trace of their existence. The toys in the playroom and cat litter box in the laundry room should not be deal breakers for you, but to listen to the real estate agents tell it, there are a lot of you out there who will run screaming for the hills if they get the slightest inkling that real people and (the horror) animals live in a house. News flash -- this house is twenty-four years old. People and pets have been here. If you want a brand new, model home, feel free to go overpay for one.
2. My taste in decor may not be your taste. I get that. I've done my best to neutralize it, but I'm not dropping ten or twenty thou at Pottery Barn so my agent can write "Picture Perfect Pottery Barn Charmer" or something like that in the listing description. Like the kids and pet, it's all going with me when I leave, so if you can't stand the sight of it, fear not! Buy my house and I'll take it all somewhere else! (And for the record, none of it is horrible or outlandish -- it's just that I've watched those House Hunter shows where some guy is all "Hmm. I don't like that couch." or "I hate green." and moves on to the next listing.)
3. When I say "at least one hour's notice" I mean it. Don't show up before then unless you want an eyeful of dirty dishes, piled laundry, half-dressed children or worse. I have two boys under four, anything could happen. My oldest likes to answer the door with his pants around his ankles. Heck, if it's the moment I've seized to be able to shower, you could see ME naked ... and you don't want that. Trust me.
4. We pay our mortgage on time every month and have for the last eight years. We have put serious money into the improvement of this home. If you want to buy a broken down, nasty, as-is foreclosed-on home and deal with all the attendant hassles, be my guest, and I hope you get an awesome deal on a diamond in the rough. But don't expect me to price my home like one of those. The reason you like my house better is because it IS better, and therefore worth the somewhat higher price we're asking for it. We're not asking for 2005 prices here ... but we're not going to give it away, either. Like I said, we pay our mortgage. We may want to move, but we don't HAVE to -- and it's not worth it to us for less than a certain price. Deal with it.
NOTES TO SELLERS:
1. The summer of 2005 was three years ago. Please be realistic. I'm not getting an inflated price for my house, and I can't afford to pay an inflated price for yours. I respect your desire to make a modest profit, but when I see you bought for $143,000 ten years ago and want $750,000 for the same not-even-updated house today, I laugh. And if you bought in 2005, God help you. I know better than to pay what you paid, and that's public record. If you're not prepared to take the hit, don't sell the house. Unless you're going to lose it. But in that case, everyone is just going to wait for the bank to take it from you and sell it more cheaply, sorry to say. I'm not saying it doesn't suck to be you -- it does. But don't expect others to pay for your mistake.
2. If your house has an unpleasant odor -- or any odor at all, really -- please fix that issue before you sell. If you're not sure whether your house stinks, ask a trusted friend.
3. I like pets. But if you have them, please note that on the listing -- some folks are highly allergic and pet hair can be a really unpleasant surprise for them.
4. Dog poop. Pick it up. 'Nuff said.
5. Wallpaper. Take it down. Yes, it's a pain in the tush. And that's exactly why your house isn't selling -- no one else wants to deal with the problem any more than you do. Same deal with super dark paint. It's out of style, depressing looking, and a pain in the you-know-where to cover up with a lighter, happier color. So save your buyers the trouble and do it yourself, or pay someone to do it.
6. This one is going to sound a bit racist, but I'll put it out there -- if your decor is overly ethnic, tone it down. I'm not talking one or two Japanese fans on your wall -- I'm talking My Big Fat Greek Wedding-style ethnic. Odds are, the person who is going to buy your home isn't from your country (especially in the area I'm shopping in, since it is one of the most diverse in the nation), and potential buyers will have a hard time feeling at home there with your Ode to the Homeland consuming every square inch of space.
7. If you're a bleeding-heart liberal, hide the Michael Moore videos. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, stash the Ann Coulter books. We're a polarized nation and you don't need to be ticking off half your potential buyers when they look at the contents of your built-ins (and they will, because we are also a nation of nosy people). So unless the mere thought of someone of a different political bent living in your former home gives you hives, get the really controversial stuff out of public view.
There. I hope this helps someone. Pray for me as we head into the final stretch of preparations and please pray that God would guide as as we search for the very best spot to raise our family.
In my I-can't-do-another-thing moments, I sit and search real estate listings and try to remind myself why we're doing all this. I've noticed a few things, things I must share. It's a tough market out there, and hopefully these tips will help someone.
NOTES TO AGENTS:
1. Learn to spell. Failing that, please write your listings in a good word processing program that has spell-check, then copy and paste the corrected version into the MLS. Poor spelling is always annoying, but it makes me loathe to even think of dealing with you as a listing agent on a property I'm interested in if you are so oblivious and/or careless as to mangle words related to your own profession, such as SALE, SUITE or LOCATION.
2. Learn to take decent photos. You don't have to become a pro, just keep your thumb out of the shot, make sure you're photographing the home's rooms and features instead of just the homeowner's stuff (I'm not buying the couch, bed, dining set or cool antique sewing machine, so I don't need a closeup). This goes double for people's trinket collections, especially if it's something creepy like dolls (shudder). Also, and this is just a pet peeve, turn off the TV in the media room EVEN IF IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME and the seller pitched a fit. If it's that important to them that they not miss a single minute, they should have gotten a Tivo. I'm really tired of looking at pictures of 52" football games.
For advice on taking good listing photos (and examples of bad ones), I recommend this blog.
3. If the house backs up to the freaking cemetery, you might as well mention that in the listing instead of wasting everyone's time. I guarantee you'd only get very serious buyers coming through the door. Same deal with the house that shares a 9-foot barbed wire fence with an impound lot, and the house that's pretty much IN the busy restaurant's parking lot.
4. Don't be snotty. Just don't. It doesn't impress anyone, and neither does your leased Mercedes, Hummer or Lexus. Be polite, return phone calls, and always remember that (especially in my area) you never know who you are dealing with, so it's safest to treat everyone as if they were a big shot.
NOTES TO BUYERS:
1. My house has people living in it. Two of them are under the age of four. We also have a cat. I'm sorry if you hate children, or cats, with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns. I promise if you buy my house, I will take my children and my cat with me, along with every trace of their existence. The toys in the playroom and cat litter box in the laundry room should not be deal breakers for you, but to listen to the real estate agents tell it, there are a lot of you out there who will run screaming for the hills if they get the slightest inkling that real people and (the horror) animals live in a house. News flash -- this house is twenty-four years old. People and pets have been here. If you want a brand new, model home, feel free to go overpay for one.
2. My taste in decor may not be your taste. I get that. I've done my best to neutralize it, but I'm not dropping ten or twenty thou at Pottery Barn so my agent can write "Picture Perfect Pottery Barn Charmer" or something like that in the listing description. Like the kids and pet, it's all going with me when I leave, so if you can't stand the sight of it, fear not! Buy my house and I'll take it all somewhere else! (And for the record, none of it is horrible or outlandish -- it's just that I've watched those House Hunter shows where some guy is all "Hmm. I don't like that couch." or "I hate green." and moves on to the next listing.)
3. When I say "at least one hour's notice" I mean it. Don't show up before then unless you want an eyeful of dirty dishes, piled laundry, half-dressed children or worse. I have two boys under four, anything could happen. My oldest likes to answer the door with his pants around his ankles. Heck, if it's the moment I've seized to be able to shower, you could see ME naked ... and you don't want that. Trust me.
4. We pay our mortgage on time every month and have for the last eight years. We have put serious money into the improvement of this home. If you want to buy a broken down, nasty, as-is foreclosed-on home and deal with all the attendant hassles, be my guest, and I hope you get an awesome deal on a diamond in the rough. But don't expect me to price my home like one of those. The reason you like my house better is because it IS better, and therefore worth the somewhat higher price we're asking for it. We're not asking for 2005 prices here ... but we're not going to give it away, either. Like I said, we pay our mortgage. We may want to move, but we don't HAVE to -- and it's not worth it to us for less than a certain price. Deal with it.
NOTES TO SELLERS:
1. The summer of 2005 was three years ago. Please be realistic. I'm not getting an inflated price for my house, and I can't afford to pay an inflated price for yours. I respect your desire to make a modest profit, but when I see you bought for $143,000 ten years ago and want $750,000 for the same not-even-updated house today, I laugh. And if you bought in 2005, God help you. I know better than to pay what you paid, and that's public record. If you're not prepared to take the hit, don't sell the house. Unless you're going to lose it. But in that case, everyone is just going to wait for the bank to take it from you and sell it more cheaply, sorry to say. I'm not saying it doesn't suck to be you -- it does. But don't expect others to pay for your mistake.
2. If your house has an unpleasant odor -- or any odor at all, really -- please fix that issue before you sell. If you're not sure whether your house stinks, ask a trusted friend.
3. I like pets. But if you have them, please note that on the listing -- some folks are highly allergic and pet hair can be a really unpleasant surprise for them.
4. Dog poop. Pick it up. 'Nuff said.
5. Wallpaper. Take it down. Yes, it's a pain in the tush. And that's exactly why your house isn't selling -- no one else wants to deal with the problem any more than you do. Same deal with super dark paint. It's out of style, depressing looking, and a pain in the you-know-where to cover up with a lighter, happier color. So save your buyers the trouble and do it yourself, or pay someone to do it.
6. This one is going to sound a bit racist, but I'll put it out there -- if your decor is overly ethnic, tone it down. I'm not talking one or two Japanese fans on your wall -- I'm talking My Big Fat Greek Wedding-style ethnic. Odds are, the person who is going to buy your home isn't from your country (especially in the area I'm shopping in, since it is one of the most diverse in the nation), and potential buyers will have a hard time feeling at home there with your Ode to the Homeland consuming every square inch of space.
7. If you're a bleeding-heart liberal, hide the Michael Moore videos. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, stash the Ann Coulter books. We're a polarized nation and you don't need to be ticking off half your potential buyers when they look at the contents of your built-ins (and they will, because we are also a nation of nosy people). So unless the mere thought of someone of a different political bent living in your former home gives you hives, get the really controversial stuff out of public view.
There. I hope this helps someone. Pray for me as we head into the final stretch of preparations and please pray that God would guide as as we search for the very best spot to raise our family.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Summer Menus!
Except for today (raining and 48 degrees!), we've been enjoying warmer weather recently. I've switched our meal plan over to something more befitting the season. We're trying to be healthier in our choices, so we're focusing on the chicken, pork and lean beef, and trying to lose the fatty steaks and other naughties.
Some of what we've enjoyed recently or are looking forward to trying this week (if you see anything you want a recipe for, then comment and I'll post it!):
- Grilled jerk-seasoned chicken breasts topped with melted pepper jack cheese and served with sweet corn and green salad.
- Chicken pesto sausage tossed with linguine, sauteed portobella mushrooms, and basil pesto.
- Grilled tri-tip (also known as Santa Maria-style steak, a hometown delicacy for me!) served with fresh pico de gallo, brown rice and green salad.
- Mediterranean tuna salad and field greens sandwiches (made with olive oil and onions, not mayo and pickle relish) on flax bread, served with fresh fruit.
- Grilled lamb chops seasoned with a fresh rosemary, olive oil and herbed pepper rub; served with mint jelly, roasted baby red potatoes and green beans.
- Sauteed garlic chicken sausage tossed with penne pasta and cooked-until-just-wilted fresh arugula.
- Shrimp, pepper jack and shredded veggie quesadillas served with black beans and chipotle salsa.
- Grilled jerk and ancho chile pork chops with brown rice and steamed broccoli.
The go-to salad for the past couple of weeks has been a packaged fresh arugula blend that Wegmans sells, tossed with fresh pear slices, crumbled goat cheese and maple vinagrette. So delicious!
I hope this list inspires somebody on one of those can't-think-of-anything nights ... I don't pretend to be a great chef, so you know all of these recipes are easy to make and most take less than 30 minutes start to finish. Enjoy your own summer meals!
Some of what we've enjoyed recently or are looking forward to trying this week (if you see anything you want a recipe for, then comment and I'll post it!):
- Grilled jerk-seasoned chicken breasts topped with melted pepper jack cheese and served with sweet corn and green salad.
- Chicken pesto sausage tossed with linguine, sauteed portobella mushrooms, and basil pesto.
- Grilled tri-tip (also known as Santa Maria-style steak, a hometown delicacy for me!) served with fresh pico de gallo, brown rice and green salad.
- Mediterranean tuna salad and field greens sandwiches (made with olive oil and onions, not mayo and pickle relish) on flax bread, served with fresh fruit.
- Grilled lamb chops seasoned with a fresh rosemary, olive oil and herbed pepper rub; served with mint jelly, roasted baby red potatoes and green beans.
- Sauteed garlic chicken sausage tossed with penne pasta and cooked-until-just-wilted fresh arugula.
- Shrimp, pepper jack and shredded veggie quesadillas served with black beans and chipotle salsa.
- Grilled jerk and ancho chile pork chops with brown rice and steamed broccoli.
The go-to salad for the past couple of weeks has been a packaged fresh arugula blend that Wegmans sells, tossed with fresh pear slices, crumbled goat cheese and maple vinagrette. So delicious!
I hope this list inspires somebody on one of those can't-think-of-anything nights ... I don't pretend to be a great chef, so you know all of these recipes are easy to make and most take less than 30 minutes start to finish. Enjoy your own summer meals!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
A visit from the fire department!
No, not for us, thank God ... and everything seemed to be okay at the home they were called to, as well! No one got taken away on a stretcher and nothing was on fire ... but the fire truck and ambulance did come today, with lights, sirens and everything! The kids got a good look ...
The kids proceeded to spend the next three hours playing "fire truck and ambulance" with their bikes and some sticks (for medical gear). Nothing like an emergency to liven up a long, otherwise boring day. I'm just thankful everything turned out okay!
The kids proceeded to spend the next three hours playing "fire truck and ambulance" with their bikes and some sticks (for medical gear). Nothing like an emergency to liven up a long, otherwise boring day. I'm just thankful everything turned out okay!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Family life: When it's good ...
... it's really, really good.
They love each other!
What could be better than that?
They love each other!
What could be better than that?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Blessed Mother endured many things ....
.... but she never had to balance the needs of two small children.
I just completely lost it on my older son for waking up the baby I spent an hour rocking down. Frankly, we're both lucky my hands are full of fussy infant right now. Please, pray for us both.
I just completely lost it on my older son for waking up the baby I spent an hour rocking down. Frankly, we're both lucky my hands are full of fussy infant right now. Please, pray for us both.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
For obvious reasons, no picture will be posted.
What my oldest son is wearing as he watches TV in the living room:
Long-sleeved thermal top in urban camo.
Gray briefs.
Mid-calf height rain boots with pictures of salamanders on them.
Who needs pants?
Long-sleeved thermal top in urban camo.
Gray briefs.
Mid-calf height rain boots with pictures of salamanders on them.
Who needs pants?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
How to Make Vacuuming Smell Good
1. Spill a bunch of your favorite aromatic spice (curry powder, for instance).
2. Vacuum it up with your bagless vacuum; empty the canister.
3. For weeks afterward, whenever air passes through the filter, it will be scented with above-mentioned aromatic spice. Instant cravings, whenever you vacuum!
Ask me how I know all this ... later, though, I need to go find some curry now.
2. Vacuum it up with your bagless vacuum; empty the canister.
3. For weeks afterward, whenever air passes through the filter, it will be scented with above-mentioned aromatic spice. Instant cravings, whenever you vacuum!
Ask me how I know all this ... later, though, I need to go find some curry now.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The baby is lying on the floor kicking and screaming.
Of course, he's also grinning from ear to ear. Looks like I've got another loud one on my hands. Pray for me!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
That's the last time I let you watch the Discovery Channel special on acid rain ....
"Mommy, is it going to snow?"
"No, sweetie, it's too warm to snow."
"But the clouds are moving in front of the sun and they will cover it up and then it will be cold and then it will snow."
"Honey, it's already fifty degrees outside. If any water falls from the sky today, it will be in the form of rain."
"Mooooommmmmy! Water doesn't fall from the sky. That's so silly!"
"Oh, yeah? What do you call rain?"
"Poison."
"No, sweetie, it's too warm to snow."
"But the clouds are moving in front of the sun and they will cover it up and then it will be cold and then it will snow."
"Honey, it's already fifty degrees outside. If any water falls from the sky today, it will be in the form of rain."
"Mooooommmmmy! Water doesn't fall from the sky. That's so silly!"
"Oh, yeah? What do you call rain?"
"Poison."
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Such a tease ....
... this weather, that is. Spring has visibly sprung. There are buds opening on every tree and the sun is shining brightly.
The rays refracted through the glass doors in the living room are so very warm and inviting.
Unfortunately, the backyard thermometer reads 36 degrees -- and it's in the sun.
Try explaining to a cabin-feverish three-year-old why we can't play outside on his brand new bike (Happy Easter!) when it looks oh-so-lovely through the windows. According to weather.com, it's supposed to get up to 56 degrees today, but not until 6 pm, and really, what use is that?
I figure if it tops 40 degrees, we'll bundle up the baby and head outside, but I don't do 36 unless there's snow to play in.
I can't wait for the REAL arrival of spring!
The rays refracted through the glass doors in the living room are so very warm and inviting.
Unfortunately, the backyard thermometer reads 36 degrees -- and it's in the sun.
Try explaining to a cabin-feverish three-year-old why we can't play outside on his brand new bike (Happy Easter!) when it looks oh-so-lovely through the windows. According to weather.com, it's supposed to get up to 56 degrees today, but not until 6 pm, and really, what use is that?
I figure if it tops 40 degrees, we'll bundle up the baby and head outside, but I don't do 36 unless there's snow to play in.
I can't wait for the REAL arrival of spring!
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