The one where I can't even speak English well...

I've been so busy. I've had about 6 hours of sleep over the past three days. As I mentioned my oldest started violin lessons. Well, it just so happens they start at 7:30 am. That means I have to get up early (5 am when I just get to bed by 3:30 am), get Hubs up and ready, then get her up, then get the other four up. Drop her off, then come back and finish getting the others ready and on the bus. Then go back and pick up the violin because it's on borrow from the school and even if it wasn't I don't even really want my kids on the bus so there's no way the violin is going on the bus.

I get home and it's a mad dash to get as much as I can done before I hear the school bus pulling up to drop them off.

Today, we went grocery shopping at 3 different stores in the rain. Each time I had to stand in the rain to get Hubs in and out of the van. It takes 15 minutes each time and it's pretty physical to put the tie downs on his chair. I was soooo tired when I got home and I had only put away the cereal when the kids came bouncing in the door. ARGH!

After I had gone through all the backpacks and put the groceries away and got dinner started, I sat down to talk to Hubs... we talked about these potstickers that we had sampled at one of the stores. When I am exhausted I start to make up new words or forget most of my vocabulary for some reason (or drone on and on apparently. lol )

Well, I told Hubs that I had thought the man had made them in a microwave but he had actually made them on a skittle. Hubs turned back to me and said "What did he make it on Sweetie?"

I looked at him and I said very matter of factly "He made them on a skittle."

Hubs said "ok" and he turned around to face the other way. I could hear him trying to laugh quietly.

I said "What, don't tell me! I didn't use the right word." But for the life of me I couldn't remember the right word. I kept repeating skittle. When it dawned on me that I was talking about candy. I told hubs that I thought it was an orange skittle, "You know like the color of fire." I mean I already sounded stupid so why not make it concrete right?

I actually had to ask hubs what word I was looking for....he told me Skillet.

I asked him," You were just going to chuckle to yourself over there and not even tell me were you?"

He's a smart man. He told me he just thought it was cute.

For the rest of the day I've been hearing the word skittle in my head and it sends me into fits of laughter.

I'm losing my mind, aren't I? Has this ever happened to you? C'mon don't be shy...share your embarrassment. It's healing *smirk*

#########################################################

I don't know if anyone will come back, but if you do...I've had some requests for the labels. I'm going to try to figure out how to put the word doc up so you can download them from my blog. If anyone knows how to do this already I would appreciate some help. If not, look for them by Saturday at the latest either on the blog or I will e-mail it to those who requested it.

Works For Me Wednesday

When I was cleaning behind and under the refrigerator a few weeks ago, I discovered that we had water access behind the refrigerator.

I actually have two refrigerators: one in the kitchen and one in my laundry room. They both desperately need to be replaced. But the one in the laundry room has an ice maker. So I decided when I had the time, I would switch them out.

Well, I didn't exactly have the time but I switched them out anyway. In the process of switching we discovered many items that we couldn't identify in the freezer. Even worse, between the two refrigerators there were items that we had no idea when they were opened or even that there was one opened to begin with.

So I asked Hubs to create a simple calendar type label for me and this is what he came up with:

He used word to create the calendars and simply printed them on Avery mailing labels. The labels pictured above say "opened on" because as I mentioned above how many times have you opened something that there are multiples of (i.e. milk, OJ) and then found that your kid or someone else opened another and you have no idea when or which is which or how long it's been sitting there. Or really anything in general. I also liked the "opened on" idea for salad dressings and BBQ sauce. Just stuff that I'd like to see dates rather than chunks or something when I pour it. I know there are expiration dates on things but I've also noted that some things don't last as long as they should after they have been opened or if you can't remember how long it's been in there and it only has so many days to begin with. (* I hope I'm not rambling too much and that I am making sense...I'm beat! lol *)

Can you identify what's in the bag above? Probably not...and even though I cooked it and bagged it, chances are I wouldn't be able to identify it either.

Plus Hubs eats buffalo steaks and ground buffalo. I do not eat buffalo and I wouldn't want to mix that up with my beef.

The labels really make the whole freezer process less of a hassle.

Works for Me!

To see other tips and ideas go visit Shannon!

Tackle It Tuesday

So this is my first time doing Tackle It Tuesday. When I read the description I just knew this was the motivation I needed to keep going.

I always feel like I'm not being productive but I've still been pressing on. I can see the "little" things I've done around the house but when I look at the big picture, it just looks like one big mess.

Originally, I was going to tackle making and hanging curtains around my house but halfway through it I realized I needed more hardware. So tomorrow I will be off to buy what I need so that curtains can be next week's Tackle It Tuesday.

So, without further ado... I decided my very first Tackle It Tuesday would be *drum roll*

MY CREDIT REPORT *tada*

(is that crickets?...maybe some looks of mortification?)

I've been putting it off. There are SEVERAL discrepencies on my credit report. I know I have to file the form above to get them removed but for some reason the whole credit deal...well who likes it really?

After I reviewed my 3-in-1 credit report. I noticed that there were two items that weren't mistakes. Well, one that I know for sure I have to pay because although I paid my mother the cash when she wrote a check for me, apparently she didn't put the moolah in the bank or "something". So, I have just sucked it up that I will have to pay that one again.

The other, I wasn't really sure about. It was to the gas company. The amount seemed about right for a bill. I wondered if maybe I didn't pay a closing bill or something?

So listen to what I do, the genius that I am... I call the electric company to try and pay the gas company. For some reason the electric company's phone number was listed on my report under all the lists of previous creditors and my mind just thought "oh, that's the number"

See I'm quick like that.

I call, give them the account number and the amount I owe. They have no record. I insist it is on my credit report. The person asks me for previous addresses, I give. Still no record. Then she asks me family members names. I give her my mom's and all of a sudden she's like "oh yes, you owe an obscene amount." Well, ok, she didn't exactly say that. But she might as well have.

huh?

She explains how the system cross references last names and "some how" my bill had rolled over to my mom's account but my mom contested it and now I am listed as the responsible party.

Did I say "huh?"

I asked how that was possible and that amount was waaay too high. She tells me she has an address but I have to give it to her. I've given her my addresses and no match. So I start to give her my mother's previous addresses. I ask her if they match...nothing.

I'm on hold again.

At this point, I'm fuming with my mother. I'm not on speaking terms with her but ARGH! How can they do this?

The rep comes back on and says she has to pass it to a Supervisor because they don't really know what's going on...at least that's it in a nutshell. They'll call me back.

So, I go fuming to Hubs and break down the call and everything to him. Apparently, back in the day my mom and him were talking about crooked companies or something and she had told him that the electric company had tried to roll my bill over to her. At least when she called to find out why her bill was so much, they had told her they rolled mine on to hers.

Now, let me take a moment to ask, has this ever happened to anyone? Is this even legal?

Back to the story, sorry it's so long, She said she had straightened it out.

I'm thinking. Who else have they "crosslinked" to us and what bill are they trying to get me to pay?

The facts...

They couldn't link anything to me and really had no record of me owing them a cent.

There is nothing on my credit report that says that I owe them a cent.

I don't leave bills hanging, I don't believe I owe them a thing.

I wonder what story they are going to concoct to get me to pay whoever's bill.

The moral of this story.

If you are going to tackle something. THINK and call the right people! lol

Next week, really something simple, curtains.

Click here for more Tackle It Tuesday!

Menu Plan Monday

Now that I have my pantry all clean I've decided to start planning menus around what we already have in the house (isn't that an original idea! lol)

So here goes my first post for Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Taco Salad

Tuesday: Shredded Beef and Potato Burrito- Basically shredded beef and potatoes simmered in green enchilada sauce in the crock pot all day.

Wednesday: Homemade Lasagna, salad and French Bread

Thursday: Chicken Taquitos and Spanish Rice

Friday: BBQ Steaks and Burgers; potato salad and corn on the cob.

Saturday: Breakfast for dinner. Usually eggs, bacon, hash browns (in a burrito or regular) and OJ

Sunday: Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes and gravy and Mac and cheese.

What I love about this week's menu beside the yumminess factor is that the shredded beef in sauce is already done, I only have to chop up some potatoes and toss them in the crockpot.

Hubs made an extra lasagna tonight so we will only have to reheat it while the bread is baking killing two birds with one stone which is great since that is catechism night and I also made an appointment for photographs to be taken before catechism.

The chicken just needs to be thrown in the crock pot with some green chilies some time before Thursday. It's just incredible to me. I wish I would have done this sooner.

It's going to be an easy week for me!

For more menu planning ideas go visit Laura!

Flash back

When I was 11 I used to play the violin in the Orchestra. My mom was totally against it. She used to tell me to stop making all that noise and to put it away. Then she thought it was funny if I had any issues to say that she would play the violin for me.

I still loved the violin and I've always wanted to buy one.

Fast forward to now. My oldest is 11. She came to me asking if she could play the violin. I was so proud. We went and picked up her instrument and bought a few things for it. I was as excited as she was to get my hands on it. Believe it or not. I still have my music. Stickers and everything from back in the day. That's how much I loved it.

I was worried that my oldest had chosen the violin because of me. I asked hubs if he thought I had pressured her into playing the violin. He thought I was crazy because all I ever said to her was that I used to play the violin and I missed it. He said she had already talked to him about it before she even asked me, so I was relieved. I didn't want to be one of those parents you know?

Here's my confession: I've been practicing in my room when she goes to bed. I feel like a hole in my heart is now being filled. I can feel the music through my fingers. The music sucks...but I feel it nonetheless. LOL I've forgotten how to read music and I've never known how to tune the violin so I'm playing it out of tune. Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had A Little Lamb, the Star Wars theme.

I feel like a weirdo but tonight when we took out the violin I was so relieved that I could actually help her with it. Boy does she need help. LOL But I'm kind of proud that I can be a supportive parent and not be like my mother. As I watched her clenching the violin under her chin and pushing the bow so hard against the strings. I couldn't help but try to keep this memory tucked away in my mind and heart. I'm so proud of both of us.

I love this stuff

Ok, so last week hubs and I went to Olive Garden on a "date".

I *heart* Olive Garden to death!

I really do love their salads. I can practically eat a whole one by myself.

I told hubs we would have to figure out a way to make it ourselves. So later that night I did a search for copycat recipes when what to my disbelieving eyes appeared???

A link to Olive Garden with a question asking if they sold their salad dressing. As bad as this might sound, I actually said a little prayer before clicking on the link to the answer.

The answer was...

YES!! (Can you hear the hallelujah music playing?)

I was so nervous when I walked into my local Olive Garden because the answer really said that only some locations sell it and with our luck, I wasn't getting my hopes up too high.

I'm not kidding when I say I really LOVE this stuff. LOL I know pretty pathetic huh?

Are there any restaurant must haves you wish you could have or make at home?

Works For Me Wednesday

Kitchen Organization

Ok so, My tip is about labels.

See my hubby and my oldest tend to cook dinner together because they both like to cook. Don't get me wrong, I love and appreciate when they cook dinner but it drives me crazy because they don't put anything back. So I decided since I got the new P-touch I could label things to help make it easier for them.

I bought one of those tiered organizers for the spices and I labeled each shelf. Putting most used spices in the front. I put extras in my spice rack that is above the stove. I don't use it much because I can't reach it very well. It took about a half hour because I also wrote down all the spices I had and how many so that I can begin to make a master grocery list.

The other thing my kids like to do is "help" unload and put away groceries. I'm now sure it's more about spying on the goods than actual helping. I'm embarrassed to post this pic but I hadn't really looked at my pantry because the kids not only put them away but they usually want to help when I am in the kitchen and so I ask them to get me things that way no one gets burnt or cut. This time, I happened to need a case of soda and I almost died when I opened the door. ARGH!

So I decided to label in there too. It was pretty easy but time consuming because once again I inventoried everything for the master grocery list. But this is what it looks like now. (above and below)

It's great because the kids love it and they know where everything goes or where to find things right away.

I love it because when they help me it will be a snap for them and I can see at a glance what I have for meal planning (another new task I am taking on.) But most of all because I hate clutter and love when everything has it's place. Since the kids came, my house has been all about clutter. Yuck!

Such a simple thing makes such a big difference and it works for me!

For more tips and tricks go visit Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer.