A little overboard

Remember this?

So, maybe I got a few sizes too big...

When I grow up...

I have finally found my dream job, aside from what I do now, of course.

This weekend I had(got) to power wash the deck. Can I just say that I now think I should have one of these things for my purse. So I can carry it with me and spray off my kids when they get in messes. You know, the sand box, the dirt, the ice cream cones in the van!

This task was by far the funnest I have done since we began all these house selling tasks.

Just look....try and tell me that you can't tell the difference.

Smell that?

I wanted to get some yummy air fresheners for the house. One, because I like to smell them, but this time around I mainly want my potential home buyers to think that I have just baked fresh gingerbread!

Who knew there were so many choices? Like most things in my everyday life, I like to see if there is a healthier or safer alternative. I spotted these and out of every thing there they seemed to be the best as far as fewest chemicals go. Then I saw the price tag and was in awe. I mean 8 bucks? For an air freshener? If it were just for my sniffer, I would go the ol' cinnamon sticks in the water and heat on the stove trick. I was, however, not so sure how that would go over with people walking thru the house and looking at every single thing.

The price seemed a little steep to me, but I dove in and began sniffing. Now, I have never smelled a fig. I like to eat them, but when I eat them I never really thought of them as an air freshener type smell. I passed on that one. The lavender one was way too strong. I really enjoyed the apple vanilla one, but you could only get it in a refill and I needed the whole shebang to start out. So, I ended up with gingerbread spice and sweet water.

Now, if you have read my blog at all you know that I have a strong aversion to used water. So, my instinct was to wonder how does one find sweet water....and where can I get it. I sure hope that after I use this thing it doesn't smell like used water...does used water smell? I am sure some does.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and plugged them in. The smells are nice, but not too overpowering. They say they will last 8 weeks....I will keep you posted on that part! My main hang up with them is that I wish I could get some that don't have to be plugged in. I like to conserve energy. It is what I do. The only other form I could get them in at this particular store was candles. I didn't like the idea of that since I wouldn't be home when I needed them to be making my house smell pretty. I do see on their website tho that they offer them in aroma rings. That may be a way to go. Of course, I would have to see if they were recyclable!

I still can't seem to laugh about it

It has happened to me. I am 32, ummm...33 now. And for the first time in my whole life I left something on my cart in the grocery store parking lot.

I have decided that I am too busy. I am too rushed. I feel like I am running, running, all the time. I know it has everything to do with getting the house on the market in time. It could not possibly have anything to do with the fact that I have 2 kids in school, soccer, band, book clubs, and a toddler running around. Nah. Not at all.

I used to look in amazement when I would see carts in the parking lot with items left on them. I would talk to myself and say things like, How could they forget that case of soda there? How could you not see that huge jug of laundry soap? In my case, how could I not remember that I placed that large jug of freshly squeezed orange juice on the bottom of the cart because my 1 yr old was determined to fit the whole pour spout in his mouth and I was tired of telling him to stop it. How could I do that? How could I forget?

The worst part....I totally didn't even realize I had left it until later that evening(mind you, I went to the store at 8am and he got home at 5pm) when my husband got home and I was telling him how I had gone over budget on the groceries. I was telling him that I was confused as to what I had gotten that made me go over....I must have forgot to add something up while I was shopping....it sorta struck me just then...I don't remember putting away my OJ....My OJ...it must still be in the van....I leave the sink, fistful of unsnapped beans in hand....to go retrieve it....yeah...not so much...It was then, at that very moment I realized that I...Me, had left something on the cart. What is happening to me?

Make me feel better and tell me that you have left something in your cart before. Even if you have to make something up.

You can tell its almost Fall

When:

You send your daughter to school in high water pants.

When you have to squeeze and shove and twist and turn your toddler's foot to get him into his sneaker.

When you have to send your son to school in a sweatshirt that is really way too small and when he raises his arms up the sweatshirt is pretty much up to his elbows.

Gotta love it! It really just reaffirms to me that all my local cooking over the summer really did the trick!

Surprise visitors

Okay, so I am out in the yard working. Imagine that, huh? Minding my own business...moving some rocks, mowing the lawn....

In the far back corner of my yard I planted a weeping willow. I love it. I do.

I needed to tidy things up a bit back there, so I set out to work...gloves on my hands. Now, mind you, I very seldom wear gloves when I work. Mainly because I find it very hard to find good gloves that fit my hands and that will stay on during the many tasks that I do outdoors.

I am now under the canopy of the weeping willow spreading out mulch and getting nailed every so often by the in ground sprinkler system that my neighborhood put in on the berms. (As well as getting eaten alive by mosquitoes) Here and there I find a sandstone rock that needs to be moved, so I find a new
place for it. I am now in the process of cleaning off a rather large rock and getting ready to do the 1, 2 , 3 Move process. You know when you are in the almost sitting position and you have to 1. Squat. 2. lift the object with your knees bent and 3. stand up and make that really loud hmmmppphhh noise......

Yeah, so I am doing that. I am pretty much at the number 2 phase when all of a sudden there is this:

Crawling on me. On my, thank the lord, gloved hands. What the heavens is it? And where did it come from? And yes, I did make a really loud noise...something like AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... and then What the HEdoublehockey sticks?

I had to run in and get the camera....hurry, fast...I run and run. Okay, got it. Now back, back....back to the corner. Bending down to look at it after I pretty much flung it off my hand only moments before.

I don't like it. It looks like a rodent. Not a mouse, not a gopher...maybe a mole? Dunno.

Hi baby Molpher. Okay...now go on back home....I am still there taking pictures...many that didn't even turn out because I was swatting so many bugs that they were all blurry. Hmmmm....there is a big something moving under the mulch...it is coming this way....right towards me and my picture taking self....I am now very much 0n my feet and backed away from the mulch....when I see the mama of the Molpher.....

HI mama Molpher....come get your baby.....mama Molpher is not very friendly. I couldn't get any pics, but I must say that baby Molpher got a good talking to. Mama Molper grabbed baby Molpher and scurried off...I, came inside and used lots of soap and water and scrubbed up to my elbows.

Mulchin it up

In preparation of placing our home on the market we have been cleaning up outside and making things look nice and pretty. Can I just say that I don't ever want to see another sliver of mulch again?

We had 5 yards of hardwood mulch delivered to our house so that we could spruce up the flower beds and all that good stuff. For those of us, myself included, that have a hard time visualizing what that means....it's a lot. It is like one side of a 2 car driveway...piled about as high as a 1 yr old.

Me and my trusty shovel and wheelbarrow then proceeded to take load after load all over the yard and spread it out in the appropriate places. It was really hot out. I sweated. (Is that a word?) Towards the end of the pile I had to call in the troops. Kids had to come out and spread the mulch so I could then move it much faster.

I have to say that it does look tons better. Does it look good enuf to reel in a buyer? Heck yeah. Will it happen? I dunno. And I am glad that we have a landscape recycling center near our home so that we could utilize recycled products. It always makes me sleep a little better at night knowing that I have made a green choice.

One Local Summer

To all my OLS pals, I would like to apologize for not being able to finish out the last few weeks. My summer was turned upside down after my surgery and then complications followed that. Please know that I still did eat my local meals the best I could. They just weren't what I had planned or envisioned that my contributions would be. That's not to say that they weren't good!

On the flip side, eating local doesn't have to be fancy and it doesn't have to take a lot of time. I am a prime example of that. As long as you have access to fresh, whole foods....please, please take full advantage of that. It can be as simple as a BLT and some new potato fries.

I would like to send a shout out to Liz, who really put all this together. I read your posts and am inspired all the time. I learn all kinds of things from you. And to El, who took the time to keep us all up to date on the Midwestern OLS'ers. Thanks for everything guys. You are both an inspiration.