O Tannenbaum

I always saw this title in my Christmas piano books, but never knew where it derived. According to Wikipedia, "O Tannenbaum is the German version. How 'bout that?

I always talk about my "ugly" tannenbaum in a box that I've had the last few years. It has a certain appeal, I think, and I got it for a good price at a place that rhymes with Benard's. It's not the flashiest or the prettiest of things, but it works for me.

Dining Room

The Dining Room is starting to come to life. Here is what it looked like.











The border was stripped off, and the walls were primed and painted. The trim was also painted to match the kitchen cupboards. I found a cute table with a wood finish.

Hey Baby

I went to Omaha this past weekend to visit my sister's family, among them the newest member of our clan, Mary Madeleine (14 weeks). On Saturday we decided to walk around a craft show going on in the Old Market, and I offered to carry little Mary in the BabyBjorn (those Swedes are so clever. I do love them for their Swiss Miss). The Bjorn (with two dots above the "O") is a nifty sling-like contraption that parents can wear to carry infants. Plus, ain't no way some psycho-crazy-kidnapper is ever going to snatch anyone in this thing! And I can see why babies like it. It keeps them warm and cuddly and allows them to see all the action that we see. Look how happy she is!



After about 20 minutes of wearing the Bjorn and all 13 pounds of Mary, my neck did start to hurt a little. And I soon discovered the "looks" and "how cute!" I was getting on the streets weren't for me, but for Mary, especially when she zonked out in the craft tent. Oh well.

Flush Twice

This is the latest and greatest homeowners' advice I received. Who would've thunk it?

Flush twice, I was told. Always flush twice. No matter what. Whether it's a number one or two, flush twice. Whether I use one ply of toilet paper, or enough to make a cast around a bleeding wound, flush twice. It will keep the good water going in a one-person household. And if I have company over, I have to flush several times after everyone leaves. Unless my friends want to flush twice??,.... but I would never insist upon it.

Every "energy /water-saving " site I have ever read says how you should only flush once, and that you lose GALLONS" of water the more you flush. But in my case, the more I flush, the happier I will be. Or, the less I flush, the bigger my sewer-related bills will be. I learned this on Sunday afternoon after a sewer company spent about five hours trying to break the built-up "sludge" in my pipes. We noticed after I moved in that the drain in the basement was slow. The problem had most likely started before I even closed on the place. On Saturday it had had enough.

Luckily, the problem was fixed, there wasn't any damage, the repairmen were nice and very professional, and I didn't lose my sanity. The smell is pretty much gone (thanks to bleach and Glade candles), and I was lucky to stay at a friend's house on Saturday so I could shower and use the other necessary facilities. It was a pain, and not something I exactly wanted to spend money on, but it had to be done. Apparently the owner even showed up in my driveway toward the end, because he likes "challenges." Well, that's fine and dandy and all, but hopefully their next challenge won't be at my expense.

So when in doubt, flush twice. I said to one of the two repairmen, "won't this cost me more in water bills?" He looked me in the eye as he was rinsing away the "sludge" in my basement drain that was now, not plugged, and asked, "would you rather have us back here in a year doing the same thing?"

Good point. Flush on.

What will be Next?

I've noticed that lately I don't see as much about "counting carbs" on TV. Is that fad finally over? I hope so. I hope it is over for the mere fact I hate health fads. In the mid-80s, cholesterol was big and bad. Eggs were especially awful. In the late 80s, I counted calories as a junior high girl. That was the thing. 100, 200, 300, 400, etc. A hot pocket had 300 calories. That was good.

In the 90s, "fat grams" was next. One gram, two grams, three grams. Subway had X number of sandwiches with six grams of fat or less. Those were healthy.

In the early 2000s, "low carbs" was the craze. Everything from yogurt to yams were coming out with low-carb versions. If it was low in carbs, it was probably higher in fat.
Now there seems to be a kick on the "trans fats." Boxes of crackers are plastered with "O trans fats," whatever that means.

What will be next? Sodium? Protein? Calcium? Zinc? Iron?
Is anything good for us?

Don't ring me

It was reiterated again today why I don't buy expensive rings. I lose them. Most of the time it is my own stupidity. If (heaven forbid) I ever were to get engaged, I would probably tell my fiance to purchase me a sucker ring from a candy machine or make one for me out of twine, because chances are, I would lose that one, too.

Here are some examples of rings I have lost over the years:

Summer 2001: I'm on my way back from three weeks in Europe, standing in the Detroit airport, washing my hands at the restroom sink. I took off my blue ring I bought in Munich and discovered I no longer have my blue ring from Munich when I arrived in....Green Bay.

May 2005: I am picking up my sister and bro-in-law at the Green Bay airport (maybe there is a theme here?), and as I am putting a piece of luggage in the trunk, my fat silver ring slips off my ring finger and goes somewhere in the bottom of never land of my trunk. Haven't really attempted to look for that.

July 2006: I decide to "shake out" my Eddie Bauer bag after countless trips to the beach, and I decide to do this on my balcony, which overlooks some holed grid in the ground. I'm shaking and shaking and I hear a CLLLINNNGGGGG! Oops. It's my cool twirly ring in one of the side pockets I had been looking for for weeks. It's gone.

Today: I was at a meeting in Appleton, playing with my $5 ring I bought in Texas. I notice at some point during the meeting, I no longer have my $5 ring from Texas. Hmmm, I must've stuck it in my purse. When I get back from the meeting and use the restroom, I hear that familiar "cling" in, you guessed it, the bottom of the porcelain bowl. I must've stuck it in my short pocket during the meeting, and now it fell out. As much as I love the $5 ring I bought in Texas, as many compliments as I get on it, I don't love it enough to fish it out. Bye bye $5 ring from Texas.

I know there are more I have lost, but I can't remember exactly how those happened. I should learn my lesson and stop buying rings altogether, but I don't. And if I ever do get married, I might have to keep it permanently attached.

Empathy-Schmempathy

It is true that we really don't know how people feel until we walk around in their shoes. I learned two big things in the last 1.5 weeks, relating to volleyball. It seems trivial to be mentioning this, but if I am going to learn anything out at a bar, it might as well be something useful.

I was a substitute referee last week, and after that experience, I will never complain to a ref again. Not that I ever did, but now I really won't! It takes a lot of concentration, and it is hard to see everything going on on the court. I withstood hate stares on certain calls, inpatient players when I would forget to flip the score and eyes rolling from some younger players used to WIAA high school rules. I never would've got in a ref's face before, and now I certainly won't.

Last night I subbed for a team in the league I formerly played in, and I had to pass and hit middle. I haven't done this in a LONG time, and I'm not a hitter. I'm not sure if I was sluggish, if they were serving really tough or if my skills had weakened that much, but I struggled. I was shanking passes left and right, passing short, toward the net. I wanted to bury my head in the sand and not come back out. I am a setter, and I did that on my old team. Setters often get frustrated when the passing is bad, but I learned that the passers/hitters get equally as frustrated. It's not an easy thing to do, and passing in quads (four people on the court) is much more difficult than in sixes (six people on the court). There is a lot more court to cover. I'm hoping I might have been sluggish, because when I have passed in other games, it hasn't been as bad as last night.

So....I got to stand in a ref's shoes and in a passer's shoes. I learned that both roles need empathy. Some of those refs might be doing that after a long day at work (as I did), so their minds not be as sharp by the time the 10 pm game comes around. Some middles passers in quads need encouragement and support if they are not doing as great as they want. We all need empathy. Hopefully I can continue to be more empathetic in other aspects of life as well.

Those People

I was never one of those people. Those people that watch every cent they spend, wear layers in their home, and suggest to friends they go out to a certain restaurant because they found a coupon for $1 off two entrees. Those people who won't turn their furnace past 64 or start buying the $.34 yogurt as opposed to the $.50 Yoplait, or who requests separate checks at restaurants to ensure they aren't paying a cent more than they owe. Those people who get angry at themselves when they spent $12 on a pizza when they could've spent $8, or put less money in their godchild's birthday card than in years past, or who think about money constantly. Those people who won't rent a locker at the Y for $5 a month, or will immediately say "no" when friends mention doing anything revolving spending a little money, or are more conscious about "running around town" in order to conserve gas.

I was never one of those people. Not that those people are bad, but I was just never one of them. I didn't watch what I spent, wore shorts in the dead of winter, went to any restaurant I wanted. I jacked the heat up to 70, bought the yogurt I liked and didn't care about separate checks. I ordered the $12 pizza when a friend was coming over, threw an extra $10 in birthday cards and thought about money when I had to. I used to rent a locker at the gym, did things with friends no matter what the cost and drove wherever and whenever I wanted.

I was never one of those people, but I'm becoming one, and it scares me a little. I have to be more frugal than before, not that I ever spent money foolishly, either. But there needs to be a happy medium so I can still live a life. We all need to come up for air, and lately I haven't been.

With that said, I still need to watch what I spend, I don't mind layering my clothes, and I can go to a restaurant even if I don't have a coupon - it's ok. The heat could go to 67 when I am home, I don't mind the $.34 yogurt, and separate checks do make things easier. I have pizza leftover for other meals, and I shouldn't feel bad about the birthday card (p.s. I did buy him an early bday gift this summer). I really don't need to rent a gym locker, I can decide what to do with friends based on cost and if it's something I want to do, and it's ok to not drive all over the place.
I can be one of those people to an extent, but I still need to be me.

Shelves!

These are the insides of the shelves I left open. We painted the insides "blue flower" to bring out the slightly darker color used the dining room.

Kitchen Transformation

It has been really rewarding the last few weeks to see some rooms transform. The first night I slept in the house, my hands were throbbing so bad from all the painting, I couldn't sleep! But it was well worth the time and effort. Enjoy the pics, and please come over soon to see it!

10/23/06: Here is the kitchen on the day I closed. The walls were yellow, burgundy, and with a border in between. The cabinets were black, and the trim on the windows and doors was tan.

My friend Terri (bless her heart) and I spent HOURS scraping off the border and removed the doors later this evening. The insides were multi-colored and had probably not been painted for awhile.









10/26/06: The room is already starting to change! The cabinets needed two coats of primer and paint (swiss coffee). This is one coat. All the trim and baseboard was painted the same color. We used "light blue" on the walls and ceiling.










11/4/06: Almost there! The drawers are in, the final coat of paint is on, the insides scrubbed, repainted and relined with new contact paper, and the dishes are finally unpacked!









11/7/06: Done! My dad and his buddy Joe Kind added the doors last night (when I wasn't even home!). The two end cabinets I'm leaving open to display cookbooks, wine, wine glasses and pictures (Missy's idea).

I LOVE how the kitchen looks. It's so bright and fun! I couldn't have done it without the following people who helped paint or move all my stuff:
Terri, Steph, Kim F, Kevin, Michelle, Dad, Missy, Matuella, Joe, Tera, Kim M, Bobby, Charlie, Jeff.
(PS. Mom was babysitting and did send a kettle of chicken soup for moving day).
THANK YOU!!!!! :)

The house

Home

Shopping Blunders

It's not surprising that I'm paying closer attention to where my money is going these days. I'm especially trying to be better about "shopping traps." Here are four things that are my (and might be your) biggest shopping mistakes.

The Coupon
I love coupons, I really do. I wouldn't recommend them or promote valpak.com as one of my favorite sites if I didn't. But I can't allow myself to clip coupons for the sake of clipping coupons. Sometimes we save one or clip one because the deal looks good. I'm all about reserving products and having some extras on hand, but I shouldn't use it if I'll never use the product in the first place. Now when I get a 20% coupon at Kohl's in the mail, I think twice.


Sales Racks
I love a good sale. I love rummaging through those "70% off" clearance racks at my favorite stores. I love finding a bargain. I love getting something that was originally $70 for only $10. But more often than not, when I purchase one of these shirts for $2, or a pair of pants for $5, do I wear them? Not all the time. We're believed to think it's a great deal because we're ONLY paying $5, and we say to ourselves, well, even if I don't wear it or don't fit into it, I ONLY paid $5. You know what? That $5 could've been used toward something more useful. A donation, charity, a birthday present, the collection basket at church, etc. I've also read that a lot of these sales items only crowd our closets, so it's harder for us to find the quality items. Again, sales racks are great, but don't purchase that $10 zebra-printed jacket only to let it sit in your closet! :)


Creative Marketing
It's all about presentation. It's all about catching our eyes. I fell for this at a department store over the summer. I was on my way out after just purchasing a not-so-inexpensive but much-needed tankini. And it caught my eye. The light blue and green-colored bottle placed so nicely in the white picket beach chair, the sexy scent, the name. Calvin Klein suckered me in with their newest perfume, ck One "Summer," like a kid in a candy store. The presentation was so adorable. It reminded me of being on the beach in the Bahamas. When the saleslady told me it was their seasonal "summer" scent, that was it! I HAD TO HAVE IT! They got me. In my defense, it is a great scent, I get lots of compliments on it, and compared to other perfumes, it isn't terribly expensive. But still...they conquered, they won.


Free Gift
We all like free stuff, too. Who doesn't?? But, did you really ever use that football phone you got for free with the Sports Illustrated subscription? Did you use the free make up bag that came with the $60 perfume? OK, maybe you did. I almost fell into one of these traps at a department store. I was completely out of toner that I use and swear by, and usually lasts for months. The toner cost $12. The lady said, "If you spend $25, you get a free lipstick, free moisturizer, free lip liner, free this, free that....it's a $50 value." I said, "I really don't need anything else." She said, "you could purchase a mascara - that's ONLY $15." I almost fell for it, but luckily I remembered that I had an extra mascara at home. I stayed strong and stuck with the toner! It was all I really wanted, and I didn't need more lipsticks I would never use clogging my make-up bag. The free gifts are nice, and if you actually use it, the more power to you, but don't let it entice you too much.

Clean Your Oven

Take my advice: Clean your oven at least once a year. Maybe twice.
Don't learn the hard way like I did. Don't wait 5+ years.

Last night I was finishing up my apartment cleaning, and I had to do the task I was avoiding the most. Cleaning out the window trays wasn't fun, dusting the blinds was a pain, scrubbing the shower wasn't that pleasant, either, but this was going to be the worst. Most conversations I had about this went like this:


Random person: But it's so easy to clean them with a self-cleaning oven.
Me: I don't have a self-cleaning oven.
Random person: Really? You don't have one?
Me: No.
Random person: But it's still not that bad if you use Easy-off.
Me: I just bought a can.
Random person: You should be fine! Just let it soak really good.
Me: I never cleaned my oven in the five years I lived there.
Random person: Oh...............................................good luck.

I did just that. I sprayed the Easy Off like it was going out of style, let it soak for triple the time recommended on the can, used a scrub brush, used three rags to wipe up the mess, messed up my shirt really bad, but it worked.
Does the oven look better than it did on last week? Absolutely.
Does the oven look as good as when I moved in? Probably not.
Does it look so spotless I could eat off it? Eew...Never.

Do I care? No.

Things I Love: By the Clock

Saturday, 5:30 pm: I can pull right up to my door to haul groceries in the house as opposed to finding a close parking spot and lugging them up the stairs.
Saturday, 6:30 pm: I can play my music as loud as I want without disturbing the "neighbors" on the other side of the wall.
Sunday, 12:30 am: I don't hear cop or fire sirens as I am trying to sleep.
Sunday, 7:30 am: I don't hear semis whizzing by on the street, feeling like they're going to run into my head.
Sunday, 8:30 am: I can sit on my sofa with a cup of coffee and watch people walk their dogs, ride bikes and get geared up for Packer Sunday.
Sunday, 11 am: I can take a walk in my neighborhood and see last-minute ticket goers park on the street, hearing the rumblings from the stadium.
Sunday, 12:30 pm: I can hear the crowd after the Packers score a touchdown.
Sunday, 7 pm: I can watch tv and not smell cigarette smoke from the neighbor below me.
Sunday, 10 pm: I can feel like I made the right decision after coming "home" from cleaning the (what feels like) tiny apartment. :)

Paint and Drills

Wow, the last few days have just flown! We've been priming and painting and removing cabinets and scraping off border like crazy. The colors look so warm and vibrant. I don't mind the paint under my nails or the aches in my neck, hands and shoulders. I had some great help this week from friends and family, so we got a lot done. The house already looks different from the few changes, and it looks great! I think it will be a very happy home, and a place people will enjoy visiting.

I'll be sure to post the "before" and "after" photos when the current painting is completed. It looks so different already!

Today, I'm going to get a coat of paint on all the trim, and the carpets will be cleaned later this afternoon. If a second coat of paint is needed, I'll do it next week. Tomorrow is the big moving day. I think it will go smooth.

New home!

It's official!! I have a new home! Here it is!

The closing yesterday went very smooth.

I'm excited, but scared, and a million things are running through my head - the painting I want to do before the big move, the move itself, cleaning the apartment, the things I need to purchase that I didn't need for the apartment, etc.

But, it's all worth it!

Where in the World is Swiss Miss?

I was at the grocery store the other day selecting some hot chocolate when I noticed something about my favorite brand - Swiss Miss. The "Swiss Miss" lady with blonde hair, braids, blue dress and a big smile is gone! Remember her?




Here she is!!




But when I was at the store, and searched the ConAgra website (the distributor), the box looked like this.




See.....similar typeface. The cup and mountains are still there, but she's gone!!!



She's not on ANY of the boxes! Not sugar free, not marshmallow lovers, not chocolate marshmallow lovers, nothing. Where did she go? Did she go back to Switzerland? When did they remove her? And why would I even care?

There is something comforting about a cup of hot chocolate/cocoa. It brings back memories of childhood, cold winter days, sledding and sitting by the fireplace. Even now, I rely on it during a workday to warm me up or to satisfy a chocolate fix. I liked the Swiss Miss lady. She looked content. She looked happy. I would be happy, too, if I were plastered all over a hot cocoa box.

I know she really didn't do much. She didn't make that funny laugh like the Pillsbury dough boy or flutter around like that bee for Honey Nut Cheerios. She didn't "Ho, Ho, Ho" like the Green Giant or look cuddly like the "Snuggle" fabric softener teddy bear. But still...it was comforting. Maybe ConAgra is trying to re brand the product or change the image? It sounds like Swiss Miss smashes all the other hot chocolate competition out there, so why change a good thing?
Oh well.

Cooking Cheap

I'd like to share a few things I've recently tried that have saved me money and time, and in some cases, are healthier.

"Cake" cookies
If you're like me, you love cookies, but hate spending the time making them. Mary Hunt, author of "Live Your Life for Half the Price: Without Sacrificing the Life you Love," shares some of her economical recipes. She suggests in her book to make cookies from a cake mix. I tried it, and they are awesome! She says that you can basically make cookies out of any cake mix by adding:
1/2 c oil, 2 eggs, and a dash of water (I use skim milk). I tried her lemon cookie recipe, by using a yellow cake mix, squeezing in some real lemon juice, the oil, eggs, milk, and some vanilla. This will make a nice dough that you can scoop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 until they are golden brown (I also put a cookie sheet under the sheet I am baking cookies on, to prevent burning). Last week I used a white cake mix and added chocolate chips and crushed peanut butter cups. Delicious! I made these on my birthday, and they were a hit. Get creative - the next one I'm going to try is Devil's Food with white icing.

These cookies are still somewhat homemade, but do not involve the laundry list of ingredients. Often, you can find a cake mix on sale for under $1, and this recipe makes a solid 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on the size you want. I still love to bake cookies from scratch, but this version can save money and time! Try it!



Slow Cooker
In the same book (it's a great read, by the way), Hunt also suggests digging out your slow cooker, because the cost of running one for eight hours is only pennies! I love my slow cooker, and I can get about 4-5 meals (for under $10!) out of a basic roast or pork, carrots, celery, onion and potatoes. Whatever I don't eat, I freeze in Tupperware or put in the fridge for later in the week. Most meats are already marinated at the grocery store, or you can spice them up on your own. I also dump in the celery leaves for added flavor. And it's healthy!
There are some great slow cooker books that you can get at the library, but a site I like is thatsmyhome.com. See Slow Cooking link to the left.



Homemade pizza
If I'm craving pizza, I make my own using a jiffy pizza crust (under $.50, just add water), can of pizza sauce (under $.60) and some grated mozzarella cheese that I usually have on hand. I can make a nice 12-inch pizza for under $2 !! Again, whatever is left over, I can refrigerate in plastic wrap or freeze. If I have them, I'd add tomato, mushrooms or black olives, but usually I just use cheese. If you sprinkle some pepper, oregano and basil on top before going in the oven, it adds the right amount of kick. I'm still working on making a homemade sauce. Cooks.com has some that I want to try, but you might beat me to it. :)

Moving Check List

Done: :)
- Informed bank of new address and ordered new checks
- Called and updated address for heat, water, doctor office, cell carrier, dentist, and credit cards
- Cancelled land line, auto insurance
- Paid and set up new homeowners/auto insurance
- Filled out forwarding address form at post office
- Emailed family and friends
- Packed lots of stuff


To do: :(
- Pick up new checks at bank
- Keep packing
- Get quotes on carpet cleaners and set up time
- Get new license? Do I really have to do this?
- Buy a washer/dryer
- Remind/bribe those helping with the move
- Buy doughnuts/coffee for move day
- Buy a nice bottle of wine for the closing day
- Be wishful that landlord can lease apt. for November
- Select paint samples for kitchen, cabinets and guest bedroom
- Buy more primer to cover up kitchen, cabinets and guest bedroom
- Stay sane, work out and remember to breathe

3-0

30. Thirty. Thur-teeeee.
For the next decade I'll be a "30-something." Hmmm. I'm no longer a "20-something." No longer am I in my low 20s, mid 20s or late 20s. (Darn it). My friend didn't want to call me at 9:30 on the night on my bday, because she thought I'd be sleeping already. Nice.


It really didn't hit me until I went to work out at the Y. I got on the cross trainer and started punching in the required info so I could get started.
Workout: Interval
Settings: Intense (Bring it!)
Weight: Hmmm. My actual weight minus 10. (Whatever. Don't we all do that?)
Age: 2................. Oh. That's right. No longer a 20-something.


It actually feels ok. After all, they say 40 is the new 30. I suppose that could mean 30 is the new 20? That might be a stretch. Let's say 25. I can honestly say I am in better shape now than I was at 20. I'm not partying or drinking nearly as much, and that leaves out the horrible 2 am Taco or Papa John's runs. My exercise at that age consisted of walking to one of those places on the way home from the bars. Age really is about how you feel.

I hit the "29" anyway that day at the Y. One more day would not hurt. And I don't think it has.

Five Years Stuffed into Boxes

I really went to town these last few days on starting to pack my belongings. I need to be out of my apartment by Nov. 1st. I put away all the picture frames, candles, stemware, etc. I packed away all the shotglasses I've collected from traveling (I have 82!). The boxes are stacking up higher and higher, and the walls are starting to look as plain as when I moved in. As excited as I am to be into the house, I get a little teary-eyed from time to time. It has been home, and I made it as much of a home as I could.

I'll miss reading out on my balcony during a summer evening while sipping a glass of wine. No more walking to the University grocery store when I decide to make cookies at the 11th hour, and discover I don't have eggs. Walgreens won't be a hop, skip and a jump at the new house. I chuckled as I packed up "apartment-warming" gifts that I received from friends. I loved entertaining friends for parties and family for Packers games. It felt good to come "home" after some long days at work, or after being on vacation. I don't know that I'll have a pesty elderly neighbor lady (who my friends and I refer to as "grandma") watching my every move, but also looking out for me. And as annoying as it was, there was something charming about getting my hand on every quarter I could find so I could do wash at the end of every week.


I know once I am in the house, I'll wonder how I ever lived in an apartment for so long. The rewards of homeownership will be great. And everyone I know who lives in a house is telling me how much I will love it. I believe them, but in the meantime, I want to enjoy this last week or so that I have left on Danz Ave. I don't have to leave in disgust, nor do I want to. After all, I've been there five years. That's five years of life, five years of stuff, five years of memories.

Home Sweet Home

I am becoming a homeowner! After weeks of searching, driving by and looking, my offer was accepted on an adorable Cape Cod on the West side of town. Three bedrooms, basement rec room, nice backyard, deck, French doors off the dining room, big living room, 1.5 baths, nice street, etc. I fell in love with it right away. The inspection went well, and everything is underway.

I think it's crazy, but also very exciting! I would post a photo, but I think I'll wait until the close to do that. :)

If all goes as planned, the close will happen on the 23rd. In the meantime, just staying busy with planning, packing and taking care of logistics!