A Big Box Of Nothing

Are you anything like me? As I clean the house I put things that don't go in a room in a box and then move that box into another room and keep adding to it. Then we sit and take the items in the box and put them away. I'm usually left with a ton of items in the box that I don't know what to do with. CAT5e cables, different craft items, kids things...but I don't have a specific place for them. So they sit, until the next time I clean and the box gets added to. By the time we moved to this house the box was full of stuff. Some items I had been looking for, others just junk. I'm wondering if something doesn't have a space...should I just throw it out?

Paperwork Needs??

I'm trying to find somewhere fun to take my husband for a romantic weekend away! Ok, so the Hockey Hall of Fame may not be that romantic...but he'll be really excited! My question is this, for travel between the U.S. and Canada do we need a passport? Or is it still just a drivers license? In Mexico you used to just have to say your country of origin, but now they require much more paperwork. I just don't know if Canada is the same way. If a passport is required, then I think it will be the Baseball Hall of Fame this year!!

Money Making Money

My Aunt Peggy has been working off and on as a day trader for many years. She does pretty good for herself and if I was a bit more adventurous with our money, I would join her! I'm not sure what the difference is between a day trader and a futures broker, but this is an area I want to learn more about. We don't have any investments other than our house and honestly, I don't think it's making us that much money! I don't even know where to start. Maybe I should go back to school and get a degree in Finance.

More Memory Needed

We are leaving on our trip north in less than two weeks. The kids are excited and I actually have everything I need for a great week away. I do want to find another micro sd for my camera. Since I won't have my computer in Wisconsin, I won't be able to download my photo's and clear my card to take more. So it's just easier to take a couple and bring them both home full. That way I don't miss a minute of the fun!

Who Knew!!

Are you as clueless as me? My husband's birthday is coming up on the 25th of the month and to surprise him I found an amazing deal on a flat screen TV. These are something that he's always shown interest in, so I know he'll love it! I called my brother in law to have him help me get it home and set up. Everything was going really well until he asked me for a mount. Eh hem!! What?? Apparently you need to have one of those cool mounts from Peerless to attach the thing to the wall! Well, I didn't have one and I didn't want my husband to see his gift if it wasn't in it's place showing off it's perfectness! So I sent the thing home with my brother in law who will pick up whatever I need and come back tomorrow when my husband is at work to finish the installation! Yep...I'm a ditz!

Health Food Stores

My son has a little digestion problem. Little isn't really what the problem is...but he requires the use of enzymes to help his body digest all of the foods he takes in. When these enzymes are lacking he will literally clog the toilet every time he uses it! I have been out of his pills for a week or so, and had forgotten all about them, until I walked upstairs to see that not one, but two of the toilets are clogged! So today, with my GNC coupons in hand, I'm heading off to the health food store to purchase his enzymes. I'm hoping this is a problem he grows out of, but I'm thinking it may be something he'll be dealing with for the rest of his life. Poor thing!

Housing Woes

My sister and her husband have been talking to tons of mortgage lenders over the past several months. They just bought a house last September and their mortgage was written so oddly that they've been working to refinance it ever since. Sadly, with the housing market the way it is, no one is getting loans. They have $50,000 down and still can't get a loan for $200,000! What in the world? Even if they didn't have perfect credit, the down payment alone should give any lender some confidence!

Baby Horses

Some family friends own a horse farm nearby and just welcomed a baby horse. My kids were so excited to be able to get up close and personal with this new little guy. He's a bit skittish, but when his mom is around, he's fine. What darling animals these babies are. It made me want to take one home! Mind you, I don't live in an area zoned for horses. I don't have property big enough for horses. I don't own any saddles or other tack items necessary to care for a horse. And the biggest lack...time and energy to care for such a beautiful animal! So I will just have to spend time up at the horse farm to get my fill!

Summer Plans

I have been online looking up travel guides for different destinations nearby. That is what's nice about living in the Chicago area. We are only an hour away from Wisconsin and Indiana, and only 2-3 hours outside of Michigan. Throw Illinois into that and we can have a summer full of fun destinations while not going crazy with the gas budget! We are going to be spending a week in Wisconsin, just North of the Dells. There is a campground/water park that we visit every year. The kids can't wait!

Be Prepared

My goal for this month is to find affordable term life insurance for myself and my husband. There isn't much left in the budget monthly but this is an expense that I think is necessary. We have four kids and with either one of us missing from the picture, the other will be left with nothing. We'll need enough to pay off the home as well as provide for some educational expenses for the kids. I don't need millions of dollars, but enough to keep us afloat while we get our bearings back. My husband would be the worst off, he would need to find child care so that he could work, and that alone can break any budget!

Getting Healthy

I have been on a quest to get healthy! With that will come weight-loss and other fun things, but health is the main thing I'm going for! I need to incorporate a little exercise and better meal plans---and maybe even some Anoretix to help kick the weight-loss into gear! We have a dog that needs to be walked and if I can get that scheduled into the evening hours after it cools down, I should be able to get some good walking time in. I do have a treadmill---it's just hard to get motivated to get downstairs to use it. I'll need to change that too!

Medical Needs

I need to get my oldest into the doctor to have a look at his spine. Before we lost our medicare insurance he was diagnosed with Scoliosis. We took him to a chiropractor to try to get him straight...long story short (and expensive) we got nuthin'!! So now that he is fully insured again, we need to start looking at just what the problem might be and how to correct it for him. I keep hoping to get it started before his growth spurt begins...so I better act soon!

Vay-Cay Or Stay??

Have you started making your summer plans? I know, it's nearing the end of June...but we are still trying to work ours out. Do we take a vacation with the family to somewhere fun for the kids? Or do we drop them off and head to a Hilton Head rental for some "Marriage Therapy" time? I'm happy either way! I don't know why. A vacation of any sort means more of my time will be required. Laundry to go--house to clean before we leave---laundry to do when we get home...it's a never ending cycle! How about we just stay home, and spend the money we would have spent on a maid service once a week??? Sounds positively heavenly to me!!

My Scrapbook Goal In Life

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you are probably well aware of what I would love to have for my living room. I have four kids and my goal is to have a digital frame for each of them. Each one going in chronological order showing my kids growing up before my eyes (kinda sad to think about it that way). But since I don't keep up very well with my scrapbooking, this would be a great way for them to get to see their lives in pictures! As of yesterday...I'm halfway there! My husband surprised me with frame number 2 yesterday evening. No reason. No special event. Nothing! He was just out at the office supply store for work and saw one on the shelf and thought of me. What a sweetheart!!

Foodie Fest '08

My husband's hotel is playing home base to a big convention coming to town for the food industry. My brother in law will be coming, in a work related capacity. But my sister is just coming to collect the goodies. You know promotional pens, t shirts, food samples! She's talked me into going with her, but since there are no strollers allowed, I will have to sit this one out. I hope she brings me a present from one of the booths---and enters me into the drawing for the wheat grinder...that's what I'm hoping for!

Livin' Large In Reno

My brother in law has been living in Reno for the past 18 months. He's had a lot of trouble in his life with drug abuse and addiction as well as being bipolar and manic depressive--the poor thing. Well this week he finally is moving back into an apartment of his own. He's been living in a variety of reno hotels after losing his last apartment due to not paying his rent. He still hasn't found the help he needs to conquer his demons, so I'm not to hopeful about this newest part of his life---but I really do wish him all the best!

How Times Have Changed

I've been amazed over the past couple of years at the growing rate of different cancers. Ones that I'd never heard of before like mesothelioma and other new ones. My family has a huge background in colon cancer and therefore we have the joy of having Colonoscopies once a year! When I was growing up, I don't remember knowing anyone with cancer--and now I know many who have died from it--or are lucky enough to be counted among the survivors. It's just sad and scary!

Going Home

I just found out that we will be taking turns throughout the family caring for my husband's grandmother who was just released from the hospital. She will need constant care, and with the number of family members there to help, it shouldn't be to hard. Although, I come with 4 kids---I don't think she'll get much rest done while I'm there! They are working on getting a handicapped ramp up to her front door and a walk in tub in her bathroom. She is able to walk, but not without great assistance, so the idea of a wheelchair to help us get her from one place to another will be instrumental in our success with her rehab! I'll let you know how it goes!

Can't Afford Life

Money seems to be getting tighter and tighter. First with the fuel prices, and now everything else filters down. The only thing that doesn't keep up with the rising...salaries! We still make exactly the same amount as we did before, and slowly, we are losing everything! It's about time to look for a small business opportunity to be able to bring a little extra income into the house. If not, we'll lose it, and we'll be moving home to Utah before too long!

Birthdays Are Coming

My husband's birthday is coming up in a few weeks (after Father's Day) and we've been trying to find the perfect gift for him. The boys want a PS2 game, he needs new video cards, and I want to get him (us) a little get away downtown for the weekend. A weekend with room service and no kids...is there a better gift anywhere? Kate really wants to get him his favorite candy bar, Peanut Butter Cups, and I'm not too sure what Brett wants to get him. But before we can focus on birthday gifts, we have to get Father's Day out of the way!!