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Laundry Tips From a Mom Who Knows

January 22, 2010 By 4 Comments
Woman at the community laundry on Saturday aft...
Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

I would like you to all understand that this is not a practical tip entry.  This is an entry on all of the things that I hate about laundry and tips to make those things better.  I will not teach you how to remove stains or teach you how to avoid laundry from piling up.  To be quite frank with you…. I have no idea how to make there things happen.  Here is what I do know about laundry:

  1. No matter what I do it will never be done.  I know some very nice people say if you do a load a day it will all be manageable.  Either way you still have to do a load a day.
  2. For some reason my almost 3 year old still wears at least 3 outfits a day plus jammies.  This is a huge issue…  I could just let her be dirty all day.   I just do not think that is a good solution to my laundry woes.
  3. My 9 year old is STINKY and CANNOT wear outfits more than once.  I just do not know what else to do about the stink her clothing is bringing to my laundry!  We already have deodorant, sprays and soap.  What else could there be.
  4. Why is it that so few people in my house know how to wipe?  It AMAZES me.  I know it is a lesson we went over 1 billion times!  So why is it that it has not caught on.
  5. There are times that I think that the pile is taller then I am.  I know that this is not too too hard being that I am only 4’11″ but still… this is not good.
  6. I seem to be the only person capable of carrying the laundry up and down two flights to be washed.
  7. God forbid you ask someone to help in any way.  It is like the sky has opened and we are all headed for eternal damnation.
  8. Why is it that my clothing is never done?  I fold and wash and fold and wash and fold and wash but so few of the articles are mine.  How is this possible?
  9. How hard could it be for one to open a drawer, stuff an already folded of clothing and and then shut the drawer be?  One would think that this is an easy task… right?  So why am I the only one who has mastered it?
  10. WHY DOES EVERYONE LEAVE IT ALL UP TO ME?

I am seriously thinking about making disposable clothing.  I think that my tip for today is to quit trying and when they all find that there are no outfits to be had perhaps they will help more.

Becca

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Sketchers Shape-Ups: A Practical Review

January 15, 2010 By 8 Comments
London: Sketchers Shape Ups
Image by gorgeoux via Flickr

I have been wearing my Sketchers Shape-ups for about two weeks now.   Please understand that Sketchers did not provide me shoes or money to write this article although I wish they would!  Either way I paid the full retail price of $99 plus tax for mine.  I know it is a lot but the reasons are simple.

  1. I shattered my arch about one and a half years ago.  I have extreme pain and burning in my foot all of the time.  The Dr. said that a rocker bottom soled shoe would imobilize my foot.  This would reduce some of the nerve pain that was occuring.  Right away I went to the expensive shoe store and tried on shoes rangin from $250- $1,000.  No, that is not a typo, I said $1,000!  NONE of them fit.  Because of where my foot broke the in step of that foot is very high.  I walked away crying that I would never wear shoes again.  Then while Christmas shopping I stopped and tried on the Sketcher Shape-Ups and guess what… THEY FIT!
  2. Another reason is that I am weight watching as many of you know.  In addition to a reduction in pain these shoes are supposed to help firm you butt and legs.
  3. The third reason I plunged into a $99 pair of shoes was that they were more stylish then the $1,000 pair I could not afford.  I was also drawn to them because they make Sketchers Shape-Ups boots and Mary Janes.  This means that I can have a shoe that reduces the pain in my foot and it can be something other then a sneaker.

So back to the now!  I have been wearing these sneakers for two weeks now.  I am SO happy with them.  The nerve in my foot is feeling some better, my butt and legs are sore showing that they do something and they have enabled me to walk as a form of exercise.  I just do not know what I would do without my Sketchers Shape-Ups!  I am in love… I think I should stock poile them for when they are not cool anymore!

Becca

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Back to School: What Do You Really Need to Buy?

August 27, 2009 By 4 Comments

We are only 6 days away now and back to school is all I can think about.  I will admit that it is because I am anxious to see the kids out of my house back at school.  They thrive under structure which the summer just does not provide.  So as we get closer and closer I started to think about the fact that I have done NO back to school shopping yet.  For a few moments I was really worried.  My heart beat sped up and the headache started to come on.  I was in a panic yesterday thinking about how I will afford all of it and how will I get it in the next few days.

The JanSport logo
Image via Wikipedia

The more I thought about it the more I realized that there was just not a huge need, like I kept thinking there was.  So I made a list of what I needed to buy and what I wanted to buy.  I think that given the current state of the economy, I am not alone in my desire to separate wants versus needs.  The school does not help too much.  They want you to buy book sox.  I did find them in Walmart for $.50 each but come on.  Why is it that we do not reuse… You know the keys to a greener earth… Reduce, recycle and REUSE…?  Why do we have to buy something to cover a book?  I remember taking my paper grocery bags and spending time with my parents learning the fine art of book covering.  This was real bonding time.  Instead of this free option I had to add $2.50 to my budget.  Seems wrong to me.

Either way here is what I came up with:

Needs:

  1. All supplies on the kids lists
  2. A bookbag (we have decided to reuse old ones.  We are going to bedazzle them so that they are more fun this year)
  3. New shoes for Abigail: She grew like a flower this summer

I think that all in all that is all of the NEEDS we have.  Grandpa and Grandma were nice enough to buy about 90% of the school supplies.  So once I buy shoes my NEEDS are met.

Wants:

  1. New first day of school outfits
  2. New fall wardrobe
  3. New hair accessories to match all of their clothing
  4. New lunch bags
  5. A JanSport book bag for Abigail
  6. Winter coats
  7. Haircuts for the girls
  8. Fall jackets
  9. Book bag for Emma
  10. New shoes for Emma

The thing is that these are only wants.  It became clear the more I thought about it that we did not NEED these things.  I usually spend about $800 on back to school.  This year I estimate spending about $100.  I am sure that I am not the only one tightening my belt.  Abigail has a birthday in three weeks.  I am sure that between myself and her grandparents she will be the best dressed kid in 4th grade.  Most of the clothing out there for back to school is too hot for September anyway.  I will let you all know how this goes.  I am anxious to see how bad I am going to feel for not buying into the back to school.  I think that I may feel bad for a while but in the long run it will all be just fine!  The kids ARE going to live through it.  They WILL still be dressed nicely.  The most important thing is that it teaches them a lesson.  Money does not grow on trees…

LESSON LEARNED:  You do not have to buy into the commercial hoopla.  You can resist and live through it.

Becca

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