Wednesday, June 30, 2010

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

5:42 PM 0 Comments
Well now, the gals over at Sunday Shutterbugs didn't post a theme for this week. That's a bit frustrating but I'm sure that life just plain got in the way for this week. I know how that can go sometimes. So, keeping that in mind, I went into the archives and pulled out a random photo. I took this when Jim and I got to visit Niagara Falls. Man, part of me really misses Buffalo. I sometimes think that if it weren't for the boys, I'd consider moving back there. I wouldn't move into the basement dungeon again but I'd be a lot closer to some of my friends. I miss leaving near friends that I could see at least once a month or so. Also, is it totally random that my Amazon Associates window is showing me Fraggle Rock: Complete Series Collection? How does it know that I want that really bad? Weird, it shows it not once, but twice. Anyway, before I babble any further, here is this week's photo:

Where the side walk  doesn't end..



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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Tackle It Tuesday

5:39 PM 0 Comments
It's Tuesday and the weather is wonderful! Why can't all of summer be nice like this? Today is a big tackle around here. We're pulling the tent out, setting it up and waterproofing it.  Then, once it's dry, we're camping out in it tonight! Other than that, it's just more prep work around here, trying to get things packed into the van, packed into bags and just packed in general. I feel like there's so much to get done and not near enough time to do it! We have company coming for the weekend and while this house was in good shape, being gone all last week has wreaked havoc on it and I just don't know how I'm going to get it "company" ready in time for him to get here. Oy! Well, one step at a time, I guess and this step is all about the tent.

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Monday, June 28, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

5:31 PM 0 Comments

The week after the week of insanity is here. It doesn't even feel as if last week was the one spent running around crazy. Time is blurring for me. I'm so frantically trying to get everything around so I can go camping with everyone next week. The one bonus of frantic is that I tend to get slightly more organized, so here is this week's menu:

Monday - Pancakes
Tuesday - French Toast
Wednesday - Eggs & Toast
Thursday - Omelettes
Friday - Lasagna
Saturday - Sandwiches
Sunday - Mac n Cheese w/ Hamburger


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Friday, June 25, 2010

Finish It Friday

12:24 PM 0 Comments

It's Friday! We all made it! Sadly, Ben made it by catching a yucky cold. The poor kid has been curled up on the couch all day with a headache. He did eat dinner though, so that's a good sign that it's just a nasty cold. Hopefully a good night's sleep will help with that.

Today was a good day, though. We were home for the first day in a week which made me happy. I did my radio show, which also made me happy. I also got the shopping list mailed to Rob, the lawn mowed and the coolers brought into this house after I hosed down the outsides of them. I even got one of them packed up with some of the food I bought yesterday! I finally feel as if things are starting to come together for this trip. Of course, I do still have the big things to do, like laundry and cleaning out the van. I still have a week to get them done, though. I'm not giving up. I will get as much done as possible before I go.

So, I wrapped up a lot of stuff today and that makes me feel good. Oh, I didn't mention it before, but I also got the bills paid so that's one less worry and one more thing to cross off of my list. Yay!

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Save the Planet Saturday

12:00 AM 0 Comments

It's that time of year again. The time when we all look at our cars and go ewww, where did all of this grime come from? Over the winter, our cars get coated with road gunk (yes, that's the technical term) and come Spring and Summer, we all get gung ho about getting them all cleaned off.

So, what's the most eco-friendly way to get your car clean? It's not in the driveway, folks. In fact, washing your car in the driveway is one of the most environmentally unfriendly chores we can do at home. Think about it for a second. Where does all of that dirty, icky water go? It either drains into our grass or it drains into the storm drains. Most storm drain water isn't cleaned or treated, so you've just added a combination of chemicals (from the cleansers) and gas/oil/whatever fume residue right into the ground water. Yuck!  Not to mention that most "home car washes" use anywhere between 80 to 140 gallons of water! Ouch! That's a lot of water.

Did you know that the average commercial carwash only uses 45 gallons of water per car? Plus, laws in both Canada and the United States require that commercial carwashes to drain their wastewater into sewer systems. That means it gets treated before it's released back into the great outdoors. Plus, some car washes even recycle their rinse water! 

So, while this post probably didn't save your any money, hopefully it will stop and make you think before you head outside to scrub down that dusty automobile.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Time for Me Thursday

12:20 PM 0 Comments

Wow, what a crazy week this has been. Today was the boys' last day of film camp. They had a great time but boy, were they exhausted by the time we got home at night. Luckily, they actually finished up 2 hours early today so we could be home by about 6pm. Granted, we would have been anyway, but by doing it this way, they had to go grocery shopping with me. mwahahahaha..hehe

So, what did I do today? I knocked things off of my to do list. That's what I did. It gives me great pleasure to be able to cross things off of that list. Plus, I got to spend/enjoy one last day at the library. I love libraries. I love to watch the people there. I love to be surrounded by so many books. It's just such a great atmosphere. Plus, I was lucky enough to snag a couple more really good books off of their free giveaway book carts. Yay! Of course, I can't really start reading any of them until I finish the first Snookie Snackcake (Sookie Stackhouse) book. I still can't make up my mind if I like it or not. It's the weirdest feeling.

Oh well. That's the way it goes, I guess. (Though it's never happened to me before.) I'm off to put a star on my calendar for finishing all 4 bottles of my water today! Yay! If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out our weightloss blog.

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

1:56 PM 1 Comments

It's Wednesday and I'm spending another day at the Hastings Public Library.  It's such a fantastic library and I'm wishing that I still lived within district so that I could use it. I'm very tempted to have Peter get the boys their library cards here again and then we could get books and movies from here. The library in Sunfield is ok but it's so small and their hours are so limited. It's one of the downsides to living there. Tomorrow will be my last day hanging out here and all I can say is that I'm glad that they're here.

Another thing I'm glad of is that I didn't run over the guy in the pictures below. This week's photo theme is Move(ment). Roger and I took these photos in our backyard. I was out mowing down the last of the field when I happened to look down after pulling back the mower. Sitting right where I had just mowed was this fellow. It took us about 5 minutes but we finally got him to move over into the flower beds where he'd be safe.



Big FrogBackyard Friend

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tackle It Tuesday

1:51 PM 0 Comments

And now it's Tuesday and I'm back sitting in the library with a crazy person across from me and a girl who really needs a shower sitting behind me. How do I manage to attract these people? Seriously.

Anyway, something else happened yesterday that I didn't mention. I got a new phone! My poor little razr is on it's last legs and since the contract was about up, we decided to switch to Verizon. It has 3 real benefits:  It's cheaper. It actually works where I live and I now have a new mulberry colored phone. It's just a plain old flip phone but someday I'll come close to catching up with technology. For now, I'm just happy to have a phone that wants to work.

So, my tackle for today? Clearing off all the photos and ringtones off of the old phone. Today is the last day it's going to work so that needed to be done today. I'm happy to say that while sitting here in the library, I got that done. The only thing left is to redo all of my contacts in the new phone. I wonder who will make the cut...hehe...

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Menu Plan Monday

1:46 PM 1 Comments

Ok, I know it's Tuesday but yesterday was just insane. I had to be out the door just after 11 to pick up the boys and to take them to Film Camp at the school. Then, I grabbed some lunch and went to the library with the intent on making this post, but that didn't happen because the library's wifi was being just plain awful. Then, I had to pick up the boys and do a quick run to Walmart before meeting Peter and Donna at the movies to see Toy Story 3. Then, it was off to home where I got the boys tucked into bed and collapsed on the couch, totally exhausted. I'm not sure why I'm so tired these days. If it doesn't improve, I may actually go and see a doctor about it.

Anyway, how about a meal plan?

Monday - n/a
Tuesday - Mac n Cheese w/ Hamburger
Wednesday - Spaghetti
Thursday - Tacos
Friday - Lasagna
Saturday - Fish Sticks & French Fries
Sunday - Family Reunion (not sure if we'll be able to afford the gas money to go)

Ta da! One menu that now I have to turn into a shopping list.
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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Save the Planet Saturday

12:00 AM 0 Comments
Happy Juneteenth! I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I've made up another word, but you're wrong! Juneteenth really is a holiday that is celebrated in 36 different states. It marks the official end of slavery in the United States, 145 years ago. In 1865, the words of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Galveston, Texas, where those enslaved were set free.

What does this have to do with saving the planet? Well, the planet is more than just grass and trees and water. It's people too. So, take today to be thankful for the land that you live in and the people that surround you.


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Friday, June 18, 2010

Finish It Friday

12:00 AM 0 Comments

Wow, we all made it to Friday and yet again, it's going to be a busy day. I have my show from noon until 3pm (eastern) and then I have to try to tackle that last bit of backyard that is still swaying in the breeze. If I can just get that down, then I can start properly mowing the lawn.  Then, I need to pack up the boys because they're going to Peter's for the weekend. He'll be over around 5pm to pick them up for the weekend. They'll be at his house until Monday morning when I pick them up. Then, they'll be off to film camp for their first day!

So, what am I finishing? Well, my goal is to finish the first round around that backyard. If I can get through that and the heat isn't too unbearable, I might work more on the van. Yesterday, the boys and I went out and cleaned out the front seat area and part of the middle section. Ok, Ben and I did that while Roger played with the hose. My 32 item list of things that has to get done before the trip got a small nibble taken out of it. Not quite a bite, but certainly at least a nibble.

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer (Review)

7:32 PM 0 Comments
I'm weird. I think my favorite room in the house to clean is the bathroom. I can't think of another person who has ever shared that with me. In my case, it's probably because the bathroom is the easiest room to clean. Granted, I have a bathtub that I don't think a nuclear explosion could make look clean. It was badly stained when we moved in and no scrubbing has changed that.

However, recently I was sent a bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Power Sprayer. I'll be honest. I wasn't sure how I felt like it. I'm one of those girls that once I find something I like, I rarely want to switch. Well, this actually may have changed my mind.

First, let me describe it to you. The top looks like a standard spray bottle, except it has a battery compartment. The top screws right onto bottles. The great thing is that you can get refills for it and just keep using the same top. As an eco-friendly type person, I like this because it actually means less waste.

The battery compartment makes it so you don't have to continually squirt the product. You just hold the trigger down and spray. The sprayer causes the liquid to create a foam and then all you do is rub it and rinse! It can't be much easier than that. Plus, it's s'posed to repel soap scum for up to 4 days and it did it! Not to mention it made my sink faucet shine like it never has before! Woohoo! Did I mention that it actually smelled good? Not like some horrible chemical! Yay!

Ok, I just wanted to be sure I told you all about it. If you're interested, check out this link for a chance to win a $100 gift card by playing the Power Sprayer Showdown. There's also a $5 coupon  there, too!
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As part of the BzzAgent program, I received a sample of this product to review as part of a BzzAgent Campaign.

Time for Me Thursday

4:37 PM 0 Comments

Ok, has anyone tried out this new Blogger editor? I switched to it so I could better use my Amazon Associates account but I'm just not sure that I like the actual editor itself. I guess time will tell. Maybe I just need to get used to it.

Anyway, it's Thursday and life still hasn't slowed down. I've already been outside and mowed more of the lawn and worked on catching up on some email and such. There's still laundry in my future and more writing to get done. Whew!

So what am I doing for me? Well, once the kids are in bed tonight, I'm going to curl up on the couch and watch one of my guilty pleasures...Ghost Hunters Academy.  It's just going to be some quiet me time while I ogle enjoy the work of Steve Gonsalves. Knowing me, I'll also be folding laundry at the same time.


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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

4:13 PM 2 Comments
Midweek and life hasn't slowed down any. I had my show today and also got the kids bathed and laundry going at the same time. The boys and I are doing pretty good on keeping up with our daily chore list so I'm really happy and proud about that. Yesterday, I also surprised them and we went into Lansing and saw Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief. The one local theatre company runs $1 movie specials during the summer so we took advantage of that. While we all agree that the movie is good and worth getting for our collection, we also agree that the books are way, way better.

So, that brings us to this week's photo. The theme over on Sunday Shutterbugs for this week is Long and I think we found just the picture!

Roger modeling the grass


This is our backyard. Ok, the picture is really misleading. This is a small section of our backyard. This year, we had the bad combination of no lawn mower, lots of rain, grass/weeds grow far too fast and then battery powered lawnmower.  It allowed our grass in the back to completely get out of control. Every dry day, I've been out there, hacking it down with the lawnmower.  We are now down to a very small segment that should be gone by tomorrow.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Tackle It Tuesday

3:40 PM 0 Comments
Ahhh, life at the Roets homestead. It feels as if there's is never a dull moment. Last night, oh the Oh Team, they were giving away passes to an adults only camping retreat (valued at $275) and I won! I was so excited, I could barely sleep last night. Of course, it means I have even more to get accomplished in the next couple of weeks. The neverending list grew by about 30 components that now *have* to get accomplished. Did I mention I'm gone allll next week? Sheesh!

So, what's on my tackle list? Laundry. I need to get it started. I also need to sit down with the website for this camping weekend and make a list of anything/everything I need to know about it. I love websites, but in this case, I can put multiple site pages into one small spreadsheet and be able to quick reference it later.

As always, lots to do and just me to do it so I'm off to get to work!

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Monday, June 14, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

3:28 PM 0 Comments
Wow, life sure got crazy in a hurry. I just realized that I will be gone all next week, taking the boys to their film camp. I'm thrilled that they get to go, but ugh! I have to drive back and forth 5 days next week and then find something to do for the 4 hours that they're there. I'm going to do the grocery shopping one of those days and maybe volunteer for a couple of the others. The Habitat ReStore always needs volunteers and I can just drop in. They won't care.

So, menus....they've been pretty hit and miss so far. I feel as if as soon as I start to get caught up in one area of the house, I realize another area is out of control. Honestly, it's frustrating but I know it's ok because it's slipping because I'm spending quality time with the boys and in the long run, that's far more important than whether or not there are some dishes in the sink.

That being said, here's our attempt at a menu for this week:

Monday - Taco Chicken
Tuesday - Beef Stroganoff
Wednesday - Mac n Cheese
Thursday - Spaghetti
Friday - BBQ Meatloaf
Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner
Sunday - Sandwiches

I'm not sure how well this will go, but we'll just have to see!

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Friday, June 11, 2010

Finish It Friday

4:30 PM 1 Comments
Happy Friday, world! I'd say TGIF but it's been a rocky day around here. I had planned on mowing the lawn but of course, we had a massive downpour which drenched everything all over again. I feel like I'm never going to get this darn lawn done. Then, the boys have been at each other all day. I've finally just made them sit down and be quiet.

So, what are we finishing? Well, if all goes well, they'll be back upstairs in a little bit finishing their bedroom. It's today's chore and we all three need to get back to it. I also have a call into DHS and hopefully she'll find the time to call me back today. I also have to make sure that Ben finds his way into his bath. Roger already had his. I think we're all three feeling a bit run down around the edges and I'm thinking a quiet, relaxing evening is just what this doctor ordered.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Time for Me Thursday

6:28 PM 0 Comments
Whew, what a day! Ben had an appointment with his orthotist in Grand Rapids so we were gone there for most of the day. We left the house at about 11:35 and didn't get home until after 4. It's an hour drive there, an hour drive back and we were there for at least 2 hours. It's tiring for all of us but it's a necessary evil. I feel bad for Ben though because he's gotten to the age where he realizes he's different. The poor kid sat in the office in tears because he didn't want another pair of afos. He doesn't want to need them. He got an encouraging word from Rex (the orthotist) and was told that there are a ton of kids who need to wear them.

After a quick stop off at Subway for a special treat for all three of us, we came home and just relaxed. Much to my surprise (and trepidation), Peter called and wanted to talk to me. This is pretty unusual so it always makes me a little nervous. I wish that it didn't. I wish that we were actually closer friends and that we could do things together. I would love to do things like take the boys out for their birthday dinners and such together. We may not be together anymore but in some ways, we're still family. Plus, let's face it..you can't have too many friends and having us be friends makes life a lot easier all the way around.

So, anyway, he wanted to talk to me about finances and how we're handling some things. It left us both with some things to think about. I think we can work everything out so it works well for both of us though.

Now, I'm putting that aside for tonight since I can't do more with it until tomorrow and I'm enjoying relaxing and watching wrestling with Ben. Roger is playing a game on the computer and popping in and out to watch parts of it with us. I love that we can watch tv as a family and we're no longer doing it in the dingy dungeon that was our living room in Buffalo. It does my heart good which makes it the perfect time for me.



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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

4:02 PM 1 Comments
Happy Wednesday, everyone! I had a really good radio show. I played all Country music today and dedicated the show to Aimee. I never realized just how much I miss having her there for my shows.

Other than that, not much is new. The van got its window closed yesterday which is always good news. I also got all brave and posted my first post to Welcoming Weightloss.

That brings us to today and my picture! This week's theme is Light and when I saw this picture, I just knew I had to use it. I took this a couple of week's ago when I was hiking with Roger's class in the Saugatuck Dunes State Park. I love how the light is coming through the trees.

View from the trail

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Tackle It Tuesday

12:00 AM 0 Comments
Woo! We made it to Tuesday and I actually got some fairly good news about the van. It turns out that the motor did burn out, but they're going to be able to get the window closed without having to replace it. The best part? They're willing to do it for no more than $20. I'll take it. Eventually I'll have the money to get the motors replaced but for now, I'll just be happy having the window closed.

So...Today's Tackle....Well, it's a bit multi part, I think. Part one happened yesterday when I talked to the boys about the chore changes that will be happening around here this summer. They got all dramatic, but what they don't realize is that they've already been doing part of it. Roger has been clearing after dinner and Ben has been taking care of any trash that's been created with dinner. They've been doing really well with remembering to put their video game and movies away and taking care of any trash that they create.

What I've decided is to break the household tasks down into daily tasks. Today's task will involve taking out the trash. Each of us has a different trash to be in charge of. I'm in charge of the kitchen trash and changing the cat litter. Roger is in charge of emptying the wall trashcans and hauling the big outside trashcan to the curb. Ben is in charge of the bathroom trashcan and hauling the outside trashcan back to the house tomorrow. Each of has a part in taking care of our home.

So, that's the plan! Once that's done, in the afternoon, hopefully we'll be getting the van fixed and then it's burgers and banana splits for dinner. Yummy!
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Monday, June 7, 2010

Nmeda

10:11 PM 0 Comments

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

As some of you know, I have a special needs child. Ben is 10 now and has Cerebral Palsy. While he gets around well enough, I have often wondered about the future. I've wondered if he'll be able to drive like "normal" people. I've wondered if he'll be able to get around on his own. Luckily, I think the answers to both of those questions is yes.

If not, there's NMEDA. NMEDA is a non-profit trade association. They educate consumers on buying things from a NMEDA qualified dealer. They don't sell anything. They actually promote safe driving and equipment for disabled people. Their dealers focus on selling handicap vans and vehicle modifications for handicapped people. I really believe that because no two people are alike, that also means that no two disabilities are alike. Because of this, when purchasing a vehicle that has been modified to work with your disability, you need to work one on one with someone to make sure you're getting the right vehicle for your needs.

Now, NMEDA has two different types of dealers. They have regular dealers and they also have QAP (Quality Assurance Program) dealers. The QAP is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. I actually went to the website and found out that there are two QAP dealers within 40 miles of where we're living. If we're still in this area and it turns out that Ben needs some modifications in order to be independent and drive, I'm certainly going to check them out.

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Visit my sponsor: NMEDA

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