Custom Artwork... again.

People have been more than generous with giving me a helping hand since Derek's been gone. People have mowed my yard, watched Jackson, cooked dinner among many other things. Well, the other day at church a couple of ladies who clean houses by vocation, came up to me and asked if they could come and clean house-- at no cost every couple of weeks. I was around a ton of people, having a rather not-very-good day, and it literally took all my effort not to cry as I said, "Uhm... yes, please!"

So, they came over yesterday morning. They tackled the kitchen, dining room, living room, the bathrooms, all the bedrooms. I mean, it looked spectacular. I say looked because I have since cooked and Jackson has gotten out all of his toys, but it's only clutter. I can see out of my windows, no grimy fingerprints. I'm no longer distracted by the dust on my picture frames and shelves down the hallway. The crayon all over the bathtub (it's allowed) is all cleaned up and so is the artwork on the wall where Jackson redecorated the week before Derek left.

They ladies spent several hours here in the morning and left around the time I was getting lunch ready for the kiddos. Jackson was having a meltdown, "I waaaant a baaanaaanaaa" and I was willfully ignoring him. I walked in to put their plates on their table* to find an entirely new piece of artwork on my wall by a very pretty, little cutie who just likes the color purple.

Seriously!?! The cleaning ladies had only been gone not even seven whole minutes. Jackson had carried in the box of crayons in the midst of his fit and I just placed them on the counter. I did not think to count them. Clearly, there was one missing and was used to add some flair to my dining room, yet again. At least the ladies told me how to clean it off and maybe I will actually get it off before they come again.

*I've been looking for a new table for the kiddos to use. The table we were using only had one chair and the kids were able to knock it over pretty easily. I had been browsing craigslist for a few weeks and found one close by and at a good price. They used a cell phone to take a picture and I was under the impression that I was on my way to pick up gray and hunter green table. Much to my surprise, it was purple, teal, and pink. Oh well. It works!

Money Saving Webites

Just few months after we got married, Derek and I went to lunch with some friends. I walked into Quizno's with a coupon in hand and my friend said to her husband, "See, I knew she'd have one with her!" Obviously, it was no secret that I, am in fact, am cheap. We had previously decided where to eat lunch, so I thought I'd check online to see if I could find a coupon. By taking just a few minutes before we left the house, we were able to enjoy a free sandwich that afternoon.

There are people out there that are amazing with the coupons and spend $45 for an entire week of groceries, like my friend Callie. That is not me. I don't get the Sunday paper to clip coupons and I am doing good if I get to the grocery store one or two times a month. Instead, I do a lot of shopping at Aldi's and stock up on really good deals when they come up.

However, I thought I'd share some of the sites that have saved me tons of money and that I check pretty regularly. Normally, this takes about 30 seconds just to check unless something tweaks my interest and I'll spend a couple of minutes reading how to get the amazing deal.

http://slickdeals.net

This is a forum site. Everyday people like you and me post deals that they have found. Other people rate the deals and moderators determine the 'slickness' of the deals posting the hottest deals on the front page. I check this site daily, though I only find something that is a deal for me maybe once a month-ish. If, you are looking for something specific, you can use the search bar or browse through the specific forums (hot deals, freebies, coupons, etc...). I've ended up with several freebies (samples, coupons for toys, hotdogs, Chipotle, etc.), magazine subscriptions for $3 (ESPN, Seventeen), photo prints for pennies. We got a package of 80 batteries for $8 once. I even got in a research study for AOL that paid $200 a few years ago. It's nice because other people do the work and I just check and get the deal myself! Beware of buying things you don't need just because you can get it for a few dollars- not that it has ever happened in this house.

http://pennypinchingparent.com

I use the Penny Pinching Parent website for three things. Mainly these days, I just check out the Savings Sunday post that gets put up each week that lists the deals on all things baby (diaper, wipes, food, clothes) for the week. When something like Huggies goes on sale, they'll also include what coupons are available to maximize your savings. Unless you are a professional diaper shopper it's hard to know the best deal when comparing the price to and the number of diapers in a Mega, Ultra, Jumbo-packs of diapers in each brand! The posts How Many Diapers in a Pack and How Much to Pay Per Diaper are easy references in navigating the world of diaper shopping.

http://kansascityonthecheap.com

I am new to this site, but I LOVE it. For those of you who aren't from KC, no worries- this is part of a network that has a site for most major cities. With a few posts a day, this site keeps you up to date with freebies, deals, and activities in the KC area. There are pages for the cheapest gas in the area, where kids eat free, and items that are always free. It's super easy to find your way around.

http://craigslist.org

Craigslist is amazing. It is simple, easy to navigate, and so handy. Not only did I find my house through a listing on Craigslist, but a majority of the items in it- front door, laminate flooring, cabinet doors, bathroom mirror, light fixtures, living room tables, dishes... and I could go on. I have gotten books, DVDs, toys, Derek's car... just about everything. It is as simple as emailing someone. Most everyone can be talked down on price and it's super easy to do since haggling can be done on email and not face to face. And for those of you with a "green" conscious- it's a great way to pass along items that you don't use. I actually got all of the supplies for Jackson's birthday party from a lady who had extras and didn't want to throw them away- and I got them for free!!! At one point I had a kazillion baby food jars lying around and I found someone who was looking for some for crafts for VBS- such a better way to get rid of stuff. A few tips- I always make sure to see a picture of the item, keep in mind that "vintage" normally means "crap", and always meet somewhere public and out in the open (Gas stations, store parking lots, etc...).

Of course, there is always Google. If you know you are heading to a certain restaurant, do a simple search to see if coupons are other there. Same with department store coupons. Most restaurants will send you a free something if you register and give them your birthday.

All these sites are hit and miss. Sometimes there's a deal, sometimes there's not. And sometimes it's just easier to go out and buy what you need without hassle. However, for those of you trying to cut back on spending these are some great resources! Happy Shopping!

The House

It's been two months since we've closed on our house. We still aren't living there yet, but have made some big strides here lately. It should only be a few more weeks until we move in. Granted, we keep saying that... but this time we really mean it!

Throughout the house, the walls have been touched up and smoothed out. Though the pictures didn't show it, several walls had visible seems between the drywall, and lots of bumps grooves. The ceilings in the kitchen, dining room, and family room have been textured, which updates the house a little and looks nice too. We did need to paint the ceiling because the dirt was coming through the texture and looked yellow-ish. As if the first coat wasn't miserable enough to do, the primer didn't cut it, so we had to endure doing another coat. At this point, I want to make sure it is done right and looks good because I will never paint it again- ever.

The skimmed walls and textured ceilings

Painting the ceiling

We have put a window where the front door used to be. The front door will be installed on the actual front of the house (it was installed on the side) and hopefully within the next week, it will be in and ready to use. We are downsizing our picture window in the front to accommodate the new front door, but we will still have lots of windows. And speaking of windows, Dad went and picked them up today and a few were installed this afternoon. I am anxious to go and check it out.

Craig, Dad, and Derek installing the
window where the door used to be

My new front door that I paid next
to nothing for thanks to Craigslist!

The basement has come along way since we began gutting out the moldy ceiling and walls. The boys installed a new water heater and dad converted it to run on electric instead of gas. The process of fixing the basement wall began last week. First was the excavation to expose the basement wall and then a temporary support was created to jack up the house while the basement wall was knocked down. The new wall was poured about 8 feet high and then cinder blocks were stacked and sealed on top to bring the wall up to the original height. Today, a sealant was rolled onto the outside wall that will help prevent moisture from entering through the wall and the house was lowered onto the new wall.

The temporary wall supporting the house while

it was jacked up to pour a new basement wall

Our new basement wall, plus a new stoop for our new front door

Not much has happened in the kitchen aside from moving the pantry door from the hallway to the kitchen. Even though it is a little change, I am so happy that we were able to get that moved. It will make a huge difference in the flow of the kitchen. We tore up the tile in the kitchen and dining room and we have new wood laminate flooring to replace it. We did purchase a new sink and faucet- and I was so surprised to pay more for my faucet than the sink!! I like to make sure I get good deals, but I also want to make sure that I really like what I install (uhm... have installed...). Fortunately, I have been able to find some great deals on some things on Craigslist so I have a little bit of room to splurge on important items. I did work on painting the kitchen the other day a nice green and I totally LOVE it. I did not love falling off the bucket, landing in the paint tray, messing up the wall I painted, getting paint on the carpet, and sporting around black and blue bruises for a week.

Dad cutting the drywall where the new door will be

Our new kitchen pantry door!

Derek and Craig pulling
up the dining room tile

We ended up gutting out the hall bathroom. The plan is to use the stool, tub, and sink that came with the house, but we just we got new tile for the shower and for the floor as well. Derek and my dad put the tile and floor in this past weekend while I was at a wedding shower. Derek learned to use the tile saw and got pretty good at it. One of the last pieces he had to cut was one of the tiny accent border parts- originally 1 x 2" and he got it down to 1 x 3/4". He said it was tricky, but he pulled it off. We took out the huge cabinets from the bathroom and also covered the window that was in the shower.

Tile around the tub (before any grout)

Jackson's room and the guest bedroom are primed and ready to be painted. I am thinking we might make some headway on those this week. Jackson's wall of closets has been painted blue and Craig has refaced all of the drawers that line the bottom. Mom found some airplane drawer pulls that I am really excited about using! The interior doors were installed today and now I just need to get some door handles. I had no idea how much the door knobs would be. Honestly, it is surprising how much a lot of the little things cost that add up! Door knobs, locks, light switch covers, trim, etc...

To Do List:

1. Install windows and front door
2. Install subfloor in kitchen and dining room
3. Stain and install cabinet doors, install veneer on existing cabinet to cover up the paint
4. Paint
5. Install new flooring (wood laminate in kitchen/dining and new carpet in rest of house)
6. Install new appliances
   
7. New trim
8. Pour new sidewalk to new front door
9. MOVE IN!!!!
   

And then after we move in, we hope to make a mud room connecting the garage to the dining room, which will allow us to move our laundry room upstairs. Also, we plan on converting the garage from one to two car. The trees still need to be removed and we plan to reside the house with stucco.