TIP TAG

I love this tag!

Everyone sharing tips about stuff they know!!

My sis-in-law MEGAN

wrote tips on diet and exercise, so check hers out!

Her sister Brittany, wrote some tips on how to put good outfits together, so Check that out!

I have been asked to give tips on Interior Decorating.

I am in noway, shape, or form an expert.

I did not go to school for this, but I have been blessed with a natural ability for it, and frankly, I am obsessed with it.Through trial and error, I have learned much...and am STILL learning! That being said, I will share with you some simple things to do!

1- Update, Update, Update!!!!

I can not express how important this is!!!

Doing this alone. will not only increase the value of your home, but if it's something you're always kind of working on, it saves you money in the end. I can't tell you how many people want to "update" their houses all at once, but are then surprised at how much it costs to do so. How do you update?...I'll tell you...

2- Change out all of your light fixtures to more updated ones. ESPECIALLY if they have Brass and glass---I always tell clients--"Brass Causes Cancer!!!" Home Depot and Lowes carry a lot of updated lighting for very reasonable prices....(they also carry some Brass, so watch out!)

If you don't have a handy husband, hire an electrician to change them out for you. It's worth it, but shop around for the best price.

3-Change out sink fixtures.

Unless you custom built your home and already got nice fixtures, you probably have shiny chrome (I also have issues with shiny chrome...)

By updating these to either a satin nickel, or oil-rubbed bronze, you will instantly update your bathroom by 10 years. Again, Home Depot, and Lowe's carry some for decent prices, but you can also find some online for good deals too. One thing I learned the hard and expensive way was, buying a different brand than was already installed. This doesn't matter as much for the sinks, but for the tub faucets and showers, IT DOES! So, if you have Delta faucets now, buy Delta Faucets to replace. It makes it very simple to change them out. Again...hire if you don't have a handy hubby...it's worth it!

4-Update countertops.

Again, by updating your countertops, you update by 10 years!

If you have formica countertops, you can tile right over the top of them.

If you have cultured marble, you may have to have the whole thing removed and replaced. However, if this isn't in your budget, you can buy some really neat tile borders to place above the backsplash which makes a big difference! ( I did this in my bathrooms)

Of course, Granite, and Silestone products are awesome for the kitchen, but pricey, but you will get your money back if you ever sell your house! If you can't afford to do all of your counters, just do your island then tile the rest.

5-PAINT!!!

But NOT FLAT PAINT!!!

(Flat paint also causes cancer.)

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF COLOR!!

I could go on and on about this,

Paint is by far the best way to make the biggest impact, for the least cost.

And guess what? If you pick a color and you don't like it when you get it on the wall?...paint over it! I will say this, if you're really nervous, just buy a quart of the color, and try it out on a spot on the wall, if you don't like it, try another. At Home Depot, Ralph Lauren paints sell "trial packs" ...$4 bags of paint to try.

The kind of paint is just as important. Flat paint should only be used for ceilings...even then, I don't use it, but you can...

The BEST paint I have found is Sherwin Williams Duration in an eggshell finish. This is the GREATEST stuff if you have kids! You can scrub anything off of it, and it goes on like yogurt!--Excellent coverage. When, I painted my ceiling red...it only took one coat, followed by a light touch up coat. Sherwin Williams will match any color chip you bring in. I love Home Depot's Behr colors, but I hate their paint, so I just always take it to my buddies at S.W. and they mix it for me.

Sorry this is so long...It's my soapbox.

Just one more thing. In general, when i find a color i like, I always get one shade lighter. Paint dries darker, and I have found through trial and error, this usually works well!

****Also important---don't forget the ceiling!! You can make big impact and get a designer look by painting your ceiling a color other than white!*****

6-Go Neutral on your furniture.

If you buy neutral colored furniture, you can easily change pillows, curtains, rugs, and paint colors to change the whole look of a room for very little cost...and for someone like me, who likes to completely change over a room every 3 years...this is very good advice! :)

7-Less is more when it comes to window treatments.

Simple panels hung by ring clips, a straight Valance (not much gathering), Roman Shades, Plantation shutters, Bamboo shades..all of these are great ways to add color and style.

Also, when hanging curtains, there are a few tricks you can do to increase impact and the amount of light let into the room. When hanging panels, always hang your brackets 2-4 inches from the outside edge of your window. This makes your windows look bigger, and allows maximum light in. Also, if you hang Valences above the window, so that only the bottom 2-4 inches are covering the window, it adds height ,making your windows look bigger, and again, doesn't block light coming in.

8-Accessorize!!!!

Just as important as jewelry with an outfit!

Accessories are the little details that add interest and really finish off a room.

Pillows, rugs, lamps, chunky candlesticks (no brass!!), large finials, greenery (no ivy), wall sconces, large mirrors, large framed art, unique, picture frames etc....

People often say, "I don't know what to buy, or where to put it...". I often tell people, "If you like it, buy it". That is not to say go buy anything and everything your little heart desires, just, if you are in this process, and you see something you really like, buy it and take it home. You'll figure out where to put it...if not, call a friend and ask for their opinion.

Buying accessories adds up quick, so buy cheap! If you have a Kirklands--they always have neat, unique accents for cheap, and if you sign up on their email list, they'll send you weekly coupons for 25% off. Kohls has neat stuff sometimes, so does Target (I LOVE Target!!!) Cut out your weekly 40% off coupon for Michaels, boutiques, Hobby Lobby has really cool stuff, and has awesome sales (for all of you Texans), TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, etc...

9-Furniture placement.

Don't get caught in the everything up flat against the wall rut. It's boring. Try angling a few pieces, or angle the floor rug. Sometimes, just re-arranging furniture can change the whole feel, of a room.

10- To make a small room look bigger, hang a large mirror on the wall, the reflection from the mirror, visually makes a room feel more spacious, and it reflects light. You can also paint an "accent " wall with a shade darker than the rest of the room. This visually pushes the wall back, making it look deeper than it actually is.

A great thing to do is look at magazines for paint color ideas, and things you like and copy them! Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma Home, Ballard Designs...are some of my faves to find ideas.

Well there you have it... hope it helps...if you have any questions, fire away...

An Explanation

Ya know what? I feel my good name has been blemished here..

For those of you who read the last post, but did NOT read the comment I left giving an explanation...well, READ IT!!! NO, I do not listen to Fergie, Watch her videos, nor do I let my children or in any way encourage or condone these acts.

I simply like her song "Big Girls Don't Cry"

Seriously people.

Oh yeah, and I DO like Dan Fogelberg, and the Wiggles (OK, not really...they drive me crazy), and Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood, and Sesame Street and I want to end World Hunger and Poverty,and I DO NOT want Obama OR Hilary to be President and I wish every girl had a pony and every boy had a Red Ryder BB Gun.(Except for Dave, Kellie)

So. That being said, I certainly hope there is no question in your mind as to my Moral Character or the Standards to which I hold myself .

And Lance?....Big Trouble.

Seriously dude...

Fergie vs. Fogelburg - Voting Time!

vs

Last night I needed to download a song for Maddie (Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall). I used amazon.com because it's cheaper than iTunes, higher quality, and is MP3 rather than Apple's format (strongly recommend).

Anywho, I grabbed a few other things including the entire The Very Best of Dan Fogelburg. When I told Steph, she totally dis'd Fogelburg and then asked if I would download a song by Fergie. What the...? Fergie better than Fogelburg?!?!? What's happening to this younger generation?

So, We'd like to put this to a vote. Do you think Fogelburg or Fergie is better?

Mirabile Visu! (wonderful to behold!)

Carpe Diem!!

Saturday, Lauren attended the Texas State Junior Classical League's

Latin Area Convention and Pentathlon

There, she had to take a test that was administered to all Latin students in the area in both Middle School and High School. The same test was administered to both Middle and High School students. Lauren received a Magnum Cum Laude rating on her test!!! This is especially impressive since this is only her first year of Latin!

Her school, Clint Small Middle School also scored the highest of all the middle schools in the competition!

Lauren also entered the costume portion of the convention. She was asked to dress as Hebe--Goddess of Youth and cup bearer to the Gods ...how fitting! She was only allowed to spend 35 dollars and had to submit a picture of herself in the costume along with her price list.

She makes a good Goddess, does she not?....I'm pretty sure she gets that from me...

Great job Lauren!!!

"Vivat, Crescat,Floreat!"

(may you live, grow, and flourish!)

We love you!!

Being the Good Parent

You read the books, you go to church, you watch Little House on the Prairie....you know how a "good" parent should be handling each situation with you kids. You should let kids grow by learning to do things themselves.
The problem? Doing it the right way is a pain in the butt. It takes kids twice as long and will not be done right. It's soooo much easier to just do it yourself. Anyone else trying to get out the door for church and watching your kids take 12 1/2 minutes trying to tie their own shoes? When will Velcro dress shoes be in?

Don't believe me? (You must not have kids). OK, a few examples:

1. Let them learn to eat on their own, or just feed them?
2. Tie their own shoes?
3. Fishing - Let them cast and deal with the tangles?

In the end, it's all worth it...I think. I'm actually surprised how little I've progressed since my days as a kid "helping" my dad. I thought of a few things Steph still lets me attempt on my own as she trains me:

1. Steph: "Lance, will you go find the ______" => Me: look for 3.27 sec => Steph: "What do you mean you can't find it ?"
2. Steph: "Lance, will you get the kids dressed?" => Me: grab whatever => Steph: "Why is his underwear being used for a shirt?"
3. Steph: "Lance, will you watch the kids?" => Me: watch TV => Steph: "I come home and find the kids on the roof?!? And why does Wyatt have a tatoo?!?"

Another reminder came on Saturday. I was in the garage, pretending to be busy since it was chore time, when I spotted my "wire-box". Inside I found my Do-it-yourself "Amazing Kitchen Timer"! To fully appreciate it, a little history is in order:
When we first got married, Steph had a little potpourri warmer (looked like a little crock-pot with weeds in it). She was complaining that she often forgot to unplug it at night and wished it would just turn off.
I, being an electrical nerd that I was/am, went to work. After about $42, and three weekends, I had built the Amazing Kitchen Timer (tm). Behold:


OK, I'm not really sure what all the knobs, lights, and do-hickeys are for any more. And frankly, when I pulled it out Saturday, I was scared to plug it in and find out. Honestly, if you saw that thing on a plane, what would you do? I do recall that it was a huge pain and didn't really work that well. However, Steph, always the good sport, used it faithfully for a few weeks...until the smoke...and the fire...and the firemen...
It was then that we bought the "Not really that Amazing Kitchen Timer" from Walmart for $6.78:

Bottom line: DIY Kids turn into DIY husbands - both try hard, but they sometimes take a lot of patience.

Tales of a First grade Nothing

Today the kids had the day off school...again....

Why? Because it's Parent Teacher Conference!
I used to HATE parent-teacher conference because I knew I was going to be in trouble when my parents got home....talking too much to friends, missing assignments, etc...it wasn't always like that, just in middle school mainly...mostly...anyway, this isn't about me.
At this time of year we do a student-led conference, where we go with our kids and they take us from station to station in their classroom showing us what they're working on in each area such as, science, math, writing, reading, etc...
Conor showed us what he's been writing in his writing journal . Each day they are given a topic on which to write, and they respond in their journals. These kids are so dang funny at this age! I just had to share a few of Conor's entries:

"My mom came back from Japan. I love my mom"

This cracked me up because..I've never been to Japan...but I'm happy he's glad that I'm back...



"Where is my book order?!? I lost it in somebody's Tuba."

What the?...maybe the dog we don't have ate it...



"This is non-fiction. My sister does not like us being mean. It is not polite.My mom does not like it."

That is DEFINITELY non-fiction...


"Everyday when we get weeds my mom loves weeding. Sometimes she makes us pull out weeds. I don't like weeding."

That is also non-fiction...



This one is by far, my favorite....it was written after the class read "the Little Red Hen".

"If I was the Little Red Hen, I would slap the pig and dog until they cry."

"I would not share my bread."

"Go Home."

"I don't want to play anymore."


I totally laughed out loud when I read that one...then I said to Conor, "So, when you don't help me when I ask you to , can I slap you until you cry?"
He said NO.


"I know that I like to play with my Nintendo DS. I also like to snuggle with my mom and dad"

Wow! This one meant a lot, because he put me and his DS in the same sentence!!! And I know how he feels about his DS, so to be put on the same level of importance is big!..Truly!!


"On my holiday I went to Dallas with my cousins. It was fun like going on vacation."

"I like my life."

I think this was my most favorite of all.
These little kids are so darn cute! They make us so happy, and are such blessings in our lives.

As my granddad would have said,
"Funny little man."

Bag Tag

So, I've been tagged several times to expose my purse and the contents therein...My first dilemma was to pick WHICH purse to share...I have a purse fetish and therefore have a plethera of purses...I finally decided to show the one I am currently using, which incidentally is also my favorite. All of my purses are a HUGE mess inside. In fact, sometimes I change purses so I don't have to clean them out...

Here it is...my favorite purse....

...and here are the contents therein...dumped out all over the kitchen table...what a mess...

After some sorting...You can see it all a little better...Hard to believe it all fit in there... I need to clean out my wallet too wouldn't you say? I'm sure it's full of very important receipts and coupons....actually, I could use a new wallet...There's my cell phone. I love that thing. I love my ring tone too...it plays the Indiana Jones march...which is very fitting since that movie is coming out !!
I buy the cheapest sunglasses because I go through about 7 or so a year...they all get scratched in my purse for some reason...

I am forever throwing pens into my purse...just in case I need one, because I always seem to need one, but can never find one...wonder why..My record for pens found in the bottom of my purse?...17.

I also always have a collection of lipstick and lipgloss...the color of lipstick I have on, depends on the color of lipgloss I touch up with for the rest of the day.I generally have one for day and one for night...the rest are there just to annoy me when I'm driving and digging through them all to find the right one...

I also always have WAY too many papers , receipts, and coupons...I hate these. First of all, I never remember to use my coupons...they just sit in there until they expire. Then, if you'll notice, I have several Dr. notes to excuse the kids from school...yeah...still gotta turn those in...there's a key. I have no idea what it goes to. Safety pins for, ya know...safety..

And last, but CERTAINLY not LEAST, candy. I actually don't often tote quite this much, but coming off of a weekend (and date night at the movie) I have leftovers...I especially like the "Go Lean" granola bar there under the M&M's...classic.

Well there you have it...nothing groundbreaking...in fact, now you all know what a purse slob I am...sorry to disappoint.
So now, if you read my blog, and you haven't done this yet, then I tag you!

Hu-la-la!!!

I'm stuck in a rut of self-loathing right now. I think I'm just tired...and tired of being tired...and (even though Lance is going to get mad at me for posting this...) FAT!!! I seriously need to get going on the eliptical again...I just need some energy first....until then, I found this little number...you don't even have to stand up! I particularly like the fact that it has a 2800RPM Hula motor...

The Tail End of my Behind...

So, I am finally going to wrap up my excuses for my blogging hiatus...As I mentioned before, it's my turn to teach pre-school this month. We hold it from 9am to noon every Tuesday and Thursday. We have a cute bunch of kids. We kept it down to five to make it more manageable. We celebrated President's day last week...

For George Washington, we made three cornered hats, complete with the feather he stuck in it that he called macaroni...

I then went on to teach false history by telling them the story about George cutting down his father's cherry tree, then being honest about it (ironic isn't it?)...It was for a good reason though...it was so we could make cherry pies!
Here's all the kiddos showing off their culinary skills

Next we made "President Books"..Check out George's wig!


We wrapped things up with an Abraham Lincoln log cabin...Here's what it's supposed to look like...

Here's how Wyatt's turned out...looks like the Big Bad Wolf got a hold of it... I LOVE four year olds! They're so stinkin' cute!

This will be my last week of teaching, then I'm done for the year!!!

So, besides normal life of raising and shuffling 5 kids around, traveling, teaching pre-school, and doing the Young Women thing (we just had New Beginnings...) I have been decorating a friends' house. My best buddy Candice has a decorating business,and I get to go and help her whenever I can. It's something we're both obsessed with, so it's nice doing something I love with someone I love--we have a great time...usually. There are definitely days where things don't go as planned...hiccups, if you will,...but it's always more manageable to deal with when we can laugh about it...usually the next day or so...

ANYWHOOooooo
Here's some before and after pictures of our latest project...It's not quite done...but we are oh so close!!

Front Room- Before


Front Room- After



Another before


Another After

Living Room off Kitchen-Before

Living Off Kitchen-After


Another Before

Another After



Kitchen Before







Kitchen After

Like I said, there is still some finishing up we need to do...New table set, front room window coverings, more accessories, etc....but we're happy with how it's turning out. It's amazing, because the before and after pictures were taken by the same camera, at the same time of day---so you can see how dark it was before, and how warm and light it is now.

As I said, we definitely have our off days.It is actually a dangerous job...we are always climbing up and down on things, and with that, comes the falling off of things... For example, Candice took a spill off the ladder and the counter somehow (simultaneously even...), and here's the result!!







I know...Dang! Right?
I told her she should sue her employer and get worker's comp...she's going to talk to herself about that... I have a bruise as well, but it's not anything like Candice's...so I'm going to wait until I get a BETTER one than hers to post...


I'll post the FINAL pictures of the house when we're totally done. We will be starting on their Master bed and Bathroom soon...

So. There ya go. I don't know if they're GOOD excuses, but there they are.
Also, my stupid Staph infection came back (the MRSA I've been fighting with since last May) I thought we'd finally kicked it after 4 months of mega anti-biotics...oh, well, here we go again...

More of my BIG behind

As promised...and I aim to please...more pictures of our trip , including the highly anticipated photos of "What happens when you leave your camera un-attended"....

So, at night after the kids were all in bed, we would go down and meet Carey and Doug for Ice cream at the ice cream shop...hee, hee! Aren't we sneaky? :)

One night, Carey handed me our camera because I' d left it in their room by mistake...and what a mistake that was...I thought nothing of it until the next day when Carey asked me to show her some pictures on my camera...that's when I discovered these....

First, we have jumping on the bed...I'm not sure hotel management would approve...seriously, the liability alone...

ummm....

wow.

I'm pretty sure they thought they were using their own camera for those....

Next, they head on down to the arcade...

Now, this I can understand...After all of the kids are in bed, it's the only time you even get a turn on these things...kids seriously don't understand what it means to TAKE TURNS!!!

What I DON'T understand is how the heck Doug got his 6'4" body crammed into that little hot dog truck....he should join the circus...


They also found lots of magical treasures....and a slidey stair rail...

All I can say is this.....keep track of your camera...or you might be sorry....

Anywhoooo, on to other activities... As you can see, we had a very intense game of bingo...

Emotions were high as each number and letter were called....you could cut the tension in the air with something really sharp!

The guys were frantically texting family, friends, and the media...giving moment -by-moment updates of the progress of the game

Finally, Wyatt and Lauren, Simultaneously got bingo!!! They each won a whole piece of candy!

Then we all left.

Later. although it does not appear so,...the boys all played together...by "connecting" on their Nintendo DS games
Male bonding...such a personal experience...

Uncle Doug finally found a place to keep Chase out of trouble...

And here was the all time favorite..."Deal or No Deal" This was a very intense, and stressful game ( ALMOST as much as bingo...) They charge you eight freakin' tokens to play....you COULD win up to 400 tickets....but you don't. However, here we were back at the same dang thing every time. Carey was the big winner on this one! She actually won 200 tickets! I came in 2nd with 47 tickets And Doug got 4. What a rip-off... But in the end, the tickets were consolidated to upwards of a thousand tickets where all 9 kids got to split them equally, then go to the "prize" counter to pick out a bunch of piece of crap plastic toys for them to break, smash, then leave strewn all over the car... ...But that is fun for kids ...especially on vacation! :)


Another thing we did was go to the "6th floor Museum"...We figured since we took the kids out of school for a couple of days, they might as well get a history lesson.

The 6th floor museum is a display of the JFK shooting. The events, evidence, theories, etc...It was very interesting, and the kids were actually very interested in it...
They all wore their cute little headphone sets while listening to their "tour guide".
I don't think Wyatt even knew (or cared) what it was saying...he just thought it was cool to push all the buttons.
I took a picture of the cute little guy, and in doing so, about got tackled and arrested for taking photographs! These "Security" guards really need to lighten up a bit, ...actually a lot....some get a little to big for their britches.
I can hear it now....

"We have a Breach in security!, repeat, a Breach in security! Civilian spotted with a CAMERA in tow!!...Now in pursuit!!! ...Call for back up!...


I seriously thought he was going to take my camera away....

Sorry.

I didn't know it wasn't allowed.

Geez, I didn't shoot the guy...Crimony...I wasn't even born yet.


Here we have a photo--taken OUTSIDE of the museum--of the 6th floor window where Lee Harvey Oswald was with his sniper rifle...allegedly

And here is the famous "Grassy Knoll" Where another shooter was believed to have been...allegedly....

And here's the street where the shooting occurred.

Out of all seriousness, what a horrible thing to have happen. I just kept thinking of Jackie, and how awful that all was for her. All of the events took place so quickly, I doubt she even had time to take it all in until much later.
It was really worth going to see. So if you're ever in the Dallas area, I highly recommend you stopping in.



OK, so, on a lighter note, we also got to go see the Dallas temple, and Carey got to add another picture to her collection! :)

As usual, we had a great time with the Olsen family, and can't wait until our next adventure together!!! Love you guys!!! Thanks for coming!!!