3-7-11

10:30am

Mom dropped me off some Kroger
freebies from the senior center.
There was a squash also but I
gave it to mom because I'm
not sure if anyone would eat it
and I don't know how to fix it.
-5 green bell peppers
-2 yellow peppers
-3 bunches of green onions
-5 pound bag of carrots

All stuff I can chop up and freeze!
That'll be tomorrow though.
My guess is that these veggies
would have went for around $20.
I'll price them tonight since
we have to go to Kroger for prescriptions.
----------------------------------------

Tonight's supper will be
chicken quesadillas.
I plan to mix up some chicken
with some no beans chili
and mexican shredded cheese.
Put on tortillas and grill
in quesadilla maker.
Serve with a side of ranch dressing
to dip in.
My honey got me one of these
quesadilla makers about 5 years ago
for Christmas.

------------------------------------

After all this time of looking through
paint colors I think I might just stick
with the first color I wanted- Blonde.
sample pics of sherwin williams blonde paint.
Third one down from top on strip.
I don't see where the color chip
resembles the actual paint color.
That's why viewing other people's photos
has helped out a lot.



.

----------------------------------------

Got a wedding invitation in the mail
today for Tony's half-brother.
Had absolutely no clue, nobody tells
us anything!!
His brother has been living with
this girl in his parent's home
for a couple years now and they
already have two kids together.
So it's not like we didn't expect this
sooner or later but don't ya think we
should've been told before now.
Hell we thought they were already married.

------------------------------

4:40pm

I got all the bell peppers
and green onions cut up,
blanched and packaged for the freezer.
The carrots will have to wait til tomorrow
since I have 5 pounds to do.

How to blanche-

I used a saucepan full of water.
Bring to a boil.
I then inserted a small strainer
into the pan with the cut
up veggies in it for 3-4 minutes.
Remove strainer from water
and rinse or pour very cold
water over them to stop the
cooking process, drain any
excess water from them.
Package in zip bags removing
any air from bags before sealing.
.I am saving the water the
veggies were blanched in for
some soups. You could pour this,
once cooled,
into empty plastic jars from
mayo, peanut butter and so on.
This water has
vitamins and flavor from boiling the veggies
in that it would be a shame to go to
waste.
You could also use this cooled
water to water your plants with!
.
--------------------------------------

Here's a question I have been wondering.

If you cancel one cable company and
go to someone else, how long before
your old cable company considers
you a new customer again.

Couldn't you just switch back
and forth between cable companies
and get their introductory rates?

I'm trying to find a way to make
our cable, internet and phone a little cheaper.
At the moment I think our cable
bill is $138.
That's for digital cable with DVR, basic phone
and basic internet.
They keep adding increases and
I'm getting tired of it!!

At the moment I see At&t and Insight
offering new customers
$60 to $65 package deals
(before taxes and other fees and
an added DVR)
That's a difference of about $78
from what I am paying at
the moment.

-------------------------------

Quesadillas I made for supper.
.
-----------------------------

8:00pm

Just got home from Kroger and
getting Tony's prescriptions.
I picked up a few things while there.
Got a package of 5 large
cube steaks for $4.15
regular price of $6.95.When checking out and paying for
groceries I got a $3.00 catalina coupon
for Clairol hair color.
I remembered seeing a bunch of
hair color in the clearance bin
so we went back and checked the prices.
I found a box of Clairol hair color
marked down to $3.00.
Regularly was $8.49.
So I used my catalina coupon
and got me a free hair color!
Oh, I did price some of the Kroger
freebies I got today.
I did not find 5 pound bags of whole
carrots. The only 5 pound bags of carrots
were those baby carrots. Price- $7.99!!
And those were not organic like the ones
I got which means they are higher priced!
As for those bell peppers, I'm gonna
assume they are the organic ones
as well since the carrots were organic.
They are outrageously priced @
$4.99 each!!!

-------------------------------

3-6-11

10:15am

Breakfast this morning.
Baked French toast with
sugar-free vanilla pudding,
cream cheese & sliced strawberry filling
between two slices of bread soaked
in an egg, milk & cinnamon mixture.
Baked in oven.
Topped with sugar-free syrup,
whipped cream & more strawberry slices.
About 3 grams of total sugar
and that was in the bread & whipped topping.

This is what I'm calling a leftover
breakfast. I had leftover Texas toast
from making garlic bread, leftover strawberries
from waffles, leftover whipped topping
from pie.

Well we're eating breakfast
then gonna get ready to head to Southern
Columbus and/or Pickaway county.
It's a weekend of getting out
of the house and doing something!


--------------------------------

3:30pm

Been down yonder most of the day.
It's not as flooded as I thought.
I've seen much worse when
we lived down there.
We all had a good time.
They did have a section of 23 closed
under the bridge at 270
because water was covering the road.

------------------------------

5:00pm

Working on my laundry
and steaming all the mattresses.
Getting a little of a head start on
Spring cleaning.
Steaming mattresses freshens them up!
It can also kill any dust mites,
fleas or whatever critters there
may be hidden in them.
You can use a steamer like the one
I have called a Shark, I think,
or heck use a steam mop or
clothing steamer.

I also read that steam will kill bedbugs.
I have learned a lot from Tony's work
which does have bedbugs in some units.
Usually they tell you to put things
in the dryer that the heat will kill them.
BUT what about the things you cannot
put in there. So my home remedy for those
that may experience this problem
is to use a steamer which will
get hotter than any dryer and will
kill all types of bugs and their eggs!
It may not deplete the problem but
sure will help. Use it on your clothes,
bedding, pillows, mattresses, other furniture,
stuffed animals, floor, cracks in wooden floors,
or baseboards, curtains, etc.

--------------------------------

More color notes.

KILIM BEIGE

Here's a photo showing Latte behind the secretary, then Kilim Beige to the right.

.
.

.
.

3-5-11

Today we took a drive around
the Hoover Dam area then took
everyone out for a Taco Bell
$2.00 meal lunch.

-------------------------------

3:30pm

My honey's tidying up the kitchen
and doing dishes. Then later on
we're having lasagna for supper.
This is the other lasagna I made
earlier this week. Will make
some garlic bread to go with it.

I looked around and saw we had
some leftovers to use up so started
planning a breakfast for tomorrow
with them.

Stuffed French Toast Recipe
My only changes I'm making
with this recipe is I'm using
regular eggs and texas toast and omitting
strawberry preserves.
I'm also adding whipped
cream on top with the strawberry slices.

I am also trying to do a couple days
worth of menu planning.
It sure makes things easier
when I can plan a day to make things up
ahead of time.

-Fried cabbage, potatoes & Italian sausage
-Cheesy chicken burritos or quesadillas
-chili made with baked beans
-potato soup
-a copycat of KFC's mashed potato
layered bowls with leftover chicken
from crock
-Homemade waffles

--------------------------

7:15pm

I am still experiencing some
of my migraine headache from yesterday.
This sucks it really does.
Ibuprofen doesn't seem to help.
Kind of makes your stomach feel
ill at times.
As soon as I opened my eyes up
this morning I felt really dizzy.
Had to wait a moment or two
just to get out of bed.

Well I'm off here for now.
We're having a late supper
and I've got lasagna in the oven
along with some garlic bread.

3-4-11

I'm currently studying the paper color
samples I picked up from Sherwin Williams.
I am trying to find photos of people's homes
of where they used these same colors.
I also want to see them in different lighting
because paint will look different throughout
the different light levels of the day.
As I find photos of these colors
I will post them here so I can
make a decision.
(I deleted all the colors I posted
as I was finding I didn't really like
any of them)

----------------------------------------------

9:45am

I started painting my $3.99 shelf
I bought yesterday. It's going to take a couple
coats.
I got what looked like a ribbon
bow decorative wooden piece pried off
the front of the shelf.



The little paint trays and
roller that came with my free
Valspar paint sample sure is
coming in handy right now
for a small project like this.
This is where I want to put the shelf,
above our living room window.
It will overhang the sides of the window
some but will give the illusion of
a larger window or space.
Another tip is to hang your
curtains higher than the top
of the window frame. This
gives the illusion that your ceilings
are taller!

----------------------------------

11:20pm

Just got the 4th coat of paint
put on the shelf, and that's only
on the front!

12:30pm

I'm not done painting my shelf
but I did rest it on top of the window
to get an idea of what it would look like.
I like it!
I think I would like to raise it up more
above the window.
The curves gives the room
a soft touch with all the hard
straight lines.
It looks so much better in person.
Of course I knocked my curtains
down in the process.
Now are waiting for this shelf
to come crashing down also, lol.
Me and curtains or curtain hardware
do not get along well.
I might try to see if I can
find a smaller shelf to use
on the dining room window to match.



------------------------------------------

5:00pm

Finding the right paint color
is gonna drive me crazy!!
So tired of looking at paint colors
that I'm literally getting a migraine.
I've pretty much been out of commission
for the later part of the afternoon
and evening.

I think the color of these cabinets
has been my favorite color so far.
But as luck would have it they didn't post
the paint they used.
If I had to describe this color it
looks like a bisque with a
really light creamy yellow mixed with it.
.


--------------------------------------

6:00pm

This evening we made a run
to Kroger for some pop and milk.
While there Tony found a real good deal
in the cardboard bin area that's marked
10 for $10, why they just didn't put
$1.00 each is beyond me.
But anyway, he found these 1.5 pound
Summer sausage in this area for $1.00 each.
Wasn't a manager special or anything like
that. We were leery about the price
because I know these things run
about $6-$8!!
So we picked up a couple and headed
to the checkout and sure enough
the price was correct and it wasn't
a mistake. So I had Tony take the groceries
out to the truck and I went back and
got some more. I will be giving mom some.
I put the lighter in the picture
to show you the size of these.

---------------------------

Trying to find a paint color
that somewhat matches those cabinets above.
This is what I have found so far.
Creme (sherwin williams)





Behr Cream PPOC-42


Benjamin Moore- Mannequin Cream

3-3-11

The best & worst deals at Dollar Stores.
Just because something's inexpensive doesn't make it a good buy at such retail establishments.

-------------------------------------

Was thinking about heading to the
thrift store this morning with mom,
want to see if they have any more
grocery deals. Then might head over
to Sherwin Williams to get some
paint sample cards.
I found out that we get a
20% discount from Tony's work
that we can use when buying paint
from Sherwin Williams.
Other paint supplies we can
borrow from Tony's work like
brushes, rollers and paint trays.
They currently have my hubby
painting apartments instead of
doing punch outs. So supplies
should be easily available :0).

------------------------------------

We went out to Groveport last night.
Got this persons ceiling fan fixed.
On the way there I noticed gas
has jumped up to $3.49 a gallon!
This is crazy!
We did manage to find a station
that still had $3.29 a gallon.
On the way home we stopped by
the airport so the kids could
watch a few planes land.
Got home around 8:30pm.

-----------------------------------

12:15pm

Just returned home.
Me and mom went out running
this morning to get out of the house.

Our first stop was Sherwin Williams.
I got some paper paint samples.
The guy there said they were running
a sale from today through Monday
for 30% off paints.
I saw that a gallon of paint there
went from $32 up to $50 some a can!
Even at 30% off still made it
a little expensive for my budget.
So I mentioned about getting a
discount at Tony's work.
So he looked up their work account
to see what I would be paying
per gallon of eggshell premier paint.
$14.99!!
That sure is better than any $32-$50!!!!

By the time we left the paint store
it was time for the Goodwill thrift store to open.
They didn't have any more food
but I did get a couple things I've been
needing and one thing I've wanted.
small clock radio for the bathroom $2.99
box of new pencils .29 cents
and an 80" shelf. $3.99.
Should've seen me going through the
store with that, lol.
I've been wanting something
to put above my living room curtains and will
use this shelf as a type of valance topper.
It has some sort of decorative
piece of wood on the shelf which
I plan on removing.
Next we headed to the senior center
to see if there was any food freebies
from Kroger.
They only had a pumpkin pie
which I took.

Next we went up to Henderson Rd.
to see if the VA thrift store had opened
up yet which it had not.
So instead we went over to my favorite
Kroger to look for mark down deals.
So here's what I found there:
spent $18
4 bottle V05 conditioner- .49 cents each
3 bottles White Rain conditioner- .49 cents each
2 large bottles Suave shampoo- .79 cents each
2 packs of deli chicken wings
zesty buffalo- mark down $1.99 sale $3.96 was $5.99
honey BBQ- mark down $1.99 sale $3.96 was $5.99
Veggie tray with dip $2.99 was $5.99
Garlic bread $1.29 was $2.00 something
Blueberry & cinnamon raisin muffins
marked down to $1.49
each package had .75 cent coupons on them,
doubled to $1.50,
made both packs FREE!!

Oddball stuff not marked down.
Cheese $1.67
cinnamon $1.00
tortillas $1.19

I plan to make in the near future
some chicken burritos from some of
the chicken I made in the crock the other day.

1.5 pounds chicken .34 cents
1 cup shredded mexican cheese .83 cents
tortillas $1.19
can of no bean chili .49 cents

Total: $2.85
makes 2 meals or 10 servings
@ .28 cents a serving.

-------------------------------------

Reusing a wooden shelf for a valance.
The homeowner had created a wooden shelf painted to match her decor. She then added cabinet knobs along the bottom of the shelf. She created a valance that had loops along the top which were then looped over the knobs.


Here's what I wanted to do with
the one I bought today at the thrift store.
Paint it a bisque white to match all other trim,
drill out two holes on each end
to insert the curtain rod or wooden dowel through.

------------------------------------

I finally got my little radio I bought
today put away.
It fits perfectly on my bathroom shelf.
Now if I could only find a scale.
All I find in the thrift stores is
digital scales that don't work.
I want a regular scale that doesn't
require batteries. Will keep looking.

-------------------------------------

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Please remove some items from your watch list in My eBay if you want to add more.

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Eco-Friendly Bath Mat – Fun DIY Project

These type of rugs could run you $30
to well over $100 if bought new.
You can make your own with recycled
fabric like towels, socks, clothes and so on.

I found some non-slip rug canvas
at JoAnn's for 24x43" for $3.49.
If you wanted to make a larger rug
you could sew the canvas together.

Don't know if my carpal tunnel
would allow me to work on something
like this.

3-2-11

Yesterday after mom's birthday
dinner we had to stop in Kroger
for some pop and milk.
While heading to the checkout
I found they had solar stake lights
on sale for $1.50 in their seasonal isle.
That's the cheapest I've seen.
Well, other than one time they
had them at Dollar tree for a buck
but they sold out pretty quick.
I priced some that were similar
at Lowes and they go for $3.00 each.
So if you need solar yard lights
I'd swoop up on them at $1.50!

I might buy just one for now
to see how bright it is a night
before I buy a bunch.
I had been wanting to put
them on top of our fence posts
but Tony thinks kids would
knock them off.

----------------------------------------

I hadn't mentioned anything to Tony
about wanting to repaint the living room.
A couple days ago he mentioned
he would like to repaint it.
I was so glad, and told him I
already had a color picked out!

Yellow wall paint is not an easy
color to choose for your home!
It's probably one of the hardest to pick.
I have searched high a low for
just the perfect color so will
now have to wait and see if when
or if we get it, it shows well on the walls.
It's called Blonde by Sherwin Williams.


----------------------------------

9:00pm

Ahhhh, what the heck is with Capital One?!
I am so sick and tired of them calling!!
Any other company would just send
you a bill in the mail, not them,
they prefer to call and harass you.

Do you think because I sent out
a late payment last month that they
would just send me a bill with the late
payment fee. They called and harassed
us for the late fee payment over the phone!
I'm not paying over the phone.
I don't know who I would be giving
my checking account number to
and if they would abuse it.
Get my drift. I don't feel comfortable with it!
We stuck our grounds and told them
we're not paying over the phone
and to send us a bill which they eventually did
and we paid it. This is what any other
bill company does.

Last week they kept calling and it was
because they said our balance was over
by $43 and wanted us to pay it over
the phone again. Once again said
to send it on our monthly bill.
And the only reason our balance went over
is because they tack on crap like
protection guard or whatever the heck it is,
without our knowledge. We don't use the card
but somehow they balance keeps going up!
I'm never gonna get ahead at this rate.

Why do they have to keep harassing
us with phone calls to pay them over the phone???
Why can't they just send us the freakin
paper bill with the amount on it?
I paid last month's bill and even
gave them a little extra!

I've always paid my bills on time
except just recently when we had an
emergency which was more important.

I'm so tired of it!!!
We told them last week to send
us a paper bill and they said they would.
Now at 9:00am this morning
they are starting to call again.
I don't answer but can see it on the
caller ID. We told them
to call us in the evenings so they could
talk to Tony who has the card.
They didn't listen.

Last month we got down right pissed at
them for the numerous phone calls
saying we hadn't paid our bill
when in all actuality we did and
it cleared the bank a week earlier to say they got
their payment. It finally took calling
customer service to get it straightened out.
Do you get an apology for the harassment?
NO!

I guess you wouldn't understand
the situation we're going through with them
and I don't know how better to explain it.
Each month you get monthly statements
and bills in the mail and you pay them.
If you get late fees or owe a balance on let's
say, your electric bill, they put it on the
next month's bill.
Not Capital One! They are insisting we pay
it over the phone instead of just putting
it on the next bill so we can pay it
with the current payment.

I am once again getting flustered
and stressed out!!!
When it rains it pours and it
doesn't seem to be letting up
around here. It's been one thing
after another and I'm wondering
when this bad luck streak will end.
Because at the moment nothing
seems to be in our favor.

-------------------------------

11:35pm

I'm watching the 6 days 7 nights movie on tv.
I've seen it before. It's pretty good.
Jogged a half mile on the epilletical then did 2 surveys.
Made $3.50 today so far to add to the pot.


---------------------

12:00pm

What do ya know, I got a Capital One
bill today and it doesn't state I owe
that extra $43 on there.
I'll go ahead and pay it though
so maybe, ha ha ha, they'll quit calling here!
It's all in my favor though. Not like
a fee as it's only going towards getting our
balance down.

-----------------------------

We're trying to plan something
for this weekend to get the heck
outta this house. Being couped up in
here isn't doing us any good.
Need a breather that's for sure so
thinking about heading to South
Columbus and Pickaway county.
Not sure what we're doing and don't
really care. Might walk around an indoor
flea market or just take a drive.

---------------------------------

Tonight I guess we're heading out to
Groveport by Ricart to fix someone's
ceiling fan. Yeah at times we do
side work like house repairs for people.
I can't stand this person and he will
feel the burn from my penetrating
eyes on the side of his head
the whole time there.
This is the person we painted walls,
did trim work and whatever else there was
awhile back. They were supposed
to of fixed the transmission in our car
and it ended up worse than before and was supposed to
of paid us some cash as well and didn't.
Not my idea, I'm just along for the ride.
Not responsible for my actions when
we get there though .
I'm tired of being taken advantage of!!
Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you. HA! Too bad they
don't think the same way.

-----------------------------

Shampoo Warning!

Shampoo Warning: I figured out why I'm so fat. The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my body says, for extra volume and body. I'm going to start using Dawn dish washing soap. It says "Dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove!"

--------------------------------------

3-2-11

Yesterday after mom's birthday
dinner we had to stop in Kroger
for some pop and milk.
While heading to the checkout
I found they had solar stake lights
on sale for $1.50 in their seasonal isle.
That's the cheapest I've seen.
Well, other than one time they
had them at Dollar tree for a buck
but they sold out pretty quick.
I priced some that were similar
at Lowes and they go for $3.00 each.
So if you need solar yard lights
I'd swoop up on them at $1.50!

I might buy just one for now
to see how bright it is a night
before I buy a bunch.
I had been wanting to put
them on top of our fence posts
but Tony thinks kids would
knock them off.

----------------------------------------

I hadn't mentioned anything to Tony
about wanting to repaint the living room.
A couple days ago he mentioned
he would like to repaint it.
I was so glad, and told him I
already had a color picked out!

Yellow wall paint is not an easy
color to choose for your home!
It's probably one of the hardest to pick.
I have searched high a low for
just the perfect color so will
now have to wait and see if when
or if we get it, it shows well on the walls.
It's called Blonde by Sherwin Williams.


----------------------------------

9:00pm

Ahhhh, what the heck is with Capital One?!
I am so sick and tired of them calling!!
Any other company would just send
you a bill in the mail, not them,
they prefer to call and harass you.

Do you think because I sent out
a late payment last month that they
would just send me a bill with the late
payment fee. They called and harassed
us for the late fee payment over the phone!
I'm not paying over the phone.
I don't know who I would be giving
my checking account number to
and if they would abuse it.
Get my drift. I don't feel comfortable with it!
We stuck our grounds and told them
we're not paying over the phone
and to send us a bill which they eventually did
and we paid it. This is what any other
bill company does.

Last week they kept calling and it was
because they said our balance was over
by $43 and wanted us to pay it over
the phone again. Once again said
to send it on our monthly bill.
And the only reason our balance went over
is because they tack on crap like
protection guard or whatever the heck it is,
without our knowledge. We don't use the card
but somehow they balance keeps going up!
I'm never gonna get ahead at this rate.

Why do they have to keep harassing
us with phone calls to pay them over the phone???
Why can't they just send us the freakin
paper bill with the amount on it?
I paid last month's bill and even
gave them a little extra!

I've always paid my bills on time
except just recently when we had an
emergency which was more important.

I'm so tired of it!!!
We told them last week to send
us a paper bill and they said they would.
Now at 9:00am this morning
they are starting to call again.
I don't answer but can see it on the
caller ID. We told them
to call us in the evenings so they could
talk to Tony who has the card.
They didn't listen.

Last month we got down right pissed at
them for the numerous phone calls
saying we hadn't paid our bill
when in all actuality we did and
it cleared the bank a week earlier to say they got
their payment. It finally took calling
customer service to get it straightened out.
Do you get an apology for the harassment?
NO!

I guess you wouldn't understand
the situation we're going through with them
and I don't know how better to explain it.
Each month you get monthly statements
and bills in the mail and you pay them.
If you get late fees or owe a balance on let's
say, your electric bill, they put it on the
next month's bill.
Not Capital One! They are insisting we pay
it over the phone instead of just putting
it on the next bill so we can pay it
with the current payment.

I am once again getting flustered
and stressed out!!!
When it rains it pours and it
doesn't seem to be letting up
around here. It's been one thing
after another and I'm wondering
when this bad luck streak will end.
Because at the moment nothing
seems to be in our favor.

-------------------------------

11:35pm

I'm watching the 6 days 7 nights movie on tv.
I've seen it before. It's pretty good.
Jogged a half mile on the epilletical then did 2 surveys.
Made $3.50 today so far to add to the pot.