Nothing in life is free

Today as I was folding laundry the doorbell rang. It was around 5pm so I assumed it was my friend coming to pick up her son, even though she usually knocks. A nice looking girl stood there saying they are in the area doing a free carpet cleaning. "One whole room free" and "don't worry, I'm not selling anything" was all she said. I said OK, sounds great! Next thing I know a gentleman came in with a few large boxes clearly marked "Kirby" on them. I knew right then and there I was suckered into a demo. I knew someone a long time ago that sold Rainbow vacuums with a very similar concept. ( An in-home demo of a product not sold in stores for a ridiculous $3,000!!). We hadn't had the carpets cleaned since we moved in so I thought; what the hey, I'll listen to the deal and in return have clean carpets in the living room. Sounds easy enough.
I had seen this routine before and as much as this Kirby vacuum did a really good job, there is just no way we can afford it- even with the financing they offered at $120 per month.
So, three hours later....

This is all the icky dust/sand/dirt/grime that the Kirby pulled from my carpet in my living room.

 I finally got this....

A clean carpet... That defiantly wasn't free. No, I didn't buy the vacuum but 3 hours of my precious time just isn't worth it. 

Moral of the story? It's time to buy a "No Soliciting" sign.

Let there be light!!!

Recessed lighting in the master bedroom! Jason installed 2 of the 4 can lights in our bedroom last weekend. He also put a dimmer switch in. LOVE IT

It's the first thing to check of the "honey-do list"!
Yes, our home was brand new when we bought it. We selected everything when it was built last year from the carpet to the cabinets. The Floors, blinds, appliances and all, we chose everything. But even having this luxury we had to stick to a budget so we saved a few things for Jason to do. Next on the list: fence the backyard, paint the walls inside (with eggshell finish). This is something I wish i would have done when our home was built. It's sort of a glossy finish on the paint that makes it easier to keep clean. With 2 young kids our walls are getting the brunt of their art work. So wipeable paint is definitely in our future. And it will be fun to select colors. I really love making our house a home.

I am not a boy!

Both of my darling little girls have been mistaken for boys on more than one occasion during their no/short hair time. It happened to Savannah all the time. Her ears were pierced and I would dress her head to toe in pink but people would still refer to her as "him" or "he". She had no hair until she was 1, and it remained quite short until she was almost 3. (You can only imagine my horror when she gave herself a haircut at 3 1/2). When Madelyn came along, I loved decorating her cute head with headbands adorning huge flowers. She too has been blessed with a very small amount of hair. Maddy turned 2 years old a few weeks ago and for the most part, avoided being called a boy. Up until now that is. She has a cute little zip up sweatshirt that is blue and white stripped. On the front, it has a large yellow and pink logo. She was wearing it when we were greeted in a restaurant yesterday, and the host asked me if I wanted crayons for "him". ugh.
For now, I guess I will need to invest more in these flower hair clips.

Gifts from Katie and Morgan's trip to Thailand!

Just wanted to share some pics of the fabulous gifts the girls got from their Aunties.

new cell phone plan

As of today I have been officially transfered from my Sprint Employee plan to a "normal" plan. This means two things: 1) no more unlimited everything and 2) an actual bill.

I have NEVER had a cell phone bill. My dad paid for my phone up until I became a Sprint employee. My phone plan was free as an employee for nearly a decade. I hate that I have to pay for something that I haven't had to before. A cell phone is a big expense no matter the budget but I'm reluctantly becoming accustomed to this unwanted transformation. I will now enter a world of limits. Blah.

We all have our "Diva moments" and this is definitely one of mine.

Goodbye 2010...

...Hello 2011! As we wrap up the holiday season there is one thing on my mind: make 2011 better than 2010! We had a wonderful Christmas, Santa brought many presents and we spent quality time with family. What more can you ask for? 2010 wasn't great for many reasons but its time to leave the past in the past and move on full-force!

When I first made this blog I intended it to be updates about our little family but along the way it became a diary for me after a difficult year. It's somewhat therapeutic to let my thoughts out on paper....er... blogger, so thanks for listening! Here are some pics from Christmas and Madelyn's 2nd Birthday. Enjoy!