A Proud Reader...

Today was an EXCITING day for Lilley-Kate in school! She was chosen to read out loud to the classroom... and did such a good job she received a Reading Celebration certificate! She was so proud of herself and couldn't wait to tell me when I picked her up this afternoon!

She has definitely "inherited" the family "love of reading"... both my husband and I LOVE to read... and big brother Nick is a voracious reader (and has been since he was a little boy)...

Way to Go Lilley-Kate... We are SO PROUD of you!!!

*** Just a little "note"... we have been using the "BOB BOOK" series from Scholastic at home and the series has worked wonderfully for Lilley-Kate... you might want to check it out for your beginner reader too!!! ***

Harrowing Site...

As a parent it only takes a split second to send our hearts into our throats... the one second when you turn the corner to enter the school parking lot and are confronted with ambulances and fire/rescue vehicles parked at the front entrance of the school... well... that happened to me today... the site that I was confronted with when I went to pick up Lilley-Kate from kindy...

I usually don't "freak out" about such sites... I intellectually know that it could be any of 1, 000 reasons to see those vehicles there... something as minor as a fall... or as major as what was occuring... but my "gut" told me it wasn't just a minor bump... I rushed to park my car and enter the gymnasium... immediately one of the other Mom's approached me to tell me the "incident" was occuring IN my daughter's classroom... I went to the office... and was told that the teacher had removed the students from the classroom... as the incident unfolded... Lilley-Kate was in the care of one of the staff in the Nurses Office...

She was brought to me in tears... white as a sheet and wide eyed... the staff member was holding her hand and carrying her stuff... apparently the little boy that sits next to her had had a seizure... and had grabbed onto Lilley-Kate as the seizure started pulling her to the ground as he fell... (which of course totally spooked Lilley-Kate)...

She has been very "anxious" this afternoon/evening... and has expressed apprehension about going to school tomorrow... She keeps asking "What happens if "N" loses his breath again?"... I have told her that "N"'s Mommy will probably keep him home tomorrow so he can rest and get better...

I sure hope I'm right....

Money Makin' MONDAY...

Well... I sold 12 out of 16 auctions... MUCH BETTER than last week! My GOAL was 13/16... so I wasn't off by much... one step closer to my GOAL!!!

One thing that ANNOYS the dickens outta me... WHY don't people READ the auctions... NOW... let me say I do NOT have an auction novella to read... just basic description... payment and shipping terms... I also invite questions (before bidding) multiple times throughout the auction... and what ends up happening??? Someone bids without reading the ENTIRE auction... or ASKING before they bid... UGH... well... hopefully it'll all work out... but NOW I will have to ADD two more "terms" to payment and shipping... OH WELL...

Another thing... it is ironic that whenever I list SHOES... they sell... and I mean they sell WELL... I did have multiple purchases this cycle also...

I am going to take this week off from listing... get a couple of projects done and then resume listing next week...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "ZHIBBIE"...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister "Zhibbie"...

As a kid my sister couldn't pronounce her middle name ELIZABETH and it came out "ZhibZhib"... so ever since we were kids I have called her "Zhibbie"... my sister... my confidant... my FRIEND...

We have been close throughout our lives... although not always in miles... but always in our hearts... my sister has become a mother now... having had TWINS right before Thanksgiving... so our relationship has taken on another facet since we are now BOTH MOTHERS...

I always have said... even if she wasn't my sister... I would still want her as a friend...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZHIBBIE... I LOVE YOU!!!

I've Had Enough...

So... for the THIRD day in a row it has been SNOWING... and I have had quite enough... I am READY for Spring... or at least MILDER TEMPS... I can't remember the last time the sun was shining for more than 5 minutes... I MISS THE SUNSHINE!!!


Today was basically a quiet day... I worked on a towel order... played Barbie's with Lilley-Kate... and got some light reading done... Michael played with Lilley-Kate on the computer... ran a couple of errands and worked on his Master Thesis... Lilley Kate played Barbies with me... Played computer with Daddy... and watched Blue Hawaii (she's a huge Elvis Fan at the moment)... fairly quiet weekend


We have been planning to join COSTCO... but it's about 35 minutes away and the weather hasn't cooperated much (plus I HATE going out in the COLD)... I volunteer tomorrow at school with the Literacy Program... I'm hoping for some sunshine... because there is no way I can chat my husband into a quick CABO weekend... LOL...


Hope everyone had a good weekend!!!

A FAVORITE Thing...

If you notice those little "crow's feet" creeping up around your eyes... or already have them... one of my FAVORITE "Beauty/Anti-Aging" product is THIS... I use it faithfully morning and night... applying it around the eye (concentrating on the corners)... I wouldn't say it REMOVES wrinkles/crow's feet... BUT... it DEFINITELY smooths them out... and every little bit helps!!!

The entire regenerist line of products can be found at your local drugstore/mass retailer and are moderately priced...

Whenever I find something I like... and works... I like to pass the info along!

6/13... Money Making Monday

Well... 6 out of 13 auctions SOLD... Not bad... but not great either... I wanted to sell 10/13... but that is alright... I am going to start getting my Spring/Summer stuff listed... and get some SAMPLES listed also... so hopefully things will pick up! One step closer to my GOAL!!!

Success in a Weekend...

After about 6 hours on Saturday... methodically removing/ resetting/shimming/bracing each riser and tread... then spackling, priming and painting the risers... the stairs are now SAFE and SOUND!!!

My husband rated this project a 5 out of 10 on "our" Home Improvement scale (I think it was more like a 3... but I was mostly supervising... LOL)... I think too he was mad that he dropped his drill and torpedo level under the steps (so whoever fixes the steps next will find a couple of tools)

Anyway... this project is done... and I feel better about the steps!

"Baby It's...

COLD OUTSIDE"!!! A FRIGID 9* to be exact... nothing better on a night like this than a bowl of YUMMY Venison Chili!!!

Hope EVERYONE is keeping WARM!!!

Weekend Project...

This weekend we will be working on our stairs... the "issue" started shortly after we moved in 3 years ago... of course I wanted to immediately rip up the carpeting and FIX the problem... but my husband didn't seem overly concerned about the sagging steps... and continued to seem unconcerned as the sagging worsened over time... WELL... NOW what would've been a "small project" has turned into a not so small project... that will be tackled this weekend... we will be resetting risers and treads on the entire staircase... (when I removed the carpeting we found "bandaide repairs" to the stairs that had obviously been made previously... My husband "gently" reminded me that I was the one that wanted a house with "character" (and LOTS of "issues")... "Yes Honey... I KNOW I was the one that wanted "Character"... thanks for the reminder"...

Tuesday's "TIP"...

Today is "TIP Day" at According to Lala...

We all want our children to grow up to be the BEST they can be... ONE of the easiest ways to "teach" children is to be an EXAMPLE...

Do you want your children to "mind their manners"?... Well... Mind YOUR manners
Do you want your children to be more compassionate towards others?... Well... Show YOUR compassion towards others
Do you want your children to learn to be financially responsible?... Well... Practice financial responsibility YOURSELF...

Lead/Teach by EXAMPLE...

Happy Tuesday EVERYONE!!!

SLOW Sunday....

It's a pretty slow day here... raining/snowing on and off... windy... just SLOW... Nick was taken back to school this morning... My husband is working on his Master Thesis... Lilley-Kate is engrossed in playing with her newest Polly Pocket Set... and I am just kinda "here"... not doing this... or that... but I SHOULD be doing something... like...

1. Changing the Santa tablecloth on the kitchen table. OR...
2. Finishing the panels for the new curtains in the Dining Room OR...
3. Organizing my fabric... I DO have about 5 projects I would like to get done

But... for the LIFE of me I just don't feel like it... so here I sit... sipping green tea... occassionally gazing outside... "bloghopping"... and browsing eBay... on a slow Sunday afternoon

WACKY WINDY Wednesday...

Thank goodness I married a WONDERFULLY TALENTED and HANDY man... who is as "tight" with the pursestrings as I am... LOL...

After a harrowing night of HOWLING WIND on Tuesday... we woke Wednesday morning to our PEELED BACK and BUCKLED roof (which happens to be where our bedroom is located)... causing us to get an immediate estimate on repairs (since we were forecasted for RAIN later in the day)... well... needless to say... my husband ended up coming home from work to repair the roof with the help of our teenage son... SAVING US over $800.00!!!

Funny how he can get 20' up on the roof and fix the damage... but CAN'T seem to remember to put the toilet seat down...

Tuesday's TIP..."Being Prepared"...

HAPPY TUESDAY Everyone!!! It's "Tip Day" here at According to Lala...

Another FABULOUS "tip" from my Mrs. Superorganizedmotheroffive friend... God I really admire her "forethought" and organization... her home runs like a well oiled machine...

I know none of us like it when our kiddies are under the weather... and I know many of us have been woken out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night by a sick child... or a child who has been sick in their room/bed/hallway... we stumble around half asleep trying to calm and clean up the child... clean up the mess... change sheets... change pjs... clean the floor/carpet/walls in a state somewhere between half sleep and half wake...

Introducing "THE SICK BASKET"... a "cheapie" laundry basket that holds all the "emergency" essentials you may need in case your kiddie(s) get sick in the middle of the night... change of sheets (old sheets... or 2 flat sheets that can just be tucked in quickly)... clorox wipes (for floors or walls)... paper towels (clean up)... baby wipes (kiddie clean up)... cheapie trash can (to either give to sick child in case they become sick during clean up OR to put clean up trash in)... plastic bags (I have WALLIES bags (bag yucky jammies... use for trash)... old towels (I have 3 old beach towels)... tissues... Lysol... a small can of GingerAle... a plastic sippie cup... and some crackers (my FABULOUS friend has to restock these at least once a week as her 2 year old finds them and eats them... LOL)

So... when your kiddie(s) get sick in the middle of the night all you have to do is grab the basket (I took my FABULOUS friend's advice and am now storing mine in the bottom of the linen closet) and you'll have the ESSENTIALS you need to quickly clean up!

Have a WONDERFUL Tuesay Everyone!!!

Money Making Monday...

Well... 11/16 auctions SOLD... not TOO BAD... I wanted to sell 12/16 but things are still kinda slow (I think everyone is still recouping from Christmas... and I know all the Christmas bills are starting to roll in)... I ran a .99 cycle... with just a couple of "high priced" items... funny... 2 of the auctions that DIDN'T sell were .99... LOL... I guess at that price it still wasn't a good enough deal... Anyway... not a bad weeks worth of "work"...

One of the fun things when the auctions end is seeing WHERE my buyers are located... can I tell ya... INDIANA LOVES ME... probably 75% of my business is with buyers from INDIANA... funny thing tonight though... I had 2 seperate buyers from the SAME TOWN in COLORADO!!!

Anyway... I have selling goals... and am on my way to meeting them!!!

RIBBIT... RIBBIT...

While "blogsurfing" one day I came across THE PURL BEE and spent quite a while perusing the blog... then came across the FREE PURL FROG pattern...

My sister had recently had TWINS (in November)... and my BIL is a big "frog fan"... so what a PERFECT little something to give as a gift!

I had INTENDED to give them as part of a baby shower gift basket... didn't happen (although I DID have them cut out at that point)... I then INTENDED to give them as a little Christmas Present... didn't happen (although I DID have them sewn up at that point)... well... now I intend to give them as a Valentine's present... which WILL HAPPEN... as they are now complete!

I did "modify/alter" the instructions a bit... I EMBROIDERED eyes on the frogs instead of using buttons or beads (for saftey's sake)... and I embroidered each baby's name on the chambray side of the frog... Lilley-Kate loved helping fill them with lentils...

A fun little sewing project!

Out With The Old...

Blame it on my OCD tendencies... Blame it on growing up with a Mother that saved EVERYTHING... Blame it on in the past living in a house JUST BIG ENOUGH (and with very little storage)... but I have always lived by the saying...

Something NEW comes in... Something OLD goes out...

Today was spent PURGING... things to throw out (2 FULL trash bags)... things to donate (4 trash bags)... things to give away (2 FULL trash bags)... all OUT of my house!

Funny the things we'll get excited about...

Happy New Year!!!...

Happy 2008 Everyone!!!

We rung in the New Year here at According to Lala watching the ball drop on Time Square (followed by the "traditional" New Year's smooch)... eating shrimp cocktail... and listening to/watching the fireworks outside... not nearly as "glamor-filled" as it use to be... but glamorous enough for us...

I hope 2008 is everything you hope it to be and more...


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!