Disney Store Deal of the Week

I have a $15 store credit and $25 GC for the Disney store burning a hole in my pocket big time. So I've been surfing the outlet section!

You can get this cute purple coat for $14.99 right now. Sizes XXS-M. I don't have Natalie's coat for next year, I think I am going to order this one. They also have a pink & silver version of it. Go to the outlet and filter it by girl's clothes.

You all know I stockpile clothes for future winter/summers. I am surprised I DON'T have N's clothes already for next winter. I have like 8 pairs of jeans but only a couple of tops. They have all kinds of hoodies for $12 and tops for under $10. So for about $100, I could totally rock out Natalie's wardrobe - Disney style! OOOHH THE TEMPTATION! lol

Cute Crocs of the Week

The Keeley in bubblegum/fuchia. $24.99, available in all sizes. cute cute cute!

Blitzens have been marked down. Now is the time to buy them for next winter:


Like a moc but with a strap. Natalie loved her mocs! $19.99

And because you all know me, here is your cheap Croc of the week:

Purple, size 10/11 is in stock for just $9.99.

Coupon Codes: 10off60 (16.66% discount - not too shabby)
CROCSAFF10 10% off
shipping is always free - zero tax too!

Click me! Click me! lol -----> Crocs.com

Kitchen Update

I've not done anything since last Saturday. I got a wicked stomach thing on Sunday, was sick for 3-4 days, had snow, watched the Olympics then - blink- a week gone with little progress.

So here is the first side, I have a galley kitchen. I didn't want to take a picture of the other side - it has everything piled to the ceiling :)


I don't think it looks that bad in the pictures. It looks old, but fine you know? What you can't see, is the super crappy quality cabinets, hinges that are loose and wobbly, an oven that cooks hot and can't hold a turkey, a stove range that has been known to shock me. So buh bye!

And the nasty surprise I had when I took it all down:

Does everyone see the ^*(^&*%%4 linoleum on the walls? It was all over my kitchen. Why would someone do that??

Anyway, this is my todo list to get this side in ship shape:

• Remove a piece of wood off the floor and the loose linoleum.
• Screw down a piece of concrete board.
• Remove the wall linoleum.
• Move the outlet and actually attach it to a stud. You know, like to code and stuff.
• Use the wire in the ceiling for an exhaust fan, like a white bathroom one.
• Cut through the drywall so I can have a switch for that fan near the existing outlet.
• Patch the huge hole in the ceiling.
• Remove the wood strips that held up the soffit.
• Move the random wire that comes out 3 inches below the ceiling on the wall then loops back into the ceiling. There isn't any wood there, all I have to do is beat out a little drywall, push the wire in, then patch it.
• Run a new wire from the box for the "new" range. The breaker is already newish so this will be super easy.
• Run another wire from the box for the built in microwave. I have extra room in the breaker box so I might as well give it a breaker of it's own.
• Patch & prime the wall.
• Hang the cabinets. Put in the base cabinets too.
• Mount the microwave.
• Find/buy/build some sort of shelving unit for the area left of the stove.
• Figure out my countertops. If the cabinets look great, I'll install granite tile countertops. If they look "meh" I'll go with the in stock in expensive tan specklish countertops at THD.

So all this should take - what - like 6 months? LOL I feel confident I can do all this myself except for installing the microwave breaker.

Then I get to start on the other side, it is twice as long. I've got the demo staged out on paper so it shouldn't be as bad.

I have to say, I'm enjoying NOT having a stove. The pressure of 3 hot meals a day is gone. We are living off of sandwiches & fruit and I LOVE it lol

Cheap or smart?

Sooooo

My kitchen is a wreak. It has old cabinets, old counters and old appliances. The only thing I love about my kitchen is the sink. It is white porcelain and deep, I love it. But anyway, I did a mini makeover when I bought the house. I took the linoleum off the walls (yes, the walls) and put down concrete board and tile on the floor (which I really hate now). I also kilz and painted the cabinets big time. They went from orange aged sticky yuck to nice and white. The only problem, the cabinets were beat all to heck and the white paint didn't hide that. I have wobble doors that drive me nuts too. Since the cabinets were "custom built" they don't have backs, just the drywall. Even though I painted the drywall (and you couldn't really see it), the incomplete look of my base cabinets always bothered me.

Sooooooo

Today I bought kitchen cabinets, a stove and a built in microwave.

All used.

A woman my Mom works with is totally gutting her kitchen and knocking out walls. She took out her 6 year old oak cabinets and all her appliances and is selling them at firesale prices.

For base cabinets, I got a single, a double, a triple, a sink and a fancy corner one. For the walls, I got a single, 2 doubles, a triple, the over the fridge one and the over the range one. They come with matching crown molding. The stove is a Kenmore in white, self cleaning. The microwave is just a year old, can't remember the brand.

These cabinets do not match up exactly to the configuration that I have now. I wanted more open space on the stove side so I might not use all the wall cabinets. I think I'll have to cut the triple down to a double. I really want a wall mounted pot rack so I can display my good pots. And I want a shelf I can grown herbs on.

So I paid $600 for all of this (the appliances were $665 new). I planned on buying a chocolate stained maple cabinet when I upgraded. I also planned on getting stainless appliances. But I think this plan makes more sense, I'd doing a yardsale makeover instead of an HGTV one lol I'll be sure to do before and after pictures, the cabinets are being delivered to my Mom's garage tomorrow. Demo of my old kitchen will start in 5 minutes :)

Crocs Outlet & 10% off code

Code: CROCSAFF10 for 10% off
Free shipping all the time!
These are 14.99 - with the 10% off, just $13.49
I bought these for Natalie for this summer. Aren't they cute?


Here's a hint when shopping for little girl shoes at crocs online. The best deals are NOT in the outlet. I'm not sure why, but go to the regular category for little girl feet.

YAY! I'm a CROCS affiliate too! lol

I don't know if I'm more excited for me or ya'll. Wait, it's me!

I've bought tons of crocs for the kiddo. Now I'll get the codes and swoop in while her size is in stock! Woot!



(same as before, PLEASE use my link if you don't already have a shopping link!!)

YAY! I'm a Disney Store Affiliate!

I'm feeling the love people!

I'm happy to say I'll be getting all the good coupon codes and specials for the Disney Store now. I'll post them on the blog when they hit my email :)

If you are a Disney Store shopper and you don't shop through someone else, will you use my links?

PLEASE? :)

(yippeee!)

Island Fever

I have an insane urge to get the heck out of dodge. Maybe permanently. One day last week when I was sick, I started searching coastal communities in the US to move to. I do like TN, it is nice and green. But I do despise, with my whole being, snow. We've not had a lot of snow over the past 10 years (I've been back in TN about that long) but this year has been a doozy. I do not like being cold, I do not like sharp biting winds, I do not like gray dull skies, I do not like bare naked trees. Ok, so I admit it, I am a winter hater.

So, if you are going to play in fantasy land, it is always fun to see what you can do with your real budget. Want to guess one of the most affordable, house wise places for me to pack up the kiddo and my Mom and run away to?

Hawaii. No, really. On the Big Island, you can get a 2000 SF house with views of the ocean for under 300K (that is the equity in my two houses plus my Mom's house - I don't have that much on my own). The realtors add fruit/garden info to the listings, I love that. Banana, papaya, star fruit, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit, tangerines, lychee...the lists are endless!

Gas, milk and bread are expensive on the island. Everything else is grown there and local. Ahi is $7.99 a pound and fresh caught that morning. Grass fed beef is $5 a pound (you can't get that here for $5 unless you buy the whole cow). Eggs are free range, chickens are growth hormone free and natural sized. The waters are full of ahi, mahimahi & red snapper.

Hawaii really is paradise. Blogs like this don't help either...

http://myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com/

Aloha!

CNY 2010

Last night was our big event. I won't lie, I didn't enjoy it. The kids couldn't play, it was too dark and there were too many people there not associated with our adoption group. You could barely walk through the room and there wasn't anywhere to take pictures. The speaker of the night was also very un-PR in his statements (I didn't save my child btw) that really ruined the evening for me. We left early and won't go next year if the format is the same. A lot of people felt the same way.

But here is the kiddo in all of her CNY glory with her buddy Katie. These two are the posing princesses, they take direction, smile, turn, bend and all that on command lol



The highlight of the night was seeing Olivia from our travel group! They live in NC and I was so surprised to see them.

Birthday Week!

We made it to THREE!

When your Birthday is on a Monday, you really get to stretch it!

Monday...
It's my BIRTHDAY!
Good Chinese food - burp!
Not messing around - hungry girl!
My belly is full!
Mines!

She was all over this!


She liked - didn't have a clue what it was, but she liked it :)

Super duper cheesy smile for her favorite toy ever!

Saturday - PARTY TIME!

Chilling out before the big event!

Rockin the tutu and fancy hairbow. All 9 girls wore tutus :)

Her favorite car!

I only got this action shot because my right pointer finger is pretty buff from playing timed bejeweled!


Pony!

I'm three!She won the jackpot spin on a game - 100 tickets!

She had a great day, 8 little friends came. They were so cute flying through CEC in those tutus. It also made them really easy to spot lol

Happy Birthday Natalie!

I shall call them George....

So most of my composting worms showed up today (I ordered 2000, I think I got 500) and they are waking up from the cold and adapting to their new home.

I decided to just do one container for now. The bottom 3 inches is a combo of coffee grounds from work, banana peels, egg shells and apple peelings. Like 5 pounds of stuff. I figure the coffee grounds will rev them up and eat everything else faster! :)

The next 3 inches is made up of strips of damp newspaper. The instructions said to place them on top of the bedding in a dark place and it would take 24-48 hours for them to make it to the food. I decided to put them directly under a light and those little buggars took off. I've already got some hyper ones on the grounds.

I'll be nice and include the name George on all my worm posts to those of you with the heebie geebies can just skip them.