Quality wins.

This post I read this morning over at Remodeling This Life was very timely for me. Emily writes about readers of her blog judging her based upon the type of cookware she has stacked on her kitchen shelves.

Forget about the judging part. We're all human and I think we all make snap judgments - however large or small or frequent or occasional - based upon the things we see people have or do. I'm not saying it's ok to judge, but that's a post for another day.

What I appreciated about that post today was affirmation of the idea that spending a little more for quality items does not make us any less aware of where our dollars are going, and certainly, simply owning items that retail for hundreds of dollars does not make us any less frugal or our lives any less simple.

We have become quite adept at finding bargains at Goodwill, garage sales, and through gifts and hand-me-downs. Yet over the past couple of weeks as the mail lady dropped off several L.L. Bean packages at our house, I couldn't help but feel that twinge of guilt, that nagging thought that maybe I should have looked harder at the thrift stores for some winter outerwear that would suit my children, and I perhaps could have saved hundreds of dollars on these items.

I spent more than I ever have on coats, snow pants and boots for the kids this year. I spent so much I'm embarrassed to even think about the total. But ya' know what? I likely won't have to do it again next year. More times than not, quality wins. And I'm fine with spending a few more dollars to purchase items that will last my children - who play HARD outdoors in the winter - for a minimum of two years (and yes, everything was purchased just a littlebit big) and they will still be nice enough when my kids outgrow them to pass along to someone else. Our experience with L.L. Bean has always been positive. Every item I have ever ordered from the company has been pure quality and worth every penny. The kids aren't always happy with this because it means they don't get a new backpack for school every year, but who cares? If the Bean backpack can take the abuse my son doles out, it deserves another year or two of service.

I also chuckled a little when I read Emily's post because just last night I posted on Facebook that I am in dire need of new pots and pans and I wondered if anyone had seen any Black Friday ads with wicked good deals on them. Our pots and pans have been in bad shape for some time, but I have put off buying new because I want to get really good ones that will last forever, or close to it. This might be the inspiration I need to start shopping!


FYI, I love L.L. Bean, but L.L. Bean has no idea who I am, aside from a happy customer with a debit card and two growing children.

Balance.

It would seem that a stay-at-home mom to two school-aged children would have plenty of down time during the day, no?

Umm, no. Not in this house, anyway.

I've been having a hard time juggling everything I feel I should be doing lately, much less finding time for me. I have struggled with the balancing act of homemaking, planning and cooking somewhat healthy meals, evening routines of homework and chores and personal hygiene (why is that so hard for some kids?!), tending to the formerly-in-rough-shape-but-now-good-as-new kitten (what's that people say about nothing "free" being free?), vehicle repairs, school functions, road trips, being wife and mom and daughter, and ... well, you get the idea.

And don't we have some holidays coming up soon? I will not freak out.

I am thankful. Grateful. I wouldn't want my life any less busy, because a busy life is a full life, at least in our case. Sure, I can't sit down to read a magazine without having thoughts of unfinished household business floating around in my head, and I don't always get those few minutes of writing I crave every day, but such is life.

I can honestly say that today I am better at finding balance than I was a year ago, and that's progress.

Admittedly, Christmas is barely on my radar. Yes, it was mere days ago that I was listening to holiday tunes while I worked on something, but that's effortless. I don't want to think about decorating and shopping just yet. I'm taking things one day at a time and there are still lots of days before December 25.

Plenty of time, right?

Feels like Saturday.

The kids are off school today and Rachel stayed the night at my parents' house last night. Sam and I slept in this morning (well, I did anyway). It was so nice to not have to wake up to the alarm clock and to have a quiet, leisurely morning.

It would have been nicer if my body wasn't programmed to wake up at 6 a.m., but I'm not complaining. On the way back from the bathroom I scooped up Patch the kitty and tried to convince him he wanted to snuggle with me in my nice, warm bed. He wasn't interested. He wanted to either eat my toes or gallop through the house chasing imaginary mice. He's becoming quite the cutie.

Eventually he wore himself out and curled up with Sam on the couch to watch some cartoons.

They look pretty comfy, eh?

We have a long weekend ahead. Today, whenever we get around to it, we have our usual Friday banking and errands, tomorrow Sam has confirmation class at church, and right after that we're heading out to spend the rest of the weekend with daddy (the kids are also off school on Monday). Steve is staying in a hotel with a pool and the kids are excited about that. He has Sunday off work so it will be nice to spend a full day just focused on the four of us. We'll probably do a little shopping, too, since Sam's birthday is right around the corner. I'm excited about having some family time, even if it's brief.

Enjoy your weekend.

Hey, what just happened?

This morning I woke the kids like I do every morning for school, but they did not respond the way they always do.

Oh, Rachel got up right away like she usually does. But Sam typically waits until the last possible second and springs out of bed, hustles to get dressed, and grabs something to eat on the way out the door.

Not this morning. By the time I had walked to the other end of the house and back after waking them up, Sam was out of bed and dressed.

I was speechless.

Then he came out to the kitchen and had a few pleasant exchanges with me and Rachel, fed the kitten, and asked if he could take the dog out.

I'm not kidding. He actually said, "Mom, can I take Ladybug out?"

Someone get me the smelling salts.

OK, he asked about the dog because she was still in her crate. She usually doesn't wake up and stretch until after I take the kids to the bus, but this morning she must've had to go potty earlier than usual so when Sam passed by her crate she sat up and looked at him with those sad eyes.


But I still can't believe he offered to take her out.

There was no fighting, no yelling, no ugliness in the house this morning.

I don't know where the aliens took my son, but they can keep him. I like the one they left behind. So far, anyway.

~ ~ ~

In other news, it was NOT my husband who bought the winning Power Ball ticket at an adult book store here in Michigan. As of this posting, the purchaser of the ticket has not yet come forward and the media are having a field day with the whole thing. 

Personally I don't give a hoot where the person bought the ticket - they're going to be a 100+millionaire!! I suppose there might be some uncomfortableness related to where he or she got the ticket, but really, can't we be adults about this?

Just in case, I sent Steve a text this morning to let him know if he is the winning ticket holder he should go ahead and claim the prize. $100 million could help me get over the adult book store thing really quickly.

Alas, he is not holding any Power Ball tickets, much less a winning one. The whole idea of it was worth a good laugh, though.

Technical difficulties.

My picture art project was done Thursday evening.

Stress the word was.

But because I used inadequate hanging materials to stick those buggers to the wall, I woke up Friday morning to two frames on the floor - one of them with the glass broken - and another fell off during the day, and another frame was on the floor Saturday morning.

So my apologies for not providing an update as promised on Friday.

I had a feeling this might happen. I sometimes get a little impatient and find ways to cut corners. Most of the time it works out good enough. This time? Not so much.

Don't use massive amounts of poster putty to stick picture frames to the wall. Just don't.

 

Talk about a lesson in haste. FAIL.

But now it's done! Properly! And I love it.

It was hard to find a good angle to show this off, but I can tell you this picture doesn't really do it justice. These are some of my favorite family photos and now I smile every time I walk through this end of the house and see them hanging there.

Happy Monday.

Empty.

I have emptied an entire can of black spray paint on eight picture frames today.

Indoors.

With Christmas music playing while I work.

I feel good.

I mean I feel good about how the frames look, silly. Of course I have windows and doors open and a fan blowing to vent the paint fumes.

Remember this post? No better time to get started on the next phase of the project than a day like today - rainy and dreary outside and not a thing on my calendar to get done. The Christmas tunes ... well, they have a way of keeping me motivated.

Update tomorrow.

10 things.

1. My son said some very hurtful things to me last night. I still love him. I might not like him very much at the moment, but I do love him.

2. My daughter continues to scream bloody murder at the slightest offense. I still love her.

3. There is potential for snow in the forecast this week. I'm OK with that.

4. When I got back from dropping the kids off at the bus stop this morning I saw some object hanging from the gutters near the front door. It was Rachel's coat. I got nothin'.

5. Patch the kitty has recovered from his head cold quite nicely. He has now begun to torment the other cat. Whiskers does not appear to be amused.

6. I'm not really feeling it at the moment, but I will force myself to have a good day today. My strategy includes playing good music, burning yummy candles, and wearing fluffy socks.

7. Lately we sound like a family of frogs in the mornings. It's time to get the humidifier going.

8. I paid to have some modifications done and new tires installed on Steve's truck yesterday. It felt good to have the cash for all of it.

9. I now have to stretch a little to get up into the truck. It makes me feel like I'm back in high school.

10. I miss my husband. I just saw him on Sunday and it's only Wednesday, but I miss him like crazy. Some weeks are harder than others.