Tag Archives: Thoughts

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Regular household CHAOS!

As promised, this blog is about regular household chaos.

I think, as a mom, it is so important to admit to the chaos that happens in your house.  And talk about it with other mamma’s.  The first thing you will realize it that they are in the same position as you.

Were one minuet the house is tidy and the kids are playing happy together… and you think to yourself,

“I am such a great mom, my family totally has got it together”

Then suddenly, while in the middle of that thought two or more children are fighting, while one has dumped Cheerios all over the floor, there are toys everywhere, you’ve totally lost track of time and the has dog puked on the floor.

(Not that that is what happend here, just as an example)

The other day I was painting something at my craft desk and my oldest daughter was sewing something for me. (I am so proud of her)

And as she was happily doing this, my son was doing this…. The little stinker was eating them as fast as he could so that I could not vacuum them up.  You gotta love em’!

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Things for Free

Sometimes I mention that I got something for free and a friend usually says, “that doesn’t surprise me!”

I try to be as thrifty as possible but I also like to use all kinds of small appliances in my kitchen.  I am not one who needs to have the best of the best, but I do appreciate good quality. In order for me to satisfy thriftyness and quality sometimes I have to be a little creative.

A great way that I have discovered is with loyalty rewards.  I collect points from my grocery store and my credit cards. When I shop for groceries and pay with a credit card I am collecting two times the points!

With these points I have “purchased” over  $750 in small appliances for my kitchen.  My coffee maker was over $200 at the store, the immersion blender goes for $149.99.  That was a shocker to me, I didn’t realize it was so expensive.  Other appliances on that list are Krups Coffee Grinder, CuisinArt Ice Cream Maker,CuisinArt Griddle and Waffle Plates and a Toaster Oven.  The toaster oven came from a promotion that Demptser’s Bread offered a few years ago.  With 12 proofs-of-purchase they sent you a Hamilton Beach Toaster Oven.

Lets not forget about the many gift card that I have received.  Thus far I have ordered $750 in gift cards for stores such as Bath & Body Works, Winners, Pier 1, Shoppers Drug Mart, Best Buy and Canadian Tire.  These are really great way to take some of the pressure off of your Christmas Bill.  I used many of them to decorate our house when we first moved in.  And truth be told, I used a $100 gift card for Canadian Tire to purchase the paint that I used to do the Kitchen Table!

When my old computer died we were not in a financial position to run out and buy a new one.  I collected the points I had accumulated and ordered a Best Buy and a Visa gift card.  I was able to get the computer I wanted with little out-of-pocket expense.

Sure you say that it is not free to be a member of the rewards programs.  Each year for the MasterCard Rewards I pay $35 annually.  And the grocery store rewards program is free!     So all in all, I think it is a great deal.  I get what I want and my wallet doesn’t get beat up in the mean time.

Just an idea that I thought I would share with you.  Let me know if this is something you do.  Where do you earn your points from?

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Thoughts on Thursday

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Some of you may know that I am currently potty training my cats.  I know that when you say that out loud you sound really crazy.  Kind of crazy-cat-lady crazy.  But think about this…. if you have a cat, I know you don’t love the litter.  So I get to have great little cats and no yucky litter.

There is a method to my madness.  It is called The Toilet Trained Cat and so far the system is working pretty good. 

At this point the kittens are using the toilet to go both #1 and #2.  In the first stages the kittens are using a disposable roasting pan that is placed inside the toilet (under the seat).  You have to use a flushable litter.

A small hole in the back of the pan helps them get used to the water.  Slowly, day by day the hole gets bigger untill it is a long hole along the back of the pan.  From there the hole gets larger by  moving it forward.

At this point there is a 2 inch hole in the back of the pan.  Both of the kittens are doing okay.  Cheezy, the orange one, is doing really well.  But I’m sure that cat would do about anything.  Icka, the little black one, is a little more timid and not to sure about it.  She is doing okay, but I think I will keep the hole where it is now for a while.

While in Kitty Potty Training mode our family has given up the upstairs bathroom.

IT IS A MESSThis is an action shot, he was really peeing!