So someday I'll finish my post about how to enjoy getting rid of cable. We are enthusiastic TV-watchers over here and my husband never dreamed that he would be able to live without 300 channels. A football season has not yet passed, so we'll see how he fares without ESPN come September. For now, it's great!
I have never been accused of having an overage of patience, so watching shows a season at a time on Netflix is a dream come true. Most recently we finished "Drop Dead Diva." I had only heard of it a couple times (Jake, the Bachelor, made a cameo appearance according to an article I read in Us Weekly right after his big breakup with Vienna). Anyway, it seems that this show was created for Fox, and when they passed on it, Lifetime picked it up. It has won numerous awards and is just plain GOOD television. Don't tell my husband, but he actually really enjoyed it. It's clever and laugh-out-loud funny.
The story is about Deb, an aspiring model/actress who is killed in an accident. She goes to heaven and presses the "return" button. She's sent back to earth in the body of someone who was dying at the exact moment she pressed the button... a plus-sized, genius attorney named Jane. With Deb's funny personality and Jane's smarts, hilarity ensues. There are a few more twists and turns. Deb's boyfriend works at Jane's law firm, but Jane can't tell him she's Deb. You must watch and let me know what you think. It sounds cheesy and won't make you more intelligent, but I bet you will enjoy it.
Unfortunately season 3 begins on Lifetime in June, so I'll be waiting a while before it's streaming on Netflix. However, knowing that I can watch the entire season at once makes the wait entirely bearable.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Make a Chore Chart
It's spring, and I am itching to get my house in order. Between a busy work schedule (a great problem to have, I'm not complaining!) and keeping an eye on an on-the-move baby when at home, I'm spent before I even start to think about housework. My lovely husband is willing to help, but he can't see what needs to be done and needs to be told. It's easier to do the chores myself than to sit down and make a list for him. If I had a list already made, that would solve the problem!
I searched the web for a pre-made chore chart, but most are for families. Since our little girl can neither walk nor talk, we won't be giving her chores for a few more years. We only needed a chart for two people, so I made one that will work for us. I'm trying to dream up all that we need to do to keep this place in order, but I'm sure that I will need to add chores as we come across them. Here is what it looks like so far:
Please click on the image for a larger view. Can you think of anything that I missed? I once heard that someone devoted 27 minutes a day to housework. I'm not sure what was significant about 27, but I'm thinking we might try this. After the baby goes to bed, I can set the timer for 27 minutes and we can start on our chores. This won't work for cleaning the dogs, but it may work for everything else if we work quickly. We'll see how it goes!
I searched the web for a pre-made chore chart, but most are for families. Since our little girl can neither walk nor talk, we won't be giving her chores for a few more years. We only needed a chart for two people, so I made one that will work for us. I'm trying to dream up all that we need to do to keep this place in order, but I'm sure that I will need to add chores as we come across them. Here is what it looks like so far:
Please click on the image for a larger view. Can you think of anything that I missed? I once heard that someone devoted 27 minutes a day to housework. I'm not sure what was significant about 27, but I'm thinking we might try this. After the baby goes to bed, I can set the timer for 27 minutes and we can start on our chores. This won't work for cleaning the dogs, but it may work for everything else if we work quickly. We'll see how it goes!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Menu Monday
Monday:
BBQ Pulled Pork over Brown Rice with Salad
Tuesday:
Homemade Three Cheese Macaroni with Grilled Hot Dogs
Wednesday:
Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops over Brown Rice with Brocolli
Thursday:
Friday:
Chicken Parmesan Pizza
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Lexington $195,000: 179 OldTown Drive [OPEN HOUSE 3/27]
This is an Open House that you don't want to miss! There are a few homes for sale in the neighborhood that are going to be open on Sunday from 2pm to 5pm. Besides that, I'm going to be at 179 OldTown Drive with delicious baked goods! Sunday is supposed to be in the mid-70's, so take a stroll through this idyllic neighborhood!
The home at 179 OldTown Drive is listed for $195,000. With a roomy 2633 square feet on .19 acres, there is plenty of room. Looking for a place with formal living spaces? This is the one! With 4 bedrooms, a loft space, and 2.5 bathrooms, it's a must see. Plus there are plenty of extras.
A great location-minutes from I-20, I-26, downtown, shopping and dining. You will enjoy this spacious home with master on the main level, fresh paint, beautiful hardwood floors, central vac system, community pool, playground, and boat storage.
The home at 179 OldTown Drive is listed for $195,000. With a roomy 2633 square feet on .19 acres, there is plenty of room. Looking for a place with formal living spaces? This is the one! With 4 bedrooms, a loft space, and 2.5 bathrooms, it's a must see. Plus there are plenty of extras.
A great location-minutes from I-20, I-26, downtown, shopping and dining. You will enjoy this spacious home with master on the main level, fresh paint, beautiful hardwood floors, central vac system, community pool, playground, and boat storage.
Favorite Things Thursday: Jimmy John's
A new Jimmy John's opened yesterday. It's about a mile from my house, and I couldn't be more excited that my house falls within their "delivery radius." I'm not sure why I love this sandwhich shop so much, since I could make a similar sandwhich at my house. For some reason a Jimmy John's sandwich tastes so much better than mine. If there is a crazy reason, I don't want to know what it is...
I'm sad everytime I think of the day that I found out I can't compete with a Wendy's salad because they wash their salad in sugar, driving the calorie content sky high. I had tried to "recreate" the Apple Chicken Salad, and it just wasn't as good. My wise grandfather filled me in on why my version paled in comparison. Sad!
So I hope that Jimmy John's doesn't have a weird tactic to make their sandwiches so awesome. I doubt it. I think it's just the fresh baked bread. Can't beat that soft, thick 5-grain wheat!
I had the Beach Club last night: turkey, provolone cheese, avacado spread, mayo, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and alfalfa sprouts. Delish! I thought about going back for lunch today, but I think I need to wait a few days. I don't want to get sick of my favorite sandwhich shop right out of the gate!
I'm sad everytime I think of the day that I found out I can't compete with a Wendy's salad because they wash their salad in sugar, driving the calorie content sky high. I had tried to "recreate" the Apple Chicken Salad, and it just wasn't as good. My wise grandfather filled me in on why my version paled in comparison. Sad!
So I hope that Jimmy John's doesn't have a weird tactic to make their sandwiches so awesome. I doubt it. I think it's just the fresh baked bread. Can't beat that soft, thick 5-grain wheat!
I had the Beach Club last night: turkey, provolone cheese, avacado spread, mayo, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and alfalfa sprouts. Delish! I thought about going back for lunch today, but I think I need to wait a few days. I don't want to get sick of my favorite sandwhich shop right out of the gate!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
What to Wear Wednesday: Mad Men Party
A friend of mine is having a "Mad Men" themed birthday party. "Mad Men Season 1" in sitting in our Netflix Queue... meaning that I have never seen the show. I know the premise and a few of the characters, but I don't know the fashion very well. So what do I wear to this 1950's (it's in the '50's, right? or is it the '60's?) soiree? My first stop in my online search was my go-to store for dresses: ModCloth. They had a few cute things that would work, but most were either sold out, way more than I wanted to spend even if I would wear it again, or more than I wanted to spend on something I would only wear once. Here are two of my favorites that fell into the "too rich for my blood" and "out of stock" categories.
Royal Introduction Dress $139.99
Belle of the Charity Ball Dress $269.99
So I Googled a bit more, and checked out some vintage clothing websites. I wasn't coming up with anything. So I moved on to doing some research for my daughter's first birthday party (it's months away, but I'm nothing if not a planner), and I found an outfit for her at JCPenney. I decided to look at their "women's dresses" section and lo and behold, I think I found something! It meets my two criteria of 1. being relatively inexpensive and 2. being classic enough to get a lot of use. What do you think of the outfit below?
Dress, JCPenney, $39.99
Mary jane pumps, Kmart, $9.09
Vintage Pillbox Hat, Etsy, $20
Gloves, Amazon, $9.95
Black Skinny Belt, Target, $9.95 (already own)
Total: $79.03
Mary jane pumps, Kmart, $9.09
Vintage Pillbox Hat, Etsy, $20
Gloves, Amazon, $9.95
Black Skinny Belt, Target, $9.95 (already own)
Total: $79.03
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tip Tuesday: Sell Old Gadgets
My husband is a geek. This doesn't offend him, he would say it himself. He loves to have all of the new technological gadgets. The problem with this is that we are constantly upgrading. We have a drawer of old cell phones, laptops, etc. I tried selling a few things on CraigsList, but it's difficult to know how much these items are worth. While my brother was here, he introduced me to a genius company that is solving the techno-pack-rat problem for people everywhere.
What is this company you ask? Gazelle.
Gazelle is located in Boston, where my brother went to college, so I tell myself that this is why he knew about it and I didn't. In reality, if it isn't marketing or real estate related, I'm behind the curve. Anyway, while my brother was here he sold an old iPod for $90 to Gazelle. They'll tell you how much your item is worth and send a box and shipping label to you. After they receive your item and verify that it is what you told them it was, you receive a check in the mail or a deposit into your PayPal account. Easy as pie, right?
I recently joined the iPhone community, and I'm trading in my BlackBerry Curve. Gazelle is going to give me $129.15 for it- $123 because that is what they determined it is worth, and $6.15 because I found a 5% bonus code online.
This was so exciting that I searched through the aforementioned drawer to see what else I could sell. My Dell laptop from college and my husband's old BlackBerry Curve would only fetch $3 each, so we passed on those. I was shocked to find that my old graphing calculators from high school would earn me $26 each. As soon as the box and shipping label arrive, my old calcs will begin their journey to Boston. Too bad they don't take refrigerators, otherwise I would be finished with my CraigsList sales for good!
What is this company you ask? Gazelle.
Gazelle is located in Boston, where my brother went to college, so I tell myself that this is why he knew about it and I didn't. In reality, if it isn't marketing or real estate related, I'm behind the curve. Anyway, while my brother was here he sold an old iPod for $90 to Gazelle. They'll tell you how much your item is worth and send a box and shipping label to you. After they receive your item and verify that it is what you told them it was, you receive a check in the mail or a deposit into your PayPal account. Easy as pie, right?
I recently joined the iPhone community, and I'm trading in my BlackBerry Curve. Gazelle is going to give me $129.15 for it- $123 because that is what they determined it is worth, and $6.15 because I found a 5% bonus code online.
This was so exciting that I searched through the aforementioned drawer to see what else I could sell. My Dell laptop from college and my husband's old BlackBerry Curve would only fetch $3 each, so we passed on those. I was shocked to find that my old graphing calculators from high school would earn me $26 each. As soon as the box and shipping label arrive, my old calcs will begin their journey to Boston. Too bad they don't take refrigerators, otherwise I would be finished with my CraigsList sales for good!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Lexington $459,000: 161 River Club Road [OPEN HOUSE 3/20 &4/3]
This place is more than a home... it's a lifestyle! If you haven't yet toured a home in the Saluda River Club, you must, and this is your chance. 161 River Club Road will be open on Sunday, March 20 and Sunday, April 3, from 1pm to 4pm.
There is so much to say about this property. It is located on the largest lot in The Village section of Saluda River Club. The finishes are impeccable. The phrase I hear most when showing this home is, "I can picture us living here." The layout will make you feel right at home. The spacious 3,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths feels cozy thanks to a great floorplan.
Here's the listing description:
There is so much to say about this property. It is located on the largest lot in The Village section of Saluda River Club. The finishes are impeccable. The phrase I hear most when showing this home is, "I can picture us living here." The layout will make you feel right at home. The spacious 3,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths feels cozy thanks to a great floorplan.
Here's the listing description:
"Green built 4BR/4BA front & back(screened) porch with ceiling fans. 12' ceiling accented
And the pictures:
Saturday, March 5, 2011
BuyDay Friday: CraigsList Hutch
I have wanted a hutch for my dining room for ages. I decided that I must have one for my birthday. I didn't want to pay more than $50 because I wanted to paint it. There were many beautiful pieces that came up for sale. Mahogany antiques, new and shiny monstrosities, and then I saw it... "China Cabinet- $50." Thank goodness I have vision, or I would have skipped right over this ugly thing.
It has a pretty bone structure, but the finish doesn't even pretend to be wood. The guy who was selling it had just inherited a house from his grandmother. He had a use for the house, but not the china cabinet that came with it. He sold it to me for 50 clams. I am positive that I could have negotiated him down, because he just wanted to get rid of it, but I thought $50 was such a steal that I paid the full asking price. My husband and I rented the Home Depot truck for $19 and had ourselves a real, live china cabinet.
I was not about to put it in my house in its current state. And it smelled quite a bit like incense. We aired it out in the garage, painted it, added new Martha Stewart hardware from Home Depot, added fabric to the back, and gave it a home on a wall in the dining room. I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. (note: it looks a little bluish in the pictures. It's grey in person. The color is called "granite")
It's tricky to get a good angle between the big round table and the chandelier, but you get the point. I haven't decided what to fill it with yet. What do you think?? Isn't she a beaut?
Total Cost: $147
China Cabinet $50
Transportation $19
Paint & Primer $40
Hardware $12
Fabric $26
I was not about to put it in my house in its current state. And it smelled quite a bit like incense. We aired it out in the garage, painted it, added new Martha Stewart hardware from Home Depot, added fabric to the back, and gave it a home on a wall in the dining room. I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. (note: it looks a little bluish in the pictures. It's grey in person. The color is called "granite")
It's tricky to get a good angle between the big round table and the chandelier, but you get the point. I haven't decided what to fill it with yet. What do you think?? Isn't she a beaut?
Total Cost: $147
China Cabinet $50
Transportation $19
Paint & Primer $40
Hardware $12
Fabric $26
Favorite Things Thursday: Saucer Magnolias
We bought our house in October 2008. It was autumn, and not much was blooming. The next spring I was delighted to find that an ugly, wiry tree in the backyard grows gorgeous fuchsia blooms. I had never seen anything like them, and it took some digging to find out what kind of tree we had on our hands. Even now, when people ask what kind of tree it is and I tell them, they say, "That can't be right. I've never heard of such a thing."
Living in South Carolina, most people, unless they live under a rock, are familiar with Southern Magnolia Trees. They look like this:
Living in South Carolina, most people, unless they live under a rock, are familiar with Southern Magnolia Trees. They look like this:
courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation
Although it is the most popular, most of the people that visit my house (and myself), had never seen a Saucer Magnolia before one started blooming in the backyard of my new home. Many people mistake it for a Tulip Tree, but it isn't. It has many names... Saucer Magnolia, Japanese Magnolia, and Soulangiana Magnolia. The blooms are gorgeous and it's so lovely to look out the window at my happy tree. Today was rainy, but the backyard is still bright and cheerful. It started blooming in late February this year. I am praying that we don't have a late frost that will kill it. Take a look!
What to Wear Wednesday: Dedication
Tip Tuesday: Severe Weather
Isn't it fitting that at the beginning of "Severe Weather Awareness" week, we have some severe weather of our very own? That's right, ladies and gents. On Monday, February 28, 2011, my family and our visiting guest sat in the guest room while trying to decide whether or not we were going to have to hide out in the "centermost room," which happens to be our teeny hall bathroom.
I was especially nervous because of the tornadoes that hit the Midwest overnight. Those storms usually die down by the time they get to us, but there is always a chance that there is a twister just waiting to form. So we sat with our trusty weather radio. The cable went out, the internet went out, but our weather radio continued to blare the alerts and info on where the storm was headed. Newberry, SC was hit with two tornadoes, but we stayed in the clear. And now my visitor thinks I'm insane for filling the half bathroom with blankets and pillows per the weatherman's instructions. Don't worry, they are in the laundry room waiting to be cleaned.
So what is the tip for today? Get a weather radio and make an emergency plan with your family! South Carolina is beautiful for bringing spring-like weather in February. Not so nice are the storms that come with the high temps. Our family meets in our tiny hall bathroom. Since we live in a ranch, this is the only room without exterior walls. Our weather radio stays plugged in throughout storm season. It's loud enough to wake us up if we need to get to our "safe room."
Our Oregon Scientific weather radio is now on sale for $19.95 from $39.95. Pick one up!
I was especially nervous because of the tornadoes that hit the Midwest overnight. Those storms usually die down by the time they get to us, but there is always a chance that there is a twister just waiting to form. So we sat with our trusty weather radio. The cable went out, the internet went out, but our weather radio continued to blare the alerts and info on where the storm was headed. Newberry, SC was hit with two tornadoes, but we stayed in the clear. And now my visitor thinks I'm insane for filling the half bathroom with blankets and pillows per the weatherman's instructions. Don't worry, they are in the laundry room waiting to be cleaned.
So what is the tip for today? Get a weather radio and make an emergency plan with your family! South Carolina is beautiful for bringing spring-like weather in February. Not so nice are the storms that come with the high temps. Our family meets in our tiny hall bathroom. Since we live in a ranch, this is the only room without exterior walls. Our weather radio stays plugged in throughout storm season. It's loud enough to wake us up if we need to get to our "safe room."
Our Oregon Scientific weather radio is now on sale for $19.95 from $39.95. Pick one up!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Menu Monday
Monday
Little Caesars Pizza & Crazy Bread
Tuesday
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with onions, carrots and potatoes
Wednesday
"Macaroni Grill" Frozen meal
Thursday
Orange Chicken Stir Fry with veggies and rice
Friday
Chicken Parm with string beans and breadsticks
Saturday
[lunch] Roast Beef Subs, chips, grapes
[dinner] Foil-Pack BBQ Ribs, grilled asparagus, scalloped potatoes
Sunday
Baby Dedication Reception - our little one is getting dedicated at church and we are attending a lunch reception after.
Little Caesars Pizza & Crazy Bread
Tuesday
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with onions, carrots and potatoes
Wednesday
"Macaroni Grill" Frozen meal
Thursday
Orange Chicken Stir Fry with veggies and rice
Friday
Chicken Parm with string beans and breadsticks
Saturday
[lunch] Roast Beef Subs, chips, grapes
[dinner] Foil-Pack BBQ Ribs, grilled asparagus, scalloped potatoes
Sunday
Baby Dedication Reception - our little one is getting dedicated at church and we are attending a lunch reception after.
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