My Life in Pictures - April

(Sorry for the delay on this!! I have several posts in draft form, but my internet has been wonky for the last couple of weeks, so I can't get pictures attached and posted - AAAACCCCKKKK!!!! Anyway - better late than never, right?)

I love Springtime...it's my 2nd favorite season! And here are the pictures I took this last month so I can remember every single day of it!!

April 1 - We had a heat wave (in MARCH!!!) and the air conditioner fritzed out. We resorted to the room air conditioner the in-laws got last year to save the day...and it actually worked out until the repair guy could get here. (Thanks again, Bruce and Jenny - you guys rock!!)

April 2 - Indian Paintbrushes are my favorite flower. They are blooming a little early this year because of our unseasonably warm spring!! Aren't they beautiful?

April 3 - The world of work. Not missing it one teensy little bit! And this time, they recorded one of the sessions to use for the people who weren't there. So not only did I have to speak the those in the room, I had to look at the camera, too!

April 4 - Salty Chocolate Chip cookies. Pretty tasty but I think I let them cook a little too long or maybe I beat them too long or I don't know...something...

April 5 - Back for the last day of training. The training room had just been redecorated and all I could smell was new carpet - all day long!! Not a fan...

April 6 - Mmmm...hot wings. And you can't have hot wings without something cool to go with them... cue the celery and carrots! YUMMY!!!

April 7 - Princess made brownies for our church luncheon tomorrow. She was super excited - and they were quite tasty. The boys want her to make some more - STAT!

April 8 - I won a hat! But, honestly...does it look like a hat I would wear? I didn't think so either, so I gave it to the tweenager.

April 9 - Twins! It's pretty rare for a cow to have twins. It's even more rare (rarer?) for her to take care of both of them. She's protective of them both, let's them both eat, keeps them together. It's pretty cool!!

April 10 - Taxes...not a lot to say about that.

April 11 - Planted our first vegetable garden today. Look what Haley and I found! Monkey Boy wanted to know if we would get super Spidey powers if it bit us. Uuuhhh....no. Just a trip to the ER!

April 12 - Happy Anniversary to US! 15 years of marriage - does that qualify us to be an "old married couple?" This is my gift (my fave!)

April 13 - Termites! Ugh!! What else could happen before we sell the house?!?!

April 14 - Grilled asparagus...uuummmm..... if you know me at all, you know I don't eat much of anything that is green. I did try this because I told my amazing hubby that if he cooked it, I would taste it. I did. Enough said.

April 15 - No picture today. Not sure what happened!

April 16 - See above...I'm just a slacker!!

April 17 - First baseball game of the season... Here is Monkey Boy before his very first at bat!!!

April 18 - New tires...I discussed the importance of not being cheap here.

April 19 - A new baseball season means meeting new friends!

April 20 - No pics again...My MIL had surgery today, so everything was a little crazy this week.

April 21 - No Sew Cardi... I blogged about it here.

April 22 - Princess is ready to help round up the calves. I think she'll have to wait a couple of years first!

April 23 - Home from the hospital and being doted on by the grandkids. It's very sweet to watch her get waited on. She does so much for everyone else, that this is a treat for all of us who get to be of service to her right now!

April 24 - Princess wanted to help Grammy, too! Papa doesn't like the dishwasher, so- since he has taken over the kitchen while Grammy is recovering, we are all handwashing... Oh, how I miss the dishwasher! :-)

April 25 - The bush by our front door is covered with blossoms. And those blossoms are covered with butterflies - and I mean COVERED! We are talking thousands...you can hear their wings. It's kinda creepy, actually!

April 26 -

April 27 -

April 28 - First tournament for the Tween Monkey. A whole weekend at the ballpark. We have a love/hate relationship with the ballpark. It takes our money and leaves us sunburned, but we play/see A LOT of baseball!

April 29 - First pitching outing of the season. Didn't let any runs score, but a little rusty at first. (And you don't need to adjust the color on your screen. The jerseys really are that day-glo orange color!)

April 30 - Hmmm...I got nothing here either. I'm am so glad this month is over! Hopefully I'll do better in May!

Love you all!

Rulissa

Frugal or Cheap?

My grandpa (Poparino) had 5 daughters, so if there was one thing he knew it was the importance of saving a buck whenever and wherever he could.  But he always said that there were two things you didn't by generic... toilet paper and Kleenex.

I'm taking his sage wisdom and adding a few things of my own.  I've learned from experience that cheaper isn't always better.  Sometimes when you buy cheap, you end up spending more in the long run... Keep reading for the

Ten things you should never buy on the cheap... 

1.  Paper towels - I hate when my paper towel is so thin that when I get it wet, it disintegrates in my hand.  Isn't the whole point of paper towels to clean up spills???

2.  Sheets - Have you ever bought sheets that felt like sandpaper?  Go for the higher thread count - it's worth it!!

3.  Scentsy wax - OK!  I get it!!  I have spent a small fortune on the cheap wax from Wally World and other places.  They don't melt and the smell doesn't last.  It's just a better deal to buy the actual Scentsy ones! (And no, I'm not a dealer, but I know one if you need anything!)

4.  Crayons - I mentioned in another post how much I love to color.  And there is something about generic crayons that just doesn't work.  I don't know if they are too waxy or not enough color or what, but they are awful!!

5.  Pencils - Have you ever purchased a pack of themed pencils for a party or event and then could never get one sharpen because the lead kept breaking?  Soooo frustrating!!  I know they are cute, but the trauma it causes when the kid can never use it is so not worth it!

6.  Bath towels - Aaaacccckkkk!  I bought some new towels at Wally World to coordinate with our bathroom.  My amazing hubby hates them.  They don't absorb water - at all! 

7.  Tennis shoes - Really.  I know.  My kids go through shoes like a duck through water. But it is worth it to spend a little more.  Their little feet need the support (my feet need the support).  And if you want any kind of traction, you'll need something beyond the ones in the discount bin...just ask my friend Sasha!

8.  Diapers - Any mom who has ever had to change sheets in the middle of the night will agree with this one.  It isn't worth it!!!!

9.  Curling/Straightening Iron - In order to get my hair straight (or curly), my iron needs to get really hot.  But I also need it not to fry my hair, so it needs to be ceramic. To get both of these qualities, you will need to spend a little more.

10. Tires - I got new tires on my car two years ago.  I just got new tires again.  The sidewalls were collapsing on the previous ones (three of the four).  When safety is an issue - NEVER go cheap!!!

Disclaimer:  I know of many store-brand products that you can purchase that have the same excellent quality (and sometimes better quality) as the name-brand items.  I am not talking about store-brand.  These remarks are aimed generally at dollar-store items and from years of purchasing experience!

If you have found quality items for cheap - please let us all know!!  I love it when I can get something I need/want for waaaay less than expected!

And, if you would like to add anything to this list, please feel free!  Help us all be more cautious when purchasing items.  

Love you all,

Rulissa

Confessional Friday

Hey ya'll!! I'm linking up with Leslie at A Blonde Ambition for Confessional Friday. The time of week when we share with you the many little (and not-so-little) things that, if we had any sense, we should really think about keeping private! Oh well!! Let's get confessing!!

1. I don't wash my face every night. Now, before you start screaming... I really don't wear a lot of makeup anyway. And, I have really dry skin. But... since I continue to age every year...I really need to get better at this. My skin looks so much better when I do!

2. I LOVE coloring books.  And a new box of crayons.  I could spend hours!

3.  I'm a sucker for an 80s movie!  ANY 80s movie!  For instance, Mannequin (with Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall - before SATC!) was on the other night and I stayed up late watching.  They made AWESOME movies back then!!  My kids are really missing out!! :-)


4.  I am a terrible housekeeper!  I really spend most of my time picking things up and putting them where they belong.  Since we are moving (in process...), I've de-cluttered quite a bit.  That was nice.  Now I just have to keep it picked up EVERYDAY in case someone wants to see it.  So.... the actually cleaning - deep down, just ends up getting a spit shine.  Oh well... a little dirt never hurt anybody, right?


5.  I need to lose about 10 pounds.  (Don't tell my amazing hubby - he thinks I'm perfect!  Isn't he a keeper?!)  Some of my clothes are feeling a little snug.  I'm chalking this up to being at home all day and having easy access to the refrigerator.  Maybe I need a time lock on that thing?!


That's all I have for this week...don't judge me too harshly!!  Would you like to confess anything???


Love you all,


Rulissa

Thankful Thursday

A blogger I follow is experiencing some new & unexpected health problems. She has a constant ringing in her ears caused by some nerve damage that will most likely be permanent. This got me thinking of things that I take for granted on a daily basis. So, I'm linking up with There's Just One Mommy today to share with you some things I'm thankful for... (not a complete list and in no particular order!)

1. I'm thankful for the faith we have that allows me to stay home with our monkeys.

2. I'm thankful for my new pillow that supports my neck and head just right!

3. I'm thankful for my bible so I can delve deeper into God's will for my life.

4. I'm thankful for the ice cold coke my amazing hubby bought me on his way home from work last night.

5. I'm thankful for my friend who took the time to help me sort out monkey boy's school issues. Thanks, Anna!! You're a peach!

Now, there are tons more things (spiritual & temporal) that I am thankful for, so I think I will continue this series for awhile!!!

Feel free to leave me a note- what are you thankful for?

Love you all,

Rulissa

Fun with Fuzzy Sticks

Fuzzy Sticks????

Also known as pipe cleaners!

Princess and I needed a craft project so I headed to our friendly, neighborhood Wally World. After reading this post from There's Just One Mommy, I thought it was time to break out the pipe cleaners and see what we could create!

A wand...

A crown, bracelet and bouquet...

And the other monkeys couldn't go without, so we created "boy" bracelets for them...

Here are some pics of Princess modeling...

(She's a natural!! hahaha!)

So tell me, have you done anything fun or crafty lately??

Love you all!

Rulissa

Faux Sewing

I miss my sewing machine.

It isn't packed yet, but it is "put away". There was a time I just kept it out, but in the process of trying to move, I get nervous dragging out my sewing stuff for fear that would be the time someone would want to come see the house! I have been itching to create something, so I dug through some past ideas and thought to myself... How about faux sewing?

I have this t-shirt dress with spaghetti straps. It really needs a jacket of some sort for me to feel comfortable wearing it. Just so happens, I found this tee on clearance at Wally World and fits the bill nicely, with a teeny tiny alteration.

Here's what I did...

First, I folded the shirt in half and cut right up the front.

Then, following the instructions on the heatbond tape package, I ironed a strip to the inside of each front.

And, voila!  That was all there was to it.  What do you think?

Now, if I am completely honest...this did nothing to curb my sewing itch.  However, it did give me something super cute to wear to church!

(side note:  I think this shirt is a XXL.  I actually wear a M/L, but I really liked the length on the shirt and it was on sale - so that's what I bought!)

I'm linking up with Brassy Apple for Make it Monday...hop on over and see what else she has posted!

Love you all!

Rulissa

10 Things I Love About...

BASEBALL!!!!

1. Nachos with jalepenos

2. Kids laughing

3. Frito chili pie

4. The crack of the bat

5. Popcorn


6. Statistics (RBIs, Batting Averages...)


7. Soft Pretzels with cheese

8. Fans cheering (not screaming!)

9. Coaches coaching 'em up

10. Movies about baseball... this is one of my family's favorite

Take me out to the ballgame!!!

Love you all!

Rulissa