Owner: What Works For Us URL:http://whatworksforus.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:02:23 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: I'm a Software Engineer gone all domestic; photoblogging us. Armed with camera and lots-o-humor. Now, if only I knew what I was doing. Site statistics:Click here
The Bug or The Windshield 2007-08-27 21:18:00 I always liked the saying "Some days you're the bug and somedays you're the windshield". Lately, I've been the bug. Actually, I'm usually always the bug.Bear is cutting his eye-teeth and has been a bit cranky. This is so atypical of him, that it is nerving at times. He won't play, he won't nap and he wakes often at night making sleep non-existent challenging for everyone. Even our dog looks like he's sporting a hangover.Yesterday, I finally rocked him to a point of contentment right before he was about to drift into La-La land. I decided to rock him five more minutes just to make SURE he was sound asleep. I started to mentally tally all the things I was about to get done.Low and behold, the doorbell rings. And rings. And rings again.La-tee-freaking-da.There went Bear's nap. And my much anticipated little break.I begrudgingly answer the door and a solicitor immediately goes into verse saying he needs monetary contributions for something, something, something - blah, blah,
Save $$ - Do Consumer Research 2007-08-27 20:46:00 It's obvious you can save money prior to making a purchase by doing your homework first.We used to subscribe to Consumer
Reports to do product research. For us, it was a waste of money. They only reviewed a portion of the brands in a category and there was a vast degree of vagueness to everything. In today's world of consumer generated media (where companies are actually reading OUR blogs to get product feedback), we now research products on blogs and via consumer reviews.Countless times I have had my mind set on a certain brand and changed my mind after reading feedback by someone who actually used the product. I can't believe how users can literally trash a product right next to the "Add To Cart Now" button.Here are my favorite places to do product research:(1) Target.com (even if I don't buy it at Target). Each item has consumer reviews located at the bottom under Guest Reviews. Here is an example (and yes this Fisher Price Waterfall soother is awesome)!(2) HomeDepot.com Read more:Research
I'm Nacho Mama 2007-08-26 20:39:00 My garden is still bearing tons of produce from tomatoes to peppers and more. So after making all my other favorite tomato recipes, alas, we turned to nachos. Because I am - Nacho
Mama.After Bear went to bed (seriously, who could actually taste let alone enjoy this with a toddler around) I put tortilla chips on a plate, covered with seasoned taco beef and then smothered it with a mixture of homemade salsa and cheese and all the garden leftovers. How's that for a quick and easy nacho recipe.I highly recommend this to anyone in need of a good ole fashioned pig-out.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
Save $$ - Minimize Impulse Buys 2007-08-25 10:45:00 In today's world of instant gratification, it's so easy to want something and go purchase it now.Scientific research has proven that shopping does in fact give the consumer a small "high". But for only for a small amount of time.So how do we reduce impulse buys? If there is something that is somewhat expensive that we really really want (but don't really need) we simply wait. We wait for 2 weeks. If at the end of the second week we still feel the need to purchase it, then we'll likely proceed.This practice has really helped us avoid some stupid un-needed purchases. iPhone anyone?Click here for some more budget saving tips.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
Thrifty, Frugal or Cheap? 2007-08-24 23:42:00 What does it mean to be thrifty, frugal or cheap? And which best describes oneself?After reading SAHMmy's hilarious post that Frugal
is not the F word and then this really intriguing post, I determined I once again don't fit into a nice neat category. The story of my life. The author even creates a Ven diagram to display the relationship between the three.Based on that post, I think I'm somewhat thrifty, sometimes frugal but never cheap.So what does that make me exactly? I'm going to go with financially savvy. Our sacrifices and purchases and investments are by choice. That and it's my blog so I can. Oh wait, financially savvy is already taken (which has excellent information by the way). But I'm still going with it.So what are you (overall)?Take the pollClick here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Thrifty
, Cheap
Call Me Bert 2007-08-24 02:24:00 Thanks to Guy Smiley for this hoot-n-anny. It's the Sesame Street Persona test. It turns out I'm Bert. I'm glad I wasn't Oscar. Although I was certain I was going to be Cookie Monster.Your Score: BertYou scored 83% Organization, 58% abstract, and 61% extroverted!This test measured 3 variables.First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean. Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about
13 Things I Don't Miss ... About The Office 2007-08-23 21:25:00 Below are the top 13 things I don't miss about leaving my job as a Software Engineer to stay home with our son for a few years.1- I don't miss seeing all my friends get outsourced. Over and over again.2- I don't miss the Linux versus Windows debates. Who wins that: nobody.3- I don't miss Mr. Know-It-All and Ms. Know-It-All (the control freaks).4- I don't miss all the stressful, unrealistic deadlines.5- I don't miss selling bad enterprise software to clients who know better.6- I don't miss all the meetings that only resulted in more meetings.7- I don't miss all the traveling and sitting in airports. Getting frustrated.8- I don't miss clients saying "they didn't do anything to break it".9- I don't miss database deadlocks.10- I don't miss all the overtime. Again. And again. And yet again.11- I don't miss managing people or project plans. Both are challenging.12- I don't miss time reporting.13- I don't miss being a goldfish; being inside dreaming of outside.View more Thursda
WFMW: Toy and Craft Storage 2007-08-22 21:57:00 We have too many toys in this house and I'm always on the lookout for ways to store and organize them. This tip is inexpensive and quite handy.The next time you purchase a blanket or sheet set, be sure to keep the clear plastic zippered bag containers that they are packaged in.These clear bags are excellent compartments for storing toys or crafts in. They are especially helpful for puzzles and figurines; things that have parts that are easily lost. And they stack nicely too!Do you have any other organization tips? Please do tell!Visit Shannon for more Works For Me Wednesday tips. Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Craft
A Little Blog Humor 2007-08-22 21:44:00 Okay, anyone need a little humor?Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Humor
Thomas and George Recall ? 2007-08-22 10:23:00 Oh stop already.ANOTHER recall due to lead toxicity in toys? This time it affects Thomas
and Friends, Curious George
spinning tops and tin pails.And yes (ding ding ding) they were made in China. Check out the CPSC report for more details.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
My Son The Pincushion 2007-08-21 10:13:00 Wow. This parenting gig is rough.I've only been a Mom for 12 months now and by far the most agonizing moments have been the dreaded immunization vaccinations.Today was Bear's one year appointment. 4 shots and 1 finger prick. Hepatitis A, Prevnar, IPV, Varivax and an anemia test to be exact.The crying I have learned to withstand (to a point), but it's that look he shoots me when they hold him down for the shots that rips every single ventricle of my heart out.It's obvious his tearful eyes are asking me "Why are you just standing there and letting them do this to me"?We survived. Of course. And I know this is all for the greater good. But these pincushion trips are just awful SUCK.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Pincushion
Wal-Mart Pulls Dog Treats 2007-08-21 09:08:00 I just read this article. And there is no recall ... what the %#!$ ??Wal-Mart removed all Chicken Jerky dog treats off the shelf in July after consumers complained their pets were falling ill after eating them. One dog even died of toxic poisoning. And it wasn't public news? Or maybe toxicity is no longer considered news.YES (ding ding ding) the dog treats were made in China. When is this trend going to stop? I know this answer. So do you.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
Save $$ - Skip Extended Warranty 2007-08-21 02:31:00 We've often been presented with extended warranty offers on larger purchased items. Everything we've ever researched or read has told us to never buy any extended warranty offers. Period.The odds of actually using the extended warranty (within the extended coverage) is slim to none.The money you skip on the extended warranty can be saved (with interest in theory) for the replacement of maintenance of that item.Click here for some more budget saving tips.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Extended
, Warranty
Open Letter to Mr. Motorcyle 2007-08-20 23:19:00 Dear Mr. Motorcyle,Good day neighbor. First off, I have nothing against you personally. I don't have anything against motorcycles in general. You're fine. They're fine. We're all just fine.But I must know why (on earth) you feel the need to rev your bike's engine and amplify its' muffler in our subdivision all day every day? Can you not do this somewhere where the speed limit is greater than 15 MPH?I have lost count the times you have woken my baby up from a nap, made the Pooch bark (which in turn woke the baby up) or woke us all up in the middle of the night.I know you have teenagers. I'm guessing when they were babies you did not rev your motor and muffler outside their windows. I bet Mrs. Motorcycle wouldn't have let you.We acknowledge you are riding some serious power worth some serious money. Now stop. For love of God, please STOP.I anxiously look forward to the silence or when your house goes up for sale; whichever comes first.If you found this post amusing or helpful, su Read more:Letter
Garden Fresh Salsa Recipe 2007-08-20 21:59:00 My garden is still overflowing with tomatoes, peppers and jalapenos. So we canned over 24 pints of fresh salsa this weekend. That's A LOT of salsa! My Mom and I have tweaked this recipe for years. It tastes awesome; it's thick with a tint of a kick and a little sweetness on the side. Garden
Fresh Salsa Recipe(1 batch = 4 pints) 5 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes2 large onions chopped6 oz. tomato paste2 tsp. crushed red pepper1 tsp. salt1 tsp sugar2 jalapenos cut up very fine1 green or red pepper chopped1/4 cup vinegar1/2 tsp. garlic powderMix all ingredients well. Put in a large kettle and bring to a slow boil. Turn heat down to lowest setting and simmer uncovered for 2 hours until desired consistency. Can it or freeze it from there.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
Save $$ - Keep Freezer Full 2007-08-19 21:24:00 Did you know that the emptier your freezer is, the more it costs to run? So stockpile items on sale or freeze leftovers or even just ice if you can and keep it as full as possible to help reduce electrical costs.Click here for some more budget saving tips.If you found this post amusing or helpful, subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Freezer
All For Naught 2007-08-18 23:50:00 When Bear was born, we were given a free certificate to get a family portrait taken. We waited, per the Photographer's advice, until Bear was one year old before having it taken.So yesterday we skipped the afternoon nap (guess how this ends) and got all gussied up to meet the photographer at a lakeside park.As luck would have it and urban legends foretold, immediately before leaving to the photo shoot, Bear fell and hit his head. He somehow managed to sport not one, but THREE bruises front and center on his forehead.The setting was fantastic. The session itself, not so much.We (foolishly) thought it would be a good idea to include Pooch in the picture. Needless to say, he was a nutjob at the park. He wouldn't sit still. He barked at other dogs. He licked the photographer who obviously was anti-pet. And then he sat on my lap (he's 80 pounds mind you) and got serious grass stains all over my pressed khakis. After breaking a sweat trying to manage him and now completely full of fur, I
Free Stuff Friday 2007-08-18 23:36:00 Because everyone loves free stuff now and then. And check out the Mother Load for other freebies.1- Dove is giving away free Shampoo and Conditioner samples.2- Walmart.com has a bunch of free samples (diapers, lotion, ... ).3- 3M is giving away free Post It Notes samples.4- Beauty Riot is giving away free Tide Stain Remover pens.5- Colgate is giving away free Colgate Total toothpaste samples.6- Office Depot has a printable coupon for $10 off of a $25 purchase.7- Senseo is giving away a free gourmet caramel machiatto coffee sample.8- Coffee Mate is giving away 7 days worth of free Coffee Mate creamer.9- Airborne is giving away a free sample of their Herbal Health formula.If you found this post amusing or helpful, subscribe to the What Works For Us feed or bookmark this blog. Read more:Friday
, Free Stuff
Superbad Super Good? 2007-08-18 20:15:00 I've seen this Super
bad movie trailer quite a few times and think I might just have to go see this flick this weekend. It got decent reviews. The "McLovin" line gets me every time.Oh wait, I don't have a baby-sitter lined up. Nevermind.So did anybody else see it?If you found this post amusing or helpful, subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
Good-Bye Dear Old Boppy 2007-08-17 21:46:00 I remember being terrified of breastfeeding before Bear was born. I even attended a class and totally zoned out during the lactivists demonstration of different holds secretly thinking it would never work. Looking back, I was clueless. Again.5 days after Bear was home from the hospital, like clockwork, engorgement took place. Yowza. We weren't prepared and were forced to unpack and read the Medela breast pump manual at 2AM.Hubby and I sat on the floor trying to figure the thing out. We weren't sure we had it hooked up right and if there was suction so he (not knowing any better at the time) put the bottle with shield on to his cheek to check for suction. Yep, there was suction.The poor guy had a facial hickey mark for days. Try to explain THAT to your co-workers.I've been breastfeeding ever since. 12 whole months. And now it's officially time to start to wean; Bear is just no longer interested and I have enough frozen milk to feed all the infants in Kazakhstan.It's time to say goo
My 13 Favorite Quotes 2007-08-16 15:42:00 Below are my favorite 13 quotes of all-time. As usual, in no particular order ...1- "Don't find fault. Find a Remedy."-Henry Ford2- "It is not the most intelligent person, nor the strongest person, but the person most adaptive to change that will survive."-Charles Darwin3- "Chaos is the law of nature. Order is the law of man."-Wallace Stegner4- "The girl who starts the race isn't the same girl who finishes the race."-Unknown5- "The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time."-Abraham Lincoln6- "Plurality (complexity) is not to be assumed without necessity."-Occam's Razor (William of Occam)7- "I take my chances every chance I get."-Mary Chapin Carpenter8- "Don't cling to the banks, flow with the tide."-Unknown9- "The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing."-Stephen Covey10- "A country is only as good as the way it cares for it's animals."-Gandhi11- “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Read more:Favorite
, Quotes
Save $$ - Grocery Shopping Tactics 2007-08-15 22:12:00 Below is my compilation of the top 15 ways we have found to save money shopping for groceries.Please feel free to comment on what grocery shopping saving tactics work for you!1- Take inventory. Know what you have in stock (this seems so obvious).2- Shop different stores for items that are on sale (yes this is inconvenient).3- Stockpile items on sale and plan meals on the sale items.4- Purchase items on sale with a coupon if you can.5- Organize, organize, organize. Plan a list. Make a list. Stick to the list!6- If you need to sign up for the grocery card to get the savings, do it.7- Shop on double coupon days if your store participates.8- If coupons are really good, buy multiple newspapers to stockpile them.9- Check out grocery stores' web-sites for online-only coupons.10- Bring a calculator to determine cost /unit to decide on size (bulk or not).11- Buy store or generic brands if they are cheaper.12- Look up and down. The most expensive brand are always at eye level.13- Always review Read more:Grocery
, Shopping
Letter To Bear: Happy 1st Birthday! 2007-08-15 15:56:00 Dearest Bear,Happy
first birthday! It is with sincere mixed emotions that I write you this letter. I am thrilled you are thriving and so sad that you have grown in the blink of an eye. One of my favorite quotes "long days, short years" is in fact true.It seems like just yesterday we anxiously awaited your arrival. And brought you home. And watched you conquer all those silly milestones one by one.Yes, we are still sleep deprived. Yes, we have lost some all independence. And yes, you have peed all over us. But we still can not wait to see your smiling face after each nap. And each and every morning.You have taught us how to enjoy the little things. You have taught us how to be parents. And best of all, you have made us a family full of laughter and love.We love you. We always have. We always will. Happy First Birthday
!If you found this post amusing or helpful, subscribe to the What Works For Us feed or bookmark this blog. Read more:Letter
A little Blog Humor 2007-08-15 13:50:00 Okay, so who needs a little
humor?If you found this post amusing or helpful, subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Humor
13 Things Someone Should Have Told Me 2007-08-30 11:18:00 13 things nobody ever clued me in on prior to becoming a parent.1- It takes far too long to put a crib sheet on a crib mattress.2- You will never, ever get a good night's sleep again. Never.3- You will get very accustomed to and comfortable with all bodily fluids.4- Most of the toys on the market are toxic. Go with sticks and stones.5- Add 30 minutes to complete anything or go anywhere with a baby.6- You will get inundated with free advice. All the time.7- Removing a Fisher Price toy from its' box will take you 15 minutes.8- You will need significantly more space (think shed) to store the toys.9- You will learn to shower in 3 minutes or less.10- If you have a boy, invest in the Tee Pee for diaper changes.11- Don't even bother cleaning up toys more than once a day.12- Sometimes you have to clean the baby AND the bath water.13- Labor is the easy part.View more Thursday Thirteen Participants. Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
Imaginarium Crayon Box Recall 2007-08-30 10:33:00 Hap tip to China! Again. It's been a few days since the last recall, so it was time. And now we've surpassed plastic and moved onto wooden toys.Toys R Us is recalling its Imaginarium Wooden Crayon
Boxes due to lead poisioning toxicity risks. Here is the full report.I think Sara Bongiorni is looking smarter and smarter each day. She boycotted all things made in China for one year. It was both difficult and expensive; albeit a lot safer.Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed.
WFMW: Teething Remedy 2007-08-29 23:07:00 Our son started teething at 5 months and is still going strong at 12 months with his eye-teeth making their grand debut.Needless to say, this teething phase has caused much drooling, discomfort and crankiness (for all parties involved). We tried the standard remedies (frozen rings, frozen cloths, teething rings, gels, ...) with limited success.Alas, we found the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder. We put frozen fruit, ice chips and even Popsicle's into the mesh feeder and let him suck on it. He loves it and based on his sudden mood change, it diminishes his discomfort.You can also put any type of food into this feeder for an infant to feed on to reduce the risk of choking. It's great to take along to restaurants for this purpose.We purchased ours at Target. There are 2 feeders in a package costing roughly $5.It Works For Me!Click here to subscribe to the What Works For Us feed. Read more:Teething
32 Flavors And Then Some 2007-08-28 11:22:00 I recently visited a friend who has 3 children under the age of 3 and works full-time as a Physical Therapist. Let's go ahead and get the gasp out of the way. Gasp.She has it all together. She is happy. She is prosperous and purposeful. She's 32 flavors and then some. Versus me, the self-proclaimed disaster area with only one child in tow.She recently broke down the walls and confided in me that she has loss all sense of self-identity and is struggling. She doesn't have time for hobbies, she doesn't have time for exercise and the only shopping she does these days is for groceries.A busy Mom with little time for herself probably isn't anything new in the motherhood realm. But it saddened me deeply to see her so blatantly ... sad.I offered help. She politely declined. I suggested a get-away. She laughed. I recommended she make time for herself. She nodded with a "uh-huh" (as in, "are you completely insane").I think when her children get a little older and become more independent, th Read more:Flavors
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