If You Give MaineMommy a Cookie...

Mission accomplished! We are the new owners of a f-ah-bew-less mattress, er, and box spring, er, and bed rail system...I digress.

And yes, we still have our original Moosehead headboard and footboard...although it is a bit like playing Where's Waldo to see it. Oops...note to self: buying a mattress is like the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

If you go on the hunt for a new mattress, the salesman will probably persuade you to try the plushest most expensive one in the showroom.

And if you try the plushest mattress, you will surely fall in love with it.

If you fall in love with it, you will agree to the highly overpriced and highly over sized purchase.

When paying for the mattress, you will be asked if you would like the matching box spring.

Not wanting to have a mismatched set, you will be conned into buying the matching box spring.

When moving in the new box spring and mattress, you will realize they are five to six inches taller than your old set.

And this added height makes your old bed frame practically disappear, and you that is when you realize...

When you go shopping for a new mattress, you might as well buy a whole new damn bedroom set.

Yours in sweet slumber,


P.S. The new bed is incredible, worth all the hassle and of course...all that and a bag of chips.

Just Spend the Money...You Can Blame It On Me!

In my thirty years I've learned a few things. Men will never put the seat down after doing the deed. Children will always stain your new furniture. Winter takes FOREVER to turn to Spring in Maine. And I have a hard time spending money on some things and others...well...not so much.

I consider myself budget conscience...(for those that know me well and are chuckling already...cut it out!). Let me explain. With two young kiddos, two retrievers and a cat there are many things around my house I just can't bring myself to spend big money on. For example: good living room furniture, area rugs and a new car. All three get trashed by my little munchkins on a daily basis despite denying them food, drink or toys (okay...I exaggerated a little...but you get the drift).

I can coupon shop with the best of them. I am shameless wandering into our local commissary with my coupon binder in tow. I refuse to pay more than $1 for Bounty brand paper towel or Charmin toilet paper. I frequently purchase laundry detergent and baking goods for f-r-e-e. Yeah, I love a good bargain and post-child have come to always check the price tag first before buying. But I love me a good splurge. It is the finer things, aka the items in my personal possession that the kiddos and animals can't touch, that I truly appreciate. For these little pick me ups, I have come to the conclusion, it is okay to dish out the dough.

So here it is...my gift to you for the new year: Five things you SHOULD spend good money on. Don't bat an eye. Don't give yourself a guilt trip. JUST DO IT! (Hey...even Nike thinks you should!)

1. Good nail polish. There is nothing that sucks more than taking the time to paint your own nails to have them chip and smudge day one. I love Essie polish. At $8 a bottle it isn't the most expensive on the market but it surely isn't the cheapest, and for a reason. Favorite colors: Mademoiselle - a pale nude pink (the color Duchess Kate wore on her wedding day) and Fishnet Stockings - a beautiful classic red.

2. A fab handbag. Think big, think classic, think timeless. (Yes, big as in size and as in price tag). If you invest in a highly coveted bag, you will carry it with pride and you will make a statement. I purchased a Louis Vuitton Speedy for myself two years ago. It took me four years to dig up the courage to spend the $800 on one item for myself but I am SO glad that I did. It is classic, fashionable, large enough to conceal diapers and road snacks and makes me giddy every time I take it off the dining room table. I haven't carried anything else since I bought it. Go ahead....do it. You can tell your husband it is all my fault. (wink wink) Need a good jumping off point? Try to find a classic leather Prada or Gucci bag if LV isn't your style.

3. Childcare. Do I really need to justify this one? You get what you pay for. Enough said.

4. Date nights with the hubs. With MaineDad being way for several months on deployment, we came to realize how very little time we previously set aside for just the two of us. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and give give give to your brood. Trust me, you'll be a better parent, spouse and person if you take the two or three hours a week for a regularly scheduled date night. As MaineDad and I decided, it would be scary in eighteen years, when the girls are grown and gone, to discover that we could no longer go to dinner and carry on a conversation that did not involve our children. Unfortunately, that is the norm in many marriages...hey, we were almost there. But kick that habit! Schedule the night each week, book the sitter and budget the money. You two deserve it.

5. A comfortable bed. Hey we're human after all and spend approximately one third of our entire life in bed sleeping. Doesn't it make sense then to be comfortable? We are on the hunt, starting tomorrow, for a new bedroom mattress and box spring. I couldn't figure out why my back has been bothering me and after three months away, MaineDad ID'd the problem night one upon his return...the bed! The frame is Moosehead and in great shape, but the mattress and box spring are a good 15 years old. Sad to admit, especially since it is customary to replace your mattress every 5-7 years. Yikes, we are overdue! I'll keep you all posted on the outcome of our search and the (hopefully) fab results we get from our big bedroom splurge.

Do you set money aside for your own splurges? Manicures? Vacations? Or something I've missed? Please share...I'd love justification to add more to my list.

P.S. MaineDad or MainePapa, if you are still reading this, I lied about how much I spent on my handbag. (fingers crossed behind my back)

I lost twenty seven pounds. That is a small child. Doesn't look as good in writing...GROSS!

Finally, after the move into our new home and ten weeks of deployment, MaineDad is home! The girls and I are on cloud nine. For the first time in a few months I have been able to go to the bathroom without an entourage and log back in to blogland. It feels great!

Now don't think I've been slacking during his absence. Although I haven't been on to update you regularly on our daily happenings, I've been one crazy Mommy. Decorating the house, continually unpacking, prepping for the holidays as a solo-parent, working full-time and tending to the girls plus their extra curricular activities has been a handful to say the least. Oh yeah, and I joined a weight loss program at our local Y with my Dad and lost 27 pounds...no big deal. Well it was, until the hubs came home from the desert yesterday minus his love handles and extra chin. Of course he one upped me by losing 30+. Ass! (I'm proud of you babe...I really am! PROMISE).

My new agenda?

1. Take a photography class with the a-MAY-zing camera he got me for Christmas. (Thanks hubs, I'll soon be able to cross numero 31 off my life list).
2. Finish up some home DIY projects and post pics of our lovely new digs.
3. Feed MaineDad beer and wings until I look better than he does again. bahaha Okay...I lie. But it sounds good. Life is all about perception and if everyone around me gains weight, I'll only look thinner in comparison. God...I'm going to hell! (evil grin and belly laugh)
   

I'M BAAAACK! (wink)

Tis the Season

Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanza...blah blah blah ;)

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Hope you all had an amazing 2011!

A Rub Down, A Shake Down, A Throw Down

No, we are not dead although the radio silence over the past month and half might have led you to believe so. We have been working, starting school, packing, moving into our new house and sending Maine Dad on a three month deployment (of course its over the holidays). {sad face}

Things have been hectic and something had to give, so of course, blogging fell to the wayside as the nights got shorter and our busy days got longer. But we're settling in and getting accustomed (although not enjoying it) to our daily routine with Maine Dad being gone.

The past few days have also been a little hairy as I have been helping cover nights at our store and both girls have come down with colds and are under the weather. Maine Girl stayed home from school yesterday and today and finally appears to be kicking the icky cough. I could really tell that she was on the mend when she walked into the living room this afternoon with two wash cloths, a stool and a tube of lotion.

"Time for foot and hand massages, Mom", she exclaimed matter of factly.

I couldn't help but giggle. Now before you go calling DHS on me, let me explain. YES, Maine Girl does rub my feet. YES, Maine Girl loves doing it. YES, Maine Girl asks to do it. YES, Maine Girl does this to other family members as well.

If there ever was a child that is already beginning to practice their future profession, its my daughter. She is determined to grow up and be a physical therapist (with a focus on animal rehab she has told us). Yes, she is quite the five year old. {big grin} In the meantime, we are her guinea pigs. She corners us, massages and lotions us up. In fact, she somehow has managed to pin down her 2o month old sister on the living room floor and is massaging her back as I write this. Geez...poor us, huh? Thanks Maine Girl...a little to the left next time. {grin}

Rubber Snakes and Shopping Sprees

MaineGirl, MaineBaby and MaineDad went out on the town this evening solo while I was working. They hit Lowes, Walmart and Ruby Tuesdays...you know the "hot spots" of our (cough) metropolitan area. haha

Being the independent and girlie five year old that she is, MaineGirl HAD to bring her pocketbook filled with her lemonade stand money. She proudly carried her baby Dooney filled with $54 in ones and quarters. Yes, she is quite the entrepreneur and her lemonade stands are very profitable. I have seen her make $23.50 in a single hour selling lemonade to strangers. With the current job market, and if she could stay this little and cute forever, I might actually suggest she skip college and stick to selling lemonade. But I digress...

At Walmart (a place I avoid like the plague), MaineGirl lit up like a Christmas tree. She beamed as she bounced down the toy aisles trying to decide what she would treat herself to with her lemonade money. MaineDad informed me she inquired about the cost of nearly every toy she passed.

"How much is this one?" - "One dollar"

"What about this one?" - "Five dollars"

"And this one?" - "One dollar"

"Oh...I HAVE to get this. This is what I have always wanted. How much Dad?" - "Twenty five dollars"

"Forget it...that is a lot of money. I'll get the rubber snake for a dollar."

Even at five, she never ceases to amaze me. She happily left the store with $53 and her new rubber snake. Now if she would just treat MY money like she treats hers. Oh...how I am daring to dream. Bring on the teenage years, right? (wink)

Much love from your penny pinching princesses,

Well Hello

A possible contender for welcome mat at the new house? A little much or just right? I'm torn! ha

Have a great weekend all,