Live A Little - Finding Home

I know you've probably heard this song way too many times by now but this week's Live A Little theme is "Home" and it's what popped into my mind immediately. Of course, when I sing it, I change the words to "home is wherever I'm with Roo…"

I'd feel bad about not including Jasper's name but he absolutely hates it when I sing. No joke. My singing voice is really not that horrible, either… That boy is a conundrum. Mystifyingly, one of his favorite refrains is "I wanna go home!" which he repeats with a dire sense of urgency, even when tucked into his own bed. Not sure what that means but he says it an awful lot when he's sleepy.

I've always thought that home is more of a sense than a geographical location. Maybe I think that because I don't have a childhood home to go back to. I grew up in Hawaii and miss the islands but I think Austin, where I went to college, is a close second. And I did love Seattle. Now, home is where my family is. I suspect that as they grow up and find their place I will follow them. I wonder if they'll think of Wichita as home, or our house. They love our neighborhood, our street, their school. They have a very strong sense of home. I hope they hold it close to their hearts.

What do you think makes a home?

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The Ominous Bathroom

I love our neighborhood. It's quiet with plenty of shady trees and the homes are all sited on big lots. Ours is over three acres, with a decent sized wooded area in the backyard. The yard is so big, in fact, that it kind of looks like a park. Plus we're still only five minutes from downtown. Before you get any ideas about our opulent lifestyle, however, I have to tell you this: our house was a repo and had been vacant for quite some time before we moved in. There were raccoon handprints inside the first time we looked at it and the roof was sagging because the previous owner had "vaulted" the ceiling by removing the support beam. But the crabapple and plum trees were blooming and we fell in love…

Here's a photo of me massively pregnant with Jasper showing the backyard:



We knew it was a fixer-upper and there would be lots of work to do but Roo was only a year old when we moved in so we figured we'd have time to get everything done. We started with the major stuff: structural issues, electrical, plumbing. The end of the house with the extra bedrooms was the least messed up and although the bathroom there was unsightly due to bizarrely uneven tiling throughout, we figured the kids could live with it. It had a glass block window over the tub and when we had the windows replaced throughout the house, we discovered that the previous owner hadn't used wetboard behind the tile in the shower. Greaaaat. We intended to demo the old bathroom and retile it ourselves but, uh, we just haven't gotten around to it. I remember Bob saying something to the effect of "we just need a $100 tile saw…" but somehow it just hasn't happened yet. Still– look at that view!

Oh, wait…

Seriously, you let your kids bathe in that?!

In our defense, at least we don't use the shower… since the wallboard is wrong and the water pressure is iffy, we're gonna have to get the plumbing redone, too. And I figure if we do that, we might as well redo the vanity so we can have two sinks and less arguing when brushing teeth. Sigh.

I am shocked that Roo wanted to be photographed in her ghetto bathroom…

Obviously, something needs to happen. Soon. Help?!

Dyson Blueprint = Vacuum Love

I liked my old Dyson vacuum cleaner. It was one of the first purchases Bob and I made when we were still living in sin in Memphis, way back in the nineties. Back then, we only had two cats, but it seemed like a prudent purchase. An investment in our future, if you will. It was not cheap (It cost about $500 even way back then!) and it was also uncommon enough for me to have to order it online. It sucked mightily, in a good way, and we loved it instantly. Even though it was unbelievably ugly, decked out in purple and green like Ye Olde Incredible Hulk. Did I mention that the plastic had glitter embedded in it? Some seriously bizarre industrial design choices were made in the creation of this otherwise stealthy and maneuverable floor-cleaning maniac.

That big old Animal served us well through the adoption of eleven cats and birth of two kids, although we chose to keep it hidden away in closets as much as possible. Because of the purple and green, mostly, but also because Bob vacuumed up cat litter with it once and it retained a lingering scent. Anyway, imagine my delight when I was given the opportunity to review the newest Dyson vacuum cleaner, the limited edition DC25 Blueprint model. Yes, screams and giddiness. Pure delight! We had to introduce them, of course:



Not to be shallow, but the younger one is cuter, right? Slimmer, more vivacious, with a little wiggle due to the inclusion of the proprietary ball technology… it's a sexy little thing! Of course, it has awesome suction with very little noise, just like the old one. I also really, really like the quick-release wand, which is MUCH easier to use than its predecessor, once you figure it out. It makes it way more likely that I will actually use the wand tools to clean my air ducts and appliance grates. Seriously. In fact, the combo tool is sort of a crevice sucker and slide-up brush that makes doing the tight spaces a breeze. The narrower, lower-profiled head means that I will vacuum under and around more stuff and the rubbery coating means I won't mess up the moulding, even though realistically I need to repaint the trim one of these days, anyway.



Now, if Dyson could just make it clean the floors automatically, scoop cat poop, walk the dog and change diapers, my life would be perfect…

Disclosure: I received the Dyson DC25 Blueprint for review purposes. I am not sending it back because it has become part of the family.

Crystal Clear

I received an amazing cake serving set from Accent Furniture Direct that even makes my feeble baking attempts look pretty spiffy:



Unfortunately, the rounded dome cake server I received is not on their website anymore but there is a similar design available. The William Bounds - Grainware Serving Necessities Cake Plate with Dome is a more formal looking serving piece that would be perfect for presenting fancy bakery cakes.



I am really intrigued by the entire William Bounds Grainware collection which looks like elegant partyware, both sleek, modern glassware and traditional cut crystal, but it is actually incredibly practical since it is made of easy-care acrylic. I can think of a dozen things that would look better just by virtue of being placed upon these Grainware Pedestals!



I am not a very prolific hostess but I am hoping my mom will buy a bunch of William Bounds Grainware pieces since she entertains a lot indoors and out.

Disclosure: I received the cake dome in the first photo and was asked to write my opinions of it. I was not paid to bake the cake pictured, thank goodness!

The Heart of Our Home

Samsung Home Appliances and TwitterMoms have teamed to find out “Where Is the Heart of Your Home?” One lucky blogger (hopefully me!) will win a Samsung Steam Washer (WF448AAP) and Electric Dryer (DV448AEP) which both offer an extra-large capacity and stunning sleek, modern look. If it makes me even a smidgen as happy to do laundry as the model in the photograph, life would be goooood.



The heart of our home is our kitchen which is open through to the den/TV room. I would say we spend 90% of our time between these two rooms, cooking and eating and watching TV. These rooms are the backdrops for spontaneous dancing, singalongs, lectures, kitty wrangling… all the stuff from modern life! Here's a picture of the den with the TV cabinet closed and a sense of calm since we'd just installed the carpet and the coffee table and all the kids' stuff is kinda under control:



Here is Roo showing you what the den usually looks like:



Frightening, isn't it? The amount of… stuff. Jasper is standing in-between the kitchen and den in this picture, either asking for candy from the high shelf or for his favorite TV show to be turned on. Okay, it's more like he's demanding something. Welcome to my world, ruled by a two year old dictator and his five year old evil queen.



So… where is the heart of your home? Please leave a comment below and help me win this amazing prize!

Roo Must Swiff-It

We got a newfangled Swiffer WetJet (for review, courtesy of the Swiffer-sponsored SocialLuxe Lounge!) and it blows away the old one we have. Two sprayer nozzles and a scrubby strip to get dried-on gunk off without breaking stride… nice! Apparently it makes you sing and dance, too. But only if you're a poor child consigned to hard labor, like Cinderella. Or Roo.

The Swiffer WetJet is lightweight and fairly ergonomic. Yes, I am pretty sure they somehow got the idea from maxi pads (ick!) and I am not entirely thrilled about throwing away pads but the Swiffer WetJet is certainly a much more convenient method of floor cleaning than wringing out a traditional mop. I wish that Swiffer would take a cue from other companies and make a reusable microfiber pad and more naturally-derived cleansers. The cleaning solution works but it has a very strong residual odor and I would prefer something unscented or with essential oils as fragrance.

Buying Time

Accent Furniture Direct is an online retailer with an unimaginably huge selection of quality home furnishings, most at a significant discount. I was given the opportunity to choose any item from their vast home decor department to review and it was actually a difficult decision… I kept finding tons of stuff I'd like to try out! In the end I decided on a wall clock because the cheapo one in our kitchen has been reading 2 o'clock for several months now. There are over 2000 wall clocks offered at Accent Furniture Direct but luckily you can narrow your search by style, materials, brand, shape, price range, etc. It's a lot of fun to pore through all of the choices but a little exhausting!



I ended up choosing the Glenna Jean Metal Wall Clock, which has a lovely mid-century modern feel. It lists for $147 but Accent Furniture Direct has it for $75.38! Wow. I can't wait to see what it's like in person! I'll be sure to tell you all about it when it gets here.

Complete the Cycle - Wash Day Giveaway

***WINNERS PICKED 8/31 WITH RANDOM.ORG***
***CONGRATULATIONS!!!***
#83 Sylvia
#25 Jocelyn
#2 Keonte'
#55 Carolyn G
#111 Tina






I can't say I really enjoy doing laundry. While we have a laundry room, it doesn't have any space to fold laundry unless you count the tops of the machines, which I don't since you can't put another load into the washer without moving everything. (Chalk up another reason why I should have gotten a front-loader set, aside from the fact that the contractors obviously thought I was getting one since they left so much vertical space for the washer and dryer to cohabitat in.)



The sad truth is my laundry tends to accumulate on the kitchen table until I get around to folding it:



I try to fold it in a timely fashion, since we can't eat at the table with all the laundry piled up and also because the cats find clean laundry irresistible to sleep on. That being said, there's a load on the table right now, waiting for me to finish writing this post and get on with the folding! Folding is obviously my least favorite part of my own laundry regimen but the part I love is shopping for and trying out new laundry products. I recently received a $25 gift card to do some laundry product shopping and I headed out to do some damage. Here's what I ended up with:



I'm pretty loyal to my laundry brands but sometimes I like to shake things up a bit. The bug spray has actually been my staunchest foe in the laundry wars this summer. My husband loves to garden and work in the yard and with all the rain we've had, we've developed a huge mosquito population. He douses himself liberally in the strongest DEET concentration sprays he can find… ironic since his garden is all organic. Anyway, the stuff leaves an icky residue and cloying scent on his clothes so I've been washing his laundry separately from the kids' things. Roo has sensitive skin and gets rashy if I use scented products on her laundry. That makes me sad because I love the way scented detergents and softeners can lift your mood. Oh, well. I use the frou frou scents for Daddy's yucky outside clothes and get a vicarious aromatherapeutic thrill while folding them. Yes, I do realize I used the word thrill while describing laundry. My life is that exciting.



Something that is exciting is the Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide, a super-handy laundry cheat sheet compiled by Clorox. This clever guide features tips to streamline your laundry regimen as well as concise explanations of what laundry additives are appropriate for which jobs. I know that my family has always used dryer sheets while Bob's family doesn't. I think most people tend to stick to what they know, laundry-wise, so it's nice to have a reference that isn't biased by nostalgia or tradition. The Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide was created with input from Collective Bias, an online community that I enjoy sharing my opinions with. They sent me this impressive gift laundry basket yesterday:



This Laundry Regimen Kit consists of a hamper filled with Gain Laundry Detergent, Downy Ultra, Clorox 2 Ultra, a Clorox Bleach Pen, Clorox Bleach coupon, a laminated copy of the Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide and a Flip Fold Ultimate Folding Tool. I haven't had the chance to try out any of the detergents yet (the Gain smells great!) but I have a feeling we might use the Clorox Bleach Pen for crafts (and I head acid-wash, bleach-embellished denim is making a comeback… shudder) very soon and the laminated Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide is already clipped to the cabinet above my washer. I can't believe I am hoping for the kids to stain something! My husband was also entranced by the wonders of the Flip Fold, which is funny since he usually leaves all of the laundry to me. (This is a good thing, typically, since the last time he got near the washer he put a camping backpack in it and it caused $300 worth of damage to the machine. Awesome.) But, hey, if he wants to fold his own clothes that would be great… I was skeptical but it does an awfully good job. Now we need to get one of the jr. models for the kids' clothes. If only it could help me with fitted sheets, too… mine always turn out lumpy and bulky, bursting out of the linen closet. Witness the neatly flip-folded tee vs. my slovenly manually-folded tee:



Collective Bias and Clorox have generously provided five additional Laundry Regimen Kits for me to give away to my readers.

To enter and win your own Laundry Regimen Kit (just like the one I described and pictured above), please comment on this post with your laundry regimen stories. If you have a blog, feel free to post about your laundry regiment there and link back in your comment. For this week-long contest, you may enter as many times as you like: Tell me about your favorite brands, stain removal tips and tricks, reasons why I need a front-loader, etc. Maybe even clue me in on the easiest, neatest way to fold a fitted sheet!

There will be five winners.


Entries will be accepted through August 28th and I'll pick five winners using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter (and tweet about this contest using this hashtag: #completecycle ), fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Bye-Bye, Pain in the Neck

I've had a pain in the neck since Roo was born five years ago. No, I'm not talking about my beloved daughter, although she certainly has her trying moments. I'm talking about the residual loss of sleep I've had since first getting pregnant and being forced to change my sleep habits. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a back sleeper. Flat on my back, covers tucked tightly around my neck (to ward off vampires, duh!), motionless in deep, replenishing sleep. Of course, pregnant ladies aren't supposed to lay flat on their backs so early on in my pregnancy I made the switch to side sleeping. I assumed I would just switch back once the baby was born but it just hasn't happened. Not after Roo was born, not after Jasper was born. For some reason, I am still sleeping on my side and fitfully so. Now that both kids are sleeping through the night, I blame my pillows. I can't seem to find the proper ones. I like firm pillows but not too hard. Soft but not mushy. Plus I tend to flip them all around since I have the world's sweatiest head (aside from my kids, of course) so it has to stand up to a beating. I usually use two and swap them back and forth all night, bunching them and fluffing them to try and get comfortable. To no avail.

Thankfully, Tempur-Pedic offered to send me a couple of their fabulous pillows to test out. All of their pillows feature their proprietary Tempur material, a pressure-relieving foam that absorbs and distributes your body weight for maximum comfort and support. It conforms to your shape but immediately regains its original shape, eliminating pressure points. The invention of Tempur was inspired by the study of G-forces on astronauts and Tempur-Pedic is the only brand of mattresses and pillows recognized by NASA and certified by the Space Foundation. Literally, it is the science of sleep!

There are a wide variety of Tempur-Pedic Pillows to choose from, depending on your sleep style. I received the NeckPillow and the ComfortPillow.



The NeckPillow is a sculpted pillow recommended for those who need a therapeutic sleep posture. Its dual-lobe shape ergonomically supports your head, shoulders and neck to align your posture and help you get a more restful sleep. It is a bit funky looking but it does a great job of cradling your head and neck as you lay on your back, ensuring proper posture and comfort. It really helps me to remember to sleep on my back. I even bought a travel-sized one for Jasper to use since he is a fitful sleeper and it has seemed to help. (There is a similar style meant for side sleepers, too: the SidePillow would have been a lifesaver during pregnancy!)



The ComfortPillow is a more traditional-looking pillow but still very supportive thanks to the Tempur material.
I love that it looks and feels like a standard firm pillow but it gives a little, thanks to its plush zip cover. My husband tried to steal it from me immediately! I didn't let him.

I am sleeping much better these days and would love to try sleeping on a Tempur-Pedic mattress one of these days. If I win the lottery, I would even consider getting them for the kids' beds. They're that comfortable. And everyone is happier with a good night's sleep.

This review is cross-posted at Mums the Wurd.

Win Mums from Mums

Behold the gorgeous Mums the Word area rug by Flor.



Isn't it lovely? You can win one over at Mums the Wurd, where I wrote about my Flor addiction. Go on over and enter to win one now! It would liven up any room, I think.

Frigidaire Five Things

I knew I was getting old when I started to get more excited about appliances than handbags. Sure, I might covet the latest Gustto purse (and somewhere fancy to schlep it…), but what I could really use is a large capacity washer and dryer. It seems like I am forever washing and drying and folding and putting away laundry. It would be nice to just get it over with in one fell swoop and have more time devoted to other things.


Frigidaire understands that moms need the gift of more time. They're unveiling 250 new appliances designed with specific time-saving features to give you more time for YOUR time. And they are also giving you the opportunity to win an entire suite of the new time-saving appliances by visiting Frigidaire and sharing your top five things to do with an extra hour in your day. Mine are pretty simple:
1. Sleep in!
2. Blow dry my hair.
3. Make time for reading.
4. Bake from scratch more often.
5. Stop rushing!

Now I am daydreaming about the Frigidaire Affinity washer and Frigidaire Affinity Fits-More™ Dryer. And whether red or white would look better in my laundry room. (I already nixed the black because it reminds me of Darth Vader and I don't need any more bad laundry associations… Yes, I know I am a total dork.)



Post your five things at My Mother Load for your chance to win!

Glade Fragrance Collection

The Fragrance Collection by Glade is a new collection of home-fragrances including reed diffusers, soy candles and multi-wick soy based candles.



I chose to sample the reed diffusers, since I am hesitant to burn candles these days in deference to the six cats and two kids that run rampant in our household. I find that most traditional home fragrances tend to beat your nostrils with an onslaught of smells but The Fragrance Collection by Glade reed diffusers impart a very subtle fragrance to the air, which is really refreshing. All you do is uncap the bottle of scented oil, plop the little bundle of reeds in and set them somewhere to suck up the oil and diffuse it into the air. Simple enough! I have the Lotus Bamboo Reed Diffuser on the staircase landing where we display our lunchbox collection and it gives off a clean, lightly citrus-y scent. The Currants and Açai Reed Diffuser is on top of our fifties slide projector in the living room. It is a stronger fragrance, very fruity and sweet but not cloying.

The Fragrance Collection by Glade is available in six premium scents; Currants & Açai, Sheer White Cotton, Lotus Bamboo, McIntosh Apple, Earthly Awakening and Orange Vanilla. The last three scents are over over 90% natural.

Fill out this form to print a coupon good for $2 off any item from The Fragrance Collection by Glade.

Snuggly Soft Slanket

I wrote about The Slanket during our Tea Party and was positively thrilled at the concept of a blanket with sleeves. But did you know that they make a smaller version for children? It's true! The Slanket Kids is a mini-me of regular Slankets. I actually prefer this size for myself, too, being a smaller adult at only 5'2". It would be a great airplane travel blanket for petite grown-ups or kids. And it's snuggly as could be.



I wish I could get a decent picture of Roo all wrapped up in The Slanket Kids but they all look like she's swaddled in maroon fleece, like a tiny Jabba the Hut. Her only complaint about The Slanket Kids? "It should come in pink or maybe purple." Shouldn't everything?

Oh Christmas Tree

We don't have too many holiday traditions but this year we've decided to institute a permanent one: we're going to buy a small potted tree and try to keep it in good shape so we can plant it on our property when the ground thaws in the springtime. We should have a forest by the time the kids go off to college!





While I was taking these pictures, I realized that I hadn't posted anything about having the ancient windows in our house replaced, so I'm including some photos of our home improvements. (Please excuse the fact that we haven't painted the trim yet.) We got the untempered picture windows replaced with brand new low e insulated glass and our whole house feels so much better. The front window even got a bay popped in, that's where the Christmas tree lives. I love how it opens up our boxy living room and gives us so much light.



Anyone who's ever spent much time in our home is familiar with our evil patio door. It was super old and didn't open without MUCH effort. We got a new one that glides effortlessly open and shut. I think it looks pretty snazzy, too, although I have some issues with the fact that the hardware doesn't allow you to firmly latch the door without locking it. Kind of dumb in a household with small children. (I need to contact Andersen about that…)



Finally, the loveliness that is Jasper and Roo's bathroom. The former owner of the house did all the tile work himself. Badly. It's uneven and cracked and he'd put glass block in poorly. We had a real window put in but they couldn't do much for the tile situation so I guess Bob and I will have a fun DIY project to tackle one of these days. Thank goodness the kids still take baths more than showers! (This one goes out to Hannah, who has recently had her own fun-filled tile experience.)