Thursday, October 27, 2011

Brief Bookfair Break

I've been working like crazy at the middle school book fair all week. Right now, though, I've been granted a reprieve. Someone else is manning the registers and managing the kids so I could come home, eat some lunch and take a breather.

Phew!

Worked out perfectly today since Scott is out of town for the day and it's just not fair to kennel the puppers all day long.

So how is the book fair going? I'm sure you're dying to know. LOL

It is going super, amazingly awesome. In just three days, we've grossed $3000!!!!

And in terms of profit, that means $900 in books for the school library. Do the happy dance with me, Delicious Readers, 'cause that is just plain awesome!

The fair is open today and tomorrow, as well, and I'm hoping to break $5000. Imagine the beautiful damage to be done with $1500 worth of books. *happy sigh*
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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Adorable Photos of Disney the Dog

I heard from a couple of you that the photos I posted earlier in the week didn't appear for you. Weird. All looked good on my end and since I don't have the knowledge or patience to figure out the issue, I took new photos.

Of course I took new photos! I new puppy mama and I'm enamored (most of the time) with Disney.

Disney had his first haircut this morning and the sweet thing can actually see now! And hear, too, since he had so much hair in his ears that apparently doesn't need to be there. 
This is what he looked like before!
And here are his beautiful black eyes!
Today marks exactly two weeks that he's been with us. I haven't laughed so much in a very long time! He cracks us up all the time with his funny puppy antics and most especially, his three-second attention span.
I think we've all made a lot of progress in those two weeks... he now does his business outside instead of inside on potty pads. He sits and waits for permission to come inside, he comes when called (unless he's in trouble-haha), he's learning to lay on command and he's getting used to his leash. And car rides? He's amazing! Calm and perfectly happy. 
Having said all that, he likes to nip, jump up on people and steal the occasional piece of trash from my waste basket. 
We've signed up for puppy classes and a bonus for registering for two classes is a one hour private training session. Monday night, we are there! I can't wait to learn more about puppy psychology and learn how to nip  bad behaviors in the bud.
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Thursday, October 20, 2011

I need this cake for my next birthday!




Minus the "50th" of course. LOL
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

I finished my book!

No, not a book I've been *reading*. The book I was *writing*!

I finished it about 11:30pm on Sunday, just in time for Scott to take the first few chapters with him on his business trip.

What a relief to have it done. A serious load off my shoulders, but only for another 11 days.

What's in 11 days, you ask?

National Novel Writer's Month!!!!!

You know, where insane people like myself take it upon themselves to write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November.

Just in case you don't feel like doing the math, that's approximately 1,600 words per day.

And that's a lot of words.

And just a little, itty, bitty amount of time in a month that just happens to be a holiday month. Why? Why? Did the crazy creators of NaNo not realize that people (me) are traveling (driving) long distances (600 miles) to spend time with relatives (awesome)?

Here's my question to you, Delicious Readers. (That last one was rhetoric. LOL)

Who wants to be a beta reader?

If you do, comment and leave your email addy. I'll email ya back with details!
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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Okay, I am way over stressed

I'm just gonna type this post as a vent and not worry about grammar or typos. 'Cause, really, I just can't handle small details at the moment.

I love my new iPhone 4S, but I can't get it to sync with iTunes and I don't know what to do. Scott is traveling and I'm on my own with this one. I've looked it up online, found a few cryptic answers, but nothing that will actually help me.

So why does my phone need to be synced right now? Why is it so urgently important? Because, Readers, I have an extraordinarily messy house that needs to be cleaned and I don't want to do it without listening to the book I just downloaded from Audible. Books make the cleaning go so much faster. And I also tend to be more thorough because I'm riveted and don't want to stop!

I don't want to house clean without my story! Wah!

Why do things always happen when the husband is out of town? Like TiVo crashing, the tv going out and new phones going wonky? Not that the TiVo crashed or the tv went out recently. That happened over the summer when Scott was gone.

No, yesterday the smoke alarm started chirping. Time to change the battery. No biggie, right? Unless you're 5'3" and can't even reach the dang thing from the top step of the step stool. I finally hunted down our slightly taller stool and was just barely able to get the battery out. Replacing it? Ha. Didn't have any more 9 volts. Natch. Had to go to the store, then struggle all over again to get the fresh one in.

But I did it. Without calling the very tall high school kid across the street. That was my back up plan. Haha.

And let's talk Disney. Not the company. The dog. The world's most awesome puppy. I'm not complaining. Really. Okay. Maybe I am, just a little. I'm training him to do his business outside instead of on the puppy pads he was trained on by his last owners. He adores being outside so it's never a problem to get him out, but he doesn't always have to go. I get that. I do. But I know as soon as he comes back in and I take my eyes off him that he'll pee in the house. I don't know what to do. I can't just leave him outside. Well, I can and I'm happy to do so, but he wants to be with me all the time. If I'm outside, great. If I come inside, he has to come to.

Puppy training class starts in two weeks. I can't wait 'cause I am not puppy proficient. At least I don't feel like I am, but funny, he totally sees me as the alpha mom. I love it!

Isn't this photo cute? I took it this morning before Em went to school.


The book fair I'm coordinating starts next week, so there's tons of stuff to be done this week. It's all going great and I'm not worried, it's just finding the time to do it all. And I can't neglect to mention the ever needy Student Store I run. I adore this job. It's just a lot of work. And keeping up with what the kids wants? Impossible. Who knew we'd go through four boxes of brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts in less than two weeks? Middle schoolers are unpredictable. But we all knew that, didn't we? LOL.

I got a call last night from the lady who is running the church's annual Pumpkin Patch. She desperately needed help this morning and I just couldn't do it since the exterminator is coming, so I agreed to help tomorrow morning for two hours.

Would someone please stop me from my volunteering mania? I can't seem to stop!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I feel better having let off a little steam. Off to solve the syncing issue.
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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Disney's Official!

Disney is now an full-fledged member of our family!

The ultimate decision was so easy to make. Disney is such a good puppy. He doesn't really bark, minds well, doesn't even attempt the stairs and uses his potty pad without being told.

And what's more... he is such a sweet love of a doggie!

I had ten minutes tonight between prepping dinner and running out to pick up Emma from CYT (Christian Youth Theater), so I sat down on the floor to love up Disney. He crawled into my lap. And stayed there. For an entire 50 minutes.

He cuddled up and fell asleep (as did my feet-LOL). It was so wonderful that I told Scott I couldn't possibly move. Not even to go get Emma. (I sent Scott to get her instead.) Finally, finally I had to get up. My rear end just couldn't handle the hardwood floor any longer! Plus, I really needed to make dinner. (Cashew chicken. Yum!)

Hayley snapped some photos with my phone so you all could see...
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And here's one of Disney cuddling up with Hayley while she does her homework...



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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Trial Puppy

I can't even believe we're doing this, but... we have a Trial Puppy. 
Hayley's friend's family adopted Disney, but can't keep him. Seven kids (including a new baby), a traveling husband, an older dog and a puppy have overwhelmed the mom and she just can't do it all. Anyway...
Disney is a sheepadoodle. (I know, I know.) Part sheepdog, part poodle. Both are mostly hypoallergenic and when mixed, the result is 100% hypoallergenic. Yay! He's about seven months old and is well-trained already. Not perfect, but he is still a puppy. :) He should grow to be about 25 pounds. (His paws aren't giant, so that gives up hope. Hahaha.) 
We're taking him for just a few days to see how it goes, then we'll make a final decision.

The girls are in seventh heaven, but I'm sure you figured that out by now!
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Friday, October 7, 2011

A NEW new record in my couponing career!

I didn't think it could get much better than my trip to Rite-Aid earlier in the week. But I was wrong.

Really. Really. Wrong.

'Cause check this out...
Free, my dear friends. All free. With a $10 profit.

Yippee!!

(Go to www.southerncalisaver.com for the deets!)
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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A new record in my couponing career!

I headed to Rite-Aid today for my weekly couponing adventure. I had little hope that they'd have any of what I wanted in stock, seeing as it's five days into their sale week.

Lo and behold, they had EVERYTHING!

I was flabbergasted!

And by the time I pranced out of Rite-Aid, I was positively giddy!

And here's why, Delicious Readers...

This here is $75 worth of merchandise. After coupons, sales and $17 in Up Rewards, I paid $29.58 out of pocket. That happy little receipt printer then zipped out $26.50 in Up Rewards!

But wait, it gets better... dun dun dun...

I can submit for two $3 rebates. Add $6 to that $26.60 ($32.50) and I just brought home all that stuff for a $3 profit!!!!!!

Woot! Woot! Woot!!!!!!!!

If you want to see how to get the deals, go to www.southerncalisaver.com and click on Rite-Aid. Happy shopping!

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Life is Good.

Here's why I think so...

1. My cold is getting better. Yay!
2. My parents are visiting. Double yay!
3. Even though we had to take my dad to Urgent Care this morning, he's doing much better. Triple yay!
4. Mom, the girls and I escaped to get pedicures this afternoon. Our toesies are so purdy now!
5. Scott, my amazing and wonderful and incredible husband, got an unexpected raise!! *Gugal yays!*
6. There are about a bizzilion coupon inserts in the paper today. I'm gonna have fun this week!
7. I've been rockin' in Scrabble this week with my mom. I've scored over 400 twice!

And now I have a few free minutes. Scott took the kids on errands. Mom took Dad to his fave restaurant for a beer. And I am home, awaiting a plumber to take a look at a leak in our living room ceiling. (That leads us to another thing that makes me happy... we don't own this house, so I don't have to pay for repairs. *heeheehee*)

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