Saturday, July 19, 2008
Square-Foot Gardening?....Sterilite Gardening!
My big project for this mid-summer was going to be square-foot gardening, after reading a little about it on a couple of my favorite blogs I read, when I read blogs (Little But Loud and The More The Messier). I started out building a compost myself..that would be the picket-fence-like structure. We had to dress it up a little by putting flower boxes around it, just in case it stunk like crazy, any neighbors coming to investigate would never suspect something so lovely would stink so bad. Turns out, it doesn't stink so bad! Then, I got all the components I needed for my project, the garden, and a former farmer told me that some good old black dirt mixed with peat moss and sprinkled with a little cow manure was my best bet. He said he's heard that vermiculite is possibly a carcinogen. That was all I needed to hear and I decided a good old fashion garden would be my garden of choice. Then when I got home, I could find two different drills, several drill batteries, and one battery charger...none of which went together! This botched my idea of cutting the board I had found to make a perfect 3'x3' garden. I found a bunch of Sterilite containers we had been using to collect rain water to use for watering our flowers and tomato plants, punched holes in the bottom, and planted my little garden in Sterilite containers!!! The plants are growing, so what more can I ask for? :)
While We Were Outside...Haircut Going On Inside!
Little Miss decided to give herself a haircut while the rest of us were outside...some were jumping on the tramp, one was swinging, one was missing, and I was out stirring my compost and taking pictures. When I got inside I noticed right away the new 'do. Kaisa tried to cover up her work by pulling the longer hair from the back to cover the bangs...or lack, thereof! I had just gotten my hair cut a bit earlier that day so I think she was inspired by that! The first thing I thought of when I saw the clump of hair on the floor was, "I wonder if I should compost that (I know! Kinda "Ew!" but you can compost hair!)." But then I saved it in an envelope, like I have for each of the other girls, labelled, "Kaisa's first self-haircut 7/16/08."
Friday, May 2, 2008
Updates
I just realized I haven't come back on here to let know what that meeting regarding our business that I mentioned in my last post was all about.
We met with this lady who sells forms of advertising that are about "businesses helping other businesses". So our suspicions were partially right about the advertising part of it but it turns out it is a very good opportunity for us to advertise for a very reasonable price.
This lady said their company sells this package including a 2-year subscription to eight magazines of the hosting business' choice (in our case, the Senior Center). We, the other business, get a nice wooden display rack for these magazines, nice display magazine covers or binders...the back cover is black and the front is clear, see-through, and there is a 7"x7", very nice color advertisement of 0ur business sealed onto the backside of the front cover, so you can see our ad displayed right in the middle of the front cover. We picked out a photo also, since it's more eye-catching.
This lady we met with said that she's sold to this same Senior Center before and now just went back since they didn't have anyone advertising there at this time. The Senior Center director suggested us to be displayed there. Although it's totally and independent advertising on our part, it is an "implied endorsement" on the part of the Senior Center and we have exclusive advertising there via this method now for 2 years. It's a very active place so now I hope this will help us with marketing our business. Also, inside the back cover is a pocket for us to keep filled with our brochures, which I just finished sketching a design for so now it's just a matter of getting to our office at my sister's and getting the brochure put together and printed off and... oh, yeah, the website needs to be set up! Then our website name will be put on the brochure and added to the ad for the magazines when we get the first proof back. So much fun!!!
One fun story: The other day, I had our 3 y.o. in a public bathroom somewhere, can't remember where we were. As she was wiggling her way onto the toilet, she was muttering something about the toilet seat and said something that I only heard as, "...mutter, mutter....moron.....sputter, mutter". I didn't get too worked up over it, I think I'm pretty desensitized to a small extent and save my focus and indignation to bigger issues..but did feel it to be my motherly duty to at least bring it to her attention that "moron" isn't such of a nice word to use. I said, "Um, young lady, that's not a real nice word to be using...then me, muttering, 'How do you learn these words, anyway?'......" Then after a little bit, for the benefit of whoever happened to be right in the next stall (I felt that she could have heard it from one of her sisters but it sounded familiar to my husband's vocab when driving down the freeway behind someone that just isn't as smart as he is when it comes to driving), I said, "It sounds a little bit like one of your sisters...." and didn't even finish before she swung her gaze and brilliant smile up toward me and said, "My pee?" (sounds like one of her sisters). I got a good chuckle out of that one!
We met with this lady who sells forms of advertising that are about "businesses helping other businesses". So our suspicions were partially right about the advertising part of it but it turns out it is a very good opportunity for us to advertise for a very reasonable price.
This lady said their company sells this package including a 2-year subscription to eight magazines of the hosting business' choice (in our case, the Senior Center). We, the other business, get a nice wooden display rack for these magazines, nice display magazine covers or binders...the back cover is black and the front is clear, see-through, and there is a 7"x7", very nice color advertisement of 0ur business sealed onto the backside of the front cover, so you can see our ad displayed right in the middle of the front cover. We picked out a photo also, since it's more eye-catching.
This lady we met with said that she's sold to this same Senior Center before and now just went back since they didn't have anyone advertising there at this time. The Senior Center director suggested us to be displayed there. Although it's totally and independent advertising on our part, it is an "implied endorsement" on the part of the Senior Center and we have exclusive advertising there via this method now for 2 years. It's a very active place so now I hope this will help us with marketing our business. Also, inside the back cover is a pocket for us to keep filled with our brochures, which I just finished sketching a design for so now it's just a matter of getting to our office at my sister's and getting the brochure put together and printed off and... oh, yeah, the website needs to be set up! Then our website name will be put on the brochure and added to the ad for the magazines when we get the first proof back. So much fun!!!
One fun story: The other day, I had our 3 y.o. in a public bathroom somewhere, can't remember where we were. As she was wiggling her way onto the toilet, she was muttering something about the toilet seat and said something that I only heard as, "...mutter, mutter....moron.....sputter, mutter". I didn't get too worked up over it, I think I'm pretty desensitized to a small extent and save my focus and indignation to bigger issues..but did feel it to be my motherly duty to at least bring it to her attention that "moron" isn't such of a nice word to use. I said, "Um, young lady, that's not a real nice word to be using...then me, muttering, 'How do you learn these words, anyway?'......" Then after a little bit, for the benefit of whoever happened to be right in the next stall (I felt that she could have heard it from one of her sisters but it sounded familiar to my husband's vocab when driving down the freeway behind someone that just isn't as smart as he is when it comes to driving), I said, "It sounds a little bit like one of your sisters...." and didn't even finish before she swung her gaze and brilliant smile up toward me and said, "My pee?" (sounds like one of her sisters). I got a good chuckle out of that one!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
As Our World Spins....
Well, our whole world has changed many times since I last posted! A couple of the major earth-shattering changes I'm going to leave out because I don't have the mental energy to get into it. The more recent ones are that my dear hubby had foot surgery April 10th and I've stepped back into the fuller time working world temporarily. The funny thing is, for some reason I don't really feel like I put in 39 hours (versus my normal 9) last week. Except I have this weird sensation, kind of like when I had a couple D&C's, like I would have been put under and periodically woken up to find a whole day or a couple of them have passed and I don't really feel like they have! Also, we found out on Eric's post-op appointment with his surgeon last Tuesday, that not only is he off work for 6-8 weeks, he is non-weight bearing on his gimpy foot for at least 6 weeks!!! That means, he can't pick up the baby and stand with her, carry her, go heat up a frozen bottle for her at night when I'm at work. This puts a whole new perspective on our lives. Every time I leave for work on a week night (school night), I need to pump a bottle right before I leave and leave it at bedside, along with diapers and wipes, so my husband can feed her a "ready" bottle during the night. A freshly pumped bottle can be left at room temp for 8-10 hours, so this works out nicely. Only, it adds a little to my evening routine!!! (On the weekends, our 2 oldest daughters can get up and heat a bottle for him)
Just getting Eric out of the house is a huge challenge, although it is progressively getting easier. I have to hang onto him from behind to ensure he doesn't fall down the steps as he is hobbling down with 2 crutches and one foot. The first time we did this, I went down the stairs backing up in front of him!!! This is a big guy, at least 2 1/2 times my weight. What were we thinking? That I would be his cushion to land on as he plows into me on his way down, taking me with him to the bottom? I could just see it, as the dust settles, I would still be clutching to the fistful of pants that I managed to grab ahold of on the way down, just feeling victorious that at least I got a good hold of him and didn't let go!!!
Eric has almost fallen a couple of times now while crutching about the house. He had two bones, or a joint, fused together in his foot so if he puts any pressure (by falling, walking, driving-yes, he was in a delirious state, due to cabin fever, and yesterday wondered if he could ask his surgeon on Tuesday for permission to drive!!!!!) and the bones shift at all or just plain old separate, he messes up his whole surgery. *side note: I think I did get through the haze of delirium and make it crystal clear, I hope, why driving just ain't a good idea*
Okay, enough about that! Now, I'm really excited about my sister's and my business. We got a call the other day.....I was debating if I should wait until after Tuesday morning's meeting to say anything just so I wouldn't jinx us, but decided against it....from some lady. She said that this Senior Center where we've been twice now to introduce our services would like us to be the exclusive....wait. I better not say cause I'm sure I won't remember exactly what she said and then I will not only jinx us but will make a fool of myself and come back on here after Tuesday's meeting and say that it was just some weirdo trying to make a sneaky sale (we've had that happen several times...just on the phone though, no one has gone the the lengths of setting up a meeting)! More on Tuesday or whenever I get on here next to post.
Just getting Eric out of the house is a huge challenge, although it is progressively getting easier. I have to hang onto him from behind to ensure he doesn't fall down the steps as he is hobbling down with 2 crutches and one foot. The first time we did this, I went down the stairs backing up in front of him!!! This is a big guy, at least 2 1/2 times my weight. What were we thinking? That I would be his cushion to land on as he plows into me on his way down, taking me with him to the bottom? I could just see it, as the dust settles, I would still be clutching to the fistful of pants that I managed to grab ahold of on the way down, just feeling victorious that at least I got a good hold of him and didn't let go!!!
Eric has almost fallen a couple of times now while crutching about the house. He had two bones, or a joint, fused together in his foot so if he puts any pressure (by falling, walking, driving-yes, he was in a delirious state, due to cabin fever, and yesterday wondered if he could ask his surgeon on Tuesday for permission to drive!!!!!) and the bones shift at all or just plain old separate, he messes up his whole surgery. *side note: I think I did get through the haze of delirium and make it crystal clear, I hope, why driving just ain't a good idea*
Okay, enough about that! Now, I'm really excited about my sister's and my business. We got a call the other day.....I was debating if I should wait until after Tuesday morning's meeting to say anything just so I wouldn't jinx us, but decided against it....from some lady. She said that this Senior Center where we've been twice now to introduce our services would like us to be the exclusive....wait. I better not say cause I'm sure I won't remember exactly what she said and then I will not only jinx us but will make a fool of myself and come back on here after Tuesday's meeting and say that it was just some weirdo trying to make a sneaky sale (we've had that happen several times...just on the phone though, no one has gone the the lengths of setting up a meeting)! More on Tuesday or whenever I get on here next to post.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
In Hiatus!
In case anybody noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately. Our computer monitor went on the blinx a few weeks ago and we have actually all enjoyed the break from too much of the outside world. I have a business laptop that I can keep up with emails and such and really could keep this updated but I've just chosen not to. I'm not sure if anyone's been by lately or not. I periodically check the site meter to see what number it's on. Then the next time I visit my own blog, I might remember to look at the number again. I don't know why I bother; I can't remember from the time before even remotely where the number was. It might have gone up. Maybe it stayed the same. It could have even gone down for all I know. People may begin to take their visits back since I haven't updated in a while! All I know is that I don't get as many visits as Dawn Meehan's blog, "Because I Said So!" Or suburbancorrespondent's, "The More, The Messier!" Or "Navel Gazing at its Finest" or the variety of other blogs I like to check into ("The Upside", "Little But Loud"-everyone needs to read at least the post about mammograms on her blog!, "The Keiser Family" and...can't remember the rest of the names just right now) because with the site meter right at 2300, it's not high enough to have that kind following. Which is all fine with me, I think I would feel a little bit of pressure with that kind of following! :)
Anyway, I still will update this from time to time but mostly I will just pop into other people's blogs and enjoy their writings! Happy Spring, everyone! Remember, positive thinking can't hurt...we need a bit more Springy weather already!
Anyway, I still will update this from time to time but mostly I will just pop into other people's blogs and enjoy their writings! Happy Spring, everyone! Remember, positive thinking can't hurt...we need a bit more Springy weather already!
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