A goal ACHIEVED!

I have gotten rid of all the old clothes that were sitting in my closet that none of us wore anymore. I do still have to go through most of the kids clothes in their closet. And I have started my lace shawl and it is going swimmingly although last night we had a bit of a freak out when I dropped a few stitches.. I was able to pick them all back up though.

My water heater is officially fixed and I can now put all the paintball and fishing stuff away again! So then tomorrow I can go through the corner by the couch in the living room. I think I may type up a list of all the books Riley has so that I can keep track of what ones I have read to her and the ones that have been read already will be read again. Oh well..

I think that's all for now.... I'm working on thinking up a 100 list but not sure what to do.

Touring Tuesday- Bedroom

I am starting a touring Tuesday and for the first Tuesday we will be taking a look at my bedroom. This will also help kick my butt into gear cleaning the house! Hopefully....

From The Door.....

My Dresser...

The Papasan....

Steve's Dresser...(not the cleanest, part of this was me tearing it apart to find a book...)

The Bed...(We now have a full size bed, when I was pregnant we were on a twin and if you know my husband I'm sure you can imagine how uncomfortable it was)

My Sewing Corner.... (MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BEDROOM!!!!)

My kids are NOT allowed in our room unless we are in there. We have the door shut unless we are in there. The kids have the rest of the apartment to play in. What room next week?

I hate when the weather changes...

I always, ALWAYS, get sick. It never fails. So here I sit under the blankie with my computer.

ATM, I'm pretty sure USA is tied with Canada in the gold medal game. Come on USA!

I really have nothing just kind of bored. I'm going to knit on Jim's big green and red ball because he was playing with Tristan's and really liked it so I'll work on it some more. In the mean time I'm also still working on Nick's scarf, which was put away for a bi because I wanted to strangle it. I have Whitney's sack boy to do which I have cast on about 3 times now... I'm gonna choke the thing if he ever makes it far enough in production. Jimmy's hat is about half way done and I just cast on my first lace shawl. I believe that is everything on the needles right now since I finished the baby blanket for my cousin. I'll have to start on more baby stuff soon!

I'm going to curl up and knit. It would figure I finished my book yesterday.

Water Only Washing

I have been researching washing my hair without shampoo. There are several different ways listed online. Many include use of baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar, which Sadie is using. I don't particularly care for the work that seems to go into it. In between making the baking soda mixture, and you have to put it on dry hair and blah blah blah. So I will be using the water only method. There is absolutely no products going into my hair, at all.

Here are some pictures of my hair now:

This is after wearing it in a ponytail for about a week and not washing it, so it's kind of gross feeling. I still took showers and lightly rinsed my hair to get the oils on top that were loose off. I'll post pics in about a week to see how it goes. I've been sort of using no 'poo on my kids as they don't care for getting their hair washed but I would wet it and scrub real good and rinse it. You dump water on their head and they go NUTS!

I'm thinking about cutting down other things as well. I'll tell you what I can come up with. Do you have any ideas?

Schedule and 100 Books!

First I'm going to tell you about my kids schedule. It's not set in stone and changes to suit our needs or temperaments for the day.

We usually wake up somewhere between 8 and 10. As soon as we wake up we change Jim's diaper(obviously), and Riley goes to the potty. We then eat breakfast, all together and in the kitchen. After breakfast varies between an hour of tv and the rest of the time spent playing, or we'll spend it all playing. Sometimes we'll go up to Sadie's house to play, it usually depends on Riley's temperament. We try to eat lunch around 11:45 and the kids go down for nap at noon. They tend to sleep until about 2. After that we have a small snack and play some more. On the days we go up to Sadie's we tend to stay up there most of the day. On days I go to work Steve works out the evening schedule on his own. But when I'm home we try to have dinner somewhere between 5:30 and 6. We'll have a small (I mean small) snack around 7:15. Then, it's bath time, story, and bed at 8. Once the kids go to bed, Steve and I will clean a little bit, and I'll usually knit while he plays a video game. Some nights we'll play a video game together or depending on if the neighbors are up for it we'll go next door and play Magic and Ashley and I will knit. It tends to get kind of crazy with all of us over at Ash's seeing as Ash and I have been friends since my fifth grade year and her and my husband went to high school together(in fact that's how we met). Then it's bed time for us, which this time varies greatly.

AND NOW FOR MY 100 Books in the last 2-3 years:( These are in absolutely NO order just how I got them off my bookshelf!)

1. Twilight- Stephanie Meyer
2. Eclipse- Stephanie Meyer
3. New Moon- Stephanie Meyer
4. Breaking Dawn- Stephanie Meyer
5. Dead Until Dark- Charlaine Harris
6. Living Dead in Dallas- Charlaine Harris
7. Club Dead - Charlaine Harris
8. Dead to the World- Charlaine Harris
9. Dead as a Doornail - Charlaine Harris
10. Definitely Dead- Charlaine Harris
11. All Together Dead- Charlaine Harris
12. From Dead to Worse- Charlaine Harris
13. Dead and Gone-Charlaine Harris
14. Lock and Key-Sarah Dessen
15. Keeping the Moon-Sarah Dessen
16. This Lullaby- Sarah Dessen
17. That Summer –Sarah Dessen
18. Someone Like You- Sarah Dessen
19. Dreamland – Sarah Dessen
20. Just Listen- Sarah Dessen
21. A Bend in the Road- Nicholas Sparks
22. Nights in Rodanthe- Nicholas Sparks
23. The Rescue- Nicholas Sparks
24. The Wedding- Nicholas Sparks
25. A Walk to Remember- Nicholas Sparks
26. The Notebook- Nicholas Sparks
27. Dear John- Nicholas Sparks
28. The Guardian- Nicholas Sparks
29. Message in a Bottle- Nicholas Sparks
30. Betrayed- PC and Kristin Cast
31. Chosen- PC and Kristin Cast
32. Untamed – PC and Kristin Cast
33. Marked- PC and Kristin Cast
34. Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting
35. Teach Yourself Visually: Crocheting
36. Teach Yourself Visually: Sock Knitting
37. Crank- Ellen Hopkins
38. Burned- Ellen Hopkins
39. The House of the Scorpion- Nancy Farmer
40. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-  Ann Brashares
41. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares
42. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares
43. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood- Ann Brashares
44. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone-JK Rowling
45. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- JK Rowling
46. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- JK Rowling
47. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- JK Rowling
48. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – JK Rowling
49. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- JK Rowling
50. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- JK Rowling
51. What to Expect the First Year
52. Eyes of a Child- Richard North Patterson
53. Complete Tales and Poems- Edgar Allan Poe
54. Heroic Leadership- Chris Lowney
55. The Last Song- Nicholas Sparks
56. The Cardinal sins- Andrew M Greeley
57. Thy Brother’s Wife- Andrew M Greeley
58. The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
59. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
60. Lucky- Jackie Collins
61. Zoya- Danielle Steel
62. Lightning- Danielle Steel
63. Kurt Cobain: The Cobain Dossier
64. The Stories Behind Every Song: Nirvana
65. Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects- Kurt St. Thomas
66. The Nanny Diaries- Emma McLaughlin
67. Confessions of a Shopaholic- Sophie Kinsella
68. The Vampire Encyclopedia
69. Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain- Charles R. Cross
70. Nirvana: The Biography- Everett True
71. Dumping Billy- Olivia Goldsmith
72. Remember Me?- Sophie Kinsella
73. Princess Diaries Collection- Meg Cabot
74. The Nursing Mother’s Companion- Kathleen Huggins
75. The Big Book of Socks: The Ultimate Beyond The Basics Guide To Knitting Socks- Kathleen Taylor
76. Riding in Cars With Boys: Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good- Beverly D’Onofrio
77. The Undomestic Goddess- Sophie Kinsella
78. Do it for Le$$ weddings: How to Create Your Dream Wedding Without Breaking the Bank- Denise Vivaldo
79. The Friday Night Knitting Club- Kate Jacobs
80. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club- Gil McNeil
81. True Love and Other Disasters- Rachel Gibson
82. The Montessori Method- Maria Montessori
83. The Everything Potty Training Book- Linda Sonna
84. Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter- Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
85. Knit Two- Kate Jacobs
86. The Complete Guide to Paintball
87. Sewing for the First Time
88. Quilting Basics
89. Diaper-free before 3 : The Healthier Way to Toilet Train and Help Your Child Out of Diapers Sooner- Jill M. Lekovic.
90. Bad Bridesmaid : Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums: Tales From the Front Lines - Siri Agrell.
91. Something Old, Something New: What You Didn't Know About Wedding Ceremonies, Celebrations & customs - Vera Lee.
92. The Wedding Book : The Big Book for Your Big Day - by Mindy Weiss with Lisbeth Levine.
93. 1001 Ways to Save Money-- And Still Have a Dazzling Wedding - Sharon Naylor.
94. The DIY Bride : 40 Fun Projects for Your Ultimate One-of-a-Kind Wedding - Khris Cochran
95. The Everything Wedding Book - Janet Anastasio, Michelle Bevilacqua, and Stephanie Peters
96.  How to Create the Wedding of Your Dreams on a Small Budget.
97.  How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $5,000 or Less : Achieving Beautiful Simplicity Without Mortgaging your Future - Jan Wilson, Beth Wilson Hickman.
98. The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World : The Ultimate Source of Ideas, Advice, and Relief for the Bride and Groom and Those Who Love Them - Carley Roney & the editors of The Knot.
99. The Sublime Wedding : Finishing Touches for a Perfect Day - Carole Hamilton
100. Modern Bride Guide to Etiquette : Answers to the Questions Today's Couple Really Ask - Cele Goldsmith Lalli.

Who knew I read so much? And now a choice for you guys. What should I do for my next 100 list?

Book List And Lots of new stuff!!!(kind of picture heavy)

This week has been very busy! It's only Tuesday and it feels like it should be Friday! It all started Sunday night...

We put the kids down like normal and then went to work on the kitchen! The kitchen got cleaned top to bottom in 3 hours. I was down on the floor scrubbing with a brush! I cleaned and organize all the counter tops, cleaned and treated our wood kitchen table. We also switched the table around to open things up a bit differently as well. My neighbor, Sadie, began a touring Tuesday today and started with her kitchen. I was supposed to start today as well but it totally slipped my mind so we will be starting next week!

I got TONS of stuff in the post yesterday! First I will show you the book I have been waiting for for an entire month... Very irritably I might add.

Then I got my Knitpicks order. I was kind of disappointed it didn't come in a white box like I've seen around the net but eh well. I got 2 hanks of lace weight,






















A skein of sock yarn,

and two balls of fingering weight,

And MY NEW KNITPICKS OPTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please note that with the needle tips I also got cords which are underneath the tips in the picture. And as you can see I have already begun using them. I could barely get them out of the box before I was using them!

The last thing that came in the post yesterday( well actually it came first via ups but I'm sharing it last because it excites me most!) was my new FREE phone! I had waited two years, much to my husband's amusement and my annoyance, to get the full $150 rebate towards a phone from Sprint and finally qualified and I actually found a phone that I could get free with my rebate that I actually wanted! And Here it is:

It is the LG Rumor2 in orange! I love it! If you're not familiar with it, it slides out to(in this picture) the left to reveal a full qwerty keyboard! I love it and the qwerty keyboard is so nice and much easier than fiddling with hitting the numbers a million times or the phone not letting me enter a word because the phone itself doesn't know the word! So excited! I almost immediately went on facebook and twitter and added a bunch more text updates for them to send to my phone( I have unlimited text) just so I can use the keyboard! I'm lame I know!

I got one other thing yesterday but this was from Sadie rather than the mail. She apparently can't read a pattern to save her life so she gave me a book she bought on the cheap full of kiddie knits!

As my knitting needle and yarn collection grows so does my knitting book collection! And I'm not done yet!

My hubby took me out tonight and spoiled me a bit! We went to the mall because I had a coupon for Borders(join the rewards program they send you coupons CONSTANTLY!) and I had a book(knitting of course) I wanted to get. So We got this for 30% off.

 I of course had to stop in the bargain book section and found these!

Each were on clearance for like 3 bucks! So I was super excited! 

For the first time in an extremely long time I spent over $20 on a pair of shoes! I didn't even spend $20 on my  wedding shoes, mind you they didn't even get $100 out of me for my dress. But my shoes were falling apart and we found a pair that were actually made in the USA! They were also in my size, on clearance! It's like they were made for me! I spent $40 but I got New Balance which are really good, both my inlaws and my mom and her husband swear by them, and they're made right here is the US, which for my husband, is worth the 40 bucks alone! So here they are:

They're very comfortable but the true test is to see how well they wear especially against running after the kids. Well that's what I've been up to. I feel so spoiled right now but I don't get all this much stuff that often. I haven't had new shoes in a year! I feel they are deserved and I can't have my foot hanging out of my shoe while I'm chasing small children! That is all! Tomorrow you guys get my list of 100 books I've read so be ready!

Not done...

So I'm pretty sure Sadie is the only person who reads my blog but oh well....

I'm not completely done with my latest 100 list but as soon as I am I will post it. This one is 100 books I've read, most of which I have read within the last 2 to 3 years!

Yesterday we went to my dad's house and then to my mom's new house. It was nice to visit with family without the stress of moving like last week. Was that really just last week? Eh well.. It was nice to visit. I also got some knitting done. I did a few more rows on Jimmy's hat and started Whitney's sack boy for her visit home.

We were supposed to go paintballing today for Steve's birthday but we got rained out. I hate playing in mud.... We rescheduled for next Sunday so we'll see. Steve really likes paintballing, I'm indifferent. I'll do it and I kind of enjoy it but I don't think it's my cup of tea. I enjoy activities that calm me down. I'm constantly running after the kids so running after adults kind of bugs me. And then there's my asthma, which doesn't help at all...

So instead of paintballing I am cleaning and knitting today... I'm working on the kitchen first, well worked. Mostly because Steve had already thrown a load of dishes in the dishwasher and Jim was in there eating breakfast. I have the table mostly clean(why do we have such a big kitchen table?). Then while Jim is down for his nap I figure I'll move chairs and stuff out and clean underneath the table. How the kids are such messy eaters I'll never know.... Then I'll tackle the living room! Then call the landlord to come fix our water heater and knit while I wait so I may be knitting awhile... Our landlord has a very slow response rate.