This Is Why I Pre-Shop

Colin's Room Renovation Project is coming right along.Yesterday was painting day. Mad props to my girl, Cara who did most of the 1st coat while I peeled off the green paint from the smallest wall. Who expected that disaster? No me...thought I could paint right over it until it started peeling like a '70's sunburn. Oooohhh, it hurt so good.

Today we go to Ikea. Last night EVERYONE wanted to go. Noon today? Not so much. Colin and Cara were still asleep and changed their minds. So its just me and Scott. WoW! A date to Ikea.

Me: Have you been to Ikea before?
Scott: I don't think so...
Me: Here's how it works. You go upstairs, follow the maze to what you want, look on the card for the aisle number, go downstairs, get the box, go pay...
Scott: What do you mean, get the box, don't they just put it in the truck???
Me: Its Ikea, you have to put it together...
Scott: Can't I just pay the $5 and they will load the put together one in the truck?
Me: No...
Scott: I bet they will if I ask.
Me: Ok, you can try that...

At Ikea we have to park pretty far away because it is Labor Day Sunday and there is a Lowes, Costco and Ikea in the same center as well as some smaller shops. I show him where he will have to pull the truck up to pick up the purchases. I think he wants to just park there but he also wants to go in and see the couch.

We go the stairs. Fear is in his eyes. We start the maze. I direct him to follow the arrows. Everyone is going in the same direction following the arrows.

Scott: What if you want to go back the way we came in.
Me: You can't.
Scott: Why not?
Me: Its the Ikea way.
Scott: Why did you get that yellow bag?
Me: In case I want to pick up something along the way. He looks at me like I'm crazy.

Me: Here's the couch. (Scott just looks blankly.) Do you want to try it? (He sits.)
Scott: Its good. How do we get it?
Me: Find someone to print out a ticket for pick up?
Scott: Are we done?
Me: I want to get a comforter or duvet cover?
Scott: Duvet?
Me: Never mind, its a cover for a comforter. It will match the couch.

We get the ticket and keep going forward. I can see he is done with the looky loos. We get down stairs and pick up a cart. Follow the arrows on the downstairs floor through the Marketplace.

The cart is the BOMB! Suddenly Scott is in NASCAR mode. He weaves in and out of people. Comes within inches of a family with a cart full of babies. "Wide load on the right!", he says after a woman with a lot of junk in the trunk.  He changes lanes like a pro.

Scott: I see the finish! (checkout) I'll go get the truck, while you pay.
Checkered Flag! Winner, Winner, Meatball Dinner! (gotta get those Ikea Swedish meatballs)

He finished like a pro. Gotta try everything once. No way is he ever going back to Ikea.

I'll put together the couch, I say. I'm pretty good at Ikea stuff. So he took everything out of the boxes and illegally dumped them at the baseball field while handy girl Cara and I built the couch with a little help from Colin.

Finishing touches will  happen when everyone is back to school...

This is why I pre-shop.

It is what is is...
Namste

Its DIY Time!

Here's the Before of Colin's room- it pretty much speaks for itself!

Now I'm working on the After

The bunk beds were the first to go (and hopefully to a good home)

He is at the Charger game with Scott for his birthday and what better time to redo your kids's room? When they are not home to whine and complain, of course.

I have been asking him for at least a year, if he wants to get a queen bed or even a couch since he sleeps on the living room couch every night. His answer has been no all along.

Tip - Don't say no too long or you mom will start without you and you will have no input.

Next step is wall repair and paint.

Stay tuned!

It is what it is...
Namaste

Happy Birthday To Me!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! My day was pretty low key.

I picked up my newly blind friend, Maria to take her to the RIPPED class she teaches at the gym. She was diagnosed with LHON, a rare, hereditary disease of the optic nerve. She became legally blind in the last year. She is truly an inspiration in how she deals with her challenges with grace and humor.

Read more about LHON if you like:
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/leber-hereditary-optic-neuropathy

And here is her blog. Girl Gone Blind
http://www.girlgoneblind.com
On to Starbucks for my FREE birthday coffee...
Then we went to another friend's house to work on a project for the LHON foundation. I'm not allowed to tell.

On Jersey Mikes to get my FREE birthday sub...

Then Home Depot for a new smoke alarm that I had to install.

Work on the next part of the LHON project.

Back to the gym for Cara's training session. I have her enrolled in a group training program to keep her in shape. We started with a 30 day challenge so we will see...and while she is training I hop on the eliptical for 40 min.

Phyllis treated us all to dinner for a group (me, Colin, Scott) at Fillippis Italian restaurant and then...
Bachelor in Paradise on TV. Oh yea - cheesey reality shows!

Presents???? A hot stone massage tomorrow from Scott, a few new tops from Phyllis and Cara walked to 7-11 to get me some Rollos. $$$ from my dad and a surprise candle from Maria.

Two of the best parts of birthdays? All the FREE stuff. And now you have a week or two to get it. I'll still be going to Rubios, Yogurtland and Golden Spoon for more freebies. And all the Happy Birthday messages on Facebook! Standard and you don't have to send a card but I still like it.

Funniest card winner goes to..... My oldest, coolest and dearest friend, Audrey.

Happy Birthday to me
It is what it is...
 Namaste

Since Phyllis has been here, she is always on our computer and it's hard to blog when she is looking over my shoulder. I have a few funny stories saved up. Stay tuned...

Let's Recycle

A little over a year ago, a friend passed along a big box of broken jewelry her mom had given to her from a fancy-smancy store in Old Town. I'm pretty sure I blogged about it once before because I was so jazzed to have this high quality stuff for Free! Yes! FR double EE!

After taking it apart, I was left with this...

So far these creations came out of this pile

This weekend, I finished up with a bunch of giant beads. Who would ever wear a necklace with these huge beads is beyond me so they have been hanging around doing nothing - until now. 

Wall Hangings! I'm not sure where I'm going to put them since the turquoise, red and silver doesn't really fit anywhere in my house. Etsy here we come!

My fortune from yesterday - just gotta start selling stuff!

It is what it is...

Namaste

It's Wine O'Clock Somewhere

Who loves Groupons? We do! Especially when its for wine tasting and lunch! Phyllis and I are at it again.
Here we are a the Bernardo Winery. Its about 20 minutes up the 15 so its nice and close.
http://bernardowinery.com/

 Portobella Tacos for lunch

And that greenish/brownish stuff with the avocado on it is called Sea Bean Salad. Sea beans or salcornia are found growing in marshy areas. It was totally yummo!

It is what it is...

Namaste

Like Ketchup...Only Better

The MacNaughton tomato garden is in full production. We have been living on fresh salsa, BLTs and Caprese salad for a few weeks now and it's getting challenging to think of new things to make with all of these tomatoes. Don't say sauce because the fam ONLY likes Ragu from the jar. Yup, sad to say but true.

So what's on the menu today? Tomato Jam! Weird right???? I saw this on the Food Network and it looked Yummo! And guess what ? It is!

4 pounds of tomatoes. I only peeled the skins off the larger ones. You know, by x-ing the skins, boil for a few minutes and then the ice bath. The rest, it seemed like too much work for all those small tomatoes.

The recipe called for an onion but I had about 1/4 of one so I used shallots instead. They are sort of oniony.

I had some jalapenos. Can't go wrong with some added heat.

Chop everything, cook it down for about 3 hours until it gets thick. Process in a water bath if you want to preserve it. I had enough for 3 jars and then some extra so did that too.

• 4 pounds plum tomatoes, or other tomato varieties such as grape or cherry
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup sweet onion such as Vidalia, chopped
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice of one lemon

It's super good on crackers. I'm going to use it on chicken tonight with some oven fries.

Maybe with some baked Brie for book club tomorrow.

Eat up! It's the BOMB! My new favorite condiment.

It is what it is...
Namaste

Its Kind of Sharky Out There

Whose brain dead? Me -after watching a marathon consisting of:

Sharknado 1
Sharknado 2 The Second One
Sharktopus
Shartopus vs Pteracuda

Definitions
Sharknado - a rare weather condition combining sharks and a tornado.

Sharktopus - a combination of a shark and octopus - duh!

Pteracuda - a combination of a Pteradon and a barracuda. Terrifying in the air and under the water.

I even downloaded the app to "Sharknado" myself!

This is what we do on the one rainy day in recent SD history...good thing there's wine...
It is what it is...
Namaste