don't cut the rope on us yet

lets see if this is really a possible string of hope to hold onto. Asking for some +++ thoughts and some prayers if you have them to spare to help us through the next few days.

A ray of hope, a wall of fears
I stand proud but on the verge of tears
I hold steady with hubbys hand in tow
I won't let my true feelings show
Let what happens happen for a reason
even if it is not to be THIS season.

what is that song name and melody?

good feeling.........

I sat at home tonight listing more stuff on ebay and realized I am a Mother-to-be in waiting. Yes, I am considering myself as expecting and dang it might take me more than 9 months of expecting to become that mom, but hey... I will enjoy it while it is happening.

Stroller bought and put together, THANKYOUVERYMUCH... I did it by myself.. DH sat and watched me. MEN! Argh.

Ebay sales.. so so so far. Hmmm, looking for a picture hosting web page I can list some items I want to sell(hint hint... XMAS is less than 6 months away!!). What site can I use for this? not those like Shutterfly etc... but one that anyone can look at without an ID and password and then can email me to make bids on things. ????



OMG.. What the hell has happened to our St. Louis Cardinals? is it possible to lose 8 games in a row? well it is sure looking like it. We are playing like poop against these good american league teams. Lord Help our Loving Cardinals ...

I listed a few things... what do you think?

1 mobile, 4 pillows(1 tooth fairy pillow) and 1 set of drawer knobs. Do the listings look ok? Do I need to make any corrections?

ebay sales

why is it when I want to list items on ebay I get a seller that lists the SAME exact things for next to zero dollars to start the sale off with when I wanted to list mine for at least 3.00 or even 5.00(which is what I paid for it!!) Ugh. So I listed one item and then decided because of this .99 cent BANDIT that I would hold off on listing my items until later this week.

My luck. I know that person is just trying to make money too, but when you have an item that sells for STARTING bid of at least 5 or 6 bucks and SHE lists them for 99 cents to start RIGHT at the same time I list mine, then I won't get the bids and she will. FRICK.

Ok, "So Jaded" said I needed to start a Tooth Fairy pillow business. Hmmmm.......... fun. Just need to figure out our costs and then see what the items should sell for to cover materials and labor. Good grief, I hope this works out. Themed items or custom?

score again...

this is why I go to yard sales.....


I found this at a yard sale and let me tell you it has nothing wrong except for a small scratch on the right part of the rail by the seat.

DH and I are going to pick it up from a lady's house not to far from ours. This is not trash.. but her treasure is my treasure now. GLIDER and ottoman is my score. oh, I paid 25.00 for it. I was looking at a new one from a store this past week that was 189.00 and I just could not pay that.

Now .. I wonder if I wish for money that I might win the lottery?

Mid-day ramblings.

only 3 more full days b4 I go back to work. I am ok though. I have been off since the 20th of May and I have enjoyed it. I am about 95% recovered from surgery and have finally gotten the OK to ENJOY the physical relationship with DH now. I am scared because I am physically different(no cervix) and I wonder if there will be pain associated, but that is to be found out and Not sure if I will report that to you if it is GOOD news. Bahahaha

Onto Ebay sales. I am shipping out one of the sold pillows today. I am awaiting payment on the other pillow. My mom is making more pillows as we speak and I hope to have them listed by Sunday at the latest. I have 2 or 3 small pampered chef things to sell too along with other John Lennon Real love nursery decor items that are extras and I don't need. Looking to make at least a few hundred dollars or even a few thousand on ebay (as long as my buying habit stops!!) to help fund the next part of our adoption process. 2500.00 for when we are matched with a birthfamily. Yet to happen, I hope to pay cash for that and not have to put that on the loan. So right now as I stand I have reset the Fundraising thermometer to 15.00 earned on the pillows(after ebay listing and paypal costs) of 2500.00 needed. Oh.. wait. I have 100.00 donated to us from family when we had our baby shower too. Sweet. so 115.00 towards 2500.00. I am still collecting aluminum cans etc... so if you have some.. drop me a line here and I will email you. I will gladly come pick those up. Even if it adds up to 20.00 a month in cans recycling then I am making progress. Ask your neighbors for me, please? I will supply the trash bags if needed too. I need to go buy a can crusher and install it on the side of the deck outside to keep the bags tidy.

Oh, might start a photobucket account to list some things for sale (REMEMBER XMAS Is less than 6 months away!!!) by not posting them on Ebay. I can try and link to those pictures from my site here and then you can email me if you wish to purchase by cash or Paypal. I am in full fundraising mode now. Also, what if you need to sell something and Don't have the time to list it on Ebay? I can sell it for you for a small (very small ) fee. REALLY!

Ok, off to tidy up the house b4 I start a long day with Family events. (wish I could go to the zoo today). Then dinner with more family and 2 friends. (KD... sorry I can't make your party... will you take an order from me?)

SOLD

Drama until the last minute of the sale. On Ebay I sold both of the pillow for the John Lennon Musical Parade pattern. We made tooth fairy pillows from the bumpers of the pattern and one had a bid on it from this AM and then finally with the last minute to go the other pillow SOLD too. I love it. This is a new found addiction.. making things to sell. I also have some other items I got in the John Lennon Real Love pattern to sell on there now too. Extras from sales. Lets see if this makes us any money towards the adoption funding. I will keep you posted. I hope to post more items this coming week. Wish us luck.

I was good, I promise....

I left the house and headed toward S. County BBRU. I went in and returned the duplicate diaper champ I got from there(other one I got was bigger and from target). I put the amount of the item onto another gift card we had received. Nice balance added up on that card. I did look at pack-n-play's, not going to buy one yet. I also did not find a baby book, you know, the kind that you can log info into from day one.... will look online for one of them. I totally forgot to get Thank You cards there. Ooops. I looked at changing table pad's and will go back and get one this week some time. That is one thing I wanted new, like a stroller. Then I looked at bathtubs and restrained. See, my cousin might have some things to hand down to us so I will restrain from buying until I can get out to her house.

Stop # 2 was Petsmart.. OMG.. thank goodness to for my petperks card! I saved 7.00 off the 3 items I had to get .. cat food (science diet for my 13 yo kitty) and purina one for the 3 tuckered from playing pups and then a box of cat liter. ALL on my pet perks reward discount!

Then I went over to the plaza next to the BBRU and found the Once Upon A Child store. Man that place is packed. I don't understand why those resale stores don't expand into a larger space. Packed to the hilt. I did not find any pack-n-plays in there, but I did spy a bassinet... but a lady in there grabbed it up very quickly(it was a new tagged item) because she saw the bargin price they had on it. Nice. I did not buy one thing in there. It is more for a time when we finally have a baby in arms and can go by sizes. Can't wait. I will watch their prices because they can be somewhat high for things.

Next I went to target and returned the dup. bouncie seat we got. Added that balance to a gift card we got and that card will now cover the cost of the stroller. Just waiting on the 10% coupon for target from applying for that RED instore card to buy that! I love coupons and what the heck. (I won't carry a balance on that card, promise! the interest rate is over 23% .. gulp!) but at least I can get the instore coupons to use and then walk over to customer service and write a check for my card balance. hehe. I did not find a new changing table pad there at all. Hmmmmm

I did get some Zout and a Clorox(sp?) pen to use on the baby's white clothes. I used it on some HMD(hand-me-down) burp cloths and man it took the stains on the white part out as I was rubbing it in with the pen tip. Sweet. I am a baby clothes cleaning lady now. Watch out. I love learning new tricks and Thanks to all my friends in the cyber world and my sister for the stain get-um-out tricks.

I then went food shopping and I will be honest with you that most of the time I am a coupon shopper but today I was very upset that there was only 3 items on my list that had coupons to match. hmmm. My goal when I go grocery shopping is to buy items (no, I don't always name brand shop!!) that have coupons that add up to cover the amount of taxes I have to pay for my total grocery bill. Does that make sense? So if my taxes on my groceries is 6.22 then I try my hardest to match that in coupons or even go above that if possible. Well today's taxes were 5.88 and my coupons added up to 2.49 so I covered some of it. Booohooo. hehe. My theory on taxes is that coupons are out there to cover the taxes if you are a really good shopper. Thus I try and shop Tax Free! Thanks to the manufacturers. Hey, do you do any online coupon free sites? if so.. please share their url with me. please?! (thanks Mol!)

So I did the first full load of baby clothes and gave DH the basket full of them to fold. LOL... I forgot to tell him to divide them in stacks by months. 0-3 mo, 3-6 mo, 6-?? months. hehe. I put them in the dresser finally. YEAH. A baby room is really being used for the right reasons now. ha. Now to hunker down and paint that dresser/changing table to match the decor. Yes, I only have this week left b4 I go back to work from medical leave and I still have not painted that dresser. Ms. Procrastination here!

first trip post shower

going on my first trip to babiesrus to return a duplicate and then to buy some Thank You cards. Then browse. Lord help me... I am not going to buy much, I promise.


I will report in later to let you know what I got.

A Party it was

indeed. We had a great time. DH had to wear a homemade Smock my mom made... it had baby nipples as his nipples, long salad tongs to help dispose of dirty diapers, mask and eye protection for those dirty diaper changes, diaper rash cream, Barney bib and Barney paci clip. (Now remember that DH hates Barney... oh, did I never tell you that? It is true, he believes Barney is dead(oh my, cover your kids ears if you are reading that out loud)). So it was fun thanking everyone there in their support for our new journey in life to add to our family through the beautiful love of adoption.

I did tell a few people that just b4 the party we had gotten an email with the potential situation that we had to decline(see post below) and let me tell you there were even more supportive of our journey then knowing it could happen at anytime possible. They told us all to hang in there and that to believe there is the right situation out there to come for us and I really truly believe that. DH and I are really feeling good about things. Sure, we have to prep for the possibility of many months before a match, but knowing we have such a wonderful support system out there, we are not giving in hope.

So I did get some duplicates of bouncie seats that I get to take back and apply those credits towards this graco stroller we need that goes with the snugride baby carrier we did get. Then we need to buy a baby bath tub, changing table pad(we got a cover as a gift, but not the pad, hehe) and a one other larger item, I can't remember what it was. I am sure i will think of it later. hmmm.

Diaper bag, lots of crib sheets, microwave bottle steamer cleaner, blankies(some homemade by long time family friends), baby lamb(so soft), car seat protector covers, diaper changing table organizer, bottles, wash clothes, diaper champ, some diaper wipes, ointments, and lots and lots of gift cards to both bbrus and target. SWEET. I am so thankful for all the wonderful gifts and support.

THis week i need to take back a few duplicates and buy that stroller and tub and then find room in the nursery to put the items we did get and store a few things for when the baby gets here. I love it. Thank you to everyone!!!


Off to enjoy the Cardinals game today. more later.

so one last edited note, do I really need a diaper warmer ? I keep my house cool in the summer and cool in the winter, I am hot blooded and have to! would a diaper warmer be warranted?

situation # 3 declinced

our reply to the agency, We regretfully will have to decline this potential adoption situation.

So sad.

1 2 3 4 5 .......

I love vacation, but man it is hard to come back

back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now.... sing it!

Yup.. vacation was a week long(tuesday to Monday) and we had a great time. We went here. Onondaga Cave State Park. We camped in the back of the line of camping spots and then enjoyed fishing in the Meramec river and pond from the cave and we also took the Onondaga Cave Tour. Very cool to realize we were so far deep and so high in the cave caverns. Amazing colors of formations and water colors. Some lights are shaded to give it a more dramatic effect, but natural light was their goal and it highlighted the most brilliant reds, yellows, whites, even green as turquois colors in the caves. If you are one that likes to explore nature, please go to this cave even for the 70-90 minute tour in Leasburg MO.

I did put on sunblock 45 and still got burned on my legs and arms and head.

I also did a first in my life.. I let my mom color my hair while at the camp grounds. Yes, first time I ever colored my hair. It is not far from my natural color, but now I feel a little bit more brave to try highlights. NO MORE GRAY HAIR. YEAH.

Now I am busy listing things on ebay. These are the hand-made pillows 1 and 2 my mom and I made while at the camp grounds.

ugh.. DH is needing the pc.. be back later for more of an update.

FUN and SUN . Summer is here

it pays

ok.. several weeks to save several bags of soda/beer cans(no, I don't drink beer bleckbleckbleck!!) and I turned them in today for a whopping $10.71. A backseat of my focus filled with bags and I only got 10.71? ok.. I won't complain, just curious as to why the price of recycling went down from 70 cents per pound from last week down to 63 cents per pound. Heck, I would have made another few bucks.

So let me add 10.71 to my thermometer. hehe

I also was a good girl and took back the tops i bought at jcpenney and got back 21.00. but that is not fundraising, that is just being wise to the al-mighty dollar!

a penny here a penny there

spending the next week working hot and heavy on some fund raising ideas.

What fund raising ideas can you throw my way?

I have been saving soda and beer cans from family and friends(if you wish me to take them off your hands I would be glad to come by and grab them tomorrow or next monday!!! just blog me here and I can come by locally!)

I am going to start taking pictures of the items my mom has been crafting and creating .....ladies.. think of xmas gifts(heck it is almost July and I have friends that start their xmas shopping in July!) so come back in about a weeks time to see if I have my links up yet of those nice handmade items. Lots of fleece items for kiddo's and some fun items for us adults, think mardi gras and st. pats day themes and such. She also makes custom orders so I will promote her work here soon.

I had my yard sale 2.5 weeks ago and made at least 200.00 bucks clear.. not much, but hey it helps pay towards the next step of the adoption process, THE MATCH FEE of $2500.00

I am making lots of fun beaded bracelets this weekend while on vaca and hope to sell them soon.

I found some good bargains at yard sales this weekend and plan to put them on Ebay soon too. Hey, are Kenneth Cole purses worth much to anyone? hmmm, might have to keep them for myself(one does have ink pen marks in the inside but the other is in pretty good shape(and I got them dirt cheap). I found extra nursery decor and I plan on listing that on ebay also(pieces I already have). That stuff is selling like hot cakes on Ebay these days. WOW.

I am going to start talking up the idea of me starting to babysit again. Yes, I am For Hire. And think of the funds going towards a great cause, OUR FIRST CHILD through the wonderful blessing of adoption soon!

I was thinking of asking my niece and newphew to help me do a car wash soon at the local repair shops lot, it would be on a busy street so maybe that could bring in some good customers. FREE Car Wash, but donations accepted for a good cause, OUR ADOPTION fund.

hmmm, what else? Are there any other things I can do to use as a fund raiser?


Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.
and no, I am not begging for money, I like the idea of having worked hard for every penny here and every penny there! Just like idead to help out.

cycle of life

sadly the cycle of life happened too soon for the resident doves little baby. Doves are abundant in the City boundries. I am sure they are in the county too, but seems I have become the foster care host home of a resident dove on my wire harness that comes out of my house. I will try tomorrow to take a picture of that nest. She nested there about 4 years ago and each year she comes back with her mate. This year she has successfully raised and fledged one chick so far. See, doves mate several times a year and brood their babies all summer long.

first true summer sign

as I let the dogs out around the dusk hour(8:45 pm or so) I immediatly said "Summer is here" when I walked out onto the deck. Lightning bugs! (a.k.a. Fireflies for those that don't live in the inner-city!) LOL And bats.

Lighning bugs sure bring back the days when I was ages 8-12 or so. We (girlfriend down two houses) would go find an old pickle jar in her dads workshop, grab a screwdriver and proceed to poke about 5 holes in the top of the lid and then went out and picked about a hand full of grass for each jar and then had a hayday running and catching the lightning bugs! Oh fun. Yes, I was a tom-boy of sorts when I was a kid. I loved doing the "bug" thing when I was that age. Turning over rocks and playing with worms and roley-poley-ollie-o's. Fun.

Summer is here.

Where's the bbq?

our first holiday this year that brings us into SUMMER mode and where the heck is the bbq? Not one of my family members, or dh's at that, had a bbq this weekend. We did celebrate DH's bro's 40th bday by attending a surprise party for him, but that was good table food/deli meats, etc... and lots of beer and margaritas.. so DH is going to have to do some bbq'in for me this weekend coming up!

Yes, A margarita I had. I am off my meds now so I indulged and it was YUMMY. Very strong and everyone was loving them so I had to have one too, but I missed my salt rim as the makers of the margaritas did not bring any salt. BUT I enjoyed it!

lots of home items need to be worked on. Dang the weather. Oh, hornets are the subject for outside our house. Literally outside our house. They have taken up residence in the metal shack we have (little metal shed). We are watching the doggies when they go outside to make sure there is not a new hornets nest near or around the deck and or shack. Otherwise I am on target with the 25 foot hornets sprayer! ha. man, those things sure love to dive bomb the dogs and DH and I when out there. I wonder why they keep targeting our deck and shack? Why don't they go bother the man that has the falling down garage and sickly peach tree in his back yard that does not go out to enjoy his backyard? Murphy's law?

So this week is a short one for you all. Today I was driving around( yes, I am allowed to drive finally since surgery) and thought hmmm, today being Sunday, that means DH has to work 5 days this week and I DON'T .. hehe.. then I realized that it is Monday. Oopsie. So he has to work 4 days this week and I DON'T. hehe.

My follow up with the doc is next Tuesday and then we will look forward to booking a camping date sometime soon! YEAH. Hopefully near a river so we can go sit in the river under a shade umbrella in our river chairs. YEAH. Ummm, guess what my drink of choice will be that weekend that we finally go...........Starts with an M, involves a salt rim , blender to crush up some ice(read: frozen). I do declare a beach blanket (river chair/umbrella) celebration soon to be had.

Tell me something, Why do people who don't belong out in the heat still go out in the heat and overheat themselves? I do not get that. Today, while filling up my gas tank (27.00 and some change) a man was on the ground by the pay phone and with a fire rescue truck awaiting am ambulance. He was indeed overheated(heard the conversation) and was wearing long pants and socks and shoes and a wife beater top. I just don't get it. He was an older man and looked in shape, but it was clearly too hot for him out there. I guess I care about our elderly and I hate seeing them get sick and overheated when they can avoid it. I sure hope his home has an AC unit in it. He was not in a low income neighborhood either. hmmm

ok, off to pop dh some popcorn.. whiney is getting edgy for his popcorn.

another day closer

to healing, but not up to par just yet.

I swept the house today, that was a 3 part job. Swept living room, dining room and then had to stop. Swept bathroom and bed room and then stopped and then hallway was last and I then made DH to the kitchen. I was on the couch in pain after the hallway. BUT no percocet. Just leaning to deal with the pain management without prescirption and too many tylenol.

Doggies are not wanting to go outside with all this heat. I don't blame them. I went out with them at 8:30 this AM and I swear it felt like 90 degrees already. So I decided against going to a few yard sales and instead went back to the comforts of my sheets and conforter. LOL Maybe a few yard sales this coming week.

check these out. My sister is a bargain hunter and found these new john lennon real love baby shoes at the resale shop the other day. She was so excited to buy them and bring them to me the other day. She then went on Ebay and found the price for them in this auction that sold. She was floored and said she will keep searching for more for me so I can sell them on ebay too. LOL

So I need to make a to do list for next week after this holiday. Get my energy up to cut the dead burning bush from the front of my house. No, I never did that yet. secondly is to buy some night hanging flower baskets for my front porch and then plant some flowers in the pots for the front porch also. Then I need to get a hair cut and color. I will do this while out on medical leave. I am tired of my long hair and need a shorter cute cut and much needed color. I will treat myself. I deserve it. Then I will book my massage that DH got me for my b-day back in Jan. Also will do a pedicure while there. So need some love for these feetsies of mine.

The list of Thank You cards is growing. I need to buy some cards to send out. Beautiful flowers from co-workers from my surgery, some baby gifts of recent came in from friends, and some beautiful crocheted baby blankets from my aunt in Nebraska. Bless her. They are beautiful.

dinner is on.

thinking I can venture out

wrong!

I am healing, but man my head is in a fog and it has to be the percocet. LOL I slept nil last night and I bet it was from sleeping off and on all day yesterday. I have my nights and days mixed up right now. Need to correct that.

Pain level, maybe a 3 today, down from a 5 yesterday. TMI warning..... My bowels are moving and that is the pain I am having to adjust to so far. I am not one that deals well with that kind of pain as I have IBS and it can range from low pain to a very high pain threshold sometimes, now with surgery complete and some scar tissue removed from the bowel wall that was adhered to the uterus I know I have to take a little while to heal up. Time will heal, just gotta try it without the drugs so I can become a social bug again.

I need a hair cut so bad. Heck, I need a shower to even make this grease mop look at little better at least and that is with much hope. So I think a hair cut is in order. Now to decide if a cut and color is in order. I have never colored my hair and it really needs it with the nice strands of gray showing up like little radar heads.

Ahhh, a bowl of cheerios and banana with a little splenda sprinkled over the top of it. Yum. I am not a morning cereal eater, but the last 2 days I am loving these ripe bananas and cheerios together.

What is up with this HOT weather? I loved having the windows open and breeze through the house, but suddenly the hot summer days are here and it is not even the holiday yet. Looks as thought he pool will be opened right on time this year. Sunblock spf 45 is on my shopping list for when I can venture out of the house. I lobster, I don't tan, I bake beat red, I don't tan. So I must protect.

Oh, baby shopping issues. I am set for our shower but need to go add a few things to the babydepot registry that they don't have online. FUN... again for when I can venture out of the homestead.

Thank you cards are in order for a few folks

my list is getting longer, my head is getting lighter, I must go lay down.