Did I mention I hate cleaning???

Here I am, writing a post, simply because I don't want to clean ugghhhh! I always find an excuse to get sidetracked, but if I don't put my thoughts down now I might forget. Here's what I am obsessed with this week: 1. Organizing Gia's room 2. Getting Gia to keep the room organized and 3. Real Housewife of NYC Bethenny Frenkel! I have to say I Love, Love, Love her recipes. She is always posting new ones on her blog and I am really eager to get her book Skinny Girl. I find that she is, out of all, the most frank and straight-forward.

Speaking of organizing, who on earth expects a 4 year old to keep her room clean???? I do! But it hasn't worked so far. Instead things land on the floor and everywhere and no one did it, see my dilemma. So I finally decided to browse through that book, What's a Disorganized Person To Do?, and I may have found a solution to this. I had already started sorting her stuff and getting the boys stuff out of there (some how they always crawl their way back into her room), and putting them in cubbies. Still with the cubbies, they take one box out, then another, then another and before you know it everything is out!!!! Well I had used closet organizers in her closet and the boys', and I am thinking of recycling those into a desk system, with wire shelves, and a wooden shelf for the desk part of it. Besides, those closet organizers only lead to them making a bigger mess in the closet. I just don't get it??!!! Wish me luck, I am going to need it. Here is a picture of my inspiration. I already have the track system and the wire shelves, now I just need the desk shelf and chair.

So out of my better judgement, I was too tempted and couldn't hold onto those Overstock gift cards and ordered some clothes. I figure I'll give it a try, if anything I can always return the stuff and hold onto the credit for a future purchase right??? I'll let you know how it goes when the order arrives =)

I have a busy week coming up, work!! But I will blog one of these nights, I have to show pictures that I took of my garden. I have little tiny baby cucumbers, and I am just in awe. It's amazing, I check on them every day and every day there's something new! I love to watch nature and things take their course.

Thanks for reading all my ramblings as usual, and until next time.

Lina

Wooohooo!! I got my rewards today =)

I opened up my mailbox and how exiting to see that envelope from My Points??? OMG my three gift cards for Overstock.com came in, I'm dancing on my chair right now. And here is a picture, so I can get you excited too! I also got some free samples from P&G, overall I can't complaint.

I have to show pictures of my San Marzano tomatoes, they are growing so much. I have a bunch of little tomatoes on the vine! I just can't wait to make my sauce with them yummmy. I took a picture of my cucumbers and of course as promised Spot!!

It's amazing to watch nature take it's course. It all started out with a little seed that I saved from last year's farmers market finds. And now its a grown plant with blooms and fruits. I know my kids will enjoy picking the tomatoes and eating them right off the vine. It really is a different taste than what you would normally get at the store. The flesh is just fresh and delicious. And although their shelf life is not as great as what you buy at the store, you are also eating the most natural and organic. I don't use any pesticides, or growth pills or whatever the case may be. I just picked up some composted leaves from my yard, and away they grow!

My cucumbers are beginning to vine, I did plant them a little late. But nevertheless, I can see little buds where there will be flowers soon. And of course a salad isn't a salad without lettuce! I have that going as well, they are slowly making their way up to catch up with the rest.

Please if you have any comments or suggestions, I do appreciate them. Follow me, share me, twitter me, I don't mind at all ;) I hope you enjoyed my blog, and until next time!

Lina

Working, working, working!!

I've been away from my computer for a few days now, been working since last week and needed a day to recuperate ;). But I have to say my vegetable garden is doing well. I picked some baby leaf lettuce yesterday, and the taste was wonderful. I finally see little baby tomatoes on the vine, from what I can tell they might be the San Marzano Roma tomatoes. I picked up a few last year at the Woodstock Farmers Market and saved the seeds (except I never label my seeds). I put them out early and to my surprise they held up really well even in the cold weather. We have yet to work on our raised beds, and since it's a bit late now I might just build it and get it ready for next year. Or I might use it for lettuce and radishes, since lettuce is cold hardy it should work. 

Simon is sitting on my lap as I type, he is just the biggest cat I've ever seen lol! I promised to post pictures of our pets, and here is a picture of him. I will have a picture of Spot, our bunny up soon. Here is a picture of my tomatoes plants, I believe this is the San Marzano. I suppose I will let you know soon enough. 

My Points Overstock gift cards are on their way! I have yet to figure out what to get from them :/ I almost feel like I should have chosen The Gap or Old Navy! I am not great at purchasing clothing online, in fact, I've never bought clothes online. So with that in mind, maybe I will stick to my usual electronics purchase, perhaps a new espresso machine :). I have to have my morning coffee when I'm going to work, otherwise I am like a walking zombie. Cappuccino anyone? I just love FREE stuff!! I few emails here, survey there, and voila! A gift card in the mail! 

I will sign off for now, besides, I am in pain right now! I broke a nail down to the nail bed at work the other day and it seems like every time I bump into something it lands right on my nail!!!!

Until next time, 

Lina

What's a DisOrganized Person to do? (or not)

So I got this book by Stacey Platt, What's a disorganized person to do? and I've only flipped through the pages. So caring/carelessly, as if that will help me straighten out my life and my house and my kids!! Which gets me thinking, what is the difference between an organized person and an obsessive compulsive person? Not really sure :/ What I do know is this, I am the most disorganized person I've ever met (well maybe not the most, but I'm sure feeling like I am) and for some reason I obsess over the stupidest little things like my flatware has to be in a certain order, my knives have to be organized by size and face a certain way, my dishes are all by type and size!! But that's about all that's organized in my house, therefore, in hopes that I can organize a little around here, I'm hitting the book!

Today we are hoping to work on our first raised bed for our garden! With all the room we have, you would wonder why on earth we are using raised beds?? Well, for one they are easier to manage and reach, also the ground is really hard to work with rocks and what not, and thirdly I can put my very own soil in them. I also have to somehow fence the area to keep my little and big visitors away from my veggies. We often see little chipmunks, squirrels, birds of all sorts, wild rabbits, but most of all DEERS! they love veggies and flowers and will wreck havoc if I don't fence.

Enough about that! Apart from my husband and I, we have our three precious kids, a cat and a bunny! I will post pictures of our pets soon, and I am also hoping to add an angora bunny soon. I have been brainwashing my husband into this whole "let's farm our own stuff and raise animals" idea; and I really think it's working ;). I am convinced that if we are really frugal and we grow our own vegetables, raise chickens for the eggs, have bunnies for the wool, we can live on a 30K/yr budget! Wish me luck!

On a last thought, I can't wait to get my free $75 worth of Overstock.com gift cards!! Yeah!! If you like shopping online and answering surveys I can show you how to get free gift cards to your favorite stores. Beware though, it takes some time out of your day *or night* to go through your emails (Free doesn't always mean easy).

Thanks for dropping by to read my rants, and idiotic thoughts. Until next time,

Lina

Wow my first blog!!

So here I am giving this an attempt!! Wow I suppose that's one of my favorite vocabulary words right now. I am not all that great at keeping up with writing or blogging and what not, but hey, it's worth the try :)

So here is what you will find in my blog: a lot of complaining about the kids :/ *who doesn't complain?*, my gardening attempts!, my usual crochet this and that, maybe a few how to's videos on crochet and knit, an occasional poem, and my path to trying to live a self sustainable, happy, green life. This is a learning process for me, and it is my dream that I will be able to run my household on very little outside resources. YES you heard me right, I am attempting to grow my own vegetables (I've grown tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in the past), maybe in the future collect rain water :O!!, and lots of chickens, bunnies, cats and who knows a pig or two LOL.

I just think that there is more to life than having to depend on others to provide for us. So I really hope you'll stick around on this journey o'mine and keep on reading my blogs.

On another note, just bear with me as I design this page. I am not very familiar with all the gadgets and need to get to learning this!! If you have any suggestions drop them by please.