Fall Cleaning

I am all about "natural" in terms of how I clean my house and I'm feeling the need for a run through of the house, every room - walls to floor, as we come into Fall.  With asthma and just the fact that there are so many chemicals in a lot of regular cleaners, who wants to inhale those or come in contact with them?  I use products that are found in almost all kitchens for baking - really, if you can ingest it, it shouldn't hurt your skin or lungs, should it? My husband can not stand the smell of vinegar so he does not like my cleaning methods.

So if he doesn't mind using those strong cleaners that aren't environmentally friendly or good for my asthma, he is welcome to clean the toilet himself.  I prefer natural cleaning products. It's better for the environment and better for the health of my kids and myself.

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School Year Starting Out Busy

My two teenagers have their first marching band parade of the school year this weekend. My son plays drums.  My daughter usually plays flute but she decided to do flags this year instead. Their choices make my job easier.  I don't need to worry about running to buy Alexander Reeds when a reed breaks at the last minute (I played clarinet...I remember the horror at a broken reed and no more left).  My stepdaughter also played clarinet.  I might have to worry about a drum stick dropped and left behind in the road but hopefully not. My daughter's flag - that should be safe.  She drops it, she picks it up easily.

We have a new band director this year and the kids are VERY behind.  With their first game Friday and a parade Saturday, I am nervous for them.

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Unrealistic Expectations

We haven't put our house up for sale yet.  It's taking longer to get it ready.  We have the downstairs hallway done.  That leaves the master bedroom and family room.  Ugh.  I just want to sell it and get out of Stepford (don't really live in Stepford but it feels like it).

Maybe I was a bit unrealistic to think the house would be on the market as soon as my youngest stepchild turned 18.  Probably.

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Moving Prep

Tomorrow we look for flooring for our current home so we can get our house on the market. I can't wait!!

I have been planning what our new home will need for horses right down to the eye bolt in the barn and sand in the arena. For my horses, I have so much research to do! Barn (so many options and styles), the right grass, run-ins in the pasture, trees around the pasture (or not), fencing, local vets in the area we want to move to, where to buy hay, etc.).

We have always boarded our horses and this will be a first for actually taking care of them myself. I have quite a bit to do but I really can't wait to look out and see our spotted  pasture pets in our own yard!

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Last Post...Have a Good Weekend

This is my last post until after we see the ex.  Unless I check in via cell phone with posts, which isn't likely because it is going to be a busy kind of vacation, this is it.  I hope everybody has a good weekend.  I probably won't sleep much and will be wishing for sleeping pills to zonk me out but I have so much to do.  Who has time to sleep? Not me.   Baths, laundry, dog baths, packing, lists, cleaning...it's a lot of work to go on vacation.  (Have you ever realized that it's usually mom who does all the work and the other parent who actually feels like they're on vacation?)

Have a good weekend!  Stay safe.  I hope the weather cooperates for everybody.  Fingers crossed that my car gets us where we need to go!

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Admitting To Middle-Age

I have lost enough weight to be able to get my wedding band and anniversary band back on again!  I was so happy to be able to slide the rings back on again today.  When they were put on my finger, I was a size 2/4.  I am nowhere near a 2/4 again but I am definitely feeling better about myself at the moment.  I've lost enough to get my sparklies back on again.  I am a diamond girl!  Once I meet my weight goal, I found these hot pair of heels today that I am going to reward myself with.  They would look sexy with a pair of skinny jeans (well, maybe not skinny but skinnier).

One thing I have noticed though is as the weight leaves my face, I'm seeing more wrinkles show up.  I guess the fat filled out my wrinkles for me.  (Gosh, I hope my chest doesn't head further south as I lose more weight too.)  I might have to look up some wrinkle-fighting information.  If I find something that works without huge expense, I'll post about it with a learn more here link for y'all.

I want to grow old gracefully but not roll over and play dead to becoming middle-aged!.  Oh my gosh...middle-aged.  I am middle-aged.  That stinks.  I never said that before (or acknowledged it).  Middle-aged reminds me of my parents, but that's not right anymore.  They are seniors now.  Oh, acknowledging how old I actually am kind of hurts.

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Outgrowing Our House

We've outgrown our house. There's nothing else that I can do (or can afford to do anyway) to make more room. With all these kids and animals, we are busting at the seams and stepping on each other. Can't afford a bigger house though. There isn't one spare wall anywhere to put anything - not a desk or piano or anything. We're full up!

My dream house would be a six bedroom, three bath (one of them being in the master suite) home on at least ten acres with some of them wooded. It's just a dream. We can't afford to move anywhere until child support is done (three years, eight months).

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House Smells Like Dogs

The dogs are taking over my house. Actually, the puppy is. We don't have carpet because of the dogs so you'd think puppy accidents wouldn't smell after they're cleaned up but I can smell dog when I come into the house. I've tried spray air fresheners but they only give a temporary blast of fragrance and then it's gone.

I was looking for something that gave off fragrance consistently throughout the day and I found WoodWick Spill-Proof Reed Diffusers. These look perfect because the kids and dogs can't spill them if they knock them over as they all go barreling though my house (which they do on a regular basis).

No matter how clean my house may look, that smell just makes it feel dirty. I want dogs but I don't want my house to smell like I have dogs.

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