Looking for Great Deals?

I'm always on the lookout for a bargain -- and one easy way to make sure I know about online deals is through Funtasia. Not only does Michele have a great website where you can look up current deals or coupons for nearly any online shopping site -- but you can subscribe to her great Hot Deal Alert -- a daily email with the details for limited time great deals.



Check it out! I've been a subscriber for several years now and I've saved a bundle!

Wins so far this year

I had a couple of nice wins in January. Both were surprizes, because I had entered and then forgot about entering the sweepstakes. One was a local drop-box entry for a $100 debit card, so that is going to come in handy! The other was delivered the other day --

We got a Blu-ray player for Christmas (to attach to one of the big screen TV's that we won last year). But we hadn't purchased any blu-ray discs to watch on it -- so this was a fun win! Even though we don't have any little kids in the house anymore, I'm always up for a good Disney animated movie! Plus, the movies that I'm not that into (like Tinkerbell and Santa's Buddies), will make great Christmas presents for my nephews. This win was valued at about $350! What was surprising to me (after going back and reviewing the sweepstakes rules) was that this was a national online sweepstakes, with unlimited entries. I think I entered only ONE time!

We're just waiting for word on a couple of local drop-box sweeps that we entered very heavily around Christmas -- one for a 42" big screen TV and the other to be in a dice roll to win a Harley motorcycle. I'm hoping all of our work pays off for both of those!

Beautiful Bathroom on a Budget!

The remodeling we are doing in the kids/guest bathroom is coming along nicely! I guess the more remodeling we do, the better we get (so it seems easier). Plus, this job has not had any nasty surprises (knock wood)!

It was my goal to do this bathroom for between $1000-$2000, using leftover supplies from previous remodeling jobs, clearance items, and a lot of elbow grease. It looks like we'll come in on the low side of our budget -- and what is nice is that the bathroom will look very high end!

As we didn't want to spend $600-$1200 on a new vanity, we decided to refinish the exsisting vanity and add hardware. We opted for a beautiful espresso black/brown color. I've never painted cabinets before, so I was leery about how they might turn out -- but we love the look. The natural grain of the cabinet doors shows through the paint, making it seem like the wood has almost been stained that ebony color. We had a rather ugly medicine cabinet on the wall and I cut out the raised panel in the center and we are going to put "rain" glass in the frame that was left. With the espresso finish, the cabinets look brand new, very updated, and very expensive! We purchased an inexpensive mirror (we actually found it first and had the paint custom mixed to match it). As I mentioned in an earlier post, the sink was found on clearance and we are keeping the fixtures we currently have (as we purchased them when we moved into the house and they are a lovely oil rubbed bronze color).

The tile is going up today and my mosaic is being installed in just a few minutes! I'm really excited to see it "in action" so to speak. I've still got to do some mudding and taping of the drywall -- but I can do that while Mike is working on the rest of the bathtub tiling and getting the floor ready to be tiled. If all goes well, this bathroom should be done by next weekend -- about a month from start to finish.

Sweepstaking and Remodeling

Not that the two have much to do with each other, but both appeal tot he bargain hunter/deal finder in me! Christmas turned out to be quite nice -- thanks to a few nice wins in the latter half of 2009. I was able to purchase some gifts thanks to a $200 QVC giftcard and $150 in debit cards that I won. Jonathon got his Wii thanks to a win. I had several food and gas gift cards that we used on the trip to my folks house in Arizona. The whole family was there and a good time was had by all!

Currently, I've been focusing a lot on local/regional drop box sweepstakes. These are those that you might see in a store -- where you fill out your entry and drop it in the box right then. I was notified last week I won another $100 gift card from one of these. Over the Christmas holidays Mike helped me to enter a drop box for a big screen television. They were giving away about 30 of them and it was only open to our state -- so we're hoping that at least one person in our family wins one. Mike says if we win, we'll put it above the fireplace in the front room -- and that he will remodel that area at that time, putting the wiring in the walls, replacing our, unusable gas fireplace, and redoing the tile/mantle on the fireplace. We got in over 50 entries between the two of us -- so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

The kid's bathroom is our latest remodeling project. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Jonathon put his head right through the wall/tile in the bath area -- so it took the shower there out of commission until we got the job done. We've had some ideas on how we wanted to do the room for many months and we've been buying items we needed when we find them on clearance. For example, the tile we used for the master bathroom was on clearance -- so we purchased all of the tile we would need for the kid's bathroom at that point as well. About a month ago, we found a new sink at Lowes -- normally $85, on clearance for $14.50. They only had the display model left, but they took it down for us and Mike installed it at that time (the sink we had before was some sort of PLASTIC and was all discolored, gouged, and scratched).

The work has been going pretty smoothly so far (I think we're getting better at remodeling the more jobs we do!) We took out the walls and ceiling in the bath/shower area and cut down a wall that separated the vanity area from the bath/toilet area -- that really opened the room up! Mike put in a new, quieter but more powerful fan, as well as a couple of new can lights to brighten the place up. I started working on a mosaic I've wanted to do for a long time. It's about 24 inches square and will be the focal point of the room, installed on the tile wall of the bath/shower. I just finished up yesterday and I really like it!

The best part about the mosaic is that it cost only $20 for new materials. Everything else was left over from previous tile jobs in the house! I priced some mosaics online and in the store and the cheapest I could find (for mosaics that either weren't as large or were a much more simple design) were well over $100.

We installed the new bathtub yesterday (nothing fancy -- but better than the old plastic-type tub we had before) and we are putting up the cement board in the shower/tub area today, as well as the rest of the walls that needed to be torn out. The next project will be the tiling and I'm in charge of refinishing the vanity cabinets. We got a great espresso color paint to match a mirror we found. I think it's going to be striking and much more modern than the golden oak color the cabinets are now. I'll keep you updated with pictures as I finish projects!

Back Again!

I've found in my life that I follow a pattern of sorts. I start off a strong (on a project, diet, New Years resolution) and then taper off and forget to finish. It's not on EVERY project I tackle -- but certainly those that are not urgent or are not as fun as another. Now, I enjoy blogging -- but it is easy to put it on the back burner when more pressing things occur -- which is just what happened in this case.

It has been more than four months since I posted last! Of course a lot has happened during that time -- and I've been told I have "verbal diarreah" when it comes to writing -- so I'll make it as short as I can (but then again, this is MY blog, so I guess I can write as much as I want and if you don't want to read it -- then don't!)

Mike is still unemployed and still in school. Luckily, the Post-911 veteran's education bill that passed last summer is really helping in that regard. It pays his tuition and gives us a monthly stipend that helps to buy books, make ends meet, etc. He is currently taking the last course he needs for his bachelor's degree and then two other courses that will transfer towards his master's degree (which he plans to start in the summer). At that point, we'll have to reevaluate things, as his unemployment insurance will have run out and the VA bill doesn't pay the entire cost of the more expensive tuition for the master's degree -- but we both feel it is really important he get his MA -- because any job he can get in healthcare administration at this point is an entry level one that pays quite low. He was also contacted by the people who bought up the assets of his old company (the one that went bankrupt). They have started it up again and will start training pilots in a month or two. They want to hire Mike as an independent contractor a few days a month to teach training classes. It will only bring in as much as the unemployement insurance on those weeks -- but if the new company does well, perhaps the work will increase o r they will find a need to hire someone to manage the training program -- and he will be the obvious choice.

I finally got hired full time at my job in November. Things have been going better than I expected with the women in my office. We are all now rotating from station to station, so I've actually been in the main office for the past two months and I think it has helped to reestablish some sort of relationship with the others. Plus, everyone has been on their best behavior for the most part. The pay is a bit better (by about $1.50 per hour) and most importantly, I do get benefits -- such as dental insurance, paid time off, life insurance, a 401K and a flexible spending account. After paying for all of the benefits, I'm pretty much down to what I was making before -- but we are getting by and it is nice to be able to send the kids to the dentist when they need it.

When Cherron's last television job ended, she decided she wanted a break from the film industry. She applied for a job as an assistant decorator at a local bakery -- as she has always loved baking. She was really smart (and ballsy) and took a plate of some cookies she had decorated to leave with her resume. They called her back within hours and hired her as the main cookie decorator within days! The owners were so impressed with her work (and work ethic) that they have now promoted her to the manager of the entire bakery (as well as a satellite coffee shop they are opening in the food court of a nearby university!) This was after only a few months in her first position there! She would love to open her own bakery/cafe one day, so this is a great opportunity and learning experience for her. I hope she still will have time to decorate and develop new ideas, as she loves that creative aspect. Check out her work on her blog So Many Sprinkles. Here is one of her latest projects:

My son, Jonathon, was getting out of the bath/shower in the kid's bathroom a few weeks ago and slipped. His head went right through the tile wall. The drywall (yes -- that is what they used behind the shower tile!) was basically mushy and crumbly after years of moisture getting through the grout. We had planned to remodel that room -- but not quite yet :) This has prompted us to move forward with that. I'll detail more about that in later posts!

Road Trip!

Mysti and Nick, my oldest daughter and her husband, came to visit for a day before heading onto a dude ranch vacation with Nick's family. Cherron offered to drive them to the dude ranch in eastern Arizona and I came along for the ride. I enjoy seeing parts of the state/country that I haven't visited before. We did some minimal planning, deciding to follow a route that would let us see the "Very Large Array" - one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories, consisting of 27 radio antennas (each 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter. I've seen them before in movies, but it was interesting to see them in person.

The part of the trip I looked forward to the most was visiting Pie Town, NM. This tiny town (blink and you'll miss it), boasts a post office, chiropractor, and two pie shops (you won't find a gas station or fast food joint in Pie Town). We visited the "Pie-O-Neer" diner and pie shop.

Kathy, the owner and pie maker (pictured above) was busy baking when we arrived, although she made the time often to come out and check with customers on how they liked their pie. The menu was simple, with an offering of sandwiches, quesadillas, and soup -- and everything we ordered was delicious! Of course, the best thing was the pies. When we got there, it was busy and one of the workers/musicians suggested that we reserve a slice of the pie we would like, as they went fast. At the time, there was a selection of Blueberry Cream, Apple, Sweet Potato, Strawberry/Rhubarb, and Blueberry (still bubbling from the oven). As we were eating, new pies would periodically arrive, such as Peach/Raspberry, Peach/Almond, and a New Mexico favorite -- Apple pie with green chili and pinon nuts.

For an entree, we had a couple of Kathy's Kraving (a grilled cheese sandwich with tomatoes and green chilies), a BLT, and a spinach quesadilla. All of them were very good, but the Kathy's Kraving sandwich was especially delicious. We then started on the pie. The Blueberry Cream was good, with fresh blueberries on top. The Sweet Potato pie was creamy and delicious -- and we were informed that it was made with molasses instead of sugar. We also had Strawberry/Rhubarb, which was very tart. Kathy informed us that we should have it ala mode, as the sweet ice cream complimented the tartness well. As we were waiting for the Peach/Raspberry to cool enough to slice (and planned to have that pie ala mode), we set the rest of the Strawberry/Rhubarb to the side to wait for that ice cream. When the Peach/Raspberry slice arrived, the four of us set upon it like we hadn't eaten for days. It was quite possibly the best pie I had ever eaten. When we finished (within moments), I flagged down the waitress to ask for another slice. We waited anxiously to see if there was any left, as another table had just reserved several slices of the pie. Luckily for us, one was left and we again ate the entire piece within just a few moments.

We had a great time talking to Kathy, listening to the musicians that were playing, and eating some great food in a charming atmosphere. We spent nearly two hours there and, when it was time to go, we were practically waddling on the way to the car as we were so stuffed.

The drive continued, across the Arizona border and past the tiny town of Alpine. We then turned off the winding, mountain road onto a gravel forest road on our way to the Sprucedale Guest Ranch, where Mysti and Nick would be spending the week. The gravel road seemed to go on forever (actually 9 miles) and then we had to navigate a mile of rough dirt road, complete with large potholes. Cherron was not very happy, as she loves her little car and it was not built for four-wheeling. However, we finally made it and I have to admit, the scenery was lovely.We had a few minutes to play with some adorable puppies, a friendly kitten, and dodge a plethora of hummingbirds that were flitting around the porch area. We then told Mysti (our technology girl) to have a great time at the cow milking in the morning and headed back home, taking a different route that took us past some great scenery, including El Malpais National Conservation Area, which had some incredibly cliffs and this great looking arch. I plan to take the family back there sometime this year, as you can go on a 4-mile hike along the top of the cliffs.
All in all, it was a long, but fun day. My husband also had a road trip, but his was not as fun. He was helping our third daughter move back to college. She has her own apartment this year, so there was a lot of furniture to lug around!

Finding Treasures

I love the thrill of the hunt -- bargain hunting, that is! There is nothing quite like knowing exactly what you want for a room/area and then, sometimes months later, finding an item that exactly fits the bill, at an inexpensive cost.

One of my secret pleasures is looking up houses online that are for sale and have the same floor plan as our house. I like to see the pictures and look at what changes they have made. Sometimes I get great ideas on how to remodel or decorate my house. Occasionally, we'll go to open houses, just to see the decor. On one of these outings, I saw that the owners had updated the upstairs deck by replacing the ugly overhead bulbs with great looking ceiling fans. I fell in love with the look and started my hunt.

Unfortunately, indoor/outdoor fans in the style (closed light fixture) and color (oil rubbed bronze) that I wanted were running for over $150 each. I couldn't justify paying that sort of money for something that was mostly a cosmetic update in an area we did not use often. However, the other day I finally found exactly what I wanted and, with our military discount at Home Depot, each fan was only $50!

Mike put them up for me over the weekend and they look terrific. However, then I noticed that the paint and some of the texturizing on the ceiling of the deck was peeling -- and it stood out like a sore thumb now that we had pretty fixtures! So -- another project is in the works. I spent the afternoon scraping off the loose paint and texture, and putting up new tape on the seams of the drywall ceiling. I'm going to mud the seams again tonight, and then I'll be able to texturize before the weekend (and I can spend the weekend painting the ceiling). We already picked up some outdoor furniture for next to nothing (90% off at Target a few years ago), so when we are finished, that area should be a pretty, relaxing area to enjoy a drink in the afternoons and evenings while taking in the great view of the valley and mountains.

Pictures soon to come!