7th Grade First Day on Campus

 Skye is in 7th grade this year.  I know it sounds weird saying that she is just going to school in October, but that is not because she hasn't been goin.  I selected distance learning for the first quarter of school.

See the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

For More Info on Melaleuca

 I'm a recent addition to the Melaleuca line, but their system works a bit differently than most order sites.

If you want more information on how to join Melaleuca with me, please contact me through Facebook and I will gladly share the information with anyone that is interested.  

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Molly's Kittens Update

 Molly had her kittens yesterday.  

One of those kittens was born with special needs.  The kitten had paws that were curled in and it wasn't able to walk properly.

That baby lost the battle during the night and we buried it with the others we have lost in the last couple years.

See the update here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

My Melaleuca Order

 We recently signed up for Melaleuca.  

My job is to recommend them to others and help them to sign up as well.  According to the rules of Melaleuca, I can't just post a link for people to sign up too. 

I can help you find more information on the products and how to sign up though.  So if you are interested in that, please message me through Facebook.

See what we got in our order here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Molly's Surprise New Kittens

 It was an ordinary morning just like any other morning.  At least for us humans, for Molly it was a special morning.

She had another litter of kittens this morning.  We found them on the couch when we got up that morning.

See her latest babies here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cat Pile

 The cats are at it again.  They are piling up on each other and its still amusing.

See them here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Making Halloween Cups

 So Halloween is fast approaching and its time to get the Cricut out and make some cups for the house again.

I believe the font I used was Be Strong that I downloaded from DeFont.com.  The cups I purchased at Walmart, where I get the majority of the items that I make for the house.  Well, Walmart or Dollar Tree.  They are two of my favorite stores.

See the cups here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Kitten Update 9 29 2020

 Those crazy cats are growing faster than weeds.

See their growth here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Funny Mao Mao Moments

 Mao Mao is one of Molly's second litter of kittens.  She is ornery and very rambunctious.  

She has the energy of a toddler on speed and the determination of one too.

See her antics here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Sewing Reusable Grocery Bags

 I hate wasting things that can be used for something else.  I also hate flat sheets.  I get tangled up, they have to be fixed every morning more than just the blankets, and they are just a pain in the rear end.

So why not use that flat sheet to make something else.  That is what recycling is all about after all.  I took a left over flat sheet, the rest I have already repurposed other places, and turned it into reusable grocery bags.  

The best thing about these bags is how easy they are to clean.  I just throw them into the washing machine with my towels.  If something leaks, it just goes in the washer.  Say goodbye to scrubbing out bags in my bath tub.

See them here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Sewing Fabric Bins

 So the Big Guy needed some kind of organizing in the top drawer of the system we have set up for his games.  This is where he keeps all his guy stuff, his cigarettes, lighters, anything that he takes out of his pockets.  Basically, its a catch all for his stuff. 

The problem is that the drawer isn't deep enough for many of the small bins I have found at Walmart or the Dollar Tree.  

So I decided to try making some bins out of the fabric I already had.

See how I made them here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Moo is in Heaven

 It is a sad day in our household tonight.  It wasn't long after my last video that Moo succumbed to whatever was ailing him.

I tried everything that I could think of to try on a Saturday night with no vet available.  I made him some goats milk to get him to eat, which he did for a bit, but that didn't last for long.  

My poor Moo is now in heaven and we miss him dearly.

This video is graphic and does show his last spasm of movement.  I was hopeful at first that he was not gone, but he didn't move again, nor take any breathes again.  

Watch it here:

See you soon!

Danielle

Moo is Sick

 Moo isn't his usual self. Instead of being spunky, and climbing out of the bin to sit in bowls, he is not doing much of anything.

We are worried, but hopeful.  Its late on a Saturday night to make it worse so a vet trip isn't an option, with nothing being open.

See Moo here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Moo Moment

 Moo is our special needs kitten.

We have special needs kids and kittens.  All four of our children struggle with different issues, I guess it shouldn't surprise us to have kittens that do as well.  

Here is our little Moo and his special needs moment:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Petunia & Hope

 Well, the craziness just keeps going.  

Here is one of those moments when one of the babies is hanging with one of the other cats, that isn't it's mamma.

See that here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Funny Kitten Moments

 We love our animals, but there are times when they do things that are just, well weird. 

This is no different.  The kittens are having a few of those weird moments.

Watch them here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cirkul Bottle Review

 Do you hate drinking water?  The Big Guy does.  He absolutely hates it, detests it, and tries to avoid it at all cost.  Even if it is better for him than soda.

Enter in Cirkul as the solution.  They offer many flavor options and intensities to please everyone.  NO this isn't sponsored.  They don't know I exist.  I just enjoy the product.  

See the latest flavors we chose here:

See you soon!

Danielle

Might Fix Box

 This month's Mighty Fix box is in.

This month I chose the laundry powder to try out.  I am now, a few weeks later since I record a bit out, almost out of the laundry powder and I am still enjoying it.

See more about this month's item here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Molly & the Massage Mat

 Our cats our funny.  They each have personality like a human.

What's even funnier is their reaction to things, like vibrations and noises. 

This day, I was sitting on my massaging heating mat and Molly was determined to sit in my lap.

But she wasn't sure about the noises the mat was making.

Watch it here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Momma Cats & Babies

 With both Pudge and Apple having kittens so close together, it seems like they have taken a communal approach to feeding the babies.

See their approach here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Misfits Box

 It is that time again.  Time for another Misfits Box.

We enjoy every box we receive from Misfits.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when we get items that we wouldn't normally purchase or eat.  But that can be the fun in it.  We get to try new veggies or fruits.  If it is something that we truly don't even want to try, then it goes to the dogs in their food, as long as its animal safe of course.  

I don't think we have had a box that we haven't used every item we got.  Not that I can think of anyway.  

See what we got in this box:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Tennessee View

 Skye had a doctors appointment so we all went together.

While in the area, we took the Big Guy to see the beautiful view from the mountain side by the doctors office.

See the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Hope Update 8-30-2020

 I know it has been a while and I am sure everyone is wondering just how Hope is doing.

Well, she is doing well.  She still has moments when she is skittish, but she is getting better use to people.  She has grown like crazy and still loves snuggling with Monster. 

See how she is here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Double Kitten Update 8-30-2020

 The kittens are getting bigger and doing wonderfully after that awful tragedy of the other day.

See how much they have grown in the last five days here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Double Kitten Update Unfortunate Tragedy 8-25-2020

 Today was a sad day.  We lost one of Pudge's kittens.  

We are not sure what happened.  We had to run to get the Big Guy's son from school because he was sick.  When we got home, poor thing was already gone.

See the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Freedom Grooming Using & Review 8-21-2020

 I wanted to get the Big Guy this shaver for Father's Day, but I wasn't able to.  

I finally got it for him earlier this month and we are using it for the first time here in this video.

See how it works and what I think about it here:

P.S. This is not a sponsored video.  They don't even know who I am.  I just like the product.

See ya soon!

Danielle

Crazy Rain Storm 8-19-2020

 One of the things I dislike about Tennessee is the amount of rain they get.  Indiana got snow, Tennessee gets rain.  Go figure.  

We also tend to get some of the inland storms associated with tropical storms down in Florida, Texas, even Louisiana at times.

Today was one of those days when the rain was crazy.

See the video here:

 See ya soon!

Danielle

Double Kitten Update 8-19-2020

 The kittens are growing bigger every day and their personalities are starting to show.

See both sets of kittens in this update here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Misfit's Box 8-15-2020

 It is that time again.

Time for another box of fruits and veggies.

Watch what we got here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Crazy Kid Moment Bag Head 8-14-2020

 Have your kids ever done something completely weird?

I swear Skye does weird things all the time, but then again her momma is a bit weird too at times.

See her latest weird moment here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Apple's Kitten Update 8-13-2020

 We had a tragedy with the babies through the night. 

The little black one didn't survive the night, the poor thing.  

Watch the update here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Pudge's Kitten Update 8-12-2020

 Pudge's kittens are growing like weeds.

See their latest update here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Apple's Kittens are Here 8-12-2020

 The babies are finally here.  It feels like we have been waiting forever now.

See the little kittens here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

What's for Dinner? Pepper Steak Stuffed Peppers

 Dinner is a weird mess of two different meals today.

The Big Guy was wanting some stuffed peppers.  I am not a fan of stuffed peppers but I love pepper steak. 

So I combined them.  I made pepper steak and then added rice, mixed it all together, and stuffed it inside a green pepper.  Then I baked it until hot and bubbly.  Oh and I added cheddar cheese to a few of them cuz the Big Guy is a cheese freak.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Baby Watch with Apple 8-11-2020

 The time has finally come for Apple to have her kittens.  

Watch the beginning action of waiting on kittens to come.  

See ya soon!

Danielle

Lightening Show 8-10-2020

 One of the prettiest things here in Tennessee, besides the mountain views, are the lightening shows.

The flashes can be soothing, for me anyway. 

I was able to catch a few flashes while waiting on the Big Guy to come out of work.

See the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cat Pile 8-10-2020

 Our cats are funny creatures.

They each have their own personality and weird behaviors. 

Watch one of their crazy moments here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Mighty Fix Box 8-8-2020

 It's that time again.  

Time for my Mighty Fix box to arrive.

Watch what I got this month here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Kitten Update 2 Weeks Old 8-7-2020

 The babies are growing!

See their 2 week old growth here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Pudge's Kitten Update Eyes are Open 8-4-2020

 The babies have grown again.

Now their eyes are opening...it is all so very excited.

See the latest update here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Pudge's Kittens 1 Week Old Update 7-31-2020

 The babies are 1 week old in this video.  

They are moving more, looking more like normal kittens, and growing by the day.

See the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Funny Man Pedicure Moments 7-26-2020

 So the Big Guy gets some serious calluses on the bottoms of his feet from standing at work for 8 hours.

Men are also notorious for not clipping their toe nails.  Instead of waiting for him to NOT ask for help, I offered to help keep his calluses and nails handled.

At the beginning of the month, I try to check his feet, trim his nails and work on the calluses.  He is getting better at letting me know if the calluses are bothering him in between visits to the living room pedicure salon.  

As a diabetic, with neuropathy (numbness), I have to keep an eye on my feet because I can't always feel them.  Now that doesn't mean that the little pebble attacking the bottom of my foot doesn't feel like I've landed on a nail sticking out of a boulder that I tried to walk over.  

Watch his funny moment here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Kitten Cuteness 7-25-2020

 Momma Pudge walked away from the kittens.....so I turned on the camera.

Enjoy a few moments of kitten cuteness and weird cat moments.

Watch it here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Pudge Had Her Babies 7-24-2020

 The day is finally here.  Pudge had her kittens.  

I recorded the events so that we would always remember it.  Because my computer is lacking in memory, I did have to make this into 4 videos.  Watch them here:

If you are having trouble with the videos above, you can also click the links here:

Pudge Had Her Babies 7 24 2020

Video 1 

Video 2 

Video 3 

Video 4 

See ya soon!

Danielle

Many Weird Faces of Skye 7-21-2020

 While Skye spent those 2 weeks in Indiana with friends & family, we spoke every day.  Sometimes even multiple times a day.

Usually we spoke through messenger.  Here are a few of the screen shots I took during our conversations that had me just plain cracking up.

Watch the slide show here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Misfits Box 7-18-2020

 It is that time again.  Time for another box of ugly fruits & veggies.  

I absolutely love the service and the price is there too.

Watch our latest box here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Skye's Room Part 3 7-15-2020

 The project is finally complete.  Day 3 finishes her room.

See the final finished room here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Skye's Room Part 2 7-13-2020

 Continues the saga of cleaning and reorganizing Skye's room.

See what I accomplished on this day.

Watch it here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Mighty Fix Box 7-13-2020

 So far, I am enjoying my monthly Mighty Fix Boxes.  

This month is no different.  

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cleaning & Reorganizing Skye's Room Part 1 7-12-2020

 Skye went to Indiana to spend a few weeks with a friend of the family.  While there, she also spent some time with my mom & step dad, and my dad & step mom.  

While she was gone, I took the opportunity to clean and reorganize her room.  I pulled every item of clothing out of her room.  I washed, folded, and reorganized those in her closet and drawers.  I washed all of her bedding and remade her bed.

I also pulled all of her things out and grouped like items together.  From there, I then tried to set up her room in a manner that was easier for her to find things and then return them back to the same place.  

You can watch part 1 of the process here.  This is what I accomplished on the first day. 

See ya soon!

Danielle

Happy 4th of July 2020

Our day was pretty calm, though we did have all the kids.

Moments of bad language, from both kids and adults, and even a few off camera teaching moments.

Watch our 4th of July here:

4th of July 2020

See ya soon!
Danielle

Misfits Box 7 2 2020

Its that time again.  Time for another Misfits box.  We usually only get one a month but this month we went for two.

See what came in this box here:

Misfits Box

See ya soon!

Danielle

Funny Animal Moments

Every one of our animals has a very unique personality.  Lily is no different.  

I thought I'd share a few funny animal moments from our pets here.

Watch the video here:

Funny Animal Moments

See ya soon!

Danielle

Shoulder Update

I am officially done with physical therapy, but not because I am 100%.  It is because there isn't anything else they can help me with.

I have my flexibility and range of motion back and as much of my strength as they can help me with, but the pain is the same as before and my arm still gives out at times.

Since this video was filmed, I have been back to the orthopedist for a follow up.  They took xrays and checked my shoulder.

According to them, I need to continue to work the muscles, but there are no issues showing up in the xrays and structurally everything looked good (based on the xrays).  So at this point, the issues I am having are just what it is, it is.  I will continue to work my muscles and build up more strength on my own and hope that my collar bone cooperates eventually.

Watch the video here:

Shoulder Update

See ya soon!

Danielle

Crazy Bad Storm

The weather here in Tennessee is definitely different than it was in Indiana.  

For one, there is no way in the world I would be running my air conditioner starting in March if I was still back in Indiana.  I am also grateful that it is not as cold in Tennessee than it is in Indiana in the winter.  I don't miss needing 2 and 3 layers of clothes and extra socks in snow boots just for a trip to the corner to get milk from the gas station.  

One thing I am not sure I like here is the amount of rain they get.  I am not talking small little rain storms, though we get them here too, we seem to get big bad storms.  Thankfully, we are in a higher elevation where I am at, but we still deal with flooding more than snow days.

See the big storm here:

Crazy Bad Storm

See ya soon!
Danielle

DIY Cleaning Wipes

In this video, I make 2 types of cleaning wipes.  The first one is strictly for cleaning and contains no bleach.

1/2 roll of paper towels

1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup water

1 tsp dish soap

5 to 10 drops essential oil (optional)

Combine the ingredients.  Put the paper towels into a container.  Pour the liquid over it and let it sit for a few minutes before removing the cardboard tube in the center.  Keep covered when not in use.  

The second one uses bleach and is considered disinfecting.  That means  you still have to clean it first but the disinfecting wipes can then kill germs.

1/4  cup bleach of choice

2 1/4 cups water

Combine and follow the directions above.  

I also added about 10 drops of orange essential oil to this recipe as well to help it smell better.  This is totally optional but I am not a fan of the smell of bleach.

These recipes can be doubled or halved depending on the size of your paper towel or the container you are using.

Watch me make these from start to finish here:

DIY Cleaning Wipes

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cat Bed Again

I'm not sure if I should start to take this personal or not.  Are my cats saying I'm wide enough to be a bed?  

They seem to like laying on me anyway.

It happened again here:

Cat Bed Again

See ya soon!

Danielle

Misfits Box 6 20 2020

It is time for another surprise box from Misfits.  We absolutely love their veggies.

See what we got in this box here:

Misfits Box

See ya soon!

Danielle

Father's Day Shirts

Father's day was a little crazy in our apartment, I mean with moving everything from Indiana just a few short weeks before that, so I didn't have much time to get these made.

I didn't record the process, I'm sorry, but I did want to share the shirts I made.

Watch the video here:

Father's Day Shirts

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cleaning My Cricut Boards

I won't lie, this was much easier to do than I had anticipated.  

What I used:

dish soap

scrubby sponge

dish scraper

water

I put each of the cricut boards into my kitchen sink.  I used my dish scraper on each of them scraping off as much of the hair and gunk as I could.

From here, I then drizzled each of them with dish soap and scrubbed them well using the scrubby side of my kitchen sponge.

I rinsed the soap off well and hung the boards up to dry.

Luckily, when my boards were dry, they were sticky enough for my purposes.  If they weren't, I was going to give them a coat of adhesive spray.

Watch the video her:

Cleaning My Cricut Boards

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 10

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

The 10th and final day is here.  See the apartment at this point.

Watch it here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 10

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 9

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

Its been 9 days since we brought my stuff back from Indiana.  What has gotten done?

Watch it here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 9

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 8

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

Watch Day 8 Here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 8

See ya soon!

Danielle

Hope Moments

This funny little cat is very entertaining at  times.

She is still afraid of a lot of things, but is doing well.

See her funny moments here:

Hope Moments

See ya soon!

Danielle

Monthly Mighty Fix Box

I have one big splurge for myself every month.  And by "big splurge" I mean $11 a month.

This $11 a month gives me one green product for myself, someone in my house, or my house itself.  

What did I get this month?

Watch it here:

Monthly Mighty Fix Box

See ya soon!

Danielle

Update on Hope 6 13 2020

She has been with us almost 2 weeks now and I swear she grows in front of my eyes.

She is still scaredy cat but she is making friends with the other cats now.

See how she is doing here:

Update on Hope

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 7

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

It has been a week since we brought back the rest of my stuff from Indiana.  There have been days where I got a lot done and days where I just got through the day.  

Watch the update here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 7

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 3

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

I've done it again and gotten more accomplished.

Watch Day 3 here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 3

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 2

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

Day 2 is here.  What did I get accomplished this day?

Watch it here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 2

See ya soon!

Danielle

Indiana Chronicles Day 1

So my stuff is finally all here from Indiana.  Watch as I update you, day by day, on how I have cleaned up the apartment after bringing all that craziness back.

This is the first day.  The crazy unloading day.  The day where everything is every where and driving me nuts.

Watch Day 1 here:

Indiana Chronicles Day 1

See ya soon!

Danielle

Being a Cat Bed

It doesn't happen often that I wake up confused.  Don't get me wrong, its not hard to confuse me sometimes, but not usually when I am waking up.

This day was the before Indiana to home with the rest of my stuff.

Watch the video here:

Being a Cat Bed

See ya soon!
Danielle

Update on Hope

So we have only had Hope a few days now, but she is already growing.

She is  still skittish but is now eating solid food on her own.  

Watch her grow here:

Update on Hope

See ya soon!

Danielle

Welcome Hope

Well, I think we should consider founding a zoo or something.  Skye found another lost animal today.

We were driving home and Skye had us stop and she ran across the street.

When she came back to the car she was holding a scared ball of fur barely the size of her hands.

So we took her home with us.

Meet Hope here:

Welcome Hope

See ya soon!

Danielle

Family Tie Dye Event

Every so often, we like to do activities with all the kids.  Well, my mind is currently drawing a blank at what we did last year with the kids besides chalk paint, which Skye has informed me is not fun.

Anyway, the first family event of this summer, crazy summer that it has been so far with the COVID-19 happening, was tie dye.  I purchased the kit through Amazon (I think).  The t-shirts were purchased from Walmart.  

There were a number of ways we could of used the tie dye kit I purchased.  I could of used it as a powder with ice to ice dye our shirts, but with 6 of us, I was afraid that would use up the powder before everyone was able to dye their shirts.  So we went with the liquid option, which meant mixing each bottle with water.  

Simple enough.  Just don't forget to put gloves on for this part as my hands were stained for a while afterward and even after the dye was off my hands, I looked like I had something weird going on with the cuticles around my finger nails for even longer.  Learn from my mistakes, trust  me.  Some fingers looked like they had a weird fungus and some looked like they were bleeding.

Watch the video here:

Family Tie Dye Event

See ya soon!

Danielle

Misfits Box

We are truly loving the Misfits Boxes that we have been getting.  

The quality is amazing, the cost is a savior, and not having to go to the store myself is the right way for me.

We never know what we are getting before hand so its always a surprise.  

See this surprise here:

Misfits Box

See ya soon!

Danielle

Boss Eats Out

I love our cats.  They are just as crazy as we are and have different personalities to match.

This crazy day I thought Jack had 2 heads.  I mean, I know are cats are weird, but really?

On closer inspection, I find Boss helping himself to Jack's food.

Watch it here:

Boss Eats Out

See ya soon!

Danielle

Veggie Cups

Another recipe to make life easier when you have children.

Here I am making veggie cups with cucumber, celery, green peppers, and baby carrots.  The joy in this is that the veggies can change based on what veggies your family eats.

Then add some dressing or peanut butter and you have a ready to go snack.

Watch the video here:

Veggie Cups

See ya soon!

Danielle

Yogurt Parfaits

Here is that other breakfast parfait.

Here I used strawberry yogurt, honey & oat granola, peanut butter granola, and chopped strawberries.

I made them up the day before and the kids helped themselves to them for breakfast or lunch.

The joy of making your own is customizing them for your likes and preferences.  If you want some chocolate chips in there, add them in.  Or if you are a coconut fan, add some sweetened shredded coconut.

Its all about you and your likes.

Watch the video here:

Yogurt Parfaits

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cereal Yogurt Parfaits

I am always looking for ways to make my mornings easier.  Especially when we have all the kids.  We are a 2nd shift household and getting up and making food first thing in the morning, just isn't happening here.

So, Pinterest to the rescue.  I found a few recipes that I wanted to try.  I set them up the day before and then come morning, the kids just had to grab one and chow down.

This one is a Cereal Yogurt Parfait.  The main concept is to chose cereal that your kids will eat and pair that with fresh fruit and yogurt.  

For these ones, I chose fruit loops cereal (Walmart generic brand), cut up strawberries, and strawberry yogurt.  The fun is in finding combinations that taste good and keep mornings easy and fun.

Watch the video here:

Cereal Yogurt Parfaits

See ya soon!

Danielle

Mighty Fix Box

For the last couple of months, I have received a box from Mighty Nest with green products to help reduce waste.

So far, I have received dryer balls, solid dish soap, and then this box.  Every box I have enjoyed more than I expected to.  The dryer balls couldn't have been more perfect as I was in need of new ones to replace some of my older worn out ones.  As a soap maker myself, I have been intrigued by the concept of solid soaps for washing clothing and dishes, but hadn't yet tried it out for myself.  This was the perfect option to try it out.

This box was another one that I was looking forward to receiving (I chose the last 2 options for my boxes, though the first box of dryer balls was a surprise).  

See what I chose for this box here:

Mighty Fix Box

See ya soon!

Danielle

My New Steam Mop

I love my steam mop.  I used it for everything.  I even used it to steam clean the walls on occasion.  So you can imagine my frustration when the darn thing just stopped working.

So I got a new one.  It doesn't have all the features of my old one.  Mainly, I can't use it to steam mop the walls anymore because it has a safety feature that stops it from working if it is vertical.  Other than that, I am once again in love.

Find out more here:

My New Steam Mop

See ya soon!

Danielle

Kitchen Storage Tip

Our apartment is small.  There aren't many options for storage in many of the rooms.

One of the many ways that I have added storage is with hooks.

Watch the video here:

Kitchen Storage Tip

See ya soon!

Danielle

Cleaning Under the Stovetop

I don't know about you, but there always seems to be an area that I don't think about cleaning.  Until it's too late that is.  This is one of those areas that I don't clean as often, but try to remember to do it a couple times a year.

This type of cleaning may not apply to everyone.  If you have an electric stove/oven, then you may not have to clean under the top as it won't raise up.  Check your stove and clean it if you haven't done so recently.  No one wants a fire hazard in the making.

See how I do it here:

Cleaning Under the Stovetop

See ya soon!

Danielle

Fridge Sagas

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to just be going wrong?

Well, this day was that for me.

Let me set the scene.  3 am.   Just heading to bed (we are a 2nd shift household). 

Then there is a popping noise and Skye yells.

I head back to the living room and she tells me that sparks were flying from the fridge.

I check the breakers and they are on and working as far as I could tell.  Big guy was sleeping already at this point, he had gone to bed shortly after getting home from work because he had a bad headache.

The real fun starts the next morning when maintenance came to see what was going on with the fridge.

Watch the video here:

Fridge Sagas

See ya soon!

Danielle

Sewing Bottle Holders Part 2 Me & Joe Continued

Here is the final part in the Bottle Holder saga. 

Please feel free to ask questions on any of the footage that was lost.  I will answer them either in the comments or in a video, depending on the details needed.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Sewing Bottle Holders Part 2 Me & Joe

In this two part video, I show you how I sewed together the bottle holders for myself and the big guy. 

I split this up into two videos because of the size of the videos, not because I wanted to keep everyone handing for the second video.  My computer just didn't like the sizes of the files.  We fought on that for a good day before I caved and split it. 

I did lose some of the footage, so please let me know if you have any questions and I will either answer those in a reply or reply in a video if the questions are lengthy. 

Watch Part 1 here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Sewing Bottle Holders Part 1 Skye

When the weather is nice, we like to take the dogs on long walks.  Let's be honest, we have big dogs and live in a 2nd floor apartment.  This means they don't get as much exercise as I would like in the winter time. 

This means once the weather starts warming up, we start going for longer walks with the dogs.  To make them more enjoyable, we tend to take water bottles with us.  On a long walk, who in their right mind wants to carry a water bottle with them? I know I don't. 

To top it off, we all got new water bottles this year.  Mine & the big guys are pretty large and cumbersome, which makes holding them a nightmare.  Skye's isn't quite as big but she still doesn't want to carry it.

Problem solved.  I made us each water bottle holders that we can carry over our shoulders, keeping our hands free for handling the dogs.

See Skye's bottle here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Misfits Box

I started this about a month ago and greatly enjoyed the first box we received so I decided to get another one this month.  You can get them weekly or biweekly.  I have mine set to biweekly, but usually skip every other one so I get 1 a month.

The first box was pretty cool, exposing us to rainbow carrots and celery root.  This box was just as exciting.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Orion's 11th Birthday Cupcake & Cookie

This year was Orion's 11th birthday.

We celebrated a day late though since they didn't get to come over until late on her birthday itself.

She was hoping for a red velvet cake, so I picked her up a red velvet cupcake and a chocolate chip cookie cake for the rest of us.

We celebrated her birthday with a unicorn candle holder and a funny moment.

Watch it here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Face Painting Skye & Joe

Next up on the face painting rounds was Skye. 

My creative child was determined to do something complicated.

See what she paints here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Face Painting Orion & Joe

Amidst the face painting, came the development of con men.  Or in this case, con women.

Both Orion and Skye talked Joe into letting them paint his face. 

Oh boy was it fun to watch.

Here is Orion's take on face painting her dad:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Face Painting

Orion turned 11 this week.  So, as a part of her birthday gift, I got the girls face paint.

I pulled out our crafting table, affectionately called our junk table.  It has been through hell and back and still stands.  It is ripped, covered in glue, glitter and paint.  So it is brought out whenever something messy is about to happen.

And boy did it happen...

Watch it here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Sewing Grocery Bag Holders

One of the downsides of going to the store are all those plastic grocery bags hanging around. 

I love reusable shopping bags, don't get me wrong, but I do not have enough of them for anything more than a quick shop for only a few items.

That is on my agenda for the future, possibly sewing my own, but in the mean time I have got to
tame the plastic bag parade.

So, I made a few grocery bag holders.

Here is how I did it:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Pink Eye

Happy birthday to me!  Well, 2 days ago anyway.  I rang in my 40th birthday, during this whole social distancing COVID 19, sans family and friends but with pink eye. 

Yes, pink eye.

Gross nasty yucky pink eye.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Fleece Scarf

Ok, so I realize its almost summer, but I couldn't just throw out a perfectly good chunk of fleece in the big guys favorite team of the moment.

I did this scarf as a no sew craft.  I trimmed it to the best size possible based on my excess fabric, then slit the ends and knotted each of the fringe. 

Watch me here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Sewing a King Size Double Fleece Blanket

We have a king size bed.

Do you know how difficult it is to find a blanket for a king size bed that doesn't stop 2" below the top of the mattress?   ME....PICK ME.

It sucks. 

Try giving that itty bitty blanket to two people, telling them to share, and not hog the blanket.  Yeah, right.  Big guy is a blanket hog.  Mainly because he says I freeze him out.  But still, he still hogs the blanket.  I swear he rolls in it so I can't have any blanket. 

Oh, and lets just say washing a blanket is an exercise in futility.  It never, NEVER, is the same afterwards.  It gets bunchy in spots and thin in others.  Its a nightmare. 

Problem solved with a fleece blanket.  Only problem there is most fleece fabrics are not wide enough to cover a king size bed.  Double panel.  Gotcha. 

I know what you are thinking.  Double fleece blankets are too hot in summer.  Well, that would then take care of my freezing the big guy out now wouldn't it.

Watch the steps here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Walking the Dogs

What have you been doing quarantine?    We took the dogs for a walk.

The dogs are not tiny lap dogs.  They need exercise and they don't care that we are supposed to stay inside right now.

They wanted out.

So we took them on a walk.

Join us on the journey here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Kitten Update 4 15 2020

The kittens have grown again.   They get more active every day.

Not to mention their personalities are pretty funny at times.

See the kittens here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

My Mighty Fix Box

I signed up for the Mighty Fix box last month and got dryer balls as my box. 

I use dryer balls and was in need of a few new ones so it worked out perfectly.

This month I got something different.

This is NOT a sponsored video, they don't even know I exist on social media.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Easter Dessert

Easter was a good day to spend with friends and family.  In the wake of the COVID 19 situation, that was not an option.  So, instead, we shared our dessert with our neighbor.

I made mini chocolate pudding pies with marshmallows on top.  We toasted the marshmallows to create Smore Pudding Pies.

Watch the clip here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Easter Morning

Easter was a little crazy this year, with the pandemic going on.  That doesn't mean it still can't be fun.

Despite all the parks being closed, we still had our Easter Egg hunt.  We just had it in the apartment.

It was even more crazy then usual.

Watch it here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Dying Easter Eggs

It is that time of year again.  The time when the fuzzy bunny drops off gifts for the kids. 

I can't remember if we dyed eggs last year, its been a busy year after all, but this year we did.  Well us girls did anyway.  Skye, Orion, and Petra all dyed eggs together. 

It amazes me what they come up with all the time.

Watch their antics here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Laundry Tip for Delicate or Hand Wash items

I hate hand washing clothes.  I don't know anybody who says, "woo hoo, I get to hand wash clothes today."   Not only that but hand washed laundry takes FOREVER to dry. 

In this video, I show you a tip on how to speed up that drying process when you have laundry that has to be washed by hand.

Watch it here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Sewing Face Masks 4/5/2020

So....the big guy works in a nursing home.  This crazy COVID 19 crap has everyone paranoid and has made health care providers set up rules regarding wearing masks to protect themselves and the patients. 

Well, big guy here had asked me to sew him some face masks after he came home with one a coworker had given him.  I made him quite a few different masks and will walk you through how I made them.

Watch my process here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Kitten Update 3/25/2020

Holy Cow! Can you believe how much the kittens have grown in just a few short weeks?

I know I can't and I see them every day.  Their eyes are open and they are running around like crazy. 

See the latest update here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Running the Dogs 3/19/2020

Times are crazy right now with everything going on with the COVID 19 issues.  On this day, we took a break from worrying about all that craziness and took the dogs to the ball field to run some of their energy off.

We were at the ball field despite it technically being closed because of the virus but we all needed to use up some energy.

Watch the dogs, kids, and adults blast their way around the ball field here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Misfits Box 3/13/2020

I had been seeing a lot of advertisements for Misfits lately.  They were touted as ugly fruits and veggies but at half the cost of supermarkets. 

Well, yes, sign me up for a trial.  And no, this is not sponsored, they have no idea I exist as anything other than a regular customer.

See what I got in my first Misfits box here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Cat Pile 3/12/2020

Those funny, crazy, cats are doing something weird again.

This time its them piling themselves around.....

See what I mean here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Kitten Update 3/12/2020

The kittens have grown again.

See their latest growth spurt here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Box of Kittens 3/11/2020

Cats are funny creatures.  They do amazing things, crazy things, and strange things. 

Our cats are no different.  I am not sure about any other people's cats, but ours seem to have a love relationship with boxes.  No boxes or bins are safe.  They chew on the corners, claw at them, even lay in them. 

See our latest kitty craziness here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Performance Night Part 2 3/10/2020

Performance night continues for Part 2.

Watch Part 2 here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Performance Night Part 1 3/10/2020

Performance night at Skye's school again.  There were many different groups performing this night. 

It covered all the different groups for all of the schools in the school district, including bands, choirs, and dancers, and ran for many hours.

I didn't know what time the very first performers started, but I was there for the choral groups because of Skye. 

I took snippets of the different groups that performed while I was there.

Because of the length, I broke it down into 2 different videos.

Watch part 1 here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Kitten Update 3/8/2020

Molly's second litter of kittens are growing by leaps and bounds.  Every day they get a little bigger and every day they get a little stronger.

Enjoy the journey with us and watch the latest update here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Snow in Tennessee 2 28 2020

Yes, we do actually get snow here in Tennessee.  But unlike in Indiana, it doesn't seem to stick around for very long is all.

Indiana it seems snow never goes away until the season is over, but in Tennessee it is gone with in hours.

See the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Molly's New Kittens 2 27 2020

Yes, you read that correctly.

Molly had another litter of kittens.  3 adorable kittens this time around.  We have homes for these babies already, we think anyway. 

See her newest babies here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

2 Week Post Surgery Follow Up 2 24 2020

So, it's time for my 2 week check up after having surgery on my shoulder.

It did not go so well.  I got yelled at for not wearing my torture device, also known as the DonJoy Cradle, as much as I should have. 

I found out what they did inside my shoulder as well..

You can watch the update here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

My New Maxipads 2 24 2020

I don't use disposable maxipads anymore.  Well, not often anyway. 

In the last couple of years, I have made my maxipads.  I use fleece for the bottom layer, old towels and flannel fabric on the inside, and a cotton fabric top. 

Here I show you the most recent ones I made to add to my maxipad stash.  Even Skye uses the ones I make and says she doesn't leak as much as she used to with disposable pads.  Though there are times she still uses disposable ones too.

See the new pads here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Dehydrator Sheets 2 14 2020

Every Christmas, my parents usually give me cash as my gift.  With that money this year, I purchased a new dehydrator.  My old one was no longer producing any heat so it was taking forever to dehydrate things and I didn't feel it was a safe way to dehydrate foods.

The problem that I had with my old dehydrator, and the new one since it was almost identical to the original, was that small foods always fell through the webbing of the trays.

Problem is now solved.  I purchased these sheets through Amazon.  I did have to trim the sheets to fit my trays, but it was so worth it.

See the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

My Valentine's Day Gift 2 14 2020

Have I ever mentioned that I am weird? 

Well then let me explain.  I don't want flowers.  They are beautiful, smell magnificent, and can brighten up a room.   They also die.  They can be high maintenance.  They are also expensive as all get out.

I worked in a floral shop for 8 months.  I prepped flowers for arrangements.  I know they have a pretty good mark up and I know how much work they are to look that gorgeous. 

I'd rather spend that money on something that will benefit my entire household than on something I will be throwing out in a week once they are sad, dead, and smelly.

So that's what we did.  We replaced my poor battered and broken food processor.

See the beauty here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Modified Tank for Surgery 2 14 2020

When I had my surgery, they let me know that I would wake up with my torturious (yes, I made that word up) cradle on and would not be able to take it off to get dressed so I needed to bring clothing to wear home that would account for that.

Well, I had nothing that would be big enough to fit over that massive torture device.  So I made something.

I took a tank top that I didn't wear as often, mainly because it wasn't my favorite one, and modified it to make it work for the surgery.

I cut up the entire seam on the right side of the tank, including the shoulder seam.  Then I turned under the edge and stitched all the way up on each side, to help prevent fraying later.  Then I put snaps in.  I added two snaps on the shoulder and three snaps up the side.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

DIY Sifting Litter Pan 2 12 2020

In this video, I show you how I made a self sifting litter pan to use with the pellet style litter. 

There is a correction that I need to note.  In the video, I stated that I used a 3/32" drill bit initially before drilling larger holes into the pan in spots.  I misread the drill bit size.  I actually used a 3/16" bit for the smaller holes and a 7/32" drill bit for the bigger holes.

If I was to make another one of these, I would probably increase the hole sizes making the smaller holes the 7/32" and the bigger ones 1/4". 

I used my plastic litter scooper to help me determine what size holes I needed, but I find it takes a little longer, than I wanted it to, to shake the saw dust out of each pan. 

Watch my process here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

How to Put on a DonJoy Cradle 2 11 2020

The DonJoy Cradle is my torture device of late after having surgery on my right shoulder. 

Here I show you how to put the cradle on because I was not able to find much online about this cradle or how to use it.

I hope this helps others out if you end up needing to wear one.

Learn more here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Bandage Removal & Skin Irritation 2 7 2020

Surgery was two days ago now.  Sleep has been difficult, doing anything alone impossible, but it is about to get a little better.

Today the bandages come off.  Woooo hooooo.   Trust me, this is exciting.  I can take a shower, though I will need help to was, but I CAN TAKE A SHOWER.  This is the best feeling in the world when you are unable to do it.  I'm not talking about not taking one by choice, but not being allowed to take one is completely different.

Watch the progress here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Surgery Day 2 5 2020

So...the day is finally here.

They are going to go in and hopefully fix the issues I am having with my shoulder.

I won't know more about what actually happened until later down the road but see the beginning processes here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Donjoy Cradle 2 4 2020

In preparation for my surgery, the orthopedist provided me with a special torture device that I would have to wear to help the healing process.

The torture device is also known as a DonJoy Cradle.  It holds your arm, which ever one it would be, in a "neutral" position while it is healing from surgery. 

This torture device also comes with a few configurations and pillow options to try to make the torture as pleasant as possible, as if that was possible. 

See the components here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Blood Work Surgery Prep 1 29 2020

In this video, it is a week before my shoulder surgery is scheduled and I am having my blood work done. 

Watch the short clip here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Recipe/Kitchen Tip 1 28 2020

Finding ways to make life easier is something I look for in everything I can. 

This includes finding ways to keep things I use often right at my finger tips.

Watch my quick tip here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes 1 28 2020

I love baked potatoes.  My diabetes doesn't, but I love them.  They are yummy and filling and taste amazing.  However, they take forever to make in the oven.  The microwave can help you out but if you forget to poke them, they can explode in there.  Not a fun cleaning day.

Since I got my pressure cooker for Christmas, I have been looking for more things to cook in it and to my surprise, baked potatoes are one. 

Make sure you scrub them potatoes well, no one wants to taste dirt in their potato.  Follow your pressure cookers directions on how much liquid is needed for your particular machine.  Mine has a minimum of 1 cup of liquid.  In a 6 quart cooker, you can do 8 or 9 extra large potatoes, you more smaller ones. 

I recommend trying to cook ones that are all about the same size since difference in sizes could mean some are well done while others are still hard in the center.  When I am making medium size potatoes, I cook them on high pressure for 13 minutes.  Large potatoes for 17 minutes, and extra large potatoes for 20 minutes. 

Watch my process here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Making Flavored Butters 1 28 2020

Making flavored butters is pretty easy.  It takes only a few ingredients and supplies to make it as well.

First off, you will need butter.  I usually use unsalted butter just so I can control the amount of salt in the finished product, but if you prefer salted then use that.  Make sure this is at room temperature or you will have a heck of a time mixing in the flavors.

Then you will need herbs and spices or whatever you wish to flavor the butter with.  In this video, I make two variations.  The first has minced garlic, basil, thyme, minced onion, and salt. The second has mushroom powder, minced garlic, and minced onion. 

In my video, I used a food processor to mix the butter and flavorings together.  My poor food processor has seen better days and I am looking into replacing it.  Now if you don't own one, don't let that stop you from making it.  You can also use a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whichever you have available and depending on how much you are making at one time.  If you are making only a small amount, the hand mixer may work better since a stand mixer may have difficulty with a small amount. 

Now just because I am making savory items, doesn't mean that is what you are limited to.  I fully intend on making some more sweet ones that can be used on toast or what not.  When I made these savory ones, I didn't have any dehydrated fruit available to mix in.  That will come once fruit is in season again.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Cleaning the Oven 1 28 2020

As with the oven racks, it was once again time to clean the oven.  Especially with my surgery coming up and it limiting my abilities for a bit.

I still wonder how long the apartment was empty before we moved in and how long it had been since someone besides me had cleaned out the oven.

Watch my process here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Update on My Health 1 28 2020

I have many health issues, most of which I struggle with on a daily basis.  Fibromyalgia, diabetes, migraines, just to name a few. 

More recently, I have been having issues with my right shoulder.  It started with me not being able to raise my arm above shoulder height when my arm was out stretched.  If I ran my hand up my body, I could then go above my head but had no strength to hold anything remotely heavy.

My doctor sent me for xrays and started me on an anti-inflammatory.  The meds helped with the issues in other areas of my body but did nothing to help the issues in my shoulder.  At that point, she sent me for an MRI and referred me to an orthopedist. 

The orthopedist changed my anti-inflammatory and added in a muscle relaxer along with having me try physical therapy to increase my range of motion.  The physical therapy helped with my range of motion but did nothing for the pain. 

Next step was surgery to repair the damage in my shoulder. 

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Oven Rack Cleaning 1 28 2020

We have lived in this apartment now for almost 2 years.  In those years, I have cleaned the oven and the racks a few times, but they never really fully looked clean to me.

I have no idea how long the appliances were in the apartment before we moved in or how long ago they were cleaned before we moved in.  Just that thought makes me cringe a little. 

In this video, I test out a pinterest hack using dryer sheets.

Watch my progress here:

See ya soon!
Danielle

Weird Cat Poses 1 14 2020

If you have ever owned a cat, you may find their antics very funny. 

I have plenty of times when I find their antics frustrating.  Times like when I am chasing them off the top of my cabinets or fridge, but there are plenty of times when they make me laugh.

This video is composed of pictures I took of our cats in various poses and funny expressions.  I hope they make you laugh as much as they made me laugh.

Watch the video here:

See ya soon!

Danielle

Deer Feeding Ground 1 13 2020

Our apartment is on the edge of town.  That means we see plenty of wild life, which includes deer.

These particular ones love the grass close to Skye's school. 

These guys also seem unafraid of me or of the traffic driving past them.  I find this fascinating.

See my short video here:

See ya soon!
Danielle