Great Weekend!

Gotta love those tax refunds! I had a good time this weekend spending most of it :-)

Friday night was mommy and Matthew night. Bianca spent the evening with my mom and grandmother and Matthew and I went to Chili's for dinner (his favorite)and then to target so browse.

Saturday Bianca had a basketball game (they won, Yeah!) Then I was off on my shopping spree. I'm still trying to get my house done (see New Years Resolution post). We moved the leather sectional downstairs so far. I went to buy new coffee table yesterday because the room just did not look right with my rectangle table. I think with all the square and rectangle furniture it needed a round table. So I scored a deal at Haverty's. The table I picked out was acutally discontinued so they sold me the floor sample for $75 off and then I got the matching end table for only $100! I'm a bit disappointed because I love my rectangle table and I just got it a year ago at Thomasville. I guess I will put it in the new living room.

Then I was on a mission for a new TV stand. I went to 5 stores before finding one at Charter Furniture. So I bought it and then this morning Jerry and had a lightbulb moment and decided to keep the one we have from upstairs and just move it caddy corner. DUH! So I have to go return it, so that saves me $600!

Then I hit the mall for spring clothes for Matthew and Mommy. I cleaned out the kids closets this week and packed up the stuff that does not fit them anymore. So I got me some stuff at Macy's (shirts and spring sandals) and then GAP, Gymboree and Old Navy for Matthew. I was tempted to buy a new spring Coach but decided to wait until I tally up my damage :-) Next weekend I take Bianca which is always so much fun! She is at the age where she is getting into clothes. We have so much fun at Limited Too and Justice picking out clothes and accessories! :-)

Today, is Jerry's days since I was gone all day shopping yesterday. He is playing golf with his business partners and I'm taking the kids to do accessory shopping for the family room. I need a lamp, accessories for the new coffee table, and a new area rug. I did buy a new piece of art for above the fireplace. I got it off ebay. This artist was featured on Good Morning America and love her stuff. It's a signed original. I ended up just doing one for a buy it now. I was bidding on another one but I got outbid at $350. I was too impatient at trying another auction so just bought one.



I still have lots of stuff left to do though:

Family Room:
Move TV and stand from upstairs and family room should be done.

New Office:
Still need to repaint the new office, hang the new curtains and move the office furniture.

New Dining Room:
Buy new chandeleir and move the furniture. Should not need anything else

New Living Room:
move couch and sofa
buy 2 chairs
Will need some accessorizing

The Game Room is Jerry's so I have no idea what he has planned.

I think I will be painting next weekend!

Summer Vacation

I've been trying to decide what we should do for summer vacation this year. Jerry cannot take more than a week off at a time so I had to find something that the kids and I can do and Jerry join us later.

I think we decided to go to California this year. It's been a while since all of us have gone and since we have lots of family and friends we have not spent quality time with in a while.

So I got the spreadsheet out, LOL and started my planning. Yes every vacation of mine always starts with spreadsheet to outline a daily itinerary and budget! :-

Jerry and I already decided the week he is there he and I are going to do adults only trip to wine country and leave the kids with his parents:-). We're not going to go up to San Francisco but we will go to Carmel/Monterrey and then down to Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.

So I'm still planning the other 2 weeks. Being the Disney freak I am DisneyLand is definitely on the list. My two ideas are:

1. Do a theme park vacation. They have this thing called Southern California City pass which gives you 3 day park hopper to DisneyLand and California Adventure, 1 admission into Universal, 1 admission to Sea World, and 1 admission to San Diego Zoo. You can buy them at Costco for $217 for adults. If we do this we will do a couple days at the beach too and then just some relaxtion days visiting family and friends.

2. Do Disney Land and then a 5 day cruise out of San Diego to Cabo and back and then some beach days and relaxtion days.

I'm still on the fence. I would love to do the 7 day Disney Cruise from LA but it is so expensive and I really want Jerry to go with us if I'm going to spend that kind of money. Not sure I'm brave enough to take both kids on a cruise by myself :-)

Decisions, Decisions!

New Dishes

Yes, I am a nut. I love to cook and entertain but we never have enough time to do it as often as I like. I was at Macy's yesterday and had some coupons and gift card to spend. I found some dishes on clearance that were so cute. They only had 6 plates which was fine, 1 large serving bowl and then 2 large Square plates that could be used as serving platters. The plates had a paisley pattern with reds, greens, corals, yellows. Then there was a coordinating pattern that was not clearanced that had the same colors but in solids. They were on sale though so I bought some square salad plates to match. All of it only cost me $80.

My mom and dad are coming over for dinner tonight so I guess I will breaking them in. We are having Lasagna Rolls, antipasta and chocolate hazlenut raviolis for dessert courtesy of Giada. YUM!!!

I finally did it!

I hired a housekeeper. I used to have one a few years ago (actually a few housekeepers) but decided I would just do it myself because I could not find anybody who would do it to my specifications. Yes I am very anal and if I'm going to pay somebody $100 to clean my house I want it done right.

Jerry has been working crazy hours since the business took off this past month. He leaves by 6AM and has not been getting home until 8,9, 10 sometimes even 11PM. Not to mention he has had to do several long haul trips himself because they did not have enough drivers. So this has left me to deal with majority of household duties, work full time and go to school part time, and I just cannot keep up with it. We're spending good part of our weekends catching up on everything instead of enjoying time as a family.

So I decided to take the plunge and hire a housekeeper again. I had to mentally prepare myself that I know they will not do it perfect but I have to just deal with it. At least they will accomplish 90% of it and that is time I dont have to spend doing it.

I found these ladies as a recommendation off message boards for my mom's neighborhood. They came with very good reviews so I gave it a shot. They actually did a good job and I'm happy with their work! Jerry was totally sweating it yesterday after we returned to the house after they left for the inspection, LOL :-)

So they are coming every other Saturday to do the entire house and then one lady is coming every other Thursday opposite of the Saturdays to do just the downstairs.

It's going to set me back $320/month but I think its totally worth it to save my sanity and my husband's, LOL :-)

Happy Valentines Day

I love holidays! My husband thinks I'm a nut! Most people think Valentines day is a commercial holiday, but aren't they all these days. I still love it; however, we dont participate to the extreme. We dont buy each other lavish gifts. I usually plan a nice dinner and get the kids something small. Jerry and I usually just exchange cards.

Matthew had his preschool party last week Friday, but Bianca's was today. We stayed up late finishing up her valentines. She bought regular Pirate of Carribean for the boys but did special handmade ones for the girls. They were really cute. We also made treat bags for all the kids and made cupcakes for her class party. I had to work in the office today so I could not attend her party but I left early to get our Valentine dinner ready. I did not cook this hear which was a bummer because I always cook but I've had crazy week at work and just did not have the time. So instead I set the table with my Valentine dinnerware and good crystal (kids got plastic champagne flutes) and we had takeout from Pei Wei, LOL!

Matthew and Bianca loved their new movies (Snow Buddies and Game Plan) and their boxes of chocolates. We then had sprinkles cupcakes for dessert, YUM!!!

Yes my husband thinks I'm nuts especially when he walked in with take out and I had the table all dressed with candles and crystal but you can't do that everyday and today is a day to do something special for your loved ones!

Hannah Montana

The girls had so much. Kara got car sick on the way down though, but felt much better after we grabbed quick dinner at Taco Cabana. We planned to go down to Barton Springs to eat at Shady Grove but the traffic into Austin was horrible! And then the traffic in downtown was even worse. We ran out of time. I cannot believe how bad the traffic has gotten there. I've had friends tell me but I didnt believe them until I saw it first.

Here are some pics. I do have some video too (not much because I wanted to make sure I had enough room on my memory card for the pics)

Crazy Month

I been such a slacker on my blog lately. Things have been quite hectic with work and school resuming for spring sememster. Jerry's business is doing very well but the downside is he is at work ALOT. He has not been getting home some nights until 10-11 PM and he leaves at 6AM. I'm not complaining though, I fully support him in this and I'm so glad it's going well. I just have to pick up the slack at home with the kids and household duties. We just make sure we have some quality family time on the weekends.

Basketball season is underway and Bianca's team was kicking butt. They were undefeated up until Saturday. They were a bit bummed out, but this year it is 5th and 6th graders on same league. This team was almost all 6th graders and were freakishly tall, LOL. Bianca's is the smallest on her team of 5th graders and I thought our girls were tall, but OMG. Bianca scored 6 of the 10 points. The score was 10-18. She hates to lose and gets all grumpy she takes after her dad, LOL :-)

My grandmother has been here since mid January too. She has been rotating between my house and my uncle's house and she has decided she is not going back to Florida. So we have been searching for the perfect assisted living for her. We found a very nice one that we all agreed on last Friday, now we just have to wait for a room to come available since they are at capactity. That gives us time to get her furniture and furnishings for her new "apartment" (that's what she calls it) :-) We also can paint her room any color we want and fix it up and she is looking forward to having her own place again. The kids love having her here and are so excited she is staying. Bianca is already planning her slumber parties at granny's new apartment. We took Granny to eat at Babe's Saturday. She loved it, especially the mashed potatoes. Then we came home and had ice cream sundays.

I'll do a separate post on Hannah Montana, but the concert was so much fun!

My mom's birthday was on the 26th. We did a girls night out with about 7 of us and went to see 27 dresses. It was really cute. We then went to Ferrari's Italian Restaurant in Grapevine for appetizers, dessert and drinks. It was way too late to eat dinner. The food was awesome! I highly recommend the carpaccio and creme brulee. I love their pina colada martinis! I discovered them on New Years Eve and that is now my favorite place to stop for cocktails, LOL. I really want to try a full dinner there since the appetizers and desserts were so good.

Last but not least, the home organization is coming along. The old playroom is cleared out, Matthew's room is complete and looks so cute. I will get some pictures to post soon. His toys fit in there really well. Bianca is mad now though because he has TV and DVD player in his room. So for her birthday she is asking for a flat screen to mount on the wall. Where do they come up with this stuff? She said she is only asking for $$ for her birthday and she will buy it herself, LOL.

The Christmas stuff is finally put away and the guest room is back to normal. Now I just need to work on picking a paint color for the new office (old playroom)and get that transition going. Although I know it is probably going to have to be green. I already bought some beautiful drapes for the office and I think green is going to look the best with the color of the furniture and the drapes. Here is picture of the fabric for the drapes. The picture looked like it has a bit of teal color which is what I wanted to paint the room but I will have to go with a sage green. Will probably just use the same paint that is in my master bedroom :-)



So I guess I just summed up the whole month of January in one post, LOL. I promise to do better in February :-)