Gustav Update

So far so good. All we seem to be getting so far is wind and a nice steady rain. Last night before I went to bed I walked around; it was beautiful outside. The temperature made me want Fall to get here even faster. The kids are mad because school wasn't canceled - oh well. I'll keep you all posted as Gustav gets closer.

DJ's New Room!

Well... we are finally finished with DJ's room redo! Dalton originally wanted a black room. YUCK! After days of decision making and negotiating, take a look at the finished product. I was able to get the black in his room without it overpowering the room. He also wanted some red which turned out really nice and tied in his love of Texas A&M.

I sewed some WalMart special $3 sheets and made a curtain cover for his closet. Eventually we'll add some closet doors, but he DJ really likes the curtains.

Al painted his old desk and made it into his entertainment center. I still need to paint a piece of thin plywood and put it under his desk in front of the wires to camouflage them.

Another shot of the entertainment center and "reading area" as DJ calls it.

DJ wanted his bed low to the floor, so Al built a platform to put it on. The platform is solid so nothing can get shoved underneath.

Another view of DJ chillin' out in his new room. DJ says it's sweeeet!

OK... I changed my mind

I thought that we would attempt to go to the Gulf this weekend, but after seeing lines of cars at gas stations, no gas at pumps, and the beginning of total chaos, I changed my mind. I guess Hurricane Rita traumatized me, but I didn't realize it until saw panic setting into the community. I guess I'm not the only one who was traumatized. I'll keep you all updated as the storm nears.

Taking a chance...

Well, I've been watching Gustav and I am thinking (more like hoping) we are in the clear. We are going to go ahead and meet mom and dad in Fulton for a fun filled weekend of fishing and relaxing. Can't wait! My next posting will be of that record breaking catch.

First day of school...

Monday was the first day of class for all of us. Every year it gets a little harder to get the kids to cooperate for pictures. Oh well, they will get over it. I can't believe Dalton is an 8th grader and Callan a 5th grader. Where has the time gone??? Before I know it, they will be leaving for college.


This weekend we are planning on meeting Mom and Dad at their in Fulton, but we are watching Hurricane Gustov. We are hoping it will just go away, but know that will never happen.


More to come...

Helpful hint of the day...

I wanted to share with all of you a cool thing I discovered a few months back - Vinegar.

Put vinegar in the rinse agent compartment of your dishwasher instead of Jet-Dry. Your dishes come out squeaky clean.

Make your own fabric softener with vinegar, water, and hair conditioner. I use an old Downy softener bottle; mix equal parts vinegar and water with approximately 2 cups of cheap hair conditioner, and Voila! You have an awesome fabric softener that leaves you clothes smelling and feeling great without the residue that is left behind from store bought fabric softeners.

Pour some straight vinegar in and on the sides of the toilet bowl, let sit for 15-20 minutes, scrub, and you are left with a clean toilet.

Make you own Windex by filling a spray bottle with approximately 1 cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoon dish soap, and the rest of the bottle with water. I like to use this in the bathrooms because I can clean the mirrors and counters with the same non-toxic solution.

I hope these suggestions help you all get a little closer to living cleaner, greener, more non-toxic lives.

More to come...

Just For Laughs - Snake in Mall

Callan introduced me to these videos, they are pretty funny!

UT Marine Center Open House

This is a belated posting, but wanted to share part of our summer vacation with you all.

In June, University of Texas Marine Center in Port Aransas held an open house. Mom, Dalton, Callan, and I went and have an awesome time. They took us out on different boats in the bay to learn about marine life. The kids enjoyed to touch tanks on the boat. Mom enjoyed the boat ride by the Lydia Ann lighthouse. I enjoyed the boat rides themselves the best. What a wonderful opportunity UT gives the public by opening their doors once a year. We had a blast!

Thanks UT Marine Center!

Smiley face on the beach at Mustang Island.

The kids at the end of a long, hot day at UT Marine Center.

Mom and the kids on one of the boat rides that went by the Lydia Ann Lighthouse.

Lydia Ann Lighthouse, Aransas Pass, Texas

More to come...

Getting ready for another semester...

Go Jacks!!

Another semester is on the horizon and I am so excited to see what it has in store for me. I can not mention SFA without also mentioning TCU, my graduate school, as well.

Go Frogs!!

Be sure to check out my countdown until graduation.

Homemade Floor Cleaner

OK... so I guess I will share another homemade floor cleaner mixture that I started using on my laminate wood flooring about a month ago. This mixture works great and smells wonderful:

• 1/4 cup dish soap
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 to 2 cups of water
• 2 cups vinegar

I found this recipe at Homemade Laminate Floor Cleaner: A Must-Have for Your Laminated Floors

I have recently become more conscientious about what cleaning products I use. I am not 100% green yet, but I am slowly moving that direction and hope to be one day.