Mom Life in the PNW

My Baby Sister Graduated High School

To be honest, she is the first one in our immediate family to have graduated high school and receive her diploma the same day. I am proud of her, but I know she didn’t work as hard as I did when I was in school (class of 2000, damn I feel old). She went to the same high school I went to and from the sounds of it, they dumbed it down a little bit because their graduation rate was not so high after they implemented the senior project, which is to be done in front of faculty and some students and last 8-15 minutes long. They still do that, but instead of picking a topic you’re passionate about and doing some research, they basically just make you talk about yourself now. She also had a teacher that would pretty much do her homework for her, so even though she got her diploma, I don’t think she rightfully earned it. But, it was nice of a teacher to show some compassion with a struggling student who almost did not graduate.

We of course planned a graduation party for her for the following day, because after all, she did have her diploma and I suppose that’s all that really matters in the end. I went out and bought some decorations and so did my mother to get the party started. My mom pretty much made/supplied all the food. I did make a pasta, but I guess there was so much food that no one hardly touched anything. Drat!

My husband and I thought long and hard about a gift to get my sister and we ended up deciding on a laptop. Now it’s not no high end laptop that’s for gaming, and it wasn’t no cheapo piece of crap either. It’s normally around 499, but we got it on sale for $350 at Staples. I figure this would be nice for when she heads into college and needs a computer of her own to do homework on. She pretty much already knew what she was getting from us because I kept asking her if she wanted this, that, or a laptop, and she said laptop. So, she wasn’t too shocked when she opened the gift. We did take the laptop out of the box though, and stuck an empty Krispy Kreme doughnut box inside instead with some heavy magazines to make it seem like there was a laptop in it. She looked at me with an embarrassed face and I couldn’t stop laughing. But we eventually ended up giving her the real thing sealed in a pink laptop sleeve of course, since she’s spoiled ass rotten. Everyone was like you can come to my birthday and get me a laptop. Haaaaaaaa. People are funny. She did end up getting about $350 in cash and gift cards on top of our laptop, so I suppose a nice overhaul for doing a good job.

The next day, I get a message from my sister saying that my mom wanted my sister to give her money for throwing the graduation party. Who the fuck does that? Oh that’s right, my family, cause they’re all ridiculously greedy assholes. I was completely livid at that point and wanted to go straight to my mom and chew her ass out for even coming up with such asinine nonsense. But, my sister didn’t want to cause any drama for her, so I didn’t do anything. My mom apparently told her not to tell anyone and she didn’t want to get in trouble. But in trouble for what? And what are they going to do now that she is 18? Yeah, she was living under their roof, but she is not anymore. I still want to bring it up and be like WTF mom, that’s like me asking you for money to cover your own damn birthday party or gift. Next time, I might just do that. I have never once asked anyone for money for throwing them a party. I honestly believe I am from a different kind, because I do not act and I am not anything like these people. To top it off, she didn’t even get her a gift but an outfit she got on sale at the store she works for. Pretty damn sad really.

Then 2 weeks after the graduation party, my sister left her laptop on the couch so she could run outside and see a baby possum that her dog found and gnawed on, and the dog ended up jumping on the couch and sitting on the laptop. This is no small dog either, it’s a 75+ pound pitbull. She messages me again and says you’re going to be mad but the laptop is broken. I am just like WTF!!! Pissed because we spent so much money on it and to have it broken after 2 weeks was just ridiculous. Luckily its only the screen, but still, I am unsure why she decided to leave it just sitting on the couch when there’s a fat dog around and 2 toddlers as anything can happen! It’s going to cost about $60 to replace the screen, and I told her I am not paying for that, she’s going to have to. So whenever she gets a job and comes up with the money, then she can have it back, as for now, it’s sitting on my kitchen table so no more damage can be done to it.

Kids, can’t ever have nice things.

Mustachifier – The Gentlemen Mustache Pacifier Review

Since my sister is having a baby in October, I figured this mustache pacifier called the gentleman would be a funny, yet unique baby gift, especially since she’s having a girl! I think she will definitely be putting her daddy to shame with that magnificent stache of hers!

The mustache has become pretty popular lately, so much so, that it’s been put on women’s jewelry pieces, t-shirts, and now pacifiers. So, why should this mustachifier be just for a boy? Aislin is going to be a cute, trendy, hipster baby when she sports this.

baby Aislin with her gentleman mustache

I was kind of worried that it would be huge and not fit underneath her nose, but as you can see from the stock photo above, it fits perfectly. It’s intended age use is 0-6 months, but I probably would start using it at around 2 months so they can adjust to the pacifier that most resembles a nipple that you receive from the hospital.

There’s no worries with safety here either as it is BPA-Free. The mustache is not hard and won’t harm your little one. It’s made out of the same material that teethers are made out of so it is soft and flexible. It also comes with a nipple cap so that you can prevent germs when not in use. Additional information can be found below.

CARE

•We recommend cleaning your child’s Mustachifier before each use
•Prior to initial use, sterilize in boiling water for 5 minutes and allow to cool (this is recommended for all pacifiers).
•To ensure hygiene remove any trapped water from the pacifier
•For day to day cleaning, wash with hot water and mild detergent.  Rinse clean and squeeze nipple gently to expel any water
•The Mustachifier is made of a heat resistant material and can be put through the dishwasher
•Do not use abrasive cleaning agents or anti-bacterial cleansers
•Do not leave pacifier in direct sunlight or near a source of heat, or leave in disinfectant (sterilizing solution) for longer than recommended, as this may weaken the nipple
•For optimal safety and hygiene replace pacifier after 1 or 2 months of use

If my husband and I have a kid, I’m going to get the cowboy mustachifier. How can you not like the handlebar mustache? It will be amusing to see people’s reactions when out and about. Can’t wait!

WARNINGS

•Never attach ribbons or cords to pacifier, as they are a strangling hazard
•Inspect nipple carefully before each use, especially if your child has teeth
•Check nipple strength by pulling in all directions.  Discard at first sign of damage or weakness
•Do not leave baby unattended while using a pacifier
•Keep the nipple protection cap away from children as it is a choking hazard
•In the event that the pacifier becomes lodged in the mouth, DO NOT PANIC; it is designed so that it cannot be swallowed.  Remove from the mouth as gently as possible
•Never dip teat in sweet substances or medicine, as it may lead to tooth decay


All posts here are to help our fellow frugal friends score the best freebies and deals possible through various companies, including Amazon. At times, we do earn a small percentage on purchases made through our links, which helps keep the site running.

Zaycon Foods is America’s Drive Thru Meat Market – Fresher, Faster and Cheaper!

How does Zaycon Foods manage to provide such high quality super fresh meat and produce to its customers at such low prices? The answer is strength in numbers. And not our numbers, yours!
Zaycon Foods can sell its products at bulk rate prices to individual consumers and families because our unique sales event business model brings lots of people together, adding all their purchasing power into a combined bulk food purchase. And when you buy as part of a group that’s committing to such a large purchase, the power is in the hands of the purchaser! It’s the ultimate group buy in terms of both price and consumer empowerment.
You can pre-select exactly what you want to order from a given Zaycon sales event – sometimes you may want to stock up on our amazing meaty back ribs and sometimes it might be all about the Zaycon bacon – and then, on the day of the sales event, you and a whole big bunch of your neighbors will find yourselves in a nearby parking lot watching as an entire tractor trailer’s worth of high quality natural food is unloaded into all of your cars! You will be amazed at how quickly one of our refrigerated trucks goes from being filled with natural, fresh chicken or hundreds of gallons of grade A non-homogenized milk to being empty and back on its way to the farm!
A Zaycon Foods truck sales event often lasts less time than you would spend on a trip to the grocery store, yet you will leave with a whole lot more food than you’d get at the market, and for much better prices, too!
When you use the Zaycon Foods sales event as your preferred place to purchase meats, milk, and any of our other fine products, you get advantages even beyond the bulk pricing that comes with our special sales model. You also have the peace of mind of knowing exactly what you’re going to get! A trip to the grocery store can involve wasted time wandering around looking for various foods spread out across the store; at a Zaycon Foods parking lot meat truck delivery (or milk or berries or fish delivery, too!) you have pre-ordered your foods, so all you have to do is show up and wait for our friendly staffers and volunteers to load up your car. 
Also, unlike in the grocery store, the prices you will pay for a Zaycon Foods product are locked in on our website, so you will know how much you are going to spend before you have committed to a purchase. 
At a supermarket, you might pay one price for chicken on one day, and then a higher price on another day. With Zaycon, you decide that you want to order a case of our fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts, you check the price and then you commit to it, knowing that from that moment on, we are committed to getting you your fresh, natural food!
To get started, check out Zaycon now.

Nuvo Cabinet Paint Review

When I heard about Nuvo Cabinet Paint, I thought it would be perfect for updating the color of our kitchen cabinets to the cocoa couture color to match the rest of the furniture of the house as it’s an open concept space. My husband didn’t like that idea since he thinks the color of the cupboards is fine as they are. As you can see, they’re not a bad color, just not a color that I prefer!

So I decided to give the paint to one of our friends since he just bought a house that needed quite a bit of updating, which included needing fresh paint in his kitchen. Now, this is not a brand new spanking house, or he wouldn’t need any updates at all. I think it was built in the early 1900’s, so it needs quite a bit of work. We actually went over there just to help him repaint the entire house, except for the living room area, because the ceiling was being refinished with sheetrock, etc.

My Nuvo Cabinet Paint Kit arrived about a week after it was ordered and it came with everything we needed to get the hideous yellow-green color off of the cabinets; 2 quarts of paint (covers 100 sq ft area), paint sticks, paint can opener, rollers, sandpaper, and instructional information. Having everything in this bundle made the process that much simpler to deal with and do.

We just traveled back in time yo!

First, we sanded our friends’ cupboards to help get the tacky yellow color lighter so the paint would adhere to it better. We removed the drawer pulls, and then we went to town and finished his small kitchen area with the slate modern gray color with the small paint brushes that were sent. He didn’t have any updated cabinet fixtures yet since he just bought this place not that long ago, but I imagine everything will be in tip-top shape when he has the funds to proceed. Even with just the paint, it has improved the look drastically. He was unsure if which color to go with, and in fact, wanted to pick a lighter color, but I mentioned that with having the countertops white, as well as the appliances, the entire kitchen would look like a dreary hospital. If he updates the countertops with some of Giani’s granite countertop paint, I think the kitchen would pop, especially if he bought some stainless steel appliances and new fixtures to go along with!

Our friend did mention that it has chipped some, but he had leftover paint which can be used to touch up the chipped areas any time he needs to. It’s probably a good idea to put a topcoat over them even though it says it’s not needed just to get that added layer of protection. Overall, I love it! Maybe next time we can get some Giani Granite Counter Top Paint.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

6 Tips on How to Save Money When Buying Gifts

Shopping online is now widely considered to be the best way to do your shopping – whether buying household items, clothes or even groceries, more people every day are choosing to go online.

And it’s really not the least bit surprising – online shopping saves you time, energy and can help you save a lot of money as well.

However, there are mistakes that are often made when shopping online that can cost you
money and even get you swindled out of your hard-earned money.

Whenever going online to shop, you should always be aware of a few important things to help you have a pleasant shopping experience.

  1. Overlooking Shipping Prices

When you find a great offer that seems to be cheaper than other sellers, don’t rush off to the checkout just yet. You may find that the price is much bigger when you add up the shipping fees.

Some sellers do this on purpose – they’ll reduce the prices of the items, but raise the shipping fees, so even though it may look like you’re buying cheaper, you end up paying the same, if not more.

Shipping prices may also be influenced by how far from the seller you live, so consider that too when ordering.

  1. Wiring Payments Instead of Using Paypal or a Credit Card

When you finally decide to buy something, check what the paying options are. If the seller only accepts a wire transfer, you’ll probably end up paying a lot of additional fees for the money transfer that can significantly increase your total.

If possible, look for sellers that have the option to pay with Paypal or a credit card – this way you’ll be paying for the item and the additional payments, if any, will not be as significant.

Additionally, there is no customer protection when paying with a wire transfer, which means, that if you wire the money, there’s probably no way to get it back, in case you get swindled.

  1. Not Reading the Return Policy

Whatever you might be buying, always check the sellers’ return policy. You never know what might happen – you can receive something that is damaged or something that just doesn’t fit you.

It pays to know if your seller accepts returns, does he offer free returns, can you get a full refund or exchange the item.

If a seller does not have a return policy, you should strongly consider finding another one, because otherwise, you’ll have no options if you receive an item that you’re not satisfied with.

  1. Missing Out On Coupons

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not to take advantage of the many coupons that are available for almost any seller online.

If you take just a little time to look around the internet for various coupons on the item you’re looking for, you’re almost certain to find a deal that will let you get a much better deal than you originally had.

It’s as simple as this – you’re almost definitely paying more than you could if you don’t use the various promotions that are available every day.

  1. Too Good to Be True?

When browsing the net for offers, sometimes you’ll come across deals that are not simply good, but just flat out amazing.

And that’s not always a good thing. If you catch yourself thinking that it just sounds too good to be true, it probably is. When an offer is simply unrealistic, it probably means that the seller is trying to scam you out of your money.

Always buy from sellers that are trustworthy – have a reputation, a solid website and content, have easily findable contact information and can be reached with it.

Use common sense when choosing a place to buy online, because there are instances where you should pay a little more, but be sure that you’ll get what you want.

Whether you’re an experienced online buyer or are just thinking of trying it, know that it can be a great way of shopping, if you remember the important things to consider.

The next time you log on to your computer to do some shopping, remember these tips – they will save you a lot of money and trouble.