GotchaBaby

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

The Laundry of Summer

Thanks to all free clear for sponsoring today’s post, and for getting our summer laundry clean, clean, clean.

Week one of summer is in the books, and it was good one. We signed up for summer reading, made it to the pool a couple of times and hung out with friends. The children also managed to eat ALL of the food, and wear all of their clothes. Being home all day uses a lot of resources, I’m working to get things streamlined.

Meanwhile, the kids are busy doing what they do. The kids LOVE our new neighborhood and neighbors. Every morning, the Fox jumps on his bike and rides up and down the sidewalk, just waiting for someone to come out and play. MaM sleeps a bit later, but then joins in the fun. Grass stains, popsicles stains, marker stains, wet pool towels and toys all over the yard tell the stories of their days. Just today the Fox played with friends at the park. This particular park has a brand new playground…so of course the boys just played in the hill of dirt off to the side. We were not stopping, passing go or pausing to take a picture of the dirty boy, trust me. Imagine a kid dusted in dirt like a a bundt cake dusted in powdered sugar. Yuck.

Enter all free clear detergent (click for a coupon). Since we switched to he machines last year, I’ve been using store bought detergent again, and this has been by far my favorite. My kids are extremely sensitive to scents- why just today MaM proclaimed the bathroom soap to “stink- it smells nothing like the avocados on the label”. She also sniffed out the scent of stale cigarette smoke and attributed it to a library book (she was right). When I use other detergents, she tells me that her clothes smell funny. Clearly, we can’t have that. For anyone with a true allergy to perfume or dye, all free and clear is completely free of all perfumes and dyes. Our clothes come out smelling refreshingly neutral- the sunscreen, the campfire, the chocolate, the pizza stains are all gone without a trace, but the clothes don’t smell perfumey.

All free clear leaves the kids #FreetoBe wild & crazy- it cleans up whatever they cook up, leaving nothing behind in its wake. So bring on the dirt piles, the ice cream, the arts and crafts, the daycamps and whatever else summer might bring. We’re ready!

May 27, 2015

How to Sell Your House in One Day (and Five Years)

You know how pretty much if you’ve met in in the past 8 years or so, I’ve mentioned how our family wants to move? The walls of our townhouse had been closing in as the kids got bigger and bigger, and the two bedrooms seemed to get smaller and smaller.

So when we caught wind that units in our neighborhood were selling, we decided to go for it. To be honest, we didn’t expect to get much action – we listed on a Tuesday, before we were really ready to show our home. The place was photo-ready, but not really “come see for yourself ready.”

Two hours after we were listed, we got a call for our first showing.

I thought our Realtor was testing us. He swore up and down that it wasn’t him who requested the showing.

We got the house as ready as we could.

Four hours after the showing, we receive an offer on the place.

I didn’t believe our Realtor when he told us. How could that even be possible? In 2010, we were listed for months before the first showing, and never once received an offer. Now, in 2015, our house sold so fast, there was never even a sign in the window.

CRAZY.

Crazy in the best possible way. The townhouse we wanted to unload in 2005, and then in 2010, was finally the right place for someone in 2015.

Which then led to the next predicament.

It was finally time to find our next home. The home we’ll be living in probably until we retire. So….

It’s one thing to look at houses all the live long day on the Internet. It’s entirely another to be tasked with finding a home in approximately two days. Two days and ten days later though, we found a winner:

It has the square footage. And a deck. And a big side yard. And a cul de sac.

And gas appliances.

And a two car garage.

And it’s in our school district.

To put our time frame in relation to Listen to Your Mother: Indianapolis– we got an offer on our townhouse the first day of auditions. We looked at eight house on the second day of auditions. We were in the townhouse for the first rehearsal, and moved into our new home for the second rehearsal. May 3 marked exactly one month from when we parked our storage container and got possession.

In another way? We were preparing our house for sale on Ash Wednesday….and celebrated Easter at our new home. I even made Easter dinner. This past weekend was Pentecost, which means we’ve been in our house for about 50 days. It already feels like home.

May 7, 2015May 8, 2015

Spring Has Sprung, and So Have My Allergies

You might have seasonal allergies if:

You have a box of tissues in every room. And your car. And your desk at work.

Looking at a picture of a field full of wildflowers makes you sneeze.

Your kids know better than to bring nature inside. It’s not a love offering- it’s an invasion of your personal, pollen-free space.

Your daily allergy medication is as essential as your morning coffee,

and you check the pollen count before you look at the actual weather.

Spring is here- and with it, comes the hassle of allergies for 35 million Americans. The Fox and I are two of those Americans, and springtime is rough. I’ve teamed up with CVS MinuteClinic to provide you with some tips and tricks to help get you through until the summer heat scorches the offending pollen away. (Scientifically, I’m pretty sure this is not what actually happens. BUT. Once it gets hot & dry, life is easier).

How Do You Know If It’s Allergies?

Allergies come on suddenly– one morning you wake up feeling great, by lunch time you could be a sneezing and sniffling mess. Other than the histimine reaction happening though, you probably feel ok.

A virus or other infection may cause body aches or fever– seasonal allergies do not.

Itchy eyes that just itch and water are probably “allergy eyes”. Itchy eyes that look glassy or give discharge are not.

Still not sure if you’re suffering from seasonal allergies? Stop by a MinuteClinic, where their helpful, trained professionals can asses your symptoms.

Over the years, I’ve learned some tips that make this time of year tolerable. It mostly involves cleaning clothes, cars and myself on the regular.

CVS MinuteClinic has complied some ideas as well- this time of year they are primed to help the red-eyed, sneezy customers searching for relief. With these tips, you could be on your way to a #SneezeFreeSpring.

First, determine if it’s allergies! If this is not your first rodeo, you just KNOW.

Consult your doctor or swing by a Minute Clinic to discuss medical treatment options. OTC meds have come a long way in the 25 years or so that I’ve been dealing with allergies. Couple that will a nasal saline and plenty of water, and you’ll be feeling better fast. There are prescriptions available when appropriate as well.

Be pro-active, and get your family to be the same – pollen is microscopic, and it’s invasive.

Put clothes you’ve worn outside in the hamper.
Don’t wear your outdoor shoes in the house.
VACCUUM.
Wash your hair daily.
For the love of goodness, do not use hair gel. That’s like walking around with fly paper on your head, just asking for pollen to stick to it.
Do wear sunglasses- that fine coat of dust that’s on them this time of year? That’d be the pollen that’s NOT in your eyes.
Change your sheets, especially pillowcases, frequently.
If your allergies are severe, don’t open the windows- use your air-conditioner when it’s too warm for heat.

Thankfully, spring allergies don’t last forever. Once nature’s done doing what it does, it will be time to enjoy summer! (I. CAN.NOT.WAIT.)

Disclosure: Thanks to CVS MinuteClinic for sponsoring today’s discussion, and for stocking everything we need to survive this season!