This is the ad I just listed in the online classifieds of the local newspaper. Check it out!
"My husband wanted a new tool box to be with the "in" crowd at work. They were all spending more money than they were making. Their toolboxes were new and shiny, overflowing with all the latest and greatest tools.
It would have been one thing if he wanted a Craftsman toolbox, or even a moderate SnapOn toolbox. Or if he had so many tools that they would no longer fit in the toolbox he had, but none of these things were the case. His toolbox was just fine. The only thing that was "wrong" with it was that is didn't say "SnapOn" on the front of it.
After months and months of his abhorrent begging I thought he finally got the hint that we couldn't afford it and that his job was supposed to be making us money, not costing us.
One day as I was cleaning out our car I found a stack of invoices. Had they simply been receipts I would have tossed them away without a second thought. But they were invoices, so I looked at them and to my great horror I saw that they were from SnapOn Credit. I scanned them briefly and as I had feared, they were for a toolbox. And not just a toolbox, but lots of tools and toolbox upgrades to go with it. The total bill was $7500 with a 36.29% interest rate!
I called my husband on the spot and flung more profanities at him than I even realized I knew. I fumed all day long, just waiting for him to get home from work so I could lay into him again.
Fortunately for him, by the time he got home I had calmed down from exploding volcano to seething and sizzling volcano. To make a long story a little shorter, my husband lived and we even kept the toolbox. It was a bitter compromise, but it worked for the time being.
Fast forward three years to the present day. My darling husband no longer works as a mechanic and so I get my revenge. The toolbox must go. We are keeping the tools, as they still come in handy with our own vehicles. But the toolbox in unnecessary. A smaller, less expensive one will be more than adequate.
Please call with reasonable offers. This is what is included in this sale. Thank you for your time and interest.
KRA series model 2411
It also has:
Armor Edge coated Steel top
Creeper Hanger
Creeper
Serious offers only please.
p.s. I do have my husband's permission to sell this, as much as it breaks his heart.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Designing my Dream Home
My house project is getting closer to the starting line. The repairs have been categorized and priced. I picked my colors, planned the layout of my kitchen and bathroom and I have bids in from general contractors and sub contractors. I am getting really excited.
The main color in the house is going to be Homestead Resort Tea Room Cream (which is a lot more yellow and less pink than on the monitor). The kitchen is going to be Homestead Resort Olive (which is actually a green and not grey). The bathroom is going to be Tranquil Bay (which is actually a light blue-green and also not grey). The girls room will be Purple Hills (which is surprisingly close to actual color). The boys room will be La Fonda Sombrero (which is more orange and less pink). The master bedroom is staying Homestead Resort Tea Room Cream for now and later I will add some artistic detailing.
Total cost is looking like $12,000-$14,000 which is perfect! I have a few more contractors looking at the house today and I hope that they give me some god estimates, and quick. I am hoping to have them in to the lender by Thursday before I leave to Kansas for a week to visit my sister and brother-in-law and have some fun 4th of July fireworks! I will also get to meet quite a few people I used to play World of Warcraft with for five years.
I will check in with you all later.
~Leetah
The main color in the house is going to be Homestead Resort Tea Room Cream (which is a lot more yellow and less pink than on the monitor). The kitchen is going to be Homestead Resort Olive (which is actually a green and not grey). The bathroom is going to be Tranquil Bay (which is actually a light blue-green and also not grey). The girls room will be Purple Hills (which is surprisingly close to actual color). The boys room will be La Fonda Sombrero (which is more orange and less pink). The master bedroom is staying Homestead Resort Tea Room Cream for now and later I will add some artistic detailing.
Total cost is looking like $12,000-$14,000 which is perfect! I have a few more contractors looking at the house today and I hope that they give me some god estimates, and quick. I am hoping to have them in to the lender by Thursday before I leave to Kansas for a week to visit my sister and brother-in-law and have some fun 4th of July fireworks! I will also get to meet quite a few people I used to play World of Warcraft with for five years.
I will check in with you all later.
~Leetah
Monday, June 20, 2011
Remodeling
I apologize for the lack of posts this weekend. When my husband is home I tend to steer clear of the computer so I can spend time with him. Father's Day was fun and the weekend all together was great.
My husband and I put an offer on a house and we found out this morning that the offer has been accepted. We are extremely excited and I can't wait until we officially have the house. It has five bedrooms and two bathrooms. It sits on a half-acre lot with an enormous willow tree in the backyard, the kind you could imagine fairies living in, creating their magic. I have named this beautiful tree. Her name is Sailee, which is Gaelic for "willow tree." It is a beautiful name and fits the tree wonderfully.
This yard is perfect. The half-acre gives me plenty of room to have the garden of my dreams. A vegetable garden and an herb garden. I could even have a chicken coop so I could have my own eggs, fresh everyday. We will be closing on the house within a few days of my two eldest children's birthdays and so we are going to buy them a play set for their gifts. The neighbor's houses and yards are all immaculate. The home to the right even have a gazebo in the yard and the home on the left has a beautiful deck. In fact, all of the homes in the neighborhood would make any homeowner proud.
The home we are buying, however, isn't in such great shape. Right now, you would probably go walk through it and think we were crazy, just insane for buying this house. It is one of those homes that when you read the description on the MLS listing it reads something like this. "Lots of potential! Needs some TLC. A fixer-upper! Handy-man special!" But the location and price are well worth putting some work into it to make it our own. We are looking at a project about the size of this one.
We are up for the challenge! I can't wait to get started. I get to design my own kitchen and bathrooms. I get to pick out the flooring, wall textures, colors, window, doors and make the house into my home. When the project starts I will post pictures and keep you updated on the progress.
~Leetah
My husband and I put an offer on a house and we found out this morning that the offer has been accepted. We are extremely excited and I can't wait until we officially have the house. It has five bedrooms and two bathrooms. It sits on a half-acre lot with an enormous willow tree in the backyard, the kind you could imagine fairies living in, creating their magic. I have named this beautiful tree. Her name is Sailee, which is Gaelic for "willow tree." It is a beautiful name and fits the tree wonderfully.
This yard is perfect. The half-acre gives me plenty of room to have the garden of my dreams. A vegetable garden and an herb garden. I could even have a chicken coop so I could have my own eggs, fresh everyday. We will be closing on the house within a few days of my two eldest children's birthdays and so we are going to buy them a play set for their gifts. The neighbor's houses and yards are all immaculate. The home to the right even have a gazebo in the yard and the home on the left has a beautiful deck. In fact, all of the homes in the neighborhood would make any homeowner proud.
The home we are buying, however, isn't in such great shape. Right now, you would probably go walk through it and think we were crazy, just insane for buying this house. It is one of those homes that when you read the description on the MLS listing it reads something like this. "Lots of potential! Needs some TLC. A fixer-upper! Handy-man special!" But the location and price are well worth putting some work into it to make it our own. We are looking at a project about the size of this one.
We are up for the challenge! I can't wait to get started. I get to design my own kitchen and bathrooms. I get to pick out the flooring, wall textures, colors, window, doors and make the house into my home. When the project starts I will post pictures and keep you updated on the progress.
~Leetah
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Illness
Dealing with sick children will always be a challenge, no matter how experienced we are at it. Every time my children get sick I find myself searching for where it originated, how did they get this ailment. Interestingly enough I very rarely can come to a definite conclusion and most of the time I can't even figure a possibility of the source.
It is that way right now. Both of my boys have a stomach ailment, the likes of which I have not experienced or seen before. They have their episodes in the bedtime hours then they are cheery and healthy during the day. After nearly two weeks of this pattern on and off, I took them into the pediatrician, hoping she would be able to shed some light on the matter.
I only take my children to the pediatrician if their sickness is something I feel like I cannot handle and overcome without the help of the physician. However, sometimes I wonder if they really have anything to offer me that I don't already know myself. My children's doctor told us they don't know what is wrong with my boys, their health seems just fine at the moment. I could have told them that! This is the reason we went to the doctors office, because they were just fine during the day, and even on some evenings, it seems to be an evening illness. The only comfort I received from the visit was that they offered to do some lab work to find out what is wrong with my boys.
Collecting the specimen they needed for the lab wasn't easy and I hope to never have to go through that again, but it is done and in the labs hands now. I called the pediatrician to let them know that lab had what they needed and to let me know when they have the results in. The receptionist told me with a smile in her voice that the labs will take up to five days to culture before they will have results. Five days! This has already gone on for over two weeks! I do not want to just wait for five more days while my children continue to be ill without any action on my part.
This is why I am going to try and fix the problem on my own. I have done some research on herbs and have found the ones that are known to help with the digestive track. I will purchase these oils and apply them topically to my boys with a carrier oil. I may not know the specifics of what ails them, but I can treat the areas, just as many have done before in times before pharmaceutical companies. That and a priesthood blessing from my wonderful husband. I will then be able to say, "Lord I have done all that I can, it is in your hands now."
~Leetah
It is that way right now. Both of my boys have a stomach ailment, the likes of which I have not experienced or seen before. They have their episodes in the bedtime hours then they are cheery and healthy during the day. After nearly two weeks of this pattern on and off, I took them into the pediatrician, hoping she would be able to shed some light on the matter.
I only take my children to the pediatrician if their sickness is something I feel like I cannot handle and overcome without the help of the physician. However, sometimes I wonder if they really have anything to offer me that I don't already know myself. My children's doctor told us they don't know what is wrong with my boys, their health seems just fine at the moment. I could have told them that! This is the reason we went to the doctors office, because they were just fine during the day, and even on some evenings, it seems to be an evening illness. The only comfort I received from the visit was that they offered to do some lab work to find out what is wrong with my boys.
Collecting the specimen they needed for the lab wasn't easy and I hope to never have to go through that again, but it is done and in the labs hands now. I called the pediatrician to let them know that lab had what they needed and to let me know when they have the results in. The receptionist told me with a smile in her voice that the labs will take up to five days to culture before they will have results. Five days! This has already gone on for over two weeks! I do not want to just wait for five more days while my children continue to be ill without any action on my part.
This is why I am going to try and fix the problem on my own. I have done some research on herbs and have found the ones that are known to help with the digestive track. I will purchase these oils and apply them topically to my boys with a carrier oil. I may not know the specifics of what ails them, but I can treat the areas, just as many have done before in times before pharmaceutical companies. That and a priesthood blessing from my wonderful husband. I will then be able to say, "Lord I have done all that I can, it is in your hands now."
~Leetah
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
House Hunting
Searching for the perfect house is a huge project that takes a lot of time. Over the past three years I have looked at close to a thousand different online house listings and walked through well over forty homes that I was extremely interested in buying. My husband and I had decided to buy a home, then reconsidered that idea multiple times. This time, we are ready. We have no debt, we have three months expenses in savings and we have money for a down payment.
However, even with all these things in place, we are still looking at the low end of price range for our state. Because of the price range we are looking at, we find ourselves pitted up against investors. They want to buy the house cheap, fix it up and resell it for full market value. My husband and I want to buy it cheap, fix it up and live in it. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the seller, that doesn't make any difference. Most of these properties are bank-owned, HUD homes, or short sales. In the case of these distressed properties, money and the ability to produce it is the only thing that matters. We have our pre-qualification letter from our chosen lender, but many investors are fronting cash.
Even with all of the drama and stress involved in finding a house to call home, I still enjoy the process immensely. I have the opportunity to step into some bizarre homes and the bizarre people and stories involved.
With the first house my husband and I purchased in our second year of marriage, we bought it from a couple who needed to move south to warmer weather for the health of their young daughter. It was an honor to alleviate them of the stress of selling a home when they already had another mortgage to pay. Our second home was purchased in our forth year of marriage and we purchased it from my eldest sister and her husband her were looking down the difficult path of bankruptcy. Again, it was nice to help them out while obtaining a nice home in a nice neighborhood.
Both homes we had to sell because we did not have our feet underneath us financially. Now that we are financially fit, I have been emotionally touched by the stories behind the homes I have been walking through. Most of these stories are sad, and I drive away, shaking my head in dismay, knowing that someone struggled in that home, struggled and lost. Some homes were abandoned when the people felt it was easier to walk away than to try and sell the home. Some homes have renters still occupying the residence, still paying rent to the landlords who have stopped paying the bank the mortgage.
One such home made me smile. There wasn't anything about the home that stood out. It was much the same as the others; carpet, paint, sheet rock repairs, landscaping etc. But this home was a rental and the renters were home when we arrived. My realtor spoke with the elderly Hispanic lady with some quick Spanish and she let us in.
The house was filled with a wonderful aroma of homestyle Mexican cooking. I love Mexican food and I could almost taste the food in the air. Three young boys sat watching the television until we stepped in. The grandmother told them we were here to look at the house. At least that is what I could pick up from my limited understanding of Spanish. They got up and began pointing to anything and everything around the house.
"Look this! Look this!" the leader of the little boys would say, pointing to a pair of shoes on the floor. "Those my shoes!" The excitement on his face was heart melting. "Look this! Look this!" he said as I walked into the bathroom. "This toolit! Where you go pee!" I smiled and acknowledge his observation. "Look this! Look this! This sink, where wash hands!" Everything in the house had been named and described.
All the while, grandma continued cooking in the kitchen, preparing dinner for her son and daughter-in-law who were hard at work to supply the money to pay rent on the home that would soon be sold out from underneath them because their landlord no longer made mortgage payments.
I will never forget those darling little boys, excited to show me everything. Not understanding that they were close to loosing this home they were so fond of. And the grandma, diligently doing her part to keep the house a home for the precious short time that remained for them. I am not sure that I will ever know the entirety of their story. Perhaps they are already prepared to leave. Perhaps they have another rental property lined up for them to relocate to. Or perhaps they don't have any place to go and are extremely stressed with the impending eviction.
My prayers go out to them. I hope they are prepared, for preparation keeps fear at bay. Regardless of their future accommodations, they will go through trying times and I know those little boys and their endless excitement will see their family through. The joy of a child knows no bounds. May we all learn from their example.
~Leetah
However, even with all these things in place, we are still looking at the low end of price range for our state. Because of the price range we are looking at, we find ourselves pitted up against investors. They want to buy the house cheap, fix it up and resell it for full market value. My husband and I want to buy it cheap, fix it up and live in it. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the seller, that doesn't make any difference. Most of these properties are bank-owned, HUD homes, or short sales. In the case of these distressed properties, money and the ability to produce it is the only thing that matters. We have our pre-qualification letter from our chosen lender, but many investors are fronting cash.
Even with all of the drama and stress involved in finding a house to call home, I still enjoy the process immensely. I have the opportunity to step into some bizarre homes and the bizarre people and stories involved.
With the first house my husband and I purchased in our second year of marriage, we bought it from a couple who needed to move south to warmer weather for the health of their young daughter. It was an honor to alleviate them of the stress of selling a home when they already had another mortgage to pay. Our second home was purchased in our forth year of marriage and we purchased it from my eldest sister and her husband her were looking down the difficult path of bankruptcy. Again, it was nice to help them out while obtaining a nice home in a nice neighborhood.
Both homes we had to sell because we did not have our feet underneath us financially. Now that we are financially fit, I have been emotionally touched by the stories behind the homes I have been walking through. Most of these stories are sad, and I drive away, shaking my head in dismay, knowing that someone struggled in that home, struggled and lost. Some homes were abandoned when the people felt it was easier to walk away than to try and sell the home. Some homes have renters still occupying the residence, still paying rent to the landlords who have stopped paying the bank the mortgage.
One such home made me smile. There wasn't anything about the home that stood out. It was much the same as the others; carpet, paint, sheet rock repairs, landscaping etc. But this home was a rental and the renters were home when we arrived. My realtor spoke with the elderly Hispanic lady with some quick Spanish and she let us in.
The house was filled with a wonderful aroma of homestyle Mexican cooking. I love Mexican food and I could almost taste the food in the air. Three young boys sat watching the television until we stepped in. The grandmother told them we were here to look at the house. At least that is what I could pick up from my limited understanding of Spanish. They got up and began pointing to anything and everything around the house.
"Look this! Look this!" the leader of the little boys would say, pointing to a pair of shoes on the floor. "Those my shoes!" The excitement on his face was heart melting. "Look this! Look this!" he said as I walked into the bathroom. "This toolit! Where you go pee!" I smiled and acknowledge his observation. "Look this! Look this! This sink, where wash hands!" Everything in the house had been named and described.
All the while, grandma continued cooking in the kitchen, preparing dinner for her son and daughter-in-law who were hard at work to supply the money to pay rent on the home that would soon be sold out from underneath them because their landlord no longer made mortgage payments.
I will never forget those darling little boys, excited to show me everything. Not understanding that they were close to loosing this home they were so fond of. And the grandma, diligently doing her part to keep the house a home for the precious short time that remained for them. I am not sure that I will ever know the entirety of their story. Perhaps they are already prepared to leave. Perhaps they have another rental property lined up for them to relocate to. Or perhaps they don't have any place to go and are extremely stressed with the impending eviction.
My prayers go out to them. I hope they are prepared, for preparation keeps fear at bay. Regardless of their future accommodations, they will go through trying times and I know those little boys and their endless excitement will see their family through. The joy of a child knows no bounds. May we all learn from their example.
Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself." -Mahatma Ghandi
~Leetah
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Success for Today
I was able to get some things on my list done yesterday! I did my laundry, cleaned my kitchen, made breakfast and dinner, took my sick boys to the pediatrician and put in an off on a house. Even though I still feel like my house is a mess, it is better than it was, so I am making progress.
Today my main goal is to get the kitchen floor mopped, which means everything else in the kitchen needs to be spotless first. While I am doing that I will have my daughter work on her schoolwork and perhaps even see how good her teaching skills are and have her start on some stuff with my kindergartener. She has been successful in teaching him to count to ten and a few other things without my prompting, so it is a possibility and I think she will enjoy it. If it doesn't work out, that is okay too because I wouldn't mind the one on one time with my son.
There are a few things that might get in my way today. First is that my pediatrician has order some stool sample cultures from my boys and the lab needs them "fresh," within 30 minutes. The lab is 10 minutes away and it usually takes me 15-20 minutes to get the kids in the car, so I will probably be doing that twice today. Additionally, I have another house I want to go look at with the realtor because the house we put an offer on has two other offers as well, so there is a large chance we wont get it.
Anything that requires me to leave the house seems to disrupt my entire day so I need to get as much done this morning as possible. No lounging around and watching television today. If I want mindless entertainment I will have to listen to some audiobooks while I get my housework done.
One other thing I want to do if I have time at the end of my day, is some research on herbs and which herbs do what for your health. I have always been fascinated with herbs and with the stomach ailments my sons have, the allergies my husband has, as well as the myriad of problems that come up on a daily basis, it would be nice to know what natural remedies are available. It would be nice to use essential oil to cure my headaches rather than ibuprofen.
May your days be happy and healthy
~Leetah
Today my main goal is to get the kitchen floor mopped, which means everything else in the kitchen needs to be spotless first. While I am doing that I will have my daughter work on her schoolwork and perhaps even see how good her teaching skills are and have her start on some stuff with my kindergartener. She has been successful in teaching him to count to ten and a few other things without my prompting, so it is a possibility and I think she will enjoy it. If it doesn't work out, that is okay too because I wouldn't mind the one on one time with my son.
There are a few things that might get in my way today. First is that my pediatrician has order some stool sample cultures from my boys and the lab needs them "fresh," within 30 minutes. The lab is 10 minutes away and it usually takes me 15-20 minutes to get the kids in the car, so I will probably be doing that twice today. Additionally, I have another house I want to go look at with the realtor because the house we put an offer on has two other offers as well, so there is a large chance we wont get it.
Anything that requires me to leave the house seems to disrupt my entire day so I need to get as much done this morning as possible. No lounging around and watching television today. If I want mindless entertainment I will have to listen to some audiobooks while I get my housework done.
One other thing I want to do if I have time at the end of my day, is some research on herbs and which herbs do what for your health. I have always been fascinated with herbs and with the stomach ailments my sons have, the allergies my husband has, as well as the myriad of problems that come up on a daily basis, it would be nice to know what natural remedies are available. It would be nice to use essential oil to cure my headaches rather than ibuprofen.
May your days be happy and healthy
~Leetah
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tomorrow Is Another Day
"Life's real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up." -Unknown
So yesterday wasn't bad. I had the kitchen cleaned in the morning, fixed my children pancakes and cleaned up the house. I fixed lunch and dinner. I washed, dried and put away most of the laundry. I tended to my sick little boy and managed to keep my baby happy. I didn't accomplish everything on my list because I was distracted by the television. Ah well, such is life. Tomorrow is a clean slate.
I know I will never accomplish my goals by not focusing on them. This is a rut that I have been stuck in for quite sometime and I need to give myself a bit of understanding that it will take some time to break free from. But I do not want that to be an excuse to let myself continue to do what I have been doing. Because if I do that, I will continue to get what I have been getting. And that is not what I want.
"Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it." -Unknown
This week I was able to take time to refresh and enjoy the company of a good friend, spend time with my family, and even found a house that my husband and I are putting an offer on. Tomorrow I will conquer the challenges I have been facing as a homemaker. I will get all of the laundry cleaned and put away, the kitchen cleaned and the floor mopped and the rest of the house vacuumed. I will start my daughter in her second grade courses today. I will make a list first thing in the morning of what I wish to accomplish in the day, and using the advice of my sister, the list must fit on my sticky note. If it does not fit, it will have to be done another day because there is simply not enough time in one day to accomplish everything I wish to.
~Leetah
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