Appliance Hunting

So we've had some crazier than usual New England weather this past week. During one such night, our power started fluxuating quite a bit causing us to turn off tv's, the x-box, computers, etc. Have I mentioned my husband works in IT, so we quite a few tech-y, gadget type peices.
The one thing we forgot? The router. So....... it blew. :sigh: So off we went to Best Buy to get another one dreading it would cost a good chunk of $100. HA! on sale for $50! love it!
While we were there, we took a look at appliances. I had already been online shopping for a washer, dryer and refrigerator. The Condo already comes with the stove, microwave and dishwasher. Thank goodness. Who knew appliances cost so much?
This was our top choice for refrigerator.




I have always wanted the freezer on the bottom. It just seems to make so much more sense on so many levels: a freezer isn't used as much, its more energy efficient, the design of large bins works great for organization and quick unloading from grocery bags, etc.
The french door for the top is a new one for me. I wasn't sure about it, but after looking at the layout of over 2 dozen fridges, it wasn't the two doors that sold me, it was in the inside layout. Maybe the 1 door people just got lazy? I don't know, but the layout options for the french doors are so much better!!!
Washers and dryers have been a lot harder for me. There is the whole debate of the new front loaders vs the old school top loaders. After much discussion and thought, what won out was top loaders for the following reasons: they are still energy efficient and they cost less than the front loaders; I always start the washer and then throw things in as it fills as I run around trying to find all the dirty socks, etc. A front loader does not allow you cannot do laundry this way. And lastly - the soaking cycle. The front loaders have no soaking cycle and no way to manually soak clothes. Not that I have to soak every week when I do laundry, but it's something that I use and I need.
Thus, good ole' reliable Maytag has won out.




Next up.... inspiration rooms!

Reading

I just got back from a local school who participates in the Everybody Wins! Program which allows busy working adults to donate 30 minutes a week to a child through reading.

While I cannot share pictures of my little second grader Briana, I have to say we had a great time! She loves scary stories, which I do not, so thankfully the short stories we read were not all that scary! It was a great way for me to get out of the office and spend some time on not myself if that makes any sense.

Check out the local branch http://www.ewmb.org/ but know that they are all over the country having started in NYC and DC. Its a great program that allows you to give back within the more structured world surrounding children in schools now. In the past, a volunteer might be able to just walk into a school and donate time, now there are background checks and questionnaires to go through first. Of course, for the safety of the children and the school. This organization walks you through those steps easily and efficiently!

So get out there and share your love of reading!

Condo

So we've bought our first home!!!! It's a townhouse condo with a great back yard. We are the unit on the right. The front doors have been painted a deep red and there is grass now.




This is a pic of the back. I cannot wait to add flowers along the garage wall (sunflowers are nice and tall!)and around the deck.
There are a few more out there but they are mostly insulation pics (the condo is geo-thermal!)or the format is wrong so I can't post them here. I promise to have more pictures after we close the end of April. I am already choosing paint colors as the inside is just all white. Like not even builders beige, but all white. Like copy paper. It's awful. I'm currently brainstorming but will post more pics when I find what I want the different rooms to look like or be. It's all so exciting!
Oh, here's a PS for ya, ppwrk. to buy a house. wow. we've killed so many trees already and we're not yet to closing.

Veggie/ Vegan Person ?

So I've become accustomed to having granola and soy in the morning for breakfast with tea or coffee. It's sooo yummy! You can have it hot or cold, with extra fruit (dried or fresh) or without. It's very flexible and I have found always tastes delish! And some day soon I hope to have the courage to make my own granola - I hear its fairly easy.
Lunch, I have gone with different things like leftovers or soup. This week I decided to try salads. Wrong choice in cold weather. You end up hungry and wanting to eat something but a cold salad? Even with yummy dressing, it just doesn't cut it.
Please keep in mind that I have only been a veggie/ vegan person since January of this year. I don't have a specific date because I weaned myself into it over the course of a few weeks. I am slowly finding new things I like and new things to try. I tried it for 30 days for health reasons and found myself feeling so much better, that I have continued.
So I am having a bit of a lunch dilemma. But I'm sure I will think of something! I have a few recipe books coming from Amazon. I can't wait to see what their pages hold for me!
I maybe should mention that while I have gone veggie/ vegan, my husband and brother have not. So when it comes time to make dinner, my first thought it what to feed them and then how can I change it to feed me? It's been really cool as I figure out how to take fav dinner menu's and turn them into a veggie/vegan meal for me!
I have to say that I am sooo looking forward to my dinner tonight: I have no current idea what it will be but after today's fail of a lunch I know it will be warm and tasty!

PS - I'm sick of weather guys declaring snow 'stuff' and then? getting nothing. It's really irritating. I should also mention that it's irritating to my friends who live in Baltimore and DC who have gotten snowed in multiple times this year, sometimes with only 2 days in between to dig out. Send it to Vancouver!

PPS - just thought of my dinner...... wild rice with mushrooms, boca burger and veggies. YUM! Now all I have to do is get myself through today and home to eat dinner!!! :)

Welcome!

I have always been one to want things neater, more organized, less cluttered, more free space to move around. Not to the point of being a minimalist mind you, but always a little less 'stuff' than what I've had.

I'm newly married and currently sharing a two bedroom apt with my husband and my brother - so I'm constantly trying to tidy things up :-) I know for a fact that this drives them a bit nuts whenever something has been moved and they don't know where it went! Or when I bug them about putting things away......



In addition to the physical furniture, I've been trying to clean out myself. I've been dabbling in going back to the pool and swimming (I swam before I could walk thanks to my mother who has always been a swimmer) and relaxation/ meditation yoga. I just recently went on a yoga retreat (which kicked my butt!) and it has spurred me on into getting back into it.

I've fairly recently become a vegetarian with a little vegan mixed in there too. I still eat fish, as a New England girl I refuse to ever give up lobster, cod, shrimp, crabs, scallops, etc. And while, cutting out dairy has been easier than I thought with some things, its been harder in other places. Like cookies and milk. ok fine, switch to soy, but its still dairy! (I've tried rice milk. I will try it again in a bit. It just didn't soften my morning granola quite enough.)



So here's to cleaning out the extra 'stuff' whether it be furniture, junk food or a little extra around the hips.



PS - I'm sure other things will pop into this blog as well as I'm a bit eclectic with my hobbies and interests.