Jonah Lisa Land

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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Big News :: Clue #3

Okay, I didn't think this contest through very well.  You need to be pretty specific and you can't know the details directly from me.  You must guess or find them out for yourself.  First to post with the COMPLETE answer (International readers included!) will receive a very special prize which will arrive at your door discretely wrapped in brown paper. 

Keep guessing until Wednesday at midnight.  

Thursday morning, I'll tell all!

Big News :: Clue #2

 What's all the Buzz about?

Big News :: Clue #1

I have big news, people.

Crazy BIG.  In fact, GINORMOUS!

But rather than just spill it, I thought I'd toss out a few clues and see if anyone can guess what it is. The first person to guess correctly will win....hmm....not sure...something small and cheap to ship.   

If you are related to me, a close friend or anyone else who I've already told this to, you are ineligible. Police yourselves people and no fake names.  I will know.

I will give 3 clues, spread out over the next 3 days. Here is your first clue...

 

Where the Hell is Matt?

This makes me feel good.  Hope it makes you feel good too.

Fiesta

Here's a little Saturday Bonus for anyone intrigued by my bright orange laundry room.  When we built the house I decided to go with a really crazy intense color in the laundry room because a) I figured if I have to spend time in there doing boring work, why not have it be a festive place rather than a drab one, and b) I liked the color but it wasn't exactly something I could put in the living room.

I'm actually kinda proud of it because up until about a month ago this room was a big pile of junk with a narrow walk through to the washer & dryer.  Now it is the laundry room I always dreamed of.   Okay, I've never really had a dream laundry room--if I did it would probably be in someone else's house--but you know what I mean.

     

So there, my Laundry room.  Ta-Da!  Please return to your normally scheduled Saturday.

The Hubby's Gone To Do List

I think I've written before about how much I usually get done when my husband is out of town with my evenings all to myself.  Don't get me wrong I watch  lot of movies and surf the net, too, but I always have a big list of things I want to finally get done while he's away.  And he's really away this time.  I'm only 1 week into a 3 month absence so I should have time to get quite a few projects completed.  Here's the working list:

• Re-arrange the kitchen cabinets--not just to screw with him, this is really something that needs to be done.  I just need to cull down on some stuff that never gets used and get things organized.

• Update the baby book

• Make us a picnic quilt

• Start a Toddler Art Group

• Finish Laundry Room overhaul--including set up a clothesline outside

• Finish work on the outdoor fire pit for this fall

• Maybe plant one of the raised bed?  (Why does this feel daunting?)

• Write treatments for 2 new scripts.

• Pimp the deck & patio--plant the outdoor planters

• Set up an Etsy shop?  (Still noodling this one)

• Overhaul the blog and develop a new look.  I need to learn my design software and use it.  This banner & layout was supposed to be temporary you know--that was 8 months ago.

• Pimp Huck's room.  He needs throw pilllows, sheets for his big boy bed, a lamp and a thing or two for the walls.  Oh, and the lightbulbs are all burned out.

• Bookkeeping overhaul--go paperless with bills and banking.

• Help my niece set up a blog.

• Clear out my closet and make a big trip to the thrift store.

Okay, I need to stop myself there, don't you think?  Yes, that's plenty.

Cheap Gas

Wanted to share this cool site called Gas Buddy.  Enter your zip and it'll list the stations with the cheapest gas in your area.  Probably worth a few bucks of savings every fill-up over just turning in at the first place you see when the light starts blinking.

The best laid plans...

Yesterday's update on my TV reduction scheme got me thinking about all the different plans and ideas I've written about on this blog--in a fairly short time I might add.  So in the interest of a little personal accountability, and with a polite nod to reality, I thought I'd update you on how I'm doing with all of them.  As you'll see, I've had wildly varying degrees of success.

Learn to Speak French - Failure
This plan was sort of forgotten right around the time I received the "Learn French in your Car" CD set.  I did listen to lesson one a few times and I can now ask you where the toilet is, but with the possibility of moving to Luxembourg still looming, I should probably recommit.

Ditch Papertowels - Success
We love the cloth napkins and our papertowel consumption has just tanked.  We still have them but we're using them very infrequently.

Use Premade Lists - Huge Success
I'v been really consistent with this and my meal planner and grocery list have saved me time, sanity and money at the store.  Excellent timing too with food prices going through the roof as they have.

Stretch every morning - Unqualified Failure
But at least I set this one up nicely to be able to blame it on my toddler.  Have to speak with him about his responsibilities here and find out if he's willing to stop being such a lazy slob and recommit to this program.

And these 4 from my New Years Resolution post...

Get out more with Huck - Moderate Success
We've done a nice job here.  Been going to Toddler Swim and Gym every Friday morning and story time at the bookstore once a month.  We could go to story time weekly at the library, and I know I keep banging on this, but once the weather improves we'll have a lot more options. 

Take better care of myself - Moderate Success
Well I did get the awesomest haircut ever and buy a few new clothes with some Christmas money.  And I have been <ahem> showering more frequently.  But there's still lots of room for improvement here.

Plan time with my husband - Failure
I think we've been out alone together once since I wrote my New Year's Resolution post.  But when we had our big come-to-Jesus meeting about whether we could afford for me to quit my job, we budgeted for a weekly date night, so this should improve drastically once I'm out of my job.

Buy less, make more - Huge Success
I'm still loving this and doing great with it.  Have a bunch of birthday presents stockpiled and have made lots of neat things for Huck. 

Oh well, I just didn't want you guys to have a perception of me as this Type-A, get-it-done, Wonder Woman.  I make plans out the wazoo, but I often lack follow-through.  The internet can mask that. 

I mean, I try.  But this is reality. 

Welcome.  Sometimes, it's a nice place to be.  Other times, not so much.

The Serial Killer in the Basement

I've been procrastinating on getting my ponytail sent off to Locks of Love.  I got the address and downloaded the donation form immediately, even sealed the hair up in a plastic bag like you're supposed to.  But getting everything packaged and to the post office was been hanging me up for some reason.  I mean it's hard enough to find the time for all the regular shit, much less shipping hair across the country.  But yesterday I finally went downstairs to round it all up and do the deed...

AND MY HAIR WAS GONE! 

Now a foot of bright orange hair doesn't just weave itself into a pair of cute culottes and walk away.  Don't worry, the mystery didn't last long.  I looked around a little and then asked the most likely suspect--call me Columbo, but I had a hunch. 

Stephen had hidden it.  The ziplock containing my ponytail had been out on our shared desk for days and it seems it just started to creep him out.  He said it was like some serial killer's trophy sitting there or an evidence bag from a grisly murder scene.  He tried to ignore it for a while but it was really giving him the willies so he finally stuffed it in a desk drawer. 

Even after he told me I had some trouble finding it because, not only did he hide it in a drawer out of sight, he stacked a bunch of file folders and notepads ON TOP of it.  You know, so it wouldn't climb out of there a GIT HIM.

Here's the spooky hair in it's evidence bag.

I guess I understand...sort of.   I had Live Bootleg by Aerosmith when I was about 9 or 10 and the picture of Steven Tyler in the fold out freaked me out so bad I couldn't sleep at night if the album was out.  Just closing it or turning it around was never quite enough to quell my fears.   I had to bury it under other albums.   Like maybe Captain and Tenelle would neutralize Steven Tyler's giant gaping maw and keep him from eating me while I slept.  Of course, I was a 9-year-old girl.

Whatever.  The offending hair is gone and Stephen can rest at ease once more.