Works For Me Wednesday

I always forget until late tuesday night that I need to write a post for WFMW, and I have actually forgotten a few times. Bad bad me!! So I'm supposed to write about Kitchen organization. My kitchen is terribly un-organized and very messy right now. I've been sick the last few days and don't really give a rats a$$ as to what the state of my house is! You try to take care of 4 kids and have a fever and a hacking cough!

One thing that I do use to organize is Tupperware! Yep, I'm a Tupperware girl. I love it. I keep all my flour, sugar, brown sugar, etc in it. It is a bit pricey, so I haven't bought anything new lately, but I might soon. I always like to have lots of bowls to store stuff in in the fridge if we have left overs or something.

I've also organized my pantry so I have baked supplies on one side, and canned food on the other. Snack crackers, oatmeal, cereal bars etc are on the top shelf, and the big stuff like the dog's biscuits and fish crackers, and my Tupperware are on the bottom. It still looks a bit messy though. I find though, that having enough shelving and cupboards in your kitchen is the true way to organization!

In my old house, the one we sold in April, I had a dream kitchen. I LOVED it. I was very very organized there, and very spoiled, because the pantry had pull-out drawers! And I had 4 large lazy Susan's in two corner cupboards. How could you not be organized like that? Now I rent and I don't have much choice, so I do what I can.

Sorry if this post sounds a bit muddled, I am under the influence of cold medicine, and Motrin as well, so I might not make a lick of sense. And to sum it all up...my kitchen is organized with lots of shelving and Tupperware. Not very exciting, but it works!

Interesting Facts About "English"

Tonight I received a poem from my sister on face book. We like to write silly things to each other all the time. As I was writing her back, I need a word to rhyme with "fever", and googled it. Well, I found my word (cleaver), but also found this interesting website that I thought I would share. I just copied and pasted it, so please excuse the lack of neatness. I'm still sick and don't really care to put a lot of work into it.



Interesting Facts


The oldest words in the English language are around 14,000 years old, originating in a pre-Indo-European language group called Nostratic ("our language") by experts. Words from this language group that survive in modern English include apple (apal), bad (bad), gold (gol), and tin (tin). (source)

The word arctic is derived from the ancient Greek word for bear, arktos. The reason is that constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, lies in the northern sky. [ The Universe | English Words ] (source)

In Old English, the word with meant "against". This meaning is still preserved in phrases such as "to fight with". (source)

No English words rhyme fully with orange, silver, or month (there are, however, some partial rhymes, or pararhymes, for these words, such as salver for silver and lozenge for orange). (source)

The longest English word that contains neither A, E, I, O, nor U is rhythms. (source)

In English, the days of the week are named after the Saxon gods (except for Saturday, which is named after the Roman god of agriculture). Sunday is named after the sun, Monday after the moon, Tuesday after Tiw, Wednesday after Woden, Thursday after Thor, Friday after Frige, and Saturday after Saturn. [ Calendars | English Words ] (source)

The word boycott comes from Charles C. Boycott. He was hired by an Irish earl to collect high rents from tenant farmers who completely ignored him. (source)


The word "mile" comes from the Roman milia, "thousands". The Romans measured distances in paces, which were about five feet. So, milia passum, 1,000 paces or about 5,000 feet, was the length of a mile. [ The Roman Empire | English Words | Numbers and Measurement ] (source)

Part of a Roman soldier's pay was called salarium argentium, "salt money", which was used to buy the then-precious commodity, and so pay today is called a "salary". (source)

The word typewriter is one of the longest that can be typed using only the top row of a standard QWERTY keyboard. Others are perpetuity, proprietor, and repertoire and, if you include obscure words, the longest is rupturewort. The longest word that can be typed using only the home row is alfalfas. No words can be typed using only the bottom row, because that row contains no vowels. (source)

The longest words that can be typed on a standard QWERTY keyboard using only the left hand are twelve letters long. There are six such words: aftereffects, desegregated, desegregates, reverberated, reverberates, and stewardesses. (source)

The word slave comes from Slav, the name of a group of Eastern European peoples. In antiquity, Germanic tribes captured Slavs and sold them to the Romans as slaves. The Latin word for slave, addict, has become the English word for someone dependent on something harmful. [ Slavery | English Words ] (source)

"Journal" does not have any letters in common with the Latin word from which it is derived: dies, "day." Intermediate steps in the word's development include the Latin diurnus, the Italian giorno, and the French jour. (source)

The quark, a building block of the proton, got its name from James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, from the line "Three quarks for Muster Mark! Sure he hasn't got much of a bark". [ English Words | Books and Literature | Physics ] (source)


The word "uptown" was in use before the word "downtown" was. Both words were originally used to describe parts of Manhattan. [ Place Names | English Words ] (source)

A group of magpies is called a tiding, one of ravens an unkindness, one of turtledoves a pitying, one of starlings a murmuration, one of swans a lamentation, one of ponies a string, one of rattlesnakes a rhumba, one of crows a murder, one of cobras a quiver, one of foxes a skulk, one of emus a mob, one of elks a gang, one of cats a clowder, one of flamingoes a pat, and one of bears a sleuth. Groups of geese are named in a peculiar manner; when they are on the ground they are called a "gaggle", but in the air they are called a "skein". [ Animals | English Words ] (source)


Viking ships were steered by rudders on the right side, which the Vikings called styrbord, Old Norse for "steer side", from which the English word "starboard" comes. The Vikings docked their ships on the left side, which they called the ladebord, the "loading side". This eventually became the English "larboard", which sounded so much like "starboard" that it caused problems. Eventually, the British Admiralty ordered that the left side be known as the "port" side. [ Vikings | English Words ] (source)

The word "daisy" comes from the Old English "daeges eage", meaning "the eye of the day", as it reminded people of the sun.

Many European advances during the Middle Ages were made possible by the Moorish occupation of Spain. The most important was the use of Arabic numerals. The Moors also brought other discoveries to Europe, which is reflected by the fact that words such as "algebra", "lute", and "magazine" are of Arabic origin. The Moors also introduced to Europe the game of chess. [ The Middle Ages | English Words | Numbers and Measurement ]

The verb "cleave" has two opposite meanings. It can mean to adhere or to separate.


The words "beef" and "cow" come from the same Indo-European root.

A billion in America is different from a billion in Great Britain. An American billion is a thousand million (1,000,000,000), but a British billion is a million million (1,000,000,000,000). Most of the other names for large numbers are also different between the U.S. and the U.K. The American names are now finding increasing usage in Great Britain, however. [ Mathematics and Mathematicians | English Words ] (source)

Until the seventeenth century the word "upset" meant to set up (i.e. erect) something. Now it means the opposite: "to capsize". (source)

According to the third edition of The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, there are 20 valid words containing no vowels. [ Sports and Games | English Words ] (source)

"Dreamt" is the only English word ending in "mt". (source)

The word "dunce", meaning a dull-witted or ignorant person, comes from the name of John Duns Scotus (1265-1308), one of the greatest minds of his time. Scotus, born in Scotland, wrote treatises on grammar, logic, metaphysics, and theology. He was educated at Cambridge and Oxford and pursued his master's degree in theology at the University of Paris where, in 1303, he became embroiled in one of the most heated disputes of the day. France's King Philip IV had moved to tax the Church in order to finance his war with England; in response, Pope Boniface VIII threatened to excommunicate him. For supporting the pope, Duns Scotus was banished from France. He later assumed a university professorship in Cologne. The term "dunce" was coined two centuries later by people who disagreed with Scotus' teachings and his defence of the papacy. To them, any of his followers (a "Duns man" or "Dunce") was dull-witted, "incapable of scholarship and stupid". (source)

The word "kindergarten" comes from the German for "children's garden". Friedrich Froebel, who coined the term, originally was planning to use the term "Kleinkinderbeschäftigungsanstalt" instead. (source)
The first use of the word "robot" to describe advanced humanlike machines was in 1920, in R.U.R., an early science fiction play. It comes from the Czech word robota, meaning "compulsory labour". (source)

The word "tragedy" is derived from two Greek words meaning "goat song".

The word "abracadabra" originated in Roman times as part of a prayer to the god Abraxas.

The largest number in the English language that with a word naming it is a googolplex, which is 1010^100, which would be written as 1 followed by 10100 zeroes. [ English Words | Numbers and Measurement ]

One of the possible etymologies for the word "lackey" is from the Arabic al-qadi, meaning "the judge".

A Little Update

Just wanted to check in and appologize for not posting the last few days. I got hit with the nastiest, most awful cold ever on sunday. I'm still not better. Didn't want anyone to think I abandoned them ;o)
I hope to be back soon!

Sunday Seven

Well, I admit it...I've run out of steam! I am not quite sure what 7 things to write about this week...

How do you find the energy and time to write about something when it feels like your whole life is falling apart at the seams? Maybe it has just been an emotional week, but I just haven't been able to hold it in all that well. I admit, my housework has been severely neglected, I've been too harsh with the kids, my diet has sucked and I'm at odds with my husband. I feel like curling up into a ball and staying in my own little world without any outside interference.

Could it be the changing of the seasons? Fall happened right on time this year, no Indian Summer here. As soon as September 22nd rolled around, the weather changed dramatically. Isn't it fascinating how nature just knows what to do? It just amazes me how quickly it happened this year.
I know it isn't time for "that", if you catch my drift, so I am not quite sure what is going on with me. I just need a "perk me up", not a "pick me up"...something needs to perk me up.

Let me know if you can think of anything that might help, I can't seem to crawl out of this funk. I need to though, because my husband is coming home in a week or so, and I have to plan my middle daughter's birthday party and prepare for that as well.

I need something to snap me out of it.

5.11 Tactical

511 tactical is a great source for all Police, Military, and every day gear. They sell items from clothing, to gear, even items such as knives and sunglasses, all in the 5.11 Tactical brand. If you order from them, you're guaranteed to find the best items out there to suit your needs.

Most orders are shipped within 24 hours, and will arrive to you via FedEx, UPS or USPS. You can even receive free shipping on certain items! To further sweeten the deal, they will ship to APO and FPO addresses, which is great news for all our service men and women overseas. So if you are looking for some hardcore gear, 511 tactical is the place for you!

We Made Our Decision

The Verdict is in...

There shall be no trip to Canada. But I am ok with it actually! The thing I was most sad about was missing out on a date with my husband, rather than missing the actual wedding. Plus, I am saving $500 by not going, right?

The silver lining though, is that my Mom has decided to come down the week after for my daughter's birthday party and will stay overnight. She lives 4 hours away, so we only see her every few months. This way the man and I can go out on a date still!! Not as fancy, but we haven't had a date in over a year, which was when we went to see Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix in the theater and out for dinner!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we could do? We're kind of tired of the whole dinner and a movie thing.

HugaMonkey Baby Slings

Have you ever used a baby sling for your newborn? "Baby wearing" these days is so popular, it seems everyone and their mother has baby slings. When my first two were born in 2001, slings were just starting to become popular, and now everyone has baby slings and baby carriers. I have always wanted to use a baby sling, but never got around to it because I couldn't find the right one for me, and it was just too uncomfortable. Slings allow you to do everything with two hands again, so no excuse for not vacuuming, right?

I found a really cool website, HugaMonkey that sells some awesome baby slings. What I really like about them is that they are ONE piece of fabric, so you don't have to mess with any of those nasty, uncomfortable rings that used to be on slings, so they're very simple to use. The website has, according to them, a "smashing" selection of slings, starting at the low price of $25! I love the fact that these are so versatile too; you can hold a child up to 3 years of 30lbs, and can use it as a pouch, sling, front and back carrier, even on your hip!

If I had a child that fit into a sling, I would definitely order this one



Look at how easy she is wearing that baby, and can you tell how comfortable it looks? I honestly wish I had been able to have this when I had my last child.

If you are pregnant, or even have a newborn, I urge you to check out their site and order yourself a sling. The website is very user friendly, easy to navigate, and they have FREE SHIPPING, and FREE RETURNS!!! So if for some reason you are not happy with your sling, you can return it or exchange it for no additional cost.

If you still don't believe me, check out some of their testimonials

Happy Shopping!!

Works For Me Wednesday

Thanks to Shannon, over at Rocks in my Dryer, for hosting Works For Me Wednesday!

Yesterday I had to waste a couple hours while the brakes were being replaced in my van, so after I dropped the van off at Midas, I bundled the baby up in the stroller and off we went for a walk and a bit of shopping. I stopped into Dollar Tree, and I had forgotten how much I love that store! lol I found so much cute stuff there for Halloween and Christmas. I got the kids silicone skull and pumpkin ice cube trays, some fake foliage on a vine (that I wrapped around my candles on the entertainment center). I also found treat boxes, instead of treat bags, for my daughter's upcoming 6th birthday, and invitations as well. She was thrilled. And Colgate and Aquafresh toothpaste for the kids.

You can find so many items there, name brand and not, that are cheap and efficient. I love dollar tree, and plan to go back again when I have some time and more money. lol They have always had great Christmas items too, so I can't wait to go back there and see what they put out for Christmas.

I also stopped by Marshall's to browse, and came home with a Christmas gift for my son. It only cost $6.99 and is a "History of The World" Encyclopedia, made for kids. It is an awesome book, and what a great deal! Hardcover and a couple inches thick too. It covers everything from Ancient civilizations, to Wars, the Industrial Revolution etc etc. I think he'll love it. I love that store too because they always have new items. I found my current wallet there last month and only paid $5 for a green leather wallet, that I love. I found my son and one of my daughters Levi's jeans last month also for less than $10, and I found myself New Balance tennis shoes for $30.

And that's what works for me...shopping for bargains at Dollar Tree and Marshall's. I save money, and find awesome stuff!

So Long, Farwell....

To our trip, that is.

We just can't catch a break, can we? This morning my hubby called to tell me that one of his fillings partially fell out. So when he comes home we have to get that fixed. I seriously doubt that any trip to Canada is happening now. *sigh*

Maybe we'll get a miracle, but I don't hold much hope for that. Oh well, we'll make it another time I guess.

And to top it all off, today while I was on my way to the YMCA for my workout, the brakes started to act really funny, so I made an appointment with MIDAS for this afternoon and they're getting replaced. I knew it was coming, I was just hoping I could hold off until next week. I didn't even get to work out, I just went straight home, I was too scared to do anything else but go home.

Send some luck our way...we definitely need it.

edited PM:

Looks like "luck" isn't in our cards this time around. After I got the brakes fixed today, I found out that the transmission needs to be flushed, and that some lights are out. Not dire at least. I thought perhaps we could get those done when my hubby comes home, and still make it to the wedding. But we've still all but called it off right now. So unless his pay on friday is a large large sum, then I won't be going. That's ok though, I've kind of resigned myself to that already. Something just doesn't want us to go to Canada, does it?

Make It From Scratch Carnival

I haven't participated in this carnival in ages, so it is nice to be back. Thanks to Julie, over at Chez Artz for hosting this weeks edition of the Make It From Scratch Carnival.

And be sure to check out the tips I posted below for the Zucchini cake!