The Raft

If you have an efficient washing machine (like my workhorse front loader is) then you have to try Purex 3-in-1 sheets.  They work amazingly well.  I don't recommend them for extremely stained clothing - like my son's wardrobe.  Unless you pre-treat.  I do, but I don't always get everything.  It's amazing what that boy can do.
Anyway - for average loads of laundry, these little babies do it all.  And they smell great.
No measuring, no spilling, no adding fabric softener - not even the sheet!  Add laundry and Purex sheet, move laundry and Purex sheet, fold laundry, use Purex sheet to scoop off lint from dryer catch and viola!
(Yes.  Viola.)

I am thinking about going into business.  Making and selling wreaths and other such "glue gun" crafts.  I find them to be very simple and very pretty.  Or very cute.  Or very creative.  Doesn't much matter.  They are also very fun and inexpensive.
When I think about how much "glue gun crafting" I have spent money on over the years before I knew what was going on behind the scenes, I could puke.
And the fact is - thinking of what to make is the hard part, not making it.
And when you are working full time, with or without kids, and you have a home to decorate (in addition to clean, feed, stock, care for etc...) you don't really think about $40 on a holiday wreath.  "I'll use it year after year!" you think.  And that's true.  And it is worth $40.  But it only cost $10 to make.  Plus some time.
That's one hell of a profit margin.
So, I'm considering it.
I know I can do it.  And I constantly clip cute ideas from magazines.  I see it, I think "ooh, I can make that, I love that!"  But I never get around to it.  But, if I wanted to make it, sell it and then buy myself something with my money...  well, maybe that will push me to the "get'r done" part of my plan.
We'll see.


This morning on Sesame Street the crew was struck with a bad case of "Mine-itis" where no one on The Street was sharing.  Only Elmo and the new girl who looks Indian and sounds British were unaffected.  And only Oscar could reverse the symptoms, which, with the help of Elmo of course, he did.
In the mean time the only lesson my kids learned from Sesame Street today was that Not Sharing was hysterically funny and far more fun than Sharing.
I don't think 15 minutes of television will override their sweetness but I hope to get some video tomorrow of my boy and his deep, hysterical belly laughs when I take his Woobie and growl "MINE!"
Wow, that was so stinkin' cute tonight, I almost peed I was laughing so hard.  What is it about baby laughs?

I bought a box of hair color today.  It matches my roots.  Of course, my roots are darker than my hair, everyone's roots are darker than their hair because the elements have not affected the hair yet.  But, in addition to my regular lighter-than-root-hair, I also have about a half of head of blonde.
Why?
Because last time I got my hair cut and asked for highlights, I basically got bleached.
Since then, I have switched hair salons.  I realized that I liked the women that worked in the salon more than I liked the actual services.
Two things - a) I am very low maintenance.  If I get waxed, it's because I happen to be there.  Otherwise, I do it myself.  And my hair is very simple, I blow-dry for special occasions - not on any sort of regular basis.  And I am happy with Suave, or whatever is on sale.
I also happen to like my hair color and hate wasting time.  And going to this salon would cost me a few hours every 8 weeks or so.  If I am going to use that sort of time, "child-free", there are a million things I would rather do then get my air cut.  This all falls into "a) low maintenance".
b)  I was never in love with my hair when I left.  Never.
And I would always say "once I wash it and see it I am sure it'll be great."  But it never was.  And it occurred to me that is looked its best only when a ton of product and styling was done by a professional - and I didn't even like it then.  So, how could I make it look better?
I couldn't.  It was just never a good hair cut.
Now, I go to a cute, little salon right here in town.  I bring my kids with me because Pat, the lady who does my hair, has 2 grown kids and understands that I have little choice.  My kids can get their hair cut there, too.  And we never have time to blow-dry or "up-sell" and I always leave there happy.
H.A.P.P.Y.
And, guess what?  It costs about a THIRD of what I was paying.  And I tip the same.


Back to my point.  I bought hair color today because I want my hair to be the color it is meant to be.  I will color it brown and let it grow, get cut, grow, get cut, grow and get cut.
I am no longer interested in highlighting it.  I don't care for the cost or the maintnenance and frankly - I look hot as a brunette.