Well sort of. I live in Louisiana so it is still pretty hot but you can definitely feel that Fall has arrived. I imagine it won’t be long until we get our first real cold snap and Fall comes to stay. I love the Fall when it first arrives. I am always ready for it to be gone by Spring but I miss it when the heat gets unbearable in the Summer.

One of the things that Fall means for me is that I can once again spend time on my patio laying in the hammock and reading. It is one of my favorite past times. It is way too hot to do this during the summer so I treasure the times when I can relax in this way.

I have been considering that if I got one of those Wood Stoves I could extend my reading time even longer. See, although our summers are really hot, our winters are really wet. It is horrible to be outside in a wet cold. It isn’t brisk but heavy and chills you to the bone. I think if I put a wood stove out on the patio I could lay in front of it for hours and read.

I also think it would help to extend the entertaining life of my patio. I could have friends over to grill out and the stove would provide just enough heat to keep the patio comfortable. What could be better than sitting outside when there are no bugs and a cool breeze but not having to freeze?

I am so excited thinking about the change in seasons and can’t wait to do all of the things I have had to postpone because of the unbearable heat. Yay for Fall!!!

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One of my very favorite merchants is Vista Print. This company offers printing services where you can get customized items like business cards, post cards, t-shirts, rubber stamps, calenders, and more. I have to say that I have tried out just about every product they make. I have ordered hats, shirts, business cards, magnetic door signs and more for my husband’s company. I have also ordered Christmas cards, post cards, address labels, business cards and more for my family. Most people see the ads for Vista Print and think that they can’t possibly have things that a family or stay at home mom can use. I am here to tell you that they do! Here are some of the fun things I use VP items for:

• Business cards with your child’s name, address and phone number on it. I put these in my child’s school bag to give to friends at school so that they have the contact information for homework help, parties and play dates.
• I purchase the address labels with a small picture (they have so many to choose from) and my child’s name on it to put on school supplies and books. A cute way to keep their items from being lost.
• I purchase the post cards to announce birthday parties or get togethers. I also use this to make cards for reminding other parents in my child’s class about upcoming events we need volunteers or help with.
• I use the canvas tote bags with personalized fronts to hold sports items, activity materials (like guitar books) or items I need to return like books and movies. I hang these on hooks on the back door so we won’t lose them or forget them.
• I order a special t-shirt for the kids when they are having a birthday party or special event that are personalized just for them. They love feeling special and it helps them remember the event. I also will let their guests sign the shirts to help them remember who was there.
• I order address labels with the family name, phone number and address on it to put on DS consoles, games, camera’s, Ipods and other equipment so that they can be returned if lost.

As you can see there are just so many different ways to use the items from Vista Print. They are constantly having free product specials where you can get items for free and only pay the shipping. They have amazing customer service and their products are top quality. I ordered 3 sets of address labels with my kids’ names on them to use for labeling school supplies. I paid 10.XX for the order and that included shipping. I get 140 labels for each and because I put just their names I can use them for anything or any year. I have a special offer for you guys to use to try out Vista Print products. Just click the banner below and you will be taken to a page to try out free Vista Print products. Choose from 12 different free items and just pay shipping and handling. This is a terrific way to try out some of the items I mentioned above for FREE!!! Let me know what you use your VP products for!

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One of the issues I have found in my home is how to keep mattresses looking and smelling new when you have three children under the age of 8. We have 4 mattresses in our home and it never fails that when we get a new mattress we won’t have it a month and someone will get sick or have an accident and the whole thing is ruined.

I have tried so many different types of mattress covers and I can’t find one that actually protects the mattress except the plastic ones and those are horrible to try to sleep on. The last one I purchased was over $100 and it was nice and comfy to sleep on but the first time someone spilled or had an accident and there was a stain on the mattress underneath. I wish I could find one that worked like they say they will.

Now I am stuck trying to find a way to clean mattresses. The most effective thing is steam cleaning but I am so afraid that it might lead to mold or something similar if I use it on a mattress. I vacuum my mattresses once a week when I wash and clean the sheets and I often spray them down with fabric freshener. I wonder though if there is a product out there that can be used on mattresses to get stains and such out. Can carpet cleaner or upholstery cleaner be used? What are some of the ways you guys keep your mattresses looking and smelling clean and fresh? I’m getting desperate so I would love to hear any advice you guys have.

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Today is clean up day around the house. I usually spend the whole day cleaning for the next week and wishing I could be laying out on my hammock reading a good book. The bad news is that I have to clean but the good news is that the kids will be spending the week with my mother in law so if I get it all clean I can spend the next week sewing, reading and earning money online.

What is my most dreaded part of cleaning house on Saturdays? It has got to be cleaning the bathroom. The whole toilet and everything that goes with it just gross me out. I have seen so many new products for cleaning the toilet and I have to confess that I buy them all. Anything to make the cleaning less gross. Now if they could find a way to hide away those spring plungers where they would be handy but no one would have to see them in the bathroom and I might feel a little better. I don’t have a pantry in the bathroom and the cabinets aren’t tall enough to hold the plunger. I would love to know what you guys do with yours. I am dying to try this new automatic toilet cleaning I saw advertised the other day. It cleans the toilet automatically three times a day so when Saturday comes the toilet isn’t quite so tough to clean. I haven’t seem them in store yet but I am going to be keeping an eye out and let you guys know how it works.

I guess I better get to the cleaning. I hope you guys have a great Saturday and a fun time on the 4th of July with friends and family. Be safe and take care! Enjoy!

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Now that we have finally finished all of the extra curricular activities with the kids it feels like we have started the summer vacation from school. Sports and gymnastics have kept us so busy that it seemed that we never got to slow down. This week is the first week we have been able to start our summer.

How did we start it? We are working on getting the yard and patio ready for summer entertaining. It seems like every year we are having to rework the gardens and change the landscaping. I guess I expect that since much of it dies from the winter. What I don’t expect is that I will have to replace my outdoor furniture every year. It seems I can’t find a way to keep it looking good and usable. The table we had shattered this winter under the weight of the snow. Snow! In Louisiana! Then I went to pressure wash the chairs and notice that cushions are all ripping and dry rotted. I would think that furniture made for the outdoors would be made using a fabric that could hold up to the weather. I would be wrong! Now I have to go on a search for new patio furniture so that we can use the patio this summer. Any recommendations?

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We have been in our home for 6 years now and since our children are getting older we have been considering do a major addition and renovation. One of the things that we know we want to do is to open up some walls between the kitchen and den and also open up the ceiling so that we have a more open floor plan. One of the issue we have is that there is a wood burning fireplace in the corner of the den along a wall we want to take out. I don’t really like this fireplace and it has never been used. However, I LOVE the look of the fireplace and the mantel. I think we haven’t used it because of my fear of wood burning in my home. I have been so frightened the kids would be harmed by flying embers or touch a hot fireplace gate. I also worry about being able to put the fire out to go to bed. It is really a very REAL fear. So I was thinking that maybe we could take that out when we do the refurb and instead install an electric fireplace. From what I have read one of these would let me enjoy a fireplace without the worries I have in using a wood burning fireplace. This would not be messy, I could just turn it off when I am ready for bed, and there are no embers to escape. It really does seem like the best of both worlds. Now I just have to figure out where to put it once we tear that wall out. I am so excited about the prospect of more room and a better floor plan. My house really wasn’t well though out and it drives me nuts to try to live in and decorate. I would love to hear from any of you who might have an electric fireplace. Does it have pros and cons I should know? Does it raise your electric bill in the winter or does it even out because you aren’t using the heater? Any feedback would be appreciated!

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Last year I got a beautiful new HP laptop from my husband for Valentine’s Day. I have been pretty happy with my gift for the last year and a half. I have always been an HP customer and I have had desktops that lasted years and years with no issues. I am having issues with my laptop now. I guess I never expected that laptops would be less durable than desk top computers. I can understand why they would be since they are moved all over the place and not stationary on the desk. I just have found that after almost 2 years I have missing keys, battery life issues, charging issues and finally not enough laptop memory. I am having to delete things in order to save new items. I never had that issue with my desktop. I kept 8 years worth of information stored on that machine and never had to delete so I could save more. I know I can go in and add more memory and I am sure I can buy a new battery and maybe even get the missing key replaced. I just hate that I have to. It will be a far cry cheaper to replace the parts that are causing me stress than to buy a new laptop but it still peeves me a little. The problem? I couldn’t ever go back to a desk top now. I love being able to use my computer in whatever room I need to be in. I love that I can put it away when I am not using it and I don’t need to have a special desk and area of my home to keep it. I guess for now I will just need to give my laptop some TLC so that it will give me many more years of service.  

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We have all noticed lately the increase in desperation of people as the economy continues to tank. Normally honest people are committing crimes they probably wouldn’t have considered before. I have noticed an increase in commercials for alarm systems on television. They make a good point about how invaluable the services can be.

Not only do the systems help protect us from intruders who are bent on robbery or worse but they also can protect us from dangers in the home. Many of the systems have a panic button that a person can push in case of an emergency. This is priceless if a medical emergency occurs. The stress associated with financial trouble also results in an increase in domestic violence. The panic buttons will help keep these situations from escalating to deaths by getting the police to the scene in a timely manner. Another great feature is the fire alarm. It detects the need for fire and rescue and gets them to the property if the residents are incapacitated and can’t call for help. Alarm systems can make all the difference in the safety of a home. It is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

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We have an Australian Shepherd that we have had since she was just a baby. Her name is Cayenne and we have loved her and enjoyed having her. She is an outside dog because my son had bad allergies when we got her but she does live in a large barn with horses, ponies and a rabbit. She has a huge yard to run around in and spend a lot of her time herding the horses and pony. So what is the issue?

The only thing we have not found a solution to is finding her a dog bed. Every one we buy she rips to shreds and we end up having to pick up the carcass spread all over our 1 acre piece of land. It breaks my heart to think of her sleeping on the ground (I know she is a dog but still!) and so I keep trying to find a solution. I have tried so many different types of pet beds and none have survived. I even put an old blanket out there for her and she destroyed that too. I don’t want to put shavings like the rest of the animals have because I am concerned about whether or not she will consume them. I just don’t know what to do. I know she doesn’t need the warmth right now because it is so hot outside but I am thinking more about comfort. Am I being too anal? Are outside dogs meant to sleep on the ground? What do other owners of outdoor big breed dogs do? I would love some advice so I can just be done with this issue and stop worrying. Thanks!

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This is the time of year we usually spend all of our time outdoors. It is my favorite time of year to lay outside in my chair and read books while the kids play in the yard. We spent several weeks ‘opening’ our yard for the summer. This meant we had to clean the yard, clear debris from winter and wash off the patio. Thank God for pressure washers because we were able to wash down the house, porch, patio and bikes and they all look brand new. So what is the problem?

The heat! It is unbearable to be outside right now. Every time I go out to relax I end up breathing heavy and sweating like crazy. I can’t stand to be out there. There just isn’t any breezes. We have had no rain. We went to the zoo in New Orleans last week and I had to leave after 2 hours because I just couldn’t stand it and we had spent most of the time at indoor exhibits.

I am thinking there has to be a way to enjoy the outdoors without getting heat exhaustion. Tomorrow I am going to try filling up the little pool for the kids. Putting my chair next to the pool so I can soak my feet to stay cool. I am going to bring a spray bottle filled with ice water. Put up an umbrella to sit under. Maybe then I can enjoy my outdoor living area that I worked so hard to make. Finally we can’t forget to hydrate with water every hour. Very important!!! What are some of the things you guys do in order to enjoy the outdoors when it is just to hot to do anything?

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