Bath adventures

A few nights ago, Shannon was taking a bath and Kyle would always play in the water with him.  He'd put his whole arm in the water or take one of his toys and play with it in the water.  The other night, Kyle decided to get in the bath with his daddy!  It was so cute!  So they took a bath together! 

Last night I was taking a bath and Kyle decided to take a bath with me too!  It was too funny and cute at the same time.  So we ended up taking a bath together.  I shampoo'd his hair and washed his body as usual.  He seems to like how high the water is in the bathtub.  When I give him a bath, I fill it about 4 or 5 inches high. 

Unexpected call

I received an unexpected call today.  I was surprised they called because they had called two Saturdays ago and didn't leave a message which left me regretting not answering the phone.  Then I reminded myself that "things happen for a reason."  Shannon and I have learned to think like that for the last few years.

I applied online at JC Penney two Fridays ago and they called me the next day (two Saturdays ago) but didn't leave a message.  I thought that maybe they would call again a few days later and when they still didn't call, I remembered that "things happen for a reason." I tried not to dwell on it, and just forgot about it until they called today.  I've been so busy and preoccupied with other things lately.

I received a call today and she said they have an opening in "Family Shoes" and asked if I was interested and of course I said, "Yes!"  We set up an interview for Thursday afternoon.

After I got off the phone with her, I went over the conversation and I realized she never mentioned the word, "interview."  She only asked if I was "interested" in the position.  Does that mean she won't really "interview" me, she'll just tell me about the position and then give me a little tour?  She also sounded like she needed to fill the position quickly, at least I hope so. 

Something old and new

While I was working out yesterday, I looked down at my abs and was not happy with what I saw.  Since I don't want to use belly wraps or spanx, mainly because I can't afford to buy them, and second they are only temporary solutions.  There is a home business out there that sells "body wraps" and other wraps to "melt the fat" I believe.  But they seem to be temporary solutions.  I was tempted to look further into them but I'd rather go back to something that actually worked for me.

This morning, I woke up sore [from my workout yesterday] and thought about doing pilates again.  I did a 30 minute pilates workout and felt really good afterwards.  I am going to start incorporating pilates in my workout schedule.  If I am feeling sore, I will do pilates instead.  Or just add it on after my cardio.   I already know pilates works for me, so I don't need products to "hide" my fat.  I am going to use pilates to tone my body. 

Pilates worked for me after I had Kyle.  Eight days after I had Kyle, I started doing pilates again.  I had done pilates before and loved it so I couldn't wait to start doing it again.  I think pilates really helped me tone my stomach and my entire body. 

I am having a lot of fun trying to figure out how to make soy candles.  I love burning soy candles, so making them seems to make sense.  For now it's a hobby.  Plus, burning soy candles has an additional benefit, it adds fragrance to our apartment!

Moonlight Path

I made another batch of soy candles last night.  My monkey farts candles are almost gone, I am on my second candle and it's halfway gone.  I've been burning my candles as often as I can, especially while Kyle is at school. 

I made 2 8oz soy candles in "Moonlight Path" scent.  It's described as: This BBW duplicate has top notes of pink rose, jasmine, and light violets. Base notes of sweet musk enriched with unique woodsy notes. A true favorite.

I still need a few more candle making supplies, such as a "candy thermometer" since the one I am using doesn't seem to work right.  I also need tart molds since I have soy wax leftover and I can make tarts with the unused wax.  Lastly, I want to get an electric candle warmer that can melt tarts and container candles. 

Monkey Farts!

I made 2 8oz soy candles the other night.  I decided to make Monkey Farts first!  I love this scent and the name!  The thermometers that I have weren't working right.  Thankfully my candle is burning correctly.  I need a few more candle making supplies such as a different thermometer and tart tins (to use for the leftover soy wax).  I am hoping I can find both at the local craft supply store. 

I've been burning my Monkey Farts yesterday and today and so far so good!  It smells wonderful too!  No issues with burning or with the wick!  I am so happy! 

So sad, he hasn't learned!

Apparently my brother hasn't learned.  He is still as selfish as ever!  He really should get over himself.  He thinks the world revolves around him and expects everyone to drop what they are doing to cater to him.  I am BUSY dealing with my own life as well as my son (who has special needs) and he seems to be whining about getting his coat!  Hello dumb ass!  It's HOT here!  You don't need a fucking coat right this second.  You can see our weather as of today, September 14th at 3:50pm:

As far as I know, he's already burned every bridge with the family (nobody wanted to take him in) and nobody really wants to help him because all he does is TAKE, TAKE, TAKE.  Not only does he TAKE, he treats you and your family like crap and calls your apartment dirty!  Oh and he expects you to drive him to and from school, even though he never asked for rides.  He also expects to use your car and not even help with gas.  He also expects to use YOUR laptop that your husband bought you for your BIRTHDAY and use your internet and leave the computer on all night downloading crap.  Oh and he doesn't help with any of the bills! 

I hope he gets over himself and realize people aren't going to drop everything or stop their life for him.

Unfortunately we have some of his stuff.  I have banned him from calling us and emailing me.  Not only that, my husband has said he doesn't want him over here.  Hahahahahaha!  so fucking funny.  His stuff really deserves to go to Goodwill rather than him.  I am not sure how he's going to get his stuff.  He needs to come here and we can leave his shit on our porch. 

Let's see if this works!

I have heard that adding epsom salts to your bath helps relax and relieve sore muscles and wanted to try it.  Since I started Turbo Fire, I am sore the following day and even several days after my workout.  My workout schedule is normally 6 days a week of workouts and one day of rest but I've been taking every other day off, if not more because of muscle soreness! 

I am using a vitamin supplement that helps with energy, endurance, and recovery but they are a little costly compared to a bag of epsom salts!  Plus the supplement isn't helping with the recovery part.

We went to Walmart today for a quick trip.  I ended up getting a 4 lb bag of epsom salts for less than $4 or so.  They also had a 6 lb bag, but I opted for the 4 lb instead.  I also bought a thermometer to use when I attempt to make soy candles (I should receive my package tomorrow).  I already have a thermometer but it doesn't go lower than 120 degrees.  I also bought some socks since I needed some.  Shannon and I stocked up on more food as well!

This time, we went to a different Walmart than the one we normally go to.  The one we usually go to is less than 6 miles away but the one we went to today is only a mile further, so it's about 7 miles away from where we live.  We dislike/hate/despise the Walmart we've been going to because every time we went to check out, we've had issues.  One time that stood out is some bitch of a customer just cut in front of us...  Every other time at check out, we've had to wait 15 minutes or more just to check out!!!  It's just insane.  By that time, our frozen food is half thawed!  They only have 4 registers open and the lines are 5 or 6 [full] carts deep!  They never request for additional cashiers to help and I noticed that the majority of their registers go unused because they don't work!!!  They always have the "self checkout" lanes open but when you have a full cart, you can't use that option. 

The Walmart we went to today was much nicer looking and newer looking.  It looked cleaned and was a little less crowded!  And guess what?  We didn't have to wait longer than a minute to get helped because there were no lines!  They had much more registers open!

Our organic dinner

Today I made quinoa for the first time!  I've heard of it before and then my MIL told me that they eat it and that I can use vegetable broth to cook it, as opposed to using water.  I read online that I could use a rice cooker to make it. 

I made organic quinoa (and organic vegetable broth in place of the water) in my rice cooker!  I also made organic tofu and organic spinach.  I cut the tofu into cubes and let them marinate in olive oil and soy sauce for about 15 minutes.  I cooked the tofu and spinach in my non-stick pan. 

It turned out really good!!!!  Shannon said it tasted good and said that he likes spinach, so I guess that means I'll need to make more of it! 

I am searching online for more quinoa recipes and found 3 that look easy for me to make! 

I caught up on cleaning!

I've been wanting to get some baking soda to use for general cleaning, but I remembered I have Borax which can be used to clean and deodorize.  I used borax to deep clean our bathtub and bathroom sink.  They are both now squeaky clean and as white as they can be (they are old fixtures).  I also cleaned our floors with my swiffer. 

I also wanted to clean up the spot stains on our carpet so I used borax and warm water.  I mixed 1/2 cup of borax and about 2 cups of warm water.  I used a towel to scrub it in to the carpet.  I let it sit for about a half hour and then used the vacuum on the carpet.  The grey stains are gone!  I plan on using dry borax on the carpet.  Sprinkle it on the carpet and let it absorb for about a half hour and then vacuum it up.  I need to do this while Kyle is in school so he won't get into the borax!  This will help remove any odors in the carpet and hopefully make it smell fresher!

My 2 oz candle

I am still in shock that my 2 oz candle that I made came out so perfect!  I've been burning it here and there and I finally brought it out in to the living room for a bit.  I blew out the candle about 15 minutes ago and I can still smell the candle scent throughout the room! 

I've been searching all day for a soy candle making kit and finally found one I like that was reasonably priced.  It comes with everything I need to make more candles, including the jars.  Next time I plan on buying the jars at Walmart.  I hope to get these by next week, so I chose a kit that included the jars.  I really hope to make more candles soon.  I love burning candles and it will be nice to have some on hand if the power goes out.  It rains here frequently and sometimes there is lightning and thunder, which can also result in a power outage. 

His first sickness of the school year

Last night, I could tell Kyle was getting sick.  He was sniffling his nose in his sleep.  When he woke up this morning, he sort of stayed in bed and didn't seem in a hurry to get up.  When I finally got out of bed at 8am or so, he got up with me.  He didn't eat much today except 2 pancakes that I made.  He did drink water this morning, but that's about it. 

I could also tell he has a sore throat.  His nose hasn't been bothering him today.  He's been taking it easy all day today.  He just fell asleep on the couch. 

I am a little relieved that he got sick on the weekend, rather than during the week.  This is most likely a 24 hour bug and hopefully he'll be ready for school on Monday!  I would hate for him to miss school since he loves it so much! 

The moment of truth: soy candle making

Well, as Dora the Explorer says...



My soy candle turned out perfect! I didn't mess it up. I burned it this morning and there were no issues!  I am so happy with the result.  I can't wait to make more soy candles!!!

Second attempt at riding the bus

When we picked Kyle up from school yesterday afternoon, we were told by his teachers that he could start riding the bus tomorrow [the Assistant Principal also came out to introduce himself].  The teachers also gave us the harness that he will have to wear on the bus going to school.  The school bus he rides home already has a built-in harness! 

So this morning, Kyle rode the school bus to school.  He seemed happy to go to school, just like any other day.  He didn't like the harness at first but after a bit, he seemed to forget about it.  He was just excited to get on the bus! 

While Kyle was at school, I made my soy candle.  I followed the directions and now I'm letting it cure for 24 hours before burning it!  If it burns correctly, I *hope* to get more soy wax and fragrance oils! 

I want to try again

I want to try soy candle making again.  I want to try something crafty to do while Kyle is in school.  Today I made a homemade batch of chai tea mix and it was pretty fun!

Instead of buying a starter kit for $70, I found a itty bitty kit to try.  This kit will make a 2 oz candle.  I'd rather start with this little kit instead of something bigger.  This should give me an idea of soy candle making.  Plus, if my candle turns out okay, I can try to make more candles!  I love having candles burning, so I want to try making them again! 

Groceries is what we now have!

After we picked Kyle up from school, we stopped at home and then we ended up going to the post office, the bank, and then to Walmart!  I don't think we had that much fun at the store in a long time.  It's fun shopping for food when you have food stamps.  We bought a lot of extra food just because they are nice to have on hand.  We also bought food that Kyle needs for school (snacks and drinks).  We ended up spending over $225! 

I ended up returning some spices I bought the last time we went to the store because we used our own money.  Just 4 spices cost over $24, so it's nice to have that money back in our pocket.  I also brought a pair of Kyle's pants back with the receipt because they were marked at $8 but I was charged $8.92.  I bought 4 pairs.  Only one of the pairs was marked at $8 and the guy gave me back my 92 cents for all 4 pairs!  LOL  I should have said something, but we're both unemployed and I am not going to speak up when someone is giving me too much money back!