"No Tech. Hour"

**I know I have been MIA lately but school is intense and after starring at a comp ALL day at work and usually most evenings for HW, the last thing I want to do is stare even longer to blog. I have missed blogging so I hope to "make time" for it every couple of days, so be on the lookout. I also miss reading, for fun, I am working on making time for everything but there are only 24 hours in the day, bummer.**

Technology is such a big part of everyday life, esp. since I am in graduate school and TM is a teacher. I felt like we were loosing ourselves to technology and I didn't want that to happen.

We were rushing through dinner to get back to whatever we were doing on the computer before dinner. We were having more and more dinners on the couch and I hated it.

E eats 100times better at the table and we actually have nice dinner conversations when we sit at the table.

I missed the routine of eating dinner (at the table) and playing outside till bath time, that E & I had before TM moved in. Not to say he is the reason that stopped, b/c he is NOT. I actually have no idea how I lived without him.

Its just that school has gotten really intense and I always feel stressed and bogged down with school work and house work and work-work.

I was over the blah feeling I had and I started a new "rule" in our house. (Okay its mainly for me but ya know...)

"No technology hour"

It is exactly what it sounds like, for an hour (or more) evey evening we put our cellphones away/ on vibrate, close the Macs, turn off the TV and just spend time as a family unit. It usually occurs around dinner time and continues till E goes to bed at 745. So its usually more than an hour. 

It is great! I don't feel as anxious anymore, I am more relaxed once E goes to bed and I can focus on TM and my homework better. I snap at E less. I prepare better meals. I can't think of one negative.

We usually let E play outside after dinner (weather permitting), but we always had our phones and we would sit in our chiars on the front porch/ on the patio furniture on back porch, damn you Words w.Friends(!) But since we started this rule all 3 of us play together, phones inside.

The only technology that gets used is my camera. So many memories, I've gotta capture them. 

We have gone for a walk, pulling E in her wagon, to visit and feed the horses at the end of the main road we live off of. We have let E ride her bike around the neighborhood and we walked behind her and talked. We have had "races" in the back yard, just played on the swing-set or with chalk, bubbles or the bouncy ball out front. 

It really is refreshing to "un-plug" for a little while each night. This is def. one "rule" that will remain in this household. 

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

xo

-Kandid Kelli

"Five Question Friday"

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up over at My Little LIfe!

Questions for Friday, July 14th: (Special thanks to @katieb38, @trooppetrie,@Simply_BC, @PardonMyDust, and @RachelR77 for their question suggestions! I'd love to link YOU in a future 5QF, so head on over to my community or shout 'em out to me on Twitter, remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF!)

1. If you knew your best friend's spouse was cheating on her or him, would you tell her (him)?

This is a hard one to answer. I guess I would have to be in that position. I would like to say that yes I would but I have no idea. Does that make me a horrible person? 

2. Soda in a can or a bottle?

From the fountain

3. What do you wash first, hair or body?

I always wash my hair first. If its a day I am not washing it (I only wash it every other day-two days) then obvi my body

4. What advice would you give to any new mama?

It's okay to cry when your baby does, its even okay to let your baby cry for a few minutes, no need to jump at the first peep. The first few weeks SLEEP, eat & shower when baby sleeps, the dishes, laundry, etc can be done when baby is awake. 

5. What is your best hangover remedy?

Sleep, shower, bagel & coffee-- I try not to get to the point that I will be hung-over in the AM. Toddlers don't let you sleep in.

"Anxiety, NO More"

If you follow me on twitter, you know that this past week I FINALLY, used my tax return. 

When I moved into my house I knew that eventually I would want to retile the kitchen. The previous owner, remodeled this house, from top to bottom. She re-tiled both bathrooms and the main entry way, she put granite counters in the kitchen and both bathrooms, she added molding to all the windows, new appliances, etc.

Terri (previous owner) had a set budget for her re-model of the house and if she would have re-tiled the kitchen she would have gone over. So she left the 20 year old, chipped, stained and gross, despite scrubbing it, white tile/black grout. Like I mentioned the tile had chips in it, which looked like dirty black spots, it made my kitchen feel so cold and no matter how often I mopped it ALWAYS looked dirty. 

I used to get major anxiety when I walked into the kitchen, I felt like my house was ALWAYS dirty, I couldn't stand it. I started shopping around for the best prices for tile after I learned how much of a tax return I was receiving. Then my aunt mentioned that her cousin is a contractor and re-tiled her kitchen. He had done some electrical work for me when I first moved in.

I waited and waited till I found some tile I liked loved and wasn't priced too high, I had a strict budget as I started a saving act. for E with half of my return, and I didn't want to spend all of what I had left.

After months of having ONE tile in my possession and numerous anxiety attacks about a "dirty house", I finally scheduled Robbie (my contractor) to come re-tile. I purchased the tile and grout, he got everything else. 

After talking to him yesterday when he was done he told me it was going to be less than he originally quoted. Squee! I am so happy with how  my kitchen looks and feels. I even like the feeling of this tile on my bare feet, it isn't as cold as the old tile. 

I know Im weird.

{before- white tile/ black tile}

{New tile/ iPhone pic}

I was trying to get same angle as the before pic

{New tile/ camera pic}

{New tile, camera pic}

How do you like the tile?

 I couldn't be happier with my investment. Robbie did such a wonderful job. He does all kinds of work, if you want his contact info and you live in central fl, let me know!

This completes home improvements that I have wanted to do. I still want to expand my driveway, so TMs truck fits better but I have to save for that. That will probably happen in the late fall/ early winter. 

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

xo

-Kandid Kelli