We have been contemplating closing off the patio and making it a Sunroom or sorts (actually an office)… We love this house, but really miss having an extra room. It is really strange how this house has more square footage, but because of the layout, we lost some office space. We have more living space but the dedicated space for our computers and my scrapbooking stuff is sorely missed.

That being said, we LOVE this house. It is everything we ever wanted in a house: my dream kitchen, his gorgeous wood flooring, a master bath suite, a great back yard…The backyard has a porch that already has a roof and 3 sides - we've been wondering how much it would cost to enclose it and recapture some extra square footage?

I have been perusing websites and trying to get ideas about how to go about enclosing it and then making the outside covering with insulated vinyl siding vs. brick due to cost.  Vinyl siding sure has come a LONG way - there are some really attractive options out there now.  I saw someone in our neighborhood who had a sunroom installed on their brick house, where the outside wall is white vinyl - it looked really pretty.

There are so many other things I would love to do for this house (especially to make it "greener").  I would love to replace the windows with vinyl replacement windows or some other type of energy efficient replacement windows.  I would love to replace the water heater with a tankless water heater system.  And when I am feeling really industrious, I dream about finishing out the attic...  Dave thinks I am crazy with all the home projects spinning around in my head...  He thinks I watch WAY too much HGTV.  But hey, a girl with a tool belt can dream! 

Well here we are again...

The USAF is moving us on what may be the final PCS of David's career... I sit here looking at my half empty, disheveled house and wonder what lies ahead for us. The move is very exciting yet bittersweet. While I am excited to be moving with our best friends (we were lucky enough to get orders to the same base they did), we'll be leaving behind very fond memories of this place and other good friends. Such is military life I suppose.

The movers are coming to start packing us up tomorrow and there is still much to be done today. We close on our new home at the end of October, which means we'll be living out of suitcases for three weeks. The kids think that is so exciting, whereas Dave and I know better. ;)

We are nervous and excited and anxious for what the future holds. But, we are also feeling altogether very blessed indeed...

I thought this was a GREAT initiative and wanted to share it...

Oscar Mayer Lunchables has teamed with Feeding America in providing free meals for children in need, and providing encouragement for children all across America.

This week, drop a little note of encouragement in your child's lunch, and they'll donate a meal to a child in need. You can read more about the initiative here.

So make the promise and help Lunchables reach their goal of 100,000 meals while boosting your child's spirits in the process - definitely a win-win... ;)

You ever see those family bumper stickers that people have on the back of their cars? Those ones that show stick figures of their family? I always wondered what mine would look like, but since I don't like to put any stickers on my car I left it at that - wondering... Well ain't this the cutest??

I swear you can do just about anything online... LOL

So this is us. Except they didn't have my haircut and, truth be told, I can't remember the last time I wore a dress. And they don't have a little Chinchilla icon for our little Eli.

Other than that, this is our family. :) Want to see what yours looks like?

Get your own Family Sticker Maker.

Wow... This is the first year in a loooong time that I am not participating in the madness called Black Friday. Not necessarily because of the current economic climate or anything (I wonder if that is going to affect today's sales greatly?), but because I AM ALREADY DONE WITH MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

I can't even believe it myself!

I usually start shopping in June or July, but I got a really late start this year (September). I got done with the kids' presents (and my husband's) around the beginning of November and all that is left is giftcards for all my out of state family. I promised myself that this year we were going to to checks and giftcards because last year we spent $300 on POSTAGE. Dang.

So here I sit contemplating starting my Christmas cards (which I really should have started in October - ooops). I make them with my scrapbooking supplies and my immediate family has come to expect them handmade. LOL

But I also have a 6 page paper due on Sunday.

Dilemma. I guess I could just sit here and blog or twitter all day...

Better not though. ;)

It seems like there is a website for EVERYTHING these days. Sure does make life easier! Life sometimes throws things at you when you least expect it. Auto accidents are just those types of occurrences that no one has time for. But rest assured. If you are in need of auto collision repair, Gerber Collision and glass is a really helpful website. You can get a quote or schedule an appointment with the click of your mouse.

You can even get a quote online for Auto Glass Services (something I feel like I need to do on a yearly basis after driving on the highways around here!). Gerber specializes in auto collision repair in Chicago. This is the company info for that location:

Gerber Collision & Glass
1060 West Huron Street
Chicago, Illinois 60642
Phone: (312) 491-0482

Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm
Saturday 8:00am to 12:00pm

However, if you are not in the Chicago area, they also serve these states:

• Arizona

• Georgia

• Illinois

• Kansas

• Nevada

• Oklahoma

• Washington

They even offer 90 day interest free financing which includes one year free membership to their road service plan. So if (heaven forbid) you are in an accident, and live in one of these areas, I would definitely give Gerber Collision & Glass a try.

When we bought our new house years ago, we learned really quickly that you can spend A LOT of money on window treatments. It is amazing how it can all add up. I wish I would have known about this site back then. We bought our property with the intent to rent it out at first, until we could get back in town and retire in it. We were definitely in need of some cheap blinds!

Blinds4Cheap.com has lots of great deals on window treatments. They specialize in blinds for windows of all sizes. They do faux and real wood blinds, horizontal blinds, plantation shutters (man I would love some of those!), and much more. If you need window blinds they have them!

Ordering is also really nice. The blinds are custom made to your measurements (they have a handy measuring and installation guide at the site) – so you have to be sure you measure correctly. The blinds all come with a manufacturer’s warranty. A huge bonus: shipping is free! You can’t beat that.

So, if you are in the market for discount window blinds, Blinds4Cheap.com is a great place to get them.