True Love

Last year, I wrote about Valentine's Day and how we don't as a couple don't celebrate it. 

I am not sure what got me to thinking about it all today. We were getting ready to leave to have lunch with a friend, and I was trying to remember past holidays. I can only remember one, and that one is hazy. He had made me a card. I'd have to dig it out to even see what year it was. And it's also possible it was for Mother's Day.

Clearly, I will not be nominated for Wife of the Year.

Later in the car, I finally asked him, "Did we decide a long time ago that we didn't believe in Valentine's Day and decide to skip it or did I poo-poo your ideas?"

He was quiet for a beat. "Well. Kinda."

I have been with this man for fifteen years. It has been a long time that something he has said shocked me and rendered me speechless.

We never talked more on the subject for rest of the day. He is fighting a nasty cold and actually went to bed early. Or so I thought. Not twenty minutes after he went upstairs, I received a text:

I so don't deserve this man. 

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Growing Up

Thirteen years ago today, at 4:22 a.m., a ten pound baby boy bounced into the room and took permanent residence in my heart.

Happy Birthday, Nicholas. Welcome to teenage-dom. 

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Day late and dollar short

As I casually finished off the few peanut butter MMs broccoli, I noticed "Find the characters together" and "$100,000" on the front of the bag.

Not actual size

Never one to flirt with the notion I could already be a winner, I took a peek inside. And there they sat, the M&M characters, laughing and having a merry old time. Above their jovial heads, the word "CONGRULATIONS" literally knocked me off my couch treadmill.

I put on my glasses and turned on a light to read the fine print [read: used the flashlight app on my iPhone]:

"Yay! You've reunited the characters! You may be a winner."

I was confused because although no purchase was necessary, I had purchased this bag of candy broccoli so that, in effect, may make me a winner.

Reading on, I am getting excited. Never once in my life, had I ever won a game of chance such as this. As a matter of fact, several years ago, I opened a 20 oz beverage, and the cap underneath read, "Sorry loser." Hand to heart, I couldn't make that up. No comma to differentiate. Just a a cold smack to the ego.


So imagine my excitement at potentially winning $100,000? A shopping list debt-elimination strategy was already building in my head.

Still, the pessimist side of me took over and I dug deep in to the fine print. And, as per usual, it was there that I found out that I would not becoming a hundredaire tonight:

"Contest ends on 9/30/11."

*No out-of-date candy, vegetable, or otherwise was consumed in the making of this blog post. 

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Life's Bumps

Last Wednesday, I wrote on my Facebook wall that Big Daddy's store would be closing - forever.

For all two of you that read this, you probably already knew this little tidbit.

At the time when I wrote it, the reality of the situation hadn't fully sunken in. Sure, we've worried about money  and we've run around trying to use our medical insurance while we still had it. And  tended to a billion other little details that are too mundane to list out here.

It wasn't until today that I fully felt that hopeless feeling. The what-exactly-are-we-going-to-do feeling.

For the last twenty-three years, he has worked for one company. I've known and been with him for the last fifteen. Our whole life has revolved around his job. It just seems surreal to be starting over.

In the grand scheme of things, there are a lot worse things we could be dealing with right now. If I find myself starting to slip into that woe-is-me place, I try to remind myself of that fact.

This is just a bump in the road.

I hope.





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Review: Tide Coldwater Laundry Detergent

SheSpeaks asked me if I'd like to review Tide Coldwater. I always loved Tide, so it for me it was a win-win.


In the leaftlet I was given with my sample bottle, a couple facts about the Coldwater formula jumped out at me:

• Tide Coldwater removes more stains than the leading detergent does in cold
• By switching to washing clothes in cold water, you should be able to save on the electric/gas bill.

Recently, I heard that the standard top-loading washing machine puts out anywhere between 20- 30 gallons of water during a normal cycle. It doesn't take a calculator to see the amount of savings that could add up by switching to a coldwater formula detergent. 

Without further ado ( and yes, I am totally stalling) here is my review of Tide Coldwater:

Bottom line:

• I liked the coldwater formula. I felt like I was doing something good for both my budget and the environment.
• It worked just as well with warm water, which was an accidental find. 
• I would continue to buy the coldwater formula.
• P&G always have coupons available, making Tide an affordable option.

What is your favorite laundry detergent? Would you ever switch if it meant you'd save money in the long run?

Disclosure:
This is a sponsored post on behalf of SheSpeaks and Procter and Gamble. While I did receive a bottle of Tide Coldwater and compensation for my time, all opinions are my own. I Blog With Integrity.


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1/18/2012

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Be Heard

I don't want to stop writing and being heard. Do you?

The Problem With SOPA via fyi.expandsm.com.

Photo credit: Linda Sellers/Facebook

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