Worse Than Doing Laundry

The one thing worse than doing laundry is having laundry to do.

Old, mismatched machines.

Monday morning I threw the brand new organic cotton cloth diapers in the washing machine (apparently cloth diapers need to be washed/dried a few times to maximize absorbency).  I expected to walk away, feeling maternal, as I listened to the pleasant chug-chug-chug of progress.  Instead, an awful grinding sound begged for mercy from behind the laundry closet doors.  Frantically, I rescued the diapers from the cantankerous sudsy pit.  While Husband rinsed the prefolds in the tub, I marched to the leasing office full of pregnant indignation.  The washing machine is on its third round of maintenance issues.  And, the replacement dryer's setting--like on/off--have never worked.  Note: we've lived here less than two months!

Fast forward a direct conversation with the complex manager about the problems (including a moment of pointedly smoothing my shirt over my protruding belly) and a visit from the entire maintenance team to validate my complaints.  Goodbye old machines.

  

The icky linoleum under the machines.           Sherbet inspects my rushed cleaning job.

Hello new, energy efficient models.  

All these knobs and settings to learn ....

Time to triumphantly throw in another load.

Have you overcome a challenge lately?  Or, are you procrastinating laundry day?

Not "Like New"--More, "Like Me"

My world buzzes with baby preparation.  Some call this nesting, but it feels more like frantic uncertainty.  I've need to arrange Ramlet's clothes in his dresser, reorganize my desk (which absorbed craft supplies from Ramlet's dresser), wash/dry the cloth diapers at least four times (to maximize absorbency--who knew?), pick up a random baby items, and pack bags for the birthing center--diaper bag, my bag, snack bag.  Husband can pack his own bag.  And the countdown until labor begins ... sometime?

Sherbet making her less than 11 pounds seem much, much larger.

Even with the above list, right now I'm stretched out on the couch with my favorite new thing: a sock full of uncooked rice heated in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Ah.  A little relief for the "round ligament pain" (pregnancy side effect #1,969,210).  I would be in the glider, but ... (see above photo).

Before: ugly, scary cushions.

Speaking of the glider, I impulsively checked Craiglist one afternoon in the midst of packing boxes hoping for a way to avoid shelling out a few hundred dollars on a new glider.  Rocking soothes me, however Ramlet's preferences are yet to be determined so I'd rather be thrifty.  One advertisement looked promising so I contacted the seller and arranged to a test sitting.  Turns out the seller lived about 10 row-houses down from our old apartment.  Once we verified the glider was a good fit (I'm vertically challenged), Husband carried it home.


The scratchy green cushions begged for replacement.  I'm not fond of used upholstery since there isn't really a way to (1) throughly clean it, (2) de-bug it, or (3) get pet scents out of it.  Enter Mom.  (Do you recall her influence on the sari dress process?)

The off-white and dusty cornflower blue check blends with our touch-of-the-seashore living room theme.  The cushions are soft, but firm.  The dragonflies remind me of summer.  It took two fittings (and countless hours by perfectionist Mom), but this glider is more "me" than the $500 one I lusted after in the big-box store.  Sherbet, too, loves the glider.  She adopted it as her #1 Cat Bed of Choice for Overnight Napping.  Looks like I'm going to have some company for the 3AM feedings.  Hopefully I won't accidentally sit on her!

After: zoom in to see Mom's precision on the corner of the cushion.

Ever found something perfectly "you" second-hand?  Any tweaking involved?

One Box, Three Uses

Last week an unassuming brown box arrived in the mail.  You’ve probably seen (or been) the child who is just as excited about the box as the present.  This would be my recent childlike joy at receiving a splurge purchase from Vera Bradley’s discontinued sale...

Note: Subject was fully clothed.  :)

Such a standard shipping box on the outside, such deep purple inside.  I was almost too exited to open the “presents” I bought myself.

Sherbet, who decided the box indeed outshone Vera's cloth designs, discovered a second use for the box: a temporary cat bed, complete with inspirations to “be colorful,” “never be uniform,” and “dance to your own tune.”

Sherbet says the box brings out her highlights.

Unable to recycle the box, I came up with another practical reuse: a new home for the gift wrapping supplies.  Now the cheery purple (and over-the-top inspirations) can encourage me to send off presents with style.

Have you ever found extra reasons to reuse “temporary” packaging?

Moving Recap

In between heat & humidity, rain showers & traffic jams the big move monopolized this past weekend.  No one got injured; nothing else broke.  Thanks to incredible helpers the U-Haul was loaded in about 45 minutes.  Then everyone rested for about a 1/2 hour in a traffic jam due to highway resurfacing shutting down 2 of 3 travel lanes. 

Sherbet finally tires of the moving process.

The truck unloaded in record time, too, because I barely had time to stick color-coded labels on walls, comfort Sherbet who meow-bellowed from her exile in the new bathroom, and set out lunch—an assortment of sandwich/wrap fixings, fresh fruit and veggies, and a homemade almond cake.  (My rationale: since I couldn’t really carry boxes myself this move, I sought to heartily replenish any calories expended by the friends and family helping us.)

As the move progressed, I thought of a few more moving tips:

1. Set aside a Last/First Box for frequently used rooms.  A designated place for items you need up until the last minute and want to be able to locate immediately upon unpacking.  For instance, the bathroom box had toilet paper, soap, hand towels, etc.  In addition to the bathroom box, we set aside Last/First Boxes for the kitchen and bedroom.
2. Disassemble all furniture the day before loading the truck.  We left the bed frame until the morning, which didn’t hold the move up, but did cause congestion as helpers emptied the bedroom of other items.
3. For a local move with helpers journeying from the old location to the new, print basic driving directions.  Not everyone has a GPS.
4. For a local move with a little time flexibility, move awkward-to-pack items ahead.  Husband, my father, and I ran a few loads up to the new apartment the day before to avoid fitting lamps, bikes, larger pieces of art, plants, etc. in boxes or on the moving truck.  Since we were able, we also transported dresser and desk drawers—no packing required, just slid them back into the furniture once it arrived later.

Now, all that remains to be done is to hang pictures and rearrange as needed.  All boxes are unpacked and tucked into storage for next time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to our friends and family!

Feisty Ball of Fur

About three years ago Husband & I took an atypical early morning walk before starting the day's responsibilities.  Stressful is too mild a word for how life felt then, and we were desperately clasping each other's hand while combating our individual challenges.  As the sun burned off the morning fog and we discussed who'd take the first shower, a car pulled over just in front of our apartment complex.  The office manager stepped out holding a teeny ball of fur in her hands.  A tiny orange and white kitten named Sherbet.

This past weekend, a friend with major cat allergies joked that she didn't really get pet ownership.  While I completely understand avoiding allergens, pet parenthood boils down to laughter and love.  Sure pets shed and create art, but Husband & I never laughed as much as we did the first days Sherbet terrorized our home with her insatiable curiosity and bottomless energy.  Her fuzzy companionship, especially when she deigns to cuddle, makes every day a little more peaceful.  Despite the recurring need to refresh the litter box and the morningly meow-athon before her breakfast kibble, Sherbet's idiosyncratic personality splashes joy throughout our days.

  

Has an unexpected blessing ever been dropped into your life?

A Dish Served Warm ... & Fluffy

At a moment's notice Sherbet, the cat, is ready to communicate her strong opinions with creativity and wit.  When so prompted, she demonstrates her spite in poignant ways.  Contain her in the bathroom too long, and she'll express her dislike:

aka "Toilet Paper Art"

While Sherbet despises forced containment, be it in a bathroom or in her pet carrier, she voluntarily folds herself into any other small space available.  With the impending move, the apartment is brimming with even more boxes than usual.  I've even held onto the new vacuum cleaner box just in case we need it.  While some say that revenge is a dish best served cold, Sherbet proves here that warm and fluffy can also do the trick.

"De-fluff this, new vacuum cleaner."

Today I wish I could express my dislike as vehemently as Sherbet.  I'd take that stack of paperwork-to-fill/figure-out on my desk and preemptively feed it through the shedder.

Anyone else wish they could unabashedly show a little revenge on something inanimate?

The Year of No Travel

Last year my partner and I spent too many nights on the road.  He mostly traveled for work while I scampered about the country visiting family and attending a writing conference.  Last November I calculated via my journal that we'd traveled together, or more often separately, at least once every three weeks almost all year.  

Our previous car turns 100,000.

I began to joke that 2011 would be "The Year of No Travel."  

Then I started taking myself seriously.  What would it be like, I wondered, to not pack my bags every major holiday.  Could we, a no-longer-newly-wed couple, invent our our own holiday traditions?  Take our own "family" vacations?  

Our luggage remained under the bed until this past weekend.  I wanted to be with family for Easter and as part of my birthday month.  Result: I had such a good time  I didn't want to leave when it was time to load up the car!

To make them stay or take me with them?  The cat's quandary.

It seems my "Year of No Travel" resolve weakened a bit in between ping-pong games, laughter, and too much good food.  I've planned a girl's weekend with an out of state friend.  I've also begun coordinating my family for a beach vacation.  Yet, I still want to maintain a day-trips-only attitude for holiday season 2011.  Any suggestions?

How do you balance the desire to travel (and to see loved ones) with creating your own traditions?

Chaos Control

Hardwood floors and this much fuzz...

demanded a new solution:

I grinned the entire time I de-fuzzed the floors, futon, and chairs!

Next up: schedule a trip to Goodwill to drop off the old vacuum and some miscellaneous stuff that doesn't need to be boxed up and moved this next relocation.  And, yes, the apartment hunt continues....

What's your favorite cleaning trick to refresh a room?