Nix9to5

Happy Memorial Day

// May 30th, 2011 // No Comments » // Life in General

Instead of cookouts and camping, I’m spending this weekend trying to get caught up on work, housecleaning, etc.  I have had some time to spend with family and friends, but today’s agenda is all work and no play.  I’ll get caught up with my Nix9to5 readers in the next day or two.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my community in the aftermath of the devastating tornado, and thank you to all who have offered kind words, support, and prayers for the victims.

As you go about your Memorial Day weekend, please take a moment to remember those who have served our country and have paid the ultimate sacrifice.  Remember all of our veterans and those currently serving, as well as their spouses and children who must also sacrifice while their loved ones are overseas.

Piedmont Tornado Damage Photos

// May 26th, 2011 // No Comments » // Life in General

This afternoon, we went to survey some of the damage along the tornado path and took some pictures of the wreckage we saw.  The crib mattress in a tree and the broken Santa decoration kind of tugged at my heart.  They were both found about 300 yard from the nearest house, but who knows if they came from that home or any one of the others along the tornado’s path?  The majority of these photos were taken within a two mile radius of our house: (more…)

No Williams Matchups/Donation Opportunities

// May 25th, 2011 // No Comments » // Life in General

I’m not going to do the Williams matchups this week.  Instead, I’m going to try to get as much work done as possible to try to free up some time to help with tornado cleanup efforts.

Right now, you can take personal hygiene supplies and CLEAN, READY TO WEAR clothing to Surrey Hills Baptist Church on Mustang Road and NW Expressway, or you can deliver them to the Piedmont Service Center on Piedmont Rd., just south of the First Baptist Church.  Last I heard, First Baptist Church was full and sending donations to the Surrey Hills location.  You can also go to First Baptist in Piedmont and be assigned to a work crew to help with clean up efforts.

Northwood Elementary School in Piedmont, on NW Expressway, about a mile west of Piedmont Road, is accepting Target and Walmart gift cards to deliver to families in need.

For those of you unaffected by the local storms, please bear with me.  I’ll get back to regular posting soon.  Right now, taking care of our neighbors is my priority.

EDIT:  The websites for both First Baptist Church of Piedmont and Surrey Hills Baptist Church are saying they are no longer accepting donations; however, this information seems to be constantly changing.  To find out how you can help, check out Piedmont Tornado Info on Facebook.

Dodged a Bullet

// May 24th, 2011 // No Comments » // Family, Life in General

I’ll write more about this tomorrow, but I just want to thank everyone who called, texted, emailed, or sent a message on Facebook to check on us.  The Piedmont tornado came very, very close to us, but then suddenly turned and completely avoided our neighborhood.  I will tell you that looking across a field at an approaching tornado that is estimated to be an F4 or F5 is the scariest thing I’ve ever done.  I can tell you with all honesty that as I got into the storm shelter, I knew in my heart that my home would be leveled when I got out.

Thank God I was wrong.

This is the tornado minutes before it passed behind our house.  Imagine seeing this out your back window:

Seeing the devastation firsthand and on the news makes me realize how lucky we were and how much others in my town (and across the nation!) will need our help.

Tonight, I hugged Bear a little tighter and rocked him a little longer.

Kiss your babies extra tonight.

Overwhelmed Moms

// May 23rd, 2011 // No Comments » // Balance, Work at Home

Work at home mom, stay at home mom, working mom . . . no matter what you call yourself, there is one title that surely fits most of us:  Overwhelmed Mom.   I’ve been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with the Nix9to5 blog lately, but today I’m just feeling buried beneath a mountain of stresses and To-Dos.  A broken dishwasher has added financial stress and relegated us to *gasp* handwashing dishes for a week.  We’re completely out of cat litter . . . and toilet paper.   We have no fruit, except for some black bananas that need to become banana bread or hit the freezer today.  My work list, thankfully, is growing, but I have a client who is delinquent in payment right now–which brings me back to financial stress.  I’m struggling with a bout of insomnia–I can’t sleep because I’m stressed out, and because I’m exhausted, the littlest things send me over the edge.

So.  I’m cutting today’s post short and letting some Overwhelmed Mommy Experts take over.

From BlogHer is an article called “Overwhelmed Moms Confess.”  It talks about the Real Live Dangers of being overwhelmed and is practically a blogroll of overwhelmed mommies.  I’ll let them take over from here:  Overwhelmed Moms Confess

Behold. The End is at Hand.

// May 21st, 2011 // No Comments » // Life in General

We are about to head off to:

1. Get the tires rotated on one car.
2. Get the tires rotated and the oil changed on the second car.
3. Look for a new dishwasher.

When I get home, I have to:

1. Do copious amounts of laundry.
2. Handwash all the dishes that did not get washed in the broken dishwasher.
3. Handwash all the dishes that have piled up in the sink in the interim.
4. Write several pages for various clients.

And I have to get it all done before the world ends later today.  I just can’t meet my maker with a sink full of dishes.

Art Attack

// May 20th, 2011 // No Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies

One of the most common tips I hear for stay at home moms and work at home moms is to be sure to schedule some adult playdates (that sounds SO dirty, but not what I mean at all).  It is important to maintain connections with friends, and to go do things together that do not involve discussions of diapers, poop, toddler eating habits, or rashes.

Last night, a couple of girlfriends and I redeemed a Groupon for Wine and Canvas.  Wine and Canvas is a three hour art class held at participating restaurants in which participants paint a replica of a famous work of art.  Despite the title, wine is not included–if you do not drink, you will still be welcome at one of these events and will not be uncomfortable.  They even offer “Cookies and Canvas,” a children’s art class for ages 5 through 5th grade.

Johnny Carino’s was the host of last night’s Wine and Canvas event, and my friends and I–none of us with any experience painting anything other than walls–met to recreate Claude Monet’s Sunset in Venice:

I thought an impressionist painting might be the way to go, since things like straight lines are a challenge for me.  This is how my painting turned out:

I think I may have found a new career in art forgery, no?

Here I am with the girls, showing off our masterpieces:

I’m sure we will all be displaying our art prominently over our fireplace mantles . . . or burning them in the fireplace.  Whichever.

We had a great time, and even if I don’t think any of us are going to quit our jobs and move to Paris to become famous artists, I think we were all surprised at how well our first painting attempts turned out.

If you’re looking for something different to do, I recommend Wine and Canvas, which is available in Oklahoma City and Indianapolis.  I think there are similar events in cities around the nation.   The participants were a diverse group and included girlfriends, sisters, couples, and even a few guys that weren’t dragged there by their wives.  It’s a good way to exercise your creative side and try something new without having to venture too far outside your comfort zone.  The girls and I had a great time and plan on doing it again.

Visit the Wine and Canvas website or check out Wine and Canvas OKC on Facebook for more information.

Perks of Being a WAHM: Flexible Schedule

// May 19th, 2011 // No Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies, Life in General, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

Being a work at home mom definitely has its challenges.  One of the drawbacks I’ve discovered is a difficulty in compartmentalizing tasks.  When I worked outside the home, “work work” was done between the hours of 7:30-3:30 or so; “house work” was done in the evenings and on weekends.  Of course, there was always “work work” that I could bring home if I wanted to/had to/needed to, but no one ever–EVER–expected me to vacuum the living room or do the laundry from 7:30-3:30 Monday through Friday.  Now, however, all of the work tasks and home tasks collide in one giant, messy, behind-schedule explosion that leaves a noxious cloud of stress that hovers over me like this:
Fortunately, this difficulty in compartmentalizing tasks is really a problem that can be fairly easily remedied.  My plan is to create a schedule for my day and work tasks are to be completed during their scheduled times, and housekeeping/bill paying/laundry folding tasks are to be completed during their scheduled times.  Having a structured schedule like this is really antithetical to the way I typically like to do things, but something’s gotta give.

Of course, the unstructured work day of a work at home mom is one of the blessings of being able to work from home.  If I want to wake up early and finish my work before 8:00 and play the rest of the day, I can! (Okay–that will NEVER happen).  If I want to procrastinate all day long and then work into the wee hours to catch up, I can! (Much more likely.)

Yesterday, Bear and I had nothing planned for the day.  I had some work that needed to be done, and I had some laundry that needed to be washed, and a plethora of any other tasks with which any other mom anywhere else is beleaguered.  As Bear ate breakfast, though, I thought, “Eh.  Let’s go to the zoo instead.”

So we did.

I love being a work at home mom.

Williams Match-Ups, May 18-24

// May 18th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Couponing, Money Matters

Here are your Williams Discount Foods coupon matchups, as best as I can tell, for the week of May 18-24, 2011.  Call your local Williams for the coupon policy specific to your store.  The Williams in Piedmont, OK, doubles coupons up to $0.50 and accepts internet printable coupons.

Let me know if any of these matchups aren’t valid, or tell me if you find any great deals I missed.

Free this week:  Mt. Olive pickle relish and Red Gold tomatoes with green chilies.  See the list below for details.

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Quizno’s Groupon: 8 Subs for $26

// May 17th, 2011 // No Comments » // Deals

Today you can get a Quizno’s Groupon that gives you a punch card for eight regular sized subs for only $26.  This deal is available in all 133 markets, so you can visit Groupon to get the deal in your city.

Here are direct links to this deal for some of the areas where I know I have readers:

• Oklahoma City Quizno’s Groupon
• Tulsa Quizno’s Groupon
• Nashville Quizno’s Groupon
• Dallas Quizno’s Groupon
• Fort Worth Quizno’s Groupon

Remember, this deal is available in all 133 Quizno’s markets, so if you don’t see your city listed above, just go to your Groupon home page.