Got Squirrels?

The hairy little beast roughly the size of say a small terrier dog came out to inspect the situation.

For some time now we have had a family of squirrels that have inhabited our neighbors yard. Yes, the neighbors. Better them than us is the way we saw the situation. Then they multiplied. And like any good growing family, your territory and domecile needs grow as well.

This morning while sipping on my warm cup of Zen admiring my pool and backyard in all its overgrown, need to call Yolanda to mow it, glory I saw the hairy little rodent. I call upon DH to come view the monster in action. Here is how our conversation goes down:

Me: Babe.....look at the size of the little bastard. He is the size of a yip yip dog. He's just hanging out by the pool.

DH: Yeah, looks like he is scouting the area.

Me: I was thinking the same thing, he is either scoping for food or a new place to live. I wonder if he opened the tunnel we filled up with water.

DH: We? You mean you filled with water and then they dammed it because they thought some catastrophic flood was imminent.

Me: You would have done the same thing. Science, to see the depths of said hole that the little fur-rodents dug.

DH: You know that is their best CSI Squirrel right? He is out taking evidence since you put that rock in the middle of the tunnel opening to see if it would be moved. Part of your "science".

Me: Right because they could smell my fingerprints on the rock so they were taking inventory of the scene. Making sure they had a different tunnel path, escape route.

DH: Exactly. You know those CSI Squirrels, they have moxie when it comes to you. Their tunnels are like the French Resistance and you are the SS.

By this time I knew I had to take note of the squirrels. I had to grab the camera and take a picture. To show EVERYONE my issue with the squirrels.  See my FABULOUS evidence of squirrels

Exactly.

Where are the effing squirrels?

The little bastards evaded me...YET. AGAIN! So I let the morning simmer a bit, especially after my conversation with DH that I had to truly write down this time so I did not forget. Because dementia happens.

I took the liberty this afternoon to inspect the squirrel habitat again and their efforts...fancy that...the original hole filled in and a new tunnel system.

 

Mrs. Fish's Thursday Tips and Tricks

One of my friends asked me the other day,

"Karie, is your house always this perfect? All the time? With Twins? And you were going to school? And you work out of the house? And, and and....."

I felt so embarrassed, I mean I really do try to let my house go. To let the dishes pile up, the laundry spill out into the adjoining rooms, for my house to collect dust like the desert floor. I mean I really do try to let the old girl go sometimes.

But with three kids, a husband and a dog who cannot distinguish her own identity you learn a few little tricks here and there that help you stay on top of all the messes and keep a clean house without spending days or endless hours slaving, only for your hard work to be flushed away.

Here are my tips and tricks to staying on top of my house:

• I don't spend one WHOLE day cleaning and doing laundry. I spread the love around. I do laundry everyday, a load at a time, this way, laundry gets done and I get caught up without spending an entire day devoted to dirty linens and such.
• I clean my house one room at a time, or one section of the house at a time, one day at a time. This way I just have to maintain. I vacuum everyday, only because I hate crumbs and such under my bare feet. Maintaining is a lot easier than power cleaning.
• I do dishes as they are dirtied. I run the dishwasher at night so in the morning I can unload it and start fresh, and I never have piles in my sink. (Well never say never.....DH has still to learn the location of the dishwasher to the sink.)
• Trash is handled by DH and Big G....sometimes me if they slack.
• Big G's chore is to feed the confused Bulldog.
• Little Bitty knows the location of the trash and recycling.....we are still working on the logistics.
• Pickles Magoo only knows where the food is.....the fridge. And that it can go on the floor for the confused Bulldog to clean up. This makes sweeping a breeze.

Hope this helps some of you Mom's who feel like your whole life revolves around cleaning the house. I try to look at it as "maintaining my perfection" (*cough...bullshit), OK, so I try. I have to say though that maintaining a clean house is easier than always trying to clean a dirty house. I hope to post some more of my Tips and Tricks.

Wordful Wednesday

Wednesday is here again! If you want to play along be sure to go visit Angie over at Seven Clown Circus and use Mr. Linky to post your favorite pictures that you can't stop talking about for Wordful Wednesday!

Well for most of yesterday I was cleaning (oh what fun!) and painting Big G's Room. His room needed a major overhaul. His room was the last room in the house to get a fresh makeover. I mean the only thing in there that was updated cosmetically was the carpet. He still had the original paint (well sort of) from the previous owners and he had this GIGANTIC Phoenix Suns basketball logo/emblem thingy on the wall. I hated it! Sure it was great at first as a theme, but now....UGLY! So Big G agreed to have the Suns Basketball removed from his wall. In fact I gave him the primer to do it! (GASP!!) I know I armed a five year old with house paint.
So we covered the basketball and painted his room the color he picked out.
Which the color is a REALLY beautiful color and I love it, very calming, very boyish, and now he can put up his wall murals of his coral, dolphins, whales, the ocean he tells me.

Hope you can see the old room and the old yick...which you can't even see the wains cot I put up all by myself in the old pics of the room since the walls are so sterile and white.

With the blue, you can see the beautiful wains cot job I did....plus the painting!












HA! Big G must like his room....this was taken this morning @ 730am and the boy is still asleep.

Does this mean anything to you #2

I figured I might start a series of these as I am SURE that more women have this problem and the problem is not just mine....and mine alone.

Every Monday I have a routine of cleaning my house because Monday is garbage day and Monday is just a great day to start of the whole week with a clean house. My mornings begin early as the Gnomes are up very early....generally Pickles Magoo is the first, then Big G, and slowly Little Bity will decide to join us. She is much like her father...not a morning person while my boys are up with me at the crack up dawn. So I begin the routine of getting everyone dressed, bring them to the kitchen where I meet with my Zen Master



and then after my Zen Master and I have our first morning meeting the Gnomes are all fed some scrumptious morning delight....Cheerios or Oatmeal (especially on a school morning...I mean who has time for anything else!!??).

After that is done and Big G has been helped to get ready for school and whisked off for his day of education I begin my hard core routine of scouring the house ridding my her dust, dirt, grime, clothing, garbage, niblets, cob webs, dust bunnies, messes, piles, and crap. And by crap I literally mean crap. You see that is the joy of having not just a baby, but TWO babies, is all the crap. I have a Diaper Genie that I have to empty as least once a week so my house doesn't wreak, and I hate any sort of stink or smell other than that of a floral, woodsy, I love fresh. And so rather than dumping the entire log of baby waste into my dumpster, I get a garbage sack so as to contain the mess and the odor. So I beg the question:

Does this mean anything to you and if so what?

To me.....this suggests that a "GARBAGE" sack would need to be throw into....hmmm....

I think I know....

what's it called again....

it's generally smelly....

a large truck picks it up.....

what is it....

oh yes

THE GARBAGE!!

What does DH do when he walked by it......"Man, that thing stinks."

That's all I had to ask myself...I mean seriously?! Mind you the picture is taken just five feet from our garage door...which if you open the door....it leads into the garage. If you open the garage door...you are led to the outside of the house where the dumpster is located. I think you see where I am going with this. I really don't mind hauling out the garbage, but when he saw me working on other things....like sweeping, mopping, laundry, you would think he would have pitched in to drop that in the dumpster for me. Rather than telling me how stinky the bag was....I mean really, do you think I was using it as a new form of potpourri? Sheesh.

Day 3 "FREE" Week Product Review - Traba Door, Traba International

Welcome to Day 3 of The Five Fish "FREE" Week!!

I promised and so I am delivering.....since I got off on some tangents in the last 24 hours.

Okay so as I mentioned in yesterday's post you can actually make over your home in a preservative FREE fashion! Okay, I know you are saying, there are no preservatives in my home...what could have preservatives, what would need to be preserved? Well for one the wood in your home is made with preservatives. Yup, some of the good old 2X4 or 2X6 construction has what is called "green" wood (it actually is colored green) which is great for fighting those nasty little buggers called.............TERMITES!!! Plus "green" wood is treated so it is less likely to warp due to weather and takes longer to burn when your house is on fire from what DH has told me. I'm no "wood" pro (*giggle) so ask your local contractor or one of those fabu guys at the Home Depot.

Alright, so the biggest thing next to the overall construction is paint, which they have VOC free stuff (again click on the HD above) your carpet (same linky) and DOORS!!! Yes those fabulous things to keep our privacy are LOADED with nasty stuff that we are completely unaware of. Here is what a standard MDF door is filled with.........FORMALDEHYDE!!! Tell me that is not a preservative?! I mean we use it on the dead......good thing they are dead because it causes....you guessed it.....CANCER!! Hello, preserves them right? Preservative. Now luan doors, pictured below, you would think are super safe and preservative free right? Because they are a species of a mahogany in the veneer on the door. Nope they use the same type of glue as the MDF, the glue holds down that luan veneer that looks so great right? Nope...ugly doors!

Those photos are straight out of my home when I bought it in 2004. Aren't they stunning?

I hear crickets................

that must be a FAT NO!!

Alright so here is what my home looks like now.....mind you I made all the simple and inexpensive makeover options: paint and doors, plus a nice set of runners. All of that cost $240! But that includes the two runners, the doors you see in the above pictures (8 doors @ $20 each for a slab) and the paint! Now the best part of these doors......they are FORMALDEHYDE FREE!!












How is that? Well the new doors being distributed by Traba Door beginning this year have to be formaldehyde free due to legislation passed in California which is where Traba headquarters are located. California Air Regulation Board passed a law about airborne toxins in products that have formaldehyde, among other toxic and carcinogenic preservatives, such as cabinets, doors, the whole gamut. So every door that is manufactured and sold by Traba has to meet the CARB regulations.



Here is some info on Traba straight from their website:


Traba is pleased to present an international line of doors infused with historic design and hand crafted with a rich blend of materials. Everything from the doors core construction to its beautiful finish is completed with relentless attention to detail ensuring every door is as strong as it is beautiful. More than just a brand, Traba retains old world craftsmanship with unmatched value.Traba Classic Series doors feature a unique 1 ½” solid wood edge along the top and sides; plus a 4” solid wood bottom rail. The deeper edges make the door capable of accepting longer screws while also providing extra room to customize for a special floor treatment or tight space. The stiles are 5” wide adding flexibility to incorporate an over sized lock set. A one piece veneer finish eliminates seams that appear over time in normal stile and rail constructed doors.

Environmentally Friendly Manufacturing

While the value of the engineered core is reflected in the superior strength and stability of the door, our real value is in the savings for the environment. Our engineered products are constructed of recycled industry bi-product which reflects our commitment to naturally sustainable construction and our environment. We are committed to improving the environment around us and we welcome any opportunity to contribute or participate in environmentally friendly projects focused on the sustainability of the resources around us. Our direct influence and participation in our facilities allow us the ability to control the adhesives and products we use and therefore reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants.

So with the doors being preservative free they are also a GREEN alternative!! The doors are made of composite materials, so the materials that would normally be thrown away. Click the MDF link above to read more about it. They do also have a wood product, Knotty Alder and I have to say that after reviewing all the beauty shots of the door I was head over heels.

Now you might also be wondering about warranty info and if you aren't here is the info.....every good door has a warranty!



Warranty - Classic Series

Limited Lifetime Warranty
A limited Lifetime Warranty is provided on all The Classic Series of MDF Interior Doors offered by TRABA INDUSTRIES. The Limited Lifetime Warranty is offered as long as the MDF Interior Door is in its originally installed location.
The Limited Lifetime Warranty covers all The Classic Series of MDF Interior Doors against warping, cracking and splitting. The Limited Lifetime Warranty does not cover any damage caused by cuts, abrasions or scratches on the surface of The Classic Series MDF Interior Doors. The Limited Lifetime Warranty excludes any doors used for the purpose of an exterior application. Only an authorized TRABA INDUSTRIES representative may give written consent to replace any of The Classic Series of MDF Doors.
Limitations and Exclusions
Priming of Traba Doors must be applied on all six sides (top, bottom, edges, front & back) within 72 hours. Failure to prime all six sides within 72 hours will void the limited lifetime warranty.Limited lifetime warranty pertains to doors for interior use only. If used for exterior applications, the limited lifetime warranty is void. Normal wear and tear including wear-through of the finish or deterioration for reasons other than materials and workmanship of the door itself.Abusive handling.Doors left sealed/unfinished at the job site, exposed to the elements. Appearance caused by failure to follow recommended handling, and finishing guidelines is not covered by this warranty.The appearance of field finished doors is not warranted in any event.Natural variation in the color or texture of wood not considered being a defect.Warp is not considered a defect unless it exceeds 1/4" in the plane of the door itself. "Warp" is any distortion in the wood itself and does not refer to the relationship of the door to the frame or jamb in which it is hung. The term "warp" shall include bow, cup and twist. For doors larger than 3/0 x 7/0, warp shall not exceed 3/8" in the plane of the door itself.If warranted door(s) are found to contain defects stated, the manufacturere may, at its option, either:Repair the door(s) without charge.Replace the door(s) without charge, in the same stage of fitting and/or finishing as was originally supplied.



If you are interested in a super easy, inexpensive, preservative free, beautiful home makeover and would love to see Traba in your home....be sure to contact Chad and he can point you to the many distributors and door shops all over the U.S. (and soon Canada!) that carry Traba Doors. I know here in Arizona, Legacy Custom Doors is carrying Traba. When you contact Traba by emailing Chad, let him know you read the Traba Door review here at Five Fish, so you get the superior treatment I received from the gentlemen at Traba.

Make it a Great Wednesday!