Home Maintenance Tips and Breakfast Improv

Oh boy! Don’t we have to think fast on our feet sometimes? This morning we ran out of milk. “Hey guys, will you save me a bit of milk for my shake?” That’s not too much to ask is it? Considering these are the same small people that leave me a green bean and a some fried chicken skin when I am late getting home for dinner, and eat the food right off my plate when I AM home, maybe it was. I am grateful for the 4 ounces they left me. It was enough to make me think, “how can I make this work?” By adding 4 ounces of Yoohoo, that’s how! Yum and WOW! I feel good!

Improvising and home ownership go hand in hand. Two weeks ago my dryer died a loud screeching death. It was very sad for me because I knew it meant goodbye to the tax return. Again. ABC gave me a wonderful deal on an American Made (holla!) front loading, energy efficient, fast and silent set that has given the Dyson competition for my domestic affection. But before the tax return was returned and the appliances of my eye could be purchased… I was washing unmentionables in the sink and telling my kids, “oh no, you can wear it again. No on will notice that pizza sauce on your belly. If they do, just tell them you had a bloody nose on the way to school.” I spent $60 at the Laundromat. Sickening.  But what are you gonna do?

Appliances, though are an easy fix in comparison to everything else in your house that could go wrong without proper maintenance. And not to freak you out, but if you don’t constantly update and maintain your house a little at a time, you are going to be looking at some expenses much higher than $1200 for a Whirlpool Duet pair.  Here. I found this cool home maintenance checklist at Bob Vila’s place in case you didn’t get one with your home inspection. Or if you’re like me, perhaps misplaced it. With Spring just around the corner it’s time to give your house some extra attention.

Aren’t we good at improvising, Ladies? In a previous forum discussing breakfast saves when the pantry turned up empty overnight, I heard some great solutions.  Chocolate milk pours into my kids breakfast bowls about once every three months when the skim milk is out. But my favorite I’ve heard came from a Mom who said she served ice cream and toast to her kids one morning for breakfast because of its similarity to milk! Ha! I think that’s awesome. I mean if it happened every day I might be concerned, but she wanted to make sure her kids got some calcium and vitamin D before school and she did what she had to.

Every day we wake up to the potential of something going wrong in the household. Please tell me what your creativity has spawned that got you out of a household jam. I won’t tell anyone…

*thanks dir.coolclips.com for the cool pic!