The Pool Process - Landscaping

No, the pool isn't done yet. There are more delays. The rainy weekend weather didn't help either. I wanted to plant everything this weekend, but since the sprinklers are still not fixed, we could not plant around the pool. They would just get destroyed when the trenches are dug to lay the sprinkler pipes. We did however, plant some things on our side yard since I am keeping my fingers crossed those sprinklers were not damaged during the pool dig and will not have to be replaced. I just couldn't resist. We started with one tree in the backyard. Our weeping willow.

When we bought it last summer it had 2 branches and no leaves and looky here. It's so adorable now. I call him hairy. As I was planting the surrounding perennials, I was hoping I had a hair clip to tie his hairy leaves out of my way. A. likes to hide behind the branches and I must say so do I. I decided to remove all the grass around Hairy and mulch it all. No more trying to squeeze the lawn mower into this tight spot or having to use the weed wacker.

We managed to plant our fruit trees. I got a lot of head shakes when I mentioned that I wanted fruit trees. We planted several in our old home and we got used to going out and plucking fruit from our trees on a daily basis. I have had no trouble in the past so despite a lot of people saying that is not the kinds of trees they like, I am happy with my decision. We have a plum, peach, and a persimmon tree. After laying out the plants in our back yard, there is room for another couple of trees. My husband wants a nectarine tree and I want another orange/mandarin tree. Our little mandarin tree had so much fruit last year for being so small that I love that tree.

I'll admit, I am not a professional landscaper and it isn't a secret that I have no green thumb. When walking around the nursery, I picked plants that I thought were beautiful, that were hardy in the winter and that I could afford. I think when all is said and done, you could call my backyard landscaping ecclectic. There is a little bit of everything. I had to have my Japanese Maple Tree. I still don't know where I am planting it, but I had to have it because I love the way the leaves look.

Ever since I saw my friend's Hydrangas, I was sold. I have been on the look out for these and they arrived at the nursery this week! Don't they look gorgeous? I hope they don't die on me before I have a chance to plant them.

For a privacy hedge, I plan on planting some azaleas near our decking. I am going to remove the existing dirt and plant them in some peat moss so they get the acidity they need. I'll finish off with some pine bark which they love as well. Do I sound like I know what I am talking about? Don't be fooled. I had to google that info.

For around the pool, my husband wanted a tropical feel so we have none other than palm trees. Their palms have seen better days, but hey, you try getting 4 of these 6 foot beauties inside your mini-van and not have a palm or two tear.

I am sure you are asking, palms with fruit trees? What is that going to look like? Well, our fruit trees are on our side yard while the pool will be separated by a wrought iron fence so the spaces are defined and separated. I felt as if it would be okay to have different kinds of plants in different areas to create a different atmosphere depending upon where you are. Hopefully, in the end, it will look all right.

It is possible to fit 4 fruit trees, 4 azaleas pots, 4 kids (3 in car seats) and a trunk of groceries in our Honda Odyssey. If you dare to ask, yes, all our doors were closed, even the trunk. I can't say I love our mini-van since it seems to bring the connotation of me being a soccer mom, but it has definitely transported many things including our refrigerator and couch! It has definitely saved us from renting a u-haul many times.

To finish off the landscaping, we purchased some holly, indian hawthorne, red-tip photenias, various grasses, and perennials. There you have it. Those are our landscaping plans in a nutshell. I hope that everything will look some what cohesive in the end. Keep your fingers crossed. I certainly am.

Super Mario Birthday Party

E.'s 6th birthday party is next month and we are going to have a Super Mario themed birthday party since that is what is into right now. Although, Super Mario is a popular Nintendo character, items for purchase aren't so readily available. Almost everything that I have bought for him in the past has been through ebay from China. I may have to do the same for the party.

I plan on baking a cake, cupcakes or both. Here are my inspirations.

The cake is phenomenal and I want to try to duplicate it. The problem is I have never worked with fondant before, nor have I done anything as elaborate as this. I am going to try though. I started designing the invitations and making some of the party favors this week. You'll have to stay tuned to see what I come up with. I am undecided. I know I don't really want to spend the money for useless toys and nick nacks as party favors that parents dread coming home with. I never know what to do with all that junk and it usually ends up in the trash.I either plan on sewing some Mario caps and Princess Peach crowns or embroidering some towels for party favors since it will be a swimming party as well. I am so excited and ideas just keep coming to me. Hopefully I don't go overboard as I tend to do. It's hard not to go overboard when you have a wonderful son that never wants or asks for anything. What do you get a kid that doesn't ever want anything? That's the dilemma I have every year.

TAX DAY Freebies and Offers

It's been a while since I have had any savings postings so here are some Tax Day Savings for you.

El Pollo Loco - Purchase ANY size drink and receive a FREE Taco al Carbon
or ANY item from our Loco Value Menu! Click here for coupon!

T.G.I. Friday’s - T.G.I. Friday's restaurants will give its guests who visit Friday's on April 15 a tax day bonus: $5 Bonus Bites cards for purchases (excluding alcohol and tax) beginning at $15 through $25; $10 Bonus Bites cards for purchases over $25 while supplies last at participating restaurants in the U.S.

HydroMassage - owners are offering free trial session massages nationwide on between April 15-18th! tax day. Quite a few Gold’s Gyms and Snap Fitness in the DFW Metroplex are taking part! Click here for a location near you! Go here to print your free coupon!

Cinnabon - is giving away 2 FREE cupcake bites on April 15th (tax deadline day) from 6-8pm. Click here for more details. Click here to find a location near you.

Scotty P’s Burger - Click here to get a FREE Scotty P's Burger on April 15th! Gotta love TAX Day! Locations are also mentioned on the coupon! Enjoy!

Starbucks - On Thursday, April 15th, bring a reusable travel mug into your local Starbucks and get a FREE brewed coffee!!!

MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery - just announced an "E-cone-omic" Relief Package for its customers on Tax Day. Participating U.S. Treateries will give away free slices of its new, one of a kind MaggiMia's Ice Cream Pizza from 3-7PM. Click here to find a location near you.

P.F. Changs - on Tax Day save 15% on your entire bill. No coupon required. Click here for more details.

Mr. Jim's Pizza - Become a fan of Mr. Jim's Pizza and on April 15th you can pick up a FREE small 1 toping pizza. Click here to become a fan!

McCormick and Schmicks - Thursday diners will get a $10.40 dinner specials and drinks. Each Bar guest will also receive a $10.40 tax relief Certificate. (Good for your next visit!) Click here for more details!

McDonalds - offering a special offer on April 15th – Buy one Big Mac, Get one for 1¢!! As always, check your local location first to make sure they are participating! It's been advertised on the radio though!

Subway - NBC is reporting that Subway restaurants will be giving away free cookies all day.

Taco Del Mar - Take your "taco 1099" to any Taco Del Mar, Del Mar's or Mondo's for a Free taco. Click here for more details. And as always, call your local store to make sure they are participating before you head in!

Scholotzky's - Buy any sandwich and get a bag of chips and a drink FREE!

Staples - Free copies of your tax return. Up to 30 black and white copies, double sided (15 sheets) on standard white paper.

Thanks DFWMommy!

My Nook Garden Plans

All my potted plants eventually die and I have no green thumb. I had to google the difference between a perennial and an annual. Despite this, I want to have a flowering garden on my side yard. We had grass, but the bobcats took that with them when they came and dug for our pool so now all that is left is dirt. I was on the better homes and gardens website a couple of years ago and discovered they had free landscaping plans. I kept a copy of the plans and came across it the other day. This is what I want to create.

Isn't it gorgeous? It so peaceful looking. I have the exact bench and I have the side walk so now I just need the shrubs. I love the colors and simplicity of this garden. I am so excited. I just hope that I am able to find the plants at my local nursery. If you are looking for this plan or other free gardening plans, you can start here. They give you the dimensions of the garden as well as a detailed plant list. Now, I just have to find the shrubs, buy them and plant them.

I built a bed from scratch without a table saw. I can surely dig a couple of holes with a shovel that I already have, right?

Pool Process - New Slide

It's amazing what can be done with a little complaining and a lot of explaining. We got our new slide basically over night. It isn't perfect just yet so I am going to ask if parts of it can be redone (yes, again). Its a great thing that I have a friend that speaks Spanish because the tiler didn't understand an ounce of English. I usually can get by with my broken Spanish, but it was definitely a no go this time as I hadn't a clue how to say certain construction terms (like, please curve the slide more so my sons don't go flying into the adjacent rocks!). A quick phone call to my friend, a lot of hand gesturing to explain curvature and the matter was taken care of. Seeing it today, it looks a whole lot better and I don't regret for an instant my decision to have it redone.

Before, it looked like this.

It's hard to tell in this picture, but the slide looks like snake skin with its high sheen. I also hate the way the tiles end on the left front end. I hate the way it ends so abruptly and isn't cohesive with the rocks at all.

Now it looks a whole lot better. The color blends in with the rocks and the slide doesn't stand out on it's own like an eye sore. This picture really doesn't do the difference of the two slides justice. I'll have to take a picture in the day time. The tiles in this picture make the slide look blotchy, but it really isn't.

They fixed the left front end to make it more of a "U" shape. Since the tile placement on the right is imperfect (the grout spacing was not even), I am going to ask them to redo it and while they redo it, I am also going to ask if they can create that hump on the right side as they did on the left. This will definitely complete the "U" shape that I want and hopefully make the slide perfect.

Major clean up is expected on today. I cannot wait to see all the trash gone and the grounds level for my plants. I have been anxiously awaiting for my sprinklers to be fixed so that I no longer have to hand water my plants. The project end is near, but it certainly isn't fast enough for me. Perhaps another week and we shall be done!

Pool Process - Tile and Decking

There was a long wait for our tile selection. Our backyard was quiet for over a week, the longest period of no work. After our tile came in, I was surprised to see the finished work in our pool.

I had no problem with the waterline tile. I loved that. It went completely with the stone work and matched the tile inside our home giving a consistent look through out. Do you like our slide? We hate it. I wanted the waterline tile on our slide, but it was recommended to go with a more slick tile. Very reluctantly I agreed. That was my big mistake. I didn't go with my instinct and went with something I wasn't comfortable with. Now what? I am having them rip out the tile and start over with the water line tiles that I selected. It is a very costly mistake and I tried living with the slide tiles, but we just don't like it. Now, there will be another delay as we wait to order new tile.

On the bright side, our decking is close to being done. They first cleared out the space and laid a layer of sand. Next, they placed rebar to reinforce the concrete.

They next laid a layer of concrete, making it flush with the coping and existing deck. They sprinkled aggregate stone over the concrete and smoothed it out. A few hours later, they washed the top layer of concrete off and revealed the aggregate underneath. The finished product is a new deck.

The last step would be to finish the pool, stain the existing deck, and clean up the grounds for landscaping. Unfortunately, we have the set back with redoing the slide. We decided that we disliked it so much it was worth the money and time to have it redone correctly. We would have definitely been finished next week, but now that we have to await for tile, I have no idea when it will be done. Hopefully, it will be soon. We are ready to start and finish landscaping!

The bed is finally done!

I finally was able to set up A's new bed in his room. I must say that I absolutely love it and I simply cannot believe that I built it. No, I didn't buy the bed and assemble it. I actually bought lumber and built it from scratch. When I couldn't find the daybed that I wanted, I decided I wanted to build it. Not ever building furniture before, I got a lot of chuckles and many people just telling me to go and buy something else instead. Despite this, I was up for the challenge. The only problem, was figuring out how to do it. A few weeks later I discovered this blog about building furniture. It's called Knock Off Wood. I fell in love with the site and haven't stopped reading it ever since.

I studied and learned the plans for the farmhouse bed. I knew I wanted to make it, but I needed it to be a daybed instead so I took the farm house plans and made changes to it to make my daybed and this is what I ended up with.

Do you love it as much as I do? I showed my dad my bed and he was speechless. He was so proud. He told me that it looked professional and that he simply couldn't believe that I made it. He used to be a cabinet maker so his words meant the world to me. I told him the list of other things that I wanted to build and you know something, he decided to give me some of his favorite tools to make it easier. I asked for his router and his countersink bit and so he is sending them. Yippee!

I used the plans on Knock Off Wood to make the head board and then I made the foot board and the side boards to match this bed. I wanted the molding to extend all around the bed and even onto the trundle front.

I really love how it turned out. All the materials totaled $260. That is a little more than what I wanted to spend, but it is still a lot cheaper than buying it at Pottery Barn (if it existed). The Thomas trundle alone is $399 and that is without tax and shipping. I am always on the look out for a bargain. I don't know what I am more ecstatic about, saving all the money or having the satisfaction that I built it. My kids absolutely are in awe of my creation. That's not something that I could have ever bought. It took a couple of weekends to complete, but it was well worth the time and effort. Its a sturdy bed that should last a lifetime and hopefully bring a lifetime of memories as well.

Click here to see how I built this bed.

Tortilla Soup

One of the most requested meals in our family is Martha Stewart's Tortilla Soup. It's found in this book, Food Everyday: Great Food Fast. I love this cookbook. Most recipes in this book are completed with only a handful of ingredients.

The recipe is below. For other recipes, you can visit their site here.

	Tortilla Soup
	Serves 4 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 Minutes

For the soup: 4 skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 jalapeno chile, diced (with seeds for more heat) 6 corn tortillas (6 inches) 3 tablespoons canola oil Coarse salt For garnish: 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (5 ounces) 4 large scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup) 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced 1/4 cup cilantro sprigs 1 Lime, cut in wedges Preheat oven to 400° . In a large pot, bring chicken, broth, jalapeno, and 8 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Brush both sides of tortillas with oil, stacking them as you go. Cut stack in half, and then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Place strips on a rimmed baking sheet; bake, tossing strips occasionally, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a large spoon, skim fat from surface of broth in pot, and strain liquid through a sieve into a clean pot (you should have about 8 cups). Shred chicken with a fork or with your fingers, and return it to the pot. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Divide soup among serving bowls, and add tortilla strips. Garnish as desired.

Kids Bowl Free All Summer

Select bowling centers and schools around the country are participating in the first ever “Kids Bowl Free” program. This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.

Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the participating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations.

You can see if your area is participating by going here.

Happy Birthday A !!!!

Today is A's 2nd Birthday! I no longer have a little baby anymore. It seems as though I just gave birth to him yesterday. He has grown up so fast. He has been nothing, but a joy. He constantly makes me laugh and smile. He is truly a blessing in our lives.

Here are some of my favorite pictures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY A!!!