A Friday Funny

Have a bad week? Stressed out at work? Sad that this weekend is the unofficial end to summer (I am!)?

Well, I hope that showing you THE SINGLE WORST HAIRCUT IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND will maybe bring a little light into your Friday afternoon ;).

BEFORE I show you how Great Clips butchered Nate's hair, let's check out what he once looked like (two weeks ago):

Okay, now for the AFTER: 

Um, I guess the stylist was going for the new "uneven sides and super textured back" look...

...and the "not cutting the bangs, but cutting the top reaaally short" look.

What, Nate? You wanted her to trim the sideburns?

Don't you know that long sides are so totally in right now?!

Warning: this next image is not for the faint of heart...

An unnatural BALD SPOT... I'm pretty darn sure that he didn't wake up with that sucker!

Yeesh!

Have you ever had a bad haircut or dye job before? Was it an expensive mistake or an "$8.99- too good to be true" special?

PS Don't worry, it's mostly fixed. It's just hair; he'll live.

PPS Yes, I do plan on going back to Great Clips. I never do more than a trim and most of the hair stylists are perfectly fine.

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Budgeting for Blooms

I challenge you to find a room in a decor magazine or shelter blog that isn't styled with flowers. Even the most amazing space can use the pop of color and life that a fresh bouquet adds. You might have noticed that I "style" most of my pictures with a few flowers here and there. The truth is, we I actually budget to have fresh flowers in the house at all times (diva-ish, I know).

Thrifty tips for having fresh flowers in the house at all times:

1. Get the cheapest bundles available. While the bigger bundles might offer more stems for your money, they'll still die at the same time. Don't be afraid to use strategically placed bud vases instead of large arrangements.

2. Pick flowers that last at least 7 days! My grocery store actually lists the expected life of each flower on the store packaging, but any florist should be able to point you in the right direction. My favorite 14+ day flowers are Carnations and Astromerias... here's a good guide that list several other longer-lasting flowers.

3. Don't treat yourself to everything. Decide what special luxury has the most impact on your life- is it the car wash, Starbucks, or the flowers?

4. Grow your own... or steal from your neighbors ;) or be the type of person that people want to give flowers to.

Okay, so maybe I "stole" these wildflowers from the park across the street.

5. Get creative with your sources. Restaurants, weddings, and florists that might have leftover flowers that they're willing make a deal on (or give away!).

Oh, and would you believe that at $4 every two weeks ($8/ month), we're even able to squeeze it into our already bare grocery budget of $40-50/ week.?! It can be done!

What luxury do you make room for in your budget?

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Hugo's Toy Test (plus a video)

I received soooo many helpful comments in my call for affordable and durable dog toys for "The Destroyer" Hugo that I feel  like the topic deserves a bit of a follow up post. Here's a quick summary of Hugo's favorite targets toys:

1. Wubba; $5+

This Kong toy is practically indestructible (which is probably why everyone kept recommending Kongs). Hugo enjoys carrying it around the house from time to time and chasing its little legs, but it doesn't normally carry his attention for longer than a few minutes at a time.

2. TY Bow-Wow Beanie; <$5

Thankfully I found this dog toy at Marshalls for around $3 because the squeak inside didn't last longer than the evening I brought it home. Hugo does like the crumpling sounds it makes and plays with it every few days.

3. Classic Kong; >$5

Again, these Kongs are practicaly indestructible. Hugo loves licking peanut butter from the insides, but usually stops playing with it once the taste wears off.

4. Squeaky Chicken Toy (random Marshalls find); <$5

We LOVE this one! Hugo loves the squeak and I love that he can't destroy the squeak. Unlike most squeak toys, the squeaker isn't just stuffed inside of the toy, but a part of the actual toy.

5. Nylabone; <$5

This was the second most highly recommended durable toy out there. This seems to be the toy that Hugo goes to when he's in the mood for some intense chewing and there are still no signs of it breaking apart.

6. AKC Stuffed Toy; >$5

Although they're more expensive than I would usually pay for a stuffed toy, I'm super impressed with this brand. Hugo chewed his little heart out and only managed to detach the wings and tail. Yep, the squeak lives!

7. random stuffed pig from Marshalls; <$5

RIP Little Pig.

Yeah, like Hugo would just sit by and watch me take pictures of all of his toys...

How is the diaper working out?

Hugo LOVES his diaper!

Check out this video to see him running to me when I ask if he want to put it on. Yes, he comes running every time! I was sure that he'd try to get it off, but he just loves wearing the thing... as well as "going" in it.

...and Hugo wearing the diaper:

(this is just for show... we normally only put it on him when he'll be at home/ inside alone)

Also, I know the yard is a mess. We're putting off any yard work until our half Ironman training ends in October. How is that going? Three hours swimming and running on Saturday and four hours cycling and running on Sunday= NO yard work!

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Stripes?

If I'm finishing my half bathroom by Labor Day I need to decide on paint colors... like... now! If you know me at all, you'd know that I'm no where close to making that decision. Well, I at least know that I want stripes AND that I'd like to do something unique with the sloped ceiling (the bathroom is under a staircase). Let me know what you think:

A. Horizontal black and white stripes on wall with pop of color on ceiling (yellow? turquoise?).

B. Vertical black and white stripes on walls (and vanity cabinet?) with pop of color on ceiling.

C. Yellow stripes on ceiling with neutral walls.

D. Yellow stripes on walls with solid ceiling (color?)

E. Other?

A reminder of the before:

What would you do?

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Two Things

1. I made a good bit of progress on the bathroom this past weekend. The ugly texture is officially a goner!

Ugh. Ugly wallpaper covered with even uglier texture and hideous purple paint... I have no words.

Actually, I think the wallpaper was a much better look.

2. Today is Hugo's first day using his brand new "washable male wrap." Pammyg suggested it in the comments and I thought it was worth a shot.  I'll be sure to let you know how things work out.

Hey, it might be a diaper, but at least it's "attractive" :).

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Shame on The Bump!

I'm sorry that this is a bit off topic, but reading this post made me so angry that I felt like I needed to share.

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