Friday, March 28, 2008

Extreme recycling: Food, furniture, diapers

One of my good friends in high school, Kim, and my fellow Luvbugz (you would of just had to be there, Great times!) sent me this article. It's very interest and is Extreme, but great for those willing to reduce in this way.

You can read all about it by following this link:

Extreme recycling

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Choice

I have chosen to leave my current position within Business Objects/ SAP for a new opportunity with Franciscan Skemp health care as an Help Desk Analyst. I will be analysing the currently help desk and helping with an upgrade software and kicking off a knowledge base solution to help the engineers. It's a great opportunity for my career and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

I have chosen stability and hopefully that will be the best choice in the long run.

Tough decision...

For those of you who are wondering what my tough decision is...

Those of you who know me well know that I have a magnetic attration to companies that are being Acquired, sold, and merged. It all started in 1998 I was working for G. Heileman Brewing Company Stroh's as a brewery tour guide. This was one of the best jobs I have every had. Not only did I meet people from all over the United States I had the opportunity to sample a lot of beverages. I learned everything there was to making beer, bottling it, and distributing it. It was all a very interesting process. G. Heileman's brewery names and intellectual properties became part of the Pabst Brewing Company, the current owner. Pabst oversees the brewing of several well-known Heileman brands, including Old Style and Special Export, under the G. Heileman name. I was lucky enough to be able to give the very last brewery tour as G. Heileman. It was my biggest tour by far and most exciting. I still have the Tribune news article with me on the cover. It was crazy to see, but a great experience that helped my fear of speaking in front of a large audience. As of 2007, the former Heileman's flagship brewery in La Crosse is owned and operated by the City Brewing Company. The new brewery chose to use the name that the former Heileman's used as its start up name in 1858-1872.
Following that I had worked for First Federal Capital Bank. I started out as a Teller, which I had worked all through college. After graduation I moved into IT Support. First Federal was a great company to work for they really promoted within and the customers were very loyal. In 2005 Associated Bank Corp Acquired First Federal. This was a shock to most employee's since we were planning on building a new corporate office in Onalaska. Strike 2 for me! My finance also worked for First Federal and we were lucky enough to be offered a package deal for both of us to relocate to Stevenspoint. Moving at that time was something neither of us was interested in since we had just bought a house and were getting married that year. Isaac's department remained in La Crosse and I decided to take a few months off of working to plan our wedding. I also worked for my dad part-time to make a little extra cash. I ended up not working for 6 months, thanks to a great severance package I was offered from First Federal.
Six months later I was offered a job at FirstLogic. I had previously had hopes of working for FirstLogic since I entered college. FirstLogic was a software company that focused on creating mailing and data quality solutions to it's customers. They were very known for their outstanding customer focus and quality of service. After working for FirstLogic for 1 year... something that I knew all to well was happening again. We were going to be acquired by Pitney Bowes. Before this was finalized the market declined this acquisition because it would cause a monopoly on the mailing software market. I believe it was a couple months later and an offer came in from Business Objects. A year later from that SAP decided to merge with Business Objects. This is where it stands right now. There are so many uncertainties in my mind. Our SAP integration will start July 1, 2008. In any situation like this it's hard for one to decide what to do. Do I look for a new job... will my job be fine... no one will know until time passes. That is the hard part.
So for my tough decision.
About 7 months ago I applied for a job at a Hospital in the area where I live. I was called to come in for an interview, but decided based on the salary they were offering. To my surprise 7 months and some weeks later I received a call from this Hospital. They had researched the market and discovered they were paying below average for the position. They revamped the position and decided to increase the salary. They asked if I would still be interested. (You hear from employer often, we'll keep your resume on file for 1 year. I never thought they really did this. To my surprise someone did!) I thought what do I have to lose. I love my job in the sense that's in challenging every day. I save my customers $100's if not $1000 of dollar's with their mailings, but maybe there is something better out there. I got to thinking about all the uncertainties with my current job also and went for it. After 2 weeks I have been offered the job. The company I work for has great benefits in regards to sick leave... (no minimum), MBO quarterly bonus, short term disability, Flex time, 401/k match, vacation time, pay, and they just moved us into a new building right on the Mississippi River (my pod is right next to the river and is a great benefit). There is so much out there it doesn't hurt to compare.

What to do...
What's more important money or being happy? Happy for sure
Hours? Yes these are very important...especially when you have a little one
Job Security? Very Important
Vacation? This is nice, but not a deal breaker
There are so many other things that are going through my mind and I need to make a decision today, so it's a very tough one for me. Especially since I've gone through lay offs in the past and it's a hard process to get through. So I guess just stay turned for what I decide is the best choice for myself and my family.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

3 day until swim class...

I signed my daughter up for swim lessons this spring and they actually start on Saturday. I can't believe it's hear so fast and not sure I'm ready for a swim suit yet this season. I have been so busy and stressed with my job that I have not been sticking to my work out plan. I do have to say I have been eating a ton healthier.

I have two recommendations:

Morningstar Garden Burgers
Morningstar Chicken Patties







We made the chicken patties last night and I could not believe how good they were. I'm still not convinced that there is no chicken in them. From the taste to the texture it's hard to tell! I highly recommend these. They are so much healthier for you too! I'm excited to try some new flavors too. I have tried the Boca brand I prefer this brand over that though.

Come April it will be a whole lot easier to work out since my employer will have the on-site work-out center. I then will be able to work out and have a great view of the Mississippi river. It can't come soon enough.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Cloth Diapers... NoWay!

So I went online today and ordered a few cloth diapers. I know what you thinking. Those white clothes that you use for burp rags that you have to pin onto the baby. Well they have come a long way since then. They are actually pretty cute and very easy to use. I first got turned on to these from a mommy baby yoga class my daughter and I took with our friends Sara and Liddy. The instructors daughter had them on and raved about them. She said it saved her so much money and was nice to not have to leave the house to purchase more diapers with a baby. If she needed more she just washed the diaper. They now have the option to have disposable inserts, which is also less waste then disposable diapers. The washing of these aren't as bad when you throw the inserts away. I'm going to give these a try and see what comes of it. I should receive them in 5-7 days.


I ordered them from http://www.cottonbabies.com/. The brand I decided to go with was Bum Genius. I have been looking into these since my daughter was a few months old. I decided to try these out with my daughter only on a part-time basis and then determine if I'll use them full-time when we decide to have another child. Here is a picture of what they look like:



House For Sale Lakeville MN


Agent is owner. Tons of character, great home in a quiet neighborhood. Updates include: maple hardwood fl00rs, prof. painted, new landscaping, window treatments, roof and much more. Please give 2hr. notice for showings.
More information listed at:
This is a great house! The owners have put a lot of work into updating this home. They have decided to relocate to be closer to family.

Renovating

We purchased the house we live in about a year ago this month. We had been looking and searching for houses for about 3 years. We were very picky. (Which I believe one should be, when making that big of a purchase!) Well this house had the layout we wanted with three bedrooms all together on one corner of the house an extra one downstairs for a guest room. A Jacuzzi tub, which was on my list. A entertainment area, which is the basement. Open concept was a must with a little one too. The only problem now is the little things. Well... some I guess aren't so little. We really want to redo the kitchen. I absolutely hate the cabinet colors. So we have an appointment tonight with Kitchen Solvers. Kitchen Solvers is a company that refinishes existing cabinets to look ideal for you. This is a cheaper alternative to redoing the whole kitchen saving money and reducing ones waste. I'm very curious to see what the price difference actually is. Our previous home we gutted the kitchen and totally replaced everything brand new. It was a small kitchen, but the price tag was close to 7,500. I'll fill you in on the exact process and how the cost compares after the appointment. We received information about this from the home show, which wasn't wasn't I accept it to be. The Home Show that is. There really wasn't too much green information. The majority of th booths seemed to be Banks.



The next thing we would like to do is update our appliances. I have to be honest there is nothing wrong with our current ones, but these would be a great update to our rentals. Of course allowing me to have some new ones!



Like one of the previous post I would like to paint a few rooms. I have been looking into Eco-friendly painting options. These are great to use because most are orderless, so if you have little ones around they are not as harmful. Plus you are reducing your carbon footprint too!



Lighting.... OK if you have entered my house, you will know that our light fixtures are horrendous! They are cheap first off and gold. Yuck! Since I can remember I have never been a fan of gold. When I was 7 my dad bought me a gold heart necklace. I opened it and was like ohhh I love it. (It is still sitting in the leather holder he gave it to me in and never worn. Sorry Dad!) The lighting is something that could be replaced at not much of a cost and not hard to do it yourself. The only problem is with open concept you need to replace most of them at once, or your room will look even sillier.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Grandma's Green?

So every Thursday my daughter, husband, and I meet at my grandma's for dinner and some cold beverages. These are great nights. My grandma who is over 80 years old is totally young at heart and very cool!
Last Thursday I was telling her how I bring my own bags when I go shopping and she said a Green Bag? She walked to her bedroom and comes out with a Green bag from a local store. She said I bought this, but would like one smaller that fits in my purse. I just happened to have one in my purse that was as small as a wallet and gave it to her. She was as happy as a kid in the candy store. I have to say I was really shocked she used her own bags. I find the older you are sometimes the harder it is to change. Not my grandma I guess. She not only thought it was good for the environment she thought they were cute. So I learned something... you are never too old for some change.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

What... No March Madness???

Yes...

So last week I called our local cable company and canceled our digital cable service. We didn't cancel because of the money. It's something we have always talked about doing, but never actually did.
I grew up with cable. The minute I woke up it was on until I went to bed. Don't get me wrong I went outside and played. My parents had a pool in their backyard so most summer days were spent out there, but come winter it was mostly TV. Since having my daughter we hardly have the TV on when she's awake. Kids tend to become glued to the TV. Some experts say TV is bad because the objects move so fast that it's not good for a child's development. My daughter does have a few DVDs of her own that we let her watch once in awhile. Since we only watch TV a few hours at night it just doesn't really make sense to have. My husband is a huge basketball fan. He always talks about taking a week off for March Madness to watch all the games non-stop. Well this year not only will he be working, but we'll have NO CABLE. He was fine with this... he just might be stopping over to my parents house to check out a few games. Plus most shows are shown online for you to watch FREE. You can't beat this if you have high speed Internet connection.
After really looking at the TV shows I watch, which are mostly reality, I realized how pointless they are. I watched this one reality show and I actually felt so dumb after watching it, because it was just yelling back and forth. What is the point?
So this summer we have decided to cancel cable.... My husband loves to golf, which he plans to do more of. My daughter and I are taking Saturday swim lesson's. I plan to grow a great garden in our yard. We'll see how it turns out. I'm not the best with plants, so cross your fingers! I just think not watching TV we will have even more time to update some things around our house. Bailey is at a fun age too. I can't wait to take her to the pool, on long walks, to the zoo, and out for ice cream. I do believe that in some homes TV has replaced a lot of family time. I am not saying it's bad, you just need it in moderation like everything in life. Come winter I'm sure we'll get cable again. We need to cheer our Green Bay Packers on!! (Missing FAVRE of course!)

To Do:

Repaint
Our bedroom
master bath
Kids bathroom
The downstairs entertainment area
Guest Bedroom
Guest Bath


Remodel Kitchen (I don't know if this will happen this summer, but we have a few people stopping by to give us some estimates in the next few weeks)
Plant Garden
Redo Landscaping - Plant flowers
Update a few window treatments
Refinish and stain Deck
Replace wood flooring (This will not be this summer, but I'm adding it to the list.)

So as you can see there is a lot to keep us busy.

Friday, March 7, 2008

"Go Green" in 2008

This weekend:
2008 Home & Garden Show
Date: Friday 03/07/2008 through Sunday 03/09/2008
Description:
This year will be a bigger and better show as the home Builders Association expands into our second building. Hours are Friday 5:00pm - 9:00pm, Saturday 10:00am - 7:00pm, and Sunday 11:00am - 5:00pm. Admission is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for ages 12-17.
For more information:
https://laba-wi.builderfusion.com/bf/website/index.jsp

I will review on the show and any idea's we got from this next week. We are planning on attending it this weekend.

Natural dried fruit bars

I highly recommend trying the pineapple Natural dried fruit bar from Trader Joe's. I bought one on our Trader Joe's shopping spree and wish I would of bought 100 of them. The other flavors are good too, but I especially love the pineapple. These are great little snacks and only contain around 60 calories.

They are Yummy!!

Trader Joe's 100% Pineapple Fruit Bar contains nothing other than 100% sweet, ripe pineapple which is ground into a paste and made into a delicious dried fruit treat. No flavors or fillers of any kind have been added.

Wow... never felt clean like this before

I just started using an all natural toothpaste this week. I have to say it was a whole new clean experience. I have previously been loyal to Crest, but it doesn't even compare.

The toothpaste is All Natural Trader Joe's Toothpaste and I have to say the texture is unlike Crest. This was hard to get use to at first. The texture is not totally smooth, but it made my mouth feel so clean. I'm not sure if it's the baking soda that makes it textured or if it's the mint extract. Maybe it's a combination of both, but whatever it is I like it.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

First time... Trader Joe's

So this last weekend we went to visit my brother and sister in-law in Madison. It was a great visit and even greater was meeting the newest memeber of the family Kaitlin Susan. What a quiet baby... several times I forgot she was in the room. I previously talked about their house. We played basketball, watched movies in the theater room, had adult beverages by the bar area and played Golden Tee. Yes, they have the game and that's pretty much where the guys hang out.

Overall the trip was relaxing and fun. On our way home Sunday we decided to check out Trader Joe's. First off I'll say it was very busy! I hate shopping when there is a crowd and I can't get thru isles. We did end up shopping around for a little over 30 minutes. The prices were what I expected since most items are organic. We ended up buying around $50 worth of new foods to try out. My husband and daughter most love cheese and don't go a day without it. We picked up the best smoked cheese. It was seriously some of the best I have ever had. Living in Wisconsin you get a lot of chances to try cheese. I also picked up som 100% natural dried fruit bars. I had the pinapple one yesterday. I plan on picking up more of these hopefully soon. I won't tell you everything we picked up, but one thing you should try is their Dyno Juice. It is filled with vitamins and taste's great. I really wish I had one of these closer to our area. They have a lot of thing you wouldn't be able to find at a regular grocery store.


Check them out online:
http://www.traderjoes.com/