Trash

Trash Can & Cutting Boards

Our gift certificates - obtained via credit card points that exacerbate income inequality - for Bed, Bath and Beyond and Pottery Barn arrived this afternoon.  Not ten minutes later, I was out the door and heading to both stores to make my first purchases.

All gift certificates for Pottery Barn went to a purchase of a storage unit/bookcase for Avery's room from Pottery Barn Kids.  I realize I could have gotten something similar and way less expensive from IKEA, but I know this furniture will take a beating and I don't think IKEA's furniture withstands such beatings well.  I have to assemble the unit tonight, so perhaps I'll get around to posting before and after pictures of Avery's room.

The Bed, Bath and Beyond certificates will be spent on various household items over several trips.  I am hoping I have some friends who don't need their 20% off coupons at the moment - anyone, anyone?  Otherwise, I'll just be really patient and wait for them to arrive in the mail here.  On my first trip, out of all the many items I've listed that I want, do you know what my first big ticket item was?  A trash can.  That's right.  I have been wanting a different trash can for our kitchen since we moved into this house some five years ago.  Our round one didn't fit well and was just awkward.  However, I also didn't want to pay that much money for a trash can.  So the solution to my problem was credit card points.  So I bought a rectangular trash can that also has a side bin for recyclables.  Given its shape, I was able to put it where our recycling bin used to be located and get rid of the other trash can and the recycling bin.  It really opens up the flow of traffic in the kitchen.  It is unbelievable how happy a stupid trash can has made me.  I used the 20% off coupon for the trash can and then bought four cutting boards.  I'm so sick of searching for a freaking cutting board all the time, so I bought a total of six of them today.  They're not a fancy-smancy built-in cutting board like RHG's, but they'll do.

House Progress

I sent an unhappy email to our GC at the beginning of the week noting that it had been five months since we gave him our deposit and a pitiful amount of work had been done.  He agreed and apologized and said he'd give us a discount.  And it seemed to have lit a fire under his ass to get the siding folks in.  The shake has been installed on two of the peaks.  The third one will be done tomorrow, I assume, since each one seems to take a day to do.  D and I are much happier with the shake than our plain siding, but I think the big difference will be when the house is painted.  I'm also hoping they get started with the front yard landscaping soon. 

Happily, Avery had no issue napping through siding being ripped off, air compressors firing loudly, and shake being pounded in.  Of course, I was able to nap through it yesterday, too.  Today I managed to not nap.  Yes, I'm proud of that.  

Avery

I'm also happy to report that Avery is doing much better at playing on her own. She wants me to always play with her, of course, but when I am busy or simply can't, instead of whining, she will actually go and play.  So nice.