Monday, January 18, 2010

Nursery Pics

The nursery is just about done!!



You can check out other pics of it here:  Nursery Pics

Dave did a great job decorating with vinyl paper on the wall.  It was quite the process...I was very impressed at all the time and effort he put into it!!  Here's a quick step-by-step:

1) First he thought of a design.
2) He picked the colors he wanted.
3) He ordered the vinyl from an online store.  They did not have any green that we thought would match the room, but luckily my friend Chrissie had some lime green paint that was very close to the color we were looking for.  So for the pieces Dave wanted to be lime green, he just painted them.
4) We bought a circle cutter from Michael's (using a 40% off coupon, of course) to cut the circles. (Hint: Practice first!)
5) We used a straight-edge cutter from his work office to cut strips.  (Again, practice first!)
6) After cutting all the pieces, he used a laser level to put straight lines on the wall to follow.
7) He let his creative juices flow.  I think he made up a lot of the circle designs as he went along.  Definitely not something I would be good at.  So if creative juices are not something you're abounding in, you might want to put more effort into Step 1.

But doesn't it look great?!  Good job honey!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Ways to Donate

If you're like me, you've probably felt bombarded by the number of requests you're receiving for donations to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.

I did some research this morning and found some reputable organizations that I can trust with my money. If you are also looking for a way to donate, I'd suggest one of the following two:

Joy in Hope (see Recent News at the bottom of the page for how to donate)
My church has families over in Haiti working with this organization, so I fully trust it. I also know that my funds will go to support Haitians with a connection to my church, and that makes me feel good.

World Vision (see donation button on right side of screen)
This organization is very well-known and has a good reputation, so I also feel safe giving them my money.

I gave our money to Joy in Hope.  Feel free to use either of these or any other organization you're aware of...just try to give a little and help out those who are suffering so terribly.


(Picture from Mail Online World News)

Monday, January 11, 2010

10 Ways to Save on Your Energy Bill

We got these tips in a neighborhood newsletter, and I actually hadn't heard of some of them before.  Thought I'd share. :)


Here ya go... 
10 Ways to Save on Your Energy Bill

1.Set your thermometer at 68 degrees or lower.  According to PSNC, for each degree above 68 degrees, your heating costs increase by 8 to 10 percent.

2.Replace or clean your HVAC filters once a month, or as needed.  This simple task along with #3 could improve your system's energy efficiency by as much as 10%.

3.Clean your warm-air registers and cool-air returns regularly by either dusting or vacuuming.  Make sure they are not blocked by furniture or drapes.

4.Use kitchen and bathroom ventilating fans wisely; in just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed air.  Turn fans off as soon as they have done their job.

5.Keep doors to the outside closed.  Contrary to popular belief, storm doors are usually not very effective as heat transfer barriers.  Always close your primary door after entering or exiting your house.

6. Open shades and/or drapes on sunny winter days to help warm your house - especially any south-facing windows.  Keep curtains and shades closed at night or on cloudy days to help reduce the amount of heat that escapes.

7. Do not heat unused space in your home.  Close vents in extra rooms.  However, do not close more than 20 percent of the total number of vents that your home has.

8. Check the setting on the thermostat of your water heater.  Set it to "medium" or 120 degrees.  Heating water to a higher temperature than is needed not only increases your energy usage, but is a safety concern as well.

9. Have a licensed heating contractor inspect your system each year.   Most offer a service package to inspect twice a year.

10. Turn of all lights, televisions, radios, and appliances when not in use.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Read up elsewhere

So I know I've been pretty much horrible lately at updating my KSS blog.  There are many many things I want to write about and share, but convincing myself to take the time to do it has been more than difficult.

So, in the meantime, until I get my KSS-blogger-self revved up again, feel free to join in reading about my pregnancy and related events over at http://www.babybesido.blogspot.com.  You can get some of my life updates there.  And besides, my pregnancy really is the biggest thing going on in my life right now anyway (in more ways than one if you take a look at my belly). :)