How to Keep Your Home’s Energy Bills Down This Winter

During the winter season, it is not unusual for your energy bills to go up. Unfortunately, the costly utility bills can mess up your budget, especially if you were not prepared. What's more, more people are spending time indoors during winter, driving up energy consumption. To help keep the cost of your energy down, discussed below are some tips to help. Have Your HVAC System Serviced An HVAC system is responsible for almost half your energy bills, and that is when it is running efficiently with no damage. When it is worn out or damaged, it uses more energy while struggling to heat your home. Therefore, as winter approaches, ensure that your system is cleaned, has undergone Preventative HVAC Maintenance and heater repair, and ready to run efficiently. By maintaining your HVAC system and … [Read more...]

New Faces and Places

Maybe we have been cooped up in the house too long because of all this winter weather.  Maybe it is the seed that H repeatedly tries to plant in my head about TD branching out her set of friends.  Whatever it was, we took a trip just down the road to new horizons this week.  We went to a group play date.  Did your hand just fly to your mouth as you gasped in shock?  I know.  I broke our ridiculous and now monotanous routine of work, gym, school, work/play, neighborhood play, dinner, bed.  Wake up and do it all again. Gag, snore.  I don't know why it takes me so long to do these things.  I don't know why I don't schedule them myself. Oh right (smacks forehead) I hate entertaining.  That's why.  Hives. Hives! There would … [Read more...]

Confessions of a Cheater

I just might be a sloth.  My motivation and will to work out has completely left me.  While my butt aches from sitting on the couch so much, it is about all I can do most of the time these days.  Yes, my friends things have changed.  Do you hear the hoof beats of the horsemen of the Apocalypse too?  I just can't seem to get back on track.I have not indulged in any alcohol at all this month, I am, along with others, 18 days into this No Sugar/Alcohol Thirty Day Challenge and I am confessing to cheating on the sugar front.  Not even cheating, just downright diving in.  I had a Frosty last night from Wendy's while I watched the Golden Globes.  A delicious, smooth, creamy, frozen cup of bliss.  I needed it. OK?! Just leave me and my … [Read more...]

I’ll Get There. Right?

I went for a walk with The Comedian this morning.  I needed out.  Lately our home has begun to feel like a prison to me.  Winters are typically hard for me.  I've had Seasonal Affective Disorder for as long as I can remember.  I grew up with New England winters.  There is a reason I don't live there any more and those winters are it.  They last too long, are too cold and too bleak.  Some years are harder than others and this would be one of those years.  I think the combination of big snow coming early to our parts with record cold temperatures and some stunning news that came my way has really gotten to me at this not so optimal time of year. Mentally, physically and emotionally I'm a little screwed up right now.  Being … [Read more...]

I’m the Dumb Ass

Holy canned creamed corn dogs do I hate February. Well, doesn't that just sound like a hot mess of something you don't want anything to do with? Really, I try to be optimistic about it even going so far as to read this post about finding the positives in February. It's TD's, my grandmother's and my father's birthday. It's Valentines day too. A day I used to champion with the line, "V-Day. It's better than D-Day." However, it is always this month that I begin to feel itchy in my skin. While the days are shorter they feel endlessly long and tiring. My brain ceases to function and I'm always sick. My work suffers as does my soul (isn't that dramatic?). I lose any of the motivation I had in January and all I want to do is curl up on the couch and read a good book. In a sense I just … [Read more...]

Biting the Big One

I'm not quite sure where to begin. It's not like when I was younger and I could just go off for a few days, write some deeply unprofound thoughts in my journal, break a few things and take a series of long drives. I barely have time to remember to turn off the burners on the stove these days much less time to figure out what is normal.That's the thing- I don't know what is normal anymore.I don't think it is normal to keep thinking such incredibly sad, circular thoughts. Thoughts that don't even make sense. Like sitting down feeding Dash Two and remembering the death of my 6th grade friend's mother. The crack in her twelve year old voice as she called from the hospital to let me know that it had finally happened. Suddenly, that memory is playing over and over again in my mind and I feel the … [Read more...]

Old Man Winter- Your bags are packed and ready to go

It is precisely during this week each winter that I decide, Enough is enough! I'm through with you Old Man Winter! Scram! You gots to git! Last year I was a bit preoccupied being in the throes of labor and all and was able to delay the winter doldrums by a week. I remember being home, oh about one day, and looking out the window in T.D.'s brand new room and seeing the snow, the cold gray sky and starkly black branches against the wintry landscape and feeling despair. Seasonal Affective Disorder loomed large on my horizon. The winter blues had officially set in. In 30 degree weather I started walking. This year I come back from my sun-filled trip to snow, then slush, then ice. Then more snow. Then some more ice. Ha Ha Old Man Winter. Ha Ha. Real cute. I'm sick of cold feet and … [Read more...]