The Part-Time Housewife

While I never really was able to keep my posts going on a daily basis, I certainly took quite the hiatus. Perhaps I don't owe my infrequent visitors an apology but more of an explanation on what I would envision this blog to be. And hopefully, I'll be able to keep a regular post going. And in case you do need an apology, this dog snuggling a poopmoji should suffice. So, here I am, 2 and a half years after my last post, not-so-single and not really ready to mingle, thanks to social awkwardness. I'm still (barely) in my twenties, still married(!), and still confused about life. I live with my husband, my neurotic dog, an asthmatic cat and ten-count-em-ten backyard chickens. And no; no children. After five years of marriage, most people have stopped asking anyway. Anyway, last November, the day before Thanksgiving(a notable fact), my husband and I packed up our beautiful house in M*** and moved to rural M***. We moved here for the same reason most people do. For an easi...

I'm going to share a little secret of mine. I'm super cheap. Okay, maybe not so much of a secret, but I hate spending money on things that I know isn't going to last. The biggest thing I hate spending money on is books. Don't get me wrong, I love reading and I devour books so fast that it pains me to spend money on something that I will only use for a week. I'm pretty big on supporting my local library. There's just something about going in and picking out what you are going to spend hours on. Maybe it's my own retail therapy, in a way. Although, I admit, I have two kindles that I am fairly fond of as well. Most libraries now are connected with a digital library, and you can borrow (FOR FREE!) whatever book your heart desires and it gets downloaded right to your kindle and auto returned when the loan is up.  So this is great news, though there are some fallbacks. Like, sometimes, you have to put your book on hold, or you have to make sure you are done readi...

Happy Friday! It's almost the weekend. For some of you that may mean going out and spending zillions of your hard earned cash on going out. First, there's dinner, then drinks and that thing called socializing which now means getting together and staring at your phones on social media. Unless you're a hermit like myself. The weekends are for some serious Netflix binge-watching. It's not my fault, really. I mean, why would someone just give me access to every season of every awesome show ever for nine bucks a month? This has inspired a new weekly recommendation post. While I do jump back and forth from show to show, my current favorite is Gilmore Girls, thus beating out for the first spot. Source The damn thing has 4 and a half stars! The show is about a mother and daughter and their sometimes crazy, sometimes boring life and tendencies. It's set in a small Connecticut town, where absolutely no crime happens, everybody knows every other body, and no one has an...

Today is Monday. That means back to the daily grind. Back to the dreadful morning commute. Traffic. And to make it all better, it's raining. Don't get me wrong, I love rain. I love sitting on my porch with a book in my hand, the rain pattering down. I DON'T love the way traffic gets worse the second the pavement gets a little wet. Stop, Go traffic is only tolerable if I have some happy music to go. In honor of the rain, I have compiled a bunch of my favorite rain songs.

President Obama Inauguration, 2009 Photo:  http://skepticlawyer.com.au/ July 16th, 2014 Photo:  http://www.jewishjournal.com/ President George W. Bush Inauguration, 2001 Photo:  http://www.wupr.org/ Last Day in Office, 2009 Photo:  http://cdn01.dailycaller.com/ President Clinton Inauguration, 1993 Photo:  http://cdn.americanprogress.org/ Last Day in Office, 2001 Photo:  http://s2.hubimg.com/

For a while there, I got stuck in a lunch rut. Everyday I would bring a frozen TV dinner in my tote. After a couple months of this, I was so bored with lunch. But leftovers and PB&J were just as boring and going out to eat everyday was not great for my wallet. I researched ideas and have compiled a list of lists, if you will, of easy peasy lunches to make for work.  Here are 5 websites with quick, easy ideas to end your lunch doldrums. 1.)  Easy Work Lunch Recipes With recipes like Sesame-Ginger Soba Noodle Salad and Chicken Kale Salad, here are 17 unique lunches that'll beat your hunger. 2.)  Awesome Easy Work Lunches 27 various ideas for an easy lunch. Recipes include Three-Bean Pasta Salad, Chickpea Salad Sandwich, and Ham & Cheese Croissant. 3.)  Quick & Healthy Low-Cal Lunches Hawaiian Veggie Burger, Spicy Black Bean Burrito, and Caesar Salmon Wrap, OH MY! Delicious ideas with the caloric intake. 4.)  Cheap, Healthy Ideas A...

So, I recently undertook the project of painting my front door. I moved in a little over a year ago, and every time I came home, I would just groan, UGH. I need to do something about that. The door was a dark green with so many scratches on it I couldn't bear to look for more than a few seconds. Fast  forward to the present, and VOILA! A shiny new (looking) door. The only problem was that there was sticky residue from the tape that I had used to help with my lines. I couldn't get it off no matter how much windex I used. Then I found a neat-o trick that has thus inspired me to write on an ever-popular topic. Life Hacks. Here are a few that I have found useful and save me more time to hang out with my family, watch TV, whatever I want. Clean sticky residue from tape off glass with canola oil. I have only tried this with canola oil, but I have read up that it works with a lot of other oils, olive, essential, even cooking spray. I simply pour a bit on a paper towel and use...

Hope you all have a relaxing Caturday everyone!

What is a better way to shake off the work week dust and indulge in a little retail therapy? Make your indulgence guilt-free with these can't beat sales from some of your favorite stores. Pottery Barn : The home furnishing giant is having a 50% off best-selling bedroom furniture until 7/23. Additionally, all bedding ships FREE until 7/20. Crate & Barrel : It may be the middle of the summer, but outdoor furniture is up to 40% off. There are select items that are shipping for FREE as well. Old Navy : With clothes for everyone, you can save 20% online with the code FASHION . If you have a store card you can get 30% off online or in-store with the code STUFFSAVE . These discounts are good until 7/24. Macy's : Having a "Super Saturday" sale this week end with the promo code SUPER . Sales include select swimwear at 50% off, men's dress clothing at 30-50% discount, and 60% off 10.pc comforter sets. Victoria's Secret : For a limited time you...

Are you tired of blowing your paycheck on dinner and a movie? Bored of doing the same thing for date night, week after week? Here are a few silly, a few fun, and a few romantic ideas on the cheap. Winery Tour/Beer Tasting (21+ Please) Check out your local breweries and wineries and see if they offer any tours. Sometimes they are free and have tasting afterward. I checked out LivingSocial and got a discounted deal You get to learn about how beer and wine is made and then feel super sophisticated drinking it knowledgeably. If there aren't any alcohol-making places near you, go to a liquor store where they have a huge selection. Pick out some beers (this is where make-your-own-six-pack comes in handy) and bring them home. Don't forget the pretzels!  The Zoo Seriously, how long has it been since you've been? It's cheaper to go on a non-weekend day, but the money still goes to a good cause. If there isn't a zoo nearby, you could check out any petting zoo or...

Attention all dog owners! Do you sometimes feel guilty for not making your dog's food? Do you feel like there is not enough time in your day to give your dog the wholesome nutrients that he could get from homemade dog treats? Well, fear not! For I have come up with the easiest recipe for dog ice cream. Read: it's only 2 ingredients. It takes 5 minutes, minus freezing time. This is a tried and true recipe that my dogs have tested and enjoy. Please keep in mind not to try this if your dog has any allergies to these 2 ingredients. What you will need: Plain yogurt Peanut butter-crunchy or not-whatever your dog likes a bowl a spoon ice cube tray freezer that's it  How to: Mix the yogurt and the peanut butter together with the spoon in the bowl. I usually eyeball the ingredients. My dogs don't care. Your dogs probably won't either. Scoop the mixture into an ice cube tray. I used a standard one for a while until I bought a special smaller size one with rubber...

Whelp. It's that time of year again. Summer vacation. Where we forget about the feet of snow and freezing cold temperatures, and complain about the humidity, bugs, and heat. Kids are running rampant in the streets through the sprinkler sitting in front of some sort of screen with bloodshot eyes. So you have your 1-2 weeks scheduled, you've picked a location; how did you enjoy yourself? Two Words. All. Inclusive. Another two words. Adult Only. Okay, but really. Why do why have such a hard time relaxing as Americans? A few tips to help you through your summer vacation. Plan a Day of Nothingness It's harder than you think. Us vacationers think we have to pack so much activity into a week that we end up stressing out over trying to do everything. It's alright if you don't see the World's Largest Frying Pan. Pick a day at the beach, and that's all that you do. You might bring a book, stare at the rolling waves, build a sand castle with the kids. If you...

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I love Christmas movies. Probably more than the normal amount. Every year there a few that i can't wait to watch. Here's a list of my top five favorites. 5.) Home Alone Gotta love a kid that thinks he made his family disappear, then realizes that's all he wants for Christmas. And Buzz... 4.) A Christmas Story Set in the good ole 1940's, this movie brings you back to a time when you got soap in your mouth for swearing and all a kid wanted was an official Red Ryder BB rifle. It's also hilariously ironic without trying. Who can't remember when dear mom would dress you like this for your own good? 3.) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation You gotta admire Clark Griswold's tenacity of trying to give his family the best for the holiday season. It's not his fault that every time he tries, some hilarious disaster ensues. Plus, you know this is how you feel when you get your Christmas bonus. 2.) Elf Made in 2003, at...

True, all christmas songs can be annoying, especially when overplayed or played too early. But here are the ones that really take the cake when it comes to sickeningly annoying. 8) Mary, Did You Know? by Clay Aiken Um, hello ? I think she knew something was up due to the whole virgin thing . 7) Suzy Snowflake by Rosemary Clooney Everyone wants Suzy Snowflake until they have to drive in it. Go away. 6) All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth by Spike Jones That's not how you talk! You're faking it! 5) Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by NSync Maybe I just listened to it too much in my pre-teen years. 4) I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas by Gayla Peevey Hippoptamuseseses? That's not a word ! My ears are bleeding. 3) Christmas Shoes by Newsong.   Cue the tears. Christmas is not sad. 2) Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Dr. Elmo Good. 1) Dominic the Donkey by Lou Monte. Hee haw hee haw. Why?! Get out of my head!!!...

Amazon's founder/CEO Jeff Bezos was on 60 minutes Sunday night and revealed what could be his biggest brainchild; a product delivery service by robot. It's a flying drone that can carry up to 5 lbs and depending on where you are, can get there in 30 minutes. Bezos said that approximately 85% of products ordered on amazon.com would be eligible for that weight. A lot seems up in the air about it, and the earliest we would see it would be 2015, as they are waiting on FAA "rules." I love this and hate this at the same time. What do you think?

While I am a huge discount shopper, I am not a fan of black friday; probably due to the mob-like zombie horde of people that go to stores at midnight.  However, today is the start of a glorious thing called cyber monday . Where I can sit on my butt and order hugely discounted items online. Best of all, most sites have FREE shipping . Hallelujah! Here are a few of my favorite membership sites. ideeli New sales everyday at 12 Noon for women, home, kids, even a mens shop. rue la la New boutiques open at 11am but only stay open for 48 hours. beyond the rack 80% off retail prices of designer fashion for men and women. hautelook I found this site has the most sales. And they just teamed up with Nordstom Rack. *squeal* Bradsdeals I rarely go to the website because I like that it comes right to my email. gilt Similar to livingsocial, geared for each city. livingsocial I've bought so many vouchers and had great experiences. Now they have a...

Okay, we get it. We're eating turkey for the next three days.  So there's turkey sandwiches, and turkey soup, and....how else can we use all this up? Target has a short and sweet video with a couple good ideas. I'm totally craving turkey tacos and turkey pizza now. mmmmmmmmm Enjoy your black Friday everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully everyone has enjoyed their turkey and football as much as me. To celebrate this day of giving and appreciation, I have compiled a list of five guys that constantly feed the eyes. I know I am very appreciative that they are around. Chris Paul With heart-stopping eyes, and a killer watt smile, this man is beautiful. Oh yeah, and he's talented, too. Ryan Gosling Yep. It is like is he is photo shopped. And every single "hey girl" is still hilarious to me. Justin Timberlake Everybody loves a guy that can make you laugh. I'm willing to overlook those awkward NSync days (even if I still liked him then) with the bleached brillo pad hair now that Justin knows all you need is a suit and tie. Oh, and a great voice, killer dance moves, beautiful eyes....................... Josh Hutcherson New-ist to the list is Josh. Who really lucked out with the role of Peeta. Oh my god. PE...

Thanksgiving is just ONE more day away. In honor of all things gobble gobble, here are a few of my favorite foods that my family and myself overindulge on.  Garlic Mashed Potatoes Here is the  recipe. I also add a pinch of rosemary and top it with shredded cheese for extra cholesterol. Sweet Potato Casserole This is a delicious and healthy recipe you can find  here . The fruity, colorful marshmallows are actually a delicious substitute for regular. Cranberry Sauce It's best to keep it classic and simple with the sauce. So much better than the weird, jellied can stuff. I add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Here's a good go-to  recipe . Asparagus with Almonds Maybe not as traditional, but so easy to make and it immediately makes you feel fancy pants. This  recipe  is so short and simple, it'll make you feel like a master chef. Chocolate Pie Mouth-watering, scrumptious, I'm dying. Screw the pumpkin pie....