Weekend DIY Project: Fixing Up a Tiny Bathroom on a Tiny Budget

I have a tiny bathroom.  It measures 5' wide (I can easily touch both side walls at the same time) and 7' from the door to the back wall (with the back 30" of that being occupied by the bathtub/shower).  Like I said, it's a small bathroom.

When we moved into this house 4 years ago, I thought it would be so bad having a small bathroom, as long as I could figure out a way to work in enough storage space.  So, in addition to the built-in cabinet under the sink, I brought in another small cabinet and shelf, stacked them, and positioned them in the only available floor space which happened to be directly across from the toilet.  This worked and gave me the storage space I needed, but it left everything feeling even smaller because it shrunk the open space in front of the toilet down to about 24".  And it was in that tiny cramped spot that I had to kneel to bathe Kaleb try to dry myself off after showers without stubbing my toe on the cabinet or toilet.  But lacking any better ideas or the funds to find something better, I worked with what I had.  And I'd lived with it that way for the past 4 years.

A few weeks ago, I had mentioned to my good friend Jack that I had almost broken my toe while getting Kaleb out of the bath in that tiny little space.  Little did I know that, a couple of days ago, a Visa gift card would show up in my mailbox, a gift from Jack with a note telling me to use it to fix my bathroom.  So that's exactly what I did!  I took that $200 gift card and put about $150 of it toward supplies for a bathroom fix-up.  I even had enough left over to fill up the gas tank in my car!

Check out how far the money went!

Review: Crayola Color Bath Dropz

On Sunday, Kaleb received a basket filled with new toys and other fun things (and a very little bit of candy).  One of the items the "Easter Bunny" included in his basket this year was a jar of Crayola Color Bath Dropz.  I was a little worried that they would leave some permanent color on our tub or towels—or the kid—but after 2 nights of use, I'm happy to report that they seem to have no negative effects!

Our Color Bath Dropz came with three colors of tablets: RED, YELLOW, & BLUE.  Here's what Crayola has to say about their product:

"The Crayola Bath product line brings the color, fun, creativity and imagination of the Crayola brand to bath time. Crayola Bath Dropz are fizzing water color tablets that turn ordinary bath water into colorful, fizzy water. This jar makes up to 30 baths! Mix and match the tints to create all the colors of the rainbow."

Sunday night, Kaleb wanted a RED bath.  We used one red tablet under the running faucet, and within minutes, the tub looked as if a gruesome homicide had taken place there.  But when bath time was finished and we drained all the water from the tub, there appeared to be no color left on anything.  Kaleb, the tub, and all his bath toys were unaffected by the color, as was his bath towel once we had him all dried off.

Tonight, we tested out mixing our primary colors.  We mixed one YELLOW tablet and one BLUE tablet and the result was a bath tub full of very GREEN water.  Kaleb played with his toy boats for at least a half hour before it was time to get out and head to bed.  Once again, when the water had been drained, there was none of the color left anyplace.

Overall, I'd say these are a simple and affordable way to add some fun to your kids' bath!

When Did We Get So Lazy?

These days, those of us living in fully-modernized countries can have pretty much anything the easy way.

We can buy frozen meals that are fully prepared and need only a few minutes in the microwave to be ready to eat.  The windshield repair companies and auto detailers and dog washers will come to your location to save you the time and effort of driving to them.  Nearly anything you could buy in a store can now be ordered online and delivered to your front door, if you don't feel like going into the store.  So many things in our lives have been made so convenient.

But have we gone too far?  In some ways, I think so.  Recently, I have noticed two products that make me shake my head in disbelief:

I'm sorry, but I think there is something very wrong with people who are too lazy to measure out the laundry detergent or dishwasher soap on their own.  This is not something that needs to come pre-portioned.

Alert: Childrens' Consignment Sale Pensacola (April)

I found out that there is another childrens' consignment sale happening in a few weeks.  Unlike the March sales I posted about several weeks ago, this is a sale I had never heard of before, and so cannot verify the quality of this sale.  I think I already have all the clothes Kaleb will need this season, but he and I will probably go check out the sale anyway so I'll know if it's one I want to attend next year.

For those of you who weren't able to get what you needed at the last sales, or those who didn't attend them, check out the flyer below for the upcoming April sale!

If you need more information than what's on the flyer, check out

http://www.tinytotsandpolkadots.net

Alert: Consignment Sales for Children in Pensacola (Spring/Summer)

If you're a parent, you're probably well acquainted with the expenses involved in keeping growing children in clothes that fit them. Over time, these expenses can get to be difficult to keep up with. Some are lucky families can hand down clothes from older cousins or siblings, but not everyone has this option available.

So, for those without hand-me-downs, many organizations have events where parents can get together and consign or purchase used-but-still-usable clothing for children of all ages and pregnant women. Pensacola has two organizations that do this on a grand scale, and both are gearing up for their Spring/Summer sales, scheduled within the next couple of weeks.

I have gotten copies of the Spring/Summer sale flyers for both of these upcoming sales and have posted them below for any readers in or near Pensacola that might want to come and take advantage of these great opportunities to stock up on some warm-weather clothes for the children in your lives.

Both sales are primarily clothing, but they each also have an impressive selection of kids' toys, gear, furniture, and other necessities. It is certainly worth it to go and have a look! The majority of all the clothes Kaleb has ever worn have come from sales at one or the other of these organizations.

(9Lo9i9D): 9 Pairs of Shoes I'd Love to Own

Today's list is a list of 9 pairs of shoes, in no particular order, that I would love Love LOVE to own.  Sadly, most of them are not in my budget.  If you see a pair you like, too, click the link/caption under each pic to be redirected (in a new window/tab) to a site where you can buy them for yourself—or for me, if you really felt like it.

↑ Get them here.

(9Lo9i9D): 9 Places I Enjoy Shopping

Today's list is a list of 9 places, in no particular order, that I can actually say I enjoy shopping.  No, they may not be the only places I ever shop, but I sure wish they could be!

1. Publix - Yes, I know it's only one of the many grocery stores in our area, and I am also aware that they are not the cheapest...they're not Walmart.  But they are pretty much comparable to Winn-Dixie or Food World price-wise, and the people who work there are so very polite and helpful.  The stores are cleaner than any other grocery places in town, the selection is great, and they always have some awesome specials and sales running.
2. Shoe Station - DO you like shoes?  I do.  I love them.  And this store has the most amazing variety of any shoe store in Pensacola.  I can always find something beautiful to love there, which is why I never allow myself to go unless I am prepared, financially, to make a purchase.
3. Lane Bryant - For plus-sized women, Lane Bryant is the clothing store equivalent to Mecca.  This isn't a store that sells skinny-girl clothes in "bigger" sizes too.  This is a store that sells clothes exclusively for plus-sized women like me!  And wanna know what makes it even better?  When one of my skinny-girl co-workers raves about a new shirt I'm wearing, I can smile and know that it isn't made in their size!
4. Tuesday Morning - If you haven't been to this store, you really ought to go pay a visit sometime.  There's one here in Pensacola in the same shopping center as TJ Maxx and Shoe Station on Davis Hwy.  It's a bit of a variety store, and not always immaculately organized, so don't go if you're in a hurry.  But they always manage to carry some of those items that I see and immediately can't figure out how I've lived without!
5. TJ Maxx - This is another store I never visit when I'm in a hurry, and never with the intention of buying anything but clothes (although they do carry home goods as well).  But it's a bit like panning for gold...you find more pyrite (junk) than real gold.  But that makes the real gold no less valuable!
6. The Old Path Natural Herbs - This place is run by people with some rather wacky religious views.  However, I'm sure they'd think the same about my views, so I can't complain.  I've never purchased their "famous" tea (approx. $50 per gallon!), but they have very high quality dried herbs which come in handy for a wealth of other things that do fit into my spiritual practices.
7. Barnes & Noble - Books are wonderful.  Affordable books are even better!  When I have the funds to purchase my books new, this is where I get them.  When I am in the market for used books, however, I make a trip to Hawsey's Book Index on Navy Blvd.
8. Staples - I have a [probably unnatural] love of office supplies.  Shhh, don't tell anyone.  And now that Pensacola has a Staples, I can feed my addiction on a smaller budget.  I even own my very own "Easy Button."
9. Ross - I first shopped at Ross when I was married and living in San Diego, and I loved it!  Several years after moving back to Pensacola, we got a Ross here (several, in fact) and I was happy to have that retail option back in my shopping life again.  Personally, I prefer the Davis Hwy. location, but they all have great deals!

What about you?  Where are your favorite places to shop?

Stepping Back Into Sanity

Kaleb is home from a fun sleepover night at my mom's house, and I'm in much better shape than I was when I dropped him off at daycare yesterday morning.  Things had been a little tough lately, and I'm so thankful to have had a day to focus on me and to do some mental and emotional housekeeping.  As anyone who's a parent already knows, you can't be as good a parent if you yourself are falling apart!

A Rough Start to 2012

Back on New Year's Day, I resolved that 2012 would be my Year of Acceptance.  What I have discovered is that accepting things as they come my way means that I am unable to ignore them and simply hope they will go away.  Life has shown me that ignoring problems rarely solves them, and I'm also learning that facing problems head-on is both the most-productive and sometimes the most-painful way to handle them.  And I don't know about you, but I would rather just bite the bullet and get things over with than try to draw them out and deal with that dull ache over a prolonged time.

Several weeks ago, I had to take Kaleb out of the daycare he had been attending since he was only weeks old, a daycare that I once loved and highly recommended to others.  We've found a great new place, but Kaleb's adjustment to a new environment and my adjustment to an altered morning routine have been a little bit stressful.

Of course, there's also the ever-present stresses of parenting, not at all diminished by my being a single parent.  I love my son, and I love spending time with him, but it was begin to wear on me when I'm with Kaleb every waking moment that isn't taken up by work—except for the shorts drives back and forth between my work and his daycare.

Service to the Customer

Dear service industry employees, you need to learn a very important lesson: the customer pays your salary.  This is the most important lesson for anyone to learn working in any type of service industry.

Having been on both sides of the customer service counter, as a customer service representative and as a customer, I can tell you several things for certain:

• The Customer doesn't want to hear your excuses.
• The Customer doesn't care what else is going on in your life.
• The Customer doesn't care how much work you put into something if they aren't getting results.
• It doesn't matter if the Customer is right or wrong.  Either way, your job is to do everything in your power to make them happy.
• If the customer's satisfaction isn't your primary priority, you are in the wrong industry.

In the past, I have had multiple service-oriented jobs.  I have cooked and waited tables at Waffle House.  I have worked in a call center handling customer service calls for a major credit card company.  I have managed life insurance policies.  I have scheduled home security system installations.  I have sold and delivered retail auto parts.  I have been both a cashier and a customer service associate at a Walmart store.  While the specific tasks and responsibilities at these jobs varied, I was always, first and foremost, tasked with providing excellent customer service to our customers.