Community Gardening

In my dream life, I am an expert gardener, and I grow tons of delicious veggies and then can them, so we can enjoy them year round.

Well, actually, in my dream life I have millions of dollars and pay people to do stuff like that for me, but that's never going to happen.

So in my realistic, possibly could happen dream life, I am an expert gardener, and I grow tons of delicious veggies and then can them, so we can enjoy them year round.

In reality, I kill plants. A lot of them. All the time. But I still really want to be a gardener! Lucky for me, our apartment has a community garden, and the person who runs it is a Master Gardener! So while I might end up killing all the plants, I still get to learn from someone who actually knows what they are doing!

Two weeks ago, I planted tomatoes (both cherry and regular), jalepenos, swiss chard, onions, and I left a spot for squash that will be planted in another month or so!

What does my new garden look like, you ask? Click here! My bed is the first one on the right. But don't worry, it has more plants in it now!

My husband is a genius

And not just because he married me! Actually, I have to say he is a genius in spite of marrying me. The fact that he hasn't tried to kill or divorce me kind of makes me worry about his mental health.

But I digress...

A few months ago I made a deal with my husband. I said if he would take over doing the laundry, I would do ALL the dishes. He hates dishes with a fiery passion, and I was hating laundry more and more everyday. This deal was what you call a Win-Win!

After a few weeks of laundry doing, it became clear that my method of folding (or stuffing them in the drawer) my shirts wasn't working for him. I explained that they got messed up anyway because when I was looking for a shirt, I had to dig to find the one I wanted.

So Steve, with his higher than average intelligence and spacial reasoning, implemented the filing method for my shirts. The picture might not look that impressive to you, but it is nothing short of a miracle that my shirts have been nearly folded for over two months!

So my marriage tip for the day is: play up your strengths! And also, try to marry someone much smarter than you!

Not So Extreme Couponing

One of my New Years Resolutions was to try extreme couponing. It seemed easy enough, you get the coupons, you buy stuff, it's cheaper. Simple, right?

Not so much.

There are about a million websites out there dedicated to coupons for a reason. It's complex! And time consuming. So while I'm not too extreme yet, I have seen some results.

First off, I get the Sunday paper for $1 a week, so if I save a dollar that week, I count it as good. So far I have saved more than that every week I have gone, so at least I am getting a return on investment. Some of my best deals so far:

• Free bottle of salad dressing. And it was the good stuff too!
• Box of whole wheat pasta for $.37.
• Two bags of peanut M&Ms for $.50 (we're talking full size bags here, not the single serving ones).
• Two boxes of baking soda for $.47.
• A dozen eggs for $.99 (ok this wasn't couponing, they are just on sale at Walgreens this week, but I never would have known that if I didn't coupon!).

I can see how people get addicted to it. It is super fun! And getting the best deals give you such a rush! I have already learned a lot, and I look forward to being much more 'extreme' in the future. So if you get a basket of toilet paper and toothpaste from me on your next birthday, don't be too surprised!!