Whoops.
You move into a new house and time just flies right by doesn’t it?
It may be that I’m drowning in boxes.
Or that my downstairs ceiling is leaking upstairs toilet water.
It may be that I am completely consumed with the fact that I have five light switches that control nothing.
Perhaps it’s because my baby, my one and only offspring TURNS FIVE TOMORROW.
I’ve also been concerned about the heating vent RIGHT above the head of my bed that bakes my boogers as I sleep leaving me a stuffy crusty mess each morning. (You’re soooo welcome for THAT visual.)
Also? There’s a lot of room in big houses for funny noises to happen. Funny noises bother me almost as bad as light switches to nowhere but not nearly as bad as residual toilet water dripping on my head.
And dude, the ladybugs? Seriously, I was always all “LOVE THE LADYBUG” growing up but apparently I moved to the one place in the country where all the ladybugs go to die. You can only have so many crispy ladybug carcasses jump out at you from every crevice before you begin to rethink the ladybugs purpose here on Earth.
I’ve also been writing my official life list in my head. When going over it with Cody last night I realized we’re not quite equal in the life list scheme of things. For example. I have jumped out of a plane however I have never won a trophy.
I really want to win a trophy. Plaques, ribbons and silver plates? Check. Trophy? Fail.
We were given a fake Christmas tree to enjoy which is actually pretty awesome, it currently has a stuffed poodle, a picture of Jesus and a 1994 piano competition trophy underneath it. (Obviously not my trophy.) We spent the evening last night searching out a candle that smelled like a real tree. (You must understand, Cody resorting to a fake Christmas tree is the equivalent to PETA chowing down on a tasty tasty cheeseburger.) Which leads me to this observation, I have never owned a Yankee Candle. $21 for a candle? And they have their own freestanding stores? Who loves candles that much? (We went with the much less expensive White Barn essential oil option…)
As for my Christmas list? It currently contains one item. A very pretty cutting board. I feel like I already have so much that there’s not much else I want/need. I mean hello, your first house two weeks before Christmas? Kind of hard to outdo that. (Except with maybe a trophy?)
making unbreakable - formerly moosh in indy. 
I was at White Barn this weekend and smelled the “Tree” candle. Oddly enough it smelled just like the real thing!
Congrats again on your house… ladybugs and all. I feel your pain on that one. Ours get really bad during late fall but other than that it’s pretty manageable.
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@Alisha in Ohio, We went with the White Balsam. Pretty close, except I know it’s fake. So, you know. They need to sell imagination with their candles.
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Be happy they’re ladybugs and not crickets. Cricket mating season was in October and I swear they only mate in my home. So loud!!
Get a humidifier to help decrease the crustiness of you nose.
And congrats on the house & merry christmas 🙂 I feel like I should send you a Yankee Candle as a housewarming gift.
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@DWJ, Duuuuude.
Ladybugs over crickets any day of the year.
And I was wondering if maybe I’d get an influx of candles…
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Yankee Candles are well worth it — they last a really long time and the scent of the large jar candles is super strong. We burn ours about 6 feet from one of our HVAC intake vents and it sends the scent throughout the house. It’s great.
Go to their freestanding stores after Christmas and you can nab some great deals to stock up. If you join their mailing list in the store, they’ll send you coupons for buy one get one free.
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@Kari, Their stores don’t give you an instant headache? Sugar cookie mixed with Christmas Trees mixed with island beaches mixed with pumpkins? Whoo.
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@Casey, Interestingly the scent in the store really isn’t that strong…Bath & Body Works is more strong, IMO. They usually only burn one candle in the store, if that…right up at the counter. One trick their salespeople taught me is, when you’re sniffing the candles, don’t sniff the candle itself — take the lid off and sniff inside the lid. That will give you a more accurate representation of what the candle will smell like when you burn it.
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Tomorrow – we celebrate. (or at least some time next week)
I too was too thrifty to buy a Yankee Candle, so I went with this lovely one at Target for only $8. It was soy, and it was big, and it’s name boast of “evergreen” It doesn’t smell.
Big fat Christmas decor FAIL.
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@DesignHER Momma, I say we buy each other these mythical candles for Christmas and write the worlds first scratch and sniff blog post.
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Perhaps it could be outdone by no ladybugs or leaking toilets? hehe.
I don’t have a lot on my list either…just jeans/other clothes that actually fit 🙂
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@Sarcastica, ah yes, said as I wear my husbands stretchy pants.
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Pine is my all time favorite scent. I have so many pine tree candles! My favorite one we got at lowes or home depot for $3.00. Yankee candles are only worth it when you buy them on clearance with a coupon… I’m way too cheap!
I know how Cody feels about the fake tree! I was never going to have one either. I’ve never had a real tree yet! Never say never! Lol
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@Erika, I’m too impatient for clearance and a coupon.
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Hope you get your trophy and cutting board for Christmas.
Do you have to actually WIN the trophy in a competition or would it do to just receive a trophy for something great that you do?
Happy Birthday Moosh!
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@Mim, Yeah, I have to beat down some other people to get my prize. It’s the only way victory is truly sweet.
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I won a trophy once. But it was for something really nerdy. Really. Nerdy. Doesn’t that go against trophy rules?
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@Ohh, Betsy!, No. Because you have a trophy and I don’t.
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I don’t like the idea of spending so much money on a candle, either, which is why I try to get them on sale (hellooooo Bed Bath & Beyond end-of-the-season clearance!), but once you’ve used a Yankee Candle, it is REALLY hard to go back to the cheaper ones. I promise!
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@Maggie, Ah, I was never really a candle girl to begin with. Ever since I dumped a bright red one on my carpet I’ve been candle shy.
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I want to share my Yankee Candle secret with the world! I only burn Yankee Candles because they are the best-smelling IMHO so I have to resort to finding them at less-expensive venues. So here’s my secret: Ross Dress for Less, Marshall’s AND TJ Maxx have them for $5, $7 and $9 (for the huge jar). And for whatever reason they have the current season’s scents. I haunt Marshall’s looking for these candles. And I use them for gifts all year long.
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@Tracie, We have no Marshalls. We have no Ross. I mourn this fact because apparently they both have these mythical candles and really cute purses.
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I’m not ashamed to admit that this summer when I moved into my new house, when the house was dark, I sprinted to where I needed to go. Funny noises.
OK, so I’m a little ashamed.
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@Azucar, I don’t even leave my bed. And if I do? Lights on all. the. way.
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You know, it has been in my plans to move to Indianapolis for a while now. The whole lady bug thing is really making me wonder. Yiiiikes.
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@Kellee, It’s really odd. And people here are all just “oh, there’s the ladybugs…”
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Ohmigosh, we totally have a new bond here–the ladybugs who go to your house to die? Come to MY house to get it on and have baby ladybugs! Seriously, we’re infested.
The baked booger scenario was one I’m familiar with, but could never have put so eloquently.
I may have to start a “Help Casey Win A Trophy” campaign. We could award it to you at BlogHer.
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@Jen L., I wouldn’t hate getting a trophy at BlogHer. As long as other people had to lose so I could get it. Because really? That’s the only way to revel in a trophy win.
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If you are asking for a fancy wooden cutting board remember to put “fancy mineral oil stuff that you are supposed to rub on your fancy wooden cutting board” on your list.
If you give a Moosh a Cutting Board…
(ok moosh’s mom but it didn’t exactly fit otherwise)
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@Della, Ah yes, much like I had “shower water keeper inner” on my Home Depot shopping list.
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Ahh the Moosh is in good company tomorrow. My Dad turns 67. Thinking of the birthday girl and her Momma. My only baby turns five in three weeks. (Unless he spreads my Body Shop body butter on the bathroom floor again, and then all bets are off.)
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@Antonette, Whoa. I just had visions of you slipping bare ass naked on your fragrant bathroom floor.
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Are you me, Tracie? I’m a Yankee Candle Co. fanatic too. And I would never pay full price for one. Like you, I buy mine on sale at Ross and Marshalls. They are stronger than other candles and they really do last forever.
If weird noises freak you out, do not go see Paranormal Activity! It is a seriously scary movie!
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@Danielle, Heh. I knew you candle lover people were out there.
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I “won” a trophy once. It was for a race. Only problem? I don’t run. Ever. Unless I’m being chased by a bear. I won because I was the only person in my age category. (I walked it, so that counts for something, right?) It was in the local paper and everything. My family still gets a good laugh at that.
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@Bridget, Ah, you must live closer. We would be the best of friends.
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Girlfriend, your own house IS a trophy of sorts! I can only hope I end up in my own one day.
I lived in an apartment once that had TONS of ladybugs. Kind of creeped me out, but they are good luck. And they don’t seem to bite or sting…I can think of much worse bugs to find.
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@Rhea, Yes. But one cannot put a house on the mantle and play “Miss America” with it.
Just sayin’.
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You don’t have all the ladybugs. Plenty of them have found their way to my house. They seem particularly fond of the shower in my master bathroom.
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Seriously, what is the deal with light switches that control nothing? I’ve been in our house for 4 years and there are still a half dozen switches that I have no idea what they are there for!
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Just had to say that if you are looking for additional “real tree smell”, try out Mrs. Meyers Iowa Pine scent. I love her stuff, and if you use the counter top spray, your whole house smells yummy for the day.
And, while Iowa Pine scent DOES smell like a real tree, it’s not cloying. It’s like a real tree, but better.
(Targets around here have this on endcaps right now).
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I’ll totally make you a trophy that you can proudly display on your mantle.
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I got a plaque once, it has my name and everything engraved on it, but yet I still long for the trophy.
We got our real tree this weekend-it gives me a headache, but since I am also allergic to the stuff they make fake trees out of hubs says I am out of luck. So I burn lots and lots of other scented candles to cover it up. I got this cranberry pomegrante one at Bath & Body super cheap because it was a smallish one. I was sad when it went away, but too cheap to buy the bigger candle. Thankfully the ones I got at Marc’s smell great and were only 2.50 for a huge jar candle.
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