It has been kind of crazy around here lately.  Always trying to get things accomplished, especially on weekends when my hubby can help.  This being a three day weekend, we are both trying to slog through our to-do lists.  Mine, of course, now involves things that are ten times more difficult to accomplish with a broken toe.

The shoe I purchased from amazon is really helping though.  I find I can walk in an almost-normal gait as long as I am wearing another shoe with kind of a thick sole.  The shoe has also already saved me from banging that toe again at least half a dozen times since I got it.  Right now, the toe doesn't even hurt anymore.  It's only when I forget about it and try to actually use it that I feel the sharp stabbing pain.  Today that happened twice.  The first time was when I was trying to lift a heavy bucket onto a high shelf.  When I couldn't quit reach it, I stretched out and used that foot (and that stupid tiny toe) for balance.  Yow!  The second time was when I was using the circular saw to cut a piece of particle board.  When I reached the end the two halves collapsed and I tried to catch my balance with that foot (and that stupid tiny toe again).

So why was I using a circular saw?  Well that brings us back to my to-do list.  Remember the laundry sink I ordered from Costco?  It still isn't hooked up yet, but we had to stack the washer and dryer to set it in it's place.  So I have been working on getting the rest of my tiny laundry room organized.  I have re-purposed shelves I found at Goodwill and shelves we had gathering dust in the garage.  Sanded, painted white, and now hung in my laundry room providing much needed storage.  I can finally see the finish line with that room after dealing with the horrible lack of storage for the last five years.  I also found the perfect item on amazon, but I'm not going to discuss it until it arrives.  I opted for standard shipping so I could get the $1 discount on a digital order.

So what have I received from amazon this week?  Well, I can say this - it is so truly exciting I just couldn't wait to share!  Remember the disposable toilet cleaning pads?  I got four of the Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush Toilet Cleaning Starter Kits!  I know, not exciting at all.  Two are for my mother-in-law and two are for me, now I have one for each bathroom.  If they help me clean the toilet more often, then it may be exciting to whomever has to use them.  I have used both the heavy duty pads and the disposable ones, and they're both good.  I think perhaps the heavy duty ones are going to get a lot more use in this household however.  The starter kits come with a caddy that holds both kinds of pads and the wand.  I think I preferred the older style that only has a hook that hangs over the rim of the toilet tank, but I guess it is kind of nice to be able to store the pads with the wand in one place.

Not the most exciting post, but I do have a lot of items in my shopping cart right now!  My subscribe-and-save should also be arriving soon, so stay tuned.

Last Friday night I broke my pinky toe.  It's amazing how easy it is to dismiss that tiny little toe as something disposable that doesn't really do much of anything.  Why do we even have that useless little appendage?  I'll tell you why - because we use it every time we move, whether walking, balancing, or just standing still.  And mine is broken.  There really isn't even a 'treatment' for a broken pinky toe, just tape it and stay off of it.  Well that is easier said than done with a four-year-old and an almost two-year-old.  Between activities, preschool, and general running around, there is absolutely no way to stay off of my feet.  And I've got to tell you, hobbling around for the last few days has made every other muscle in my body hurt from over compensating.  Amazon to the rescue!

Ortho Wedge Healing Shoe : Small - I was somewhat hesitant to get this because it just looked so awkward, but the thought of hobbling for the next few weeks isn't even realistic.  I have gotten by so far wearing an old, stretched-out pair of clog slippers, but they are so old and worn out that my feet are hurting just from wearing them.  I went out and actually got a pair of flip-flops over the weekend (and really overpaid), but just my luck to walk into the house this afternoon and see that the puppy ate one of them.  Good thing this shoe had arrived!  I put it on and immediately started trying to walk around in it.  It is awkward, but I think it just will take some time to get used to.  Going up and down stairs requires some care, but I was already side-stepping anyway so it's not too bad.  In spite of the learning curve to walk in this thing, it really is working.  I am able to (almost) walk with a normal stride without putting any weight or pressure on my toes, I kind of just roll over them.  I dug out one of my very old Dr. Martin sandals to wear on the other foot, so I am at least kind of balanced height-wise.  I haven't worn this shoe for at least a decade, so we'll have to see how it goes.  So for now, it's working.

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Fresh Brush Flushable Refills, Citrus Scent, 28 Count - Now this one is truly exciting.  I actually ordered these along with the starter kits for my mother-in-law.  She likes mine so much she asked me to get some for her as well.  I don't actually use these because we are on septic and I'm not sure how they would do.  They are supposed to be completely biodegradable, but I don't really want to risk having them clog up the system.

In addition to the Amazon order, I decided to order meat from a new farm in Indiana this month.  I am always shopping around for the best prices for the best quality, and for my family this means organic grass-fed beef, pastured pork and chicken, pastured eggs, and raw grass-fed dairy.  I found a farm that has great pricing and a nice selection of meat in addition to other items from a coop of local farms.  Unfortunately, the nearest pick-up location is really not convenient as it is about a half hour away at 9:00 am on Saturday morning.  I signed up to be a drop location, so hopefully they will expand this direction soon!

I ordered a nice variety of meats from Seven Sons Family Farms in Roanoke, Indiana.  I am anxious to pick it up and try it.  I am still learning to cook grass-fed beef well, but it almost always tastes great even when I over cook it.  I have had some great clean meat since I started eating meat again two years ago, and I have had some bland, tasteless meat.  I can't wait to see how this tastes! 

Doesn't it look yummy?  

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!!  I can't say that it was very relaxing around here, but we did get quite a bit accomplished.  Got the washer and dryer stacked and the new laundry sink moved out of the garage and into it's new home.  I have always been adamant that I did not want the ugly utility sink or utility laundry vanity found in every big box home improvement store.  I found the one I wanted at Costco years ago, but wasn't in a position to buy it at that point.  Of course, it has never been back since.  I have looked every time I've been there for the last two years.  But a couple of months ago I was flipping through the Costco online shopping flyer and there it was!  It actually took me a few days to convince myself to buy it though because it was more than DOUBLE the price it was in the store years ago.  The price was ridiculous but it is now sitting in my laundry room waiting to be hooked up and it looks great.  Honestly, I have no idea how it will work when it's actually hooked up, but I'm really hoping it will be worth it.  The demand for the Daisy White Vanity-style Utility Sink is so high that it was back-ordered for a month when I ordered it and it is actually no longer available at Costco.com, so the picture below is one listed at eBay in espresso.  Sorry!

Moving on from my beautiful sink, I wanted to mention what I ordered for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.  She is a huge Cubs fan, but also one of those women who doesn't really need anything.  The only thing she has mentioned she wanted is a new toilet brush, but I didn't really think that was a great idea for Mother's Day.  A couple of years ago she lost all her jewelry in a burglary, so jewelry is always my fall-back gift.  She said she loves the watch I ordered for her on Amazon!  There was also a coupon code, so that made it even better.  I can't wait to see it on her when she comes up to visit in June.

Last night I placed another order with To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co.  I love their products and the fact that I don't have to do all the work myself.  My last order was really just a sample of some of their products, but this time I decided to place a larger order.  I also decided to forgo any brown rice flour because of the continuing issue with arsenic contamination.  Even though we are gluten-free, I have realized that even without rice flour, I can still produce baked goods that are wonderful using a variety of other sprouted flours.  Check them out, they're wonderful!

I am battling my addiction every day.  As I go through my routine, I am constantly thinking of things I absolutely have to have.  I try to make mental notes to look items up on Amazon as soon as I get a chance to sit with my computer.  Thankfully, I usually forget what I was thinking by the time I actually get that chance, but I usually have something in my shopping cart.  However, since I am trying my best not to order every week, I decided to discuss some of the items I have ordered in the past.  So let's look at my previous orders.

KEEN Newport H2-C Shoe (Toddler/Little Kid) - This is the fourth pair of Keens I have ordered, three pairs for my son and one pair for myself.  I let him pick the color he wants since they have so many choices, but try to steer him away from colors that are too boyish so hopefully his little sister can wear them as well.  This year he chose the black/lime green and they are really very cool.

In an unique coincidence, we discovered that they match his Julbo Kid's Booba Sunglasses and his jacket.  My chiropractor recommended Keens back when my son was two after she saw him clomping around her office in his tiny little flip flops.  She told me then that these were about the best shoes I could get the kids and I think she's right.  He's had a new pair every summer and he loves them.  They hold up well and getting them wet doesn't faze them.  His little sister is now wearing his first pair but I think they are really too big for her.  I may have to break down and buy her her own pair.  I also read a review that mentioned that the 'Big Kid' sizes fit the average woman, so last year I bought matching sandals for my son and I.  Buying the 'Big Kid' size instead of the Ladies size saves quite a bit of money and they have an awesome selection for the kids that they don't have in adult sizes.  I'm actually thinking of buying another pair, but I'm not through convincing myself to do it yet.  I was thinking of these in pink KEEN Women's Uneek Sandal.

Pretty cool, huh?