Author Archives: Carol Paxman

Cleaning the Freezer

I’ve been thinning the house out again. It’s a sickness, this purging thing I have going on. I can’t stand to own things that are not living up to their full potential. This time, it’s my freezer. I bought the freezer when Hailey was still living at home thinking it would be great extra food storage. Turns out that all we ever kept in there was frozen pizzas and pie crust. Not the most efficient use of the space, or the money spent on the freezer. Now that Hailey is married and in a place of her own, the freezer … Continue reading →

A Growing Family

My daughter recently got married, I think I’ve touched on it before. It’s a new world for me, this empty nest thing. Hailey and I have been alone for such a long time, a little family island unto ourselves. Now, I have a son in law and she has a husband. Our family is pretty spread out, we are in Utah and most of our relatives are on the east coast. Holidays are usually spent with friends. Now Hailey’s family has expanded in ways I never even thought about. Today we went to a baby shower for Hailey’s sister in … Continue reading →

The Joys of A Jetted Tub

When I bought my house it had a jetted tub, in the basement. I thought that was a very strange place for a jetted tub but who am I to judge. Anyway, this jetted tub and I have a love/hate relationship. I want to love it but I secretly hate it. I have an irrational fear of being electrocuted in it. I know, I know, I even googled it and although it looks like it could never happen, I’m still afraid. I’ve been living in this house for four years and think I’ve used that tub maybe four times. Today, … Continue reading →

Don’t Judge My Choices Until You Live My Life

Is there anyone who hasn’t heard about the horrific shooting in Colorado? Friday at work it was all anyone could talk about and as fellow blogger pointed out in her blog, Watch Where You Point That Finger, everyone had an opinion about people taking their children to the movies in the first place. Apparently those people have never been single parents. Or maybe they’ve never been any type of parent but I know, as a single parent, sometimes, midnight showings are your best friend. If your kids are young, you hope they will sleep through the movie. As a single … Continue reading →

Growing Up In a Step Family

It’s funny how society and social expectations change. When I was growing up I was the only child I knew that was being raised in a step parent family. My father was killed in Vietnam when I was three, I have no memory of him. When my father died my mother was 21, she had a three year old, an almost two year old, and one on the way. I can’t imagine being a widow at 21, with three kids, in a time when broken families were not the norm. I think about how much harder it must have been … Continue reading →

Welcoming Houseguests

Summertime is the season of houseguests. I think everyone has at least one every year. My mom will be coming to visit for my sisters wedding so I’m getting ready for her company. In addition to cleaning the house I need to get the room she will sleep in ready. There are some basic things you can do to make your houseguests stay a little nicer. Bathroom Lots of clean towels, easily accessible Extra rolls of toilet paper in a convenient place Toiletries- usually when staying at someone else’s home you don’t bring shampoo and toothpaste so make sure they … Continue reading →

Finding A Babysitter

Getting a babysitter for the evening when you are a single mom is almost like getting a little vacation. It’s wonderful if you have family that can care for your child, but sometimes you have to get a babysitter, and that can be scary. Most teenage girls baby-sit at one time or another and the majority of them are really good with the kids. They are close enough in age to remember what is was like to be smaller. When you are looking for a teenage sitter, word of mouth is the best way to find a really good one. … Continue reading →

Cleaning The Things That Clean

Most of the time I don’t think about the things I use to clean my house. They are always there, ready when I need them. Things like the washer, dryer and vacuum, I don’t give them much thought, until they don’t work. A little maintenance goes a long way towards keeping things running well, and this is especially true for your vacuum. Just think about all the dirt your vacuum collects in a typical month and you will understand the need for a cleaning. At least twice a year you should completely take your vacuum apart and clean it. Pay … Continue reading →

Holding Toys For Ransom

How do you get your kids to pick up after themselves? In my house it was always a battle. Hailey seemed to think that I was put on this earth to pick up after her. Nothing I tried worked, I begged, threatened, even threw toys away when she wasn’t looking. Still the floor was a Barbie minefield. Recently I saw the bin in the picture above on Pinterest. The idea behind it is if Mom has to do your chore by picking up your toys, then you have to do a chore for Mom to get them back. Now, we … Continue reading →

I’m A Big Kid Now

Potty training. Are there any other words that can make a parent want to throw up their hands in surrender? Some kids are so easy to potty train, they practically come out of the womb wearing Barbie panties, others, we wonder if they are going to school in pull ups. As a single mother diapers are an extra expense, and the sooner you can get rid of them, the easier it is on your wallet. However, being a single mother makes potty training more difficult. Usually your child spends time with people other than just you, and not everyone is … Continue reading →