I would like to find a small storage container large enough to hold the patio furniture cushions, but not tool large and bulky so that it takes up too much space. I have looked around a few stores and they are kind of expensive, considering they just hold cushions. I could just pull the cushions into the garage and take them out when I want to use them. That would be the least expensive way to take care of the issue. It would just be much more convenient to have a storage container on the side of the porch that I could keep the furniture cushions in and all the yard toys the kids have thrown about the lawn.

I think it is time to make a decision. Do I keep boxing up the clothes the boys grow out of, just in case we have another boy? If so, do I keep letting the rows of boxed clothing slowly take over the corner of my garage or do I rent a self storage unit. Would the cost of renting the storage unit be less than the cost of purchasing new clothes. And, what if I rent a Jefferson City self storage unit , thinking I will save money on buying clothes but do not have another baby, or end up having a girl baby. I certainly could not dress her in all the super hero, ninja turtles and transformer clothes my boys insist on wearing.

What is a mother to do?

My sister is officially moved in to my house. It is really quite something - how much stuff one person can accumulate over just 25 years. She has entirely filled the basement living room, bedroom, closets and a corner of the garage with stuff, and she left some of it behind.

She and I are talking about renting a self storage unit to keep some of the items that do not fit. These are things like furniture from Grandma and Mom that we want to have around someday, just not today.

By contrast, her boyfriend moved to go back to college and he was able to fit all his belongings in his Jeep Wrangler and a few things in the trunk of her car.

Maybe this really illuminates the difference between men and women?

Yesterday I took the boys with me to the grocery store. It is always a risky move, taking two toddlers alone into the Wal-Mart supercenter. It is like one large space just beggin a 2 year old to run around, grab toys and throw a tantrum, but I had the upper hand yesterday - a BRIBE.

With the promise of a new motorcycle toy, my two little boys were angels. The bribe, and the sit-along cart that let them eat ride in the cart as if it were a car kept them happy and willing to be mostly still while we grabbed the few things we needed.

The roaming around part of shopping, believe it or not, is not the most hazardous. It is the checkout aisle.

In my Mommy-Imagination, that checkout aisle turns into a caged event where one small space confines my two toddlers, as they morph into cookie monsters and grab, whine, cry and scream for all the candy, toys, soda and blinking light thingies they can find.

BUT yesterday, someone up above must have known I just needed a break. Yesterday, my little angels kept their halo polished and sat in the checkout aisle without event. Yesterday was a good grocery day.

And it got better. As I was putting the last bag into the trunk, an gentleman came up and offered to take my cart for me and place it back in the cart storage corral, as he was already headed that way.

It was the kindest gesture I have had from a stranger since I left my hometown in rural Missouri - the kind of town where people wave when the pass you on the road. That one small kindness really made my day, and kept me a calm, relaxed mommy, because when I got in the car, the boys were fighting.

I took a few minutes today to clean off my desk and wipe off the dust. I feel like it really freed up some of the space in here and it is funny, but I am more relaxed.

Now, if only I can take this theory home and clean out the junk rooms, drawers and clutter.

I still have that basement full of stuff that I never put in the garage sale I have not had yet. As of now, my options are to rent storage or take them to Goodwill. Both require a truck and action from me, which means that stuff is going to end up sitting in my basement for another 3 weeks.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July weekend.

The week coming off of a holiday is usually no different than any other week for me, but I did actually take the holiday off. It was so enjoyable, but now I am playing a little bit of catch-up (not ketchup LOL).

Luckily for me, John and I have a plan for getting all these StorageMart projects done this month - which will be flying by. It looks like we are off to a good start, so we just have to keep the pace. Unfortunately for us, I think we are both procrastinators at times - we will have to be careful not to slack on the lead we have.

As for me, I am trying NOT to write August on everything. Seriously, I have done it at the most embarassing and worst times.

I have been meaning to have a garage sale for the past 5 weekends. Every Friday night, something comes up that puts it off another week. This week is The Weekend - I WILL, MUST, HAVE TO sell the junk piled up in my basement.

All the hard work is monstly done. I have sorted through all the closets, nooks and crannies in my home and decided what is in the Sell Pile. Now I just need to SELL it, and fast. My sister is moving in with us in a little over a month, which is really one 8 days, if you just count the weekends (which are the only times we have to clean out the basement and fix it up).

YIKES, when I put it like that, it makes me anxious.

I am exited to have her come live with us. I have no family in the area, so having my best friend downstairs will be AWESOME. Of course, we are sisters, so there will be plenty of arguing, but we have perfected the art of arguing and still laughing at the end (we have had lots of practice).

I DO love my sister and I cannot wait to have her here. It is just all the stuff she will bring with her that may make our house a little crowded. I think I will suggest splitting the rent of a self storage unit with her to get some of the uneeded items out of the way.

It is not even 11am and already, PhoneSmart has saved a life.

Tron and Monte rescued a little kitty from the bumper of the company car today. The intern here adopted the little kitty and is giddy about having his first pet. From the look and sound of it, I would say Little Kitty is healthy - got a healthy pair of lungs and has not stopped Meowing since the Great Rescue.

I wish I were not allergic to kitties, because he looks so cute and cuddly. I know if I get close, I will puff up and be sneezy. Maybe the itchy eyes would be worth a nuzzle or two.

But the Littles do not need any more pets at the moment, according to Joel. The truth is, I would really love to have a BIG dog - a great dane, wimeriner, or something just gigantic. But we are not home enough to have a dog that needs so much exercise.

We do not have pet storage crates lying around the office, but we made due with a mail carton, towel and newspaper.

Luckily for kitty, it is potluck day for Trons birtday, so maybe she can sneak in a few pieces of pepperoni pizza.

Today, I used our new email marketing tool to send a memo to all our PhoneSmart employees. I used the software for the first time the other day, and I can see that I could quickly become addicted to it.

I will have to be careful not to substitute face time with mass emails.

Yesterday I was talking to UppityOldLady about her birthday. We were talking about a time when a horse and buggy was new technology -- now U.O.L (uppityoldlady) was not living during that time -- I do not want to steal her youth -- but her Aunt recalls the way of life back then.

Do you think with all our technological advances we are worse off as a society?

Funny Analogy - If the Pooper-Scooper was Green Technology back in Horse and Buggy Day, then the Prius is the Pooper Scooper of Today HAHAHAHA

If you have not been keeping up with the Swine Flu outbreak, be sure to research the information from a reputable source like the Center for Disease Control and take precaution.

From what I have read, the best precautions are frequent hand-washing and staying away from those with a cough or sneeze. And if you begin to show symptoms isolate yourself from others and see a doctor.

I, for one, will be using my office storage shelves for hand sanitizer and tissues, and maybe a face mask.

To put some of you worry-warts at ease, another tummy ache has been traveling around here as well.

And, so far, the Swine Flu has not been linked to actually eating pork, but from human-to-human contact. (more reasons to sanitize, sanitize, sanitize)