Days 36-41 (yee-ha!)

Thanks to 8 more completed freelance projects and a baby-sitting bonus from Hillary, I am happy, no thrilled, no freakin' ecstatic to announce that I have now surpassed the hubs in house wars by a whopping $147! Niiiice!

The only downside is that the goal is to reach $1,000 and, with just 13 days remaining in the competition, I still have $353 to go ... which equates to a little more than $27 per day. Yowzer!

Hmm, time to hock the baby? ;)

Days 34-35 (oh, yeah, baby!)

Who-hoo! Yahoo! Yee-ha! I have just taken over the hubs with a commanding lead in House Wars … um, OK, so it’s a teeny, tiny lead, but a lead nonetheless.

My new BFF Hillary needs a baby-sitter for Saturday night. And, knowing I’m in “desperate” need of some quick cash (I. Will.Not. Lose.), like any good BBF, she asked if I wanted to sit the baby.

Of course!!! I love little Ally (aka cotton ball) and I can’t wait to hang with a tot who isn’t always trying to get into the toilet (Coop, Mommy still loves you, but you’ve Got To Stop with the potty obsession).

Add my baby-sitting service “fee,” along with three more just-completed freelance projects and I am now a whopping $17 ahead of the hubs!!! Brown chicken brown cowwww! ;)

Current Cash Stats:
the wife: $517
the hubs: $500

Days 28-34 (suckage)

Wow, we’re totally sucking hind wind on our house wars goal! Our original deadline to each reach $1,000 was set for this Friday. And, mere days from that, neither of us is even close. Sigh.

Chris hasn’t snagged any extra cash in two weeks, opening the door for me to catch up (who-hoo), but I’m still behind. Boo.

While the “job opps” from friends/fam/coworkers has slowed, thankfully I’ve still been plugging away at my freelance job — I write for a social networking site. I haven’t been able to keep up the workload I maintained during the summer (about 25 projects a week) due to a hefty schedule at my day job (plus house hunting stress/drama/ yadda, yadda), but the extra funds trickling in have certainly helped. I’m now only $68 behind the hubs!

Maybe now that things with house No. 3 are looking good and we’ve extended our deadline to December 15, I can knock out some more work and leave the hubs in the dust. That would certainly be a very Merry Christmas. ;)


Current Cash Stats:
the wife: $432
the hubs: $500

Days 24-27 (extended)

Well, it looks like the hubs and I may finally be getting a house!!! After losing house No. 1 to a higher offer and pulling out of the offer we put on house No. 2, everything looks like a go for house No. 3 ... guess it really is true about the third time being the charm. ;) Who-hoo!

Our closing date is set for Monday, December 15 and, as such, the hubs and I have decided to extend House Wars until then. With the holidays creeping ever closer, our "side jobs" are starting to dwindle so extending our deadline will give us two extra (and much needed) weeks to snag every extra dollar we can.

Still more than $100 behind and about $600 away from goal, it's time I got creative. Ummm, anyone have some genius ideas? ;) If so, please share!


Current Cash Stats:
the wife: $372
the hubs: $500

Days 22-23 (blog-o-matic)

Um, I got a confession: I LOVE BLOGGING (which, I guess is obvious since this is my third active one, lol). Best part? My obsession is now paying off. A great friend of mine, Shelley, is launching an awesome handmade jewlery biz and I'm going to help her with the blogging/promotion end of it -- who-hoo! I can't wait to get home tonight and get started. I'll be doing the creation of the blog, working with a designer to get it looking good and then maintain the copy, postings, promotion, etc.

Shelley is an awesome chica and I know she's going to do amazingly well. I'll be sure to post a link to her hot new blog so everyone can start snagging some great Christmas gifts as soon as it's up and running.

Anyone else want a little blog love from me?? There are just 15 days left in house wars and, though I'm quickly catching up (behind $128), I still have a long way to go to reach the $1,000 mark.

Thanks so much to everyone who's helped me get this far!!! HUBS, you're going down buddy! ;)

Current Cash Stats:
the wife: $372
the hubs: $500

Day 21 (the poo store)

On Saturday I mentioned a new little biz venture I was working on with my Uncle D.

I'm now ready to dish the details:

While I was in Lubbock a few weeks ago (for my grandpa's 80th birthday), my uncle approached me about working on a line of baby gear with him. He would do the design and I would tackle copy/concept ideas.

Well, I'm now happy to announce that the e-store "Baby Poo & Spit Up, Too" is officially open for business!

And, because I spent weeks pulling my ever beloved hair out last year looking for a cute tee to commemorate Coop's first thanksgiving, some of the first designs available are turkey related. Check 'em out here and get some while the gobblin's good. ;) (yes, I really did just type that!)

Oh, and bonus??? If you see a design you like, you're not locked into the style or color that it's shown on ... you can pick from dozens of options. Who-hoo power shopping! ;)

Oh, and bonus bonus??? A portion of any sales made between now and Nov. 28 will go toward helping me claim victory in the House Wars! Now that deserves two smilies ... ;) ;)


buy unique gifts at Zazzle


Current Cash Stats:
the wife: $267
the hubs: $500

Days 19-20 (he caved!)

Who-hoo! The hubs, after two weeks of silence, decided to give up the goods! He just confessed that with 18 days remaining in our competition, he has now hit the half-way mark: $500 (terd!). I've just barely raked in a little more than half that. Guess it's time to double (um, triple) my efforts!

Much love to my dear friend Linz who has graciously offered to pay me to have a playdate with her and the kiddos this weekend. ;) I love that, even though she was "technically" friends with the hubs first, she's proudly sporting the Team Tessa shirt, lol!

Current Cash Stats:
the wife: $267
the hubs: $500