Saving a Few Cents

So, at our old house we had a fabulous clothes line courtesy of our favorite neighbor, Ross (he found the T poles for us at a garage sale) and Michael (he set the poles in the ground and strung the line). I loved that clothes line and really enjoyed hanging diapers and laundry out every weekend. We had a routine on Saturdays and Sundays of waking up and starting a load of wash so that we could hang the clothes to dry for the day. It was such a peaceful routine standing there in the bright morning sunshine methodically hanging each piece on the line, and then of course, we'd periodically check on those clothes to test the dryness of each piece. On a good day it would take just a short hour to dry, on a slightly chilly, cloudy day the clothes could hang out there for 4-5 hours before drying. But, we didn't care about the length, it was our intention to line dry our clothes rather than use the dryer. We used the dryer sparingly knowing that our clothes and Ava's diapers would last longer and that we were saving by not using electricity.

Flash forward to our new house. No clothes line. We've been in the new house 3 weeks now and finally found a clothes line solution. Attempting to avoid permanently setting poles in the ground, we still wanted to be able to use a line for drying. So, we found a retractable solution online, we ordered it and the thing arrived days ago. Our Sunday was spent trying to get the line installed on the side of the house and then a pole at the opposite end of the yard for said line to attach to. Michael was the real handyman in this case and put up a pole with materials we already had at the house. With that done, it was time to install the line to the house. The only trip we had to make was to Lowe's for screws. Said screws in hand, we installed the line to the side of the house. We put up the line, tested it, but it was already 5:30 pm so we have yet to hang clothes on the line, but I can't wait to try it out.

Hopefully our neighbors don't go postal about seeing our clothes flapping in the wind. Check out this story, where the neighbors aren't nearly as nice!


Watch CBS Videos Online

House Warming/Art Opening

We came up with a great spin on the traditional house-warming party. Instead of the basic wine, cheese, and 50 cent tour, our plan was to concurrently display our friend's paintings. Ross & Amber, our old neighbors, helped us immensely during our move. Without them, and Ross' nephew Jordan, we never would have been able to get it all done in one day. As a thank you, and for motivation to get the house ready, we offered to hold an art opening for them. After all, we had plenty of empty wall space and a beautiful new home to show off. Two weeks after the move, they came by with a van full of their best pieces. We invited our friends, co-workers, and anyone we could think of who would appreciate the idea, and may also make a purchase. The event was a success. We all enjoyed ourselves, the house showed great, and prices were discussed. Spread the word. You too can be a patron of the arts simply by returning a favor.

Our Little Bitty Pretty One

Here it is, the latest music video from Ava. She's all the rage with the pre-Tweens! Enjoy.

Our New Home

After four and a half years in our beloved 1920 Sears Bungalow we've made a move. While the distance was less than two miles, it was quite a step up. We went from 850 sq. ft. to over 2500!

I have to say we made a very wise financial decision in living in such a small place for so long. Its low mortgage payment allowed us to save a great deal. While our careers developed, so did our financial capabilities. But, our monthly bills stayed the same. My sister, Maureen gave me a good tip after I got my first "real" job after college. She told me to not change my lifestyle simply because I now had a steady paycheck. My advice to any young person, or couple would be similar. Start small, live not only within your means, but slightly below for as long as you can manage. When you need to make that step up, make it a substantial one. Instead of moving multiple times as your needs grow, you may find it possible to take an extra step from the beginning. Chances are, you'll have earned it. We certainly feel like we have.

About the Blog

Bitts of Us is a way to document the happenings of our family. It is part journal, part scrapbook, and part family record. Our main objective is to keep track of what has gone on in our lives. However, in sharing these thoughts, events, pictures, and videos with others we welcome comments, critiques, and even advice. So, follow the lives of Erin, Michael, & baby Ava Bittinger to learn a little Bitt about us.

Ava at Ten Weeks

Welcome