Any tips on how to create more space (in a home) is greatly appreciated.  We live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch with no basement.  A crawl space is beneath however, its 3 1/2 feet high and has a dirt floor.  Gross.  You don't find me down there often UNLESS I'm pulling out Christmas decorations.

Chris and I received a few bids on digging out a basement -- the lowest number was $65,000.  No me gusta.  We mind as well build a second story.  Then comes our next hurdle....  Chris and I will build our dream home sooner or later (see my Pinterest page).  We want to have more kids so, do we stick it out in our tiny house or move now to a larger home and put the dream home on the back burner?

I know what you're thinking-- Jen, you have 3 bedrooms.  Yes, I know.  I use the 2nd bedroom for my things, i.e. closet.  No, I don't have a load of clothes and shoes and purses and all things Lisa Vanderpump.  Its filled with jeans, ski gear, hiking accessories, suitcases, golf stuff, etc.  The master bedroom closet is filled with Chris' gross work t-shirts (he has 467 of them) and his crap.

I keep things pretty lean around here.  No junk.  My motto is "when in doubt, pitch it out."  We have ONE small file/plastic thingy with important paperwork and thats about it.  I don't save anything.  Nothing is nostalgic except for a small box of pictures, my baptismal candle and my wedding dress (under the bed in the second bedroom).  Heck, I use our "pantry" to host a bag of dog food and all of my cooking gadgets (I love to cook).

SO-- if California Closets wants to hit it big with a huge makeover, my house would be ideal.

What else is new......  Nothing on the job front.  I went to the Bolingbrook unemployment office last week.  Sick.  If you are in the mood to smell all things foul, I recommend 4.5 seconds in that place.  Barf.  I do however, get my unemployment extended for another 35 weeks.  Wonderful.  I don't know what I'd do if I were a single mom on that income.  We'd starve for sure.