Tackle it Tuesday

Last week, I stated that I wasn't going to buy anything new until I had used up my stockpile.

Oh, I spoke sooo very soon.

The bad news is that I am nearly out of everything The good news is that I gave about 12 grocery bags FULL to our local homeless shelter for Christmas. It was a great feeling to be able to give like that, and know that I didn't break our budget since most was either free or had cost just pennies.

So, I am going to be hitting the sales again later this week and I will post about them as they are done. I really haven't had a lot of time to look until now as I have been busy getting my Christmas decorations down and my house back to some semblance of order. Anyone there with me?

I know that Walgreens has their Christmas stuff on 75% off and Walmart has theirs for 50% off. Now is such a great time for getting decorations and wrapping paper and the like for next year. Did you know that candy canes make great Valentine's decorations?

I will be back on regular schedule by next week, I promise...

I was tagged!!!

I got tagged a couple of weeks ago by Tara, and just haven't gotten caught up! So, here is 6 random things about me at Christmas:

1. I can still sing the entire song that we sang in our 4th grade Christmas program. Ask me...and bring ear plugs!

2. I compete with my older sis as to who will get their Christmas decorations up the earliest. I lost this year, waiting until October.

3. Although I get my decorations up very early, I am a Scrooge in the fact that I usually have them down the day after Christmas.

4. My children get jammies for Christmas Eve. Every year.

5. As a child, we had to drink a glass of orange juice on Christmas morning before we could open gifts. I carry this tradition on with my own children, as does my brother.

6. I had to wake my kids up for Christmas morning the last two years in a row...no getting up at 4am for my family! (maybe it's the fact that we keep them up until midnight?)

Ok, so now I am going to tag the following people:

Chris
Amy
Lisa

Sorry that I was so late, Tara!!! Enjoy your New Year, everyone!!!

DayBook

FOR TODAY December 29, 2008...

Outside my window...the sun is actually shining!

I am thinking...that I really need to be more organized this morning.

I am thankful for...french vanilla flavored coffee and creamer!

From the learning rooms...it's a mess that needs to be cleaned up before we go back to school next Monday.

From the kitchen...plans of yogurt, muffins, bread, waffles, pancakes.

I am wearing...jammies and thick comfy socks.

I am creating...a new sitting area where I can have quiet time with the Lord.

I am going...to the store later for a new kitchen faucet, a new book, and groceries.

I am reading...1 Samuel, Reimagining Church

I am hoping...that the sunshine will continue. We got sooo gloomy on those cold and cloudy days!

I am hearing...my boys actually cleaning up their legos!

Around the house...it's actually all cleaned up, except for the schoolroom. I cleaned up the Christmas decorations yesterday and that helped.

One of my favorite things...hugs and kisses from my wonderful children.

A few plans for the rest of the week: New Year's Eve with friends, gearing up for another semester of school, making out goals for Janurary.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Menu Plan Monday-HELP PLEASE!

Ok, here is where I would normally post all my "wonderful" creations to be made, and miles of inspiration for each of you....


But, I can't.

I am sooooo tired of the "same ol', same ol'" when it comes to my menu planning. I mean, I am ready to chuck it all and triple my grocery budget so that I can get cold cereals, and convenience type foods. I am about "whole-grained" out.

So, this week, I am asking for help. Please, please share some menu ideas with me. My family will begin a full scale mutiny on me if I make them eat another week of the same things for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And ordering out, or going out to eat is not an option right now. So, please help!!

Have you hit the sales yet?

There are just TONS of sales out there now, since Christmas is over, and the retailers are trying to make up for "lost sales" this season. Bath and Body works (my fav store EVER!!) is having a 75% off sale already!

I was told my my favorite Walgreens manager that on Monday, all the Christmas stuff will also be 75% off. Sorry, no double dipping this month, but there are great deals to be had for decorations and wrapping paper for next year!

Let me know what you get. The icy roads are now all melted and I am going to venture out this afternoon...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

I'm going on a bloggy vacation...
I'll be back on the 26th...

See ya then!!

Tackle it Tuesday

I have a different tackle this week. No, not my kitchen or laundry room. Although, I do have to admit that they are scary and need some attention. I am going to tackle the bathroom storage. I pulled a couple of angel tree cards from the tree at the bank this week, and they were for toiletries for a local family. I was almost sickened at the thought that I could easily fill a bag with shampoo, soap, razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorants, and lotion without even touching my stock really.

So, my tackle is a challenge. I am not going to buy anything else until I have completely wiped out my stock. And that means that the last bottle of shampoo is in the shower, the last tube of toothpaste is on the counter, and the last razor has been opened. I am actually figuring on this being until at LEAST Feb 28, 2009.

So, I am going to get the items all inventoried and ready to use. I will update you each week on how I did, or if I could survive not going into Walgreens and CVS that week. I have a friend that is going to hold me accountable locally to this as well.

Stay with me, here :) And thanks for all your support!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

I'm going on a bloggy vacation...
I'll be back on the 26th...

See ya then!!

DayBook

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FOR TODAY December 22, 2008

Outside my window...coooold, ice, and snow!!

I am thinking...that we must move past the past and enjoy our present.

I am thankful for...old friends.

From the learning rooms...school break until January!

From the kitchen...yogurt, sugar cookies, bread

I am wearing...my workout clothes, still!

I am creating...scenes in my mind of what I want to do this week

I am going...to our friend's house for Christmas

I am reading...1 Samuel, Reimaging Church

I am hoping...that I can chip the ice of the van to get to the store later

I am hearing...kids playing, furnace running

Around the house...the usual Monday morning clutter needing to be attended to.

One of my favorite things...cuddling with my kids while watching a movie.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Christmas at our friend's house!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...





How does she get so comfortable???

WE WON!! WE WO N!!

It's been about 36 hours since we have seen any evidence of the visitors. The traps have not gone off, and my hubby thinks that we got the only one that was in the house.

"What about the 2 or 3 you think you saw the other night?", I ask.

"Well, it might have been only one, and he was just fast. I didn't see them all at one time, so the mouse may have moved quickly from place to place."

Ok...I guess.

I have finally ventured into my kitchen again, tensed for any movement, ready to respond at the first rustle or squeak. No, my feet still haven't touched the ground and I am getting quite adept at jumping chair to chair with hot coffee in hand.

Maybe I'll start feeding the cats again....

And the score is tied....

Ok, so after running to the store to get 4 traps, my husband refrained from laughing at me so hard he could barely breathe long enough to place peanut butter on the traps and put them where we had seen the mice.

No luck.

The next day, we checked the traps. We must have been dealing with uber-genius mice since they were licked and/or eaten clean and none of them had been set off!

So, we gave them a free treat.

Mice-1
Humans-0

Last night, we re-set the traps with cheese stuck deep enough so that the mice would have to actually work for it. Within 1 minute of setting the trap under the sink, we scored!!!

One gigantic mouse was caught. He was about 12 inches long, had fangs, and toes about 5 inches long. His whiskers were made of pure iron and his tail had a mace at the end of it.

Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating just a tad.

The little mouse was taken outside and placed in his final resting place by my brave husband. I, on the other hand, stayed on the chair until hubby came back in to rescue me and make sure I was safe in my kitchen....

Final Score:
Mice-1
Humans-1

A family of 4 for $164 a week?????

Are you serious???

According to Parents magazine, the average family of four spends an average of $164 a WEEK on groceries! I was so shocked that their "financial expert" who is also a registered dietitian took a challenge for feeding her family for $71 a week.

She stated that in the past, she spent more because she wanted "healthy, fresh meals for her family".

I was blown away that she thought that being frugal at the store equated eating junk food. Most people do. I was with two other friends one time, and we were comparing grocery store spending. One blatantly told me that there was no way she could spent what I do since she likes to feed her family "fresh food". Like I only buy my family that is moldy and rotten??

I would say that the average family spending $164 is missing the point of eating healthy. When I bought a lot of convenience foods, even "organic" or "healthy choice" ones, I spent three times as much as I did by buying the ingredients and making it myself.

I have also been told that clipping coupons is a waste of time, since all they are for is convenience foods that are full of sugar, fat, chemicals, and calories. What???? I have found many coupons, especially lately, for fresh produce, organic foods. I also use coupons for the household products that I need so that my grocery budget has more wiggle room for other things.

I comfortably budget between $50 and $65 a week for groceries, and we eat very well, I would say. I don't eat tons of pasta and potatoes, and we have fresh produce, fruit and veggies at least 4 times a day, and only one meatless day a week (by choice-we get tired of it sometimes!)

So, how do I do it?

First of all, I shop only the loss leaders in the store. If there is only one or two at a particular store, I may take that ad into Walmart and price match it to avoid a trip. I write a list, making note of all loss leaders, and make my menu plan. Then, I spend about 1/2 hour getting coupons, and ideas from other bloggers. That's all. If I spend more than that, the savings that I get at the store seem to be eaten up in my time spent.

I usually finish off a shopping trip at Aldi, since they have been the cheapest in my area for basics. If I am short on grocery money, I will just shop there to save time and energy as well.

I make a lot of my own food, too. I make my own yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, granola, granola bars, muffins, biscuits, and pizza dough. We drink a lot of water around here, with only a little bit of juice being bought if it's on a great sale and I have a coupon.

I also account for the days when I am busy and will be too tired to cook. For those days, I will have a freezer meal ready to go, either a home pre-made casserole or pizza dough. As I make my menu, I keep in mind the activities that are going on throughout the week. I mean, why plan on a roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes when we have TaeKwonDo and won't be home until almost 8? Those nights are perfect for quick meals like tacos, or pancakes.


Feeding your family for under $75 a week isn't that difficult, but it will require you to plan a little, and maybe cook a little more. The payoffs in the wallet have been worth it for me. I don't know that I could ever spend that much on a regular basis...I mean, what would you do with all that food?

Anyone else have any ideas to share that they use for keeping the grocery budget down? I would love to hear them!

Heebie Jeebies!!!

Last night was like any other night. My hubby came home from work, we had dinner, and laughed as a family. Nice.

Well, I am cleaning up dinner when I heard some strange noise coming from the fridge. A rustling sound. The next minute, a tiny little head with beady black eyes poked out from under the stove. Needless to say, I screamed so loud that it scared him back under the stove.

We have mice.

Notice I didn't say a mouse...I said "mice".

There were at least 2, if not 3 in my kitchen while we were eating dinner!!!!

I live in a 100+ year old house, that is out "country-ish", near horses, chickens, and the like. Mice can be expected. Totally. Especially in the winter time.

That is not my problem.

My problem is the little fact that I have two cats in the house. Yes, you read that right:

I HAVE TWO CATS!!!!

I ran (literally) down to the store to get traps, and my husband and kids found it to be cheap entertainment to put peanut butter on them, and watch to see if they could catch one of them.

Me? I am writing this, bending down from a standing position on a chair. I may not do dishes for a while, or cook. I am also NOT buying cat food for a while....

The Body of Christ's job

May I step up on the soapbox for a moment again?

I am wondering why the church, aka Body of Christ has been failing in doing it's job.

Yes, you read that right, failing.

I went to the bank today and there was this angel tree with tons of tags on it. For those of you who may not be familiar with that concept, you take the tag off the tree, buy the item listed on the tag, and return it to it's original tree. The items bought will then be distributed to the askers, be it homeless people, children who have been "adopted" for the holidays due to lack of money, or whatever.

I nearly cried when I saw many of the items. This particular tree was for the "toys for tots" organization in my area. And most of the items requested by these children were not gameboys, dolls, trucks, or even candy. They were for socks, shampoo, soap, toilet paper, and toothpaste. I ask you, what 7 year old requests toothpaste for Christmas? One whose parents cannot afford it otherwise.

What is the body of Christ doing in this situation? Before I am flayed and skinned alive here, I know that many, many Christians are giving throughout the year and this season as well. But, I am talking in general here.

In Acts 2:42-43{Mssg} we read,

Everyone around was in awe-all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.

I am just wondering. If the body of Christ lived these verses today like they were lived back in that time, would we need "social reform"? Would there be a need for food stamps, Medicaid, or even Medicare? If we took care of family like we were supposed to, providing for our own, would there be a need for Social Security?

I think that we may have missed the boat here. There is a beautiful church in my area, and the people there are really nice. It's growing, and they use the building for more than just Sunday services. There is a great basketball court, and a walking track, and two separate workout rooms, one for the men, and one for the women. I am not one to say that they shouldn't have done this at all. Hey, it's free and open to the community daily. I would say that it's really a great resource for people to workout for free, and play basketball, or whatever. Great, until you don't have the money to feed your family, or get gas to find a job, let alone going back and forth to workout.

But, part of me wonders, how many families could we have fed with the money used to build this humongous building? How many children could have the shoes they need, or clothes that fit? Or a coat in this cold winter? How many families could get the help that they needed after a layoff until they get back on their feet?

Again, I am not saying we shouldn't do what God leads us to do. If that was what they felt led to do, I am praising God for their obedience. I just personally see that as senseless. What are we doing to take care of the needs of the people around us?

I know that the economy is terrible right now, and my region of the country is by far no exception. The area I live in was built on factories that make RV's. When gas prices soared, the industry fell apart. You can't walk a mile away without finding someone who has been deeply affected by this. These are the people we call "brethren". The ones we worship with, pray with, and are supposed to love with.

They are the ones that are seeking help with basic needs such as toilet paper, shampoo, and toothpaste. Our fellow Christians. They are the ones that shouldn't be even having to ask at all. Especially from an outside source. We, as the body of Christ, should be right in there, providing for their needs. Groceries, gas, basic toiletry needs.

I want to give a 2 part challenge any of you reading this to go outside your comfort zone. (hey, it was for me at first!) Part 1 is: If you see a need, meet it! It shouldn't matter why they have that need, if our brothers and sisters in Christ have a need, it should be met!

We need to stop worrying about "paybacks" or "being owed" or even "well, if they had only done this or that, they wouldn't need me to do this". Remember, that none of us are perfect. We have all made mistakes. Just think of the hope that you can give someone by meeting a physical need as well as praying for them!

And, part 2 is this: If you have a need, ASK!!! You should not have to worry about asking your brothers and sisters in Christ for anything! If you need laundry soap, shampoo, groceries, whatever, then ask! It's hard to meet a need if you don't let it be known that there is one. And if you do not get your needs met, call me...whatever I have is yours!!!

My shopping trip

I had to run to Meijer and Kroger for a few things for the week. I went with a $20 budget, and a very strong desire to stay on budget. There was no more money in the envelope, so it was the real reason why!

But, I think that I got quite a bit for $18.75 total! Here is what I got:




The Cottonelle and veggies were more than free, thanks to paper and clipless coupons, and the yogurt was marked down to $1.20 and $1.58 and I had $1/1 and $1.50/1 coupons! The cat litter was $3.38 and the vet had coupons for $3/1! The only things that I didn't have coupons for were the bread and dog food.

I had a great time with this one!!!

Tackle it Tuesday

My kitchen cabinets are a mess yet again! So, I am planning on doing this project over the period of a couple of weeks...otherwise, I will get overwhelmed and stop! This week, I did my "baking cabinet"




And here it is again, after some unwanted items are removed, and the rest put back:





Maybe now I can get to those Christmas cookies and fudge?

Menu Plan Monday

Sorry that I am late in getting this up. I am feeling the Christmas rush right now, and getting slightly unorganized. But, here we are for the week:

BREAKFASTS

cereal, yogurt, pumpkin bread, toast with oatmeal, whole grain waffles, cinnamon rolls

LUNCHES

sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, quesidillas, chicken wings, bacon and eggs (not just for breakfast anymore!), leftover smorgasboard

DINNERS

beef&noodles, chili over rice, broccoli&chicken casserole, pancakes &bacon, meatloaf, hamburgers, swedish meatballs

There you have it. I still am working off the big order from the week of Thanksgiving. I have only spent an average of $15/week on fresh fruit, eggs, and milk since. I did spend a bit this last week on baking items for Christmas baking. We make cookies for our neighbors each year. That wasn't in the "budget", but we used part of my hubby's Christmas bonus for that. Yeah, I know, I could've worked it differently and budgeted the baking stuff, and used the bonus for bills, but I am still working on this. Please be patient with me :)

DayBook

FOR TODAY December 15, 2008...
Outside my window...coooold, trying to snow

I am thinking...that it is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner.

I am thankful for...coffee after a sleepless night.

From the learning rooms...home ec...baking cookies, cakes, muffins for neighbors.

From the kitchen...see above.

I am wearing...tinkerbell lounge pants and a white tee shirt.

I am creating...neighbor's Christmas gifts.

I am going...to the grocery store later to get dog food.

I am reading...Reimagining Church, 1 Samuel.

I am hoping...that I can make it through this day, since I didn't get much sleep last night.

I am hearing...peace and quiet...the kids are sleeping still.

Around the house...usual Monday morning clutter and "hot spots" that need to be taken care of.

One of my favorite things...chocolate mocha truffles

A few plans for the rest of the week...homeschooling, baking and giving away cookies, decluttering bathroom and kitchen.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My shopping trip

Here is what I got this week from my shopping excursions:






That's right! NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH, ZIP, ZERO!!!



I was able to make it the whole week without spending a single dime!! Yeah! Now, I have to finish my Christmas shopping this next week, but I am sooo happy that I didn't spend any money this week!!!

Money as Debt Part 5

Money as Debt Part 4

This One's For You Thursdays

I don't know your name...


All I know is that you were a nurse and you lived in South Carolina.

You were traveling the back roads towards Spartanburg on a sunny May afternoon, and you stopped when you saw the mangled car on the side of the road. The car had been hit by a 17 year old driver who was going too fast. There were 3 occupants in the car, a mother, a boy, and a girl. The mother and girl would basically walk away from the accident, but the boy was in trouble. You helped pull this 13 year old boy out, and made sure he was breathing, and somehow got an ambulance on it's way. You then worked with that young boy and helped him breathe until the ambulance took him to the hospital.



That boy was in the hospital for a month, 3 weeks of that in a coma. He survived, because you were there, and you stopped.

I don't know how to thank you.

You see, that young boy grew up, got married and had three beautiful children. He is the best father and husband in the world. How do I know this? Because I am married to him.

Because you stopped that day, you saved his life. God sent you there. You were not there by accident. Because he survived, my life was made complete. He is my true soul mate. My children are here because of you.

So, to the wonderful lady who saved my husband's life 22 years ago, thank you. This one's for you!!!

Got someone who was special in your life that you want to celebrate? Join us here and let us rejoice with you!!

Money as Debt Part 3

Wordless Wednesday

Money as Debt Part 2