Jr. High Memories...

I'm participating in a "Remember When" linky over at Eli's Lids & Take Me Back Tuesday here...

I really wanted to pull out my journal/diary from Jr. High for this entry, but alas, it's buried under all my Christmas decorations, and since the rest of the house is asleep, I didn't want to wake them with the noise I'd create while digging in the closet! And my yearbook is with it...

BUT, I grabbed the CD my mom gave me with all the pictures she used for my HS Grad Open House, and I cropped a few to give you a glimpse into the Jr. High me! Beware!!

I finally made Student Council in 8th grade... I think I mainly joined so I would have to be allowed to go to the dances (we had to help with tickets, concessions, etc)... I still didn't/couldn't dance - gotta love being a Baptist girl! Here I am in 8th grade at a student council conference...
My fashion in Jr. High was sorely lacking! I lived in oversized T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baggie pants. This was sometime in 8th grade, I think... I lived in those overalls!
I remember truly enjoying the first real paper I got to write in school - in 7th grade we did our first "research" paper. I don't remember loving my fashion sense, however... 7th grade... ugg!!
One of the best parts about the summer between Jr.High and High School was that I was a "betweener" in the youth group at church... that meant I got to do all the JH activities AND all the HS activities! The HSers went to Colorado for a week to do outreach events for a local church. Here I am during one of our sight-seeing excursions! This was the summer after 8th grade... mind you, I was quite carsick when this picture was taken!

What is it??

This post is for Tiffany... what is it??

I'm ready, Lord... is it time?

Driving home from church today, I was SOOO ready for God to speak to me. As in "Ashley, it's time to move back to Michigan." I would LOVE that verbal confirmation any day now.

It was another normal Sunday morning. Sunday school was normal - although I wasn't the only person under 35 in the class today (the youth group didn't have SS today, so some of them joined the adult class).

When I moved up to my normal seat for church (SS is in the back of the sanctuary, and I sit in the front for the service), the lady I ALWAYS sit behind (usually within two rows) made a comment that I was "moving up in the world". I was confused, and she said it was "nice to see me sitting in the front for a change". She thought I usually sat in the back row. I have sat in the back row ONCE, and I have sat behind her for over a year. Considering that she is one of the "core" of the church (and one of the few people I have regular contact with), it quickly reiterated to me that I was as out of place and unnoticed at church as I felt on a regular basis.

Let's just say I wasn't exactly feeling the love this morning. I almost cried on the way home - I wanted to be done here so badly! (It didn't help that I was pretty tired too, and my emotions seem to be getting the best of me lately, especially when I'm tired.)

I told J about it when he came home for lunch. I also told him that I'd be more than ready to jump ship as soon as he reached his 6 month point in his new position (so he could request a transfer). He made the comment that he often finds himself missing CCC (the first church we attended when we moved here almost two years ago - but due to differences in theology, we decided to attend elsewhere) and the fellowship we had there. He agreed that the time is probably sooner than later as far as our departure from the area, but that we'd just have to see what happens. But, tonight, he did ask me if I've been keeping an eye on the housing market lately. So, maybe my dreams will come true sooner than later.

Is it time, Lord? Please say it's time!!

TNP Book Review

It's time for another Thomas Nelson Publisher's book review... This week, I had the chance to review one of the books in Christianity Today's Study Series (small group material). I reviewed their "Faith & Pop Culture" small group curriculum. This small group curriculum caught my eye, as it seemed like it would be very relevant material for 20-30somethings. I was very pleased with the material.

The book has eight sessions in it (meant to be done in an eight week setting), each covering a different topic in "pop culture". The sessions cover everything from movies, to TV, to sports, to literature. Each week has an article that was previously published in Christianity Today (or one of it's sister publications) that relates to the topic for the week. The articles are meant to be discussion starters and may result in various reactions from different members of the small group. Each session also includes ideas for ice breakers, discussion questions, corresponding Scripture studies, and applications based on the topic(s) discussed that week.

I found the material to be very well put together and very thought provoking. My husband picked up the book, and he too found the material to be intriguing. I can't wait to do this study with a small group in the very near future!

Kitchen Utensils...

No, this is not going to be a deep, revealing post... it's just what it is. Sorry if you wanted depth.

What are your favorite kitchen utensils? The ones you can't live without? Do you have a specific brand that you LOVE? Do you have a brand you avoid at all costs (even if it means paying more)?

I was truly blessed when I got married (almost four years ago) - I have all the kitchen utensils a girl could possibly want... and then some. I have multiples of many. I have some that I keep on my counter, next to the stove in a circular stand. I have a drawer full of the rest. Honestly, I only use about half of the ones on my counter, and the rest I get from the drawer. But, the ones on the counter are all "matching" - black plastic - and the ones in the drawer are mismatching. I have some tools I will probably never use - like a garlic press (I tend to like to use garlic salt or powder rather than fresh garlic), and some I use almost daily - like my spatula, kitchen scissors, and whisks (I have three - all different sizes).

I LOVE my Pampered Chef ice cream scoop. And my other PC items. I will take PC utensils, bowls, etc, any day! :)

I'm not a big fan of my cheese slicer. I bought the cheapest one at Target (I think), and it is definitely "cheap". But, thankfully I don't use it all that often.

I have a "masher" that never manages to get clean - no matter how much I scrub it. I think it probably has pieces of dried (but sterilized and washed) banana, potatoes, eggs, etc on it.

I LOVE my PC spatulas - I have many sizes. They are my favorites. I use them on a weekly basis at least.

I have a love/hate relationship with hand mixers. I was pleased to discover yesterday that they are quite inexpensive to replace. I couldn't believe how inexpensive they were! I bought the cheapest one, since I know I'll probably have to replace it again semi-soon (although I'm going to avoid making the cookie recipe with it - I've been informed that the best way to make that particular recipe is to mix it by hand), and since I have LOTS of attachments (from all the previous mixers I've killed), I didn't need one with all the extras. I paid $6.97+tax. Couldn't beat that!!

So, that's my two cents on kitchen appliances... I'm sure I could have probably been a little bit more entertaining, but J and Jenny are playing with a bouncy ball in the kitchen and I've been quite distracted while writing this. Gotta love watching Daddy and his little girlie playing!

Remember to leave your thoughts on kitchen appliances!! Inquiring minds want to know...

Fumes...

One of my biggest struggles as a SAHM is staying at home. I struggle with not having connections with people, with not every leaving the house, and with a general lack of self-discipline to correct any of the above issues. I don't want my kids to have a life of boring nothingness because Mommy is too lazy (or just has no gumption to get up and do something about it) to make plans to get out of the house.

So, I've started making attempts to do something about all of this.

First, I've been working on making friends and stepping out of my comfort. To do this, I had to accept that God has us here in Warsaw for at least a few more years, and I was tired of not having any real relationships (we've been here almost 2 years so far) and/or any "roots". So I met a friend to "hang out". Then we had dinner with her and her hubbie. We're hoping to get together again soon. And, I asked one of the ladies at church to mentor me. Neither one of us knows what this might look like, but it's at least a step in the right direction. (If you have any advice as to what this might look like - mentoring re: motherhood, being a wife, general life, spiritual life, etc, I would love your input!!)

Second, I've started "scheduling" activities for us to do outside our home. Sundays, we have Sunday school and church. Tuesdays, we have "story time" at the library and run all our errands. I'm working on getting J to let me have Thursday afternoons "off" for some much needed Mommy time after four eleven plus hour days of just Mommy & kid time (he leaves before they get up and gets home about the time they are getting ready for bed).

Thirdly, now that the weather is beginning to be "outdoor worthy", I've been trying to get outside for at least 30-60 mins every afternoon after naptime. Some days that means driving to the park (about 1.5 miles away) so Jenny can slide, climb, swing, and have fun with her "friends" (whoever else happens to be there). Other days, it means taking the kids in the backyard - sometimes we kick the ball, other times we dig in the dirt or fly our kite. (Sometimes Mommy even gets some yard work done! If the ground is too wet to play on, but the roads aren't too busy (usually in the mornings), I'll pile the kids in the wagon and we'll take a walk in the nearby neighborhood (our street is too busy to walk on).

So, I'm working on getting out of the house - my goal is at least two scheduled trips out each four day work week to help break up the time without Daddy at home. And I'm working on building real relationships. And I'm trying to make good use of my time at home with the kids.

I just realized that the title I picked for this post doesn't seem to tie in very well to the post itself... something tells me that I should have gone to bed awhile ago, and that two interruptions (Jenny waking up to use the bathroom and David waking up to eat) didn't help my train of thought stay focused. Not to worry... it really does have something to do with the post.

Today, we were planning on going to the park after naptime - even possibly meeting some friends there. But we were ALL tired and grouchy, so I was starting to think about calling our friends to let them know we probably weren't going to make it. And then I walked into my bedroom and was overcome by horrendous fumes. Our landlord was working on the downstairs apartment and was doing something to the floors that smelt like really strong nail polish remover and he was also using really strong bleach in another area downstairs - all of which was coming up into our part of the house through the air ducts. I quickly opened both sliding doors to the patio, threw coats and shoes on the kids, and ran outside to the van... I was NOT going to sit in the house for another minute (I almost got sick as it was). So, thanks to the landlord, we got out of the house this afternoon! :) (And that's how the title tied into the post.)

And I think I'm going to bed before I spew anymore garbage onto this post... but before YOU go, leave me your thoughts - if you're a SAHM, what do you struggle with in regards to staying at home? do you have a mentoring relationship, and what does it look like? what did you do this afternoon? I can't wait to see your responses!! Good night!

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...

... you'd cry too if it happened to you!!

Okay... so, I've been debating all weekend whether or not to write this post. And then I decided that since I was debating it, I might as well write it. After all, isn't this blog all about just writing what's on my heart and mind - not caring who reads it and what they might think about me after having read it. And, I've already made myself quite vulnerable through a number of earlier posts, so why not do it again? Okay... here goes.

Saturday was my 25th birthday. As you might remember (if you've been reading me for any length of time), I was actually going to "enjoy my birthday" this year - I haven't "enjoyed" a birthday since probably my 16th. So, I actually allowed the anticipation of the day to build and looked forward to enjoying a great day! The only thing I had asked for was that my husband get a sitter for the kids and take me out to Red Lobster for lunch (we had gift cards, so we wouldn't have to spend any money).

The week of my birthday came, and I realized that J hadn't done anything towards getting a sitter... in fact, he asked me a few times what I wanted to do for my birthday. So, realizing that we wouldn't have a sitter if I didn't step in and do it myself, I made a phone call, send a message via FB, and finally found a sitter. (Thanks to Aunt Biz for watching the kiddos!!)

So, I was starting to look forward to having some QT with J on my bday. I actually thought it might be fun to do a little window shopping after lunch, but then I realized that J probably wouldn't want to shop, so that idea busted. When J asked me again on Friday, what I wanted to do for my bday (other than lunch), I suggested going to the driving range or playing nine holes of golf (I REALLY want to go golfing again!!). He thought it might be too cold to golf, so that idea bombed.

At that point, I knew the only thing he'd want to do would be to go see a movie (I really don't like going to the movies - and not only because of the cost), so I agreed when he suggested going to the movies. (After all, isn't having a happy spouse better than dragging your spouse to do something you want to do?) So, since the movie I wanted to see wasn't playing at the theaters anymore, I thought I'd see if there was a cheap theater in Mishawaka (for second showings of movies). There was! And it was cheaper than the cheap theater in BC!! (Only $1.50 each!) So, even if I was going to have to go to the movies on my birthday, at least I wasn't paying too much for it. (Honestly, how can anyone enjoy paying to sit in a movie theater - you can't recline, lounge, stretch, move, etc for the entire movie! I honestly couldn't move after about 20 minutes of sitting there.)

So, I went to bed Friday night knowing that I needed to get up around 7:30am in order to have everybody ready to leave the house in time to make it to Mishawaka by a little after 11am. (We wanted to have time to have a nice lunch before the movie started at 1:10pm.) Unfortunately, it was a bit late when we finally went to bed Friday night, since we stayed up late watching a movie (on the couch - SOOO much more comfortable!!). So, when my alarm went off Saturday morning, I tuned out and fell back asleep.

Until Jenny came in soaked with pee. She had slept through needing to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, and had slept in her pee all night (gross!). So, at 7:45am, I was stripping a bed and doing laundry. On my birthday. Then, I had to get Jenny and David in the bathtub for their baths - I had been planning to bathe them. After baths, we got them both dressed and fed, I ate breakfast, packed lunches for the kids, and hopped in the shower myself.

The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful, thankfully, but I was so tired. I had a really hard time staying awake on the way to Mishawaka. After dropping the kids off with Aunt Biz, we headed for Red Lobster.

I went ahead and ordered a Dr. Pepper, hoping the caffiene would wake me up! I have to tell you - I had been looking forward to eating at Red Lobster for my birthday all month!! I couldn't wait to have their bottomless soup and salad lunch with the yummy warm Cheddar Bay biscuits!! So, I picked up the menu to verify my choice of lunch, and it wasn't listed. So, when the waitress came to our table, I asked her if they still had the soup and salad lunch. THEY DIDN'T!!! So, strike number two on my birthday. I decided to get the crab lingiuni alfredo, since I like crab and alfredo. Too bad I forgot I don't like this dish. The crab in the dish is shredded and tastes fishy. Ugg... strike three. AND, the biscuits didn't have enough garlic salt on them, so they were kind of dull. Strike four. AND the pasta and bread made me even sleepier than I already was. Strike FIVE. (How many strikes do you need before the day turns sour??)

About five bites into my pasta, I decided I was done. So I got a "to-go" box. We paid (with our gift cards - a plus that we only had to spend money on the tip) and left. We still had a while before the movie started, so J decided to show me around Mishawaka (since he's been there a LOT for work). We had a nice, but brief, tour of some of the "sights" in town, including Touchdown Jesus, before attempting to find the theater. I tried to wake up (my suggestion of finding somewhere to go and walk around for a bit was rejected), but wasn't too successful.

When we got to the theater, it wasn't opened yet, so we waited in the car for a few minutes. We got our tickets, used the bathroom (which were disgusting!! and they had JUST opened!!), and attempted to find seats - they forgot to turn the house lights on, so everybody was groping around in the pitch black theater. We guessed correctly and founf a row with no people in it yet. By the time the movie started, my butt was numb and shifting was painful. (Plus, since the theater was so dark, I couldn't tell if the floors were clean, and since the bathrooms hadn't been I assumed they probably weren't, so I had to hold my purse on my lap the whole movie.) The movie was very good, but definitely not cheery. I walked away very sad inside.

We picked up the kids, who had neither one napped at all (and had both been awake since a little after 7:30am), around 3:30pm, and headed home (about an hour's drive). I was so tired and everything in me wanted a nap - the sun being out didn't help. But, I managed to stay awake to keep J company. When we got home, neither kid wanted to stay asleep, but they were both EXTREMELY fussy and irritatingly whiny and clingy. This coupled with an overly tired Mommy who wasn't too thrilled with her 25th birthday thus far made for a LONG evening. By the time my Mom called to wish me "Happy Birthday", I just wanted to be left alone. However, that wasn't happening.

I could not tell you how much I wanted the day to end. I just wanted to curl up in a little ball and cry myself to sleep. I don't know how to cry - but I came really close to it a number of times throughout the day.

Finally, it was time for bed. I was so glad the day was about to be over. And then David woke up. Arrgg... I fed him and changed his diaper and went to bed.

Yesterday was SOOO much better!! I thoroughly enjoyed almost every aspect of yesterday. The kids were well behaved (for the most part). We had a really nice lunch with another young couple from church - and they surprised us by paying! The kids took good naps, so I had a few hours to myself to read. The kids and I went outside and played for an hour or so in the early evening (before J got home from work), and I got some yard work done. I enjoyed just being Mommy yesterday, had a lo-tech day (no computer, internet, and no TV til Daddy got home), and just enjoyed the day. I wish yesterday had been my birthday.

The Ultimate Blog Party 2009!!

I just found out about this great "party" online for all bloggers and blog readers alike! It's currently running (March 20-27) and it's a great way to find new blogs, promote your own blog, and make great friends! I can't wait to visit some of the blogs participating in the party!

One of my favorite thing about blogging is the chance to learn from people who you probably would never meet in "real life". I have found some GREAT blogs that I "follow" on a daily (or as often as they post) basis and I have learned so much from so many of them.

If you're a blogger (or just a blog reader), join in the fun all week long!

Another bites the dust...

...and another, and another, and another one bites the dust... Okay, I'll quit singing now.

I have a WONDERFUL chocolate chip cookie recipe that has a tendency to KILL hand mixer. Yes, that's right, another hand mixer bit the dust thanks to Aunt Joan's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is the second one I've killed in my not quite four years of marriage (and I'm pretty sure I killed one or two of my mom's prior to that), and I only make the cookies OCCASIONALLY (literally, less than five times a year, usually).

I'm pretty sure the only reason I haven't killed more hand mixers with this recipe is because I usually only make a half batch (the recipe I have makes a TON), so it's not quite so stressful for the mixer.

Today's batch was actually going quite well - Jenny was "helping" me for the first time (I don't usually let her in the kitchen while I'm baking/cooking in order to avoid big messes). I pulled the bowl down so she could see what I was doing as I mixed in the seventh cup of flour (yes - the recipe calls for 7 cups of flour - and I usually tweak it slightly and add a little more!), and as I did, I saw a spark fly from my mixer just before it shut off.

I was hoping it only overheated, but it's dead. BOOO!! I guess I'll have to use the money my grandparents sent me for my birthday (on Saturday!!) to buy myself a new hand mixer. I'm pretty sure they bought me the last two, too (thanks to past Christmases and birthdays and wedding showers).

Thanks, GCs, for my new mixer!! :) I'll try to give it a nice LONG life this time!

I love to learn, but hate lectures...

I've discovered that I truly love to learn. Four years ago, I don't think I would have agreed with this statement - perhaps, maybe not even four months ago! I think my years in public school may have turned me off to "learning" due to the "lecture & learn" format of most classes.

When I was homeschooled (K-3), I don't remember very many "lectures" - other than maybe reproductive health, I do remember a "lecture" on that (don't ask me why - I just remember sitting in our "school room" and my mom doing a lesson on the reproductive organs - maybe because it was a rare teaching form that was used in our schooling) - and I truly remembering loving to learn. I can remember projects we did, activities we did, and times of sharing information with other HS families.

But, when I started going to PS, I remember being bored a LOT. Part of the problem was that due to my HS experience, I was advanced in the grade level material but our school district didn't allow grade skipping. But even when we reached new material, I still remember being bored very quickly - I seemed to retain most of the material much more quickly than many of my classmates. And so, I quickly grew bored of learning.

This became especially true in college, where the majority of my classes were lecture style. I enjoyed doing the homework outside of class (as long as it wasn't just busy work - no teacher should EVER assign busy work!!), but often dreaded the time I had to sit in class. I discovered that even when I had a passion for studying a particular topic (mainly Bible & missions - my eventual major), I still had a hard time sitting in a non-participant lecture. I would much rather be doing assignments on the material or working with a group to studying and present the material - hands on learning.

Though I have always been a "sponge" that can easily soak up information in most any form that it is presented, lecture style teaching turned me off to learning until recently...

Recently, I have rediscovered my love for learning. I have become a HUGE fan of reading to self-learn. Over the past six months or so, I have done a lot of self-learning by finding a topic I'm interested in and then reading books, websites, blogs, etc about the topic and then attempting to put my newly learn skills into practice.

Various topics I've studied have been:
*starting up a home-based administrative support business (I made it as far as writing up a business plan and actually pitching the plan to someone),
*couponing (re-learning this topic as it's been a few years and the internet was not part of my original learning on this topic),
*living frugally (not cheaply - see my post on this topic),
*budgeting (Dame Ramsey's books were part of my reading list during the my bedrest last fall and recently I've been reading a few other books and websites), and
*HTML how-tos (this is my latest topic - one I am excited to attempt to use!).

As I get excited about a new topic, I feel my love for learning start to explode!

What about you? Do you love to learn? What is your favorite way to learn new things? What have you been learning lately? Feel free to include links to your posts about what topics you've been learning about in your comments... let's learn together!

Read & Share DVD Bible

I recently came across the opportunity to review products for Thomas Nelson Publishers. The first product I chose to review was the Read and Share DVD Bible – Volume 1. This DVD series is based on the Read and Share Bible by Gwen Ellis (also published by Thomas Nelson). The DVD included thirteen short vignettes of both Old and New Testament stories – from Creation to the Parables of Jesus. Each vignette is about three minutes long and uses a unique art-style, narration, and background music to grab the attention of young children. The DVD also included a few “extras” including “interviews”, “behind the scenes”, and coloring pages.

Personally, I would not attempt to show this DVD to anyone above the age of 4 or 5 (and that may be pushing it). My daughter (age 2), who loves cartoons, didn't really care for the style of the presentation (not a whole lot of character interaction – mostly narrative). It was definitely “Sunday School” material. If you were only watching one of the vignettes to reemphasize the lesson for the day, it's a GREAT resource. However, I would not recommend sitting and watching the DVD in it's entirety, as it starts to get slightly repetitive and since the cartoons all look alike, children may have problems determining what story they are watching.

The “extras” seemed a little pointless to me. The “interviews” was the camera man asking a class of kids what their favorite story was on the DVD – most gave the “Sunday School” answer of “JESUS!” Surprised? I thought it was an unnecessary addition to the DVD. The “behind the scenes” part was neat, if you wanted to learn about how they do the cartooning aspect of the DVDs, but I'm not sure who the intended audience was, since I'm sure it wasn't for the same kids that were watching the stories on the DVD. The coloring pages (ten in total) were nice, but they didn't exactly coordinate with the stories - i.e. there was a picture of Moses and the 10 Commandments, but that wasn't one of the stories on the DVD, and most of the other pictures were just random animals.

All that to say, this is a great RESOURCE for Sunday school teachers who want a way to help the kids remember the lesson for the day, but I don't think this DVD is a very good “at home” DVD to sit and watch in it's entirety. Just keep in mind the age group this is aimed at (1-4 year olds) and the setting it's best viewed in (class-type setting, watching only one or two vignettes at a time), and you will be able to thoroughly enjoy this DVD resource!

CW Monday Nights...

First, I have to say that my Monday nights have been very dull and boring the last month and a half or so (not due to the company I have held) since the CW decided to have a hiatus from all their Monday night regular programming... and I know I'm not the only one who has been looking forward to tonight with great anticipation (I saw all the FB statuses)!! So, CW... what do I have to say to you?

Let's start with OTH, since I watched that first. (J, too, enjoys OTH, so we watched it at it's scheduled time.) Can I just say "depressing"?? My gut feeling on this episode was that we are about to end the series, not just the season, in a couple of weeks. Too much "final" conflict - Peyton's possible death, Haley either going on tour or moving the whole family to Charleston, Mouth & Millie's final goodbyes, Dan & Deb finally airing out their feelings, etc. It's like the whole show is about to end... NOT exactly my way of starting the season back up after being reruns for over a month! At least, at the end, they managed to give some hope back to the viewers... Dan's going to get his heart (at least that's the story for now - who knows what crazy thing will happen with him next week), Peyton & Lucas declare their love for the baby (thankfully no abortion will be taking place!!!) and each other, Brooke & Julian - not really sure if there's any hope there, and we never saw Nathan and Haley again... all in all, I'm not real thrilled with the first night back... you could have done better CW!

Now, GG... I just cringe when I realize my sister and all her friends watch this show (I NEVER would have watched it in college - I didn't even think Gilmore Girls was "appropriate" in college, although I'd never seen it, so I couldn't judge it appropriately), but that doesn't keep me from watching it faithfully... if only I could be so faithful in other areas of my life! But, I digress... I do have to say that I was quite pleased with tonight's GG... I thought the "twist" of Rachel (teacher) being the GG feeder and ending her relationship with Dan was actually quite appropriate... and the ending with V & N was precious! I feel for Chuck, and really wish he and B would just get together already, but I know that the script will never allow for that to happen... the play was funny and an appropriate form for the characters to go through the necessary changes in the episode... however, I haven't figured out if Chuck just dropped out of school, or what... I guess it's been so long, I forgot why he's not part of the rest of the characters' lives... S & D should probably get back together, but I can't remember if their parents are together or not right now - Lily wasnt in the episode tonight... I should probably do a little bit of studying up on my GG since it's been SOOO long (I think they actually started reruns before OTH)... but, overall, I was pleased with tonight's GG episode... no loss of hope here!

I know... most of you don't care about my TV shows and all this nonsense, but hey, it's my blog, and I did warn you at the top that this is all randomness - whatever happens to pop into my head and I feel the urge to write about! Have a GREAT night everybody!

Awesome Diaper Savings!!

So, I promised to tell you all about my AWESOME savings this week... so here goes.

Wednesday, I finally made it out of the house (with both kiddos in tow) and we headed to Owens (our local Kroger affiliate) and to Walgreens. Thanks to some awesome bloggers, I had heard about some great coupons available and some great deals, too.

At Owens, we were able to stock up on some coffee (normally $17.06 for one decaf and one regular) for only $8.98. Along with a few other items, we saved 53% in all at Owens!

Walgreens had a Huggies promo running this week: buy $25 of Huggies products and get a $10 catalina (register coupon). They also had their jumbo packs on sale for $10 each. Thanks to having some great Huggies coupons (4 $5 off coupons and 4 $3 off coupons), I was able to stockpile some diapers. Wednesday, I spent $16.58 (before taxes) and got three packages of diapers and two boxes of wipes. I then received a $10 off my next purchase catalina. (I literally cleaned off the shelves at Walgreens!)

Yesterday, I went back to Walgreens, hoping they had restocked the Huggies, but they hadn't. I went over to Owens to pick up something I had forgotten to get on Wednesday, and I saw that their Huggies were regularly priced at $10.69, so I decided to use the rest of my coupons there (even though I wouldn't be able to get the $10 catalina at Owens) since I didn't know when Walgreens might restock. So, I bought three more bags of jumbo diapers and paid $5.07 (before taxes). I didn't realize that I had Cellfire coupons for Huggies on my Owens shopping card, so I actually ended up with more coupons than I knew about (an extra $4 off)!

So, in short, I got 6 packs of diapers and 2 boxes of wipes for $21.65 (all Huggies brand), and had Walgreens had their diapers stocked, I would have had another coupon for $10 off.

Let's just say I'm very pleased with my savings on diapers this month! Oh, and if you need diapers and have a Walgreens near you, go to coupons.com to get the $5 and $3 off coupons (you can print each twice) and then hit up your local Walgreens before the end of the day tomorrow! Happy diaper shopping!!

Too excited...

I'm SOOO excited... I can't wait til the morning when I get to share my AWESOME savings this week!! I'd do it tonight, but I'm on the laptop and don't have the picture - this picture speaks VOLUMES - on this computer to maximize the AWESOMENESS of the savings. So, instead, I'm just wetting your appetite! Enjoy your midnight snacking...

Frugal does not mean cheap...

...and I'm preaching to myself here.

Over the past couple of days, I've been doing a bunch of reading and research, and the more I read and learn, I'm determining that my definition of frugal has been wrong. I've looked at frugal as being a penny-pincher to the extreme, not letting one cent out of my pocket for anything that is not a necessity. That is what I have been trying to work towards for the past couple of months. I would get frustrated so easily with the little things that would take money out of my bank account (J eating out for lunch when he could easily take a lunch, going over my intended spending limit at Walmart for actual necessities, etc) and then my family would be bearing the weight of an upset Mommy. I've been so worried about being frugal by saving every last penny and staying in our "budget" each month that I missed the true definition of frugal. I was just being cheap.

Frugal is getting the best bang for your buck. Sometimes, the best bang is spending more now on an item that will last you longer versus spending less on something now and then having to replace it multiple times. Sometimes, spending time researching and clipping coupons is the best way to be frugal. (Example will follow in upcoming post.) Sometimes, frugal means not spending money at all, but rather spending time. Frugal helps you to get the most out of life. Cheap just helps you to survive life.

One thing I've noticed, at our house, is that our meals lack balance. This is partly due to my failure to plan for side dishes (ie veggies, fruits, salads, etc) to go with the main dish (I plan my meals a month at a time), but partly because I often don't want to spend the additional money at the grocery store. This is not only cheap, but it will adversely affect my family's health and wellbeing and could eventually cost a LOT more in medical bills and other large expenses down the road. Do you have any good ideas for incorporating more veggies and fruit into our diet without killing our monthly grocery budget?

Another area of frugality that we struggle with is "date night". We tend to not have "date night" due to the cost of doing anything. Since we don't have family nearby, we don't have free babysitting, so for us to be able to even leave the house together without the kids it would cost about $10 (minimum). That's 5% of our monthly budget for groceries & miscellaneous (non-bill) expenses. And then, you add the cost of doing anything - eating out = $25 (min); movie = $15 (min); just a cup of coffee would be at least $2.14, and how could I possibly justify the cost of babysitting if I'm only spending $2.14 for coffee! And staying home for "date night" is kind of an oxymoron - especially since it would probably consist of the same activities we do every night - sit on the couch and watch TV or a movie. All this to say, I'm not really sure what a "frugal date night" would look like for us. Any suggestions would be welcome!

Clothing is one area where frugal has won over being cheap! Thanks to a great kids consignment sale that occurs twice a year, the bestowment of clothing from friends and family, and my ability to get great deals at garage sales, Walmart, and Kohls, we are better dressed than our budget might otherwise allow. I'm usually able to dress our family for less than $75 a YEAR!! Obviously, as the kids get older, this might change, but then again, thrift stores and garage sales are always abounding, and birthdays and Christmases come every year. Thanks to all of these, my kids are dressed in name-brand clothing, and J & I have enough clothes to be able to give bags away at least once a year!

I'm sure I could probably list other areas that I struggle with being frugal versus being cheap, but now, having learned the difference, I'm going to see if I can't fix some of those areas.

What do you struggle with in regards to frugality vs. cheap? Are you frugal or are you just cheap? What advice do you have for me (& others) who struggle to be frugal and not cheap?

Comments...

Sorry to anyone who had been attempting to (unsuccessfully) leave comments on my blog. For some reason they weren't working correctly. I think I have (hopefully) fixed the problem. Feel free to comment away!! :)

Comments...

Sorry to anyone who had been attempting to (unsuccessfully) leave comments on my blog. For some reason they weren't working correctly. I think I have (hopefully) fixed the problem. Feel free to comment away!! :)

Lists...

I thrive on lists. Just ask my husband. The only days he comes home from work and finds anything done (or than the basic care of the kids) is on a day I had a list. I've learned from experience that I work best when I can see what needs to be done. But, just because I have a list, it doesn't always mean I accomplish everything (or anything, sometimes) on it.

I've been lacking a list for about the last week. And nothing has been getting done around the house. Even the dishes sat on the counter for three or four days straight - this is a BIG DEAL at our house. J thinks the dishes should be done after each meal, or at the VERY LEAST, they must be done by the end of the night - before going to bed. So, after three (or maybe four) days of not doing the dishes - well, actually, I'd been "washing as I go" in regards to the baking/cooking dishes, so it was only cups, plates, and flatware, mostly, that hadn't been washed - I decided to do them Sunday night before I went to bed... shortly after making a list for Monday that included doing the dishes. AMAZING!! I know. A list has HUGE effects on my household upkeep.

Monday's list included laundry (Jenny's, David's, and our clothes), dishes, making Tuesday's lists (to-do list and grocery lists), and running a few errands. By the end of the day on Monday, I had all the clothes washed, dried, folded (thanks to some help from J with ours), and put away. The lists were made for Tuesday, and the errands that had been on Monday's list had been added to Tuesday's list to save a trip to town (plus, David was being fussy and I didn't want to leave him home with J while I ran the errands after he got home from work).

Today is Tuesday. How much of today's list has been accomplished thus far? Nothing. BUT, two things have been crossed off (story time and Bob Evans), due to the time for the events being passed. Thanks to waking up with a back that felt like a baseball bat had attacked it and the pouring rain outside, I decided to delay our leaving the house til this afternoon. Thankfully, both kids are napping right now (before lunch), so we should be able to go run our errands this afternoon after lunch.

What will be on my lists for the rest of the week?? Wednesday - making a meal for a friend who is having surgery today. Thursday - cleaning day. Friday - making a pizza crust (we have pizza night on Friday nights and I've been trying different crusts). Saturday - Dad's birthday & Kids' Market. Sunday - church. I'm sure I'll be adding a few more things to the lists for each day.

What's on your lists this week?

Saturdays...

I have forgotten what it is like to have a Saturday "off". For the past year (and a little more), J has worked EVERY Saturday (well, almost - the ones he didn't work were because he had requested them off for a specific event), thus we have not had Saturdays together as a family since 2007! Actually, with the exception of a few months in 2007 (transition from CFS to Comcast), I haven't known a "free" Saturday since November 2005 (since I worked Saturdays at CFH prior to going to CFS)! Yet, somehow in my mind, Saturdays are "sacred". I can't possibly schedule a recurring event on a Saturday - that would be horrific! (The same is true of Friday nights and Sundays - with the exception of church on Sundays.) And now, we have our Saturdays back. What are we going to do with our Saturdays? Probably the same thing we do with them now (minus working) - nothing special. We need to come up with a list of things we want to do as a family, and using our Saturdays (and soon, Thursdays and Fridays), work through the list one-by-one. We need to enjoy spending time together - not the current "TV on in the living room, Mommy on one computer, Daddy on the other computer, and kids left to fend for themselves" scenario that tends to result from most of our "time together" in the evenings and on J's days off.

List:
1. Go to the Zoo - maybe get a membership for multiple visits throughout the year!
2. Go to the park - spend at least 30 minutes each week playing at the park with the kids.
3. Go for walks - take a walk at least twice a week (as weather allows) as a family.
4. Play games - at least twice a month as a family.
5. Golf - for Mommy & Daddy only (kiddos can hang out with a babysitter) - at least twice a month.
6. Go to Indiana Beach Amusement Park.
7. Go camping - at least twice this spring/summer/fall.
8. Go to the beach - at least twice this summer as a family (more often for Mommy & kiddos while Daddy is working!)
9. Go bowling - Jenny will probably love this!
10. ????

Any suggestions for free (or cheap) family fun? What do you do to spend time with your family? How do you "schedule" it? Feel free to leave all the advice you'd like!

Some food for thought...

I got this "food for thought" in a forward email. Normally, I don't read those types of emails, but since I'm considering going cell-less when our contract is up in May, the title caught my attention. I'm glad it did - I think I'm going to attach my cell phone to my pocket Bible. Let me know what you think!

Cell phone vs. Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we used it to receive messages from the text? What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? What if we gave it to kids as gifts? What if we used it when we traveled? What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. And no dropped calls!

I need to transition...

... from a "thinker" to a "doer".

"Thinker": My brain runs at "full capacity" about 12 hours a day, constantly coming up with new ideas on how to do things, ideas for get-togethers, ideas for CE at church, ideas for this, that, and the other thing. Most of the time, I can't keep up with all the ideas that are swimming around in my head. My brain jumps from one idea to the next without giving me enough time to process each of the ideas that I come up with. And, most of the time I don't have pen and paper (or a computer) in my hand to jot down all the ideas I come up with - and when I do have them, I jot the ideas done and then never do anything with them.

"Doer": I have a lot of good ideas that never see the light of day, because I don't "do" them. I need to start putting some of my ideas to work - start planning and participating and doing whatever it takes to see some of these ideas take shape in life. I was talking with a new friend the other night and we were discussing how a lot of people have a lot of ideas ("thinkers"), but not as many people are "doers". I found myself in the first category. As I'm writing this post, I find the verse from James running through my head "be doers of the Word and not hearers only".

I think so often, myself especially, we can come up with the ideas, but we sit back and wait for somebody else to carry out the ideas. I'm going to transition. I like my "role" as a "thinker", but I'm ready to "multitask" and become a "doer", too. What does that mean for me? It means not only coming up with great ideas (I'm slightly biased), but taking those ideas and running with them. It means stepping out in faith to get involved in church, in the community, in relationships, etc. It means getting off my butt and doing something!! I've already started to put some of my ideas to work - I've stepped out in faith and made some contacts to get some things rolling (i.e. hanging out with a new friend on Monday night, searching for a mentoring relationship with a lady at church, planning to make dinner for a friend having surgery). With God's help, I want to continue to squash my laziness and make a difference where I am!

What transitions are you experiencing in your life? Are you a "thinker", a "doer", or do you "multitask"? What steps of faith have you taken lately?

Noise - tune in or tune out?

There is so much noise in my life - some good, some bad, some indifferent. I've had to determine what noise I need to tune in to, tune out of, and what to just let play on in the background. At times, I want to tune out to all the noise (especially when I have a sinus headache) and crawl into my bed and shut out the world. At other times, I find myself adding to the noise - sometimes in a positive way, and other times in a not-so-positive way. Psalms tells me that there are times that I need to: "Be still and know that I am God". In a world filled with noise, I find myself needing to constantly evaluate what noise I'm allowing to enter my life.

I've figured out how to tune out screaming kids... most of the time. Is that a good thing, though? This weekend, David was especially fussy due to not getting enough sleep and being around a lot of people at once. Yesterday at lunch, he was being fussy, so I was holding him while attempting to eat, and I didn't really realize how noisy he was being until we were on our way home and J told me that David was being really loud at lunch. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I realized that I must tune out the screaming/fussing, since I hear it "all the time". No, he's not a fussy baby, but when he does fuss throughout the day, I am able to tune it out until I'm able to do whatever he wants/needs me for. It doesn't bother me to let my baby fuss and attempt to self-soothe, or let Jenny realize that "baby is crying" and try to soothe him. As a stay-at-home mom, though, if I responded to my kids' every cry, fuss, or noise, I would never get anything done - I have learned to tune out the non-emergency noise and to take the noise in stride.

Another noise I have learned to tune out is the noise from the TV. During the day, Jenny often has the TV on, watching Dora, Caillou, or Diego. I've gotten to the point where I don't watch "adult TV" 95% of the time during the course of the day, until after 5pm (or whenever Jason gets home). And then, when the TV is on "adult shows", I'm still only half watching/listening as I'm trying to make/eat dinner, get the kids ready for bed, using the computer, reading a book, etc. There are times, I will admit, when I do veg-out in front of the TV (mostly when we're watching a movie and/or one of "my" shows) and tune in to the noise, but lately, those times have been growing farther and farther apart.

Music is another area of noise in life. I've found over the course of my life, that my heart attitude (that from which my emotions, words, and actions flow) is definitely impacted by the amount and type of music I tune in to (and even sometimes by the music I don't "tune in" to but fail to "tune out"). I find that tuning in to music that uplifts and encourages me to turn my thoughts and focus to God definitely makes for a happier, better perspective on life, whereas tuning in to (or failing to tune out) music that is "worldly" and that is "self-focused" makes me much more likely to be self-focused and more easily irritated with the little things in life.

The computer, although it's not necessarily "noise", is another area of my life where I need to work on being more (grr... I can't think of the word again!!!) about. I often "tune in" to the computer too much, failing to accomplish tasks around my house that need to be accomplished (like right now, I should be starting my four loads of laundry that I need to wash today) and neglecting to spend quality time with my family and friends. Then again, I'm able to "tune out" the computer when I actually need to get things done, and I've been able to set (and stick to) some boundaries during the day in regards to my time on the computer. I find that I can usually get done what I want to get done in the mornings (after breakfast and before lunch - during Jenny's "shows" that she likes to watch and during David's morning nap), and then I can turn it off for the rest of the day without "going through withdrawal". I am able to update my finances (check my bank account, update my check register on Quicken), read my blogs that I subscribe to, check my email, post a blog or two on my own blog sites, check Facebook, Xanga, etc. If I have "down time" throughout the rest of the day (time when the kids are napping, my devos are done, I've showered, and I don't have a list of chores/tasks I'm trying to accomplish), I have no problem turning the computer back on, but only if I'm not failing to deal with life around me.

As the Psalmist said, and I quoted above, I need to "be still" and "tune in" to God. This is definitely another area that I struggle with on a consistent basis. Most of the time, when I actually take the time to sit down and have a quiet time (which I do manage to do almost daily), it's usually not very quiet. I will usually sit down to silence, only to have one or both of the kids need me within the first five minutes. I've found that my best time to pray is actually as I go through the day! As I'm doing my online stuff in the morning, I pray as I come across prayer requests, as I see the names of people I'm praying for. As I read, watch TV, play with the kids, etc., little things will remind me of something or someone I've told I would be praying for them, and I'll say a quick prayer right then. I have found that I pray best spur-of-the-moment, rather than trying to set a specific prayer time and then trying to remember and pray through all the requests I've promised to pray for. Laying in bed at night (when I'm WIDE AWAKE yet again) is my best time for "intimate prayer" - this is the time I use to pour out my heart to God, as my mind races through the things that are intensely on my heart. "Tuning in" to God is key for me to have a proper perspective and a positive heart attitude throughout the day. I can almost immediately sense when I need to "tune in" to God and "tune out" the rest of life!!

What do you need to "tune in" to? What noise do you need to "tune out?" What are some different methods you use to "tune in" to God and "tune out" life?