Changes going on....

I have cancelled my website for now. Just felt that is was just now a good way for spent my money at this time.

I might re-establish it in the future.... especially if I can find a more inexpensive way to host it. hehehe

Just thought I would let everyone know the "why" if they go to the website and see the "no longer exists" heading at the top. LOL

Changes happening in life.....

Well, school will not be an option this Spring. Between cost and other financial items coming up soon.... DH and I felt that it would not be very prudent at this time to have me in school full time.

I hope to be able to take a course or two either this summer or next fall. We will have to wait and see what happens.

I am also trying to get a job with the school system as a teaching assistant. That is my ultimate goal, but until then, I am going to be working with a company that provides non-medical care for seniors in their homes.

Taking advantage of the special "sales" this time of year

Okay, I have already been able to take advantage of some rather "sweet" deals so far this "holiday" season.

I have been able to re-stock my flour supply with Pillsbury brand bread flour to the tune of $.69 for 5 lb. bags. My Aldi's has reduced the price of sugar to $.99 for a 5 lb. bag, and their eggs are currently $.69 a dozen. The cheapest by far of any other place around here!

I am not sure if I am going to get the price on butter that I have in the past ($.99 a lb.), but I have been able to get it for $1.89 a lb at Aldi's and $1.99 a lb at Walmart....so, although I would love a "great" sale...I can at least get a decent price at those two places.

So, am I the ONLY one that loves the sales for these items this time of year?

Getting back to frugal "basics"!

Okay, I have been lazy! I admit it. I have just not felt like "doing" anything that took the extra effort to save money!

Okay... I take that back.... I have been making lunches and baking cookies, but other than that... not much else lately!

Menus have NOT been made in months... which usually means EXTRA trips to the grocery store each week! Not only am I spenind extra money on groceries, but also in gas.

I will plan a menu for next week (monday is already planned, bean soup and cornbread).. plus start making the effort to save anyway I can!

Do you find yourself in "ruts" like this also? If so, how to do you get out of it?

Part of what I have doing the last couple of days....

There are some of the peppers I have pickled, jalapeno and banana pepper rings. Also some extra hot habanero jam and Jalapeno jelly.

I have some more peppers brining and will try my hand at some jalapeno relish, but have to buy some cukes for that.

Been keeping me busy....


**I have not forgotten my "tagging"...working on that.

Menu funk!

Yes, I said it! I am in a menu funk! Nothing sounds good lately! I feel as if I fix the same things over and over!

The weird part....it has now gotten colder, so I can make soups and stews.....but am I motivated? NO!

I really need to get my cookbooks out. I also have a TON of crockpot recipes to go through. (Thanks Kayla!)

What do you do when you get in a "menu funk"? Or is it just something that I go through? LOL

**Other than having no voice, nothing exciting is going on here currently.**

Arrr!!!

My pirate name is:

Iron Mary Kidd

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Guess who is going to college???

Well, if you guessed me...you are correct! LOL

I took my placement testing on Tuesday, but will not learn my results until I go to new student orientation on November 27th. (Have I ever mentioned how I am not the moost patient of people!)

The reading portion seemed easy, but the math...well, hopefully I did not completely bottom out on that one! LOL

I am going to study to be a teacher! Who would have thunk it!!

Besides making some rather major life decisions... not alot has been happening. This past weekend was the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I will post pictures once I get them onto the computer.

Oh... some friends of our kids were in two different car accidents this weekend! The first was on Friday... DS's girlfriend flipped her truck. She walked away with only some bruises, but her truck was totaled. (Yes, she was VERY fortunate!)

Then Sunday on our way back from the festival, we get a call that DD's good friend had been in a very serious accident and was thrown through the windshield of her car. She was not as fortunate as the other friend, but she is alive. She broke her neck and had to have surgery. So far, things are looking good, but it will be a long recovery for her. We are hoping and praying that she will continue to improve. So far, she is not showing any signs of paralysis....we hope that also continues.

Oh....I had a slight fender bender on Monday, but it was all cosmetic and no injuries, but boy, did it shake me up!

Wow...my "value" has increased recently.....

My blog is worth $28,227.00.
How much is your blog worth?

The last time I did this....about 6 months ago, it was only about $6,000.00.

Are having pets truly for "frugal" people????

I have had people tell me that if I was truly frugal, I would not have pets! The first few times I heard this....I was at a loss for words. (Yes, it does happen on occasions! hehehe)

But since then, I have thought about this often. Usually after a vet visit OR buying a big bag of food.

Yes, pets cost money to own (or at least they SHOULD). There is the cost of vet visits to keep them healthy, the cost of food and other items that keep them healthy and happy.

But there are other things to consider about owning a pet, besides the cost involved.

Are you an animal lover? Is the idea of NOT having a pet of some sort abhorrent to you?

Is the cost of owning that pet offset by the love and companionship they give you?

These are things that I look at when I am re-considering pet ownership. I beleive that kids benefit greatly from owning a pet. The experience of caring for another living creature and also the real issue of dealing with death are for their good, in the long run.

Currently at my house we have several pets. We currently have 3 hamsters, 1 cat (which my 17 year old pays for...since it is his) and one puppy.

The biggest expense comes from the puppy. She is 4 1/2 months old, so we are dealing with all the vet bills that come with a "baby" animal. Soon, we will be dealing with the expense of having her fixed, but balance that with the cost we would incur if she had a litter of puppies! Believe me, having her fixed is cheaper in the long run! LOL

After all the initial vet bills, we will only need to take her once a year for a checkup and boosters. Her food bill is still uncertain. LOL I have never had a dog that will be as large as she will be, so I might have to make allowances for her food costs. (She is a black lab/golden retriever mix)

There is one thing that can not be calculated with dollar signs, and that is companionship! I have this giant puppy that wants to be a lap dog! She is already becoming protective of the kids, which out in a semi-rural area is PRICELESS! I send her out back with the kids and feel safe that I will hear if anything unusual happens.

So, after all that rambling... let me just say that YES, this frugal mom can have a pet and they do NOT have to be a "money pit" or an "extravagance"! At least, not in this One Frugal Mom's opinion!

I used my pressure canner today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe it?! Does this thing look like it belongs in a sceince lab???



close up of the lid:



I beleive I will dub it "the beast"... (I know, naming it! LOLOLOL)

Here is the chicken broth I canned today:


Here are some pictures of other items I have canned since I started this adventure (pickles, peppers, garlic and habenero jam):

I have a webring! LOLOLOL

I started a webring for either blogs OR websites!

If you are interested, go to the bottom of this page and click on the "join" button. Only this blog and my website are on it at the moment, but I hope that will change soon!

Excessive bumper stickers!

Have you ever been driving down the road and come up behind a vehicle that has multiple bumper stickers?

I don't mean the simple "my child is a honor student" kind of thing....but all those political/protect issue type ones. Do I really care who you voted for in 1996? (or whatever was an election year)

I really don't care if you are wiccan/pro-choice/anti-choice/democrat/republican...etc. etc.! All I want you to do is to safely drive your vehicle to where ever your destination is!

I wonder how many accidents are caused by people paying too much attention to the bumper stickers on vehicle instead of paying attention to their own driving?

I will never understand the need to advertise all your personal agendas on the back of a car!

So, what did you do today? Well, funny you should ask.....

I spent the first half of the day watching basketballs filled with water shot from a pressure cannon! LOL

Then...I got to ride on a four-wheeler for the first time in my life to head out in the field to watch said basketballs land almost a mile away from where they started!

Huh? You are thinking.. here is the background...

My sweetie plays poker with some people he met here in town, and one of the guys participates in something called "Punkinchunkin". This is usually done WITH pumpkins, but since he is just practicing and getting his cannon geared up for the competition in November, he uses basketballs filled with water.

He also shot a bowling ball, but we could never find where that landed.

I also got to ride on a 4-wheeler for the first time. Now that was an experience! Okay, thankfully, I wore pants that day or I would have never done it. hehehe The man driving the machine was not my husband, so first it felt weird to get on behind him. LOL (sweetie was riding behind another guy on another one)... Then I tried to only hold on by the bars on the back of the 4-wheeler... let's just say, that I got over my qualms about holding onto a man other than my husband REALLY quick! Otherwise, I would have fallen off! That is not what you want to happen on one of those things at 40 MPH!

So... we all had fun, I kidded with sweetie that we are "officially country" now! (and that is not in a bad way....so do not take it that way!) The kids had fun in the corn fields and are a dirty, dirty mess. Ian was alittle bummed because he did NOT get to ride on the 4-wheeler, but he will get over that disappointment.

We hope to be able to go up to Delaware when the competition happens...it is not very far and sweetie seems to want to go... :-)

It has been rather hectic and stressful lately....

Wow, it has been twelve days since I last posted! And that was a vent that I decided was better left untold. LOL

Since the beginning of this month, we have buried 2 hamsters, my cat has gone missing...oh and my 19 year old step-daughter decided to move out AGAIN. (oh and did not go about it in a very nice fashion either)

Yeah, just a little stressful. hehehe

On a brighter note, I have made several batches of wonderful Habanero Jam and Pickled Garlic! I hope to at some point make some apple jelly I have been planning everyday for over a week to do. One day, it WILL get done!

On an even brighter note.... I am now the proud owner of an All American Pressure Canner! My wonderful DH told me to buy one! Gave me a budget and said "either get the one you want, or I will buy one and then you just get what you get!" Goodness, I LOVE that man!

I hope to use my canner soon, but will be starting with simple items first. That giant looks like it should be in a labrotory instead of my kitchen.

So, please forgive me for being away.... I will try to do better.

In a funk!

Decided I did not need to leave this up.

Updates

Thing have been so busy around here!

School is now in full swing, I have been looking for a job (part-time during school hours) and my poor little girl had to deal with her first pet death.

Having a pet taken to the vet and not returning is something she HAS experienced, but that is somewhat "unreal" to a child her age. This time it was different. Her little hamster (Nibble) passed away while she was at school last Friday (8-31). I sat her down and talked with her after she got home from school. We cried together...she wanted to see him, and then we had a small graveside service on Saturday under a favorite tree. Daddy dug the grave and I wrote a little note on a stone for the grave.

Although it is still a sad thing for her...she is handling it rather well.

Once some time has gone by... we will consider getting her a new one, but for now, she wants to just "remember" Nibble.

Allergic reactions to vaccines

in my puppy!

My poor little puppy had an allergic reaction to her shots on Saturday. Her little face swelled up and she broke out in hives! Her poor little fur looked like there were pebbles under her skin!

Of course, the vets' office was already closed and the answering service referred me to an emergency vets office in Fredricksburg (almost an hour away!). I called them and they said bring her in!

Okay....not that I was not concerned for her (beleive me, I was!)....but I was not going to drive that far without checking to see if there was another ER vet closer to home. I looked in the yellow pages and found one that was only about 25 minutes away and CALLED!

I was able to speak to a vet over the phone (was not given that option with the other place)... he asked me several questions and then told me to give her Benedryl. He told me the dosage to use and how often. He said that if she did not improve (or got worse) to bring her in, but that the first thing he would do would be to give her a shot of benedryl....so instead of driving her in, I could get her started on the medicine!

It worked! Within 30 minutes of the first dose...some of the hives had dissappeared. By the time I get her the third dose, her face was almost back to normal and there were only a few hives left. By the next morning, there was no trace of her reaction!

I am so thankful for a vet that was more interested in getting this puppy better fast, than having me come in and pay for a vet er visit (over $100).

I plan to write a letter of thanks to the animal hospital! I do not remember the name of the vet, but I can give the date and time....so that would at least narrow it down abit in case there was more than one there that day!

Thanks so much for the special people that are out there taking care of our pets!

**Here is a website that talks about animal allergic reactions. I did not even know this happened to animals!

Urticaria (Hives) & Angioedema (Swelling of the Face)

Shiva had the "moderate" reaction.

School days....school days...

Start again in just a week!

Have you started back yet? Or are you in an area that waits until after Labor day?

We are almost ready here. We bought new tennis shoes today...and back packs. Last years did stand up to the usage I had hoped they would. (sigh)

I made my little girls school year...I let her pick out a "High school musical" back pack! LOL I swear, she is 6 going on 13!

I also agreed to let my son get a back pack "on wheels" this year. But with the agreement that it has to last at least two years. hehehe

How are you "back to school" plans coming along?

I am being over run with cherry tomatos!

I plan to surf the net and find something to do with them besides in a salad or pasta dish! LOL

If you have any recipes...I would greatly appreciate them!

How do you get ready for "Back to School"?

I start by keeping an eye out for the sales that always happen this time of year for school supplies. So far, I have gotten some really good deals.

I also start looking for close out sales on clothes. Involved in this is also going through their clothes and giving away what is out grown (and still usable) and getting an idea of what is needed.

What are some of your "getting ready" strategies?

Things on my mind lately.....

There have been a few things that I have been debating on blogging about. From not sure how I would word it....all the way to not knowing how "others" would react to what I wrote. (LOL, like I have such a large influence out in cyber-world!)

First off.... Modesty "for men"!

Okay...I am not saying that I think the male of our species should go around naked.....but is there all that much to be concerned about???

There is a thread on a message board about this topic, that has opened my eyes to what some people believe concerning this issue. I have always been an advocate for modesty...nothing flashy or "sexy". I also do not endorse having little girls look like miniature adults. I make sure that my daughter does not wear anything too short or too tight.

But you know what? I have never put THAT much thought into what my son wears. I mean, I make sure his shorts are not too short or too tight, but not ALLOWING shorts or even sleeveless T's???? I would never imagine putting those kind of restrictions on him! Also, my husband would request I see a doctor if I did!

I also believe that there are certain situations that allow for being without a shirt (if you are a male)! Swimming is a good example. I do not require my son to wear a shirt while swimming, or when running through the sprinkler in the back yard! I do not see anything wrong with a male wearing a tank top type shirt or even going shirtless when working out in the hot sun or in a hot house. Would I allow that type of dress while visiting friends or going to the store? No, of course not. That would be inappropriate.

Does that mean my son is immodest? Not as far as I am concerned.....nor is there anywhere in the Bible that states exactly HOW we are to dress. There are guidelines, nothing else.

Another thing on my mind: Predestination.

I know...what a weighty subject! LOL Now, this is the subject that I believe might cause a reaction some that read my blog. Although I apologize if I hurt any ones feelings....this is what I believe and feel on this matter, I am not sorry for that.

To me...there is nowhere in the Bible that tells us that Jehovah has already "chosen" all that He will save. If that was the case, there would be no free will (Galatians 6:7) and what use would Jesus' sacrifice had been if we were all predestined! (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20) That would also have meant that God set Adam and Eve up! He would have "planned" for them to disobey Him and bring sin and death into the world! Not a very loving thing for Him to have done! (1 John 4:8)

Also, it seems rather arrogant to believe that "I was chosen and YOU were not!" We are to be humble (James 4:6)....and to me, that is NOT a humble attitude!

Well, I think that will be all for now.

My next canning adventure....

Jams...Jellies....and Preserves!

I have some pickles spears "curing" in the cabinet and some relish that I have put up also.... Since I have only have water bath canner at this point (yes, I plan to get a pressure canner, but I need to save up for that purchase) I have a limit of "types" of things I can put up at this time. Not complaining....

The first couple of things on my list to do are:

Garlic Jelly and Blueberry preserves.

I will post how they turn out after I am able to do them....

More puppy pictures

Here are a couple more "active" pictures of Shiva:






I will post some more later.....

Introducing a new member of our family......

Please let me introduce to you SHIVA:




She is an 8 week old lab mix. She has just curled up right into my heart. I will post more alert pictures later. They were took by my oldest and she has her camera with her! LOL So, I can not load them onto my computer!

Update on Canning Dilemma

Thank you for your response, Kayla. :-)

I did call the manufacturer....and made a bit of a fool of myself!

It was the CANNING company that but the disclaimer about not reccommended for glass top ovens....not the oven manufacturer!

She asked me what brand I had....and then told me what page to look at in the guide that deals with canning! LOL

The reccomendation is to do small batches and to alternate burners if you will be canning large amounts!

So, I will be getting started on some pickles tomorrow morning (Tuesday)!

Thank you for all your help!

A Canning Dilemma

Okay.... if there are any canners out there, I have a question.

Back when we were remodeling the kitchen, I got the privilege of picking out a new stove. I had always longed for a glass top stove....so that is what I picked!

Fast forward and year.... Now I want to learn to can. I have all these plans of lining my cupboards with rows of tomatoes, pickles, green beans and anything else I could grow and process. Guess what???? I was told that I could not use a canner on a glass top stove!!

Has anyone out there had any experience with this? Will it truly break a glass top stove? I mean, how is this any different than any other cooking you do? I mean, I don't plan to process any water bath items for hours. And what about a pressure canner? You do not process that for hours! Why would this really pose a danger to my glass?

Or is this a case of CYOB* for the manufacturers??

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

*Cover your own bottom

Blog Rating

Mingle² - Online

I found a way to minimize my computer time....

First, have the kids out of school....
Second, go out of town for a few days....
And then third, have your DH take a week off of work....


Talk about putting a major dent in my computer time! LOL That is okay, family always come first. (Okay, Jehovah truly comes first, but you all know what I mean!)

I have been busy with the kids since school let out. Mainly just doing things in the yard and around the house. There is a new exhibit at the little museum in our town that I will take them to next week....not sure if they will enjoy it, but I know I will! Hehehe.

This past weekend was my District Convention for Jehovah's Witnesses. The theme this year is "Follow the Christ".....and it was wonderful! I just love having three full days of learning and fellowship! My spiritual cup runneth over!

This week, my beloved is off of work. We have been busy going to Kings Dominion and working on projects around the house. I get so much done when he is here.

Hopefully, things will settle down some more next week, but I am not going to promise to write more often! Because every time I do...something comes up and it is weeks before I get back here! LOLOLOLOL

I hope this finds everyone reading it in good health!

Time flies.....

Wow, I had no idea so much time has passed since I last posted. Just a short update:

Was at the school 8 out of the last 10 days of class. LOL Only one of those was as a sub...all the rest were for different end of the year programs!

Then, our A/C decided to die on us....and I do mean "DIE"! There was no fixing it, so a brand new system had to be installed! Let's just say, that was not a very pleasant decision, but one that had to be made. Oh...that decision also meant that our tripped to Texas had to be cancelled. Sigh....part of being a homeowner.

This past weekend was hectic! Besides the A/C company finishing up the installation....we went to see the newest Fantastic Four movie...and then Sunday, spent the day at Kings Dominion. That was fun.

Except for when we got home and the A/C was not working. So, the a/c company sent some men out this morning to find out why....it has been fixed and it is working now.

That has been the last two weeks in a nut shell. The summer has started for the kids and I hope to post about our activities.

Today we are going to the library to get some books....I have already told the kids that we are going to have some reading time every day.

Last two weeks of school.....

I can not beleive that there is only TWO weeks left of this school year!

And what a busy couple of weeks that will be! Monday is field day, Wednesday is the Reading Carnival, Thursday is the Pizza party for the kids with a certain number of AR points. Next week is subbing on Monday for me.... Wednesday is the Kinderrgarten awards day...Thursday is the second graders cookout...then Friday is the LAST DAY! (Thursday and Friday are also half days!)

Then we get to re-adjust our schedule for the summer....but I will give them the first week to just have "fun" without any schedule.

Then I need to start preparing for our trip to Texas, which is the first week of July. I am trying to get everything down the the "bare minimum", to keep the mini-van from being to cramped.

I am also thinking about end of the year school gifts! I am leaning towards some "gifts in a jar" kinda thing. Does that sound good?

Oh..the shame of it....

Here is a post from last year:

Saturday, May 20, 2006
I missed an anniversary!!!
I did not realize that I have been blogging for a year now!

I started this blog on May 10th, 2005! I am a female, so how did I FORGET an anniversary??? LOL

Hopefully, I will not forget the second one!

Since this is the 28th of May....I would say that I officially FORGOT my second blogging annivesary! LOL

Not sure if I am improving or not....but I am still here, for the most part anyways!

I have been TAGGED!

This is a first...LOL I am actually kinda excited that someone thought of me!

It was my Xanga blog that was officially tagged, but since I don't post there often...and when I do, it is about weight loss, so I am posting it here. hee hee hee

The Rules:

1. Each player lists 8 random facts/habits about themselves
2. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
3. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged and to read your blog.


The eight things about me:

1. I always wanted to be a novelist, but have not written any fiction since I was 22.

2. I have a phobia concerning snakes! My heart races and I feel as if I can not breathe when I see one that is not in a cage.

3. I am supposedly related to Cheif Osceola....but have no proof, just family legend.

4. I took college level courses in the 7th grade. (Experimental program)

5. I love Logic Problems...but greatly dislike Crossword puzzles.

6. I hope to travel to Scotland someday to see where DH's ancestors came from.

7. Both of my "second" toes are larger than my big toes.

8. I was the first girl born on my father's side of the family in 4 generations.



Okay....who will I tag??? Like Merchant Ships, ArmyofFive, Rubygirl, and Homekeeper at Heart. (Okay...I don't read many blogs, so I can only tag four people.)

Wow...been MIA here recently

We are in the final days of the school year and I have been BUSY!

We are getting everything together for the Kindergarten play..which is always a big deal here. LOL

DS17 had his prom this last weekend...helped him get ready for that, I have been subbing quite a bit lately...I guess some teachers getting last minute items taken care of also.

I will be enormously relived when the school year has ended.... Then it will be just getting into a new routine for the summer. LOLOL

Anyways....I have not forgotten this blog....just needing things to calm back down so that I can post more.

Have a great day!

Mount Vernon Field Trip

Well....I survived the field trip! LOL

Actually, it was really fun. I had never been to Mount Vernon before today. I really could have spent the whole day there by myself and STILL had not been able to see everything. I love places like that...especially with the people dressed is period dress and showing us how things were done back then.

That would be my dream job....a historical re-inactor for historical place like that.

Back to the field trip....LOL... I had five girls in my "group"..of course, we all stayed together and they held hands with all the different girls and teachers. LOL I just kept an eye on my girls (okay, I kept an eye on all of them!)...and things went smoothly.

My legs hurt! I walked so much....plus I have a red face! Oh well..that is normal for me. Now I get a week to recover, then I am chaperoning a field trip for my second grader. We are going on a nature hike to look and identify birds and other animals. Yes, I will be getting my exercise in. :-)

Phases in our lives.....

Sorry I have not posted recently, life has been busy...and well, I have been considering an end to a phase in my life.

Several months ago....my DH and I decided to have another child. Well, honestly, it was my idea. He just said he would let me decide and if that is what I wanted, he was fine either way.

Several months later, no pregnancy and my life was busy with projects with the kids school and even substitute teaching. Doubts about another child started forming.... the changes that I would need to make, the things I would be unable to do with my two that I have already had. And most importantly.....WHY did I want another child!

What it came down to....I did not want to face the end of that phase in my life! The thought of my "baby-making" days being over was something I did not want to deal with...but I needed to. After much prayer, contemplation, and talks with DH (tears included)...I have decided to end that phase of my life and move on to enjoying fully the two I have. I enjoy being active in their school. I even enjoy being able to substitute teach there. (Especially the preschool classes).

Although, there will always be that part of me that goes "ohhhh" when I see a newborn baby...I am ready to say that I am content with the children I have. I am SO thankful they are healthy and happy.

So.... as I readjust my mindset....I will be looking for new opportunities to "broaden" my horizens. LOL

****Just a note. If for some reason, we ever do get a "surprise"...I would have no problem switching back to that role. It is just not something I am intentionally going to pursue!

Prayers to all the families affected

by the violence of Monday.




Tears flow.........

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Well...I gave in....slightly.

Okay, my dear little daughter has been wanting her hair cut for weeks now. I have said "no", "not yet", and "when you are older" MANY, MANY TIMES! LOL

She wanted her hair to be like "sally's"....unfortunately, "sally's" hair is thin and straight, so her short bob looks good on her. Lays flat and straight. Well, my dear daughterr's hair is naturally Curly, with a capital "C", and I tried to explain to her that her hair would not look like "sally's" no matter how much her wanted it to... LOL

Anyways, now to the "giving in" part. :-D I agreed to trim her hair some....not alot (even though it looks like it), but mostly to get rid of some of the rough ends that keep getting tangled. Although I barely cut 2 inches off, the lighter weight made the remaining length just spring up. LOL

Here is the before:



and now the after:



Oh...she wanted bangs....so I gave her some..... well, just a slight amount.



See....she got her hair cut and I still have enough to braid and put up in ponytails!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Stratagies for saving money on groceries. Part V

Today's Topic: Coupons.

I use coupons, but not as much as some people might think. :-) I use coupons only when I am truly get a deal. Does that sound strange? Well, I found out that a coupon, in and of itself, does not guarantee a "good deal". I now only use them when the item is on sale, especially as a "loss leader". Okay...correction, I have been known to use a coupon on a product that I would like to try, but do not want to pay full price for; again, hoping to find it on sale at the same time.

I know there are some ladies (and gentlemen) out there that live in areas where the grocery chains have awesome coupon policies. I wish I had the same options. I am starting to utilize CVS' Extra Care Bucks, there seems to be promise to those if you can combine them with coupons. (I will post more on this, once I get a better understanding of it.)

So, if you want to coupon great, find a system that works for you and use it. But please remember that not all coupons equal a good deal.

Stratagies for saving money on groceries. Part IV

Today's Topic: Shopping at Multiple Stores.

I find this one of the best ways to get the ultimate in grocery savings. This ties into the loss-leaders strategy from the previous topic. Check each ad to see if there are items worth purchasing. (This is where the price book comes in also.)

Included in this is for me to drive to Aldi's every 3-4 months (Aldi's is now an hour from where I live) for a larger "stock up". I have found that if I go every 3-4 months, I optimize my savings in balance with the cost of gas to drive there and back. I am also blessed to have a Hubby that works near Aldi's, so if I forget something or need something restocked before my next scheduled trip, he can do that for me on the way home.

**If you live somewhere where driving to several stores is NOT cost effective, you need to concentrate on the one store that gives you the best deals. This can mean different stores each week, but it takes knowing your prices.

For Rocket

October 2000 -- March 2007

You were a good dog, Rocket. You will be missed. Thank you for being our friend and member of the family for the time that you had.

Love you......

It is now official...I am a Substitute Teacher.

Well, I had my first assignment today. Special Needs Preschool. It was really fun, hard, tiring, but fun non-the-less fun.

Actually it is a combination preschool, with the majority with special needs (5 special needs, 3 non). After the other substitute and I found our rythem the day went by nice and truthfully, kind of fast.

We even survived a tornado drill.

I have my next assignment scheduled for the 26th of this month....unless I get called before then. That assignment will be with a second grade class....the room next to my son's.

Well, I am off to surf some more and relax before I start dinner. The kiddos are outside enjoying the 75 degree weather.

Talk to you all later.

Daylight Savings Time Reminder

Turning our clocks forward is coming early this year. Don't ask me why... I read an article about it, but am still not sure WHY they wanted the change.

Anyways, please remember to turn your clocks forward one hour tonight before going to bed. Oh...since we are losing an hour...you might want to try and go to bed earlier than usual.

What fun for us with kiddos in public school on Monday.

Have a great day everyone.

Stratagies for saving money on groceries. Part III

Today's topic: Loss-Leaders!

Loss-leaders are the "get you in the store" sale items that Grocery store chains put on the front page of their ads. They do this in the hopes that you will buy all your other groceries there, at THEIR high prices!

The way to take advantage of these are to buy ONLY the loss-leaders and then leave! LOL There is nothing wrong with doing this. You are not being dis-honest or unethical. I write this because I have heard people say these type of things in the past. Now, if you were not adhering to any limits or conditions to these prices, then I could see the point. BUT if this if the price the store is offering, then there is no reason that you HAVE to buy anything else.

This leads into the next topic on shopping multiple stores, which I will post about next time. :-)

It's a good thing you can "opt out" of this......

Below is an article about Virginia passing legislation that will require all girls to receive the NEW vaccine for certain virus' that cause cervical cancer.

Now, I have no problem with vaccinations, I really don't. MY problem with this one is that it is SO NEW and the government is trying to FORCE us to put it in out daughters!

I want more research to see what kind of long-term reactions might show up. I am always suspicious when some new drug or vaccine comes out and the government wants to push it on us "for the greater good"!

I am relieved that WE, as parents can "opt out" of this, but how long will that be an option? KWIM!

All I know, is that I agree with my dear, dear sweet husband...."there is always the homeschool option." I have a feeling that will come about sooner, rather than later!

Updated:2007-03-02 08:21:59
Virginia to Require Vaccine for Girls
AP
RICHMOND, Va. (March 2) - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Thursday he would sign legislation requiring all sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.

Virginia would become the second state to mandate the vaccine for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, and the first to do it through legislative action. Texas Gov. Rick Perry sidestepped the Legislature and ordered the shots for girls there, but lawmakers are considering overriding that order.

"I think it strikes the right balance," said Kaine, who wanted to make sure parents would have enough time to review the vaccine and allow them to opt out "without having to jump through hoops."

The requirement would go into effect for the 2009 school year. If parents want to opt out, they must review literature provided by their child's school, then sign a form.

The federal government approved Gardasil, the only vaccine on the market, in June and suggested it be given to females before they become sexually active.


03/01/07 23:24 EST

Stratagies for saving money on groceries. Part II

Today's Topic: Buy in Bulk

This is not just for grains, flour, sugar and such, but also cleaning products, paper goods and anything that I can freeze. This is where having a nice Price Book comes into play. A bulk purchase is a waste if the price per pound is not a savings. Don't assume that just because the package is large that the savings is there! Because of my price book, I know what the "normal" prices are and what the "sale" prices will be (within reason). Also, something to consider, if the product that you are buying in bulk can not be used before it goes bad, IT IT NOT A SAVINGS! Food thrown in the trash is no different than throwing money in the trash.

DH has a contact through work that can order meats through a restaurant wholesaler, if you can find someone like this, make them your best friend! (Okay, that might be considered "using" someone, but hey, we can all use more friends. :-) ) We have gotten some wonderful deals that way. My vacuum sealer was a wonderful investment!

That will be all for today, I will post some more in a day or two.

Stratagies for saving money on groceries.

I want to start adding more "frugal living" ideas to this blog. I mean, that WAS the reason I started this thing to begin with. LOL

So, today I am going to share ONE of my strategies for saving money on groceries.

Today's Topic: The Price Book

It is a simple 4 X 6 notebook, with pages that can be removed and added. The prices listed in mine are now mostly Aldi (a small grocery store) prices. If I can beat their price, I know it is a good deal. I do have some other stores listed, but not as much as I used to.

This has helped me to find some really AWESOME deals. I can really tell if a "manager's special" REALLY is special. It also helps to know if a "loss leader" is worth a special trip to a store.

It takes some time to set up a price book, but the savings in the future is really worth the investment of your time now.

Clutter is taking over again!

I have been rather lax with the clutter in my living room, dining room area and it is REALLY showing!

I need to start paying more attention to the details. Also, I think I will look into some decorating books from the library, maybe get some ideas.

Why does decorating come so naturally to some and so difficult for me? It's not from lack of interest, at least I don't think so. :-)

Of course, sometimes I think "why bother" because no one else in the house seem to care, and with six other people living and "cluttering" the place, it can get out of hand.

Hmmm....any suggestions? I am open for anything.

Lazy Town look

Profanity from parents

What is wrong with people today???

I was in Walmart today and this woman was yelling at her son and using profanity! I just stood there looking at with a "you have got to be kidding me" look to my face!

It seems that the little boy (around 5) had an accident in his pants. Well, the mother's response (in part), "I can not believe you s*&^&&& in your pants! You are old enough to know not to be s*&^%%^*% in your pants. I can't beleive you!" Then she turned and saw me with my "look", and actually looked embarassed. She then turned and went down the aisle.

It is bad enough that people don't seem to have a large enough vocabulary that they need to use profanity in their every day language, but for a MOTHER to talk to her little one like that just floored me!

Is it just me that is surprised by this type of behaviour? Am I a little naive? I don't know about that, but I do know that the look on that little guys face just tore me to pieces!

I love the mind of kids

We are currently re-listening to "My Book of Bible Stories" on tape in the car. Actually we have heard them multiple times, but this momma sure doesn't mind!

Last week while on the way to the store, DS7 asked to listen to "Bible stories" on the way. We made sure that our books were ready and in went the tape. Listened to the stories and then stopped the tape to go into the store.

As DS7 was waiting for his sister to get out of the van, he goes "Mom, can God do anything?"

"Yes, He can." was my reply.

"ANYTHING?" he asked with only the questioning that a kid can do....

Yes, "I", ANYTHING." Came my reply.

"WHOA!" was his emphatic response.

So, next time I am frustrated with life, I will recall his reaction and just remember Jehovah can do ANYTHING! and that is just "WHOA!" in my book.

Finally a snow day.

The kids are home from school today. We got ourselves a little snow storm yesterday. Our road seems fine, but we are on a "main" road and I am SURE that some of the back or "side" roads are bad.

The kids are playing and I am spending some time on the computer.

Not alot going on here, which is good. I am on a search for a bread recipe that is similar to the Italian bread that is sold at my local Giant. Kayla advised me to ask someone there, so I did. The woman I asked looked at me like I had grown a third eye. LOLOL

I will try and ask another lady that I chat with on a regular basis. Maybe she will be more helpful.

I hope to work on some sewing projects today. I figure get the fireplace going and just enjoy the sound of my sewing machine. LOL

Have a great day everyone.

**Oh....and Traci, I really wasn't "trying" to keep things from you. Really, I just never thought to mention things like my blog or website. But, now you know.

I finally have a foot in the door!

Well, I got a call today from a teacher at my kiddos school, wanting to have me as a substitute teacher! YEAH! Of course, before we could get things finalized her doctor called and needed to re-schedule. LOLOLOL BUT, she is going to call me when she has the new date (which she said should be tomorrow, Thursday), AND she wants to schedule me for a date in March!

I was getting worried for alittle bit there! I kept logging into the website for our county and seeing NOTHING! Now, I have found out that the teachers at my kids school arrange their own!

I will start spreading the word some more that I am available. I just need to make sure that I continue putting my field ministry and my family before working. I will just be happy to actually start subbing!

Update on Donny's hand.

Hi all,

I just realized that I never gave an update on how Donny's hand was doing.

It is healed now. It is still pink where the worst burns were, but that will fade in time.

Here are a couple of pictures of the day it happened:

Shameless plug!

Okay....maybe I should have said "shameless plea", but anyways.... LOLOLOL


Have any of the 2 or 3 people that read this blog ever checked out my website or message board???? Any takers???? LOL

I have not updated my website recently, but will be working on that later today.

www.onefrugalmom.com

Also, I have a message board, that is just BEGGING for some activity! Join us and have some nice conversations without any drama!

http://onefrugalmom.proboards67.com/index.cgi

Hope to "see" you there!

Menu planning

Okay, I am trying to plan my meals out for the next two weeks. I already had them planned, but dear DH threw a bit of kink into my plans....so need to re-arange things abit. LOLOL

I want to stay below $300 for groceries this month. It really should be within reason. I have a fully stocked pantry and freezer, I just need the discipline to use what I have and plan ahead so I am not running to the store for something to fix. (yes, I have been known to do this. I am not proud of it, but I will be honest.)

I have almost given up on coupons in my area. They are either for products that I do not use...or I can not combine sales/coupons deals. I will still clip them, but not order any more online. We are getting a new store up the road, maybe that will stir things up abit. LOL

Plans for Sunday

Dh and I go out for dinner every December 31st. But not for New Years Eve, but for our anniversary. :-)

We go to a certain restaurant that is only for our anniversary. (Okay, I would love to go to this place more often, but it is not in THAT price range.) We save up all year for this dinner.

It's hard to beleive that another year has gone by. It seems like just yesterday that I was getting used to writing "2006" on my checks....now I need to get used to putting "2007" down.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Updated "Grateful" list

What I am grateful for:



1. Jehovah God
2. His Son, Jesus
3. God’s word, The Bible.
4. My wonderful Husband
5. Ian
6. Ainsley
7. Heather
8. Jennifer
9. Donald
10. Mom
11. Becky, my sister
12. Rich, my brother and his family
13. Kathy, my sister-in-law and her family
14. Joan, my mother-in-law
15. Even my sister-in-law, April, that I have never met and probably never will and her family.


16. Ability to practice the religion of my choice
17. Aloe Vera plants
18. Antibiotics
19. Apples
20. Avocados
21. Baby Blues (cartoon)
22. Bean Soup
23. Bees
24. Birds
25. Biscuits, hot from the oven
26. Books
27. Brigadoon (movie)
28. Brown Sugar
29. Butterflies
30. Butterfly kisses
31. Calvin and Hobbes (cartoon)
32. Cameos (jewelry)
33. Carnations
34. Cartoons
35. Cats (Cosmo and Payne)
36. Cell phones
37. Charm Bracelets
38. Chickens
39. Clothes Dryers
40. Colored pencils
41. Cookbooks
42. Corn bread
43. Cotton
44. Crayons
45. Cross-stitching
46. Cucumbers
47. Diamonds
48. Dogs (Rocket)
49. Earthly Paradise
50. Eggs
51. Electricity
52. Fall
53. Fall Leaves
54. fishies (aquarium type)
55. Flour
56. Flowers
57. Food in my pantry
58. Gardens
59. Gold
60. Goldfish crackers
61. Gone With the Wind (book and movie)
62. Googly eyes
63. Home
64. Ice cubes
65. In-door plumbing
66. Internet (for information and friends)
67. Jumping in a pile of leaves
68. Kitchen Aid mixers, specifically mine. J
69. Kittens
70. Lettuce
71. Libraries
72. Lighthouses
73. Lilacs
74. Lobster
75. Mangos
76. Miss Kayla, in Georgia
77. Miss Norma, my WW Friend
78. Miss Sharon, my Mary Kay Director
79. Miss Sue, my WW leader
80. Miss Theresa, in Florida
81. Miss Traci
82. Molasses
83. Money (The fact that we have enough for bills and a few “extras”)
84. Moon
85. My spiritual brothers and sisters
86. Oxygen
87. paints
88. Panthers
89. Pasta
90. Pecans
91. Pictures of loved ones
92. Pine Trees
93. Pink, the color
94. Platinum
95. Powdered Sugar
96. Puppies
97. Purple anything
98. Rainbows
99. Resurrection Hope
100. Roses
101. Salmon (Yummy)
102. Sewing machines
103. Shrimp
104. Silver
105. Slides
106. Spring
107. Stars
108. Story books
109. Summer
110. Sun
111. Sun-ripened tomatoes
112. Swings
113. Teapots (I collect them)
114. Thrift stores
115. Tortilla Chips
116. Trees
117. Upright freezer, to store my meat deals
118. Walnuts
119. Washing machines
120. Water
121. Wheat
122. Wild animals
123. Wine
124. Winter
125. Zoos

Still around, just busy.

This past week has been busy...so blogging has taken a back seat to life.

Monday took D to have his hand looked at by our regular doctor. Well, actually a CNP, but I like her better. :-) She said that D was to stay home from work AND school until the 2nd of January. She did not want to take a chance with infection.

Tuesday, I worked on my talk that I gave last night (Thursday). Then just worked on laundry and taking people here and there.

Wednesday I spent at the subustitute teacher orientation. That went very well. Of course, at one point I was the oldest person in there for the orientation. LOLOL Then thankfully some other ladies around my age showed up! The rest of the day was spent with DH and then we went out to eat. Had sushi! YUMM! I love it.

Thursday was more laundry and going over my talk for that night. That night went smoothly. The sister that was my householder was, of course, wonderful. I am just glad it is over with....at least til next time. LOLOL

Today I am going to do more laundry (I swear, sometimes I feel that is ALL I do!) Then I am goint to finish up some items that DH asked me to help with and then maybe do some cooking.

I hope everyone has a great day AND weekend!

**Kayla, I will add some more to my list soon.... I promise.**

Weird font changes

That is so weird. My previous post went really small about half-way through!

I don't even know how to change the font on this blog thing! I guess I should learn so that I can fix that!

That will teach me to say nothing exciting has been happening...

Okay....so I made my post earlier. Went to do dishes and my phone rings.

DsS17 calls to tell me that he has been burned at work and needs to go to the ER!

Well.....my day goes nothing as planned after that.

Got the kids in the car, call DH on my way and get to D's job. He comes out before I am halfway across the parking lot. I look at his hand....very red, but only alittle blister!

Get in the van and head to the ER. Thankfully they were almost empty. We go back almost immediately.

They clean his hand and his forearm. (There is tea leaves all over it) Then they apply silver "something" (I can not remember what, but it's for burns). It is then loosely bandaged. Oh, before doing this, they give him a vicadin to help with the pain.

Then I got extra guaze, more of the silver stuff and instructions on how to clean the burned areas.

Most was just first degree burns, with some areas of second degree. He was very fortunate, because it could have been ALOT worse.

Now, he is laying in bed, bored as can be. Plus his is bummed because he really needed the money and now he can not work. But he does get out of any writing this week in school. ;-)

Nothing exciting going on...

Not alot is going on here that I can blog about.

I am still reading the Complete TWG, but there has been nothing major to add to what I am already doing.

I am trying to use up left overs better. I was going through a phase of throwing out more than I was using up! Not a good thing!

I am going to the orientation for the teaching position on the 20th of this month, so I hope that means I will start taking assignments in January.

I am looking forward to having some "spending money" of my own that does not need to come from the "household" funds.

I will try and post again sooner.

**Oh and I have not forgotten the 1000 list...I just need to sit and type of the new ones.**

Saturday Thoughts

Hi all,

Just sitting here updating my blog. :-)

Not alot going on here.

Still deciding if I want to have "no internet" days or not. And if I do....what days they would be. Maybe I will have "no message board" days. They seem to be what suck up my time. LOL

I put in an application to be a substitute teacher here in my school district. I like the idea of being able to take jobs when I want to, and have a little bit of money for "putting away". I like the idea of buying DH something with money that did not come from "his" paycheck. LOL

I bought some milled flax seed at the store yesterday. Does anyone have any good recipes for it? I want to start incorporating it into my diet. I have heard some great things about it.

Have a great day everyone!

No-Internet days

Okay, my time online is interferring in my caring for my home and family! I said it!

I am looking into establishing "no internet days" for myself. Has anyone else ever done that?

I just feel that I am allowing this World Wide Web is taking away from my home. I don't want to cut out the internet completely. I have learned alot about being frugal from the internet, it does have it's benefits. I just seem to have a weakness for the time I spend on here and the boards I visit.

I have not decided which days it will be, but I am going to pray and think about this....

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

What I am Grateful For:

What I am grateful for:



1. Jehovah God
2. His Son, Jesus
3. God’s word, The Bible.
4. My wonderful Husband
5. Ian
6. Ainsley
7. Heather
8. Jennifer
9. Donald
10. Mom
11. Becky, my sister
12. Rich, my brother and his family
13. Kathy, my sister-in-law and her family
14. Joan, my mother-in-law
15. Even my sister-in-law, April, that I have never met and probably never will and her family.


16. Ability to practice the religion of my choice
17. Aloe Vera plants
18. Antibiotics
19. Apples
20. Baby Blues (cartoon)
21. Bean Soup
22. Bees
23. Birds
24. Biscuits, hot from the oven
25. Books
26. Brigadoon (movie)
27. Butterflies
28. Butterfly kisses
29. Calvin and Hobbes (cartoon)
30. Carnations
31. Cartoons
32. Cats (Cosmo and Payne)
33. Cell phones
34. Clothes Dryers
35. Colored pencils
36. Cookbooks
37. Corn bread
38. Cotton
39. Crayons
40. Cross-stitching
41. Cucumbers
42. Dogs (Rocket)
43. Earthly Paradise
44. Fall
45. Fall Leaves
46. fishies (aquarium type)
47. Flowers
48. Food in my pantry
49. Gardens
50. Goldfish crackers
51. Gone With the Wind (book and movie)
52. Googly eyes
53. Home
54. Ice cubes
55. Internet (for information and friends)
56. Jumping in a pile of leaves
57. Lettuce
58. Lighthouses
59. Lobster
60. Mangos
61. Miss Kayla, in Georgia
62. Miss Norma, my WW Friend
63. Miss Sharon, my Mary Kay Director
64. Miss Sue, my WW leader
65. Miss Theresa, in Florida
66. Miss Traci
67. Money (The fact that we have enough for bills and a few “extras”)
68. Moon
69. My spiritual brothers and sisters
70. Oxygen
71. paints
72. Panthers
73. Pasta
74. Pictures of loved ones
75. Pine Trees
76. Pink, the color
77. Purple anything
78. Rainbows
79. Resurrection Hope
80. Roses
81. Salmon (Yummy)
82. Sewing machines
83. Shrimp
84. Slides
85. Spring
86. Stars
87. Story books
88. Summer
89. Sun
90. Sun-ripened tomatoes
91. Swings
92. Teapots (I collect them)
93. Thrift stores
94. Trees
95. Upright freezer, to store my meat deals
96. Washing machines
97. Water
98. Wild animals
99. Wine
100. Winter
101. Zoos

I haven't forgotten about this blog, I promise.

I have not had much computer time lately. I will write more soon. I am also working on my own personal "One Thousands Things to be Grateful For!" (Thanks Kayla! :-P Just kidding, you know I wub you!)

New recipe

I tried a new WW friendly recipe yesterday. It is called "Slow Cooked Tuscan Styled Sausage and Bean Soup". I was nervous fixing this for the family because one of the ingredients was Kale. Now, I have no qualms about that, but I love soups with different ingredients and one of my favs is "Italian Wedding Soup", which has spinach.

ANYWAYS..... The kids liked it. Now, they didn't LOVE it, but that is okay. I can handle "like". :-D DS7 also ate ALL the kale in the soup!!!!!! He wasn't too excited about the beans, but he ate what I told him he had to. I was just stunned by the Kale. He even said he "kinda liked it". Well, that will be a soup that will show up on our dinner table again. (Only 4 points for 1 1/3 cups)

I also took some day old italian bread, sliced it and then turned it into garlic toast. Very nice meal on a cold, windy and wet day.

Things are quiet here on the homefront. Today is cold and windy, but at least dry. I need to bake some goodies for the school play tomorrow night, but other than that, just normal daily Monday chores.

**OH, thank Kayla for you comment on my previous post. It made me smile!**

When you can not decide what to blog about...

I have so many different things that I want to write about, but can not decide if I should or not.

First, and I can not beleive I am blogging this..... I am thinking of trying out cloth sanitary napkins. Yeah, I know... "EEEEWWW". I did that also, at first. Now, the idea is growing on me. LOLOLOLOL I have read several posts from SEVERAL ladies that they love them. So, I am thinking of sewing up a few and giving them a try.

Also, on a more serious note. I am SO sick and tired of "good" meaning christians telling me that I am in a cult! UUGH! If they only stopped and thought about it, they would realize how misguided that truly is. I am a Christain thru and thru. Because I belong to a faith that does not beleive in the doctrine of the trinity (which is not found in the Bible), I must belong to a cult. What phooey!

Okay, that felt good to get off my chest!

There are other things, but I figured that was enough for now.

Kids are out of school tomorrow.

It has been busy here the last couple of days.

Keeping up with the housework, taking sD18 back and forth to work, and normal errands. Plus, we have been participating in a new campaign out in the field service work.

Tomorrow is a payday, so I normally do a semi-big grocery trip. I will be doing this tomorrow with both kids in tow. Not bad, but I do have to plan a little differently. LOL

Latest TWG incorporation:

Besides just committing to use up leftovers better and getting back into making things from scratch, not much.

I am planning to experiment with some breakfast items. I want to start weaning my kids off of cereal for breakfast. I try to get them on sale w/coupons, but they are still a budget hog!

I will keep the blog updated on what I do and how it turns out.

Updates from Virginia

Here are the results of I's doctor appointment on Tuesday:



NO MORE CAST!

Tightwad Gazatte Update:

Tonight (Thursday) I re-instituted the "Baked Potato Night". This is actually a favorite around here. As long as I have a few of the favorite toppings on hand. :-)

These include, but are not limited to:

Chili; usually homemade, but I try to have canned in the pantry just in case.
Steamed Broccoli; This is actually my 7 year old's favorite!
Butter, shredded cheese, and taco toppings.

So, depending on what is homemade verses store bought, I can feed the family for less than $5.00. Not bad if you ask me!

The original "Frugal Zealot"

That's right. I have taken my copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette down from the book shelf and I am re-reading it.

I have really allowed myself to drift away from trying to find the best cost-effective ways to do things. I have gotten lazy and I need to get back on the frugal straight and narrow!

I hope to chronicle my steps in getting back into the "tightwad" frame of mind.

It's Meredith's fault!

Okay, I was out of town this past weekend, so I have been playing catch-up with my regular blogs.

I was reading Merediths (Like Merchants Ships)and learned about Crystal's new e-book (Secrets to Supermarket Savings). I went ahead and bought a copy also. I am sure I will glean many new ideas.

Not too much is going on in my life. DsS17 just had all four of his wisdom teeth taken out last Friday. The first 24 hours were rather rough on him, but he is better now. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to make THAT frugal. I was just happy we had dental insurance to cover most of it.

I hope to start concentrating on frugal ideas and posting them. I seem to have gotten away from that lately. Time to tighten things up again.

Until then.......

What did they eat in the Middle Ages, mom?

That is the question that my little man asked at dinner tonight. Now, this in itself is not that big of a deal. I encourage it, actually.

We were having a somewhat boring meal of oven-roasted chicken, mashed potatos, green beans and italian bread. Little man wanted to know if this is something they would have eaten in the middle ages. DH and I went into the yes, please veggies that they could grow, along with deer meat, birds and also a coarser kind of bread.

Then....***drumroll please*** "I asked you mom because I know you are old and you were there in the middle ages." Completely serious. I calmly explained to my beloved little man that although mommy is getting up there in age, she was NOT alive in the middle ages. I know what they ate, because I have read books about life in the middle ages.

Sigh.... I am now "old" in my 7 year-old's eyes.

The Festival

We had so much fun!

DS7 had a part in a kids show:



and....



We also rode the ponys there:





The day was beautiful. Weather was mild and the rain stayed away. Although the outfits were not finished in time (so I didn't dress up either), they will be done for next year. I will do them well in advance....so just in case we have a medical situation the week before we are to go (I's cast) they will already be done.

More detail of the past week.

Okay everyone,

So, this past week was not one that I would like to repeat any time soon. LOL

Monday was not bad, just a normal day. Woke of Tuesday morning with a bit of a headache. It had the feel of a possible migraine, so I chose to stay home that morning instead of going out in service. By about 10:30 am, my headache had cleared, I was happy.

I decided to head to the school. Not only to meet up with I and A for their lunches, but I needed to take care of a book issue at the school library. I do all that, have lunch with first I, then A. Say bye and head to the store.

While I am at the checkout at Walmart, my phone rings. Hmmmm.... it's the school's number. I answer and the school nurse says, "Mrs. Fraser, I has had an accident on the monkey bars. He says his arm hurts and I believe he needs to be checked."

"I am just checking out at the Warrenton, Walmart. I will be there as fast as the law will allow." Was my response. I was on my way.

I get to the school about 2:15 p.m. (yes, I did the MAX speed, but I did go over it!) Talked with I and decided, this was not just a "boo-boo" this required a doctor's knowledge, plus x-rays. Called DH, got A from her class and hit the road. STopped long enough for J to jump in the van. (She would stay in the waiting room with A.) and we were at the ER by 2:48 pm (the time on my sign-in form).

Our ER is wonderful....they "fast track" all kids. We went back immediately. After evaluation, they sent for the x-ray tech. Once she came and did her thing, we then waited. (DH had shown up before the x-rays were done).

The doctor got the x-rays back, both bones in his left wrist are broken. Fortunately, kids his age heal really fast, so he should only need his cast for 4-6 weeks. Filled him up with kids tylenol and motrin after putting on a temporary cast, and home we go.

I was able to get an early am appointment with the orthopedic doctor. Ian choose a "sky blue" cast. (He was very specific, it HAD to be sky blue. LOL)

We have a follow up visit in 4 weeks for new x-rays and then we will see where we go from there.

Yes, I am glad that week is OVER!

Hug your kids.....YOU need it!

Wanna know about my week????

Pictures say a 1000 words:

This was after the ER visit.



And this is after the Orthopedic Doctor's visit on Thursday morning.



I'll write more later. :-)

Renn Fest time is almost here!

Okay... it is almost time to attend the Maryland Renaissance Festival. If you have been reading my blog for a year, you would know about my outfit that I made for myself. I fell in love with the outfits in the shops there....but NOT with the prices! LOL

So.....DH, being the loving guy that he is, suggests that I make my own! :-P Okay, this is the girl that has pretty much just made skirts, aprons and curtains with her sewing machine. Moi, make a full blown renaissance style outfit???!!??? Yeah, I did! Here is a picture:



Well, this year I am making a princess type outfit for my little girl. Thankfully there is no boning and all the different pieces that were involved with mine, but there is chiffon. Which I have never worked with before. Oh well, I will post a picture when I am done. Oh, and I will post some pictures of all of us at the festival.

Hugs,

Me

New exercise tape

Oh my goodness..........I am going to feel this tomorrow! (I already feel it alittle now!)



But I LOVE it!

Now, this is not something I would do OUTSIDE my home. And even then, the only person that might see me do this is my hubby! LOL I love how you are using all this different muscles, but it feels like dancing!

I need to get into the habit of exercise....and if I can trick myself into thinking "this is fun", I am more apt to continue it!

I hit my 10% mark last week at Weight Watchers! I don't want to back slide anymore!

Foreward Ho!!!!

So far, so good

Well, both kiddos went to school today. I have not received any phone calls, so hopefully they will both stay. LOL

"A" did not have a good day yesterday. Poor thing. I really beleive it was because big brother was at home sick and she didn't like the idea of being at school by herself. It is an ongoing learning experience.

Got the fish tank completely cleaned out. I have just been trying to get it done for almost a week! LOL But it is done...now I just need to keep up on it and not let it get so bad next time.

I am also planning to get some more fish. Our algea eater passed away, and we are down to only 4 little fish. I don't want too many more...but you can hardly see them swimming around in there.

Have a great day!

In memory of the "Crocodile Hunter"

Okay, I don't normally post about things like this, but I just can't get past how sad I am over Steve Irwin's death.

Maybe it was his personality...or the fact that he seemed so down to earth. I love/loved watching his shows. I always felt that he would be the type to just sit down on your couch and have a chat! Kinda like family.

Now, he leaves behind his wife, Terri and two little children. It just shows how terrible death is!

It reminds me of Revelations 21:4 "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (italics mine)

So again, my heart goes out to Terri and her family at this time of tragic loss. Death is such a cruel enemy.

Steve Irwin, the "crocodile hunter"....Gone, but definately not forgotten.

Beta Blogger and strong winds

Okay, so I have switched to the new Blogger Beta program. I hope this will make things easier. But I guess I need to post more entries to know whether it is a help or not! LOL

Well, Ernesto is really hitting Virginia! It has been raining all day, with wind gusts blowing tree limbs and other items all over the place.

School was cancelled today also. It was only going to be a half-day, so not THAT big of a deal, but it does take away what could be a snow day later on.

Rocket is really having a time right now. He is walking around growling. I think the storm is about to get worse. Either that, or one of the kids is eating something that he beleives he should have! LOLOLOL

That's all for now.

First day of school

It is truly hard to beleive that my BABY is old enough for school! But, there is no denying it:



Her brother started Second grade today and little miss started Kindergarten. My how time flies!

Back from the beach

Hi all,

We are back safe and sound. I am now in the midst of washing laundry, going through mail and catching up with online items.

I will post more in the next day or two.... I will also post some pics once I get some on the computer.

Have a great day everyone!

Gold Season Passes

One of our summer activities is to purchase Gold Season Passes to Kings Dominion. For those that are not familiar with Virginia...this is an amusement park owned by Paramount.

The "Gold" passes are ones bought very early in the season for the best price of the year.

We started doing this three years ago and LOVE IT! For less than the cost of two visits, we go all summer. It is a one hour drive each way from our house. Also, after 5 visists, you get a free pass for a friend.

We used two of those today...for a savings of $70.00!

It was fun and we always bring our food....no sense paying THAT much for food there!

Update-- 8-05-06

Hi all,

Today I am taking a few moments to reflect on the week before I go and work on the bathrooms. LOL

Well, my mom went home on Wednesday. :-( I hope she will be able to get back out here again soon.

I have almost all the school supplies for the two little ones. DsS16 will not get his list until after school starts, but I do have some basics that he usually needs. Hey, I have to take advantage of Virginia's "tax-free" weekend. Every penny counts.

Which brings me to yesterday (Friday)!!! Our A/C unit decides to quit working at about 4 p.m. yesterday!!!! Just in time for overtime rates with the service company!!! HOW DO THEY KNEW THE TIME!!!!!!!! LOL

Thankfully it was something MINOR and the bill was ONLY $158.58! (Yes, that was on the sarcastic side, but we were VERY worried about losing our vacation over the A/C unit!)

Vacation is still on the schedule! Fortunately, DH had some overtime on this check...so the a/c didn't completely throw me off budget!

Well, that is all for now.

HEY..if you read this...why don't you pop on over to my message board. We/I are always looking for more people to post! http://onefrugalmom.proboards67.com/index.cgi

Not completely gone...

LOL

Sorry I have been MIA recently. Been really busy with life in general.

Not much is going on..... my mother is visiting from Texas. Heather got a new kitty, named champagne. Which has now been changed to Payne, because what she thought was a girl is a boy! :-D

DS7 had his ultrasound done on his abdomin. We haven't received the "official" repart, but the ultrasound tech said that things "look good". So that is a BIG relief.

I will try and get back into posting more often. Things will be settling down soon.

Toads and little kids

It amazes me that my kids can find the toads that live in our yard! I never see them until I have little kid shoving one in my face with pride! LOL

We also found a little lizard, but it was too fast for us! LOL Of course, DH thought it was funny that I don't have a problem with lizards, but can not stand snakes. I told him they just were not the same!

Oh, I don't think I mentioned what we saw at Kings Dominion the last time we were there. A snake! LOL We were standing in line for the scrambler when this black snake come slithering along the path. LOL The snake just wanted to get away from all the people, but couldn't seem to get there fast enough!

DH had a good laugh from that! Asked me how I handled it....I told him I was fine. I am okay when I see them first from a bit of distance. It is when I come upon one suddenly that I can't seem to breathe!

Just something I need to work on...especially living out here!

Personality quiz

Not bad....some things I feel are correct.

Your Personality Profile

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Pictures as entertainment?

My oldest step-daughter has come up with a new way to entertain her little siblings. Taking pictures with her digital camera!

Sometimes you have to wait for things....like your older sister's high school graduation. LOL It was a "first come, first serve" kinda thing at an outdoors pavilion, so we got there kinda early to make sure we had decent seats. Like most kids, after awhile, they start to get antsy and want to move around. Older sis comes to the rescue, and here are some of the results:



Big sis and little brother.



Self portrait.



Is she photogenic or what????

Gotta love them!

Dresses/skirts vs. pants

Okay, now I can understand someone wanting to only wear dresses or skirts. I favor dresses/skirts myself, but I am not a dresses/skirts only person. I feel you CAN be modest AND wear pants.

**I am not against ones that feel they should wear them only, just don’t try and imply that *I* and not modest if I choose not to be dresses/skirts only.**

Doing my own personal research on this matter, I came across an article in a 1972 Watchtower magazine that puts the matter VERY succinctly. Here is the article in its entirety:

Questions from Readers

• In view of what is written at Deuteronomy 22:5, is it proper for a woman to wear slacks? —U.S.A.

Deuteronomy 22:5 reads: “No garb of an able-bodied man should be put upon a woman, neither should an able-bodied man wear the mantle of a woman; for anybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah your God.” This text is not discussing styles of clothing. The prohibition concerns one’s putting on things specifically designed for the opposite sex.

The distinction between the sexes is of divine origin and the law set forth at Deuteronomy 22:5 served to preserve that distinction. When it comes to appearance and attire, the usual thing is for a man to want to look like a man and for a woman to look like a woman. For an Israelite to have acted contrary to this deep internal sense of what is fitting could have led to homosexuality. Thus the law at Deuteronomy 22:5 also opposed this sin.

At the time the law was given, both men and women wore robes. But there was a definite difference between the garb of men and that of women. Similarly, in some parts of the earth today both men and women wear slacks. But styles of slacks for women differ from those for men. Accordingly, the principle taught at Deuteronomy 22:5 would not rule out a woman’s wearing slacks or pants.

Moreover, Christians are not under the Mosaic law. (Rom. 6:14) Insistence on applying the letter of this law would therefore be contrary to Christian teaching. So if a woman were to put on a worn-out pair of her husband’s trousers to do a job around the house or on the farm, she would not be going against the evident purpose of the law, namely, to prevent confusion of sexual identity and sexual abuses.

The fact that Christians are not under the Mosaic law but are guided by its principles calls for them to use discernment, good judgment and to exercise their conscience. A Christian woman appreciates that whether it would be proper for her to wear slacks or pants depends upon factors other than her personal likes. She would not want to be the cause for stumbling others or bring reproach on the Christian congregation. Clothing that may not be looked on with disfavor if worn in the privacy of one’s home or at work may be objectionable if worn at Christian meetings and when publicly proclaiming God’s Word or carrying on other public activity. Attitudes, too, may differ from area to area. The Bible’s counsel is that women “adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, . . . in the way that befits women professing to reverence God, namely, through good works.”—1 Tim. 2:9 10.
(November 1st, 1972 Watchtower magazine)

We also have as a guideline, 1 Timothy 2:9, 10 “Likewise I desire the women to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive garb, but in the way that befits women professing to reverence God, namely, through good works.” Thus, Christian women—and men—ought to give thought to what sort of appearance people in their area expect of those “professing to reverence God.” It is especially proper that a Christian give thought to what his appearance will cause others to think of the Bible message that he carries. (2 Corinthians 6:3).

Now, a lot has been said lately, that we should take into consideration the “weakness of men” or in other words, their tendency to look at women as sexual objects INSTEAD of human beings. A scripture that comes to mind is 1 Timothy 5:1,2 “Do not severely criticize an older man. To the contrary, entreat him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters with all chasteness.” Now, most NORMAL men would NOT look at their mothers as sexual beings, so they NEED to train themselves in this respect to not look at other women that way either!

Okay, enough of that for now…. :-)

Friday thoughts

Not much going on here.... running errands and taking kids here and there. woo hoo!

First off, Kayla, you know I love ya! I know you would help me with anything I asked. I just need to figure out how to do it myself. I am taking it as a challenge to learn. LOL **I hope you get the new house.**

Our garden is doing good. I do need to find out how to freeze zuchinni and yellow squash! Once it is ready....it will come in all at once. LOL

That's all for now.

Random thoughts with no particular theme

Okay, I want to try and make my blog "my own" so to speak. You know different backgrounds.... Different arrangments of items. Now I just need to figure out how. LOL Some of you out there make it look SOOOOO easy! (yes, I am directing this at you Kayla! :-P ) I guess I will be spending my time researching the internet for information on...well, I guess coding! LOL I will need to figure out just WHAT I need to look up!

My little sister gave me some websites to visit to hopefully learn "html"...LOL Yeah right! We will see if this old dog can learn some new tricks.

Oh I remember what I was going to post about when Blogger was having "technical difficulties".

I got a new toy:



I have been playing with some $1 a yard Walmart fabric...trying to get a feel for it. I have a pair of shorts for DD5....that I will use my serger to "finish". I hope I don't ruin them in the process. LOL

School's out for the summer!

I have had that song going through my head all day yesterday! Of course, that is the only verse that I can remember! LOL I hate it when that happens!

Well, I have decided that I will give the kids a few days of "do whatever you want" before I start implementing chores that need to be done around the yard! Hey, gotta let them have alittle bit of vacation.

The biggest issue will be DS6 and DD5 re-adjusting to being around each other all day! It has already started. DD5 is complaining that DS6 is making "too much noise". LOL Yeah, it is going to be a fun summer! But that is why we have a big back yard!

Next will be the 16 year old wanting to know "are we doing anything today?" That will be an almost daily question. With my answer being..."Do you work today?" If the answer is "yes" I will say "Well, I am taking you to work." Not the answer he will want.

Oh well.....off to do laundry and referee two young ones until they adjust to being around each other all day!

I hope this works

Okay, I have been trying to post on here for two days!

It either will not come up at all OR I type out a nice LONG post and then I get an error message and the post is gone. UUUGGGHHHH!!!!

So, before I re-type out my post (which I think I will do under Word first) I am posting this "test" entry.

If this works, then I will re-do my earlier attempts tomorrow. Too late tonight.

Tired

Worked in the garden today. Got hot and sweaty, but made progress with weeds. LOL

Weeded out our rows of corn, weeded the cukes and tomatos. The rest is fairly weed-free this year. Tied up some of my tomato plants.

I already have some baby zuchinni, yellow squash, cukes and tomatoes! Yeah! DH's onions are coming along wonderfully! Peppers are still on the small side, but hopefully the rain will come that they are calling for. If not, we will get the sprinkler going tonight.

I will post more either later tonight or tomorrow.

First of June

and I have sick kiddos.

Okay, only one is still sick, but that sure puts a cramp in my weekly schedule!

I am barely keeping up with laundry....of course, I have had to do extra loads because of the sick ones. :-(

How do you all keep to your schedules when you have a sick one in the house? Or are you like me and you don't.

Of well, the house will still be dusty, but my sick little one needs my attention now...

Talk to you all later.