Thursday, October 09, 2008

Thrifty Thursday

drawing-pages-3 It's time for another Thrifty Thursday post! With the economy in the toilet and all of the hoopla over the world's financial situation, thriftiness is more a necessity than ever. So what have I done this week to save some cash?

1. I made a menu plan and (for the most part) we've stuck to it. We haven't been out to dinner (except when planned). I am notorious for being too tired to cook or plan and then we end up going out or ordering take-out. We have not done that this week. Score!

2. I've been redecorating. But I haven't spent a dime! Yay! I have such a stash of stuff and I've been perusing old magazines to get ideas. On Saturday, we tore out the carpet in the Kidlet's room to reveal beautiful hardwood floors. We rearranged furniture in the living room and I hung new and different items on the walls. I hope to show off some of my new arrangements in tomorrow's blog post.

3. I've resisted the urge to go shop. It's totally crazy, but I get a huge urge to shop when I know I need to not do so. It's like shooting myself in the foot. I really, really wanted to go to the thrift store today. Thrifting is thrifty-right? Sure, but do I need anything? Nope. I took a nap instead.

4. I used coupons and a list when I shopped for groceries this week. I belong to a coupon train and the grocery game. I am able to save a bunch of money this way. I only bought what I needed for this week, too.

5. I love Olay Cleansing cloths. They make my face feel really good and clean and they don't dry out my skin. But the cloths are so big. I cut them in half and now rather than one months worth, I have two months worth of facial cloths!

6. This one is kind of silly and self-evident, but this finally dawned on me. When I make a pot of tea, I use the leftover tea that I don't drink hot for iced tea. I just pour it into a container and throw it into the fridge for later.

7. I'm drinking more water and much less soda. I'm urging the Man to do so, as well. (He can get all the soda pop he wants for free at work).

8. I'm praying for strength and counting my blessings. Today during my morning walk, I spent my time noticing the beauty around me and talking with God. It was beautiful.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Wednesday Whining

(I skipped Tackle-It-Tuesday yesterday. I did do some errands-grocery shopping, etc. It was a busy day nevertheless).

Today, I am replacing "Wordy Wednesday" with Wednesday Whining. I haven't finished the book I wanted to review and I've got a bunch to whine about. Hopefully, once I get my thoughts down, I can adjust my attitude and improve my outlook. (Hope springs eternal-right?) *grin*

Yesterday, The Man had his worst day of work in 9 years. His company is cutting back in order to insure they don't have major fiscal losses this year. This means no gain share for employees. It means raises will be low or non-existent. No travel. No extraneous expenses. Of course, The Man has to deal with all of the fall out from his employees. He remains optimistic. His perspective is positive, but it's not easy to have to cope with the negativity and endeavor to keep morale from slipping too far.

Not only does this make The Man's work environment difficult, it also means that we will be losing some income. His raise will not be substantial and he won't be getting a gain share check. I HAVE to do a better job of economizing. We can live within our means, but I'd really like to be able to save some, as well. I am going to have work harder. I can do it, but it won't be easy. I'm thinking about ways to cut costs and maybe some ways that I can earn a little bit, as well.

The Kidlet had a very difficult evening, as well. Last night was the school Open House and he was just so excited to show us all around. He was so cute, but so wound up. He had trouble holding himself together. The place was a zoo. So many people. He had a bit of a meltdown. We took him home and he went to bed early.

I have woken up in the middle of the night for the past two nights. I couldn't get back to sleep for at least an hour or more. UGH. I am so tired. I can't believe how much I have to do around this house. I am having a hard time keeping up. It's ridiculous. I have all day, but I cannot stay ahead. URGH.

OK. Attitude change. No more whining. I have challenges, but I have so many blessings! I am going to focus on the positive elements and create a beautiful life for my family.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Monday Miscellanea-Halloween Decorating

Welcome to my Halloween home! I am participating in Kimba's (from A Soft Place to Land) Halloween Party! I'm really excited to see all of the wonderful ideas out there in blogland. Let's get started.

This year, I decided to tone down my Halloween decor this year. I've been really feeling a need for some simplicity, so my decor for this holiday is a bit pared back.

First, my living room:

IMG_0056 One of my many ravens perching in a cactus.






Some of my beautiful IMG_0059milk glass collection. It's hard to tell, but there's a large raven sitting in there.






A shot of the top of my armoire. Just some big glass jars filled with Indian corn and a raven, faux leaves and some wheat. (I have to IMG_0058keep it up out of the reach of the cat!)







A cute little spooky kitty out for a fun night of tricking and treating.IMG_0062







A cute little Jack-O-Lantern.

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And another sweetie. (Sorry for the pic quality. No natural light here today).

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The top pf my antique dresser. There's a tag with a raven, one with Edgar Allen Poe and the third with a Poe quote.

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My final little Jack-O-Lantern with a "nevermore" tag made by me.

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A little hanging plaque I made with a sweet little vintage image.

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The "BOO" hanging on the linen closet door.

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The entryway from our garage. Frames purchased from the dollar store and painted. Vintage images printed from the internet.

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Finally, my favorite new item which resides above my refrigerator. It's a plate with a rub on! Also shown is a creepy little basket full of apples.

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That's it! I hope you enjoyed the tour! I am looking forward to checking out all of your ideas. Thanks for stopping by.

-Nancy

Monday Miscellanea-Menu Planning

mpmfall This week is going to be a little bit busier than usual, so a menu is imperative. I also have to do a much better job of eating properly for breakfast and lunch. The Kidlet and The Man do ok, but I tend to just grab whatever is easy and that's not always healthy.

Breakfast: oatmeal and coffee or toast w/ homemade bread and peanut butter, coffee and cranberry juice

Lunch: dinner leftovers or veggie bagel sandwich w/ dill pickles or cottage cheese, tossed salad

Now onto the Dinner Menu Plans:

Monday: dinner out (we're attending a Bruce Springsteen concert at an Obama rally-we're really excited!)

Tuesday: bean and veggie tacos w/ beans and margaritas

Wednesday: breaded fish, roasted redskins and caesar salad

Thursday: Olive Garden Chicken Vino Blanco (Idea stolen from Happy Tummies blog), steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Friday: pasta w/ tomato sauce, tossed green salad

Saturday: going out w/ the Kidlet (The Man will be out of town)

Sunday: leftovers

 

I'm going to try to get to a few blogs today to look at what others have planned. Thank you to Organizing Junkie for hosting this meme week!