Thursday, October 30, 2008

Overwhelmed

From Sundy:
Today, I'm overwhelmed. Yes, I know, the day is just beginning, but it's not about my day or anything I still need to do or get or make....today I am emotionally overwhelmed.

A long-time friend has a terminal illness. I have known him since I was 16 years old, and I am now 42. I was in many plays with him in college. I student-taught under him. Once I started teaching, I emulated as many of his methods as I could. He's known my children since they were babies on blankets...and now the two oldest have graduated.

He is highly intelligent and talented and funny and creative and hard-working...and the illness is winning. It was beaten back once already, and now.... So many smart, creative, talented people that I won't get to see again until I myself go to see God....

Although I know God's plan is perfect, I am sometimes a child with my desires...I want those I love and care about to always be here. I know that simply isn't the way life is. But I want it to be different. I pray, pray, pray...and I am still tearing up everytime I think of him and how he will be gone....I can't even intelligently finish this post.

Today I am overwhelmed.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Update on the plummer

From Aliisa:

Well, the call to the plummer was definately not a frugal moment!! Turns out that while our pipes are old, they are still in good shape and all they needed was the nuts tightened. I cant believe I paid $50 to have 6 nuts tightened. Oh well....it was definately a $50 lesson that I will never repeat!!!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Our new bathroom

From Aliisa:

Well, we didnt get to finish the whole bathroom. Turns out our valves are leaking because they are very old and have been welded to the pipes. I called the plummer and he is coming out tomorrow to put in new valves. Then we can finish up. But here are the pictures so far.




Here are all the little 1" tiles that I took up with a hammer and screwdriver. Took me 5 hours to get it all done!!












This is the board you put down before you tile.














Here is our new tile. My husband cut it all and I laid it and grouted it. It wasnt easy but at least its done!!












Here it is almost done, just have to install the sink later. I love the paint color and I just love the tile!!!
I will post more pictures when the job is completed.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Convenience Mixes

From Aliisa:

I started my research into convenience mixes because I wanted an alternative to buying the expensive cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups. I found a great recipe but I also found lots of others too.

Here is the recipe for the cream of soups:

4 c. powdered milk
1 1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 c. instant chicken bouillon granules
4 tsp. dried onion flakes
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp basil - crushed dried
1 tsp. pepper

Measure all ingredients into a Ziploc Bag. Shake well, transfer to vacuum seal bag, seal and store up to a year.

To Use:
1/3 C mix
1 C water
Cook over low/med heat until thickened.

Variations: add 1/2 c. minced or chopped *_________*

*Choose One*:
Onions, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Broccoli, Celery, Cooked Chicken, Diced Potatoes, Tomato, Cooked Shrimp, etc.

For more convenience foods of all kinds, here are some links:

http://www.budget101.com/102mix.htm

http://www.momadvice.com/food/create_your_own_mixes.aspx

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/homemadeconveniencefoods.htm


There are several on these sites that look really good to me, I think I will have to pick up some ingredients and make some.

Enjoy!!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Frugal Halloween Decorations

From Sundy:

I heard a short blurb in the background on The Today Show this morning. The announcer said that last year, Americans spent approximately $5 billion on Halloween alone, and this year, that figure is expected to go up 14%. Well, I don't know about the rest of Americans, but I always figure that just because I spend more money, that doesn't mean I'm going to have more fun...so I economize as much as I can.

My children are older now. There is only one left in the house, and he's fifteen and a little past all the Halloween hoopla.

BUT! BUT!

My husband is NOT past it (and neither am I, really)...he is adorably excited about Halloween. Our grandchildren (1 and 3 years old) are supposed to be coming down to visit, and we want to decorate for Halloween and pass out candy.

My son agreed to help me, although he thought it was a little late to start. But I figure if we do one or two small decorating projects over the next few days, we should be able to have a frugally decorated house.

So....here are my planned projects.
1. Scarecrow(s) -- I've seen them for sale in the stores, and I think, "Why oh why would someone BUY these, when they can make them for free?" When I was little, I seem to remember doing that. Take some old pants and a long sleeve shirt, stuff them with crumpled up paper or scraps of whatever is on hand. Add shoes and gloves, and then for the head, an old pillowcase works GREAT! Top it with a hat, and you're done!

2. Ghost(s) -- throw an old sheet or pillowcase over a ball or balloon or crumpled up paper. Tie a string around the bottom of the "head." Attach a string to the top of the head (sew or safety pin), hang the little ghosties from your trees or your eaves -- and you're done. These can be large or small, depending on how you make them.

If you don't want to ruin your sheets by painting the eyes and mouth on (and let's face it, most of us don't), then you can pin them on or use children's paste. The paste will wash out as long as you pre-treat it. Or you can leave them without faces for a spooky effect. (FYI: Large squares of white tissue paper also work well if you have them on-hand.)

3. Window painting -- cover your windows with plastic wrap, then paint whatever you want! My husband wanted window clings, but I thought the ones I saw in the store were too tiny to warrant a buck for three little pictures. I already have the paint and the plastic wrap! :) One thought I had was to have several pairs of eyes peeking out from the windows and light them with our blacklight.

4. Chalk! Chalk is cheap. Draw spooky designs or fake tombstones or creepy sayings on the sidewalk leading up to your house. Since many little kids trick-or-treat before it's fully dark, they'll still be able to see what you've drawn.

5. Plastic milk jug ghost luminaries -- Cut a fist-sized hole in the back and string white lights inside (you can do a whole row of them this way if you have enough lights). Use a black marker to put a face on the jug.

These are my frugal ideas, using mostly stuff I already have on hand (which is my favorite way to do things).

Costumes for another post.... ;) Oh, the things I can do with a vinyl tablecloth or a bridesmaid's dress! LOL

Chili

From Aliisa:

My family and I love Chili. We eat chili and homemade bread, we love to put chili over baked potatoes and its really really good if you spoon a few spoonfuls into a salad and use it as the dressing. I have tried lots of different recipes and spice packages etc... but the one we like the best is this one:

Chili
1 lb lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
14 oz pinto beans, drained. (I used those bush's grilling beans and they were great)
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Make a double batch and try using the leftovers for another meal!!

Starting the day over

From Sundy:

On Wednesday, my day started with stepping in baby cat poo ( it was dark and my feet were bare!), progressed to no charge on the car battery so I was late getting to work, and it continued into the work day with lots and lots of bigwigs from corporate sites coming in to "visit," while I look like an uncombed wacko with a button on my shirt that would not stay buttoned.


So I e-mailed Aliisa, kvetched a bit (well, maybe more than a bit), and she lifted me right up! (I just love how we do that for each other.) So I started my day over again, determined not to let a "bad start" ruin the rest of my day!

I couldn't find a safety pin for my unruly button, but I did find a twist tie, of all things, in the bottom of my purse. I wrapped it around the back of my button. It didn't show from the front, but it did keep my shirt from flying open at inappropriate times. :)

My husband said he would fix the problem with my battery. All I had to do was pick up a ground cable on the way home from work, and he'd take care of the rest. I have an elderly car, and apparently the ground cable has been stretched and trimmed so many times that it was about a quarter of an inch too short to stay clamped into the battery terminal thingy. Every time I hit a bump, it would slip out.

For reasons that became clear later, though I had no idea at the time, I decided on the spur of the moment to go get the cable at lunch. So I headed a few miles down the road to the auto parts store that we frequent. And yes, I mean "frequent" as in "frequently." LOL

They were out of that dumb cable everywhere, including out of state! The female clerk said it would be about 5-10 business days before they could get it to me. ARRRRGHHHH! (But see, I smile...it's not her fault.)



The clerk and I got to talking, and she said, "Hang on," and went outside to talk to a friend of hers. Then she had me come outside, too, and got her friend to fix the cable for free! :)

Somehow he got enough play in the cable that he got about 3 inches extra out of it! (I was reminded of Loaves and Fishes!) It took him about 5-10 minutes, tops. I know God sent him! :) If I had not decided to go to the store at that particular time, we would probably have never crossed paths.

Some people call these things coincidence...to me, a coincidence is God's way of showing us that everything and everyone is connected through Him. (GMC, a friend used to call it...God-Manipulated Coincidence.)

I tried to give my car's savior some money, and he said he was working the clock for someone else at the moment, and it was no big deal to him...so it was fixed for free! No parts, no labor.

Don'tcha just love that? :)

The Burning Pole

From Sundy:

I have a story to tell about the other day, but before I do, I wanted to post a related story that I wrote several years ago. For me, it marks the first time in my life of knowing beyond a doubt that God has me (and each of us) in His arms -- always. It is the beginning of my faith.

@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@**@*@

This really happened....

Many years ago, when I was still married to my first husband and had only two small children, my husband and I decided to go out for the evening. It was 4th of July weekend, we were young marrieds, and we had a babysitter! Grandmas are so nice that way. :)

So we invited another couple along and started to make the 90 minute car trip to "the big city." We were all laughing and talking, having a wonderful time. The two guys were up front, talking "guy talk," and we two girls were in the back (our choice), giggling up a storm.

Suddenly the little car started to slow down until we were traveling about 40 mph on the highway. "Look at that!" my husband says, pointing at something outside. We looked out the window and saw a tall telephone pole completely consumed in flames. It was a scary-- but awesome-- sight! Flames licking up into the sky...weird.

My husband said, "Well, it looks like someone already called it in." And sure enough, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles began to appear on the horizon, headed toward this column of fire. So we continued on our journey delayed by only a few seconds by this interesting sight.

We took our exit and began traveling down a ten-mile strip of road that was one lane each way. Suddenly a truck coming from the other direction struck the car right in front of us head-on! My husband had to slam on the brakes and swerve to avoid hitting it ourselves.

The little red car in front of us was spun around and stopped in its tracks-- while the truck that hit it reversed gears and sped away. We leaped out of the car to help the people that had been hurt in the accident, put out flares, call for EMS, etc.

All the while, the other girl and I were realizing that it could have-- WOULD have-- been US in this accident....if we hadn't slowed down for a few seconds to watch the burning telephone pole. The guys in the front seat were wearing seat belts, but we girls in the back were not. We would have been seriously hurt or killed.

It all turned out well, fortunately. The driver and the front seat passenger came out with minor injuries, and the girl in the back seat was a little more hurt (broken arm)...but she eventually recovered. She was wearing a seat belt.

What is the point of telling this story? I firmly believe that it was God at work. That burning telephone pole was more than an interesting sight...it was a message, not just for that moment, but for the rest of my life.

Talk about a burning bush! We were saved by just a few seconds from a serious accident. It was a bad situation, but it would have been much much worse if it had been us, due to us not wearing seat belts. Instead of slight injuries, people would have died or been more seriously hurt.

How many people get to directly KNOW that kind of information? How many times have I been delayed in driving to work because of something beyond my control? How many times did being delayed actually save my life or someone else's because of a missed event in time? How many times have I cried out to God, "WHY is this happening to me?" And then discover later (sometimes years after the fact) that those "bad times" were exactly what I needed to help me grow?

God has it ALL in control...and He knows every curve and climb and loop-de-loop in the design of each and every one of our lives. Even if our part of the journey feels AWFUL to us at the moment that we're in it, God is still there with us, holding us. What God has given us to help in our individual situations is always exactly what we need -- if we ask Him....maybe not always what we WANT, but always what we need.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Pumpkin Butter

From Aliisa:

My normal routine at this time of year is to gather my family up and head to the pumpkin patch where we scrutinize each and every pumpkin to find the proper size and shape for carving. Then we gather around the kitchen table and carve the pumpkin that we then watch rot and decay outside until its totally disgusting. Fun huh?

This year we decided to do something a little different. We talked to Emily (our 8 year old) and told her that we were going to have a more frugal halloween. Instead of going to the pumpkin patch, we went to the farmer's market where we got an even bigger pumpkin than usual for only $8. That is alot less money that it usually costs us for a smaller one. Then I bought 2 little ones for $1.10 each. We have decided not to carve our giant pumpkin until the day before halloween and then we are not putting a candle in it. This way, we can use the pumpkin after we are done. Emily has lots of plans for that pumpkin and it looks like I might have homemade pumpkin pie in my future.

Last night, I decided to attempt to do something with one of the small pumpkins. So I searched the internet for pumpkin butter recipes. If you have never had pumpkin butter....it is truly wonderful. I ended up using this recipe: pumpkin butter. It turned out great!! We love it on pancakes, biscuits and toast!! And it really didnt take that long since I cooked my pumpkin in the microwave and then pureed it.

Im thinking that pumpkin muffins might be the next thing in our future!!

Monday, October 20, 2008

A big project

From Aliisa:

I dont know how much blogging I will get done this week. Last night we decided to gut our 1/2 bath and start redoing it. So, today I have filled in all the holes and sanded the walls. I have cleaned them up and now Im putting a coat of primer on the walls. As soon as I am done, I will be going down to buy the paint. (we bought a tester yesterday) Im hoping to have the walls totally painted today and then tomorrow comes the big job.

We have 1" tiles in both our bathrooms that were laid in the 70's. So tomorrow I will be removing the tiles on the floor in the 1/2 bath. Im hoping to have the bathroom completely ready by friday when we lay the new tile floor. Then its new lights, new pedestal sink and a storage cabinet. I think its going to look great!!

I forgot to take before pictures so I will just post some pictures when we are done.

Back to work!!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Beefy Asian Rice

From Aliisa:

We really enjoy this meal, it makes alot and it tastes great!!

Beefy Asian Rice
Serves: 6 Start to Finish time: under 25 minutes

2 cans (14oz each) beef broth (I either use homemade or bullion to make it)
1 cup long grain rice
1 pound ground meat (beef, chicken or turkey all work great)
1 T vegetable oil
1 large onion
2 carrots
8 oz fresh button mushrooms (i have made this without the mushrooms also and its still great)
5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced or 1 1/2 T bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup regular or reduced sodium soy sauce.
2 T ketchup
2 T rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 T minced ginger or bottled ginger
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tsp Asian sasame oil

Directions:

1. Cook the rice in the beef broth

2. Heat oil and cook onions and carrots. Then add mushrooms to the skillet. Saute for a minute and then add the ground meat. Drain any fat.

3. Add garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar and ginger. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Add peas and sasame oil and stir. When rice is done, add to the skillet and stir until combined.

Serve at once passing additional soy sauce at the table if desired.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

From Sundy:

Every family has a secret language.

When I say "secret," I don't necessarily mean we speak to each other in a language that no one else can understand. I'm talking about those words and phrases (or sometimes nonsense words) that form your intra-family communication. These are the things that you say to each other with complete understanding on both parts which might make other people who hear you raise their eyebrows and say, "Huh?" Sometimes they come from your children and are carried through the teen and adult years, and sometimes they arrive through the natural flirty-teasing that you have with your spouse or significant other.

For instance, in our family, cats are "kibbies" and dogs are "woh-wohs."

I keep food cold in the "Fridge-a-freighter," sometimes in "Lip-Zoc" bags.

When I put my hair up in a ponytail, I use a "hair pretty." (That and the Lip-Zocs were borrowed from my sister and her daughter -- and have completely stuck.)

Occasionally, I get very "corn-fused" about where my shoes (or some other temporarily misplaced item) might be, so I look in every "crook and nanny." If I find it, I might say to my husband, "Guess where I found my shoes?" No matter what his answer, I say, "Close, but no guitar!" (Yes, we are that strange.) :)

So....can anyone else relate....or am I "talking outta my elbow?"

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My snotty shaving gel

From Aliisa:

Ok, first let me apologize for the title...horrible isnt it? Sorry.

Now, I had this idea the other day that I could save money turning bars of soap into liquid bath soap. You see, the liquid bath soap I love so much, cost a fortune. So, I did an experiment with a bar of Ivory soap I had here at the house. I read that you could grate the whole bar add 2 cups of water and you are done. Yea...I dont think so. I did this and when it cooled, my liquid soap was definately not liquid enough so, I squeezed it back into the pan and added more water. This made it better. However, when my daughter used it she didnt like the "squeeky clean feeling" she wanted soft skin....so....I squeezed it back out and added olive oil to it. You know, they make bars of soap out of olive oil but what they dont tell you is that 1. your soap doesnt suds up anymore and 2. it comes out like snot. So...this wasnt good for bathing and rather than trash the whole batch, I shaved my leggs with it. Guess what? It was the BEST shaving gel I have ever used!!! So here is my recipe...so to speak.

1 bar of Ivory soap grated
3 1/2 cups of water
1/4 cup olive oil

Melt together until all soap is melted. Pour into old soap or shampoo bottles and let cool. It looks disgusting but it feels great!!

Think I should sell it as "Aliisa's snotty shaving gel"? *lol* just kidding

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A proud parent

From Aliisa:

My wonderful, wonderful husband works 1 full time job and 1 part time job so that I can be a stay at home mom. (Isnt he fantastic?) Recently he got a promotion and is now making the same amount with is full time job as he was making with both jobs...yea!!! So now the dilemma, do we keep both jobs and save some money? Or does he quit the part time job. Now, the part time job means he works wednesday night, friday night and sunday morning....we have to go to church on saturday nights.

So my husband, being the great man that he is, decided to include our daughter in the decision making process which boils down to more money or more time with dad. I was nervous, she is 8 and although I know we are doing a great job....I just dont know how I will take it if she chooses more money. So we posed the question to her and asked for her opinion. She asked LOTS of great questions, even asked if she could think about it for awhile....so we just waited. Finally she comes to us and says, I would rather have dad home than for him to work both jobs. I was so proud!!!

Later that night when we tucked her into bed, Jarred had walked out and I leaned over her and whispered, Im so proud of your opinion...you are so grown up and it really showed today. She smiled at me and said very matter of factly:

Well you know mom, money isnt everything!!

My 8 year old is so grown up and Im so proud!!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Homemade Chicken soup with homemade noodles

From Aliisa:

Homemade Chicken Soup

I do cheat just a bit on this recipe but it turns out wonderful.

Ingredients
Boil 1 whole chicken or chicken breasts or parts whatever you have.
3 sliced carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
1 bay leaf
3 chicken bullion cubes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
poultry seasoning
thyme

Directions
Boil chicken with bullion and bay leaf. Reserve liquid. Debone chicken and dice and place back into the broth. Add enough water to equal about 6 cups.

Bring soup to a boil and add carrots and celery, cook till tender.

Add both cans of cream of chicken soup

Season to taste with poultry seasoning and thyme.

To add noodles of any kind, bring soup to a boil...add noodles and cook until tender. Serve with warm bread.


When I make this soup, I make homemade Egg Noodles. They are so easy to make and always turn out wonderful!! They are very hearty and will help any soup be really filling.

Egg Noodles

2 1/2 cups flour
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 T butter

Stir flour and salt together. Mix egg, milk and butter together and add to the flour and salt mixture.

Knead till smooth (about 5 minutes)

Let rest 10 minutes

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Cut into strips like noodles (I use a pizza cutter) or you can cut into squares like dumplings. You can use immediately or let them lay out and dry before using.

To cook, bring soup to a boil, toss in noodles and cook until they all float.

Hope you enjoy!!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

My Frugal Christmas Presents

From Aliisa:

My husband, Jarred and I have a gift account. I set a budget of what we could spend per person for birthdays and holidays. We do pretty well with it. I shop after Christmas alot and pick up marked down gifts that I give all year. (We have a gift closet we keep them in.) I even buy marked down things for birthday parties that my daughter will probably go to. I also do some homemade gifts. I have given afgans for wedding presents and every year I make a crochetted ornament for everyone on both sides of our family.

This year I decided for my ladies group, Im going to print out a small book with all my cleaning recipes and some other frugal recipes. Im going to bind it with yarn and give it to each one for Christmas. Also, since I have a lot of nieces and nephews in Texas...I have spent the year picking up inexpensive books here and there and now Im going to read them outloud to the computer and burn them on CD. This way they will have books on CD, read by their aunt. I am very excited about this one. I think it will be great!!

I would love to hear about your homemade gifts!!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Scoot -- a family recipe

From Sundy:

The other day I mentioned on my family's website that I was looking for the recipe for Scoot. Scoot is a catch-all casserole dish that various members of my family would make, particularly when we were young and "just starting out," as the saying goes. I have no idea why it was called Scoot.

I had never actually made Scoot myself, but I'd eaten plenty of it while visiting different people in the family. I don't know if any of us would call it comfort food, exactly, but it is certain that every member of our family has eaten Scoot at least once. It is a family dish that is thoroughly cheap and satisfying...even though it isn't exactly the healthiest stuff. (But then again, look at McDonald's double cheeseburger!) :)

So after all of my siblings and I went back and forth about who had the nerve to add raisins to the recipe (we all flatly denied it), my mom posted the recipe so that I could post it here. The italicized portions are me.

"Scoot is [basically] eggs, Spam, potatoes, onions, and corn. [Per can of Spam, you could probably use 1-2 eggs, 2-3 medium potatoes, 1 onion, and one can of corn, though your proportions may vary according to taste.]

"Dice the Spam and onions. For the potatoes, I use the frozen hash brown cubes. [Or you could cube your own potatoes.]

"Put the potatoes, onions and Spam in a frying pan with a little grease (this sounds healthy!) and cook till taters and onions are soft. Stir a lot. (I think the name might turn people off). Then add the eggs and corn and stir.

"Raisins? probably they were in there once...and I've eaten it with carrots --YUCK. It's kind of a leftover throw-it-in dish. It's just a casserole that is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner....and cheap and tasty...but SO unhealthy. The Spam is high in fat and salt...then there is the oil, and potatoes are starchy.

"I think it would make a good breakfast dish for a large group. Kids might like to drown it in ketchup."

And we all did...drown it in ketchup. We like it like that. :)

This is just one of our "family recipes." If someone in the family mentions Scoot, we all know instantly what it means and what it tastes like. Connections....I just love my family!

Have a family recipe that you'd like to share?

Comfort Food

From Aliisa:

Today is one of those dreary days here in Illinois. The weather is chilly and the skies are gray and the rhythmic sounds of the rain make me want to cook. I know...weird huh? So I did a quick straighten job on my house this morning and then I set to work boiling chicken for chicken soup, making peasant bread and now I have decided to make homemade noodles. I LOVE homemade noodles but I dont make them very often. So today is the ultimate in my comfort food, you can NEVER go wrong with Homemade Chicken Noodle soup and homemade bread...yum!!!

Im off to cook!!

Bread

From Aliisa:

I have been reading Miriam's blog and Sally's blog alot lately and they both talk about making their own bread. This has me completely inching to make my own, but to be honest when I tried it years ago....it just didnt turn out as well as I would have liked. So here I am, years later and the only bread I make is the Peasant Bread recipe I got from Gayles Blog. So now, Im ready to try again. I would love some tips and some EASY bread recipes...preferably that use some wheat flour in them. We always eat wheat bread.

Thanks for sharing!!!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Dishwasher Detergent Verdict

From Aliisa:

Well I do have to say that I am disappointed in my homemade dishwasher detergent. I did lots of research attempting to make it better but ultimately no matter what I do, my glassware is cloudy! Lots of people have the same problem and say that vinegar is the solution but it doesnt seem to help me at all. I know its not my dishwasher since its only a year old so I guess its back to the store bought stuff.

If there is anyone out there that has a recipe for detergent for the dishwasher that works well for them, I would love to hear from you!!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Ode to my purse

From Sundy:

I was just thinking last night how much I love my purse. Yes, I know I'm being a bit silly...really, I am not a "fashionista." This is primarily about it's function.

I have owned many purses over the past 2 decades of different shapes, sizes, and colors...but really, this one is the perfect one for me at this time in my life.

Like Goldilocks says, "It's not too big, and it's not too small...it's just right." I never feel frustrated like I have done when I over-stuff a too-small bag, or when I lose things in a too-large bag.

It has three sections, with different sized pockets in each section, some zippered and some not. Everything has a place in my purse. It has a slotted part for debit and business cards, and a place for pictures, a compartment for meds, and even a spot for my cell phone and keys that makes them easy to locate. I have even carried a small crochet project in it.

It has a zippered fold-out flap, and a just-the-right-length strap. (Oooh, a little rhyme!)

It's sturdily constructed of real leather, in a soft neutral brown.

But the very, very best part about my favorite purse of all time?

It cost me $4 at Goodwill, and I found it by accident! :)

A weird kitchen thing from my past

From Sundy:

I was going to include this in my "7 weird kitchen things," but didn't, 'cause it was from the past.

Once upon a time, one of my sons had a science project. He chose "Recipes with Insects from Around the World."

So one day, I had a bag of crickets in my freezer and a cookie sheet full of ants in my oven -- on purpose!***

"Itsy bitsy spider
Crawled up into my mouth...Yum!"


***Yes, I know...it creeped me out, too....but he was 11 and adorably excited about the project, so I just had to bite the insides of my cheeks and keep on truckin'!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

From Sundy:

Wow. That's about all I can say.

When this bill got moved from the House to the Senate, they added some things. Some things look promising...and some are...Just. Plain. Weird.

If you read all the way down the list, there are some very strange items added in towards the middle and the bottom sections. Really. I guess so maybe nobody would actually pay attention to them.

Like "Exempt from excise tax certain wooden arrow shafts for use by children."

Like "Extend cost recovery period for motor racing tracks."

Like "Clarify income averaging for settlement amounts received in connection with Exxon Valdez litigation."

Does this stuff really belong in this bill? Seriously?

I keep thinking perhaps some Senator's spouses or children or cousin's ex-roommates asked for a few little extras slipped into this bill to help them out personally.

*sigh*

We've been tagged!!!



Miriam over at My Country Cupboard tagged us and so here we are attempting to figure out how all of this works!


ok, Rule 1. Link to the person who tagged me...(see above) and post the rules on your blog.....(look to your left...lol)


Rule 2. Miriam changed this one so Sundy and I have to list 7 random/weird things about our kitchen or that we do in our kitchen. Sundy and I have decided to do 7 each...that way we both suffer by Miriam's hand *lol*

Aliisa's List
1. Whoever built my house must have been an amazon because in my pantry they put up shelves and just kept going up. The top shelf is about 9 feet up there and completely unusable...what were they thinking????

2. Ok, Im short....I admit it. I do have a step stool I keep in my kitchen but damn it, I dont always want to drag the thing out. So....I sometimes grab a cooking utensil and use it to make the object fall out of the cabinet so I can catch it. Its all good, as long as I dont break it *LOL*

3. Most people think its very weird that I keep my plates, bowls and plastic cups in one of the bottom cabinets. I know, its "normal" to keep them in an upper cabinet. However, in my defense, if I put them in an upper cabinet then I just have to get it down for my 8 year old every day when she sets the table. This way she can do it all on her own!!! And she can help me unload that stuff from the dishwasher and put it away. SEEEE there is a method to my madness!!!

4. I have a lower cabinet that has a lazy susan in it. I keep cereal there so that my daughter can get her own breakfast on Sunday mornings. Yes...lazy susan equals lazy Aliisa *s*

5. Above my cabinets I have a nice place to display stuff. What do I have up there you ask? I have a hatbox lid displayed on a plate stand, (yes I know...weird but it was the right color) I have empty wine bottles (I was being frugal...lol), and I have an empty Olive Oil metal can (in my defense, it does say from Italy on it). Yes I know...its weird...I do have normal stuff up there too..but those dont fit the weird category so I will save that for a normal conversation!

6. Im a little embarrassed to say this next one and yes I know what you are thinking...how can I be embarrassed when I have already admitted to knocking things off my shelves on purpose and displaying empty wine bottles???? Well about 6 months ago...or maybe more...I cant remember, we bought new roman shades for 2 of the windows in our kitchen. Now, let me just say...we have 4 windows in our kitchen. We hung them and decided we couldnt decide if we really liked them or not and that we would have to live with them for a bit to figure it out. So they are still up and we cant take them back and I still have the white blinds on the other two. I just dont look at it anymore *lol*

7. Last one...yea!!! Ok, I must admit that I have a collection of milk rings in my kitchen. Yes I know its weird and that I am weird for having them. In my defense, I enjoy crochetting and every Christmas I crochet everyone an ornament. A year ago, I decided that this years ornament would be a wreath. In order to make a wreath, I had to have a ring to crochet around to make the hole in the middle. So my frugal mind decided that milk jug rings would be a good frugal thing to use. So I have them all sitting in my kitchen waiting to be used. Hmmmm...maybe I will start on that today.
OK, so here is Sundy's List

1. My cupboards are the originals from when the house was built in 1955. I know this because one of the doors has a poison control sticker on it that is dated 1955, and the phone number is JU4-5111. Does anyone still remember that phone numbers used to be written and spoken that way? Anyway, they are still, for the most part, in very nice shape for being over five decades old...well, except for a broken drawer face.

2. I do not have a dishwasher....well, I used to have three "dishwashers", but two of them moved off to college, and one is SWAMPED with an extra-heavy high school load as well as other responsibilities. My husband is a very hard-working roofer/carpenter, so it has fallen on me to be the "dishwasher"...every day! (Note to self: start a "shiny new dishwasher" fund ASAP!)

3. This is not actually a weird thing in my kitchen yet, but it will be. :) Related to #2: In self-defense (!), I have a plan to pare down the total available dishes to what is necessary for three people (plus a spare cup or two). Everything else will be stored away. I have 6-8 each of plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, etc. What I want to have is just enough dishes readily available (the rest I plan to HIDE) so that I am not overwhelmed.

4. To complicate things further, I have no hot water in my kitchen (that is, until I get my tankless water heater in December). So I boil water on the stove, which has an added bonus of sterilizing my dishes. Once the water cools down a bit, that's when I do my dishes.
5. I have an entire shelf in my kitchen devoted to herbal teas! :)

6. I am a tall person, but the cupboard section above my kitchen sink is so high up that I have to stand on my tiptoes to reach it. It is also long and narrow...not much good for anything. So that's where I stash all of the empty jars that I save throughout the year. I use the empty jars to make crafts...and if I didn't stash them up there, my husband would throw them away! So, out of sight, out of mind (for him at least).

7. I have a very unusual color combination in my kitchen. It is blue, green, and orange (not pale Southwest colors). Actually, my living room and kitchen are sort of open to each other, so the LR also has those colors. Those are my kids' favorite colors, and I found a combo of shades and hues of those three colors that worked. (I had "Rent-House White" on the walls for so long that I went a little nuts!)
Rule 3, Tag 7 people. I do have to say that Sundy and I are pretty new to the blogging world. Im not sure we can tag 7 people but we can try.
1. Sally I love her blog, she totally inspires me to make more things homemade!! (From Aliisa)

2. Corrin at BrokeAsASpoke. I love how disciplined she is about recording her expenditures. And I'm quite impressed with how well she does from paid blogging.(From Sundy)

3. Bill from Poop-and-Boogies. I've only been checking his blog for about a week, but I've read many of the archives, and "I'm diggin' it." He's funny and smart and literate, and I just plain enjoy his style! Plus, once in a while, he throws in a line from one of my favorite all-time movies, The Princess Bride. (From Sundy)

4. Jaimie not only has her own intelligently written I've Paid Twice For This Already, but she is also now a guest writer on Frugal Hacks. She talks about "snowflaking" your debt away, and it's a wonderful concept that obviously works well in practice for her. (From Sundy)
5. I love Emily's blog, The Learning Never Stops. Unfortunately she is so busy, she definately doesnt need this tag...however....tag! Sorry. (From Aliisa)
I would tag more but Miriam took mine *pouts* just kidding Miriam. ...Although, I could have tagged you again huh?
Oh, Jiminy Crickets! As Aliisa said, we're so new to this...there are plenty of blogs that I read, but not many that I comment on. *sigh*


Wednesday, October 1, 2008

What a crazy week so far!!

From Aliisa:

You know, with one child and being a stay at home mom, I dont have really crazy weeks very often. However, this one has been completely out there. I started my week off with a new Bible study group that my MIL is teaching. Now Mondays are my day to catch up from the weekend. I wasnt prepared to miss my entire morning...so now, Im behind. I had to cook in a not so clean kitchen and my husband is having to pull out clean clothes from a basket because I didnt have time to fold everything and put it away. PLUS, I have homework for the study group. So Tuesday starts and I am WAY behind. Now on Tuesday I not only have to cook for my family but I also have to make something to take for a potluck to my ladies group and I have to do the regular Tuesday chores plus the Monday stuff I never got to. SOOOOO......My SIL comes over because she needs to talk...no problem. I cook while we talk. My kitchen got cleaned (but I messed it up again cooking), my dinner and pot luck got done, my husband is STILL pulling his clothes from the laundry basket and my floors look like I havent swept in a month...which isnt the case. My SIL leaves at 5:10pm, I shower, do my hair, makeup and get dressed and out the door at 5:45pm with my potluck in tow. Hubby has to do homework with the kiddo because I didnt have time AND I havent done my own homework for the study group. Wednesday....so today I went on a walking field trip with my daughter's class. We had lunch, went to a few places and took tours. Im finally home. My kitchen is a mess from yesterday, I have laundry to wash and my clean clothes are STILL in the basket, my floors are still filthy and I am pooped!!! OH and I still havent done my homework for the study group. What a week!!!! Will it ever end????