summertime

So, it's July 5th....kids got out of school practically a month ago and will go back to school on August 23rd. What to do with ALL that time......well....to make it productive and prepare them for the next school year, here's what we do in our house:

Using "Summer Bridges" (since our local education supply store closed, I order them from Amazon.com), the kids do a page or 2 a day....not that long at all, to review what they should have learned during the school year they just finished, and to prepare them for the upcoming school year. They also have requested that we start with Home Ec lessons.....they are learning how to cook with minimal supervision and are having a blast. So far, their favorites are the cinnamon toast and scrambled eggs....lol. They are really looking forward to the sewing lessons because they have been BEGGING to use my sewing machine for months. Of course, we will be starting with simple straight stitches.....most likely making napkins for the first projects. DD wants to make skirts...DS isn't sure what he wants to make, but he wants to use the machine.

We also do weekly Bible study, particularly since we seem to be unable to make it to our church due to some behavior issues associated with having a child on the Autism Spectrum.

All total, this work should take no more than 30 minutes - an hour if they are having trouble with the work they are supposed to do. So....that leaves basically the entire day for them.....we have done exercises and weight training, they have been taking swim lessons, and we are learning about SHARING RESPONSIBILITY....something you would think that a 7yo and 11yo would have already figured out. Oy!! So far, we have covered folding clothes and putting them away properly....lol.....they have also figured out how to work together to get their chores done faster....yes, they both have chores that they are responsible for.

No real vacation planned during the summer because we have bigger family plans later in the year. However, they seem to be having a blast swinging in the hammock or playing in the backyard pool (temporary one that we set up every year). The progress that they are making in swimming is astounding.....can't wait to see what the end result is from these lessons.

SO....what do you do with your kids during the summer??? Do you work with them to prepare them for the upcoming school year?? Do you send them to camp? relatives?? just let them goof off??? Would really like some feedback on this.....

The ultimate in meal planning

I had to share what I just discovered tonight. I did meal planning yesterday and got to Jan. 22nd...but I wanted more....so I did some grocery shopping for things that we use and that were on sale and/or that I had a coupon for.

Here's what I wrote on another site:

So, I sat back down to go through the food once again (I think last time I had planned through the 24th or 25th of December). Well....I think I might have actually gotten through January....not quite sure how it happened.....this will be SO awesome if it's true.....just need to verify meals with inventory to make sure I didn't schedule something that we didn't have supplies for (had help, and not sure they crossed off things as I mentioned them....limited attention span...lol).
So, once I figure this all out, you'll probably see a HUGE happy dance SweetPea on here.
Hubby decided we needed to go to Disney to celebrate his finishing his BA degree, we need to replace a sleeper sofa, I have to pay the $100 fee for him to receive his diploma....those are the major "long term" expenses that I'm working with right now, not to mention trying to build our savings back up a bit. So......now you can understand why I'm freaking out a little....this would be better than I have ever done before and I might just have a major mental freak out if this is correct.....the chance to actually put money AWAY.....too awesome

*followed by this update:*
Having done all of my dancing...lol...I have to tell you this....I have dinners planned through February 4th!!! Not sure exactly how I did this....guess I gave up planning when I got Christmas, but apparently there was a bit more in stock than I had thought.
NO grocery shopping in January other than for milk, bread, meds.....this should allow for saving up and for paying towards the family vacation....and for paying off the home equity loan (which is HUGE because once that's paid off, I can start looking for a replacement minivan....should have it paid off in a few months!!)
Phew....brain hurts...not sure how I did this, but wow
Just figured it out....since 11/4, I've spent a total of $571.61, but have gotten food for 13 weeks, which works out to $43.97 per week for a family of 4, plus 2 cats and a dog....WOW!!! I have managed to impress myself

Now THAT'S how you do it ladies!!

End of year round up

Well, it's the last day of 2010 and I thought I'd look back over the blog. I've gotten a couple of new followers, missed SEVERAL months due to general distractions or personal antipathy, and have posted numerous recipes, both from my personal family cookbooks, or from some generous, kind-hearted friends.

So....the questions, as I've asked before is....does anybody actually read this thing, or is it just being written as a catharsis for me to deal with my crazy-busy-hectic life??

Whatever

So....There was Black Friday (I laughed because I haven't shopped on BF in years....and the most recent was an accident - I actually forgot it was BF and ran out to get shelving for DSs bedroom...crazy!). Did you find any bargains?? Was it *really* worth it to rush out early, stand in line with all those other people?? Eh, I prefer my method...get a cup of coffee, sit in the main part of the mall, and chuckle at all the people running around like crazy.

Then there was "the last shopping weekend before Christmas" where stores saw yet another boom in sales as those who had postponed their shopping tried to get gifts for all those people that they felt obligated to give gifts to. Please note the word "obligated" That is NOT what Christmas is about, yet it seems that is what society has turned it into....just another mass-market commercialized day in the year. {sigh}

Finally, there is the Day After Christmas.....HUGE discounts....what can I say, that one is harder for me to break that BF because that's when I buy the clothing for the children for next year. This year was NOT fun as I couldn't find the lined cargo pants and jeans that my sensory-sensitive son likes to wear. Managed to find them online - and still on sale! But it was still crazy trying to find them - apparently they aren't carried anywhere other than Old Navy...if anybody else knows where I can get them, PLEASE tell me!!!

However, thanks to a productive morning (up at 5am, out by 545am, not back home until noon...and I was out with my Mother doing her shopping and my shopping!!), I don't have to buy birthday or Christmas presents for either child!! I even found a few things for my husband....didn't look for things for myself this year as I'm determined to MAKE my clothes (have had some fabrics sitting in my storage for nearly 7 years...it's time to turn them into clothing). Once DSs pants arrive, my shopping (for presents anyway) will be 95% for 2011...how awesome is that??!!???

Now....groceries...oy! I thought I only had groceries to get me through 12/25....last major shopping trip was back in November....early November at that...lol. Well, I sat down yesterday and played with more meal plans, and it looks like I have most of January taken care of as well!! I *did* do some shopping yesterday due to sales and having coupons that matched with what was on sale. If I did as well as I think I did, I may not have to do a major shopping trip until sometime in February!!! WooHoo!!!! This is more than awesome....this is freaking mindblowing!!.......er....fudging mindblowing...lol

DS has discovered Sci-Fi novels, and was upset at the language used in just the first paragraph of the one he bought (gift card from grandparents...both kids thought it was awesome that they got to spend their own "money" for their books). So....we started substituting new words....

@ss=apple
b!tch=banana
sh!t=sugar
d@mn=donut

You get the idea.....but sometimes it's too funny...like when discussing our DDs behavior and it ends up being: she needs to stop acting like a spoiled banana....argh....it rapidly dissolves into laughter...yup, some interesting changes going on in the house

Well, I hope that you've enjoyed 2010...I will do my best to post more regularly in 2011...

New Year's Resolutions

We all make them, some of us keep them....so what are some of YOUR resolutions for 2011??

In a couple of groups that I belong to, this question was raised, and since I responded there, I thought I'd post them here....feel free to add your own.....:

• 1-get back to daily workouts

  2-learn more frugal recipes and cook double batches of meals so that we have them ready for nights when things are really crazy

  3-work through the stashed fabric and actually finish outfits for myself and the children (DS just wants more cargo pants, but DD and I have enough outfits for whole new wardrobes....but all still in the flat-fold fabric stage...lol)

  4-learn how to do more than make pickles

and from another group (still my responses):

• 1- to do better at planning so that we don't get caught between paychecks with little money in the bank

  2-to spend less on spur-of-the-moment purchases

  3-to go to the store without the children when I can

  4-to make the clothes that I bought supplies for (mostly me and DD) instead of purchasing cheaply made things from mass-market stores

  5-to learn how to make pet treats because store-bought ones are WAY too expensive

  6-to learn how to can more things (though apparently the pickles are a HUGE hit) and how to do other preserving

  7-to make double batches of certain meals so that we have them ready for those nights when things are just too crazy

  8-to NOT have fast food in the house more than once a month

I probably should add in...become a better manager of my time. SO much of my time seems to be spent on things that, in the long run, are trivial....and not enough time is spent with my family or getting the things done that I need to do (to further save money)......ah, well....would be nice if we had just a 28 hour day every now and then, but.....

Spirit of Christmas

So, it's Christmas time again....and the question is...what is Christmas all about. Yes, it celebrates the birth of Jesus. Given that we live in a materialistic society, it seems that Christmas has become nothing more than a retailers dream.....buy buy buy....with the children shouting gimme gimme gimme.

We should remember that it's about GIVING, not about GETTING.....God GAVE us His Son...what's so hard about that?

I'm not saying that we shouldn't have presents under the tree or anything like that, but we need to remember what Christmas is really about.

Oh, and since this is where I give frugal tips and hints and such...if you feel the need to give presents, why not do something that costs less, but means more. Give of yourself, give some of your time, make things by hand ......cut back on your list of who you "must" give presents to. And most importantly, give to those less fortunate than yourself. Keep in mind that, no matter how bad things might seem for you, there are always others that have less than you.

Christmas prep

So, being as it's Black Friday...the biggest sales day of the year, supposedly, I thought I'd jump back online for a brief post.

When shopping for Christmas gifts:
-carry a list of the people you are buying for, their favorite colors, sizes, interests
-make sure you have noted which stores have what on sale and try to "cluster shop" meaning try to get to all the stores that are close together before venturing out to further locations.

If you cluster shop, you may be able to find things more inexpensive at one of the cluster stores than at one of the ones farther away (remember to take into account driving time, gas used, etc. when figuring this out)...yes, Store X might have that perfect sweater on sale for $10 cheaper than store B, but it's another 20 miles away, across a mountain, using a good amount of gas and then the time to drive there, find a parking space....just to get 1 sweater....really??!!???

Pre-plan for the next year!!

If you run into some "can't pass up sales" and have the money available, take advantage of them. Case in point: Target had long-sleeve sweaters for girls on sale for $10, they also had baby cord pants on sale for $10. I bought DD a sweater and pair of pants that she can wear this year, and another sweater and pants (different colors) for next year. Since she tends to grow slowly, they ones for next year might even be a little too big when next Christmas rolls around. I did the same for DS and pajamas....he grows in spurts and is already wearing 10s that will be too short by the spring (most likely)...so I bought him 12s for this year, and 14s for next Christmas (also on sale for $10).

Just remember to monitor your spending....you don't want to end up with a huge credit card bill just because you fond some great deals....they'll still be there, and don't forget the day after Christmas sales are only a month away!!

brief break

I am in the middle of filling out my inventory needs for the upcoming craft fair, so I won't be able to post any recipes or whatnot for a few weeks. Please bear with me. If I can get caught up, I will post before the craft fair, but if not, those of you that are local to me, please stop by ExpoLand in Fishersville, VA on November 13th and 14th!!

And I'm still looking for more inexpensive recipes as well as feedback from those of you who have tried some of the recipes I posted!!