Still Brown Baggin It

I must say I am ultra proud of myself! I took my lunch every day this week and I saved some money! YIPPEE! I also only bought one pop this week at $1.59. Not too bad!

So now I'm thinking what else can I do to save some money. Well there are three things we go through like mad in our house... Milk, Eggs and bread.... don't ask me why because I really don't know, what I mean is, yes we eat them but we seem to eat ALOT of them...

So what can I do about the milk? Hmmm not too much, the kids need it to help them have strong healthy bones and I cook with it alot so I don't think there is much I can do about that part of it except try and find a cheaper source...

OK so eggs... what can I do about the eggs? Well again, we eat them and we cook with them, sometimes though, I use an egg substitute. I happen to work for a company that makes that type of product so I can get it at a discount (otherwise I couldn't afford to buy that week after week). But the catch is that even with my discount a 14 egg count of egg substitute is still $1.40. So not too much I can do about that...

Bread... hmmm yep I can do something about that... I have to say I love Rotella Bread and I'm one of those people who do pay $2.00+ for a loaf of bread.

Before you ask, no I cannot buy the expensive bread for myself and then cheap bread for the kids because the kids... well they won't eat the cheap bread either!

The Bakery is actually really close to our house and I drive by it occassionally... and I happen to see a sign that said Retail Store... well I always assumed that they had a retail store because not every store sells Rotella Bread and I assumed that the pricing was just as high at their retail store as it is in a chain store. RIGHT and WRONG... one day I decided that I wanted to stop and take a look around... I was right in that they do have fresh frozen bread at regular retail prices but they also have over run and day old bread at huge discounts.

Now usually we go through 3 - 4 loaves of bread in a week. That is $6 - $8 a week. Now keep in mind that this is just for regular ole sandwich bread... yes we eat that much of it!

But if I go to the Bread Store I can get 4 loaves of bread, 2 packages of hamburger buns, 2 packages of hot dog buns, ciabata bread, dinner rolls and pizza dough for $7.40. So I figured out that when I buy all of this at the store I spend around $25 a week on that... so for a month I spend $100 and in a year $1,200. But if I go to the bread store... I only spend about $355 a year.... hmmm the bread store it is!

I'm starting to see where all my money goes... and it isn't because we don't make enough... it's because we don't spend it wisely! We need to spend it wisely!

Where does all my money go?

Ok can I just say I'm tired of feeling like I'm broke all of the time... we both make good money but there never seems to be enough... I'm seriously thinking I must be spending my money on things that are bleeding me dry...

So one thing I decided to take a look at was how much money I spend on lunch each week. So here is what I did... I tracked how much money I spend on lunch each day. What I found was that I spend $8 a day on lunch... $40 a week... $160 a month... $1920 a year... WOW. I could definately use that on new floors in my kitchen or a new refrigerator or maybe a new washer and dryer! Hmmm, so that got me thinking... what can I do to reduce the amount of money I'm spending on lunch...

Here is what I came up with:

1. Leftovers are my friend. I've already spent money to make it a meal... why not get one more meal out of it and pocket $8
2. If I don't quite have enough leftovers to make it a whole lunch then I'll still save it and add a little something more to my lunch like an apple or a bigger handful of grapes or something along those lines again... I get to pocket my $8.
3. If there aren't any leftovers, then yeah I could do a sandwich but in our house more times than not that lunch meat goes to waste... we just don't eat it quick enough... so I look to the frozen food case and see what is on sale. Now sometimes the thing that is on sale... well tastes... a little less than scrumptious... so I try to make sure I pack some chives, or some type of spice that will give the food a little flavor.

Yes all of this costs money but think of this... If I take leftovers just 50% of the time and then frozen entrees (remember on sale the most expensive @ $2) the rest... here is how the math works out...

That is $5 a week... $20 a month... $240 a year... that is a HUGE difference!

Another thing that I thought of is gee... I bet I'm spending a TON of money on pop as well. So here is the math on that... I pay $1.59 for a 32oz cup of pop... usually I drink two of those a day aside from the one I get at lunch time... now that is an additional $3.18 a day... $15.90 a week... $63.60 a month... $763.20 a year... hmmm not as much of an expense as lunch every day but still... so my solution... buy a 12 pack of pop for $4.99 a week... $19.96 a month... $239.52 a year... again not a huge savings but still a savings!

Another thing to think of is that if I substituted just one drink a day with water instead of soda... I could cut all my soda expense in half!

So now my challenge is one... to stick with it and two keep thinking of other ways to cut back costs!

Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Kendra and Brian got married this weekend! It was a beautiful ceremony and I enjoyed my family very much. The above picture was taken in our front yard before we left for the pre-ceremony dinner.

10 Questions to Ask Your Mom NOW

So I was reading the May issue of REAL SIMPLE Magazine and I came across this wonderful article called 10 Questions to Ask Your Mom Now I started reading it and I realized that I wanted to know my mom's answers to the questions. I would certainly like to ask her in person, however, she lives in Colorado and I really don't think I could wait until I see her again to know the answers. So I emailed her the questions, of course I'm not going to share her answers with anyone because they are really wonderfully soul searching kind of questions. To me her answers will be part of her soul that she has chosen to share with me.

I'm sharing the questions/article with all of you because I wish each of you to have the same insight to your mother and maybe a better understanding of where they are coming from.

Also in this issue is an article titled What's the greatest gift your mother ever gave you? Why not share with your mom what the greatest gift she ever gave you is...

Yes, I'm feeling little tender hearted today. Enjoy.

Memorial Day Weekend

Today we spent a wonderful day with our friends the Schwartzkopf's. We even took Griffin with us and we all had a wonderful time. Mark and Janelle set up the pool for the kids and they had a great time splashing in the water and getting all wet.

My two girls always make me smile. While running from the back of the yard to jump into the pool Piper is carefree and happy, Paige has a some what serious look going on... just like her daddy when she is really focused on something her tongue comes out of her mouth!

Tyler on the other had chose to take a much safer route when jumping in the pool... he opted for not one, not two, but three floatation rings. It was quite comical watching him get the rings on himself and then trying to keep them all from falling down.

Hudson and Madison played in the water as well but just didn't seem to want to run and jump in but they sure had fun getting all wet and of course being all stinkin' cute while they were at it.

Soon the fun in the water started to wind down and the kids started getting all dried off and I couldn't help but snap a picture of Hudson giving Janelle an evil little look. I can only imagine what he was thinking! All I know is that it was just the cutest thing ever! I think I'm really going to enjoy scrappin' this one!

Next it was time for Hide N Seek and Madison found the perfect quiet spot to hide... right under the deck stairs! It was perfect cover as the stairs are surrounded by plants and if you aren't looking all that close you wouldn't have seen her hiding under there. It was all I could do to get my camera out and snap a quick picture before Paige came looking for her... otherwise I would have blown her cover for sure! I'm quite positive that she would not have been happy with me if that had happened!

Now I would be in really big trouble if I didn't post some pics of our little Griffin. He did really well over at Mark and Janelle's! He didn't mind the kids running around and screaming so I was thankful for that. He did however find some fun with an empty A&W Cream Soda bottle. I think when I scrap this one the title will be I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Cream Soda!

Welcome to Our Family

Please welcome Griffin to our family! Griffin is a Shiba Inu!

Lazy Saturday

Well today is just a lazy day at our house. With the weather getting super nice and then cold again my sinuses are giving me a ton of trouble. I SOOOO enjoy these types of headaches! Yes, I am being sarcastic. So I've taken some sinus medication... and hopefully it will kick in and I'll start to feel better very soon. My plan for the evening is to get some scrapping done and work on some projects. Wish me luck!

Park Play

Along our walking path we came across this beautiful tree... and my kids are such little hams!

YIPPEE Spring is here!

I am so thankful that spring is here... and I know spring is here because Spring Volleyball started yesterday. Our team, The True E! Volleyball Story, won all three of our games... and here is the amazing part... aside from my husband... I didn't know anyone! We quickly settled into a routine got to know one another and just enjoyed the game... It was a TON of fun!

Today my niece and her two girls came over to go for a walk. My daughters were SO excited!!! We started out at our house and walked three blocks to the walking path... of course we had to stop at the park on the way! After about 10 minutes the girls were ready to walk down the trail to the next park! So we fast paced it to the next park. The girls played and then we walked three more blocks back to our house... It was SO beautiful out today. Once we got home the girls headed out to the backyard to play and after a little talking I made dinner for the kids.

Once my niece and her girls left, I got my girls ready for bed and much to my surprise they were out... like a light...

Week 5 Sketch

So I'm a bit behind on the whole 52 weeks.... 52 sketches... today I actually completed my first one...

Feeling a Little Creative

So today I decided to spread out my scrapbook stuff on my bed and do a little scrappin'. Not the ideal place to scrapbook but I really did need to be in bed just in case I fell asleep. I was able to get one two page layout and a single page layout completed.

Recovery

Well, I had my surgery yesterday and the gall bladder is removed. I was in considerable pain yesterday and slept most of the day. It is now 11:30 am and I am just waking up. I don't know how long I am going to stay up but hubby is taking good care of me.

Thank you mom for calling and checking on me last night... I'm glad you are feeling better too!

I must thank Kathy for calling and checking on me not to mention the box of goodies she sent home with me on Saturday. The kids and dad are thouroughly enjoying the banana bread, brownies and cake! I appreciate you thinking of me and them.

I also must thank Janelle for picking up my kids and taking care of them last night. The flowers are beautiful! I appreciate all you do for me.

Thank you for all who posted well wishes for me... know that it makes me smile that you all love me so!

Hugs,
Michele

Monday is the day

Tomorrow I am going in for surgery. I am having my gall bladder removed. Prayers and thoughts are welcomed.

Hopefully, I'll get a chance to post tomorrow.

Doctors Listen Up

I must rant!

Today I had an appointment with a surgeon for a consult.

I arrived 15 minutes early because I figured that there was some paperwork to fill out. I was right. I paid my co-pay and filled out my paperwork. Then his staff informs me that he is running late and they expect him to arrive in 20 minutes.

An hour after my scheduled appointment he still had not arrived. Meanwhile other people who had appointments with him arrived, checked in and was told the same thing I was told. He is running late and will be here in about 20 minutes.

So I went up to the reception desk and asked how much longer it would be... the response was... "we thought he would be here by now". So I polietly requested my co-pay to be returned, which it was... and then the receptionist asked if I wanted to reschedule. I couldn't help it... I laughed and said no.

Now I understand that Dr's sometimes get stuck in surgery. I would have accepted that he was stuck in surgery... that is a lot different than he is running late. Running late to me means that he doesn't care enough to be on time. Now I don't know about anyone else, but I want a surgeon that cares!

I called my family Dr who sent me to this surgeon. I let him know that I was not happy and I did not want to go to any Dr in that office and wanted a different surgeon. So they did finally get me to another surgeon.

I don't understand why Dr.'s think their time is more important than mine. SO FRUSTRATING!

52 Weeks.... 52 Sketches

I just came across this site and I thought it was worth sharing with everyone. It is 52 weeks... 52 sketches... the idea is to use the sketch that is posted each week to create a layout. I'm all for new ides!

http://52sketches52weeks.ning.com/

Very Cute Idea

I came across this link in an email for Memory Makers magazine. You know it makes perfect sense but somehow I would have never have thought of it on my own!

CREATIVE CRAYOLA BOX
http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/masters/2009/02/18/Creative+Crayon+Boxes.aspx

Need some inspiration?

One thing I struggle with is finding inspiration but I have a few place I go to when I find I am in a rut:

1. Sketches - PageMaps is my favorite but Becky Higgins is also a great sketcher!
2. Scrapbook Magazines - Scraplifting another's layout can sometimes spark your creative mind. You see something you like but then you change it up a bit to make it your own.
3. Advertisements - Yeah I mean it sometimes an advertisement will spark something in my creative imagination...
4. Art - You can find inspiration every where.

All of these items below were in some way shape or form inspired by one of the four point above:

I scraplifted this one.

This one came from a piece of art
This one came from a sketch

This one came from an advertisement

Water Anyone???

This afternoon my daughter brought me one of her wooden toys that goes to her doll house. It is a little patio table complete with an umbrella. It had been broken and needed to be glued back together. So I told her to go and put it on my work table in my craft room. She came back upstairs just as excited as could be... "Mom there is water on the floor" So yeah my first question was "What do you mean?" She just looked at me with this confused look like "Geeze mom are you stupid... how much more clear do you need me to be?"

So I head downstairs while she goes and tells her father... yep water on the carpet, water on the concrete and water on my craft room floor... poor wood laminate... it is toast. There is visable standing water not just a little puddle but all over the floor. My poor husband... comes running downstairs... We start emptying out the storage room the where the majority of the water is. While I'm going through stuff and doing damage control, my husband is frantically trying to find the source of the water... He couldn't find it. No water on the ceiling... walls, pipes... nothing just on the floor... but the water doesn't stink like sewer water so we are just not sure where the water is coming from. Clean up continues and hubby decides to sent me out to run a couple of errands with the kids.

One reason could be that there were bags sitting on the floor in my craft room. Like the bag from the funeral home for my dad. My paper bag that I carrry to crops. All of it is ruined... I just think he wanted me out of the house so he could deal with it instead of me... he is thoughtful... By the time I got home he had is all cleaned up and he helped me go through all of it. Of course I'm bawling because my dad's obituaries are ruined. All my paper, some pictures of my dad... I just can't even begin to express how upsetting that is...

Is it too early for me to want 2009 to be over with?

Kidney Stone

Uhm ok, I just want a quiet year... and how do I decide to start my new year... yep with a kidney stone. I can honestly say I hope I never experience that type of pain ever again! Hmmm I think I may do some scrapbooking therapy this weekend! Yep... always looking for an excuse!

Make The Grade Book by Tricia Morris CRAFT TV WEEKLY

Technique Junkies rejoice. Finally a great tutorial on how to bind a book! This is a great tutorial and be sure to download the design guide from http://www.flipdrive.com/fileops.php?download=SBL099_MakeTheGradeBook.pdf

The Scrapbook Lounge

OH I am so sad. I love the weekly webisodes on TVWeekly.com

Sadly, the webisodes will no longer be produced. I am so glad that I found the show and the yahoo group connected to the show. It has been a great learning experience for me and a valuable resource.

I guess I'll just have to go and drown my sorrow in my craft room!

I will miss the shows very much!