Purchasing After Christmas Items IS a Goal Met

Like most women in the country I did some after Christmas shopping to stock up for next year.  Unlike most women, I waited until two days after Christmas to beat the crowds. Michaels had 70% off, Pier One was at 50%,  and Dillard's items were also 50% off.  Dillard's had quite a bit left over so they will have a 70% off sale on the first of the year.  But, the zoo it will be on that day does not fit into my lifestyle.  I'll take the 50% off and feel good about it.

The items bought were comsumables such as tags, gift card boxes, and paper.  I thought I'd best get the gift card boxes because a gift card I sent nearly got thrown away because it was so small.  Hopefully, the boxes will be large enough to stand out.

I'm thinking the red 'open me' stickers can be used on any gift.
I'm sorry to say I took other pictures, but for some reason
they won't transport to the blog.

Most of the decorations are put away for next year except for the tree and the Nativity.  The tree will come down around the first of the year, but the Nativity will stay put until I have the feeling to put it away. 

This year I bought a bin to put the decorations in so they are contained and organized.  Before this year I didn't have enough to worry about so they went into a closet I use for storing holiday decorations and gifts.  I like the idea so much (Don't know why I didn't think about it before.) that I'm going to purchase bins for the other holiday items, too.  My first organizational activity for the coming year.

Another goal this year is to purchase a desk.  I thought I could get away without one, but this paper work stuff is getting frustrating.  A desk with a drawer for hanging folders will fit the bill nicely.  It's time the empty office room became an office.

Long term goals this year:

1 Set up the printer to WIFI
2 Save coins until I get to 25.00 then turn the change into gift cards for gifts.
3 52 week savings plan, beginning with the last week first.
4 Set up Google Chrome, then drop the cable.  I seldom watch TV because of the long commercial periods and, let's face it, the content has more to be desired.

Short term goals:

1 Purchase camera batteries for the year
2 Go to Sam's to purchase bathroom tissue and Kleenix
3 Make address stickers or purchase them, depending on cost.
4 TRY to remember to purchase a lottery ticket each week.  This has been a goal for three years, yet to be followed through.  I'm just not a lottery kind of girl.  If I could purchase them all at one time, the problem would be solved.
5 This past year I increased my prayer life to include a number of individuals as well as learned new prayers.  I'm happy to report (to myself, more than anything) that I missed not one day.  This year I'd like to increase the list of prayers I learn by heart.

Do you have goals this year?  Let me encourage you to set goals and feel satisfied if even one comes to fruition.  That's one more than the year before!

Stay safe.

De Cluttering the Spirit

I'm going to go out on a limb today and write about de cluttering.  Not our homes or garages, but de cluttering us.  Spiritual material is included in this post, so I wouldn't be offended if you choose to bypass this one.  I hope you don't though because that is only a portion of the post.

Life, for most of us, is pretty long with many things that happen and are said to us.  We say things to others too, with no intention of injury, but sometimes things are received in a negative manner.  As an example let me tell you what came out of my mouth to daughter one (C) last night on the phone.

We were talking about Christmas gifts and I blurted out, " I got lots of 'sheet' from you and S.  My intention was to say I got a 'sheet' load from you and S.  The words came out all jumbled and I laughed still trying to get the words to come out in the order they were meant.  Of course she gave me a hard time, as is her way of jesting with me.  We ended up laughing and said good night.

The unintentional words could have been hurtful, IF she chose to receive them that way.  She knows at this stage in her life that holding onto infractions can clutter her spirit.  This is not how she wants to live.  Neither do I.  I want a spirit that's free to laugh and not bogged down with old hurts and pains.

How does one de clutter their spirit, you ask.  Or perhaps you may think there's so much past hurt that it's not possible.  Not to be too harsh, but yes indeed, it's possible.  Lets begin with the Our Father prayer.  The prayer Jesus gave when asked what we should pray.  He replied that when you don't know what to pray, to pray this.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

There have been a number of times in life that my spirit was damaged.  Deeply.  But, I didn't want to carry the injury forever.  It's a bit selfish of me because I was more concerned about me carrying the pain than the other person.  I began the process by saying I forgave them.  Not really forgiving, just declaring it.  Over and over again.  Then I would say the Our Father with an emphasis on AS WE FORGIVE.....  It use to take forever to get through the process, but each time it became easier and now all these years later the process is instant.

Most people have no intention of hurting others, especially when love is in the mix.  There are, however, people who enjoy hurting others.  Forgive them as well and move on with no further interaction with them.  Always be polite, but keeping an emotional distance is a very healthy choice for you and those around you.

All of this is easier said than done - for certain.  It takes time to go through the list and use this process to remove the negatives we store up.  I promise you, though, the process is worth the time it takes because it becomes a part of you that eventually will take no time to be put into action.  After all, de-cluttering our homes takes tiny steps and time, too.  Looking at it in this light may be helpful in reminding you to stay the course.

If you choose to accept this challenge, I commend you for your strength and fortitude.  After all, what is 'woman' but a collection of strengths.

If you'd like more on this subject, let me know and I'll do what I can to help.

Stay safe.

Hacks that Don't Work for Me

Just a short post today to clue you all in on a couple of hacks that don't work. Not for me, anyway.

1.  Dollar Tree batteries are a no go.  I put them in the LED candles I bought and they lasted three days, at about four hours a day.   Lots of ladies on yoo toob say they're good.  No they're not!

2.  I also tried the hack women are raving about - turning granulated sugar into confectioner sugar.  I have a NINJA for gosh sakes.  I let that baby run for a good four minutes.  I ended up with smaller granules, but no fine confectioner sugar.  I wanted to try it before I put it on the blog.  So glad I did.  If you have luck with this, let us know.  Maybe I did something wrong.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Ham and cheese on rolls
Jello for the kiddos
Watergate salad
Brie with raspberry sauce
Cheese and crackers
Cheese ball (olive)
Lettuce and tomato platter (for sandwiches or salad)
Dessert (to be determined)

Dinner will be at my home and lunch will be at S.'s home.  We usually eat light on Christmas Eve because there's so many last minute things the moms have to wrap up.

I wish all of my readers that celebrate Christmas the most blessed of day with those you love.  Oh, and a full tummy!  Merry Christmas.

Stay safe

Creative? OR Problem Solver?

Daughter number three (S) called to chat tonight.  I suspect one reason she called was to express her ire about something I say on this blog.  She told me to stop saying I'm not creative, because, yes - you are.  As a patient mom I explained that I'm not creative, but I do excel at problem solving.  Here's the difference.

Creative people envision something, then have the ability to bring it to fruition.  They dream up a bouquet of flowers, envision it, then go to the task of creating it.  They do this with all things.  I do not envision, nor do I create.  Believe me I tried when I was a young mother.  I finally gave up and accepted creating was not a strength.  No harm in that.  The truth is the truth.  I was at peace with it.

Problem solving is indeed a strength I possess,  Recognizing this brings on a confidence that can't be taken away in any way.  I don't brag about it, it is what it is.  Just like recognizing creativity eludes me, is what it is.

My children are creative.  It's a genetic pass down from their dad's side of the family.  They have the best of both of us - creative and pragmatic.

Let me explain what I mean when I refer to problem solving by using a couple of examples.

In the past:  When the children were small there was quite a bit of chronic illness in our home. (Two members at the same time.)  I worked three jobs, but it wasn't always enough money to go around.  I knew if the cupboards were bare, the kids would feel they were poor.  So what I did was fill the frig with good snacks such as carrot sticks, celery sticks, and apple slices.  The fridge was full and for all they knew there was nothing they 'wanted'.  I did the same thing with the cupboards.  I left quite a few cereal boxes that were close to empty to make it appear as if the cupboards were full, but the reality was quite different.  Problem solved.  The children thought there was plenty of food, only I knew the reality.

In the present:  Currently the Christmas presents are getting wrapped.  I ran out of tags.  But, I do know how kids notice if someone has a tag and they don't.  Their little spirits get dinged.  So I have two types of Santa wraps.  I cut out a Santa from one wrap and used it as a tag on the package wrapped in the other Santa paper.  Problem solved.



I used a brown Santa as a name tag on the paper with the red and white
Santa.  The grand will never know this tag is any different than
 most of the others.


 

That - to me - is the difference between creativity and problem solving.  Both have a place in our lives and both serve us well.  Besides, I have the yoo toob ladies to help me appear to be creative.  That's my secret.  I copy what I see that I like.  Sometimes with a personal spin, sometimes not.

Stay safe!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Years ago I went to a cookie exchange with my small children.  So you know it was years ago.  One mother took the time to make small wreath ornaments for all of the participants.  I loved that little ornament and hung it on the tree for years.  The thing is, I don't know what happened to it.  So when I found a simple crochet pattern to make that wreath three days ago, I was so excited I looked for items in my home to make the wreath.  The pattern used plastic rings, red and green yarn - red being the color that was looped through the wreath to make a bow at the bottom.

I had none of the supplies the original pattern called for, but I was determined to make the wreath ornament.  I could certainly use wheat colored yarn with slender raffia ribbon, but how to replace the plastic ring was the dilemma.  Checking out the small stash of craft supplies that were on hand I eyed gold pipe cleaners.  Bingo! 

The end result was I took two pipe cleaners and twisted them together, then folded them in half and formed a circled.  Taping the ends together was not enough to hold them together so yam was wrapped around the make shift ring.  The end result was sturdy and a perfect copy of the plastic ring used in the original project.  I don't consider myself creative, bit I am a fairly decent problem solver.

The wreath ornament, done with what I had on hand. No
one would ever know I didn't use a plastic ring as the
center.  The next one I'm going to try is a snowflake
ornament.

A friend found that a cat loved using her raised bed garden as a toilet.  Needless to say this was not acceptable, but she could not catch the cat to discourage it from returning.  She did the next best thing.  A wall of plastic forks lined the area to discourage the behavior.  The problem was solved.

The same friend uses clothes pins to mark what is growing in the garden.  They last for years and her cost was zero since she had them on hand.

Each of these scenarios were created using the idea that 'Necessity is the mother of invention'.  Each of these scenarios also created a sense of pride.

Not everyone thinks they  have the gift of problem solving.  In the same way I admit I'm lacking in the creative gift area.  I think these things can be obtained (to a degree) by trial and error.  Just as I have embraced a road to finding a speck of creativity in myself, anyone can achieve the critical skill of problem solving.  I do admit that it takes time.  But, as I tell my children (and grandchildren)  you're going to be around anyway, may as well use the time as wisely as you can.

As promised more Christmas decorations in my home.

The lighting is the worse in this powder room, but I hope you can
see the moose nested on the shelf.  There's a bit of whimsy in
tis room because the kiddos use it quite often when they visit.

I removed a picture and replaced it with the wreath.  I consider
this wreath a symbol of the Alpha and Omega.  The reason for
the celebration of Christmas for me.

It's Beginning to Look A LOT Like Christmas

I see this blog has made it as the first choice on both bing and my normal search engine.  That's quite an improvement from a year ago. I found an engine that I earn points which I turn in for $5.00 gift cards.

The house is now decorated for Christmas.  I removed a number of everyday items to display the Christmas items.  A trip to Marshall's yesterday with daughter number three was more fruitful than I anticipated it would be.  I found the most lovely Advent countdown in the form of a four foot tall angel made from muted material.  Looking at her brought a smile to my face and joy in my heart.  There in lies the secret - joy to the heart.

I bet you can guess what I named this gorgeous lady.  Yup,
Angie.  An honor, once again,  bestows on my grandmother.

The poinsettias got relocated to the kitchen table once I put the Christmas cloth on it.  It's a good possibility they will get moved a few more times.

My daughter bought me a present yesterday and called to come over to deliver it.  It's Frosty's hat as a wax burner.  He's tucked into the corner of the kitchen counter just in front of the mixer.  The scent waifs through the entire first floor.  Yum!

While her family was here the children trimmed the tree with help from mom.

I wish her dress was visible from the front.  She looks
like Cindy Who from the Grinch Stole Christmas cartoon.

When the three year old saw thus ornament, she got all
excited.  She loves owls.  Like most of my ornaments he was
purchased after Christmas at a drastically reduced cost.

Tomorrow, I'll put up more pictures.  Today I have to think about what goodies I'll make to celebrate the Christmas holiday week.

Stay safe.

It's Beginning to Look a Bit Like Christmas

Even if it's chilly outside the sun is out early this morning.  Saturday began with winter coat weather and ended up with spring coat weather.  Maybe today will show the same kind of love.

I had an appointment yesterday and decided to go to the bank first as well as return clementine's that were green with mold.  I packed up the fruit then left the house without it.  I was afraid that too much time would pass before I brought them back so I stopped into the grocery store to speak with the produce manager.  He assured me it would be OK to return them on Monday.  He explained that since they come from Spain in a wooden box, they have a difficult time inspecting them because most of them can't be checked by sight.  That's OK with me, a slight inconvenience is better than not because the fruit is a product of Spain.  No GMOs or other naughty things to make us ill.

 Friday evening  the family celebrated daughter number three's birthday by going to a restaurant of her choice.  We went to one of those Japanese steak houses with four kids in tow.  Their behavior was exceptional so we all had a good time.  The chef cooked and chopped and made a volcano out of onion rings to impress the kiddos.  They were indeed impressed.

Thursday night daughter number three and I went to the Dollar Tree to grab stocking stuffers.  We left about 7:00 PM and returned home after 11:00 PM.  Most of that time was actually spent in the dollar store.  I ended up with a few stocking stuffers and a few items I needed for the house - batteries, tape - that sort of thing.

I found the cutest chef hats for the little ones to wear
when they're helping their chef dad in the kitchen.

Earlier in the week I ordered a set of flameless candles from amazon.  Since my credit card points are tied into amazon my out of pocket expense was zero.  There's a sconce above the Nativity set on the fireplace.  I saw that sconce as the perfect place to put a candle to represent the Star of David over the set.    I'm pleased as punch with the outcome.  Small things like this bring joy to my heart.  My friends and family put up with listening to my exuberance when I gush about such small joys.

Stretching the imagination!  The 'star' works for me.

My daughter brought the Christmas tree down to the living room because I thought I was unable to.  How embarrassing to find all I had to do was turn it upside down so the branches folded in to make the task a one person (a short person) task.  Now I know!

Packages are ready to be mailed this week, as well.

My frugal hack for the week was bought at the dollar store.  I bought a pack of three small gift bags and three small frames at a total cost of four dollars.  The fabric handles were removed from the bags, then the bags were placed in the frames.  I have a set of three Christmas pictures.

One of the pictures went in the powder room.  I add a few
small items on the shelf in there because the kiddos use
this room quite often during visits to grandma's house.

I've also been thinking about my life lately.  Someone close to me challenged me to look at what it is I like to do, asking why I don't go to functions with other seniors and meet new people.  I thought about it and decided I really am not interested in meeting new people and making new friends.  Every friend I've always had has been placed in my path, I've not looked for them.  I'm content with my life and really don't want to search for other things.  If they fall in my path, I'll prudently assess the situation and if it's meant to be, I take up the challenge.  My life is filled with peace and activities I like to do.  I think she wasn't thinking about my readers as friends, either.  I so appreciate all of you in my life.  Only thirty something have added their names to the 'followers' list, but about 400 to 500 people read this blog each week.  This number is small compared to other blogs, but I feel I'm reaching those who are truly interested in learning.  So, this is where I thank you all for sticking with me.  You're all quite a nice gift.

Stay safe!

New prayer for my Catholic friends.  Short, simple and to the point.  This prayer was given to Sister Lucia when she was praying in the convent chapel as an adult.  As a reminder Lucia was one of the three children of Fatima.

" By Thy pure and immaculate conception, O' Mary, obtain for me the conversion of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe, and the whole world.  Amen." 

Disclaimer:  When we say a prayer that is addressed to Mary, we are asking that our heavenly mother carry the prayer to the Throne.  What man doesn't give his mother special recognition?  Sneaky, I know, but so effective!  I am in no way trying to influence anyone.  As stated this was put here for the many Catholic friends and family I have in my life.

This Week at Angie's House

Before I forget again, the seeds were mailed to Australia a week and a half ago.  Please let me know if they reached you because I've had a problem twice before where the receiver never got them.

This week appears to be a time that old memories have come to the surface.  A cleansing of sorts.  I'd like to celebrate Christmas with a free and forgiving spirit so I'm thankful of these little reminders.  Just small things that I thought were forgiven, but obviously not.  I'll embrace them and move on to enjoy a free spirit for the season.

My Christmas shopping is complete.  The only thing that remains in that area is to get packages mailed out.  I have most of them ready to be mailed, but one remains to be wrapped.  I'll do that today and, hopefully, get to the post office in the morning.

I have to pay my utilities this morning and perhaps receive a sick grandson that will be spending the day with me.  I woke up at 5 AM so I would be ready if he needed me.  Since he just turned 13, I would imagine he won't need too much attention as a little one would.

I ordered a ham for Christmas Eve so we can have big sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls as the featured food.  Since there's so many other last minute things to be done on that day, we keep dinner simple.  When the kids were small we would celebrate Christmas Eve with a dinner that signified the life of Jesus.  I can't remember all of the foods we had, but there was no color to them with the exception of the wine (grape juice) that signified the Blood of the Lamb.  I do remember fish was served to represent Christ's vocation.

The Nativity went up December first and I put the poinsettia plants I bought at Wal Mart on the steps. That's all I've done in the decorating department so far.

I made four jars of dried soup mix using the dried veggies I have dehydrated.  Even though most people like the recipe, I didn't.  The dog did though!  I think it's just me because my tastes are changing and I don't care for  heavy foods any more.  Also, this week, celery went into the dehydrator so it would not spoil before I could use it.

The original recipe for the soup mix was for four people.
I made enough for one person and added 2.5 cups of water rather
than the ten cups the recipe called for.  My girlfriend's
family loved the recipe.

Groceries cost about $31.00 this week with a haul of mushrooms, bananas, clementine's, yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, bread, and a few other items that elude me just now.   I do remember I picked up a can of chopped clams to make clam sauce to put over pasta.  That was last night's dinner.  That has always been a favorite, but not so much last night.  Which proves to me I'm not fond of heavy meals any longer.  I'll finish it up for lunch today, but it may be the last time I make it.

Thanksgiving was a nice day with family.  My son in law made the turkey and it was divine.  The best I've had.  Needless to say some white meat came home with me for cold sandwiches for two days. Cold turkey sandwiches are the reason for the season!  We made all of our traditional foods.  My contribution was a Watergate salad, jello, greens salad, two cheese balls and a chocolate cream pie.

Time to get ready to receive my visitor for the day as my daughter just told me my grandson was spending the day with me.

Stay safe. 

Missing in Action, But Busy

I've taken a rest from blogging just because I've had very little to say.  The time was spent on reflection.  I can't help but be a little sad about what is going on in the world.  If I could I would help take poverty away from everyone.  It's not a sin to be broke.  It can be difficult, especially when there are children involved.  But, from experience, I found being at the bottom of the economic food chain is humbling and challenging.  I hope all of the true refugees from the Middle East find food and shelter to protect their families.  I won't say what I wish for the terrorists who hide behind women and children like cowards.

Thanksgiving day is three days away.  We've decided who will make what foods and have made our lists.  This morning I went to the WalMart grocery store to price match a few items and pick up the things I need to make my dishes.  My contributions are:  Watergate salad, shrimp cheese ball, olive cheese ball, jello, chocolate cream pie, and a  salad.  I'll begin today to prep some of the items.  I can clean and cut the veggies for the salad and make the cheese balls.  The pies and other items will get made late Wednesday.

I had lettuce, feta cheese, carrots, and chick peas in the refrigerator.
I needed a cucumber, celery, and radishes to complete the salad.
I found a bottle of organic balsamic vinegar dressing which
promises to be a yummy addition to the salad.

All of the main ingredients for the olive cheese ball.  Adding a
few drops of hot sauce and some garlic powder for
taste is all that's needed to make a quick and easy
appetizer.

I also bought three poinsettia plants (white) to decorate the house for Christmas.  This and the tree and the nativity are pretty much what I do to decorate for Christmas.  This week the plants were 3.94, but next week they'll bring the price up.  So, even though I don't decorate until after Thanksgiving, I grabbed them while the price was right.

It was a surprise that the poinsettias were so large and healthy. 
You know I had to grab them while the grabbing was good.
The plants usually last for a few months after Christmas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1.Master bath was scrubbed from top to bottom
2.Laundry room was also scrubbed
3.Kitchen was scrubbed down as well
4.I cooked a batch meal of green peppers from the garden (last year's) and sweet Italian sausage.  I use food saver bags for the freezer so the food will last a while.  I'm in the middle of eating from the freezer to make room for fresh sale items.
5.Four loads of laundry
6.Stayed with the five year old when mom went to the turkey dinner with his baby sister at preschool.
7.Finished my Christmas shopping.
8.Mailed out two birthday packages.
9.Attended a small gathering for daughter number one's birthday.
10.Bought daughter number three's birthday gift.
11.Checked out the Dollar Tree
12.Bought a warm winter coat.
13.Donated three coats I don't wear.  Even though they were in great condition they were 11years old.
14.Made three jars of applesauce.

I used apples that I didn't want to go bad so there are only
three jars of applesauce.  Since there was a small amount,
I froze the jars instead of canning them.



Olive Cheese Ball
1 8 oz cream cheese
1/2 jar green olives, chopped (small pieces)
1/2 can black olives, chopped (small pieces)
3 to 5 dashes of hot sauce
garlic powder to taste
Combine all ingredients, then form into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate
Best if made a day before it's eaten.

The Dog Treats Are a Bomb!

I watched a video that demonstrated how to make healthy treats for the pup.  It was simple enough -

slice up a sweet potato sprinkle garlic on it and dehydrate it.  Her dogs loved the treat.

Slices of sweet potato in the dehydrator before the
drying process.  I got  32 slices from a medium size
potato.

I had one sweet potato in the fridge and followed the directions, thinking Marley would love these as a treat.  No, she does not.  So I'll be adding sweet potato to my dehydrated veggies I use to make soup.

The finished product, sprinkled with garlic powder.

The sun was shining through the clouds Saturday morning so I took the opportunity to sweep all the leaves and debris from the patio to put on the soil in the garden.  It looked so neat and clean.  The feeling of pride came over me as I stood back to witness the result of my efforts.  An hour later, a strong wind and pouring rain slid in.  My patio again needs cleaning.  I guess that is the meaning of pride before the fall.

This is quite a pile for the small space I have in my yard.

The last of the blackberries trying to ripen before the frost.

The pile of leaves went into the garden to nourish the soil
over the winter.

I did a small grocery shop at the beginning of the week.   Other than that, I've stayed home the week nursing a cold.  I'm not a true germaphobe, but when I'm sick I make sure the bedding is washed often and the kitchen is free of as many germs as possible.  Re - infecting myself - or others - would not be wise.

The store visit was short as I only picked up tomato soup, bananas, and protein bars.  I chose the bars that were on sale, but I won't be choosing that flavor again.

I like the brand of protein bars, just prefer other flavors.  The
soup is yummy and holds four servings that are very filling.

 

I also made a loaf of bread which I would show you in a picture, but it's all gone!  So good and cheap, cheap, cheap.

As you know, I have a list of yoo toob videos I watch.  This morning I watched a rather crude one that depicted the evils of processed foods. Although I tend to agree with the concept, a video needs to be encouraging to young families and presented in a way that gets them thinking, not feeling inadequate.  There are lots of families in this country that can't afford to purchase all the best foods for their families.  It would be ideal, but this is real life.  These families try to do the best for their children, but can't always buy the best of foods.  It's a balancing act, to say the least.

This is a comment made by a mother that I could feel the pain in her heart when she saw the video.

(Comment removed to delete video)

          

            

I don't often offer the name of my blog on other sites, but I felt like this mom belongs here with us.  I hope she takes me up on my offer.  Even more so, I hope the blog helps her.

Stay safe.

Thankful for My Friends

I'd like to talk about friends that I'm thankful for today.  The way I try to remember things is by starting as far back as I can remember, then moving forward.

My best friend when I was a child was Jimmy.  Jimmy lived in the house behind us at 210 Flint St.  I'm ashamed to say I can't remember what Jimmy looks like, nor his last name, but I remember his soft spirit and kind words.  We were spiritually unable to separate, forever talking over the fence. 

After we moved to a suburb, I can honestly say there was no one I remember as being a good friend from the time I was 10 until the time I was married. It was OK because I had a close cousin or two and never gave it a thought.  Besides if the truth be known, high school was a time of a wild spirit.  Not as wild as most, but for me, well let's just say I was having some fun.  I went from extremely holy little girl to flower child.

After I married, one sister in law and I connected in a way that Jimmy and I connected.  That was forty six years ago, and we are still connected, even if we live 900 miles apart.  She and her family reached out to us when we were going through some dark times. (Health issues in the family.)  She never forgot me as being her friend and treated me the same as always.  She made me laugh at a time I thought laughing would never be heard again.  For this I am forever grateful to you D.   xxx  ooo

We moved to a small town when our eldest was in first grade (or there about) where I knew no one.  Again, this was OK because I learned as a child to be self sufficient.  I liked my own company and lots and lots of books.  When our third child started private school, I met a woman whose son was in our forth child's kindergarten class.  She would gather up a few of us moms to say the rosary every week.  We had the same values and the same sense of humor.  Needless to say, we clicked.  We are still friends all of these years later, even though we are separated by the same 900 miles D and I are.
We'll call her P or F depending if you use her birth name or 'street' name.  P made the arrangements for the get together after Bob's funeral mass and to this day I don't know how she did it.  She just did because she didn't want me to stress.  It's difficult to remember most details of that time, but I do remember what a show of love and caring P demonstrated to her friend.  xxx ooo to you P or F.

It's time to move to current days.  I made new friends, but kept the old, one is silver and the other is gold.  In the time since my husband's passing, I've made two close friends.  E lives in California which is three thousand miles on the opposite coast from me.  E has the most gentle and loving spirit of anyone I've ever met.  I'm not sure she sees herself this way because of her humility.  She loves God with all her heart and wants nothing but to become what He wants of her when her time comes.  I want her to know that loving God has nothing to do with worldly religion and it's rules.  It's what you are and what you strive to be - loving and merciful.

Friend number two is a fellow Catholic girl.  You can't imagine how excited I was when I first spoke to her.  I think I rattled on for twenty minutes about how excited I was to be able to discuss our religion with someone.  I then found out she was a history teacher in a Catholic school AND (get this) taught religion to her students.  I hit the jackpot!  The beginning of a long and happy friendship.  It's come to the point that we talk every day and discuss everything from deep subjects to the bargains we found that day.  A kindred spirit.  It doesn't take much to make either of us happy and excited.  Did I mention she's the absolute queen - hands down - of bargain shopping?  She keeps annual totals of her savings and the one year that sticks out in my mind is a couple years back she saved 14000 dollars on her purchases.  I may have forgotten to mention how organized she is.  She's trying to teach me.  Trying!  I simply adore her, too.  xxx ooo J.

That concludes the five best friends a person meets in their life time.  I'm certainly opened to more, but gold is difficult to mine.  I love you all.  Thank you for seeing the inside of me.

The last one to mention is not a friend, but I feel a kindred spirit with her.  We've never met and most likely never will, but I was led to begin praying for her and her lovely family a while back.  Her heart is genuine and she loves God.  You can 'meet' her by going to her yoo toob channel 'The Frugalnista'.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNigPnNIWn158F5UimfqLaw


Stay safe.

November, The Month For Being Thankful

Today is November first,2015.  The month that America celebrates Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of the month.  I thought I'd start out the month on Angie's House by sharing those things that are important to me that I'm thankful for.  Most of my list may be boring, but these are the things that are important to my and my well being.  I consider them gifts and know that any of them could be altered in the blink of an eye.  All the more reason to be thankful today.

My family.  They support me in all ways. 

When I had little cash my son in law number two would travel to my house to remove snow in an area that produced snow every day.  He would still do it if I still lived in snow country.  He would also pay for my vehicle repairs expecting nothing in return.

My son who promised his dad that he would live with me for at least a year after his dad passed away so I wouldn't be alone.  He gave up his social life to make sure I was taken care of for that year.

All the kiddos love their uncle.  He's fun, too.

To daughter number one who takes off time from work so she can support me during doctor visits and scary tests.

Daughter number one (again) who has phoned me every night since she's left home for college when she was 18.  She's now in her early forties.  I can literally count on one hand the days she's missed in all those years.

Daughter number one who's publisher is currently blitzing
 her newest novel, 'Undercover in Six Inch Stilettos'. 
As her mom, I'm shamelessly promoting her efforts by
by letting you know the book will be available in 10 days
on amazon.com  Search author Carolyn LaRoche.

To daughter number three who calls me a couple times a week to see I if I want to go on an adventure with her and the kids.

Daughter three with a mom whose eyes closed when the
picture was taken.

To son in law number one who fixes what needs to be fixed and goes to breakfast with me when he's off work.  He takes me to Sam's Club and carries the heavy items in the house so I don't have to.

Son in law number three who hugs me when I cry because my heart hurts.  He's very tall and cleans the high  windows so I don't have to crawl on a chair and changes light bulbs when I can't reach them.

Daughter number two who has her kiddos call me once a week to say good night and tell me they love me and miss me.

And last, but not least, Marley the pup who keeps me company 24 hours a day.  She is so magnanimous that she allows me to sleep in my bed with her.  Her happiness when I walk in the door feeds my spirit with all those things that are good.

You've seen this mug before.  Marley is my 'roommate'.

I'm thankful for my small grandkids who rush me with loud happy cries of "LaLa" when I walk in a room.  And the two older ones who like to spend time with me and are not afraid to hug me or hold my hand while walking in public.  The oldest is twelve.  You know how holding grandma's hand in public may be shameful to some twelve year olds.  Not this one.

I have more grandchildren, but they don't know me well yet because my son married their mom only a year ago.  It doesn't help that they're 900 miles away.



I'm thankful, most of all, for the man I married who would give up his spending money on a Friday night to buy pizza and a DVD for his family, he going without during the week.  He thought family was the most important thing on earth and taught me many things about humility and true love.  He always said I was the smart one, but if truth be known, he was the wise one.  Wisdom trumps smart any day.

Our last dance at daughter umber two's wedding.

I pray that each of you have many things to be thankful for.  I'd love to hear from you, hoping you feel comfortable in sharing your blessings with us.


Rantings of a Grandmother, with Accomplishments Thrown In

It's mid week with Halloween just three days away.  Halloween was always a time to stress for me - as a mother of young ones - because of the creativity factor needed to design a costume.  Thankfully all of our children have inherited creativity from their father's side of the family.  I know for certain that there will be a small Peter Pan knocking on doors in his neighborhood on Saturday.  (Our area restricts trick or treating to two hours.)

A basket full of goodie bags for the grands,  I think my daughters
will be a bit upset with me.  Each bags holds a load of sugar
concoctions.  I know the parents control the amount of sugar
eaten each day after Halloween, so how upset can they get?

The following day the clocks get turned back to usher in darkness at five PM on the East Coast of the United States.  Is our country the only one that changes time in the fall and spring?  I'd be interested in hearing from other countries concerning this. 

I remember the time change was originally brought about for the farmers.  They needed early morning hours of daylight to work their farms.  I'm not sure this is currently necessary because most of the farms are now corporate owned.  (Sad, but true.)

Last night I hopped in the bathtub for twenty minutes to experiment with the detox bath solution I posted.  I used 1/2 cup Epsom salts to 1/2 cup baking soda and 12 drops of lavender oil.  I'm normally an in and out kind of girl, so it took some stamina to stay in the tub for the entire twenty minutes.

Keeping in mind this was the first time I soaked in the detox solution, this is what I found.  My skin is smooth as silk.  I don't have a problem with dry skin except on my elbows.  They are now as smooth as a baby's bottom.  Is it because I stayed in the tub for an extended period of time or because of the solution?  I can't answer that right now.  I do know I felt invigorated afterwards.  I'll know more after a couple more times in the tub, so I'll keep you posted.

My daughter cut my hair this morning in her kitchen.  After the styling and washing I was quite pleased with the outcome.  I know her life is pretty full so I tend to let my hair go for a couple weeks after I should have it cut.  Make note to self.  Stop it!  You feel so much better when your hair is freshly cut.  I also had my eyebrows done this week.  I wouldn't say Italians all have a uni-brow, but I will say I'm much more attractive when the brows are taken care of.

I'm in the process of extending my exercise routine.  I added five minutes this week (each day) and will continue to add five minutes a week until the routine hits thirty minutes.  That's the last frontier to do whatever needs to be done to stay as healthy as possible.

Tonight's dinner will be a package of fresh spinach served warm with vinegar, salt and pepper. I'll add a side of cheese and a glass of milk for protein.  Spinach has so much iron in it(as well as so many other vitamins)  and the vinegar is good for digestion.

This week's major accomplishments are minimal.  I scrubbed down the living room right down to the light switch plates, as well as the master bedroom. The master bath also was scrubbed this past weekend.  Two loads of laundry and an additional one for the bed linens.  I've had the wash ball for a month so I put it out in the sun to rejuvenate.  The powder room and kitchen just got a wipe down this week. Next week will be their turn to be scrubbed.

What did you accomplish this week?  Somehow when the tasks are put to paper, you see a lot more was done than was the original thought.

Stay safe.

Sharing Other People's Ideas

I'm not an internet surfer, but I do have my places I check out each day.  Most time I can't remember where I find good ideas or the ideas are mine.  So today I wrote down a few places I visited so I could share them with you.

Let's start with a detox bath from 'DIY Naturals"  This was on my Facebook page so I saved it to use.  Shame I can't give credit to the person who posted it, I can't remember!  Details, details.

Detox Bath
Handful of Epsom salts (I would guess this would be approximately 1/2 cup.) 
10  drops lavender essential oil.  (amazon has a ton to choose from)
1/2 cup of baking soda
This detoxes and balances the body's PH


The Cutest Ever Soaps and Candles  (Easy as pie, too)
Aprilathena7 makes easy fall gifts that look like candy corn.  Check out her video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agrfjTfWBx4


YouTube channel 'At Home With Nikki' is one of my favorites.  Nikki has great ideas and a beautiful  home.  My taste is different from hers - and yours may be as well - but this lady is creative and informative. In this video she gives tips on decorating with a neutral palette.  Nikki's budget appears to be larger than most of ours, but she does use her resources in a responsible manner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FshWR-59h-k


Another favorite yoo toober is 'Chic Done Cheap'.  Her budget appears to be in line with most of ours as she shops those bargains like a pro.  You may even enjoy her Jersey accent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLtDE9EPbfE


Sundays are a  relaxing day for me as I flip through my favorite videos and drink my morning coffee.  May your day be renewing and worry free.

Stay safe.

Extremely Frugal Gift Craft Idea

I found a craft project that I could create.  Not only could I create it, but the cost is just pennies for each item.  I made page magnets from an old magnet with an advert on it and washi tape from the dollar store.  I know if there was no advert magnet available, I would have to include the cost of store bought magnets.

Page magnets are used in place of a book mark.  You can place them on the side of the page or on the top, whichever is more convenient for you.  AND, they don't fall out when you open to your page.

If I had small children in school I'd make a bundle of these for their teachers as I'm sure a teacher would appreciate the gift.  Making five or six for each teacher to represent holidays sounds like a good idea.

I'm going to try to walk you through the process with pictures and instructions.  If you are interested and any detail is missing from the tutorial, please feel free to ask a question in the comment section.

Supplies Needed:  Scissors, ruler, washi tape, magnet

*  Cut a magnet in two equal pieces, to desired size.  I would suggest the size be no small than 1 1.2 inches long.  Anything smaller and there isn't enough power for the magnet to stick with a page in the middle of it.

*  Place the magnet's magnetic side down on a hard surface.  Space the two equal size pieces about 1/4 inch apart.

The two equal pieces, magnetic surface down.

*  Cut three to five strips of washi tape that will be used to cover the face of the magnet. (Non magnetic side.)  If the size is larger you may need to clip off additional strips.

* Begin covering the magnet by placing a tape strip to the center where the two pieces meet.  This will hold the pieces together and make it easier to cover the remainder of the surfaces.

*  Then continue covering the surface by placing the additional strips next to the center strip of washi tape.  Cover the top piece, then the bottom piece.

*  When the magnet is covered fold it in half at the space that was left between the two pieces of magnet.  Make a strong crease at the fold line.

*  Trim any excess tape off of the sides.

*Open the magnet and admire the ease in which the project was completed.

You can make a holiday series and place them on a piece of stock card or thin cardboard.  Embellish the card in any way you like and marvel at the frugal gift that would please anyone who loves to read, is a teacher, or works in an office.

Since mine will stay at home with me, I used a piece of cardstock
that has an advert on the back.  I made two sizes to see if the 1 1/2
inch animal print one was strong enough.  It was.  Mine are now
in my date book marking the current week's page.  The other is
marking an information page at the back of the
book.  A small way to make life more enjoyable for me.

Heed Your Words - Children are Sensitive

Everyone has deep hurts close to their heart.  Those things that we never want to examine again.  Those things that we perceived as a child as hurtful.  The fact remains that if we experienced them as adults, most things would have little effect on us.

Here's one that I distinctly remember.  I was about six years old and had the most beautiful (my perception) dress with so many under skirts on it that my arms couldn't be placed close to my body unless I used force to keep them there.  The top of the dress was pink and the bottom was grey with pink butterflies in a felt relief that shimmered in the sunlight.  I was so proud of that dress that during a walk around the neighborhood with a happy heart my arms were swishing back and forth so I could feel the skirts.  Every once in a while I would swish my arms and twirl in a circle at the same time.  I was practicing doing two things at a time at a dare from my brother.  I mastered the feat that afternoon.

It was on that day I discovered it was dangerous to be too happy.  As I mindlessly twirled  and swished I was unaware of the old lady on her porch quietly rocking and watching me with disdain. She was not afraid to tell me I was a bad little girl for wanting to show everyone my underwear. HUH?  No, I was swishing and twirling.  How did she get that I wanted to show my underwear?  My sensitive little girl spirit was instantly shattered in a million pieces, never to fully recover.

I now had no where to show happiness.  I couldn't demonstrate it in my home, for various reasons.  Now I couldn't go outside to be happy either.  This one event altered my entire personality.  I became quiet and withdrawn in all things.  My social skills were stunted to begin with, and they suffered an even worse fate. 

I was the perfect little girl because I was quiet and never gave an opinion.  Fear lived within me 24/7.  My cousins didn't connect with me (on my mother's side) because they thought I was 'perfect'.  No, I was deeply injured.  Those injuries still have not fully healed.  I think they have, then some small thing happens and they surface.  I pray then because I know Christ will fully heal my little girl spirit with time. More time.  These things don't hurt like they use to.  I'm an adult now and can rationalize and forgive.  Too bad forgetting is not in the cards.

If I ran into that same woman today, I would laugh and swish even more, then lift my dress to prove she was right.  Therein lies the difference between an adult and a sensitive little girl.

A Nice Weekend Spent With Family

It's pretty cold for these old bones of mine so the camis, knee socks, and long sleeve shirts have come out in full force.  I'm not complaining because where I use to live got snow this past weekend.  Normally there's a frost before the snow falls, but that was not the case this year in the North.  Just thinking about the cold up there brings shivers to the very center of my being.

Saturday was an active one for me.  Daughter three and I went to a yard sale with quite a few vendors at the local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars).  They hold a sale every fall to raise money for the post.  They also sell lunch food such as barbeque sandwiches and chips to make extra funds.  We didn't eat there, but many others did.

I made a purchase that was unexpected.  I bought six vintage plates that I have no where to store or even a use for bur they were so beautiful I couldn't pass them up.  The edges have 14 karat gold trim so they even need to be hand washed.  Since I hand wash most things anyway, that part is not a problem.  They were marked $10.00, but when the man saw me walk away, he lowered the price to $5.00.  What was I to do, I ask you?  Since I recently de cluttered the kitchen cabinets, I'm sure there will be a place for them.  To take care of the use problem, I'll be using these plates each night for dinner.

I fell in love with these plates.  You could say it was love at
first sight.  It's funny because this is not my normal decorative
style attraction.

When we left there we hit up three more residential sales with little luck.  Then home for a rest.

Daughter number one spent the morning at the baseball field with her sons for make up games.  Later in the afternoon she met us at number three's house for an early dinner of spaghetti.  The two of them lined up their kids and walked to a convenient store for cold drinks while I stayed back with the pup and enjoyed the quiet I knew was soon to disappear. 

I have enough quiet at home and also enjoy the noise of happy kiddos playing and even bickering.  Sibling bickering brings a smile to my heart - I do so miss the sounds of family life.

Sunday was a low key day for all of us.  I watched a video about dehydrating food and thought I have lots of dehydrated food.  Perhaps it was time to use some of it to test it's flavor. (Hoping I did things the right way.)  So I got out carrots, green beans, squash, mushroom powder. green peppers and a vegetable stock I had in the freezer.  I made these items into a soup them added a rue to make a vegetable stew which I put on a slice of bread,  I was pleased to note I did dehydrate the veggies correctly as they plumped up and softened to their original state.  The one mistake I made was using stock made from asparagus.  Too strong, but I ate it anyway and so did the pup.

I also decided I had too much celery in the refrigerator so I blanched most of it and dehydrated it.  Even though the celery was cut into small pieces it took about 15 hours to fully dehydrate.  The rest of the day was spent in lazy mode.

My goals today are to wash the bedding and vacuum the rugs.  Let's see if I meet them.  It's not that the goals are lofty, but I've been tired feeling lately - even though my blood work shows no problems.  If there is a day of good energy, I seem to need two days of rest to build up energy again.

Stay safe.

The Sales Are Amazing This Time of the Year

I know I've been missing in action for a week or so.  A number of things have kept me from my keyboard.  One of which this is the season that super sales are happening and I've been scouring the stores to find good deals.  I have found a number of them - some for Christmas gifts.  I won't remember some of the deals but I can start at the Yankee Candle with a coupon for buy two candles, get two free.  Daughter number three and I went and split the cost, each of us walking away with two holiday candles.  It happened on that day they were giving a free votive with any order so we each received a free candle.  (I bought a small item in addition to the split order.)

A local grocery store is having  double coupons up to $2.00 which, of course, I had to take advantage of.  Armed with two $2.00 coupons as well as a few $1.00 coupons I came away with two free large tubes of toothpaste, two boxes of herbal tea at .50 each, free granule honey, (new item on the market), and olive oil for $3.39.  What I like about this store is if they have a BOGO item only one can be purchased at half price.  The oil was half price with a doubled.55 cent coupon.

Out of pocket cost for these six items was 4.39. 
I know there are people who can do quite a bit better,
but I'm satisfied with the deals I got.

We also went to a fabric store that was having 70% off many items.  I picked up two one yard remnants for a total of $1.87.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, but ideas are forming.

The remnant on the bottom is the material that's used
to make fancy dancy kitchen towels.  I'm thinking of
trying m hand at making a couple of those for gifts.

A look through the 70% off rack at Penney's netted two high quality men's shirts for a little over $15.00.

Michael's was on the band wagon with the 70% sales so I picked up 8 pounds of 'gourmet' coffee for  $2.10 each, two which were dark roast.  Those are for me!

I bought a few pieces of clothing from WalMart, but most of them are being returned.  For anyone who's interested they have camis for $1.68.  The sizes are not consistent so instead of fighting it, most items will be returned.  I'm keeping the camis for extra warmth during the winter months.

I had an appointment yesterday and while waiting I did my list for the grocery store, with coupons in hand.  The lady who signed me in showed a bit of interest in the coupons stating that she was unable to take time to coupon and save money.  So this was my chance to jump in and explain to her that she didn't have to be an avid couponer.  To begin by looking only for one type of coupon.  Then as she becomes familiar with that routine, she could move on if she wanted to.  I offered her the address to this blog with the hope that she has a few minutes to check it out.  Our conversation ended at my end explaining how any dollar saved is one that's in her wallet, not a store's.  If you have joined us, I welcome you with open arms and hope there is information here that you can find useful.

Now for a couple frugal hack recipes  to help keep your life simple and hold your cash close.

Confectioner's Sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2T(ablespoons) corn starch
Wiz the ingredients in a food processor until they reach the powdery consistency of confection sugar.  (Icing sugar)

Sugar Sprinkles
Granulated sugar
Food coloring for the desired color
Mix ingredients well in a bowl.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the sugar evenly.  Place in a 350F oven (180C) for 10 minutes.  Let cool.  Store in a closed container.

To close I'd like to leave my reader's with this quote that left an impression on my heart.  I don't know where it came from, so I can't give any credit for it. Maybe a reader will know more than I do.

Just for fun!  The fall decorations on the front porch.
The air has a crisp feel to it so all is well in this
part of the world.

'You look in your neighbor's bowl to see if they have enough, not if you have as much as they do.'

How profound.