I got some seeds at the $ Store for 4/$1.  I also made out my order for Territorial Seed Company.  I love the Territorial seeds for my main crops, and things I care about certain varieties for.  I love the inexpensive seeds for tucking in corners, planting early, and food I don’t like very much, like kale.  (I think Lovana likes kale now, so I’m growing it for her, but she won’t eat much–Rob won’t eat any)  This huge pile cost a little over $10.  You don’t get very many seeds in each packet, but I’m not thinking that’s going to be a huge problem with things like kale.  With zinnias, I’ve used these seeds many times and just plant several packets wherever I want the flowers.

I cleaned my fridge.  It was awful.  Then, I made a menu plan for the upcoming week based on what I found inside, freezer items, home-canning, and the small grocery list I formed.

Rob was given several items from a friend who is cleaning out some large sheds/shops.  He accepted napkins, tissues, craft supplies (not sure exactly what), some t.p. to donate and some seltzer water.  There may be more, I haven’t looked at it all, yet.

He went and got wood from my sister’s farm.  He figures we have enough stored up there for another year, but we will need to chop some wood this summer to dry for the future.

I cooked quite a few items for meals, but mostly used the rest of the food from last week.  This coming week, I will need to cook more, but I have a good plan.

Thankfully the ice has melted and it’s been pretty springlike the past few days.

Most of my week was full of homeschool, work, and some extra cleaning I got done.  It was a very productive week.

We enjoyed spending Saturday night at the Oregon Coast.  The waves were breathtaking!

My sister and brother-in-law were helping with a high-school retreat with our church.  So, Gail has been cooking and freezing, organizing meals, and planning for weeks, since she was in charge of the food.  She was cooking for around 40.  2 beach houses were rented–one for the boys and one for the girls, plus sponsors.  She went down and got all the food organized, defrosted, etc.  Ron travelled with the group.  Rob and I watched Jake and Michaela.  On Saturday, we drove down to the beach and joined them with the kids.

The teens were still there when we got there, and I helped put a dinner of leftovers out for them.  They had one last singing, message, etc. and then they were off to home, except our girls, who stayed the extra night with us.  Our 2 families stayed the remaining night, using only one of the houses. They were huge, each sleeping 20 people.  They had over 5 bedrooms, 4 or 5 bathrooms, 2 sitting/living areas, a huge kitchen, hot tub, and a marvelous ocean view in each house.   This morning, we needed to clean them up.  Towels and some linens had to be washed.  The kitchen had to be cleaned up and all extra food packed.  Sand had to be sucked up out of the hot tubs, floors swept, rugs vaccuumed, dishes done and put away and counters wiped.  Piles of trash had to be collected.  We had to do a really good job in both houses, because they don’t usually rent to large groups of teenagers, which is why my sister welcomed some help.  And, we did.  In between cleaning, we had lots of time for wave watching and playing Yahtzee.  Some Veggie tales were watched, along with a Thomas the Tank Engine movie.  That place was stocked with so many games, movies and books–my sister said the teens had a blast.

We ate leftovers for all the meals we were there, and ended up bringing home some food as well.  Things that could be saved for future teen outings were saved, and other sponsors took home a few more portable things.  I was able to bring home some leftover pulled pork, breakfast casserole, a few browning bananas which will be frozen tomorrow, and some gourmet snacks and goodies.  Yum!  We had taken a large picnic lunch on Saturday, so I had a big cooler with me, so that worked out good to bring things home safely.

I took the younger kids who got left behind to the store.  I let them choose some snacks and junk food to take on our picnic.  It was amazing how much enjoyment they got from choosing their own.  We enjoyed watching the ocean while we ate our lunch.  Afterwards, we took them to ice cream before we joined Jake and Michaela’s parents.  We watched a glass blower for a short time, as well.  It turned out to be an amazingly frugal weekend, because we didn’t eat out, see any sights that charged admission, etc., but enjoyed watching the waves in the luxurious beach house.

Rob broke a piece of his tooth off in early January.  After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to get in to the dentist on a day off, it began hurting badly and he had to take an afternoon off work to get in to have it seen. He didn’t sleep much all week, due to pain.   Our family dentist sent him to a specialist, and he ended up with a root canal.  This man could see him at 7:30 on Friday morning.  I had a diabetes specialist appointment I’d had for months on Friday morning.  We had Jake and Michaela all night Thursday and they were at our house on Friday morning, of course. The plan had been for him to drive us all, keep the kids in the van and entertain them, and come back and get me.  Not happening.  So, I took all kids, including Patsy, to my appointment.  Lovana went with Rob for moral support.  He was worked on for 1 and 1/2 hours.  It was painful, tiring, and stressful for him.  I was in a car with 3 impatient kids, in heavy fog, and got routed around 2 accidents on I-V, and ended up late.  I was so glad they still let me be seen.  Sometimes they don’t if you are late.  I combined another errand with this trip.  I also took those lovely children to McDonald’s, as promised, and felt very happy with the company for existing and have play structures after all that time in the car and waiting rooms.  It made a great bribe for an entire morning of “goodness.”  I actually have great luck with positive reinforcement with the kids.  They were all 3 good as gold during that long ordeal.  It actually took longer for us to get to my doctor’s than it did to drive to the coast on Saturday.

All this to say, we are very thankful that we have dental insurance for the first time in about 30 years.  We still get to pay a lot, but the insurance will cover a large portion.  Since we have paid every cent of my crowns, filings, etc. for all these years, this is something we appreciate more than I can say.

I worked more than usual this week, including 2 overnights for Michaela.  Rob also did 2 overnights for Jake.  I spent one night over at her house with Michaela as she doesn’t like to be away from home very much.  The other night was spent here.  Rob was in so much pain with the tooth issue, that I had to do quite a bit of the childcare, but he hung in there when I wasn’t there.  I also worked a tiny bit more as there were a couple of times that I needed to be over there (at their house) that I don’t usually need to be there.  It will make up for when I was sick at the beginning of the month.

I only needed fresh veggies, salad stuff, milk, etc. this week.  So, I did not buy more than that.  I have lots left for the week ahead.  We had leftovers, plus I cooked a cauliflower for our dinner tonight after we got back from the beach.  Although eating out was tempting, we didn’t do it this time.

It was a great week!

I wasn’t sure I had anything to write about saving money this week, after enjoying our trip to San Francisco.  Then, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who saved money around here!  Rob saved a lot, I saved a little.

Right before I left, I was given most of a large 25 -pound bag of pinto beans.  The top portion had been used, and the rest was not going to be used.  When it was offered to me, I snatched it up gladly.  While I was gone, my husband soaked quite a few beans.  He cooked some and froze the cooked beans in quart-sized zip-top bags.  He made chili in his dutch oven.  He also made baked beans.  Yum!

Rob also cooked a chicken and vegetables in his dutch oven.  He loves outdoor cooking, and is good at it.  After a vacation where I really, really struggled with stomach issues (I clearly got into some gluten-filled cross-contaminated food, more than once), the simple, plain food really hit the spot.  It was so nice to have good-for-me food ready when we walked in the door Monday evening.  I took some of the leftovers over to my sister’s house and made a simple soup for Tuesday’s dinner.  I was working over there that afternoon, and wanted soup badly, so we all benefitted.

He did do a couple of fun things with the rest of the family that were sad to be left behind, such as taking them to Mod Pizza, a place where you can choose your own toppings.  He’d been wanting to try it, and this weekend was a good time.  He also took Patsy to the YMCA, where he used our pass to take her swimming.  We still receive a greatly reduced rate on our membership there, based on our income.  They went to the movies at the bargain theatre, where the tickets were only $4.

Although San Francisco was expensive, and we spent a lot, we saved on a few things.  We did take a few snacks with us.  On 2 mornings, I ate one of my Luna bars for breakfast, along with little cuties.  Several times, my sister and I both had pretzels or nuts we brought for snacks.  She was able to get breakfast at her conference one morning for free.  On our tour, the driver took us to a market where we could buy gluten-free food, which was a little less than a restaurant.  (They were not careful, though, and I got sick–but we tried).  We wanted to buy lunch at the restaurant, but ran out of time.  My sister got us cheese plates on the plane, which were quite reasonable.

We all shared one room, instead of getting 2.  It worked great.  She was able to write the room off as a work expense, because she was attending a conference for her work, and she had to have the room, and had to be there for her conference, with or without the rest of us.  The girls all refused to share beds with us mothers, instead wanting to sleep on the floor, so we got extra blankets galore, extra pillows, piles of extra towels, and Gail and I each got our own beds.  They say we snore too loud.  I have no idea what they mean, I couldn’t hear a thing while I was sleeping soundly, alone, like a queen, in my bed….

We got passes on our phones where we paid a flat fee and rode the public transportation as much as we wanted while we were there.  It was certainly cheaper than renting a car.  Parking was very expensive and scarce.  We were glad to not deal with it.

So, in the end, I guess Rob saved the day, or should I say week…and kept it frugal here at home, while J and I galavanted.

Rob made biscuits and gravy.  He used a packet of biscuit mix I got for 50c at Grocery Outlet.  This way, he can have regular gluten-filled biscuits without contaminating the kitchen, and that is far less expensive than our normal gluten-free biscuits.

I made the cheesecakes again.  This time, I used a pint of canned blueberries to make the sauce.  They were delicious.  We were having a family get-together for my niece, Rachel.  She is leaving this week for Ireland.  She will be gone for 6 months on a mission trip.  We will miss her, but are very excited for her to have this opportunity.  The first 3 months will be in Ireland and the 2nd 3 months will either be in South Africa or SE Asia.  I’ll be excited to see where she lands!

I used my new Instant Pot as a slow cooker and made vegetable-beef soup. It cooked in 7 hours on low, but could have gone longer without being overcooked.  I was pleased.  My old crock pot would have given me raw veggies after 7 hours.  It was simply not working.  We ate that soup several times this week.  I also cooked some noodles and opened a jar of pasta sauce I got at Winco for $1.19 and several people have eaten that this week.  One night, Rob barbecued chicken and steak from the freezer and we had that for a few meals.  We used some 79c hot dogs, too, some home-canned green beans and jars of fruit, like peaches.  Because I am still recovering from the flu, we wanted easy meals.  I’m not eating much and the girls never do.  So, food is lasting a long time this week.

When I realized that 2 library books had been overlooked when we returned the rest of them, I got on-line and renewed them.  I still will have to pay a fine, but it will be lower than it could have been.

It’s been really, really cold.  We had another big snow and ice event. Last Sunday, church was cancelled and on Wednesday, it was cancelled again.  That’s pretty rare for our part of Oregon!  Rob missed yet another day of work, due to the schools being closed.  Once the snow landed on the ground, it stayed.  In fact, there is still quite a bit out there after a week.  It’s supposed to thaw this week, maybe tomorrow.  I won’t complain.  We heated our house with wood during this time and have been very comfortable.

I went to 2 estate sales with Rob yesterday, mostly because I was feeling house-bound and wanted to spend some time with him.  I found a few rolls of non-Christmas wrapping paper and a lunch bag for Patsy for a grand total of $1.  Rob got a cast-iron cook book that looks brand new for $2.  He loves making things in his cast iron when we are camping, and sometimes when we are not.

We made camping reservations for the upcoming months.  It costs us $8 per time we go, because we use our foster/adopt park pass.  So, it makes it very affordable.  We need to come up with gas money, but take our own food.  We usually save up a bit of “fun” money, but never spend much.  We always have a blast.  Although the trips are still a ways away, we are getting excited about going.  It feels like forever since last summer!  It’s a good thing to think about when the yard is covered with snow, for sure.

Recently, I was sick.  The kind of sick where I couldn’t do anything but lay on the couch, waiting to get better.  During this week of enforced rest, I watched numerous tv shows, looked at countless blogs, and read several magazines.  While watching all of this tv that I would normally not have time for, I ran across a show about saving money.  I thought I’d have an interest, obviously, so I watched several episodes.  I was appalled.  Instead of joyfully saving money, the people on the show lied, cheated, stole, and were otherwise quite miserable in their quest to economize.  I learned a lot about what I would never be willing to do to save money.  Since the most popular posts on my blog deal with saving money, I thought I’d pass along my thoughts

Balance is the key with saving money, along with everything else in life.  Quality of life is important.  If a person gets to the end of life with lots of money, but is miserable and has been miserable for years, what have they gained?

In the show I watched, some of the houses the people lived in were dumps.  They were filthy, unkept, and unattractive.  They said they kept them this way to save money.  In my opinion, this is not necessary.  Soap and water are very cheap.  There are many home-made cleaners that could be used, or cleaning supplies can be purchased with coupons or from the dollar store.  At my house, I use rags for cleaning.  When an item is worn out, I cut it into pieces.  These pieces are stored in a basket in the garage in a place where they are easy to grab.  When we are done cleaning, I wash them.  I do keep a few paper towels for really gross messes, but we mostly use rags for all of our cleaning.

Paint and decor can add up.  I would suggest that if you are on a tight budget, you save up for a can or two of paint, and then go to yard sales of thrift stores for decorations.  You can also craft items.  Sometimes friends or relatives are finished with an item, such as a couch pillow or a picture, and they are looking for a home for it.  If it fits in with your decorating scheme, gladly accept it if it is offered to you.  On the flip side, don’t take or buy everything that is offered or is on clearance, you may end up with a cluttered mess.  Sometimes furniture can be found second hand on Craig’s List or at a yard sale or thrift shop.  Rob found a dresser we needed at a second-hand store for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Although I’m sure some of the show I watched was dramatization, I was not amused when some of the participants actually stole things in the name of frugality.  One main tip from a person was to go into restaurants and take large handfuls of things like napkins, ketchup, and disposable cups, etc.  They suggested that you “never buy those things again” and, instead, just keep going back for more.  That’s wrong in my book.  The owners of the restaurants have to pay for those things—they are only free to the one who just stole them.  Instead, use dishes and wash them.  Seems obvious, doesn’t it?  At this house, we do not have a dishwasher.  We are still making out just fine.  There are times when we do want paper, though.  There are several ways to obtain inexpensive paper plates for times when they are useful.  Sometimes you can get a large quantity for a low price from a place like Cash and Carry or Costco, or from Amazon.  I actually have several boxes of them that have been gleaned from yard sales, thrift stores, or given to me by people who were cleaning out.  We are not picky about the pattern, i.e. we will use Thanksgiving plates any time of the year.  Many people on the internet use cloth napkins.  We do not, but I can see the value of them.

One of the most helpful things Rob and I do to manage our money is to have regular “meetings” about money.  These consist of a short talk where we go over our budget, bills, and upcoming expenditures.  We make a plan about what and how we are going to handle each item (i.e.: pay the bills, do we want to buy this or that, etc.) and then we pay the bills. This keeps us on the same page as each other.  We both know if we have money to spend on extra items, and what we have in savings.  I was saddened to see husbands and wives lying to each other on the show I watched.  Some people were hiding money from the other partner, and outright lying about what funds were available or in savings.  I believe that we have more harmony in our marriage and more happiness even though we likely have less money in the bank than those people did.  It is much easier for me to face a “short” month if I have someone to do it with.

The last thing I noticed about the show is the level of unhappiness for everyone concerned.  The families of the “cheap” person were miserable and embarrassed as they witnessed the “cheap” person be vocal in trying to get the clerks to lower the prices of the items or charge less for meals, etc.  They were often without any small comforts in life in the name of frugality.  Some wore very outdated, dowdy clothing when attractive clothing was the same price at a thrift store.  Underneath the surface, it was easy to see the anger simmering in the people who were getting to live this lifestyle because they had no control over the choices others were making for them.  I’m mostly talking about children, but I also saw a wife or two who were very unhappy.  I’m quite sure those children will run from that lifestyle as fast as they can as soon as they can.  I would not be surprised if some of the couples end up splitting up.  Even the “cheap” person did not often seen very happy.  They seemed so concerned with saving money that it overshadowed everything else in their life.

So, I’m going to continue to save money when I can.  We work pretty hard at it around here, and will continue to do that.  But, I’m going to keep striving for balance.  When we can figure out a way to do something fun, we will do it.  When we can afford an item I think we just want, we’ll buy it.  I don’t plan to worry or stress about it, but instead enjoy my life the best I can, and hopefully stay frugal–not cheap!

We got hit with snow and freezing rain this week–again.  We’ve had more of this wintry weather this year than I’ve seen for a long time.  So, I would say being snowed in saved me a lot of money, BUT, I sent Rob and a couple of the girls out to get supplies for the storm and …..let’s just say we are well supplied for this 2-day storm:)  All kidding aside, I was grateful that they could get some milk and things and Rob also found spiral sliced ham for only 98 cents per pound, so he got one.

I have been sick since Thursday, so I guess I saved money by not going anywhere, and not eating:)  Our extended family is very generous and has graciously shared the flu bug–back and forth between us all.  I think each one gets a little different strain….anyway, hopefully we will all soon be on the mend.  I’ve really only been sleeping, watching tv (really sleeping with the tv on), and have crocheted a little bit.  Did I mention sleeping?

Patsy amused herself by making a couple of “snow cones” from snow and grape juice.

Last Sunday, we had the traditional Rob, Alissa and Jake birthday party.  Rob and Alissa have celebrated each year for the last 17 years, without missing even one.  Jake joined in 9 years ago.  In fact the first time we ever saw him was sitting in a carrier on a table at Chuckie Cheese, where Alissa had dragged Rob for the party (his nightmare venue, but she’s always had him twisted around her finger).  Her birth mom had given birth to a little boy, but, unfortunately,  it wasn’t going to work out for him with her, so he came to live with his big sisters.  It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed.  Ever since Jake came along, Rob gets to share a really cook cake!  Notice the Hot Wheel car.  I will say, Jake decided to keep the car–big surprise.  The best year’s cake was the year where it was a Beauty and the Beast cake–with one end decorated like Beauty (with Alissa’s name) and the other end…….Yep–Rob!

On Christmas, Rob wrapped Alissa’s gift in zip ties–like 50 or more of them.  It was a gift card, so wrapped that way easily.  He loves to play tricks on the kids sometimes like that.  (He super glued Steven’s in a few tins nested together).  She repaid the favor for his birthday, wrapping his gift in a LOT of boxes and duct tape.  Fun!

It was great our son-in-law, Keith,  and oldest daughter, Abbie, could join us for the birthday party.  He works long, strange hours, so we did not get to see him on Christmas.  It was a great day!  You can see my niece, Rachel, dimly in the upper left corner–the lighting was really bad for pictures that day.  She is getting ready to go off to Ireland soon–we will miss her, but she will be back in 6 months or so.

In years past, the parties have been more elaborate, and sometimes in places other than our homes.  We find that we almost always end up at someone’s house these days.  It just gives us more time to visit, the special needs kids are not overwhelmed and so we all have more fun, and we can eat what we want–so many special diets nowadays.  The lowered price tag is an added bonus.

Rob hauled another load of firewood down here from my sister and brother-in-law’s farm where we stayed this summer.  He just fills the back of the van up with wood when he goes up there to give them the boxes he has unpacked. He emptied a lot over the break.   (They will use the empty boxes in their u-pick peach business next summer)  We still have a pretty good pile of wood up there, thank goodness.  This winter is cold, and we are heating with the wood stove insert, exclusively.  The camper is being heated by a small electric heater during the cold spell to keep pipes and things from freezing up, but the stove keeps the house plenty warm.  We do have Ja’Ana bring in a pile of wood each night, and Rob gets up and stokes the fire during the night during these super cold nights.  Otherwise, we just rebuild it in the morning.

It was a good week! (Except for the flu)

My husband, Rob, came home from my sister’s farm the other day with a small bucket 1/2 full of kiwis.  They were from her kiwi bushes, which had a bumper crop this year.  She’s been keeping them in her garage!   It took a little while for them to ripen up all the way, but today at lunch, we enjoyed a whole bowl of tasty slices.

I cooked enchiladas using turkey frozen at Thanksgiving.  I made Mandarin chicken one night.  I’m using lots of canned and frozen items right now.

I had a really good time experimenting with my new InstantPot that I received for Christmas.  I made whole grain rice in it, using up several bits and pieces in the bottom of bags–so it was all colors.  I also made refried beans and had them in the freezer within 1-1/2 hours from when I started.  That was nice.  I think the rice still took about the same amount of time, but it was nice to push a button and be able to walk away, shower, do my hair, etc. while it cooked.  I’m sure I’m behind the times, but I had not seen one of these before, and I’m really excited about learning to use it.

We made smoothies several times with frozen berries from our freezer.  Since I did not preserve by canning or freezing last summer, everything must go!  Everything in the cupboard or freezer is over a year old now,  but still fine.  The smoothies were great!

I used frozen raspberries to make the mini cheesecakes again, this time for our family birthday party we are having tomorrow.  I will buy 1 small carton of berries to garnish with, but I’ll get them in the morning so they are super fresh.  When I tasted the sauce (juice from berries thickened with cornstarch and sugared) it tasted a lot like the raspberry syrup we have canned in the past.  Next time, I may just open a jar of that.  I have several I need to use.

I didn’t need many groceries this week, so I waited until Friday and then just bought the very few things I needed.  I am trying to empty out the fridge a bit from all the holiday food before filling it up again.  I had more time to cook this week, as both Rob and I were on vacation.  Tonight, for New Year’s Eve, Lovana decided we should have a family party at home, so she and Rob ran in and got some ice cream and chips and a Redbox movie.

While I was at the outlet mall with the girls on Tuesday, I bought a couple of things to perk up my wardrobe for really good prices.  I am being really careful to not buy too many things since I don’t have anywhere to put them.  But, since I am using fewer clothing items over and over again, they are showing signs of wear and tear more quickly than when I used to have more clothing items in my much larger closet.  I was given gift cards and $ for Christmas, so I’m looking forward to shopping later for a few more things.

I’ve been spending some of my extra time this week crocheting.  I’ve been experimenting with a new-to-me kind of yarn.  It’s Lion brand and is called Scrubby Sparkle.  The large green “lime” on the left turned out to be a big surprise.  I picked up a direction sheet from JoAnn’s when I bought the yarn.  I thought I was making a small scrubby for washing dishes.  Instead, after following directions, it turned out to be as big as a dishcloth.  So, I looked up a pattern on the internet and made a few scrubbies as well.  The multi-colored ones are done with 1 strand of white Scrubby Sparkle and one strand of leftover Lily Sugar ‘n Cream yarn from the dishcloth.  I love that I found something to do with the little bits of yarn that are always leftover.

Michael’s was running a really good sale on the Sugar ‘n Cream yarn, $1.50 a 2 or 2-1/2 ounce skein, so I went and got a big bag full today.  That’s the best price I’ve seen for a long time around here. I plan to make quite a few dishcloths in the upcoming months.  Yesterday, I also bought a 3-pack of blank dishcloths using my 50% off one item at JoAnn’s.  Because I live in town now, it’s easier to just stop in and get 1-2 things.  I love to do embroidery and people enjoy getting towels for gifts because they can always use another towel:)  I love getting the towels themselves on great sales.  So, whenever I’m in the store and have no other use for my coupon, I get a pack of towels.

We were able to go for dinner at some friends’ house on Wednesday.  It was so good to spend time with good friends.  It’s harder to see people because we have moved out of our previous area.  So, we were delighted to make it work this week.

Merry Christmas!  I hope each and every one of you had as nice of a Christmas as our family did.  It was very special.

Although “saving money” and “Merry Christmas” do not seem to go together, we were able to keep the spending under control during this holiday season, while still having a great holiday.

On Christmas Eve, we took Rob’s mom out to lunch.  We took the gifts for his sisters for her to give to them on Christmas Day.  So, no need to mail anything.  We spent a while visiting with her, both at her house and at the restaurant.  Now that we live a distance from her, it’s harder to get time with her.  I’m glad it worked out for Saturday.

Then, we returned home (over an hour away now), and got ready for our small family Christmas Eve.  We chose to go to church, then eat, do presents, then played Apples to Apples. (We always do our presents on Christmas Eve as a immediate family) Because we spend so much time with extended family (which is wonderful), it was important to me that the evening was made special for just our girls this time.  I made individual raspberry cheesecakes that were a huge hit.  I modified them to be gluten-free. Although I splurged for one carton of raspberries, I was able to use frozen ones from our old place for the rest of the sauce, making it very affordable as a Christmas treat.  I did not choose to purchase mint, but it would have looked even better with mint on top.  I will be growing a bush here, as I did at my old place, once I get organized in the spring.  Ja’Ana whipped up some pickle/cream cheese/lunchmeat rolls and Lovana stirred up some spiced cider in the crock pot.

We cut down on gifts for the big girls, at their suggestion.  We eliminated all little, easy-to-lose stuff and most candy from the stockings and instead gave them gift cards or cash, plus 1 or 2 small things they wanted.  We put a tiny bit of candy and an orange in there, and they were fine. In the end, we spent less, and they can shop for bargains.  J wanted money for our upcoming field trip to San Francisco, so that’s what she got.  L wanted a Macy’s gift card to buy some clothes, so we did that.  Because Patsy is younger and wasn’t quite on the same page, we gave her a few gifts we knew would please her.  Rob and I gave each other some things we needed, such as a new lunch container for Rob’s days at school, an umbrella, etc. for him and he gave me some nice things I needed, too.  We both feel really good about what everyone got, and that we stayed in budget.

We reduced the amount of gifts we gave.  Some people that got one in the past did not get one this year.  I was able to put together nice gifts for Rob’s co-workers with home-made caramel corn, soap and a dishcloth or dishtowel I crocheted or embroidered, for not much money out of pocket.  One lady liked the caramel corn so much, she offered to pay Rob to make some for her to give away.  He gave her the recipe:)

I did not buy Christmas and Thanksgiving outfits for the girls this year, for the first time in years.  I sewed Patsy a festive skirt from some fabric that was in the shop, plus a $2 pattern.   I did need to buy some thread as well.  The biggest challenge with that was finding my sewing stuff–I’m still a bit mixed up here, but I found enough. Rob got Ja’Ana a sweater at Ross Dress for Less for $6 and she wore it on Christmas Eve with jeans she already had.  My sister got them clothes for Christmas and they love them.  They got money to go shopping with, as well.  We are going to take them to an outlet mall this week so they can spend their money.  I’m pretty sure it will be on clothes, but we’ll see….

For extended family, we were able to find some nice things, but did not go overboard there, either.  On Christmas day, we went to church and then spent the day at my sister’s house, doing fondue and spending time together.  5 of our kids were there, plus cousins, aunties, uncles and grandmas.  We missed the ones who couldn’t make it, but are already planning another get-together for next Sunday, where others will join who couldn’t yesterday. Everyone brought food, and we deep-fried, cheese-dipped, and chocolate-fountained to our hearts’ content.  The weather was lovely, and mild, and the view of the river from my sister’s house was serene and peaceful.  Everyone was happy, and there was peace on earth, in our house, at least for a day.  There’s not much more I can ask for:)

We enjoyed our brief snow day!  The kids had hours and hours of fun, it was free, and they were very tired for  2 days.  Win-Win-Win!!

When I got home, it was pretty much melted there.  I do want you to notice the little garden, though.  Believe it or not, the lettuce made it through!  I think this week will finish it for sure since it’s supposed to get really cold later in the week, but I think it’s Energizer bunny lettuce–just keeps going and going.

Several weeks ago, the glass plate broke in our microwave.  One day, it just cracked in half. This is the microwave that came with the house, so I believe it’s pretty old.  We looked on-line and the replacement was $55-$60.  I’m just stubborn enough that I would not pay that for one.  There were several options that were considered, and my niece, Alissa, got extremely creative in finding ways to cook her food without burning it.  In fact, she may do a guest post soon on “What to Do When the Glass Tray Breaks in Your Microwave.”  Since some of her ideas were pretty entertaining to watch, I may have her share them.

The obvious choice ended up being the one that worked–Rob finally found one at Goodwill for $5.  It had ended up being pretty hard to find the time to shop enough to find the glass, but he did at last.

We had a family candy making party.  We did a batch of caramels and one batch that turned into toffee–I think that one got boiled a little too long somehow.

We went to a ceramics studio and had a few of the girls make a couple of gifts for Christmas.  It was nice to give them a chance to make something useful, while doing some art.  Everything is provided at the store.   For an activity that we do not plan on doing often, it is a great deal to find a place that provides all of the supplies–from paint, glaze, brushes, and firing, included in the price.  To buy one of each would be cost-prohibitive for me.

We’ve been building lots of fires.  It’s been cold.  It’s great we have all of that wood.

Lots of meals have been cooked at home, but I’ve also been gifted with quite a few meals from my sister.  We often share food back and forth when we make big batches of things.  This week, she also gave me some leftover Mexican food from the party she had catered for her business party.  It was so good, I ate it for both breakfast and lunch today.  Yum!

Rob made a lot of caramel corn to give for Christmas presents.  I had some crocheted dish cloths I had made over the last few months (keeps me busy) and we were able to get a great deal on hand soap on Saturday.  So, it’s a small bag of caramel corn, and a hand soap with a hand-made dish cloth wrapped around it.  It’s perfect for his new co-workers.  Although each gift was less than $5 for supplies, they are very nice. In fact, when out shopping, I saw caramel corn for sale for almost $5 for the same amount–pre-packaged.   We will make some more fresh caramel corn closer to Christmas for some others we know will like it.  WE can hardly leave it alone—really tasty.  If you want to make it–it’s a Taste of Home recipe–Courtside Caramel Corn.