Staying Home

Wow! This post on Money Saving Mom really echoed alot of thoughts I have been having lately. I feel like all I do is run around chasing deals. I struggle over and over with trying to decide if couponing is worth it or not. I do get alot of name brand food for really cheap. But it does put me out in the stores every week. I spend our grocery money every week 'cause there are deals every week and sometimes I walk away with not a whole lot to put together a meal with. Plus, being in the stores makes me want other things and I come home with other stuff I could have lived without. Plus, I am totally undisciplined with the coupons. If I have 10 coupons for Stove Top, I come home with 10 boxes of Stove Top. That is enough to last us a year. It's ridiculous! I'm doing a little better about that, but still I still came home with six automatic air fresheners the other week that were not really needed. Then, by the time I get home, I am so exhausted that I can't tend to my house and I've yelled at BFG the whole day and have spent extra money trying to keep her pacified to get through the whole round of stores.

On the other hand, groceries are going up due to the inflation of gas prices. And we do get to eat name brand stuff for cheaper than the off brands. And I'm not sure I agree with her about not getting out bargain-hunting for other stuff. If I didn't frequent thrift stores and stuff, I would have missed out on some really good deals like my ink pad storage units. Of course, I do have a very cluttered house with lots of junk. Yard sales are like my hobby. I love them! I love the thrill of finding a deal! I love stopping at Exxon and getting my french vanilla cappuccino and having the morning to myself. Now that we are out in the country though, I'm dreading how much it's going to cost me in gas. I have made the mistake of figuring out it costs me at least $7.00 in gas every time I go to town! Yikes! I really am probably eating up any savings I'm getting.

Sorry I'm rambling so much! I guess it boils down to: Are my deals worth it? Really worth it? Could I be more beneficial to my family by just staying home? Would I really save money staying home more? Could I really give up the deals? Do I want to? Is God convicting me of this through the realization that I cannot properly care for my home and family and bargain-hunt at the same time? Am I just overwhelmed with our house and making too big of deal of this? Lots to think about.

Past My Prime

Our central heat and air installation started yesterday. I got a little nervous. I totally trust the guy who owns the business. I know he's a Christian. But he brought two younger guys to work with him. I had a few thoughts of oh my gosh, I'm all by myself, they could do anything to me, etc. Then, it hit me. I have on an old ratty t-shirt, sweat pants, and clogs with white socks with my hair pulled back in a barrette and no make-up on. I don't think these guys are wanting me. What a reality check! I think in my mind I picture myself the cute young thing I used to be in my low-cut tops and shorty shorts and I am so not that person anymore. I am officially middle-aged! And I definitely dress different than I did 10 years ago. It's so funny that my mind automatically thinks of myself as being so attractive. I wonder if I'll still do that later on in life. I can see myself being 70 and scared that some man will try something on me. Ha!

Mama Said

Hee, hee! Ha, ha! Look What I Found!

Look what I found at the thrift store! Sorry, Jac! I know you are crying your eyes out right now! I found TWO of these. They will hold 30 Stampin' Up! ink pads each! And I only paid . . . are you ready for this . . . I'm waiting for the drum roll . . . that's better . . . 99cents each!!!!!!!! Yes, thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I accept the prize for Deal of The Day! And to make it even better, they are actually a "name brand" of stamp pad storage boxes if you can imagine that. They are Napa Valley Box Company boxes. I researched them just a little. You can buy them off of ebay. I didn't get to investigate enough to see how good of deal I got. Regardless, it's a deal to me 'cause I need them! I probably could use even another one. I am just so tickled 'cause I just saw them laying in the floor at the store and thought Huh, I wonder if my stamp pads will fit in that. I'll just buy 'em and see and I'll bring them back if they don't. Ha! Okay, I'm getting a little to full of myself off of this deal. I'll stop. BTW, I also got 3 dresses and a pair of Liz Claiborne chocolate brown slacks all for 99 cents each.

Dansko Shoes

So, here are my new shoes. What'cha think? Probably the same thought Rhett and I had: They look like Amish shoes. Of course, I did have them on with shorts and white socks when we thought this. They are kind of homely looking. I think they will be supercute with jeans this winter. Anyway, the point of the shoe is not appearance, but function. I have ALOT of foot pain. I think I may have plantar fascitis (sp?). I was looking for Birkenstocks for my said foot pain at this shoe outlet store thing we have locally. Last spring, I found Birks for $25! No luck this year though. But I saw these and had never heard of Dansko. I went home and researched the brand. You can read reviews about them on Zappos. It sounds like these shoes have changed people's lives. So, I went back yesterday and got one pair to try them out. So far, so good. I really think they are helping my feet. People also say these shoes change their posture which helps their back. They are kind of weird, real loose in the back. But I think I really like them. The best part is they retail for about $120.00 and at this store I only paid $37.00. I think I'm going back today to buy a few more pair in different colors and styles. It's alot of money, but I will pay any price to make my feet feel better. Still don't have anything to wear this summer though. Oh,well!

Off to the shoe store and 99 cent day on ladies clothes at the thrift store,

Mama Said

Grocery Outlet and No Turning Bad

I went to the local grocery outlet the other day. It gave me a little dose of reality. Every few weeks or so, I get fed up with the time coupons take and start fantasizing that I could really get food cheaper by going to Aldi and the grocery outlet. I really needed some bread so I stopped by there and was shocked at the prices. After doing coupons for a year or so, the grocery outlet was so high! The food was more expensive than what I have been paying lately and you have to be aware of expiration dates. It's funny 'cause I remember before coupons when I first started going to the grocery outlet, I was bowled over at how cheap it was. Now, their bread is the cheapest. You can get fresh Pepperidge Farm bread for 89 cents a loaf in all the yummy flavors. So, I stocked up on bread and bagels to freeze. And I did find Dixie Crystals sugar for $1.69 which was okay. The best thing I found was Goody hair do-dads for 50 cents each. I loaded up on bows, barrettes, headbands, etc. and an awesome Goody antistatic brush for $1.00! It was worth going even if I did feel a little conspicuous with my Vera Bradley purse and Oakley sunglasses. I wanted to run around the store saying this purse was a birthday gift and I got these sunglasses at a yard sale for $3.00. I'm not rich, I promise. But I withheld and I didn't get mugged. So, all is well. And, really, I am very blessed and rich compared to the average patron of that store. I'm not saying that to be snobby, just truthful. I act like we are poor but in reality, we have so, so much more than others.

Last night, BFG and I were on our way home from town and were listening to one of her Cedarmont kids tapes (the blue one). If you have these tapes and a young child, you know exactly what I'm talking about. She's hit this stage where she is getting really good at memorizing the songs and singing along with them. So, she's singing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" including the refrain "No turning back, no turning back." BFG says, "Mama, why does Jesus turn us bad?" Whoa! Obviously, either me or the Cedarmont kids are not enunciating well. I tried to explain, but from now on we are singing it "No turning back-k-k-k-k. No turning back-k-k-k-k."

Mama Said-d-d-d-d

Sunday Mornings

Man, Sunday mornings are just terrible for me. I'm wondering, am I the only one? It starts off with me getting up just about 15 minutes too late and then I probably spend just a little too long in the bathtub. (But, hey, if I had a shower, maybe I could speed that up a bit. Ha!) Then, it falls apart from there. Rhett is trying to get BFG ready and she's basically screaming for me. This has been going on since she was about 3 months old. I just do not understand why I can give her a bath and get her dressed with her being all smiles and when Rhett does it, she screams bloody murder. Then, I get mad and start screaming, I just don't understand why you can't just one time get her ready without making her cry!!!!! Then, as he gets her ready, I have to keep stopping my getting ready process to answer questions or go get something because for whatever reason, I am the only person on the planet who knows where anything is in this house although the stuff is in the same place as always. Then, I'm screaming, can ya'll just leave me alone for five minutes? After Rhett gets BFG dressed, he sees we are going to be late and is mad and he sits down in the recliner, which totally peeves me because can't he be up doing something to make this process move along like fix BFG's cup and what not? So, every Sunday I yell at him to do something. Then, I somehow get my five minutes and I'm just about ready and eyeing the clock know we have about two minutes before we have to walk out the door and I start feeling pretty pleased, a little lipstick and squirt of perfume, turn to leave and BAM! I see BFG and remember I have to fix her hair. Somehow, I always forget that I have to do this task on Sundays and I sometimes have to redress her because Rhett still hasn't learned that the buttons on dresses usually go in the back and he still hasn't mastered putting on fancy socks. So, then it's a mad dash to brush BFG's hair and get us out the door and to church late as usual. The whole drive to church I'm saying I'm sorry to Rhett and go into a whole pity party thing of how I'm just such a terrible wife. See, Rhett was always at least 15 minutes early to everything before he met me. Now, we are 15 minutes late to everything and I know he hates it so much.

The thing is I really am being a bad wife and mother. It is ridiculous to put my family through this every Sunday. And, yes, I 've read all that stuff about how if you're yelling at your family getting ready for church then you are negating the point of going and may as well not go. This makes me feel more guilty about it although I think it's a little extreme. I mean, come on, I can't get any benefit out of going? That's a little silly. Anyway, I've just been getting a little disgusted with myself lately and how chaotic and disorganized my household is. I want it to be so, so different. I've really got to do something. I'm not sure where to start though. Any ideas? I think one thing would be to start getting up earlier on a daily basis and to quit staying up until 11:00 or 11:30 every night.

Gotta hit the laundry, girls.
Mama Said

Funk

Man, I just can't really get into writing the past week. I think I'm in kind of a funk. I may explain later. Plus, BFG has spent the night with grandparents a couple of nights and I've been trying to get stuff done. I've got 3 projects partially complete laying out all over the house. It's kept me busy and down all at the same time. I hate looking around at unfinished stuff that I can't seem to get done. It makes me tired to look at it.

I think the theme of this month is going to be "Hostage" for us. Now, we've been held hostage for a few days by a rabid skunk in the area. And, of course, I had procrastinated about getting Milo the Superkitty's rabies shot. So, I've had to hold him hostage in the house. I never ever thought I would allow a cat in my house. But if Milo gets bit, we are all in danger. I finally got his shot today, but it takes 7 days to be effective. We haven't seen the skunk lately so I've let Milo back out. He was not happy inside. Just say quick prayer for us that he doesn't get rabies.

So, continuing my birthday story, on the Friday night after my birthday, Rhett and I had the night to ourselves to go out and celebrate my 30 years of existence. I wanted to go to a locally-owned place that is divine with lots of ambiance. It usually has huge lines out front waiting for it to open. I knew it was chancy, but my sister had been on a Friday night just a month before and had no wait at all. Actually, she was embarrassed because they had camped out at the door, made a mad dash to be the first ones, and no one was there. Anyway, we got there 10 minutes after they opened and it was already full. If you don't get in on the first seating, you have to wait at least an hour and a half. So, somehow we ended up at Shoney's. Whoopee. Shoney's for my 30th. Now, I'm not trying to say I'm too good for Shoney's. It's just not where I wanted to go. We did splurge for the Seafood Bar, which I haven't decided if that was a good move or not. The food was okay, but not great and we ended up paying as much as we would have a much nicer restaurant and that was with a $3.00 off coupon. The best part of this experience was having a waitress that has been in jail multiple times for drug possession although the pills weren't hers and because her fingerprints weren't on the pills she thankfully didn't lose her job at Shoney's. The good news is she hasn't been "out of control" with her drugs in a week and a half. The bad news is that she is still in high school and her mom doesn't care if she does drugs as long as she stays home when she does it. I am not kidding. This is a true story. She knew this old guy in the booth behind us or something and was updating him on everything. Then, we had a dilemma: Do you tip a known drug addict? You know what your money will be going toward. We tried to give as little as possible but was still acceptable. To top off our "big night out," Rhett let me go to Big Lots. Whoo-hoo! Yes, Jeff Foxwothy's voice is running through my head right now, "You might be a red-neck if . . . ." I guess I are one. LOL!