Haven't posted for awhile!!

I haven't posted for awhile- been a little busy being a Grammy! I kinda like the name Grammy. I figure Johnny

Haven't posted for awhile!!

I haven't posted for awhile- been a little busy being a Grammy! I kinda like the name Grammy. Anyway, our little JR (Jack, Spanky, Butt Butt, Bubba, Bubsy, Monkey, ) was born Thursday, November 13 at 9:46am weighing in at 8lb 6oz, 21-1/4 inch tall. He is absolutely adorable. I have to keep pinching myself- "yes, I am a Grandmother". A Grandmother! Didn't I just graduate high school, get married and have babies- that is how fast time just goes. We are thrilled. My daughter had a planned C-section and I was all ready and geared up for helping her, but her hubby stayed home for the first week and they are just doing excellent. I have gone over just about everyday, but I did have to work a couple of days and it is pretty rough doing what I have to do here, run up there and work. But, hey, I am blessed that I don't have to work full time at least right now anyway. I made a few meals, and washed and folded a little laundry, but not much else. JR's other grandma lives really nearby too, so she has plenty of help. Incidently, my friend had her baby the same day as my daughter and so did another friend's sister!

I haven't written for awhile and I am ashamed- really wanted to keep a blog up and running. Let me just brag about some good deals that I have come across. I just got back into doing more with coupons (always have done some) and this whole CVS thing too. What have I been missing? Today, I needed a gift for a baptism and I had a JC Penneys $10 off $10 coupon that expired today. So I went and bought the gift and a towel and washcloth to make another gift- spent $10.51- then I had 3 coupons for Yankee Candle (sorry, I am addicted, but only buy the candles on sale or with a coupon- I would eat beanie weanies for a week if I had to- my husband really likes them too and I think candles bless our home) so the coupons were Buy 2 large get 2 free, buy 2 medium, get 2 free, and buy 2 little ones and get 2 free. Ok, now this is also for several Christmas gifts, so I felt like it was a good, frugal expense. In essence, I bought 6 candles, got 6 for free. I am thrilled. They also had some retired ones that they brought back for a limited time. Then later on I went to CVS- I had my purse stolen the day before the baby was born (my daughter did too- right in our driveway (I live on a busy road) anyway, I had to replace some makeup (and a lot of other stuff, but oh, well!) CVS had Revlon Buy one get one free- and I had 2 coupons for Revlon, so I bought a mascara and an eyeliner- both were $6.99 I used the coupons and got both items for $4.99!! I think that is spectacular! I also bought 2 bottle of Coke for my hubby- for $1.89. I also got a raincheck for Viva papertowels- 8 pack for $5.49- it was supposed to be $7.49 with $2 extra bucks, but they were out, but the manager kindly gave me the raincheck for $5.49- a great price! Not a bad trip!

Well, I am going to try and be better about posting!! Having fun with this blogging- I am learning so much!!

Dawn

Thinking Thursday

I have really been thinking of real ways to get on a budget, save some money and not be struggling like we have always seemed to do all of our 30 years in married life. I mean, come on, we are going to be grandparents NEXT THURSDAY!! and we barely have a nickel to our name! We can do better! We MUST do better. I have been reading blogs and other internet sites for all kinds of ideas on working a budget without having to really work outside the home any more than what I have been (about 20 hours)- the more I make the more we spend. We have been doing so good with not eating out (special occasions and once a week for my husband) like we used to. My husbands job has been a bit slower, but we have survived.
The more I think, the harder it is- we need this, we need that- ALL things that our beyond our budget. (A new roof, extensive dental work... and now a grandson! these things take a toll on a budget).
I am encouraged though. I figure by January, when I implement our new budget, things are going to be better, I just feel it. God has never forsaken us. We have ALWAYS had what we needed. ALWAYS!
The current thing I am working on is Christmas. Today, I sat down and made a list. I think it is a pretty frugal list, but lo and behold- it is still going to cost more than I care to spend. That's crazy! I could make more than a mortgage payment with that money. It is crazy. We have no business spending that money like that!


Dawn

Tightwad Tuesday

I am really trying to get into being so much more thrifty and tightwadish! I used coupons this week for the first time in awhile- (for groceries at least). I even bought a nice size plastic file box for them. Visited the thrift store again adn found a frew good items. I have been pretty much a sticler for hanging out my clothes too. It was overcast today, so I didn't hang, but I am pretty determined about it. And a big, big tightwad thing I did today was we had black beans and rice for dinner. I buy the beans and rice in big time bulk and a good batch in the crockpot gives me about 3 meals probably for less than $1. I also made my own detergent last week and I have been enjoying that this week! I am working on a big time budget that starts in January.

The election results didn't go the way I voted. We will just have to pray for our Country. I believe that is what God wants us to do.

Dawn

Now Really Thinking Thursdays

Below was written by a husband of a fellow homeschooler who I met through our Catholic Homeschool Group. My youngest has graduated It is superb. Not being really political, all I have cared about in voting for a particular candidate is whether or not they were pro-life. How can a person run the country (or anything smaller) if they can't defend the smallest and weakest of our people. Abortion is the scourge of the land- I am sorry, but it is. Read the following article- it says what I would want everyone to really THINK about before the election. Just trying to get it out- hopefully a few people will read it!

Posted October 30th, 2008 by Frank Maggio

NOTE: If you’re able to get through this post, I’d like to ask you to visit a website that every American with a passion for numbers (and life), needs to visit. The site’s address is www.ConceiveThis.org. I’m dedicating today’s post to the same people to whom that web site is dedicated - the missing 50 million TV viewers who will never watch an HD program.

You see, there is no plasma in Limbo.

50 Million. It’s a staggering number. Even against the mind numbing $750 billion bailout, or the fast-approaching $10 trillion national debt, it’s a big number. For some perspective, 50 million used to be a barely achievable prime time TV audience, many years ago. Today, it’s reserved for major sporting events – and a road-blocked Obama infomercial, spread across seven networks.

Unfortunately, we can’t reach the 50 million I’m writing about today. In fact, all of Barack’s $605 million STILL won’t reach this audience, and truth be told, the day he meets them, Barack will long have stopped worrying about his pay grade.

I started running across the number “50 million” out of the blue, last week, when a friend sent me a link to a YouTube video called “Did You Know.” It’s been around a while, but I had never seen it before. It’s a pretty impressive mindblower about the expansion of our population, and our technology.

2 minutes and 36 seconds into it, the video attempts to explain how quickly each major media form achieved a 50 million audience. Radio: 38 years. TV: 13 years. Internet: 4 years. IPod: 3 years. FaceBook: 2 years. You get the picture. Interesting enough, but something inside distracted me; “Why 50 million?”

A couple of days later, my wife emailed me a link to “Just Tell Us The Truth,” a video produced by America’s Choice Now. This video is now featured on the www.ConceiveThis.org site.

What unfolded was a four minute stunner. I was transfixed because of the video’s palpable level of candor in its subject matter (which might be considered too controversial for some of our readers), but the perfectly timed soundtrack and raging countdown in the backdrop kept haunting me.

Until it ended, and the counter stopped.

At 50 million.

That’s how I was introduced to the missing 50 million. I couldn’t believe there were so many of them. So I dug into the numbers. I spent all day Saturday reading. Studying. Calculating. Verifying. Crying.

Sunday morning at 9:30ish, I was still immersed in research, and I came across the “World Clock” widget. It, too, is available on the ConceiveThis site. It is the most fascinating widget I have ever seen.

Among a vast myriad of info, the clock silently and methodically counts annual global deaths, every second, of every day. I happened to click the “Death” button between cups of coffee.

Do I need to tell you what milestone happened precisely on Sunday morning? Didn’t think so.

That was enough for me. I got it.

No, really. I got it.

To put 50 million further into perspective, I look at a much smaller number: 2,752. It happens to be the number of Americans who died on 9/11; for the record, they’re not a part of the missing 50 million. That said, as I recall, when we learned that we had lost these 2,752 Americans, the world stood still. Many couldn’t work. Wall Street shut down. The travel industry shuttered to a halt. We couldn’t even run an advertisement during a TV program.

It wasn’t just fear and anger that gripped us on 9/11. It was respect. Respect for life. How could anyone feel good about anything, while the memory of those innocent 2,752 Americans was so fresh on our minds? Smiling was impossible; commerce was disgusting.

4,186 is a larger number. As of today, it represents the number of American soldiers who have died in Iraq, since 9/11. These soldiers did not join the ranks of the 50 million, either. Their 4,186 lives were lost over several years; we argue about the necessity of their sacrifices, but we all respect (and most appreciate) their dedication. Nonetheless, we go on doing what we do; we watch TV, advertise, and find the time to argue about a candidate’s platform on health care for the living.

4,636 is larger than both preceding numbers, and it DOES represent one small segment of the 50 million missing Americans. But with the exception of their mothers, some of their fathers, and a handful of “caring” butchers, nobody knows who they were. Having done the research, I at least know how many there were. They were the 4,636 Americans who died on 9/11, outside the view of the TV cameras. These are the Americans who died in abortion clinics on 9/11. And the same number of lives, on average, were muted each and every weekday that week. All year long.

The analogy helped me to realize that we have nearly two 9/11’s every weekday in America. They happen silently. We are spared the gruesome details, but it happens. I know it’s uncomfortable, but we need to talk.

As members of the media, we need to recognize, acknowledge, and communicate. Members of the ad industry, we need to work together, creatively, to end this massacre of miracles. We ALL need to do something about it. We can’t keep quiet any longer.

I have made Life an issue this election. I agree it’s not the only issue, because saying that minimizes its importance. Life is the FIRST issue – respect for it is the litmus test required of a politician to qualify to represent me. Think about it - can we entrust a President that refuses to protect the most innocent lives, with providing us with elder care, economic stability, and protection from our enemies? Ask yourself - what will universal health care look like if it is managed by a culture of death?

Without getting Life right, no candidate has the proper moral compass with which to make any other decisions - at least not for me and the five little miracles that I am here to protect.

The rules of this game should be fairly simple:

Get Life wrong? Do not pass “Go.” Do not collect $400,000.

Make your vote this Tuesday about the protection of ALL life. I know of at least 50 million who would have agreed.

Frank Maggio is founder of several media concerns, including 7.TV, LLC, and erinMedia, LLC, a TV ratings company – but all that doesn’t seem to be important any longer. Frank can be contacted at FM@7.TV .

Thinking Thursdays

The Bible says to think on things that are lovely, pure. It is nice when you think about the good and simple pleasures in life. Our mind is a powerful force. If we don't concentrate on the good thoughts and surround ourselves with positive influences and peace we can get downright caught up in the ugliness of the world. Call me a Pollyanna (I don't care!) but I think looking for the good in people and situations is always better! Who among us likes to be around people that complain or are just plain miserable? I certainly don't and I try hard to like everyone (really I do). So, I challenge you to just drop the stinkin' thinkin' and get happy! Oh, another thing- make those around you, feel important! For example- I had a Choir leader years ago, that always made everyone feel special, always up, always happy- loved being around him!!

(I don't know why this all popped in my head- but, hey maybe someone read it!)

Wacky Wednesdays

Ok, I will write about the wacky stuff I do on Wednesdays! I mentioned the cloth diapers- well, my daughter is due pretty much any day now with grandson#1 (grandchild#1 for that matter) and for some (wacky) reason- I took up making diapers for him. I don't know how it happened or why- but I absolutely fell in love with making these (wacky) diapers! They are so cute! I even joined Sewyourowndiapers yahoo list!! Crazy or what? Believe it or not, there are other women out there just as wacky as me!!! I guess I am kinda green, or crunchy or whatever the PC term for caring about the natural stuff. Disposable diapers, let's face it are NASTY! What's in them?? Who knows? I certainly wouldn't want to wear paper underwear, would you?? Cloth has to be better. When my kids were babies, I did cloth diapers- not exclusively, and honestly, at that time, didn't think much of the landfill (which can you imagine- ugh!) but now with at least a zillion and a half more in the landfill since then- yuck! So, I know- you are thinking- this wacky woman- what about washing those diapers? Well, the good ol' internet has tons of info on washing them (I guess "green" is in!) basically, you plop the poo in the toilet and put them in a cloth-lined laundry hamper (one with holes)and every 2 days you throw the liner the diapers and everything into the washer- rinse, hot wash, extra rinse and voila! That is it- no yucky soaking (unless it makes you feel better). So, speaking of wacky- I also gave my daughter the gift of me doing her diapers for her! What the heck- she isn't completely sold on the idea, but as long as I do them while I am staying with her- ok!! Imagine the money saved! I also bought her some nice cloth diapers off ebay! On the sewing list I also got a good laundry detergent recipe- more on that on some Tightwad Tuesday!!

Tightwad Tuesday

I just thought Tightwad Tuesday sounded like so much fun. I know there are other blogs that call it that too (I am a big copycat). Well, maybe Tuesdays I will just write about my favorite Tightwaddery stuff! I do like a certain thrift store that has all their clothes for .50 on Tuesdays. Went there last Tuesday and really made out well. Bought several tops and a pair of those tight biker shorts (not sure what they are really called- but I wear them instead of a slip (I only wear dresses and skirts, except to work). I also bought 4 boxes of those latex examination gloves- I like them for cleaning and when handling that nasty raw meat. Speaking of thrift stores, I went to one of my favorites yesterday since I was by there. I did well there too. I am trying to keep my clothes budget at $30 a month, so I better take it easy!! I am a big fan of thrift store clothes. I can't stand to spend money on clothes. I do some sewing and it irks me to pay top dollar for clothes. I am not a professional person and I don't need more than a few nice things- the rest of the time I am happy as a clam wearing a jean skirt with a comfy top (big fan of 100% cotton). Another thrifty thing I do is I make cloth diapers and I will use recycled clothes and whatever for them (more on that later if anyone cares!) I gotta go to bed!

So much to write about so little time!

Ok, I have done it- I started another blog! I really want to keep one going. I mean, I don't know who in the world would ever care about reading it, but, hey, I enjoy reading others', so who could know? There are some very clever and talented people out there blogging and sharing with strangers out there in the world.

Maybe you even read my profile? Anyway, I kinda like the way some people have a different type blog for each day (Frugal Fridays, Sewing Saturday you get the drift). Well, today is Monday- what in the world could I call my blog on Mondays? How about Must-do Monday? I don't know-well for today we will give it a try.

MUST DO Mondays- I don't mind Mondays- I don't work on Mondays anymore, so I do usually have a list of things I MUST DO! This Monday, my mind is kinda on getting some good cleaning done before I go into Grandma mode in a couple of weeks. So today, I did a lot of laundry, detail cleaned my bathroom, put dishes away, cleaned out my main frig (not the garage one today), went to work to get my paycheck- I work part-time at a restaurant, so I had a salad (which in my recent quest to be really frugal and spend very little, was a good deal- I get a 20% discount and free beverage, so $2.40 for a good sized salad isn't bad and I was starving!) I went to the bank, buzzed through my fav thrift store (more about that on Tightwad Tuesday!) and then to my new favorite discount grocery, Aldis which just opened a month ago to my delight!
I made BBQ Beef sandwiches out of some leftover pot roast, making the BBQ sauce from the recipe in Nourishing Traditions. Pretty good, I must say!!

Only 3 weeks and 3 days (or less!) until Grammy time!!