Menu Plan Monday

Thought it would be good if I got back inot the swing of things with MPM again, I can't make promises, but I'm sure gonna try!!
I was successful with my new grocery budget this go around, it took a lot of planning and work, but I made it happen!
So here's the line up this week:
~*DINNERS*~

MONDAY: french toast with homemade syrup and cut up cantaloupe
TUESDAY: homemade hamburgers and potato fries with salad
WEDNESDAY:Salmon, brown rice and dilled corn
THURSDAY:Grilled chicken breast and perogies with steamed broccoli
FRIDAY:Pizza Stromboli and carrot/celery sticks
SATURDAY:Sloppy Joes. baked potatoes and peas
SUNDAY: BBQ chicken, coconut rice and grilled veggies

~*BREAKFASTS*~
homemade waffles (apple and cinnamon, plain, banana etc)
homemade pancakes (same)
oatmeal
eggs and toast
bacon and eggs
fruit salad
smoothies

~*SNACKS*~
homemade WF/CF cookies and muffins
banana bread
homemade pudding
Frozen vanilla yoghurt
smoothcicles(smoothies frozen into popcicle molds)


So, there you have it!!
Blessings!!

I thought it was Thursday..............

unfortunately it is only Wednesday. Ug. I like it better when I think it's Tuesday and it's really Friday. Oh well, such is life!

So how's your week going? Last night we had another homeowners class. This one was all about credit. Yet again the speaker was awesome, but we didn't learn anything new. I think it's because these classes are very basic, kwim? There were two things that she mentioned that were definitely not the case for us. The first was that you must either own a home or other large assets in order to qualify for a line of credit. NOPE! Not for us. I qualified about 8 years ago while self employed and renting. Mind you it is very small in comparison to what most people apply for!!lol But still, we have it and are still paying for it!!blech! The second was that it is not possible to live without credit cards. Um, NOPE! We've been living without credit cards for 10 years now, and while it's difficult, it's not impossible. Although, I do suppose if we had a small one and used it for things like groceries and then paid it off before the 21 day cycle (don't be fooled about the 28 day myth!!!) it would probably help up our credit score. We'll see.

In other happenings, Bill's dad left very early this morning. So sad to see him go since the chances of him ever coming out this way again are slim to none. He's seen our new house and tied up some loose ends here regarding Bill's moms banking stuff. So we won't be seeing him until next summer.*sigh* I miss everyone out there so much..............

My mom is coming to visit the kids today and then she and I are going to head out for coffee and then to visit my Grandma. I'm looking forward to it!! It will be sad to see my Grandma is rough shape, but I feel so strongly that I need to see her.

This weekend is busy, busy!!! We are heading out to a historical village for awhile on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to this as they are having a farmers market type of thing and the produce will be at turn-of-the-century prices!!WOOT!!! I like the sounds of that! Then we have to hit Costco and Superstore for groceries. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it. This weekend also marks our first cycle on our new reduced budget...should be interesting.
Thankfully there are so many brilliant Mama's out there with loads info and resources to help me at least make a plan. I know one thing for sure, we are not willing to change our eating habits!! Which, we shouldn't even have to since I make all of our foods from scratch (except a couple of 'treats' and Ketchup!!lol)I am so proud of my family and what they have accomplished, especially Bill.
I found this awesome post over at Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op it's an excellent way to approach living on a budget and not forsaking healthy, nutritious foods.

Still trying to find a Used Toy and Clothing sale closer to home here, no such luck yet. One community has one, but they only allow community members to rent a table...but anyone can go and shop! Umm, as nice as that sounds, I NEED to be in the sale selling stuff so I can purchase the stuff I need. It's how I make it work. Any money I make on the clothing I sell goes directly towards purchasing the clothing I need for the kids.

Umm, what else............oh! I received the first part of our homeschool stuff at the beginning of summer (I'll post pics later) and should be receiving the next part here soon. Some stuff was on backorder. I need to get another order together to replace the stuff that was out of print.
Then I need to put the finishing touches on everyones learning plan (the sheet of paper that makes the government happy!!lol) and we're good to go!!(even though we've been 'going' all along...hehe)

We finally have grass and a finished fence!! Now all we have left to do is stain the steps and make my garden plots.....you have no idea how totally ecstatic I am over having a garden!!!lol A REAL garden that will be all mine from the get go!!! Let's hope I can make it happen!!!lol

Well, best be going for now!! Have an awesome Thursday Wednesday!!
Blessings!!

Homeschooling Post

Whew! It's done!!

here ya go click here!!

Enjoy!

Blessings

It's the most beautiful time of year......

Although why I feel that vastly differs from why others feel that way. That Staples commercial irks me. You know the one.......the kids are miserable because it's back to school time and the dad is deliriously happy dancing around because it is back to school time. Drives me crazy!

Nope, it's almost my favourite time of year! I LOVE, LOVE, love fall. The sights, the smells, nature at one of her most beautiful times! Pumpkin pie, baking, hot chocolate, crunchy leaves, beautiful glowing sunsets...ahhhhhh!!! I love going for walks and seeing all the gorgeous colors that emerge in the fall...strangely enough, it's the beauty of death I suppose.

My Grandmother has been accepted into Hospice, they're just waiting for a room to become available. Which makes me feel strange on the inside when I think that. In order for a room to become available in a hospice means one thing has happened and my heart aches for that family.

My Grandma is doing as well as one can be in her situation. She is not eating, just nibbles. She can no longer walk or do many tasks for herself anymore. They are doing nothing to 'prolong' her life, just helping relieve any discomfort such as pain she may be experiencing. Thankfully, she's in no pain thus far. She's been telling my Mom that she has been on an airplane the last couple of nights with the 'most handsomest man' she's ever seen!!!!

The other night my mother went into the her hospital room to check on her and noticed she was sleeping very soundly....my moms heart skipped for a second so she cautiously approached my grandma. She proceeded to gently rouse her to which my grandmother replied as she stirred, "Am I dead yet?" ROFL!! my mom said "Uh, I certainly hope not because if you are and I'm talking to you we have a serious problem!!" Yes, my family is strange indeed!!

My grandmother has always been subtle and a bit off (see I come by it naturally!!!) it's just her!!!

She cracks me up with some of the things she says.

Like the one day we were talking and she had commented on how much she enjoyed the church service at her care center. I asked if she had any favourite sermon that she had particularly enjoyed recently and she came out with "Oh no dear, I just go for the tea and biscuits after the service" ROFL!!!!! Totally not what I was expecting!!lol

Well, I'm off to finish up a post for the homeschool blog, I'll post here when it's complete!!

Blessings,

Frugal friday

Funny thing that today's topic over at FrugalFriday is budgeting and all that jazz, since that

was exactly what

I was going to write about today. Then it dawned on me that it was Frugal friday so I thought

I'd check

out what the scoop over there was!!lol Must be on a lot of peoples minds lately.

We went to a budgeting class on Wednesday night. It's part of a series of homeowners classes

that

are mandatory for Bill and I to take as part of our agreement with Habitat. The gal who

presented

the class was really good, but unfortunately, I didn't learn anything new about budgeting.

bummer.

We did however, learn about some really awesome programs that are available and we will

definitely be

doing those. The one program is called Fair Gains. We join for a year and each month we submit

up to

$50 into a bank account and we also take part in budgeting and financial classes. At the end of the

year

if we successfully saved at least $600, they will match 3 times that amount!! The catch is, we

have to use

it towards assets. No problem with that! cool, eh?!?!

I'm not sure if they are just for our local area, you can Google 'momentum' and see if there is

one in your

area. One thing though, it is for lower income individuals.

Our income is changing because I will no longer be babysitting my friends daughters, so I need to

get our budget in order. Bill and I have discussed him taking on a part time job to help. We'll see.

Here's what I have done thus far to lower our budget:

-ensure we know the difference between WANTS and NEEDS

-reuse as much things as possible. (ie; wash and reuse ziploc baggies)

-make coffee at home versus buying it

-cut everyone's (except Robbie's!!lol) hair at home

-enjoy free activities

-do not buy:

processed foods, cleaning products, brand new clothing/shoes etc

-make all foods as much as possible, from scratch

- make the budget AND stick to it

-shop the sales for foods and other items you might need

-keep your vehicle with a full tank of gas

-use groups such as craigslist and Freecycle and Kijiji for household items and clothing.

-sew whatever I can and repair clothing rather than buying new or second hand first.

Add to the list where you can!!

We do not use credit cards. It's very difficult in certain circumstances, many places won't even

give

you the time of day without on one 'on file'.

Right now we are in the process of paying off our line of credit from years ago *sigh* and of

course

we have our van payment as well. First things first...baby steps!!We plan on attacking the

remaining

line of credit first.

Since we use something similar to the 'envelope method' I am setting out to make these!!

Aren't they so uber cool?!?!

Check out the rest of the site here for more great info and tips.

The need thing about frugality is it sometimes goes hand and hand with sustainability and

eco friendly

Pretty neat if you ask me!!

Have a fabulous Friday!!

Blessings!!

A Challenge....of greenish proportions

so Amy over at ~MuddyBoots~ posted about a green smoothie challenge, which originated from Jennifer over at HappyFoody!

I am a few days behind the boat here, but in all honesty it's never to late for your health!!

I down anywhere between two to three smoothies a day as does Bill now. Who might I add, was a lot like Amy's hubby about the whole smoothie idea!! Anyone who knows MY hubby, knows what a challenge this would have been for him...if he can do it YOU can do it!

They are yummy, chock full of good healthy nutrition and completely eliminate the whole "I don't have time to eat healthy" excuse. NO MORE EXCUSES!!!!!

You can read all the info about how to go about this at both Amy's and Jennifers blogs, since my cut&paste is not co-operating today! grrrrrr!!

I have a lot of it covered, my biggest challenge I think will be sugar. While we do not consume refined sugar, I still use some unrefined sugar in baking and making homemade teas and lemonade, so does that count?

So jump on the bandwagon!!! What are you waiting for??

Rev up your blenders and get on board with the smoothiEvolution!!

here's my three main ones:

AM:

1 handful spinach

1handful mixed berries

1 banana

1 spoonful of Greens extra energy

1 spoonful coconut oil

water or orange juice or carrot/celery juice I've made with my juicer (usually about 1-2 cups or so)

Blend until a smooth consistency and drink away!!

(I take my Omega oils with this)

Mid afternoon:

1 cup of goat yoghurt

1 handful strawberries

1 handful of yellow fruit (peach/mango etc)

splash of goat milk

raw egg

PM

1 handful mixed fruit (peaches mangoes honeydew)

1 handful berries

1-2 carrots

1 banana

1 handful spinach (or other greens like baby mixed salad greens)

2 tsp MacaSure powder and Greens powder

1 tsp coconut oil

juice or water

*If my muscles are sore or I have general aches from activity, I will juice about 2 cups worth of cherries twice per day to use as liquid in my smoothies. Cherries can and do help relieve pain and inflammation* I like to juice them so I don't have to deal with the pits. You can blend them as well, just take out the pits!!lol

These are just basic, they change with the seasons and what is available and what is cheapest. Bananas are one of the most versatile fruits for smoothies I have found.

Berries are in season right now, so we have been taking full advantage of that and all the fabulous antioxidants!! Bill's dad brought us a big box of peaches and cherries, so I will be freezing lot's of those!!

Get going!! Your body will thankyou!

Blessings!!!

Some of My Fav's and things I *heart*

I have been using this most awesome 'stuff' for everything from general cleaning around the house to laundry to getting stains out of the carpet to getting permanent marker off of our lcd computer screen. This stuff works and it works SOOOOO good. I have yet to come across something it will not clean. The best part? It's completely harmless!! No harsh fumes. No damage to your skin or surfaces!!

Some of you may have already heard of it. This awesome stuff is called

PINK SOLUTION.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this stuff, I HIGHLY recommend it!!

Next on my list is this, these bags are incredible and have increased the freshness of our produce by the very least 5 days and in some cases even longer! Imagine nice yellow banana's for almost 12 days!! Crisp celery for 3 wks!! Apples fresh for up to 2wks...the list goes on! They are reusable and washable, so if you don't mind washing your bags (I wash all my ziploc bags so this wasn't a new thing for me) This will save you money and worth the initial cost of the bags!

Next on my list is this awesome website oh how I have been *swooning* over this place, it's a combination of my fav things. Taking pics and then creating a fabric out of it for sewing!!

Of course you do not need pics, you can use different methods. But let me tell you, it has my creative juices flowing like wildfire!! Unfortunately for me, we do not use credit cards so my chances of doing this are slim to none. boohoo.

HOWEVER, just for today(Aug.20th) they are offering two FREE swatches check out THIS for more info.

Have fun!!

I'll be back with a challenge in my next post!!!

Blessings!

My Life in bullet Form

-yes, this is how I feel lately...bullet form.

-I am beginning to feel rather vertically challenged in my house now, someone did not send the memo that these children need to stop growing...NOW!

-Our food budget is about to drop by approx 39%.......hello frugality!

-We gave away our family dog yesterday. It was for the better, the poor thing was not being given the home she deserves. She is happy at her new home with a doting owner who just so happens to be a second year vet and enjoys a vast array of outdoor activities. It has taken us months to find her, but we were determined to find her the perfect home.

-we finally have grass, now we must dispense disgusting amounts of water on it so we don't need to replace squares. Pray this works out. Any advice one may have on maintaining sod would be greatly appreciated!

-Bill's dad is down visiting for a few days, that has been nice. Although I am sure it must resemble winter for him here.

-My grandma is in the hospital and is doing not so well, although stable.

-OH! It's mine and Bill's 13th wedding anniversary today!!! I can't believe 13 yrs!!!

Since it's time to start the evening routine around here, I'll leave you with this random bit of cuteness:

mariah: "Mommy, do you remember the one time at the old house when I was little"

me:"ummm, yes"

mariah:"and remember when I was on the toilet going to the bathroom"

me:"ummm, yes"(carefully treading this convo now)

mariah:"and remember I felled in and you had to plunge me out!!"

me:"PLUNGE you out?!?!?!"(laughing now!!!)

mariah:"yup, that was funny wadn't it Mommy!!"

Oh dear!!lol

Blessings!