Promises To Me!!

I have been so ashamed of myself lately for the lack in posting here.

I have decided not to be so hard on myself and to take a breather.  I have a bad habit of putting to many irons in the fire and I get burnt every time.  You should see the blisters!  lol

So I have decided to make myself some promises, these are not to be confused with resolutions (I never keep them!)  But I always keep my promises.

1.     Get it all organized.  My blog and my new debt reduction blog that starts January 1, 2010.
                                        My home, my ebay business and my new upcoming  Esty shop.

2.     Find some kind of outside, part time employment untill all of the above is off and running.  This also goes
                                       will help on the debt reduction.

3.     Make sure that when school starts on the 11th of January, I am ready to go!!!  All my books have
                                        arrived and my courses are all online so I am not making  several trips a week that
                                        are roughly 1 hour driving there and back.  Especially with the nasty weather
                                         getting ready to hit us.

4.     I have always lived for my children and grandchildren,,, never for myself.  I will still live for them but
                                          myself will be standing in front of the line a few more times then I use to.  No one
                                          lives at home anymore so I think it would be nice to come first just once in a
                                          while.

5.     Last but not least I am not going to list things like cut back on caffene(I would kill someone without
                                           my coffee!).  Stop smoking.....I just plan to work on that thru the year and
                                           losing wieght  will just have to happen on its own.  I am not stressing on that
                                           one at all!  Someone has to taste test the cookies to make sure they are
                                            yummy for the grandbabies!  lol

Make some promises to yourself!  They are easier to keep then those stupid resolutions that never work anyways!!!!!!

Heres hoping you a wonderful New Year and lets get thru 2010 together!!!!!!

See you in January!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                                       

I've Been Absent!

I am so sorry for my absence from here for the last few days and that our countdown for Christmas was messed up!
I caught some kind of bug and while I haunted different sites I just didn't feel up to posting here.  I am happy to say I am back to my old self and tomorrow we will once again start our countdown!!!!

Remember :  Reuse, Reduce and Recycle!!!!!!!!

Day Off on the Countdown

I thought I should take a minute and think of the wonderful friends and family I have.  And also the generousity also.

For example:
My son Jeff---free unusable countertops to use in various projects
My parents--- I needed a new stove.  Only one burner worked on top.  Gave us one they had stored away
                       and I got to cook on four burners for Thanksgiving!!!!!
My friend Niccole and her hubby----- had a brand new gas heater and just gave it to us along with a new
                  storm door.
Cowboy----heard hubby complain about TV going out.(top 1/4 of picture blacked out)  came over with a
                    WORKING floor model TV for nothing!!!!

It is truely wonderful to have great friends and family!!!

Count your blessings and remember your 3 R's....Redue, Reuse and Recycle!!!!!!!!!

22 Frugal Days to Christmas!!

Christmas Stockings!

A tradition in our home is that each granchild gets a Christmas stocking from mawmaw and papa.

With 12 grandchildren this can get pretty expensive after a while. Check out your local thrift store for deals on them. Yes, you can get nice ones for about $1 to $2 at the store but I spend 50 to 99 cents on brand new ones at the thrift store. We then decorate them with glitter glue sticks to personalize each one. We also save them and use them year after year. This year we needed 2 new ones so off to the thrift store I went! I also buy extra when they have them to use as decoration around the house.

As you can see by the picture, our banister is getting pretty full. I don't know where we will put any new ones that come along. I need to replace a couple of them. A few accidently got taken home. These are also kept year after year at our house.  I just threw up some old ones so I didn't have empty spots.

Looking at that picture reminds me that I need to get some lights hung up there to liven it up a little.  Of course my lights were bought a few years ago on clearance.

Don't forget!!!!  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!!

20 Frugal Days to Christmas!!!!

I accidently came across what I think is gonna be a neat present for my oldest daughter.

 

A couple of years ago, while at my parents house going through old photos.  I came across a picture of my great grandmother(a wonderful person) in her younger days.  The resemblance between her and my daughter were AMAZING!!!  It was like looking at an old black and white of my daughter!

 

I am getting that picture and and an enlarged copy of it made, put it in a frame and she will have what I think is a really cool gift.!  And it will cost me under $5.00!!!!

 

You can come up with all sorts of ideas if you just take the time to think about.  I don't know what made me think about it but I'mm glad it did!!

 

Remember!!!!!!!  Reduce, Reuse and Recycyle it!!!!!

21 Frugal Christmas Days to Go!

I thought I would share a frugal decorating tip that I have used for years.

Wrap your wall hanging pictures up to look like gifts!

If you have been really good and watching thrift shops and yard sales, you have an abundance of wrapping paper! Add some ribbon and a bow and you have very fiestive walls!!! You don't have to do every picture in the house but I do as many as I can. It will really brighten up the wall and the little ones love it!

23 Frugal Days and Counting!!

Today we are talking about Christmas Trees!!!

The past few years we were lucky enough to have a real tree cut down on my parents farm. Sadly, this year dad announced that there were no trees that could be cut.

I was so excited to decorate that I did a frugal no no. We bought a small tree at the Family Dollar for $30 and decorated it. I wasn't really happy about it but I figured ok, we will settle with it. Only to see ads appear in the next few days with better trees at better cost! Oh, I was not a happy camper with myself. So, lessoned learned there folks, wait a few days. It is well worth the wait.

Decorations are an important part of any tree.

Some people like themes, others only do just so much and call it done. Me? I like the more stuff the better!! I can not stand a naked tree! I love homemade ornaments.

I have ornaments that were mine as a child, ornaments made by the kids and grandchildren, a few small stuffed Christmas animals and oodles of stuff picked up at garage sales and thrift shops. My motto is: The more the better!!!!!

I have one relative that buys new tree ornaments and artifical tree every year. She just throws the old out to the trash and starts over next year. I would love to be able to get to her trash and take it all home with me. She lives to far away to pick it up and it would cost WAY to much to to have her send it to me. I can only shake my head at the waste.

Don't forget!! Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!!!!

As you can tell by my picture, it's a little fellow. But it is nicely covered!

The Frugal Christmas Countdown Starts Today!!!!!!

24 days to go!!!!!!

Are you getting excited?!?! I am. I love the holiays! The kids coming home, decorations, grandbabies, and lets not forget the food and snacks!!!!

Frugal Tip for Today!

Christmas Cards!!!!
Do you stress out about them? I use to. All the writing and mailing. The long periods of writing bothered my hands. I have carpel tunnel in both wrist so it could get painful at times.

Now I keep a basket by the couch full of cards and envelopes. As I watch Christmas programs, I will sign a few and leave the envy blank. Then as we recieve one I can quickly write out the address on one and send it on its way!
For family friends that are close by I will hand deliver them while I am running errands, sometimes adding a small plate of homemade cookies or candy.

Yes, you can send e-greetings thru email, but I find these very impersonal and would rather suck up the cost of stamps. I do however, hand out as many as I can.

I buy our Christmas cards at Goodwill. (can you tell I love this store!!!) Brand new boxes for a lot less then the store!! If you get them half off, you can store extra boxes with your holiday decorations for the next few years. One less thing to worry about next year!!!

Remember your three R's!!!! Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!!

I have been a little behind on my posting with the holdiay craze around here.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We did. And of course it was crazy wonderful with the grandbabies and kids.

I have decided that with Christmas approaching I would let you all know that I will be cutting back a little on my posting . But doing a little better then I am now!!!! ha ha

I will not post again untill the 1st of the December and I hope to get in as many little frugal tips and advice I can while getting things ready for here.
I already have one tip but you will just have to wait!!!!!

Remeber your three R's!!!!!!!!! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!!!!!!

Frugal Funnies

Once again it is Monday! So here is one to surely make you smile.

Ravioli is one of my all time favorite comfort foods growing up. And as my granddaughter, Victoria shows you, it has become one of her must haves!

Christmas Decoraing

I LOVE to decorate for Christmas!! I have things placed in every room in the house.
I can't show you right now because I have a strict no decorating rule till after Thanksgiving!

I very seldom by anything new as decorations. If I di I wait until it is half off after the holidays.
A really great place to buy them is at yard sales. I have found a lot of very nice things.

A really inexpensive idea is to gift wrap your pictures that are all ready hanging in your house!
It makes it look like you have presents hanging everywhere. It's using things you already have!
And if you have been watching ahead of time, you have a nice stock of gift wrap waiting to be used. I always find new rolls of gift wrap at thrift stores and yard sales. Those saved pennies really had up!

Don't forget!!! Reuse! Recycle! Reduce!

Do It Yourself!!!

One of the most frugal things you can do, is to do home projects yourself.

Our family has grown beyond anything we ever dreamed! With 12 grandchildren we no longer had one room that they could all go play in and there were times I would actually trip over someone.

We had already taken out a wall to make the living room larger for holiday gatherings which made our 4 bedroom house to a 3 bedroom. Still room to play was no where to be found. The only empty room was a very small one and it was scheduled to become an office for me later.

We checked out the attic. The only access we had was a small hole in the ceiling of our closet and you had to be a size 0 to fit in it. We cut into the ceiling in the living room and my darling hubby went to work.

Half of the attic is for storage, the other half is for the play room. Because this is a frugal budget it will be a while before it is done. I refuse to blow the budget!!! So painting and a new floor will come as funds are availale. Actually, the flooring is the lamanate wood in the kitchen. When I get the new floor for that, the old goes upstairs. Same as the window! I want a greenhouse window in the kitchen, then the old goes upstairs!

I will have it play ready by Thanksgiving. Just not decorated or finished. But up there, I won't trip over little ones.

The picture of the stairs is what hubby is working on in the living room, with selves and under the stair entertainment center. This also is work in progress, just remember!!!! Baby steps!! Don't blow that budget!!!!! Take your time....

A lot of the wood is recycled from other projects and the 2 landings are actually free unusable counter tops my son got free from his job for us!

The railing is temporary, the one i have in mind is beautiful!!! With stained woood and iron spindles.

Use your 3 R's folks!!!! Reduce, reuse and recycle!!!!!!

Adding On

Have you noticed the new things on the site? I was very excited about figuring out how to add things to my blog!!! I know, I don't get out much.
I am looking everyday now to make my blog more attractive to look at. I hope you enjoy this work in progress!
Check back often.....
Remember the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, recycle!!!!!!

Good Morning!!

Have you started shopping for Thanksgiving yet?
We started last week. I buy a little bit every week so I don't just toss the grocery budget out the window. Last week Walmart had turkeys for 40 cents a pound! I bought two of them. I was going to get one giant Butterball but then came across the other ones. I bought 2 at a cheaper price then the one and came out 5 pounds ahead on meat! With my super large family I will definitly need both of them.
This week I will start buying other things I need.
I will make the noodles and gravy myself. I will buy stuffing though. I love Stove Top more then homemade! So does my entire family. Of course I will buy the cheaper brand but it is just as good to us.
I have one daughter that wants me to use instant potatoes. NOT HAPPENING!!!!!!!! I will make all desserts and rolls from scratch. It's a lot of work but I enjoy it.
One tradition I have is the cranberry sauce. It HAS to come from the can. When my son was little he thought that mommy made the ring marks on it and thought it was so cool of me. He is 24 and all though he knows better now (I hope) he always ask me if I made the rings for him.
I am excited about getting a new stove. I have a flat top one and only have 1 burner that works.
I found a reconditioned gas stove for $20 at an appliance store here and am getting it!!!!! We have been told it is very expensive to replace the burners on the flat top. I would rather have gas anyway.
Have a wonderful day and remember the three R's: reduce, reuse, recycle!!!!!!

Halloween Birthday Cake

I wanted to show you the Halloween birthday cake my daughter made. It was for my granddaughter Chole. She turned 2. Her birthday is the 25th so we gave her a fitting halloween theme.

I was very proud of my daughter's attempts. She has never decorated a cake before and I thought her first one turned out very well.

She is really getting into baking and decorating so I believe that she is getting those kind of things for Christmas.

She didn't like how it came out bt I reminded her that she is going to be her own worst critic. And we had to use frosting from a can, instead of buttercream so I think she still did just fine!

Frugal Funnies

Mondays always get a bad rap. So I thought that I would start the week with a couple of frugal funnies!!! Don't take these serious now, there just here to add a smile to your day!!!!

Are you tired of spending money on beds, houses, etc for your pets and they don't want anything to do with them? In these pictures we have frugal options!!! Just accidently leave blankets in an open dryer! You have instant kitty bed as my Fluffy will show you! Also, that little cat house they all ignore. Give it to the grandchildren! My grandbabies love them!! Andy is always climbing in ours so it has been moved to the play room! I don't have a picture of it, but the plastic rings with balls in them for cats? The one at my mom's house kept Andy busy for about an hour because he was determined to get that ball out of there! I laughed so hard at him I was crying.

I hope you enjoyed these frugal funnies and I will post more off and on as I catch them!!! Enjoy your day!!!!!

I haven't forgotten any of you!!!

Forgive me for being so behind!
About a month ago I had a nasty fall and messed up my right shoulder. Being right handed it has been difficult to sit at the computer for hardloy any time at all.
So I wanted to leave a note to txplain why I haven't been here and starting tomorrow I will be back at full force!!!!!
See you then!!!!

I got a couple of new ideas!!

I got one idea when we recieved a Mily Cirus (sorry about spelling) poster in the mail. No one could recall ordering it and it was from Glamour magazine. ( I do't read that one) anyway......I was going to throw it in my Kentucky bag (thats a bag off stuff to give to kids and grandkids that live there.) and I snatched it out again. Went to Good Will and found a new poster frame. Came home and put the two together and you have instant Christmas gift for a 10 year old fan!!!!

Do you recall those little mirrors that have just about everything on them that are given as prizes at the fairs? I found a very nice one at only 50cents (half off color) It has Bob the Builder on it. I have a 3 yr old grandson that LOVES this character. Grabbed it, came home to my collection of Good Will picture frames (never pay more then $1 forthem) put two togetherand
instant picture for his room for Christmas!!!! YEA!!!!!!!

Picture frames are a must here. With 12 grandchildren I need all I can get. They can be found new, or good enough for a light sanding and hit with a spray can of paint.

I did find a really cute flower shaped clock for one granddaughter. She is 17 and not as easy to please has the little ones are. My dd (her soon to be new mommy) said she would love it and wouldn't know I paid $1.99 for it.

Well, another day is dawning and I have a ton of things to do today!!! I will get pics added to this later today.

I also need to get Christmas wrapping caught up while every one is gone today. No more staying up till 3 am for me on Christmas Eve ever again!!!!!!!!!

It's Monday Again!!!!

Hello!
Haven't posted for a few days.
Took nasty spill on the back deck a few days ago. Nothing broken, just left me feeling sore and achey all over. One of my cats (Miss Boo) didn't like that I was putting a new bag of car food in the deck box. If I leave them insde, she tears them open. So, she went under my feet as I was turning around and down I went!!

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? It's never to early to start!!!
Our Walmart had character lunch boxes clearanced to $4.00 and I bought two. One Disney Princess and one Tinkerbell. I am going to fill these with hair doo dads from the $1 store for two of the grandchildren.

Also, don't forget your local thrift shop or yard sales for Christmas gifts. Some people may not like this idea but I have gotten ALOT of very inexpensive gifts this way. Good Will always has new toys donated. You just have to look at all possibilities.

One granddaughter recieved 3 brand new with the tag Hello Kitty shirts for her birthday. I only paid $1.99 each at Good Will. She loved them!!!!! Cost and place of purchase should not matter to someone if they really appreciate the thoughtfulness.

Buy up candles at these places! Melt down and add your own scents and colors for a truely lovely homemade gift.

I found SEVERAL yards of Christmas fabric at Good Will the other day. I snatched it up and each grandchild is recieving a Christmas pillow case this year. I had a great aunt that did the same for us when we were all small and I still have that case, even though it is slowly falling apart, it holds fond memerios for me.

Thats all for today!! I'll be back with more tips tomorrow!!

It's Wednesday!!!

I hope you are having a great week so far!
After a long thought process I have decided that I am changing my major at school. I finally found something that is me! I am going for my associates degree in Hospitality with a concentration in baking and pastries.
I love to bake and create and after a long discussion with a school counsler I finally figured out what to do. And to make it better, the bakery here in town is hiring for Christmas help and I put in my application. WhenI saw their help wanted sign, and the chances I made, I took that as a sign from above. They are going to schedule interviews in a couple of weeks and I am saying prayers and crossing all fingers!!!!

It's Tuesday!!!!!

Good morning everyone!

Actually its almost afternoon for me. I've been up since about five this morning. It seems that my kitty getting her food was more important then my getting another hour of sleep.

I wanted to show you a do it our selves project. Nothing really big but it made for a nicer front and all it cost me was $6 for the star on the fence.

A little bit more of me

In my profile you learn thatI am married, a mother and a grandmother.
So I thought I would say just a little bit more.
I have gone back to school. I am either going to become a nurse or social worker. It's sad. I am 45 and do not know what I want to be when I grow up!!!!! :)

I love to bake, read, crafts, just all sorts of things!
My dream is to be able to work from home full time. Even though the nest is empty it is what I wanted to do for a long time.

I was layed off from my job in the automotive field this past March and that led to the decision to go back to school and work from home.

If you hve made it this far, Thank You! I hope to be able to keep you entertained and hopefully a little informed.

About my Frugalness

We all here so much about it but how many of us take the time to do it?
When it comes to being frugal I love it! I look at it as a challange. In fact I try to do as much of it as I can and ove to see the results.
For example: seeing the electric bill shrink each month, seeing our debt get a little smaller every month, seeing how much I can make so I don't have to spend $$$$! It's a game I relish!
I don't look at as a chore, in fact, its a lot of fun if you mak it that way.

Ok,,,,, off the soap box now....

Hello!!!!!!

How is everyone today?

This is my first entry to my blog! I am very excited and nervous at the same time about this.

I have never done a serious attempt at a blog before, so please bear with me over the next few weeks (I pray it isn't months) as I figure all of this out!

This is a picture of me (don't look to close at i! I can't stand my own pictures) and my darling hubby with daughter #3 at her high school graduation last spring. I am so proud of her! She graduated a whole semester early and went on to college to become a nurse. That was also on top of working full time and taking care of her little girl. She is geting married next August.



This is her little angel. Don't let the smile fool you!! She can be a regular little stinker when she wants to be!