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!!!!!