In The Refiner's Fire

No photo today - we're getting ready for month-long company (my parents) starting Monday and we needed to stock up a few things before they arrived.   We're using our May grocery budget this week (since May starts tomorrow) so we had $80 for the two weeks starting today.  We have another $5 for next week (milk and bananas).  Then we have another $80 the two weeks after that. We spent $75 and change today at Sam's Club.  Here's what we bought: 25 pounds of flour 2 pounds of strawberries 5 pounds pears 3 pounds bananas 2 large boxes of Cheerios  large container of rolled oats 6 pounds of ground beef 5 pounds of chicken breasts 18 cups of yogurt 2 gallons of milk We still have apples and a pineapple from last week as well a spinach, lettuce and carrots.  We also have pork loin, sausage, bacon and shrimp in the freezer.  There are quite bit of frozen vegetables and fruit in the freezer too this week.  I think we'll...

Wow!   I can't believe I haven't posted here for two weeks!  I totally didn't mean to leave you hanging. We had company for several days and we're heading into the last few days of my semester at school and the end-of-the-year events for the children.  John has had several interviews for his first Call and we're in the middle of planning, cleaning out for packing if we have to move and trying not to get too nervous or excited. It's been quite the pair of weeks in any case! We've had some pretty frugal things happen as well as a few frugal flops.  I'm hoping to do a separate post next week on frugal flops, but here is the good stuff! * Made chili, two kinds of soup, cornbread, biscuits, muffins, pancakes, pizza, breadsticks, calzones,  and waffles from scratch. * Took lunch to work every day except one, which was a lunch meeting.  My husband ate breakfast at work one morning during a breakfast meeting. * My mother-in-law treated us to ...

I'm having a hard time believing that we're already halfway through April!  Sheesh.  Time flies. We've gotten a few things done but I haven't gotten as many as I would like to get done by this point. I feel like I have a lot to do and my health hasn't been cooperating very well.  I'm praying this week will better! My weekly/daily to-do lists are more specific than this but this hits the high points for what I need to do this month.  Here's where we're at this week: * Finish reading that other book for my research I finished a few pages to finish a chapter. I have about 4 more chapters to go. * Write at least 3500 words this month - I'd like to write 5000. I have written about 300 so far. * Finish three house projects this month (on the docket: replace a door knob, paint the stairwell, paint the one repaired kitchen wall).  The door knob is replaced! * Prep one unit for my summer class. Those of us that teach this class are all meeting nex...

We're so spoiled by these beautiful bulletin boards at church!  They make me smile every time I see them! It's been a week and I'm happy that last week is done.  I was having a very bad shingles week and there were several other things that make us reschedule a sleepover for one of our children and just kept me home and quiet most of this weekend. John and Buddy ran to the store this weekend and we kind of bought "whatever" and blew the grocery budget out of the water - not badly, but blown nonetheless.  I was totally okay with that since I was in enough pain that making anything was totally out of question and John has evening meetings many days this week so I'm happy to plan for "just in case" of having another week like the last one.  They bought mostly fruit but also bought lunch meat, bread, and cereal that the kids can easily get themselves if I'm not up to much this week. Here's what we're eating this week: Sunday, April ...

  So we had such a busy weekend, that John and I ran to the store on Friday evening - late enough that it was dark when we got home!  We spent far more than we had originally planned because there were some spectacular deals and we didn't want to miss them.  We definitely don't need much over the next few weeks now!  I bought enough that I had to take two photos!     Photo #1: 10 cans 15oz canned vegetables @ $0.39ea = $3.90 (39-cents each!) 10 lbs Russet Potatoes @ 2/$3 = $3 (30-cents/pound!) Baby Spinach (1lb) $4.99 3.38lb Gala Apples @ $1.49/lb = $5.04 2lbs Strawberries @ $1.77 each = $3.54 3.75lbs Yellow Bananas @ $0.59/lb = $2.21 4 packages frozen fruit @ $2.50each = $10 Kemp's Skim Milk Gallon $3.79 3 Dozen Eggs @ $0.79/dozen = $2.37 (79-cents/dozen!)   Photo #2: 2 Loaves Bread @ B1G1 = $3.59 2 1lb Lunch Meat @ $3.00ea = $6 Cantaloupe $2.50   Total Spent: $50.93 Total Saved: $23.59 (according ...

Thanks to Winnie the Pooh and A.A. Milne for the title of today's post!  I'm proctoring a test right now and outside the window it looks more like early December - light snow and lots of WIND.  The snow is currently "falling" in every direction you can possibly imagine and I'm very grateful that I'm inside where there's heat and no wind!  I had hoped to do some yard work this weekend but I guess not.  I'm just hoping that all my plants don't freeze! We've had a very busy week with something every night - dance lessons, parent-teacher conferences, church meetings, and the last of the music competitions and preparation for a dance competition. I also ended up teaching some extra Jazzercise classes since we had a couple of instructors on vacation this week.  I'm hoping we don't have too many of these weeks going forward - they're exhausting! We did manage to be mostly frugal and I was really pleased with myself that after a REALLY ...

Finally!   I managed to get a couple of photos taken and up here on the blog!  Go me!  Yep - it's been a pair of weeks so far where I'm going to cheer every victory I have, no matter how small.  I'm going to post two projects a week until I get caught up to whatever week we're on so I don't overwhelm myself or you all - a couple of ones that I'm really happy with next week, though I really like these too.     PROJECT ONE:  LETTER PILLOWS      I made these for our very difficult to shop for 11-year-old nephew for his birthday.  I did spell out his whole name but you only get the "T" and "E" here to give you an idea.   I used denim that had been gifted to me by my Aunt when she moved and cut patterns out of typing paper.  After cutting out the fabric, I pinned and sewed the front and back together inside out, leaving an opening to stuff the pillows with batting I already owned. ...

My daughter took a picture of this fabric that she liked to show my mother - the picture doesn't even do it justice!  So, here's where I left you with my goals for March and how I managed to do with them: * Read 2 books for my research. Read one and part of another one. * Write 1000 words on my writings that I need to do for work and school. I wrote about 300 words. * Calculate and Submit Mid-term grades.   Done! * Finished the shredding at the office that I need to do. Did part of this. * Remove two stacks of old papers from my bookcase at work and file, scan or shred as needed. Done! * Prep one unit for my summer class. Didn't get to this. * Sew a new Easter tablecloth. Didn't even get to look at this. * Finish at least 5 gifts. Worked on several but didn't actually finish any. * Finish 2 mostly-finished embroidery projects. Made progress but got neither done. * Play at least two board games the children. Done! * Have a date night with my husband....

No photos today - my cable for downloading them is being a pain. Hopefully I'll get a photo of this week's groceries up later this week.  No promised though, you understand!  Update: Got it to work! Hurray! John and I took a "date" to the grocery store one afternoon while the children were otherwise engaged and we spent $61 of our $160 for the month, so we have about $20-$25 for each week coming up. I'm hoping we have something left over at the end of the month to put toward either our CSA purchase or our medical bills.  We'll see if we get there! Here's what we bought: Fruit Loops $1.79 Ocean Spray Craisins 2 @ 2/$3 (coupon) = $3 Baking Powder $1.89 Tide Laundry Detergent $5.99 - $0.49 coupon = $5.50 Hormel Bacon 1 lb $3.99 (coupon) 3lbs Ground Beef $9.99 ($3.33/lb) Whole Mushrooms $1.50 5lbs Yellow Onions $3.49 Frozen Fruit 1lb x 4(1 each mango, strawberry, raspberry & blackberry) @ 2/$5.00 = $10 Smart Balance 2lb $7.39 Greek God...

Boy, this has been quite the week!  A major shingles attack for me, Easter, Buddy having some kind of flu thing, a day-long meeting with our new-to-us Bishop, and having to make some big decisions and now I'm just plain super tired and ready for some major down time.  We have a huge school/church event tonight and then this next weekend we have 3 separate event plus worship and all our other usual things on Sunday.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, to say the least! Anyway, here's what we did this last week in spite of all the craziness. * We went to a movie at the discount theater.  This was something my son had been requesting to do and we spent about $25 total for tickets and popcorn for all four of us. * Put out Easter decorations that we already owned and used Easter baskets and Easter grass that we already own.  I also sewed a set of Easter decorations using materials that I already had. * Made most meals at home or brown-bagged leftovers. *...