31 Days of Thankfulness: October 19th 2015

Today I am thankful for thrift stores.  Thrift stores have always been fun to look in with so many amazing things to find there.  However, since I've been married, and money has been tight, they have also been a wonderful resource for clothing, and other household needs/wants.  Howard has been pretty much exclusively dressed in hand-me-downs and thrift store purchases; it is very rare for us to have to purchase something new for him.  I also get a lot of my clothes from the thrift store, mostly skirts, tops, and sweaters, as jeans are something for some reason almost never fit me right used.  My husband is big and tall, so items for him are harder to come by at the thrift stores, but we still look, and sometimes can find great deals.  I have found him a couple of coats, two brand new pairs of shorts with the original tags still on them, and quite a few shirts.  I have also purchased frames and books for $0.50 a piece on several occasions, and even a nice lamp once.  Shopping at the thrift stores is fun, but it has also saved us a LOT of money over the years, and for that I am truly thankful!

31 Days of Thankfulness: October 18th 2015

Today I am thankful for sisters.  When my mom died a few years ago, the only people who really understood what I was going through were my sisters, because they were going through it too.  My sisters have always been there for me.  They are a good bit older than me, 13 and 17 years, so I have always benefited from their wisdom and coolness.  They also taught me how to stand up for myself and not let what others think bother me.  They are two very independent women who have been through a lot, and are stronger because of it.  Today my one sister, her husband, my niece, and my niece-in-law came to spend the day with us, and it was wonderful.  I got to hear about everything going on with them, we got to share lots of cool stuff Howard has been doing recently, and we all really just got to enjoy being in each others company, which is always nice.  So, today I am thankful for my sisters, and everything they have taught me.

Menu Plan Monday: 10/19/2015

This week's menu plan is fairly simple.  My work schedule is really crazy for the next few weeks; I work almost every day straight thru.  Also, I am trying out a few 'new to the crock-pot' recipes this week, that I am hoping will work well in my new 14-day menu plan I'm working on.  Here's what's cooking this week...

Breakfasts: Waffles, Yogurt, Fruit

Lunches: Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches

Dinners: 

Sunday - McDonald's (there was an event here at the museum, and this is what Joe felt like grabbing while he was already out)

Monday - Out (We're running errands tonight after work, since I worked all weekend.  I'm thinking a salad and pizza)

Tuesday - Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas

Wednesday - Alfredo Tortellini, Broccoli, Baked Chicken, Garlic Bread

Thursday - Crock-pot Pork and Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes

Friday - Clean out the Fridge - Leftovers

Saturday - Crock-pot Meatloaf, Onion Rings, Salad

Snacks: Pistachios, Popcorn, Apples with Peanut Butter

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!

31 Days of Thankfulness: October 14th-17th 2015

With everything going on this week, I have gotten behind in my posts, so I am going to lump the rest of the week together here...

October 14th - Today I am thankful for coupons.  Several years ago, my husband lost his job, and we had to survive exclusively on my part-time salary.  That is when I discovered coupons and deal shopping, and I have never looked back.  I learned that I could get just about anything that we needed for free or very close to it.  Since then, deals have gotten fewer, rebates aren't as prevalent, and stores have changed their promotional programs a couple of times each, but every week, I still coupon and deal shop.  Without coupons, there are many times we would have probably gone hungry, or had dirty clothes.  Coupons allowed us to purchase what we needed, and even surplus that we were able to give away to others less fortunate.

October 15th - Today I am thankful for Joe's grandfather.  I grew up not knowing either of my grandfathers; they had both died before I was born.  When I got married, I got a whole new family in addition to my own, which included a grandfather.  Of course I was 21 when I got married, so a lot of the fun things you do with your granddad, I had already missed out on.  But, he still manages to build me up and make me feel good about myself and my decisions.  He also spoils Joe and I, and now Howard any chance he gets.

October 16th - Today I am thankful for cleaning.  Okay, now before everyone reaches thru the computer screen and smacks me, hear me out.  I LOVE cleaning, or more accurately I love being in a clean house.  Cleaning and decluttering relaxes me.  Being in a clean and organized house actually makes me calm.  Maybe it's because I grew up with my Grammie, who was always cleaning, and it's just what I'm use to, or I might be OCD, or both.  All I know is that when I am stressed out, or upset, I clean.  It calms me down, sometimes even cheers me up.  It gives me time to think things through, and solve problems, plus it leaves me with a clean house, and for that I am so thankful!

October 17th - Today I am thankful for humidifiers.  Let just say that everyone in the house is congested, and having a huge humidifier going all day is the only thing allowing us all to breathe.  And Howard has discovered boogers - for which I am not thankful ;-)

What are you thankful for today?

31 Days of Thankfulness: October 13th 2015

Today I am thankful for my ability to craft.  I don't claim to be an amazing or anything, but I do know my way around a craft room.  I can paint, draw, arrange flowers, and wield a glue gun with immense skill.  I've made cards, scrapbooked, embroidered, and sewn.  These skills have allowed me to express myself while relieving stress, as well as excel at my job.  Today I finished the last of the masks I needed to create for the Mascarade tea we are having here at the museum in a couple weeks.  Not only will each mask give a little fun and joy to the person wearing it, but I got to enjoy the process of creating it, and for this I am thankful.

31 Days of Thankfulness: October 12th 2015

Today I am thankful for a job that I LOVE!  Of course I have days when I wish I was rich and didn't have to go to work, but who doesn't?  Overall though, I love my job, it is the perfect combination of things that I like to do and things I am good at.  I give tours, label and organize the display cases, run the teas, work with volunteers, research, write, and decorate the house.  I have heard some interesting stories, answered some crazy questions, and met some wonderful people.  The job I have isn't what I was planning to do when I went to college, or even when I graduated, but I am certainly thankful that God closed all the doors he did to get me here.

Weekly Spending Report: 10/11-17/2015

This week I was able to score some great deals at CVS and Giant.  I was down to my last bottle of contact solution, so I was super happy to have a deal for that this week.  Joe was down to his last two boxes of granola bars, so he was thrilled with those as well.  Other than that we mostly just picked up the usually snack and breakfast foods, as we are still working our way slowly through our pantries and freezers.  It is amazing how much food you can shove in there and not realize it.  Anyway, here's how the shopping went this week...

• Sunday's CVS Trip: $11.68 oop, Earned $5 ECB's 

• Sunday's ALDI Trip: $24.44 oop (included but not pictured is 4 gallons of H2O)

• Sunday's Giant Trip: $45.01 oop, Earned $0.50 Saving Star Rebate (for the granola bars)

Total OOP: $81.13
Total Earned: $5.50
Total Remaining for October: $142.27

Linked to Couponaholic! 

Weekly Spending Report: 10/04-10/2015

This week I was able to pick up some AWESOME deals on diapers, soups, and fruit!  I also grabbed some snack food for the week and waffles for breakfasts.  We are mostly eating from the pantry, so we didn't really need a whole lot of 'meal food.'  My spending is right in line where it should be for the month, so that makes me super happy!  Here's how my spending went this week...

• Monday's CVS Trip: $3.78 oop, Earned $11 ECB's (includes $4 for my Summer Spending)

• Monday's Giant Trip: $27.02 oop (not pictured, but included are 8-2 lts of Diet Rite soda -- this is getting so hard to find :-( and a $3 bouquet of flowers)

• Monday's ALDI Trip: $32.59 oop (not pictured, but included are 4 gallons of H2O)

• Saturday's Dollar Tree Trip: $15.54 oop (not pictured, but included are 1 bag of Apple Straws) 

Total OOP: $78.94
Total Earned: $11
Total Remaining for October: $223.40

31 Days of Thankfulness: October 11th 2015

Today I am thankful for time spent together as a family.  We had planned to go to Baugher's today and pick out a pumpkin, but they were nuts, so we decided to try next weekend instead.  Since I was off and we were already out, we ran errands as a family.  It wasn't exactly what we had in mind for family fun, but it was still nice to spend time together.  Usually Sunday mornings are Howard and Is alone time - we hit CVS, ALDI, and Giant, pick up lunch, and head home.  It seems like such a simple thing, but it was nice to have Joe with us.  With the busy and sometimes crazy season of life that we are in, I am thankful for any moment that we can spend together as a family of 3.

31 Days of Thankfulness: October 10th 2015

Today I am thankful for having an amazing 'free-standing' Dollar Tree in our town.  We have always had a Dollar Tree in Westminster, but it use to be located in the mall, and never had a large food section or freezers.  A few years ago it moved into a strip mall, and it's been the best thing ever!  It's larger, so it can carry a better variety of items, and it has cold cases and freezers.  The Dollar Tree is my first stop for a LOT of items, and sets the standard for my deal shopping.  I know what I can get there for a $1, so when couponing, I know if the Dollar Tree sells it, it needs to cost less than a $1 for it to be a good bargain.  They also carry newspapers on Saturday mornings, so instead of paying $2.50 each, I get them for a $1.  I love that the Dollar Tree carries everyday items, like allergy medicine, as well as fun splurges, like decor and craft supplies.  They can be a one-stop-shop most of the time, which with my busy schedule, I am very thankful for.