My feud with Wal Mart started a bit over a week ago and to Todd's disappointment I still have not gone back there. Nor do I intend to, even though he swears I will eventually give in. Ha, only if it were the last place left on the planet. (Which does give me a creepy feeling after watching Wall-E a few times as I feel they are the real life version the Buy-N-Large depicted in the movie.) We have not run out of food yet, but things are getting close enough that I now have to devise a back up plan that does not involve numerous trips down the street to get whatever item strikes my fancy at any given moment.
In some ways I am very grateful for the incompetent staff over there in Zion. I think they are providing me with an opportunity to become a more aware consumer, a smarter shopper, and a better saver. You see, I don't believe in New Years resolutions. Why mark that as the date to attempt to change how I navigate through my life? I'd rather utilize the opportunities that life presents me with whenever they appear. Who knows when the gates of sanity will open up and provide me with a clear picture of how to maneuver through the foggy days I often become comfortable with? Like now. Since I am going to be a bit inconvenienced when I shop anyway, I might as well make the most of it.
Here's my new plan of action...I clipped a few coupons from the Walgreens circular and since it is on my way to the grocery store I'm going to stop in and pick up some items they've got on sale. I've decided to do most of my shopping at Jewel and Target because they are right next to each other. I get the ads out of the paper, circle the sale stuff I need, and arm myself with an envelope full of coupons and a clear budget for the store written on the front. (Not a strict budget yet, but a guideline I'm really working on committing to.) I'm also going to try to get up to the Woodmans market in WI as often as I can. I know they have lots of local produce, not to mention they sell more Pactiv products than any other retailer we've seen around here and purchasing products manufactured by our source of livelihood is extremely important to Turbo.
I'm also going to try something new. Instead of loading the troops in the car in this awful weather I've decided to try Peapod (the grocery delivery service). I saw an ad on TV to take $20 off your first bill (promo code TV4 if you're interested) and that is enough incentive for me. They have a lot of organic stuff, plus local merchants, a way to browse only the sale items, and an area that tracks your previous shopping lists. Without millions of colorful boxes tempting me to purchase them it was really easy to stick to a list. My first bill, after the $20 coupon, was $62. AWESOME! (They're delivering Sunday, I'll let you know how satisfied I am then.)
I'm sure this just begs the question: why am I going to travel to several places and get stuff delivered if my goal is to be a smarter shopper? With our economy diving head first into the crapper and a new little tot in our family, I'd like to try to be a bit more money conscious so we can continue to enjoy the things we're used to. The way I've got everything mapped out with sales, coupons, and by going different places I'm estimating I will save $50-$75 this week alone. That's a lot of clams as far as I'm concerned. Thanks again Wal Mart!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Baby, It's Cold Outside
It is C-O-L-D. So cold that when you open the door the entire house becomes chilly, stand near a window and you can feel the frigid air trying to squeeze through, go outside and your fingers are numb before you open the car door. So cold that our mailbox is frozen open, our sliding door fights against you trying to stay closed, that Otis comes back in when I call him. It is literally freezing outside.
It makes me think, while I am curled up on the couch wearing my fuzzy robe and clutching my hot cup of coffee, about how in August I welcomed the cool air September promised. How in October I longed for snow and sleds. That the first snow on Lucy's birth day was happily welcomed by my wishful eyes. I love the winter, the snow, the fun it promises. I just hate the bitter cold Chicagoland has to offer. The snow can't come alone, it must travel with below zero temps and my arch nemesis, the wind chill factor. I long for an area that has the perfect amount of snow for sledding and skiing, enough cold to freeze over a pond and make that morning cup of joe warm me and my hands to the perfect temperature. I want the sun to shimmer over our white lawn and provide warmth not just an illusion, I want to be able to complete a snowman without getting frostbite, I want to skate without wearing two pairs of socks.
Unfortunately, I chose to live in a seasonal area where this will never be possible. I am destine to yearn for winter in the sweltering days of August and dream about sunshine and swimming pools in January. Though I suppose I could trade in my snowshoes for sandals and move some place perpetually autumnal (by far my favorite of the Midwestern seasons) I could never do that to my children. Experiencing the wide range of Chicagoland weather builds character, it helps you appreciate mother nature, and it teaches you patience. Besides, our family is here and as desperate as I am to live in Fiji every winter I could never give up the holidays with our family, snow mountains in our yard, or Rumple Mintz in my hot cocoa.
It makes me think, while I am curled up on the couch wearing my fuzzy robe and clutching my hot cup of coffee, about how in August I welcomed the cool air September promised. How in October I longed for snow and sleds. That the first snow on Lucy's birth day was happily welcomed by my wishful eyes. I love the winter, the snow, the fun it promises. I just hate the bitter cold Chicagoland has to offer. The snow can't come alone, it must travel with below zero temps and my arch nemesis, the wind chill factor. I long for an area that has the perfect amount of snow for sledding and skiing, enough cold to freeze over a pond and make that morning cup of joe warm me and my hands to the perfect temperature. I want the sun to shimmer over our white lawn and provide warmth not just an illusion, I want to be able to complete a snowman without getting frostbite, I want to skate without wearing two pairs of socks.
Unfortunately, I chose to live in a seasonal area where this will never be possible. I am destine to yearn for winter in the sweltering days of August and dream about sunshine and swimming pools in January. Though I suppose I could trade in my snowshoes for sandals and move some place perpetually autumnal (by far my favorite of the Midwestern seasons) I could never do that to my children. Experiencing the wide range of Chicagoland weather builds character, it helps you appreciate mother nature, and it teaches you patience. Besides, our family is here and as desperate as I am to live in Fiji every winter I could never give up the holidays with our family, snow mountains in our yard, or Rumple Mintz in my hot cocoa.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
My Search for a Boobie Buddy
Last year I wrote a nice long post about how I intend to walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in June. Well, I still do. But...I was wondering if anyone else would like to?
Before I register as a single participant I figured I'd consider the option of creating a team. Check out the Avon link for info and email/post a comment if you'd like to join me. And please pass on the idea to your friends & fam if you think they'd also be interested. I'd love to have a huge crew raising money to save some boobies!!!
Before I register as a single participant I figured I'd consider the option of creating a team. Check out the Avon link for info and email/post a comment if you'd like to join me. And please pass on the idea to your friends & fam if you think they'd also be interested. I'd love to have a huge crew raising money to save some boobies!!!
Rex Rocket
Since I was just talking about crafting the other day I figured I should share my latest creation...the superhero cape.
I saw this on my fave crafting blog a while back, but since her pattern was very involved and I am lacking time I decided to put it on my "some day" list of projects. But Rex is at the superhero age now, and I became tired of tying his knitty blanket around his neck over and over and over (etc.) again that I caved and made a much simpler version out of felt (ha, far less sewing but still sturdy!!). He adores it and it was super cheap and just as easy. I think the hardest part was the stupid R on the back. He simply could not do the star or lightning bolt the pattern offered, so he & Todd decided an R with flames coming out of the tips would best represent his alter ego Rex Rocket. Obviously they were not doing the cutting and sewing...
I saw this on my fave crafting blog a while back, but since her pattern was very involved and I am lacking time I decided to put it on my "some day" list of projects. But Rex is at the superhero age now, and I became tired of tying his knitty blanket around his neck over and over and over (etc.) again that I caved and made a much simpler version out of felt (ha, far less sewing but still sturdy!!). He adores it and it was super cheap and just as easy. I think the hardest part was the stupid R on the back. He simply could not do the star or lightning bolt the pattern offered, so he & Todd decided an R with flames coming out of the tips would best represent his alter ego Rex Rocket. Obviously they were not doing the cutting and sewing...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Quality Time
I often have very hectic days. A single day always consists of caring for the new baby and trying to teach high strung Rex things to prepare him for kindergarten, plus housework duties (even though there are 4 adults here, with no job I draw the short straw on cleaning, cooking, and all that fun stuff) not to mention I usually suffer from some sort of sleep deprivation and bewilderingly move through such a day as confused as fellow robot Johnny 5. On very special days I add in a stressful trip to the store/dr./orthodontist where at least 1 of the kids is unhappy/tired/bored. By the time Todd gets home I am halfway through dinner prep, knee deep in crying/hungry/begging-for-help-with-homework children, and utterly exhausted.
Last night was no exception. I spent most of the day at home doing the usual: cleaning/feeding/teaching. I talked to my aunt for a bit on the phone (a skill I have perfected while carrying Lucy & attending to Rex). Then picked up Nate from school for an eye doc appointment that lasted way too long and made Lucy irritable & Rex extremely bored. When I got home everyone was starving, Lucy was screaming, and I had a gruesome headache. By the time Todd asked if I wanted to watch a movie (can you believe it? a real movie, not something animated!) we were both so tired we weren't sure if either of us would make it all the way through.
We sent the kids to bed and curled up on the couch. Halfway through Tropic Thunder Todd was sleeping. Within minutes so was I. So much for staying up late on a school night. Perhaps we will make it to the end of a late night movie someday. Perhaps one day when the dishes do themselves, dinner is catered, and the kids are out of the house. Ah...someday.
Last night was no exception. I spent most of the day at home doing the usual: cleaning/feeding/teaching. I talked to my aunt for a bit on the phone (a skill I have perfected while carrying Lucy & attending to Rex). Then picked up Nate from school for an eye doc appointment that lasted way too long and made Lucy irritable & Rex extremely bored. When I got home everyone was starving, Lucy was screaming, and I had a gruesome headache. By the time Todd asked if I wanted to watch a movie (can you believe it? a real movie, not something animated!) we were both so tired we weren't sure if either of us would make it all the way through.
We sent the kids to bed and curled up on the couch. Halfway through Tropic Thunder Todd was sleeping. Within minutes so was I. So much for staying up late on a school night. Perhaps we will make it to the end of a late night movie someday. Perhaps one day when the dishes do themselves, dinner is catered, and the kids are out of the house. Ah...someday.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Craftastic
I love making things (pillows, cookies, dinner, blankets, shelves). I've been creating things using various methods for years (drawing, sewing, baking, building). I love taking something old and making something new out of it (skirt from thrift store mumu, old flower pots to needle holders, leftover pork into egg rolls). It is something that invariably runs down both sides of my family and I have graciously accepted the challenge to keep it alive.
Naturally, I also love finding new things to do and ideas to "borrow" from fellow crafters. I adore sites like Etsy, blogs like The Long Thread, and magazines like Real Simple. I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart. I am notorious for clipping ideas out of magazines, jotting notes during TV shows, and dissecting food at restaurants (this one occasionally drives Todd nuts when I am trying to pin point spices in a pasta or contents of a burrito while he just wants to eat dinner). I can be equally annoying at craft shows because I can do everything myself, not to mention I have a tendency to be a bit of a collector when I am gearing up for an anticipated project. Some of you may understand the rush I feel when I find something cool I can recreate, the thrill of a competed project, the joy in the success of a job well done or a meal worth eating. You may also understand the frustration in a failure, the overwhelming sense of anger in a waste of time, effort and money when things go less than well.
However it turns out, the fun for me is the creativity. I enjoy making things, be it a crafty gift, goofy book for the kids, costume for Halloween, blanket for a baby. I enjoy getting my hands dirty, burying myself in a pile of fabric, and spending hours pouring over recipes. I love teaching my kids to be proud of everything they apply time, energy, and passion into creating and I am proud that they are comfortable in the kitchen, with a crayon and blank piece of paper, snapping pictures with a camera. There are so many people struggling to find something they can do that brings them joy, thankfully I don't have that problem.
Naturally, I also love finding new things to do and ideas to "borrow" from fellow crafters. I adore sites like Etsy, blogs like The Long Thread, and magazines like Real Simple. I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart. I am notorious for clipping ideas out of magazines, jotting notes during TV shows, and dissecting food at restaurants (this one occasionally drives Todd nuts when I am trying to pin point spices in a pasta or contents of a burrito while he just wants to eat dinner). I can be equally annoying at craft shows because I can do everything myself, not to mention I have a tendency to be a bit of a collector when I am gearing up for an anticipated project. Some of you may understand the rush I feel when I find something cool I can recreate, the thrill of a competed project, the joy in the success of a job well done or a meal worth eating. You may also understand the frustration in a failure, the overwhelming sense of anger in a waste of time, effort and money when things go less than well.
However it turns out, the fun for me is the creativity. I enjoy making things, be it a crafty gift, goofy book for the kids, costume for Halloween, blanket for a baby. I enjoy getting my hands dirty, burying myself in a pile of fabric, and spending hours pouring over recipes. I love teaching my kids to be proud of everything they apply time, energy, and passion into creating and I am proud that they are comfortable in the kitchen, with a crayon and blank piece of paper, snapping pictures with a camera. There are so many people struggling to find something they can do that brings them joy, thankfully I don't have that problem.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
bah di di dah di dah
Todd came home from work last night telling me he had the most Ky-riffic radio commute ever. I laughed at this and responded by saying there is no way he could fill 45 minutes with music I would enjoy. And certainly not without popping in a cd. Then he began to list the songs he heard: Womanzier by Britney, Shake It by Metro Station, Whatever You Like by TI, Hot & Cold by Katy Perry. Touche. (By the way, if he'd have heard So What by Pink I think I would have lost it.)
My darling husband knows me better than myself sometimes. This is exactly how he is able to repeatedly point out my obsession with pop music. In fact, he usually helps me recognize my guilty pleasures long before I realize my affections toward them. (Sometimes, he even steers me toward one I may like...hmm, T.I.). However they make it to me (MTV award shows, crap radio, walking through the mall, the checker at Target) it does not take me long to get hooked on a catchy tune. It is a love affair I have happily kept alive for most of my life, endured relentless ridicule for, and enjoyed on numerous car rides. It began ages ago with Thriller and I do not foresee it ending any time soon. So next time you see me, rolling up at the stop light, singing Single Ladies at the top of my lungs with my Beyonce accompaniment, laugh all you want because I like it so much I don't care what anyone else thinks.
My darling husband knows me better than myself sometimes. This is exactly how he is able to repeatedly point out my obsession with pop music. In fact, he usually helps me recognize my guilty pleasures long before I realize my affections toward them. (Sometimes, he even steers me toward one I may like...hmm, T.I.). However they make it to me (MTV award shows, crap radio, walking through the mall, the checker at Target) it does not take me long to get hooked on a catchy tune. It is a love affair I have happily kept alive for most of my life, endured relentless ridicule for, and enjoyed on numerous car rides. It began ages ago with Thriller and I do not foresee it ending any time soon. So next time you see me, rolling up at the stop light, singing Single Ladies at the top of my lungs with my Beyonce accompaniment, laugh all you want because I like it so much I don't care what anyone else thinks.
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