Menu Monday and Soapbox

Happy Labor Day! The celebration of the working men and women that have made our country what it is.   
Maybe it's my age and every generation feels this way as they "mature," but I feel that we, as a country, have lost the pride that comes with working.  It doesn't matter if you are a surgeon saving lives, a janitor keeping schools clean, or a stay-at-home mom raising the next generation to be kind and productive citizens, every job is important.  I find that my parents' generation works harder than mine, and I work harder than my children.  This is just a personal generalization.  
Nonetheless, Happy Labor Day! 

As you know, I have been on a couponing binge.  My linen closet is full of soaps, detergents and shampoos.  BREAK TIME!  Time to get back to reality and focus on saving those pennies I have been using for Tide pods (that I will be giving to mom since I don't like to use a pre-measured amount of anything!) and putting everything toward debt. 

The good news is that I have a wonderfully full pantry and freezer(s) and do not HAVE to buy anything other than some fresh fruits and veggies to complete meals.  Even then, not many. And yes, there will be many "farm frugal" meals that tend to be less healthy as one would like.  

My goal is $20 a week on groceries for the month of September.  If there are excellent sales on meats or veggies then I will partake, of course.  

Let's see what I can make with what I have: 

Today (Monday)-Leftover buttermilk biscuits with bacon gravy. Leftovers from the past week for lunch.  There are hot dogs, chips, and who knows what else!  (I will be cleaning out the fridge today because of my having been on an Ultrafit diet that has caused lots of leftover and more than likely waste.) Before breakfast I threw together a chicken cheese bacon casserole with some cream soup and mushrooms before our deboned chicken goes bad.  That will probably be supper.  I will also be making some chicken salad for our lunches tomorrow and the next day probably.  I will have to make some bread if I don't have any.  Sounds like a kitchen day, doesn't it? 

Tuesday-Oatmeal with blueberries, boiled egg (I have about 6 in the fridge). Sloppy joe using the no-salt tomato sauce that I hoarded from Aldi's clearance aisle (Ultrafit find), and use some of our garden tomatoes and peppers, and spice it up.  I do have hamburger buns left from grilling out Saturday for Jake's birthday.  This will be Bruce's lunch for tomorrow as well. While I have the canned tomato products out, I will fix spaghetti with marinara and mushrooms, broccoli and some homemade bread with Italian seasoning.  

Wednesday-Egg and sausage English muffin for Bruce to take and finish up the other five for the freezer. Lunch and supper will be salad with grilled chicken and the fixins (cheese, croutons that mom gave me, tomatoes, peppers, celery, red onion, corn.  The chicken is Perdue ShortCuts that I got for under a buck with coupons and rebates.  Never mind the 49 48 chickens in the freezer that we butchered.  (See what those coupons do-brainwash!) It is going to be a fend for yourself (FFY) kind of meal. 

Thursday-Eggo waffles (yep, coupon and sale stock up).  Lunch will probably be something that is still leftover like spaghetti or salad or maybe even the chicken casserole from today.  I am sure there is something to be finished up.  I will put the crockpot on for supper with some frozen chicken breasts from Zaycon about two years ago (before they got cheap meat and went belly up) that really need to be used. I will throw in some cream of soup starter (homemade), either canned or dehydrated mushrooms rehydrated, whatever mood I'm in by then, some spices and water.  I will cook the rice that evening in chicken broth.  I will add the frozen bean medley that I have in the freezer from Aldi or Trader Joe's on the side and there we go.  

Friday-Bruce will be working, so he can take a SEC English muffin from the freezer, as well as PB&J sandwiches that are frozen.  I have a ton of Dole and DelMonte fruit bowls (peaches and mandarin oranges) to pack with that.  I may need to either make trail mix or cookies or banana bread or something Wednesday or Thursday to bulk up his lunch.  I am sure Sarah and I will have leftover chicken and rice.  I cannot stand frozen PB&J sandwiches so that is never on my list.  I think for supper we will have meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas and buttermilk biscuits.  I still have about 40 pounds of hamburger from my Zaycon order a few months ago-one of the reasons I wasn't going to order again (meat quality went way down!) I will stretch the loaf with some carrots, oats, onions and peppers and top with a no-salt ketchup BBQ-y glaze.  You know I don't use very many recipes and cook with my olfactory receptors. 

This will get us to the weekend.  I will do a separate weekend menu so my little brain doesn't get too overwhelmed.  

Hope you have a blessed and productive day!  

Let's Get Ready to Declutter!

Is it the change in seasons coming up?  I am so ready to get my home "minimalized" just a little bit.   I have never been a "spring cleaner", I feel more generous to the landfill in the fall.  I know, I have been couponing and bringing lots of things into the house: shampoo, toothbrushes, dish soap, laundry soap, and food.  These things are taking up space, but they are put up in an organized, more hidden fashion.  Those things don't bother me...yet.  However, the papers, books, clothes, knick-knacks, SMALL APPLIANCES and GADGETS that don't have a proper space, a place they can call home and I can tell hubby where to put them back need to be gotten rid of.  It causes me paralysis.

So I am getting my flylady feng shui on!

I have made a challenge for myself to get rid of at least 10 things that I don't like, want or need every day.  Some things may be going on Craigslist or the local Facebook yard sales groups (actual yard sales wouldn't be feasible way out in the boonies).  Some things may be going in the trash.  Some things may be going to Goodwill.  Regardless of an item's resting place, it is time to get some order and clear space in the house.  This personal challenge goes above and beyond the 15 minute decluttering that I (cough, cough) should be doing everyday!

Yesterday I raided the cookbook shelves.  I am starting safe.  I threw away 8 cooking magazines from 12 years ago and a couple of promotional cookbooks that I think were given to me because someone else didn't want them.  It is a sad life for an unwanted cookbook, and now he shall be laid to rest.

Today I upped my game and decided to go through the closet.  I threw away my old comfy Ts and and a couple of things I just don't want to wear, as well as Bruce's never to rarely worn T-shirts. Yes, it's a little presumptuous of me to throw away his clothes, but I do the wash and know what he hasn't worn in a while.

As I said, right now I am playing it safe.  To be honest, I can't tell that anything has been done.  That's okay.   I didn't want to just throw away trash per se, you know, the junk mail that I haven't handled yet, or old pieces of scratch paper in the office, but I also am not mentally ready to do a full on KonMari either.  I want to be able to see a difference in a week or so, not have a bonfire tonight.

Is anyone else feeling the need to purge?  What is your method?

Now it is time to get my routines and normal daily chores done, and maybe even that 15 minutes of decluttering that is on the calendar.

Have a blessed and productive day!

CVS Haul #2 8.8.18

I told you I was an addict.  

I bought 2 more Arm&Hammer detergents, 3 packages of Tide pods, Garnier shampoo and conditioner, L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner, and Crest 3D toothpaste. (Please note I don't have a few things in my picture as I gave my mom a bottle of Arm&Hammer, a package of Tide pods and the Loreal shampoo and conditioner.) 

My Total = $2.03 out of pocket (after coupons and extra care bucks)

I received $9 in ECBs, plus a $3 ECB from the CVS coupon spitter-outer for a beauty bonus.  No, not my beauty-I would owe them, but for the beauty products I have bought over the last month.  

Coincidentally, Flylady's habit of the month is one load of laundry done every day.  I have no excuses with all the detergent I have!  

Have you been to CVS or anywhere yet this week to get some great deals?  Do tell...

Have a blessed and productive day! 

Tuesday To Do 8.7.18

Yesterday was so HOT!  My one-year-old air conditioning system could not cool down this double wide.  The bay windows in the living room are like a solar oven regardless of the thermal blackout curtains.  After 3 pm, when the sun had been hitting those windows for a good two hours, I could not do much in the living room, or kitchen for that matter.  It wasn't until after 7 when cloud cover and a cooler breeze helped to cool it down that I could do much for any length of time.  By then, I was exhausted just from the heat.  My inside thermometer read 98 degrees at about 5pm.  

Yesterday I also went to the gym for my personal training session.  Leg, back and biceps day.  Probably gone feel that today!  

What is on the agenda today? 

My morning routine for this Tuesday: 

Same as it is every morning.  Rise and shine, take care of me, swish and swipe the bathroom.  I stripped the bed this morning.  I was supposed to do that yesterday but had the bed made before I realized it was Weekly Home Blessing Hour-day...wow, does that make any sense.  Mondays are Weekly Home Blessing Hour where I spend one hour dusting and vacuuming and just cleaning the major areas of the house.  I did not do the sheets or the kitchen mopping yesterday so that will have to be done today. My dishwasher quit on me again, so I have to take them all out and hand wash them this morning.  

I am not walking this morning because we are going swimming today and I have to push mow the back yard.  I know, I am wrecking my morning routine today.  

The rest of the day:

1. Declutter/tidy up the kitchen x 15 mins.  It is Zone 2/ Kitchen Week and I have plenty to do in here.  I cleaned the oven yesterday, so now I need to move on to the bottom cabinets, especially under the sink.  This does not include the washing of dishes that will be another 1/2 hour probably. 

2. Get all the laundry done today.  I am going to go ahead and wash the blankets and mattress pad today while I am doing the sheets.

3. As mentioned, I will be mowing the back yard.  Mom used her new John Deere riding mower yesterday, but it is not a rider-mower friendly yard.  Raised bed, clothesline, laundry washing system, firewood, shepherd's hooks x 4.  At least we did get the kennel panels moved to the upper pasture. Lots of trim work to do.  But I am very thankful she got the majority of it!  Have to get that done early before it gets too hot. 

4. Swim...We three ladies (me, mom, daughter) going to head to the lake with our air mattresses and relax on the lake for a couple of hours. 

5.  I feel like I still need to do a heavy duty declutter in the living room.  I have a lot of planner and devotional items still nested around the couch that need to be put back and cleaned up.  

With my training I have my Ultrafit diet.  Basically, no sugar, no fat, no salt.  Eat 1 serving of protein and 1 serving of carb per meal every 4 hours.  I MISS AVOCADOS!  I only have 6 weeks to do this, so might as well go full on right? 

I am not going to lie.  It can boring to look at. A breakfast from this weekend.   

Two egg whites with pepper, cream of wheat made with water, and water.  I did have my vitamins too. This meal really is an exception.  I add veggies and berries to most of the meals, including the egg whites and porridges.  

Meals for today:  oatmeal with strawberries, egg whites with onion and spinach, leftover chicken fried rice that I made up last night (cooked chicken breast, one small carrot (these are to be limited on the diet), diced onion and minced garlic to taste, egg whites and 1/2 cup rice), grilled London broil, sweet potato fries, broccoli and sliced tomato from the garden, grilled chicken on a slice of Ezekiel bread with lettuce, tomato and mustard. Water throughout the day and a LaCroix with steak meal.  

Tonight, I want to make sure the laundry is complete, the dishes are done and my "nest" is put away. I will double check my planner, but I do have training at the gym at 2:00 tomorrow, so I will get my clothes lined out for that. I will make sure that Sarah has her to-do list done for the day as well as plans for tomorrow.  

Other than when we are swimming, I will be checking on the animals to make sure their water is fresh and clean.  Although it is advantageous to have the ducks in with the goats for their protection, it is not good for the goats.  Ducks dirty every clean source of water they can find.  I have a 5-gallon bucket, 2.5 gallon bucket, a dishwashing tub and their little kiddie pool that are constantly needing rinsing and refilled.  The rest of the day is free to do with what I choose.  CVS?  No, just kidding, not today!  Home and play today! 

What is on your agenda today?

Have a blessed and productive day! 

CVS Haul 8.6.18

According to everything that I have seen on YouTube regarding couponing at CVS, this week was the "jump back on the bandwagon" week.  I have been on the train for a few weeks now, and I do have to admit this was the most exciting haul for me for sure! 

I have dabbled in couponing for years really, and even had an organized binder years ago.  When my linen closet gets full of soaps and toothpaste, I usually take a break to use everything up.  This can take weeks to months.  I don't know if I can stop now.  I may have to donate some of my haul items, but I am not sure that I can just stop.  Sounds like I need a 12-step program, doesn't it?!  

As I was decluttering the living room bookshelves thoroughly (thank you FLYLADY) I found that old binder, and inside was a CVS raincheck from September 25, 2014. This was a raincheck for buy one Arm&Hammer laundry detergent and get two free.  Ah, yes, I remember going to three different stores close to me to find that deal.  There was a store that had two on the shelf, but why would I do a normal BOGO when I could have a whole other bottle for free? PLEASE!  Raincheck!  

I honestly feel that the Lord blessed me because of my tithe offering this week.  You know those weeks when you don't do the full 10% because of something that came up, so you just whittle it down a bit.  God will understand...we rationalize. Why do I forget how faithful he is from week to week??

Okay, so here is the haul: 

I bought three Arm&Hammer laundry detergents, a refill of wetjet solution for my Swiffer, Crest Pro-Health toothpaste, mascara and eyeliner and Almay mineral face powder.  I also bought Sarah a root beer and Bruce a Pepsi...for hanging with me during this process.  

My Price= $0.00

Yep, not only did I not have to exchange any money but I got ECBs back...$11.00 worth.  So CVS paid me $11.00 to take these items home.  Okay, okay, I know you get it.  Bruce asked if I was upset, he said I looked upset...I think I was just flabbergasted, truly-ha! 

So how did I do this.  
Honestly, I am not sure.  Does that help?  I can tell you what I handed them at checkout. 
I had my almost four-year old raincheck and three $1 coupons for the Arm&Hammer detergent.  I had a $2 coupon for the Swiffer solution.  I had a $2 coupon for the toothpaste.  There were two printable Covergirl coupons for $3 off of eye products.  (The mascara was on clearance too!) I had a $3 coupon from the paper for the Almay face powder as well as a $4 CRT that I received last week at the CVS coupon printer. The drinks were full price-ugh! 
I had my $8 off of a $40 purchase and the rest were ECBs.  I actually did lose $.64 because I miscalculated a "pending" coupon.  But you know what?  I am okay with that at this point. 

As I said before I do only get one newspaper with inserts, but I have crossed over to printables...I may need an intervention before I order shop for whole inserts!!  And let's not forget the fact that I may have watched Southern Savers LIVE last night to see if there are any grocery store coupons and sales that I need to check out.  The only thing with the grocery coupons is that most of the items are really unhealthy snacky foods.  I admit I am regressing a bit on the making of my own laundry detergent and toothpaste right now.  I still make and use mine, but I do like to change it up once in a while.   I do the same with shampoo and soap, even bath tissue.  I will never be a brand-specific person-which is handy if you coupon. That being said, I do think I have to draw the line at some of the "food" items that go on sale with coupons.  I guess I could give those away too, but could I do that with a good conscience? I doubt it.  Knowing me, I will probably test that theory just for the thrill of saving a dime.  

My CVS shopping is not done this week.  There is also a good deal on Tide pods but they were out.  Teenagers must of beaten me there this week.  (Oh no I didn't.) They are $4.94 a bag.  Buy three and get $3 ECBs plus I have $3 coupons (two from the newspaper and one from the CVS app) for all three.  I am estimating to get the three packages of pods for just over $3 after tax.  Does that sound right?  I will let you know, of course, when the purchase comes to fruition. 

Anyone else have any great CVS deals, or deals anywhere?  Let me know! 

Have a blessed and productive day! 













  

CVS Haul 8.1.18

My daughter and I went to CVS to get some of the deals I had been hearing about this week. 

Keep in mind that I get a single Sunday paper in my mailbox every week.  I do not feel the need at this point in time to purchase any extra inserts or papers.  I do know that two is often a better deal, especially on BOGO deals.  As I continue to stock up and learn the ropes, this could be something I will consider later.  

This is what I got: 

Irish spring 6-bar pack and body wash.  2/$8.  I had a $1.00 coupon for the body wash and a $.50 coupon for the bars that was in last Sunday's paper.  I also had a CRT for $2 off any $8 purchase of body wash or bars that I think I got last week...maybe this week.  And of course, $3 ECBs back with the purchase of 2 Irish Spring soaps.  That means I got all my soap for $1.50, or $.75 for the body wash and each bar of soap just under $.13 each.  

The 2-pack of Oral-B toothbrushes were $5.29 each.  There were coupons in the Sunday paper for $1.00 off any Oral-B toothbrush.  When you purchased the toothbrushes you received $4 ECBs.  This deal could be doubled.  AND it just so happens that I received 2 P&G inserts in my Sunday paper that delivers to my mailbox. The Lord blessed me and my teeth this week.  So I did double this deal.  Thus bringing my total for each toothbrush to about $.15. 

The next deal was a money maker for me.  Crest mouthwash, 1 liter size, was on sale for $4.79.  There was a coupon for $1.00 in the P&G insert and when you purchase one you receive $3 ECBs.  I also had a CRT (cash register receipt) from the coupon machine for $1 off any mouthwash.  That means I actually made $.21!  

Now, lets discuss my mistake.  Ugh!!  The deal is purchase NYX lipsticks 2/$11.98 and receive 10 ECBs.  WELL...apparently the NYX butter gloss is not part of that deal.  It was priced at $4.99 and the other matte lipstick rung up at 6.29...so...yeah.  I didn't get my ECBs...yet.  Never fear, I will rectify the matter by purchasing another beautiful fall colored lipstick to get my ECBs.  

All in all my out of pocket for this haul was $14.37 and I received $14 ECBs.  Not bad for $.37 and clean mouth.  

Have you done your CVS shopping?  What deals did you get this week?  

Have a blessed and productive day!  xoxo 

Happy August 1, 2018

Oh how the rain this morning made my blanket heavy!  I did not want to get up and get started.  Alas, as we all must, I did.  

My morning routine for this Wednesday: 

Up and at 'em.  Cleaned my face and teeth.  Dressed in my walking outfit.  I swished and swipe the bathroom.  Right now I am using Frosh grapefruit cleaner in the bathroom and some all-in-one citrus soap as my toilet cleaner.  Smells like a citrus grove in the bathroom.  Even though my bathroom is not decorated how I would like it, i.e. navy blue carpet and floral walls, it still is a lovely feeling when it is clean and fresh.  I then made the bed and put my pj's in the washer.  Everyone throws their dirty clothes in the washer after their shower and so it is ready to go in the morning.  I put in about 1/2 cup of homemade laundry soap and headed to the kitchen.  I had a couple of handwashed dishes that had dried overnight in the rack to put away and then finished up by emptying the dishwasher.  This morning I grabbed my Notre Dame rain jacket, Bass pro cap, the waterproof phone carrier and a grocery bag as well as tote bag and headed for my morning walk to the mailbox.  It was a light rain off and on.  As I mentioned yesterday, I try to get a picture of me or something up there to prove my walk to my hubby.  Honestly, he doesn't care, but it is an excellent motivation, especially when he questions if I am okay if I don't send a picture. It was hot in the rain jacket and hat!  And of course, I moisturized my face which seemed to hold in heat.  Ugh!!  But I made it there and back no worse for the wear. 

I also want to make sure I am eating meals at appropriate times so that come 3 or 4 o'clock I am not searching high and low for the junkiest quick fix I can find.  I made some oats with blueberries and cinnamon, along with water. This is okay, but when I start back with my trainer Friday, she will be telling me to get some protein in there.  There is 5.4 grams of protein in my 1/2 cup of oatmeal though.  Isn't that enough? 

  Plans for the rest of the day:
1. Declutter/tidy up the kitchen x 15 mins.
2. Declutter desk area x 15 mins.
3. Make a phone call to the auto place to align the Kia next week.    done
4. Bruce and I need to get the kennel panels to the upper pasture to keep Snape, our billy goat, separated, especially since he figured out how to jump the fence.  We do not want another spring like this year with all the does pregnant!  We really need him sold.  If you know of anyone who wants a buck, please send them my way!
5.  Practice calligraphy.
6.  Basic weekly plan (flylady) of checking fridge and pantry for expired items and a little tidying along the way. done
7. MAYBE make some sausage patties out of turkey balls for breakfast.
8. MAYBE make some egg white muffins for breakfast options.
9. Mom and I to finish up unpaper towels-snaps on.
10.  CVS for toothbrush and mouthwash and lip gloss deals; and pick up the puffs tissues if in stock! Ingles for bread (I don't want to bake today...)

Supper is baked sweet potato with leftover turkey chili on top.  I will probably add a bit of garden green beans and sliced tomato too.

I will be finishing off the day with the night routine.  This includes cleaning up after supper with hubby, making sure laundry is put away, clear the coffee tables, shower and lotion up before PJ's on.  Check over planner (may or may not do my today sheet-if I do, I will make Sarah one too) for tomorrow.

I will fill the time with whatever I see needs done, time with Sarah, checking on animals and enjoying life!

What is on your agenda today?

Have a blessed and productive day! 

New Month Reboot

Do you ever feel like you need to reboot?  The New Year.  A new season.  A new month.  Heck, even Mondays are good times to reboot.  I feel like July was a warm-up to a reboot.  Everyone has had at least a two-week heads up regarding changes in August.  Changes in our budget, changes in our diet and exercise (or lack thereof), changes in our routines.  Yep, the time has come.

What has prompted this?  Who really knows?  I just know that I felt horrible.  I felt physically failing, mentally a mess and spiritually sliding.

At the beginning of July I decided to walk, well, actually, hubby suggested that I walk to the mailbox everyday because I asked him what I should do to start feeling human again.  And so I did.  Everyday in July except for 3 days, I walked to the mailbox, 1.3 miles round trip according to my phone app.  I get the daily newspaper (remember those?) so I have a reason to walk up there other than focusing on poor pitiful me.  I send hubby a picture of me at the mailbox-there have been pictures of a dead deer in the road (stinky!), and of a truck going down the driveway (I was a bit embarrassed to be taking a selfie at the mailbox at 6:30 in the morning.  Odd, right?).  He has been extremely encouraging and it is becoming part of my morning routine.

Ah, yes, the morning routine.  This brings me to another small change I am working on.  The FLY lady system of cleaning.  (FLY=finally loving yourself as my mother figured out for me.)  This system, if you haven't heard or done it, involves making habits and routines that just make life easier.  For example, one has a morning routine, an after dinner routine, and a bedtime routine.  Then you have weekly things, such as on Monday it is Weekly Home Blessing hour, Tuesday is free day, Wednesday is plan and desk day, Thursday is Errand day and Friday is car and purse day.  The final step is the zone cleaning, which is supposedly deep cleaning one of five zones of your house every week.  I am not there yet.  And that is the great thing about this system.  You start where you are, you add one habit at a time if you have to-the shiny sink, making sure your sink is clean, dry and shiny before bed.  It is a wonderful thing to wake up to.  Then you start creating routines using these habits and these are..."tweakable" to a degree.  My morning routine as of right now is: wake up and do my self-care (face, teeth, hair, lotion, dress), swish and swipe (clean the toilet, sink and surfaces), start laundry, empty dishwasher, make bed (hubby sleeps a little longer than I do), drink water, take my walk, daily devotions and bible study.  Then I consider the rest of my day to begin, starting with the animals and garden and other home chores.  For the past couple of weeks, I have LOVED how it is working for me!  If you feel overwhelmed with housework, consider looking up the website or ordering the book Sink Reflections.  I personally don't have it, but my mother did get it.

The other change I have already begun is my bible study and devotions.  I read Our Daily Bread and follow that bible in a year reading schedule.  I also love Fundamental Faith's Food and Bible study on YouTube.  It kind of focuses on food, but one can glean sooo much from it.  I am falling in love with the Living Word (the Bible) again!

I think another thing that I have done for a couple of months is my MemoryKeeping Planner from Happy Planner.  It is basically a scrapbook with boxes.  But it has made a huge difference in my appreciation of life and family.  Throughout the week I try to take snapshots of life and then on Sunday I either print pictures at Wal-mart or on my Canon Ivy printer and put them in my planner.  I get to enjoy the moments on film and also will type or write a little blurb of things to remember.  It makes me so grateful for everything I have, do and the people in my life.

So I attribute these few things to the new confidence I have in making serious life changes.  Changes that will impact my health, heart and mind.  Life is short and I plan to relish every remaining moment that God gives me!

I hope you join me in making some positive changes and habits in your life as well.

Have a blessed and productive day!

7.1.18 Aldi Haul

As I promised, I am posting my grocery hauls, or receipt in this case, as well as meals made with them.  This week Hubby is home and it is 4th of July so I picked up a few rarely purchased items; cereal for Hubby's quick breakfast before fishing or starting in projects, Pretzel Pieces that Hubby threw in the cart for daily snacking, variety of hot dogs for the early Independence Day celebration.  The milk is for Izzie, the goat we are bottle feeding.  We keep the raw milk for us and she gets the store-brought stuff.  Ew!  Not fair is it?



I went ahead and got some vegetable shortening and oil spray for frying up rabbits and sautéing garden fare, even though I know the health factors involved. I am not happy with this grocery haul. I grabbed the wrong grocery list, an old one, and this is what happened.  Obviously, I need just a little more structure in my shopping?  

Do you have your shopping and menu plan done for this week?  

7.2.18 To Do and Ramblings

Already July!  Crazy!  I can tell because Back to School items are going up in stores, which is even crazier.  How come we can't just be present in the moment?  Enjoy this day without worrying about 7 weeks away?  No wonder most of us are stressed out and feel like we are losing our minds...or is that just me. 

On that note, I do need to worry about the 7 days ahead.  Is that hypocritical?  Still, it's better than 7 weeks. 

 Hubby is on staycation this week.  We have been back and forth with plans, but there is always so much to do here on the homestead that guilt overwhelms when we are away, let alone the fact that one night at a decent hotel covers two barrels of goat feed, the new floor in the closet that needs to be completed or a couple of weeks of really good groceries!.  So, I think we have decided to do some of these chores and enjoy our days, yes, be present in the moment.  Friday is our 25th anniversary so we will go out that night.  Definitely a steak and maybe even a movie or game of putt-putt.  

Today, however, mom and I are going to town to pick up her kayak, stop at CVS and Sam's. I also need to pick up my milk filters at the post office.  I haven't been very good at milking consistently because of our goat layout.  The kids can't be separated because there is no shelter in the fenced off area.  I used to be able to put them in the chicken coop, but right now we have 49 (a hawk killed one) Cornish cross we are growing out for the freezer in there, along with the other 10 more permanent chickens.  So there is no milk when we put them on the stanchion, at least not enough to strain and goes to Oreo the cat or Hannah the dog. 

I need to call the local orchard to see if peaches are ready.  Last week they were gone.  If the weather holds, I need to mow the garden and rake the goat yard.  It did rain quite a bit last night and things are still very wet, so this may have to wait.  Time will tell.  

I do want Hubby to help me set up my outdoor laundry station.  We need to move the cement blocks to put some plywood on.  This year I do want to raise it a few inches for easier plunging and scrubbing.  I also want an extra rinse bucket.  Needy, aren't I?  

Otherwise, I plan on just doing some general cleaning, including working on the craft room.  

Mostly because I have to get my stickers and planners and memory books out of the living room.  Hubby even got me a storage cart for our early anniversary present.  Uh-oh. 

Speaking of which, I love my Happy Planner Memory Keeping book!   I am only a year or two behind on finding it.  But am so loving it!!  If you haven't seen them, it is a large Happy Planner that is set up to be a weekly scrapbook.  I had been using my rewind planner to do the same thing but sometimes it was empty or sometimes there was too much for the horizontal lines.  I still use it to remind myself of what to put in the HP Memory Keeping book.  Maybe overkill, but so is my sticker inventory, sooo…Anyway, I have had it for a month, so our beach trip was in there, our gardening and preserving, Sarah's birthday, Father's Day, Sarah's party.  I bought a Cannon Ivy, which is like a HP Sproket or Polaroid Zip-mobile printers that use 2x3 Zink paper.  Because the zink paper is very pricey, I use a photo editing app on my phone and then connect to Kiosk and just pick up my prints at Wal-mart.  It is so fun.  I hope to improve on my layouts as I learn the ropes, but I still can flip through and enjoy those memories. As of late, I am wanting to preserve my memories as well as enjoy the past in photos and even local history.  Is it an age thing?  

I am not doing too well on menu-planning, however, even with my new planner layout of a box specifically for meals. Again, my freezer and pantry are still well-stocked and am not worrying about starving, but do want to try and do better with well-rounded meals.  I just spent $64 at Aldi yesterday and really don't have anything solid to work with.  WHY does that happen??  Because I didn't eat breakfast and just started grabbing things-probably.  I have resolved to do better with the budget, including taking advantage of deals and coupons, within reason, of course.  I can go up to 6 bottles of shampoo, especially with our plans for a pantry room!  

I will be posting my meals and grocery hauls in July for my own accountability to see how well I am doing, and maybe someone can glean a thing or two from it-either good or bad.  

Hope you have a blessed and productive day!   

Happy Monday 6.18.18

I enjoyed my weekend.  It was Sarah's birthday and Father's Day and I felt good about the cards and gifts that I gave and even got mailed off almost in time.  I am really trying to do better and be more thoughtful in that regard.  It was so much easier to ignore everything, but I did not get to experience the joy that comes with knowing you did what you could do and hopefully brighten someone's minute or hour or day.  

But now, it is Monday and the new week begins.  I have big plans to stick with my planner.  So far so good; yes, it is only 9:30 on Monday morning, but still, I have made it this far! 

The weather is going to be hot and humid all week.  That means the animals and the garden need extra attention.  Water checks every couple of hours, less grain feed, make sure well shaded and cool. I am going to have to water the garden throughout the day.  I have two soaker hoses set up-one for the tomatoes and one for the green beans.  I have a sprinkler to cover the raised beds and zucchini.  With our well water and pump, I cannot water for a long period of time or all the water in the house and barnyard kicks off until it has time to adjust.  So I have be a little more strategic with laundry and washing dishes and watering the animals and flushing the toilet during the day.  Speaking of laundry, I am SO ready to get my totes, buckets, plunger and scrub board set up for my outdoor laundry.  It is the perfect weather.  Warm that water up throughout the afternoon and night, wash clothes in the early morning as the sun comes up and hang them on the line for a few hours.  So satisfying. Might get some concrete blocks moved and ready a little later this evening.  

I am bottle feeding little Izzie (Isabella Bird) now so that I can milk Mocha, as well as Ginger twice a day.  I had slacked off due to the weather and lack of appropriate shelters when it had rained for so long.  The babies could not be separated at that time. 

I need to till up a place in the garden and get more beans and tomatoes planted, as well as get some soil for some container lettuce on the deck this week.  I am a bit behind on that.   I will need to pick a few more blueberries today before the birds find them.  I try to get out there every other day, or two at the most, for that reason.   We are also planning to go to a local orchard for some peaches and blackberries and who knows what else for some canning, freezing, jams and eating, of course. We are shooting for mid week on that though. 

I also need to spray for fireants around the feed shelter.  I don't like a lot of poison on the place and I put up with a lot, but I cannot have ants in the animal feed or the containers.  It is too hot to have to wear gloves just to get layer mash out of the feed bag.  

I need to rake the goat yard and the chicken coop.  Those 49 Cornish cross chicks are messy!  I will put the chicken refuse in a pile somewhere in a corner of the garden and the goat manure around some plants. 

This week I will also be checking in often on my broody hen.  She started sitting around the first of June, so we are close to the 21 days.  I am hoping once they hatch I can move them all to the garden coop for safety.  This is the first time I have had a broody hen.  I am super excited. 

Since it is Monday, I need to take off trash and will probably go with mom to the post office to get her mail.  I don't need anything from the feed store or anywhere else.  

The room of the day is the kitchen.  I need to do some deeper cleaning in the kitchen-clean out the fridge, wipe out the oven, reorganize pots and pans and spices.  I also need to do a hard-core mopping of the kitchen.  I have assigned everyday a room to be given a little extra attention to.  Hopefully, I will be able to make a monthly schedule of things such as washing curtains or dusting corners so that I don't just happen to see it one day and think 'Good Grief!!' 

The current project is the craft room, formerly know as the sun room.  As I have begun to want to make homemade cards, sew and other little crafty things, especially planners, scrapbooking, etc. and Sarah has a Cricut and heat press for her decals and shirts, etc., I am in need of a space for us to work on these things.  This room is perfect with natural light, an adequate amount of room and out of the way, as well as lots of windows and a sliding door for air circulation if I decide to paint or stain something.  So the first step is to clean it up.  There are lots of tools and "where does this go?" kind of items that need to find a permanent home or be thrown away or donated. That will take all week alone. But Bruce and I need to really focus a few hours on the weekend to get this done.  

Today's meals are:  

Fried eggs and sausage for Bruce. 

 Sarah and I will probably have the extra boiled eggs that I made yesterday with some left over sausage. 

Fried chicken (one of the Cornish Rocks we butchered recently), 

mashed potatoes with white gravy, corn

leftover cucumber salad,  and a slice of the homemade bread 

I am making right now either toasted with gravy, or just plain

with butter.

With my Monday list, I think I had better get to it!  What's in store for you on this Monday? 

Have a blessed and productive day!  🙏

Thursday 6.14.18

I hope your list went better than mine!  Honestly, I did okay.
I made Hubby eggs and sausage before work and got a little bit of a lunch packed for him.  Sarah and I had a great breakfast after our walk to the mailbox of eggs, avocado, fresh blueberries from our bushes, toast with homemade strawberry jam.
I got our barrel from B&G and some extra layer mash for those voracious little Cornish cross chicks.  We made soap, castile soap, that will be cured in one year!

I didn't get to the craft room or Jake's room or the fridge.  So basically, I didn't clean anything.

I picked green beans and there was not enough to can, so Mom, Sarah and I hit the lake for about an hour to relax in the water.

I got about 5 cups of milk from Ginger and 1 tablespoon from Mocha.  Izzie is still with her all the time.  I really need to get back to bottle feeding and milking twice daily before they dry up.

I didn't do a finger food/cold plate for supper.  After doing the bills this morning, I decided to use what I had at home.  Luckily, we have good inventory at this point.  I used hamburger I had in the freezer for patties, cucumbers from the garden and onions Mom gave me from Sam's, yellow squash from the garden, of course the green beans I picked today, and everything else that I had in the fridge or freezer to make supper. It was actually quite good.

Hamburger patty, cucumber salad, 

fresh green beans with bacon and onion

and squash casserole

My dishwasher died on me today.  *sigh*  It goes with the lifestyle, so I should be handwashing dishes anyway really.  Just like I shouldn't have used the dryer today.  Can't be lazy!  It can be easy to when you have those conveniences at your fingertips.

It is time to do tomorrow's to-do list.  It is my daughter's birthday so we will be going to town and eating at Chick-fil-A as well as a local ice cream shop for dessert.  (No cake because 1) we will have one for father's day and 2) she will be having a party at the lake with friends and family so that is where the cake will be next week.) So tomorrow's list is just basic daily routine stuff...might not even make a list until Saturday!
Have a blessed evening and productive tomorrow!
What's on your agenda tomorrow?

Tuesday 5.15.18

Yesterday was such a hot and humid day! I sweat planting the front flower bed, I sweat milking Ginger, I sweat taking the clothes off the line.  I am not one who sweats easily.  When it is that hot and humid, what should one fix for mealtime?  

What else but a nice warm pot roast and fresh warm bread, right? Nonetheless we were well-nourished and able to continue the day's work until nightfall.  

I did have a bit of a scare worming the goats.  I only got two of them wormed.  Maggie and Tulip.  I was using Ivermectin horse wormer paste and set the poundage at 50.  It was about 8 am, and apparently it was early morning nap time.  Everyone was dozing or at least in a relaxed state, making it very easy to worm them.  I got Maggie done; she needed it the worst as her hair is getting a frizzy curl to it.  Moved on to Tulip and set the poundage to 50 and locked the little ring and plunged the paste into her mouth.  But it didn't stop at 50...it finished the whole tube, which was about 500 pounds worth.  I may have said an ugly word in panic and ran to get my phone.  I called mom as I frantically searched the Internet for any information.  By the time mom called me back I had read at least three different sites telling me it should be fine.  Just to watch her over 24 hours but it should be fine.  I did check on her every few hours and each time I checked she was eating.  Side effect??  We shall see.

Daughter and I headed to town by 9 am.  Dropped of a library book, bought my herbs and pretties at Lowe's, headed to Wally-World for a furnace filter and some sheer curtains so mom could cover the rabbits with some shade but still have airflow in this horrid heat and humidity.  We also got our grocery list at Aldi for under $70.  This was really good because I doubled up on a few items just to have on hand.  They did not have any cornmeal though, just cornmeal mix.  No thank you, I can add flour and baking powder myself!  I called the local awning provider and set up an appointment for a free estimate next Monday at 4 pm.  I am hoping to get our address plaques and plates up by then as it is apparently a huge undertaking to find our house.  I finally got the bread baked that I was supposed to do last week.  I got to bake them in the new pans that mom ordered for me.  LOVE THEM!  Obviously, she got a loaf to see how well they worked :)

I did not get to canning.  I will make that my main focus today, especially if it does rain like they said it might.  Of course the chances have dropped from 50% to 25% overnight, sooo...yeah...I made my to-do list based on the prediction of rain over the next several days.  It is subject to change...

As is my menu.  Yesterday we had a surprise lunch with mom and Pete, so I didn't make pimento cheese as I thought I would. Because we still have leftover pasta from Friday in the fridge, that will be today's lunch so as not to waste anything (sorry, chickies!), and I also have so much pot roast and green beans left from last night that I will be making vegetable soup by adding cabbage, canned tomatoes, and any frozen vegetables that are needing used up along with a grilled cheese sandwich for supper tonight.  Admittedly, this will throw off a couple of things: 1) I will need more cabbage to make coleslaw for Wednesday's supper, 2) I will probably pass on the beans and ham dinner that was scheduled for tonight-even though the temperatures are going to be about 15 degrees cooler starting today, and 3) that means I don't have to run to find cornmeal until tomorrow-wootwoot! I will probably look for it since I am out in the small town to take trash off anyway, but I don't HAVE to.

What is on my agenda today? 

What are your plans for the day? 
Hope you have a blessed and productive day!  

Monday 5.14.18

Hello Monday!
Did you have a good weekend?  Hope all the Mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day.
This weekend I pretty much took off the best that a happy homesteading wife can.  After the 1 o'clock milking, feeding and watering, Hubby and I took a little trip on the lake.  It was a nice time, but it was sooo hot!!  I got a few good pictures.  I was too excited when I saw two bald eagles and didn't get a good steady shot of either one-can I blame the rocky boat?  It was a nice 4 hours off the farm but still in nature.

Thought it was a bird until I got close

Lots of gar in one cove

Majestic

Smallest of Hubby's four catches

Deer were thirsty too

Just released catch of the day

Catch of the day-tee hee hee

She's watching me...

Still watching me...little creepy

For Mother's Day, we took Mamaw to the Artisphere in the Ville.  This is her caliber of art, not my painting on the feed barrel art, but true professional artists with prices to match.  We tried to convince her to prepare for her scratch art exhibit next year.  I think she would do quite well.  Once home, hubby and daughter helped put up some strawberries we picked Saturday.  (Not good form in leaving them overnight, but they did not go to waste.)

What's on the agenda today? You might see a certain routine starting to develop.

 I will do some basic "after the weekend cleanup."  I also will be going to town to pick up a few some flowers before the rain tomorrow to get those in the ground, some groceries for this week's menu and to drop off a library book.  When I get home and get all the animals well-watered, fed and somewhat comfortable, I will do some canning and baking after lunch. Luckily it is a crockpot day so supper should be fairly easy.  In fact, this week is a little heavy on the crockpot, but we are supposed to get rain for several days so that will be nice.

Hope you have a productive and blessed day!