Current Tally:

Lunch In: 10
Lunch Out: 1

Tuesday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce, mixed nuts, water
Lunch - tuna + cheese (@ home, per LM's request. Dh doesn't do tuna!), soda, farm picked cherries
snacks - cookie provided by work

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Yesterday:

Lunch In: 9
Lunch Out: 1

Monday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce, water
Lunch - salad, soda
snacks - peanut m&ms

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Yesterday I brought in a ton of food (some freezer stuff, some dressing, etc., etc.). I actually wasn't very hungry and didn't eat much at all yesterday.

Dh picked me up 2 cases of 8-oz. sodas, so I brought that in today. I think I am good for June!

I need to work on the eating out. I thought dh and I would have a date "in" today, but forgot he is working a shift at Scholastic.

I do need to get together with a client for lunch. I always eat in - I need to work on some eating out (social).

I am also meeting a friend tomorrow after work, so I think it's less likely I will meet my goal of eating out 4 times this month.

--------------------------------------------------

The last few days have been spendy. I ordered some new sunglasses, signed BM up for "summer camp," and reserved a hotel room in Denver (pre-paid).

We have 2 huge coupons so asked dh to get the oil changed in both vehicles (we go once every 6 months - mine is due and his is due in a month - but worth it one month early for the discount).

I need a haircut - has been 5 or 6 months. My massive amounts of hair are driving me nuts with this heat - chop chop chop.

The funny thing is I wanted to get my hair chopped before our camping trip (not sure when I will have time???) BUT just heard there is still snow on the ground. Maybe I will be glad to have the hair. The unusually cold winter/spring means a cool camping trip, I am sure.

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Dh "worked" all day Saturday and used his Scholastic voucher to bring home a giant box of books yesterday. Probably no need to buy any kid gifts for the rest of the year. (More than books - some toys, games, etc.)

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 8
Lunch Out: 1

Friday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce, water
Lunch - salad, chicken nuggets, soda
snacks - TBD

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Today I brought in a salad for lunch. Grabbed some chicken nuggets (from freezer) for some protein.

Dh bought some frozen pizzas on sale, so I brought them in today, to store in the freezer.

I will have to run to the store to stock up on soda. I think I have one more can left. I have settled on the 8-oz cans. Regular cans are just way too much, and I can't control myself with the 2 liters. So it's my little treat. This weekend, I will to stock up for the rest of the month.

Anyway, back to the salad. I made up a big lettuce, red cabbage, carrot salad. This one didn't keep so well in the fridge - not the lettuce anyway. Last night, I shredded more cabbage and carrots, and stored that in a bowl in the fridge. I tore off some lettuce from the remaining head of lettuce, for dinner last night, and lunch today. That seems to be working well. I also keep chopped green onions separate, to sprinkle on top.

SO, today I went for lettuce, cabbage, carrots, green onions, and some spinach dh had leftover from cooking.

I actually didn't bring any dressing - thought I may find some in the fridge (like fast food salad dressing). I found some but wasn't sure how old it was so, took a bit of someone's "Creamy Cesear" dressing. Okay, now I am hooked! I will buy my own to keep in the fridge. I justified it because I have BBQ sauce and all sorts of stuff I don't care if people use sparingly (will take forever for me to get through, alone). So, it was a good way to find a new flavor. Yummy! I will find out whose dressing it is and make sure they know they can have my BBQ sauce, or salad dressing, any time.

I sometimes bring things in little plastic tupperware type containers (dressing or sauce). But, lately, more and more, I just bring in a big bottle and keep it at work - it's easier that way. Less to pack and deal with. Though I don't want to be too much of a fridge hog, either... So, BBQ sauce and salad dressing, + a couple of cold sodas, is probably good.

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 7
Lunch Out: 1

Thursday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce, cake (brought in by someone else!)
Lunch - Chinese/Japanese/sushi Buffet (lunch date!)
snacks - bread, banana

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**Yesterday was really nice. The public TV station had their annual volunteer appreciation dinner, which is always really nice. However, it usually gets pretty long-winded on the awards and stuff. Last night they set up a photo booth with silly props (we took some hilarious photos), some blackjack tables, and Beatles rockband. We kind of walked in and said, "This is interesting." But, we arrived a little late, had time to eat, mingle, and play. & they did a good job doing the rewards in a little more compact time frame. Made for a more fun evening than usual. (Though no complaints - they ALWAYS do a good job).

I, won a t-shirt!!! I probably hadn't bought a t-shirt in 15 years, and had been trying to replace some older ones. So, I put all my raffle tickets in the t-shirt pile, which no one else really wanted. Score!

All that sad, dh's hearing has become more trying, with time. I think initially he has seen it as no biggie. But last night I had to keep directing him to people who were trying to address him. I said, "If I weren't with you, people would think you were RELALY rude!" He's got a learning curve ahead of him. He really just hasn't done many social situations like that. I know he will adjust...

While it was nice he sat with his good ear to me, this meant he couldn't hear anyone else who was talking to him. Next time I should probably take the "bad ear" side.

With the neighbor insisting to take the kids, it was a nice FREE night!

-------------------------------------------------

**In other news, we got our Denver airline tickets. I've never not had time off approved, BUT felt it was prudent to check with the boss before I bought tickets. Anyway, got approval when I asked, but when I went online to book the tickets, prices had gone up a bit. $16 per ticket (which adds up fast with 4 of us!!). I considered the 11pm arrival (original price), but decided to just go with the higher tickets. I think it is MUCH preferable to get home at 8pm on a Sunday night. We can probably bum a ride home at that hour, anyway. & allows some leeway for delays and such. 11pm was just pushing it too much. (I am also used to avoiding late flights like that because the main airport we usually fly out of has a curfew. Nothing like a delay that means you can't fly home until the next day!). I did have to tell myself - "At least there isn't a curfew!" But, it was still hard to justify. If I am spending a bajillion dollars, what's another $64???

-------------------------------------------------

**I did something crazy. I actually bought glasses online. (After wondering if everyone is out of their minds). Actually, my goal was to buy a nice pair, in -person, and to order some online, and compare.

That said, I hadn't gotten around to buying proper glasses, while I had gotten around to ordering some online glasses.

My experience was hit and miss, but I think I am an online glasses convert...

Before I made the purchase, I scrutinized the reviews and looked up any advice I could. I was still skeptical, but gave it a whirl.

The awesome tips I read were how to measure my PD (dh helped me) and how to measure your existing pair of glasses as a starting point (never would have thought of that!!). That was excellent advice.

I have been resistant, because I have had my current pair of glasses for 6 years, and was last told I didn't need a new prescription after 4 years. (i did get one though). I also got a really nice high quality pair of glasses. To wear every day for 6 years, what am I going to complain about. I'd rather pay for some real quality.

BUT, I left my optometry appointment with the impression that I was heading into "new every 2" year glasses route. This made me a lot more open to try these online glasses.

Anyway, I dutifully measured my glasses and looked for something as similar as possible.



Sure, you could find really cheap glasses for $8, but I Wasn't overly impressed with those. These looked closest to what I already owned. "We shall see!"

They were $19 plus $5 or so for anti-reflective coating (which I read mixed things about the quality).

I then ordered another frame (maybe $10?) and paid about $10 for anti-reflective coating and a dark sunglass lenses.

Shipping was $4.95, so my total was about $50.

Fast forward a few weeks, and my glasses finally arrived. My prescription had changed so much, that it was rather obvious when I put on my new glasses that they were eons above my old pair. I could still due the "buy in person and compare quality" test, but overall, for my purposes, I think I am good. I suppose it was good I was lazy!

The quality of the pair of glasses were GREAT. They actually were extremely similar to my old pair, which had cost something like $250 (or was the retail, anyway).

They fit great, and no complaints...

I only have 2 minor complaints. The little diamond on the side looks REALLY cheap. Much nicer in the picture. But, not a biggie unless you look up close.

I can see what people mean about the anti-reflective coating. It's not terrible, by any means, but it is noticeable. If I look in the mirror, the glasses can look a little green. I notice green/rainbow out of the corners of my eyes at time. Nothing I can't live with to save $100-$200. Not as bad as many of the reviews alluded to.

Now, onto the sunglasses. I did buy a plastic pair, since I don't wear sunglasses very often. Didn't mind going cheaper.

Bad bad bad purchase! I tried to go for similar measurements, but was a very different frame shape. For one, it looks terrible on me. Secondly, they look cheaper/more slapped together than my kids' toy sunglasses.

I am not overly impressed in that area. I do have a pair of sunglasses lying around somewhere that I really like. SO, I may try again and go with the measurements/shape from that pair. My other alternative is just to go kind of boring and get a second pair of the same glasses, with sun shades. That would be the cheapest solution. I know I would like them at least. But it does defeat some of the purpose of online glasses - how you can buy a few cute pair of sunglasses real cheap. Eh.

I will probably just go that route, because I wasn't impressed with the plastic shades, that is for sure. It's like you could see all the glue around the lens. The metal ones just looked much higher quality (& I hope this means that they are!!)

Anyway, I have been wearing my new glasses a few days. I wanted to give them some time before I shared the results!

I suppose, if I am happy to wear the same style of glasses forever (which I probably am), then I found a very affordable eyeglass solution. I suppose I could go try on frames in the store, and carry measuring tape, as another alternative. For now, I just welcome the chance to save money.

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 7
Lunch Out: 0

Wednesday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce
Lunch - Salad, pizza (leftovers)
snacks - TBD

----------------------------------------------------

Yes - leftover pizza counts. It was take and bake ($5.99???). It's our "go to meal" when we have guests over.

I am not particularly craving a meal out or anything, but dh and I decided we better get out tomorrow. His free days are dwindling, with school out next week. So, tomorrow we are going out for sushi/buffet.

If we think about it, we should take advantage next Tuesday, too. BM's last day of school is on Wednesday!

We could totally meet at home or pack a lunch and meet somewhere, but eating out is as rare as getting a date. I look forward to eating out, and just paying for two of us.

(That said, we have a dinner date this week and one next week. Very unusual!) Maybe we will just eat in next Tueday. Probably don't need all that restuarant food. But, I still look forward to tomorrow... Tomorrow is just the 2 of us!!

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 6
Lunch Out: 0

Tuesday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce, granola bar
Lunch - Tuna with cheese
snacks - banana, dried cranberries, cheerios

-------------------------------------------

We were spoiled the last 2 years by a reasonable private swim instructor at our pool. Cheap, GREAT, and so convenient!!!

BM is completely fine. HE could maybe learn/improve with group swim classes. HE doesn't really need anything at this point.

Poor LM. Though he can be very timid, he is VERY gung ho with the pool. No fear, but any swim skill he had was forgotten. (Last year, he went from fearful to little fish, in just 4 days).

I was going to probably just sign up the kids for group city lessons. But was thinking about it today. I kept telling everyone the private lessons were really more effective, so cheaper in the end any way. If you only have to take one week of classes every summer, to become a sufficient swimmer...

SO, I decided to look what is around.

Interestingly, a client of ours, offers year round indoor pool lessons.

It's $150 for 5 lessons (I think it was $100 for 4 lessons, with our other instructor).

It's a bit out of the way, but being indoors is a big plus. I remember melting outside, last time BM took group lessons in July.

So, now I just have to sell dh.

I think LM needs enough learning that it will be worth a week of private lessons.

OF course, while there, it's probably worth it just to sign BM up, too. Might be his last year of instruction. I am sure LM will learn faster this year, and maybe could be his last year too - if he practices all summer.

----------------------------------------------

There is also a dirt cheap summer camp at the park down the street, that BM really wants to go to. We were wary last year, with the heat in summer. (I suppose it is cheap because it is outdoors??). BUT, heard great things about it.

They might not have enough people this year, so decided to go ahead and sign up. Will aim for 2 weeks at $30. It equates to less than $1 per hour. Kind of hard to beat. I suppose it's not a huge loss if it gets 100+ degrees and we decide to keep him home some days, too. Dh and I are still not sold that outside is the best place to be in the summer. But we aren't from here, either. The kids are used to it I suppose.

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 5
Lunch Out: 0

Monday
---------
Breakfast - cheese, water (lost track of time)
Lunch - salad, chicken nuggets, soda
snacks - cake, on the boss!

------------------------------------------------

Today I packed a salad, some cheese, and a big cup for water. + Banana and a granola bar (in case I had run out). Still lots of food stored around the office.

I mostly skipped breakfast, which wasn't planned. I realized when the hunger hit around noon. Not good!

I made a big salad yesterday - chopped lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, shredded carrots, and chopped green onions. I had cut up some radishes, but BM ate them all yesterday! As long as there is space in the fridge, the home made salad is working our splendidly. (Dh is into those prepackaged salads, but they are too drenched in dressing for my taste). Obviously, chopping up our own veggies is much cheaper, and it has been keeping well in the fridge. I just toss it in a large bowl and keep a wet paper towel on top to keep it moist. Top with some plastic wrap, and the last cabbage salad kept a good week. We eat through it fast, anyway.

What I forgot is some pepperoncinis. A local buffet place keeps slicing them up and keeping them in the salad bar. O.M.G. I love them, but had never seem them sliced up like that. I keep forgetting them for the salad - adds so much flavor.

I have been more into the salad thing with the bigger food processor. All the shredding makes for tasty/easy salads.

Maybe next week we can do spinach and sunflower seeds. It's easy to mix it up.

-------------------------------------------------

Yesterday I worked out pretty hard. I figure today may be a decent night for a walk to the park, after work. (Though it may be on the hot side).

We had been wanting to get a basketball, and I spotted them on sale at Walgreens yesterday. So, I got one and if we luck out with an empty basketball court, we can try it out tonight.

Ooooh, I also spotted pistachios on sale. I ran in for some "needs," and came out with pistachios and a basketball.

The basketball felt "meant to be." I wouldn't have even thought to look there - we had just been talking about getting one the night before.

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 4
Lunch Out: 0

Friday
---------
Breakfast - string cheese, roasted potatoes (leftovers), apple sauce, water
Lunch - burrito (leftovers), soda
snacks - dried cranberries, water

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Today was not a "run out the door" kind of day!

Made BM lunch, and took some time to assemble a burrito for my own lunch.

I spotted some potatoes still in the fridge and thought that would be a good breakfast (before they went bad). Gave the kids watermelon from Monday, for breakfast. Figured we better eat that too! Where did the week go???

It's funny because dh said we were running out of food, like last weekend. I talked him into getting stuff for burritos and spaghetti. Cheap with lots of leftovers. Our month "closed" yesterday and I asked if he was going to the store today. He wasn't planning on it, and we haven't even made the spaghetti yet. Glad I talked him into a small grocery run to get through the last week!

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 3
Lunch Out: 0

Thursday
---------
Breakfast - dried cranberries, granola bar, water
Lunch - burrito, rice, water
snacks - banana, water

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Today I grabbed a banana, a large cup, and a bag of dried cranberries, on my way out the door.

Was pondering what to eat as the pantry is getting low. Then I noticed the big bag of dried cranberries that I think a relative gave us in January. I checked the "sell by" date and since it said July '10 - figured we better get eating them.

I also brought a banana to eat around 5:00 - before I hit the gym.

For lunch, I figured dh and I should do a lunch date. BUT, no money for lunch. Today is the close of our fiscal month. So, we decided to meet at home for lunch. Not sure what I will eat - probably leftover burritos. Or a sandwhich.

Anyway, works out. I could be extra lazy and pack my gym clothes at lunch then.

I was wide awake at 5:45am, but only spent about 30 seconds grabbing food for work. On another day, I may have packed a really nice lunch with all that time!

Current Tally:

Lunch In: 2
Lunch Out: 0

Wednesday
---------
Breakfast - string cheese, cheerios, water
Lunch - leftover rice/veggies from last week + 8 oz. soda
snacks - chicken nuggets dipped in sauce

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Today I grabbed some cheese and a cup (for water) on the way out the door.

Figured I better eat my leftovers for lunch, before they go bad.

Ate early, so didn't eat much breakfast. I will likely snack on some chicken nuggets in the afternoon, to get some protein.

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YEsterday was super coool, because some piano music I ordered, arrived yesterday around the noon hour, just as I plopped down to eat my lunch.

I got a series of jazz books that I fondly remembered, and couldn't find anywhere (in my stash, anyway. I feel lucky I found it online!!) The songs are "easy" but sound much more complicated than they are. They are all short. I have 15 jazz pieces. I am making it a project to learn them all (or most of them) and build up a bit of a repretiore.

I think the level of music is perfect. Not TOO easy. Not very difficult. I have some much more complicated things to tackle. I don't know why - but really like to play ragtime and jazz. I Was trained clasically.

I was bummed it hadn't arrived Saturday (the delivery was likely to be then), but arriving when I was home was nice. Tonight I will have more time to practice.

This is a good step in the "Finding Time for Things I Enjoy," direction, which is easy to lose sight of, with kids!

Bringing lunch/snacks to work is a lifestyle for me. But I joined the challenge - gives me something to blog about.

I pledged to bring lunch in 16 of 20 working days in June.

Personally, I have to work on eating out more. Lunch is my social/date time. (It's a frugal thing as dh and I can meet for lunch, and not have to pay for a babysitter. I meet another friend at Taco Bell all the time because it's just easier to meet/socialize in the middle of a weekday than any time else. & it's hard to eat for much cheaper than Taco Bell!).

But, dh and I got out of our lunch date routines during tax season. & yikes, I just realize the kids only have a couple of more weeks of school! So will plan dates for the next 2 weeks, probably.

---------------------------------------------

Today I plan to go home for lunch. I have aerobics in the evenings on Tuesdays, and that makes for a long day.

I usually go home for lunch and pack up my gym clothes. Today I can deposit my paycheck at lunch, too.

I brought a granola bar for breakfast (wasn't sure what I had at work) and a banana for some energy for aerobics. I also brought a large plastic cup for water (to fill with water from our water jugs at work). We have glasses and small paper cups around, but I like a giant cup for my water.

When I got to work I took stock of what I already have stored there:

-1 case of 8-oz sodas
-2 packages of tea bags (for winter/cold weather)
-2 frozen pizzas (generally for last minute lunch changes - happens all the time!)
-1 bag of frozen chicken nuggets (+ BBQ sauce and honey mustard sauce)
-some dinner leftovers from last week - rice/veggies
-1 yogurt
-1.5 granola bars
-1 plastic container filled with cheerios
-1 jug of apple sauce with 1 serving left
-1 bag of Sanwhich Thins (bread - is SO GOOD plain, though)

Why do I keep so much food at work? So I rarely have an excuse to go buy anything, for being out of food. I've always got something around.

Personally, I think "I don't have enough time," is a lame excuse.

Today I spent 5 seconds grabbing a cup, a granola bar and a banana.

Planning ahead and "making the time" are what it's all about. When it becomes a habit, you don't even think about it. I never pack lunch the night before, but I can generally throw something together in under a minute. To me, it's just not a time consuming thing.

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Current Tally:

Lunch In: 1
Lunch Out: 0

Tuesday
---------
Breakfast - apple sauce, granola bar, water
Lunch - tuna with mayo & cheese, brownie, small glass of pepsi
snacks - cheerios, banana, water

--------------------------------------------------

This week could be on the boring side. Trying to hold off any grocery shopping until Friday. (May credit card month closes on Thursday). So am stuck with whatever we have at home, for snacks. Running low on a lot of it. What I have a lot of is: granola bars!

I want to buy some nuts, yogurt, and some frozen fruit for the hot smoothie weather. For lunches at home, a smoothie is great on a hot day.

First off, I am terrible at eating my fruits and veggies. Doesn't matter how well dh cooks or stocks the house, I've got 25+ years of bad eating habits to overcome! (I don't think I ever saw a fruit or veggie as a child - don't ask. Thank goodness for dh to set us all straight).

Secondly, my unofficial goal this year has been to expand my culinary skills. Dh and I cook a fair amount, and well more than the average American, but that isn't saying much!

I suppose it started when my mom gave me a pile of extra potatoes. I decided I better figure out what to do with them. I've never cooked a potato before. I might have made mashed potatoes from scratch - once?

Of course, I felt silly because it was uber easy to cook with. & I love potatoes. A good way to add something on the healthier side, to my diet. We are hooked on potatoes now. I just fry some up every weekend with some seasonings. I never have to order a french fry again - home made is so yummy! & much healthier, I presume.

Next was fresh salmon. I decided to be adventurous and try some new things.

Of course, since then, I haven't thought of anything new. We did try some lentils, I suppose (dh did, in the crockpot).

Until, slaw!

Actually, it all started when we pigged out all weekend. The in-laws ordered us a pizza. My parents treated us to a mexican feast, etc., etc. Come Sunday night I told dh I would be happy to skip dinner. I told him all I could possibly eat was a salad. Very out of character for me, but I couldn't take one more giant/greasy meal, either.

SO, I don't remember what I ate Monday, but Tuesday I came home and still felt bloated from the weekend. Dh had a package of cole slaw in the fridge. It sounded DIVINE! I have never had it but for at a restaurant and always thought it was super yummy. I don't even know what cole slaw is. I am not a veggie fan, but love salads, for whatever reason.

So, I asked dh if he needed it, and actually, he had no idea what to do with the leftover slaw (had used some for a recipe).

I wondered aloud what I should do for dressing, and dh pointed out it had a recipe on the bag. It was okay.

Today I perused online and found this recipe, and read how great cole slaw (cabbage) was for the diet.

Anyway, this link had a vinegar-based and a mayo-based dressing. I will try them both.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/coleslaw

I am sure I could get sick of it real fast, but today a summer of cole slaw and frozen fruit smoothies sounds divine! I could eat that stuff all day. (I'll eat any fruit in blended/frozen form). I don't even care so much about the cole slaw dressing. Just something to help slide it down a little easier. A little dab will do!

Actually, I also love green onions, which was mentioned in the recipe above. Carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Yum!

Anyway, dh asked if I wanted more cole slaw, when I told him I got some dressing recipes. Oy vey. No, I need some cabbage, carrots, green onions, and maybe some radish to spice it up. Prepackaged, shredded cabbage? Is he kidding me?

It's just one of those things we generally don't *get.* How hard is it to chop up a few veggies? Particularly now that we have the big processor and a mandolin slicer. I told dh I think I could handle shredding some cabbage up.

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Cole slaw and potatoes. Pretty basic stuff, eh? I am learning...

I've actually been experimenting with rice recipes as well. Screw rice-a-roni. I think the internet is awesome as far as finding those "just right" recipes. I always tell people that a well rounded cooking repretoire takes time. We've eaten primarily home cooked meals for about 8 years, and we still have so much room for improvement. But, it's like one habit at a time. Get used to home cooking A, then B, then C, and on and on and on. Slowly the prepackaged items have been disappearing from our pantry. Which means, our grocery bill continues to go down, with time. The learning possibilities still seem endless.

So, what shall I tackle next???

I suppose I am a bit of a whiner. I usually wouldn't peg myself as such. But I have been overly whiny about my house's decor.

Or maybe it just looks like a million bucks now with the new TV.

I had a frugal save!!! Moved down an oak bookcase from our bedroom. I bought it to store books and knick knacks. My list of "books I want to keep forever" is immensely small. Maybe because I mostly read library books. The photo albums could go in our immense closet, and most of the knick knacks I intend to sell. Dh wanted to wait and get his wiring squared away. I told him I just had to see if I liked it downstairs. I really had no idea if I would. I told him I might not keep it there.

SO, we put it downstairs. & I LOVE it. We will have to move it out of the way later, for wiring, but oh well. & the thing fits an obscene number of kids books and such. It's filled to the brim, but fit everything really well.

Better yet, it matches the speakers and suddenly I think the speakers look great in the room. (No new speakers!) For the last decade we have had a dark cherry entertainment center and oak speakers. Not the oak ties in pretty well with our ceiling fan, etc. Less mismatched, that is for sure. Which is all I Really wanted.

In the end, the only thing I really hate in our house is our sectional. I suppose I could get over it. I have been looking at everything with fresh eyes. Dh let me pick out all the wall colors and art work. I suppose I have been a little unfair.

So, I am in love with my house all over again.

I have been eyeing sectional prices and if my bonus if large enough we may just pick something up. Seems like plenty of steals with the economy and all. I just have no idea what color to get. I will post a picture later, for opinions. The walls/drapes are mostly cream. Now, black an light oak furniture. The carpet is kind of stone grey/mauve. I don't want anything too dark or too light. Something to hide the messy kids' stains.

I say, if nothing else, I will get my new couch withing 13 months. (Maybe wait for next April).

Anyway, I don't hate my house so I will stop whining.

We moved most of the kids toys upstairs. I'll share pictures later.

I have a LOT of criagslisting to do. I had so little time this weekend I threw everything from the shelves around our bedroom. This weekend I should have some time to start going through it?

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Had a small feast this weekend, since my folks visited. (No one in my house likes salmon).

WE don't have a grill and so gave the "crockpot salmon" a try. OMG. It was SO GOOD. I am sure it could be easily modified to "oven salmon." Thumbs up all around.

I just wanted something besides the plain rice we usually eat. So found the lemon rice pilaf recipe. IT was simple/fast and GOOD.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/03/crockpot-sweet-and-s...

http://www.recipezaar.com/lemon-rice-pilaf-375257

Of course, my dad would eat no less than fresh salmon. Sticker shock for me. But I suppose I could splurge on myself once in a while - maybe it's good no one else in the house likes salmon. For my parents? Worth every penny.

-----------------------------------------

My family is taunting me with vacation plans. Oy vey. I just find it hard to get too excited about vacation, knee deep in the craziest time of the year at work.

Probably late June - going to family camp again. I don't know if we will pay for it or not. MIL refused to let us pay last time, but she's pissed at us so LORD KNOWS. Wouldn't have been my choice to spend another $700 this month - with some really large purchases going on here. But, oh well. It doesn't really matter in the big picture. We have the money and figured we'd probably go. Just thought we would pay later.

& if she pays? More cash for Hawaii! Woohoo!

---------------------------------------

Anyway, my plans for the week:

1 - Survive work

2 - Try to do some evening walks or bike rides

3 - Star Craigslisting, organizing mess in bedroom

I usually don't work late (much past 5) - I am an early bird instead. But, I was so thrown off yesterday, time change and all, that dh called me around 6:30 and said, "where are you?" LOL. SO, I didn't get to enjoy the sun being out so late, etc. I will try again today! Would love to go on a 5:00 bike ride. But reality is I will probably be working late because I am so slammed. I will appreciate how easy it was to work 1.5 hours more than usual - didn't even notice. Of course, I scrambled because I felt like the day was FLYING by.

If nothing else, I will REALLY enjoy the time change after April 15th.

So, dh made the cowboy beans last night. Yes, my cook is back! Phew. We are too used to EXCELLENT home cooking. We missed his cooking, tons.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/07/slow-cooker-cowboy-b...

I don't know if anyone else liked this recipe, but I LOVED it. I may get all the leftovers.

I love apple cider vinegar and so put another tablespoon or so in my own bowl. LOL. I overdid it a bit - but it was still good. (I'll put in a little less - next time).

I did modify the recipe by putting cheese on it (I just happened to have some shredded colby jack or something or other). I melted the cheese on top, and then topped with the slice jalapenos.

YUM!

Forget side dish, this was a MEAL!

I do agree with dh that it was rather bland, otherwise. I told him just to dump in more vinegar next time.

#1 selling point. I don't eat tomatoes. Ever. HATE them. The diced up tomatoes (Ro Tel?) in this thing were harmless. I gobbled them up. I give thumbs up to anything that makes veggies taste good. I can be pretty picky.

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As an aside, I made "hashbrowns" over the weekend and took pictures as I went. I might have already said - our food processor is AMAZING. It took me like a minute to shred 4 potatoes.

Anyway, I think I would call them "potato pancakes" as opposed to hashbrowns, but they were good. I will share the recipe later (with pictures).

AND, the cheapie food processor has really won me over. I came home the other night and dh was hand chopping celery or something. I was like, "um, what about the food processor? Mandolin slicer?" His response? "Oh yeah - I forgot." Well at least I am using it. (These were all gifts for him).

Anyway, if it doesn't hold up, I will definitely invest in a NICE food processor. What a time saver!!!

Weather is gorgeous. Hopefully will get a bike ride in today.

**Yesterday I made some potatoes. Yum! Thinking of making hashbrowns for breakfast. Will see. My mom said she had more potatoes for me. (My dad picked up too many at Costco - has been very forgetful since his stroke last year. Forgot they already had a TON). So, she said she had more for me. She also brought me a ton of butter. That was because they switched to some margarine thing. I think they have already given us a years' worth, with more to come...

I did throw away 4 large potatoes that dh never bothered to do anything with. I guess I am the "potato maker." I will try to utilize the giant bag. Potato salad is also on my list (maybe for Easter?)

Slowly expanding my culinary horizons...

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Someone in another blog posted a link to some crazy 365 days of cooking in the slow cooker - recipe site. I will find it and link it.

I printed out a few recipes thinking we may try some day. So dh decided to make them ALL next week. Well, okay then.

On the menu:

*Indian Spiced Lentils with chicken

*Moroccan lentil soup

*Cowboy beans

I was printing the bean recipes, thinking "frugal and healthy." (Not that I wanted to eat beans all week - LOL).

I'll slowly go through some of the other categories.

The potatoes I made last night were simple, but yummy:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Steves-Famous-Garlic-Home-Fries...

I put in double the garlic and pepper, but probably could have used even more. Kids loved it, though.

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**Updated Quicken for my new IRA.

Had enough cash to pay my state income taxes. So, just paid those. Will deposit my Fed refund, next week - they wash each other out.

Looked where I stood as far as property taxes. I will have enough cash with my paycheck on the 1st, to pay that. So, will just write a check on the 1st.

I usually write a check from my online money market - it takes a while to clear. Squeeze out every dime of interest. BUT, barely have enough cash in that account (much lower interest, these days). So, figured would just pay from checking. (Instead of transferring the usual $2k+, to savings).

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Dh is buying a game system today. $80. Can sell most of it for $100. He told me he was going to retain some extension controller cords, a Gameboy Advance, and some other accessories. At first I thought he meant he would sell the rest for $20. (He had said, "will make $20 off of it."). When he listed the bajillion things he was keeping.

So, anyway, once he clarified that - could sell for $100 - sounds like a darn good deal.

He also volunteered last night and hid clean laundry in the dryer so I wouldn't fold it and put it away. He nagged me about that last night. (Laundry to me is the easiest chore - I don't do much folding anyway - kind of throw it all in the drawers). So I had to roll my eyes. But work has been CRAZY this week, and I suppose he decided he better stop being so lazy. He is definitely back to 100%. Phew!

I can't believe "work crazy" is only about another 6 weeks. It went fast. Though I feel taking last Monday off was the worst mistake ever. I am BURIED. But, I suppose I will survive - always do. All else being equal, this is by far our calmest tax season in a long while. We have lost some clients, but we still have more than we can barely handle. So, it's GOOD! & feels a little more relaxed on some level. If not dealing with all the sick and everything. But I am super relieved that dh is feeling better. I've been mostly giving him a free pass. But told him if he felt so good, he could take BM to school next week. I am hoping I get a bit of a breather after March 15. It's the Corporate deadline. A breather for a day or 2? The next 4 weeks will be the WORST. Around April 10, most of that will be done. Then it's catching up on all my "regular work." Which seems to be going better this year more than others. So, phew!

I told myself that I would take today off. Something I haven't gotten in many weeks...

Then I remember:

1 - We were going to buy an apple tree - and plant it!
2 - I have some spots to clean off the carpet (procrastination has already been done there)
3 - I was going to make dinner
4 - I was going to go to work for a few hours

& on and on and on...

Geez!

In the end, decided to skip work.

Though maybe we will do morning chores and call it a day. I am also thinking of putting off the apple tree purchase another year. February is the month to plant it. This year is just way too crazy though. We haven't removed the stump on our old tree (though small and may be simple). & I really rather do that when dh can help. I don't mind the work - I have issues with the SPIDERS. This is why I do not do yard work!

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All that said, today should be pretty low key, compared to the rest of the week, and I have gotten some time with the kids.

Yesterday I took them to Chuck E Cheese hell - for a birthday party.

You may recall that my kids had their party there. BUT, it was a WEEK NIGHT. It was a very pleasant experience.

We went to a party there one weekend a year or 2 ago, and I would describe it as hell. There was nothing redeeming about it. So, I promised to take them yesterday - hoping to get in and out as fast as possible. It was worse than I remembered. This time was an actual "reserved and "official" party. They churn them out like a factory. They cram you in like sardines. & then they kick you out to make room for the next batch.

Who in their right mind would do this to their poor children?

The best part? We had to buy our own tokens.

Yeah.

Because they wanted us to wait a half hour.

Anyway, I had thought ahead and brought some "just in case." From home. Really did not expect to need them. Thank goodness! Saved me cash or making my kids stand around and do nothing for a 1/2 hour.

I came home and told dh he could take them next time. This monkey mama is never going to Chuck E Cheese on a weekend. Again. Ever.

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When we got home, the weather was gorgeous and the kids were quite upset we left early. I let them play outside though. We put air in the bike tires and LM practiced on the scooter. (We are convinced BM learned how to balance on his bike by learning to balance on his scooter). So, was encouraging very timid LM to TRY the scooter. He runs hot/cold on the bike, but was open to it yesterday.

Today, I need to get air in my tires (they've been sitting in the garage all winter) and BM and I may go for a ride. Though it is a bit cold for my taste. But, it's getting better. It's either that or the gym, for me, today. I haven't gotten to the gym or anything, all week.

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Last night I went grocery shopping with BM. I am not sure I have ever bought so many groceries, in my life! I was telling him how I have never shopped for a whole family before. Strange territory. The timing was good. The place was pretty empty (6pm-ish Saturday).

I had quite a list and called dh about 10 times for directions. (Which ones? Where are they???). But I luckily scored quite a few sale items, and hope I did semi well. Dh is the grocery MASTER.

Since my total was $120, I wasn't feeling thrilled, but dh assured me that I did good. He skimmed the receipt and oohed and aaahed over some of the sales I had scored. I suppose I did okay. BM told me even daddy never buys so much food at once. LOL. Though I do not think this is true.

I did score a quarter off per gallon for my vehicle - haven't had one since dh has been out of commission. Have to spend $100 for that holy grail coupon. Usually dh plans the groceries just so, so we never pay full price for the van's gas.

I had to stock up on a lot of stuff, like tuna and yogurt. Bread, juice, salad.

The menu for the next week (or 2):

**Texas Burgers and seasoned corn (new recipe to try)

**Spaghetti and meat + garlic bread (easy and makes lots of leftovers)

**Burritos (easy and makes lots of leftovers).

**Hummus (we need to try the new food processor - haven't opened it yet).

I also bought some eggs, and would like to make an egg salad. Haven't chosen a recipe yet.

We still have about 4 frozen meals in our fridge, as well. SO, this should carry us through the end of the month. & then some...

Anyway, it feels good to have a PLAN. It's been so hectic and I have been waiting for the weekend to plan some meals, etc. I picked meals I could easily cook after work, but dh said he may be up to helping too. He probably is. He helped us fill tires yesterday and stuff like that. He seems totally fine as long as he doesn't leave the house. Which is awesome that he is feeling as good as he is!

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I snapped my own pictures of spring:





Though, looks like the cold is returning - I ran the heat a bit last night. & the forecast calls for endless rain again.

It was nice to glimpse spring for a bit...

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ETA: Sun came out, its warm, and the little boys and I did a lot of bike riding today. Yay!

Don't stone me!

The sun has come out, and it was absolutely "warm" this weekend. I HATE winter, with a passion, and spent most of it wrapped up with dh's medical issues. As things calm down, so has the cold/wet weather. Which is nice. If I could spare 5 minutes to enjoy the outdoors, anyway.

I didn't flip on the heat yesterday because the kids were gone and I figured dh could turn on the heat when he felt like it. He likes it colder than I. To my surprise, the heat was *off* when I Came home for lunch, but the thermostat read 68 (what we usually set it to). I asked him if he had turned on the heat at all, and he said, "IT's not on???"

I forget that we rarely run the heat with the sun out. IT had been gone for so long... But, the nights have been warmer too. I am sure we will have another cold spell before spring, but this is nice. As long as we have sun, no more heat for the house. The energy efficiency takes over & harnesses the sun's warmth.

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I am having a real love/hate relationship with Facebook. I love getting in touch with old friends and having a central place to keep in contact with people. For that, it is worth it.

Everything else is uber obnoxious! Like, if I turned down adding your page to my favorites, 1 million times before, why do you keep sending me a request every day? OMG! (My #1 pet peeve...)

BUT, I appreciated it last night. A good friend that I have grown apart from announced that her young child has a brain tumor. Geez louise! They don't really know much at this point, and the symptoms sound different from what dh had - so probably a different type tumor. But, I am very saddened to see a young child going through all this. & I couldn't help but thing I Wouldn't know this was going on, otherwise. I am hoping it is beningn, and curable without surgery!

My neighbor keeps telling me she knows what we are going through because they have had so many serious medical issues with their son (since birth). Oy vey - it is so much easier dealing with this with a spouse than a child. I just can not imagine having a child going through any of this. I keep telling dh, "no offense - but it's not the same. I'd be a 100% wreck if it was one of the kids." I've only been 50% of a wreck, with dh.

So yeah, my heart is really going out to my friend right now.

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Still feeling a little bad since I had *promised* dh a TV, I asked him why we just do not consider something smaller.

Thing is, the 50-inchers have been at an amazing price point, and why we considered them. But, with flaws in various models, the low price point has vanished. Dh even told me the $1400 one had a *flaw* that he didn't think he was too picky for. (I find that hard to believe - we already have a perfectly great 50-inch that he would be happy to be rid of because of some "invisible flaw."). He did say he wanted to SEE that one before he decided for sure, at least.

BUT, anyway, he tells me, that I confuse him. Because last time *he* suggested to go smaller, I told him not to bother. "Go Big or Go Home." LOL. YEah - last time we were talking about a $200 price difference - might as well get what you want. Since then, finances have changed, and now we are talking a much bigger price gap.

Anyway, I'd rather wait a year and get what we really want, but it's a compromise I can deal with. IT would still be a huge upgrade from our current 32-inch analog TV. & he just can't wait another WEEK even!!!

I am not thrilled to "Settle" for a few hundred dollars, even. But if he goes back to work next year, he can buy whatever the hell he wants, at that point.

Anyway, in the end, if he has to wait 5 minutes, then he can wait a year. No difference to him. (I did say his brain goes out the window when it comes to TV).

So, the new models coming out are much cheaper, and dh wants to wait for the reviews, etc. I think the thing overall is the price point has been low, but so has the quality. I am relieved he is willing to wait, and not settle. I think this is the only thing he is impulsive about. & getting the *right* TV should remove that impuslivity for MANY years. I didn't even ask him to wait very long. I asked, one year? few months? 3 WEEKS???

Well, if he has to wait 3 weeks, might as well salivate over the new models?

But literally, I told him we could go look around at some of the smaller models last might, and in the end he passed. HE is salvating over newer and better, now. & I am grateful for this? LOL. They aren't out in the stores yet, so yeah, peace for me.

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I haven't particularly cared for the Wii, for working out.

But, dh scored a few games that he asked me to try out before he sells. (Came with the Wiis' we bought for our parents).

The boxing one sounds fun, and was a good workout. But, don't think I will see myself using it much.

(Sorry, forget the names!)

The personal trainer one has some potential. That one is pricey and came with all sorts of accessories. Since it came with the Wii and a pile of other games and accessories, was essentially *free.*

The other funny thing is I had kind of written off the Wii as *fad.* I don't know if it's the weather, or dh's surgery, but we have been playing that thing almost every single day lately. We did get a lot of games for Christmas, too. I think they are large improvements over the old ones. (The new games our parents all excited for Wiis, too). Don't get me wrong - the kids play it all the time. But *I* hadn't done any activity games on the Wii, in ages. I suppose it is a good winter toy!

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Last night, dh broke out the frozen brocolli chicken dinner, and so I grabbed hamburger at the store.

To be fair - I tried a bite of the chicken. Blech. He can have it (he knew the kids wouldn't like it either).

I spotted a 1/2 onion leftover in the fridge and so decided at the last minute to spice up my meat. I loosely followed a meatloaf recipe we have. Skipped the eggs and breadcrumbs, but tossed in about 1/4 onion, parsley, salt/pepper, and about 1/8 cup of horseradish. All added to my 1 lb of beef. YUM. Dh took a hamburger when I Wasn't looking - I made them too tasty! I wondered aloud that it was probably too spicy for the kids, but then remembered that they like the meatloaf recipe. I think this is my new "hamburger" recipe.

Fiber optic internet has been useful. I downloaded Quicken to my new Netbook today. It turns out I needed to remember my Quicken login, and it took a while to track it down. But, phew, I did.

Anyway, I asked dh how long it would take to download (quoted something like 20 minutes DSL/10 minutes cable). Before dh could answer it was done. Um, ONE SECOND? Sweet!

Um, so it is like 1000 times faster than DSL??? (I've downloaded some small things since the switch, but nothing like this).

I spent the evening setting up my skype account and testing it out. Quicken was a breeze to set up. Phew!!!

I never felt comfortable keeping all my financial data on my laptop so I have the data stored elsewhere. Perfect in this case, since the Netbook is so small and portable. Don't worry - I won't cart around all my financial data with it!

ETA: Dh checked the specs on my laptop, and this machine is slightly better. Hard to imagine something so small can be more powerful.

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In other news, I couldn't tell you how much these cost in the stores because mine were free.

But, oh my, did I mention how yummy the Oroweat Sandwichthins are? & no I am not a health nut, so the health nuts can pick it apart. I grabbed them because I thought they almost looked like panini. I didn't expect them to be so good!

http://www.sandwichthins.com/

We got the multi-grain one.

I did eat one with my egg salad recipe. I think I have been eating them completely plain otherwise. Haven't even tried toasting it yet. Because they taste so good! I am sure they would be great with many food stuffs. Dh was going to whip up some hummus for the weekend - these will be perfect with it.

I don't think I mentioned - my parents took me to lunch last weekend, and the place was by my dad's workplace, and apparently by their "Day Old Bread Store."

So we stopped by the bread store, while in the area, and with his job in limbo they mourned the loss of the place. It is a good 20-30 minutes drive, not necessarily worth the cost savings, going forward.

It's actually an Entemanns'-Oroweat Outlet, but as we piled the donuts and bread high, for pennies, I decided to check and see what is available in our area. I mean, I have seen my dad bring home bags and bread, and I have been amazed by the low cost. But actually being there, spurred me to action. (Plus, I also realize they won't give me tons of free bread, like they have been, with his job situation. Seems like every time I am there they hand me a bag of dinner rolls, etc.).

I looked, and we also have an Entemann's-Oroweat outlet. In fact, it is right on the way to my aerobics class (though otherwise out of the way). AND it has decent hours, that would work around my aerobics class. !!

I hadn't checked it out yet, and wasn't sure of the hours, but today I took the kids out to the south side of town. I remembered the outlet had been over there, so I called dh to ask for the address. I knew it was on a major road and could find it (otherwise, wasn't prepared at all - didn't have the GPS, etc.). He told me there was none in Sacramento and we got rather frustrated with each other. (I had recalled the wrong street - it ended up being on a more convenient street).

I ended up calling my dad and having him look it up. He gave me the phone # and address. So I made sure it was open, and we drove by after our morning at the park.

It was REALLY tiny from the outside, but then I walked inside... Oh my! It was tiny, but they had so many different groceries in there. I was totally amazed. They even had my Good Earth tea that I am now addicted to.

So, I scored:

*2 boxes of tea - $5.98

*1.5 pounds sliced sourdough - $1.49

*1 bag of multi-grain/fancy wheat bread - $1.49.

*1 Box of mini-donuts (popettes) - $1.99

*2 Bags of Oroweat SandwichThins, multi-grain - FREE (& oh my gosh, these tasted far better than I expected. Yum! They won't last long - the family likes them too).

These were free because I spent $10. Easy to do with the Tea purchase.

Plus, they have a punch card system where you earn free items.

Other things available were various spices, honey, jam, tortillas, premade soups, premade mixes, etc., etc. + all the bread and donuts. Lots of junk though, which I tried not to look at.

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Anyway, if you look them up, their "store locator" isn't working. I'd just google "Entenmann's outlet," and your city or state. Or google bread outlets, etc. I couldn't find any others in our area.

For us, I wasn't so sure on all the prices of everything, what we usually pay, so I intend to take dh there sometime, and/or start stopping by there every week for bread, and whatever else we need. If we need anything, I could always call him to verify it's a good price.

It will be interesting to see how the cost savings adds up. Though it will be a fine line of not over-eating bread because it's cheap. Or stocking up on cheap donuts, etc. We will have to see.

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As an aside, I was looking for an egg salad with capers. I found this and think it might be good with all the bread I just bought:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Bacon--n--Egg-Salad-Sandw...

Capers and bacon? Hard to go wrong? Looks delish.

ETA: Turned out good. Too much mayo/mustard (hard to imagine - I usually like a lot) so I will scale it down on the next batch.

(I've got all these eggs because I picked up 18 on sale for $1.99. Thing is dh had also picked up 18 for sale, and I didn't realize. I will get through them all with the cookies and egg salad, this weekend. I shared a dozen eggs with my parents, last couple of weeks when I was alone).

Dh tried a couple of recipes with capers, at my request, that were divine. But he hasn't really made any since. I am glad to see the capers last "forever." Not sure why I hadn't thought to add them to eggs before - sounds like a good combo.

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Cookies I am making:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Impossible-Peanut-Butter-Cookies-1...

We add mini-chocolate chips. So easy and good - the kids make these a lot. Just realized it had been a while.

& these chocolate chip cookies - love the cinnamon and oats - smells divine:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26349473.tip.html

For the record, I am often lazy, I don't sift the flour, and I rarely dirty my mixer. Still tastes pretty darn good...

Ended up turning on the AC yesterday. The humidity is just killer - today it's 90% more humidity than usual. (Assuming normal is 0%). One word - Ugh!

It's not particularly warmer than usual here (but for the humidity). But our nights have been REALLY warm. It usually drops down 30 degrees overnight, which keeps the house temp rather steady in the 70s. Just as the house starts to cool off, the sun will come up, and it all kind of equalizes.

Instead, it didn't cool off outside, house just kept getting hotter, and I had to turn on the air!!

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Dh's car ended up needing $250 in brake work. No complaints here. First brake job - 105k miles. I expected it would cost more, but just replaced the front brake pads, for the most part. Dh's car continues to be the no/low repair winner. (knock on wood). I mean, that's the most work it has ever had.

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Yesterday, I cleaned house all day, which was much more frustrating with the family around. You see why I was so motivated while they were gone.

Dh was finagling with the computer, so I did more than I planned, plus did the dishes and a fair amount of cooking. I made a lot of backwards progress during the day.

For our Free copy of Windows, dh was never to get it up and running yesterday. He needs a new graphics card. Will probably spend $30. Not bad, but so much for free.

I made much more progress on the house, once I decided to send the kids outside to play. Phew.

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So yeah, I cleaned the kitchen. The kids picked up their toys, and I vacuumed the floor. They were REALLY slow and unmotivated, and out of frustration I finally remembered the whole "whatever is left on the floor goes in the trash" thing. The kids knew I meant it, and I should have told them that a while ago. Not sure why I hadn't thought of it. They finally finished picking up, and I sent them outside. I got much more done then.

I will save the rest of the upstairs for next weekend. Just too exhausted after yesterday.

I also left dh with a list of chores. It hadn't been my intention to do most of the cleaning myself, at all.

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I boiled some eggs yesterday, and am thinking of making an egg salad. I really don't have an egg salad recipe. But I will find one.

I made the kids squirmy wormies for lunch. It's just franks & beans, but we slice up the hot dogs in thin sliced and sautee them in oil first. They curl up and look very wormy that way. But it tastes divine (was a Taste of Home recipe).

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Squirmy-Wormy-Sandwiches

I actually double the sauce and added beans instead of doing sandwiches. BUT, served with toast and the kids ended up making sandwiches out of it. Funny, I forgot it was originally a sandwich recipe. The kids thought it was better on the toast.

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Even with the heat, it feels very fall-y here. Probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but I want to bake some cookies today. (I know, it will heat up the house).

I told the kids I would take them to the park.

Going for very frugal this weekend, that is for sure.

Since I don't have too much planned today, I hope to make progress on reading my book.

I haven't read a page since the fam returned.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Bacon-Cheddar-Stuffed-Pot...

I was just mentioning "Taste of Home" to another blogger, and decided to see if our new favorite recipe was up on their website yet.

Yup, it is.

Okay, though this is so yummy and simple to make, it's not going to win any points for health.

But I share it anyway. It's like a slice of potato heaven on a plate!

Just google "teriyaki sauce" and there are recipes galore.

I find this one to be fine. I just keep it in tupperware in the fridge - we use it often enough that I don't bother dating it or anything. I am sure one could buy a nicer container for their teriyaki sauce.

Anyway, I perused google but couldn't find my recipe so I will just share it. I just don't know where I got it or who to give credit to (oh well).

& I am sure there are BETTER recipes. After perusing the internet a bit, I think I may try some others.

1.5 cups soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp Sherry (I use cooking sherry)
1 Tbsp garlic powder (I use fresh garlic)
1 tsp ginger powder

Stir until sugar dissolves.

Enjoy!

I have mostly been sticking to my usual strawberry smoothies - some variation of yogurt, OJ, and frozen strawberries. The thicker the better!

Today I finally decided to try something new, since dh had stocked up on yogurt. We had picked up frozen mangos and some orange-mango juice concentrate since they had been on sale. Dh had also bought a giant tub of peach yogurt this week.

I am not much of a chef, but it's hard to mess up a smoothie I guess. I figured peach and mango sounded good (what do I know).

Um, YUM!!!!!

I was concerned about the juice concentrate being too strong - so used water to water it down a bit. As such, it was very thin, but one taste, and it was DIVINE!

The recipe:

Thin/sweet (juice) version:

8 oz peach yogurt
1/2 can mango-orange concentrate
8 oz water
1 cup frozen mango pieces
handful of ice cubes

Thick/less sweet version:

8 oz peach yogurt
1/2 can mango-orange concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup frozen mango pieces
1 frozen banana (peel and chop before freezing)

Sure was tasty!

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Kids were invited to a playdate today - someone we met through tee ball. Mostly, the little kids got along really well and though they seemed very nice, hadn't talked much to them.

Um, how freaky was this. I swear this women and I led completely parallel lives. It was the most bizarre experience I have had in a while. Even down to the whole monkey thing. The girl likes monkeys!

I wouldn't even know where to begin.

This could get interesting.

Sunday, dh had the grand idea to make quesadillas (with homemade tortillas).

Really wasn't very hard (at all). I'm a homemade convert. Yum!

Also, went well with our homemade salsa. (I posted the recipe ages ago - I can find the link if anyone is interested).

Between that and his Indian food cooking classes, he is ganing quite the homemade repretiore. Mexican food seems to be MUCH simpler, overall.

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BM was invited to a birthday party at a VERY fancy house the other day.

Finances are very relative. Back home everyone was to broke by rent and house payments to think of much else beyond that. & hanging around the "new mom" crowd here has put us across most of the same type people. (young and BROKE!)

We have some neighbors who have a HUGE house, but their yard isn't much to speak of, they mostly bought it with equity from the Bay Area (like many here) and they don't seem to have a lot of toys (though certainly plenty of income). So, people like that, I just don't think much about it. They certainly have more, but I've never been intimidated in the least.

But more and more (through school and tee ball) we some to come across more JONESES types. I couldn't tell you if they could truly afford their lifestyles or not. Who knows; who cares. But if I think about it I really haven't been exposed to too much JONESES in my young life. IT is interesting. I could see how it could get a little depressing on some level, if everyone has more than you. I think most of my friends of more recent years, not only did I have a more intimiate knowledge of their finances (they come to me for financial/tax advice), BUT no one really had much to speak of. They kind of squandered their money. We always had the "nice house." & certainly compared to any friends and family in the Bay (we have more house, hands down - for FAR less money). I do admit there is something about a bigger, fancier home that gets to me a bit. & I have no idea why. Considering at some point I thought we would never own a home and I still have to pinch myself sometimes that we do!

Then again, I told BM if he had that much fun, well, there's a friend he has to make. That's the cheap route - go play with the Joneses. Come home later - hehe.

I used to worry since we did buy in a rather upscale neighborhood, that the kids would run into the Joneses factor. That they may want want want a little more than we ever did in our average middle class neighborhoods. Funny thing is most of our neighbors are pretty practical and down to earth. It's people in the general area, in other neighborhoods that we have been noticing this with more. Who would have thunk?

Oh well - they are out there and I am running across them more. Basically, we feel knocked off the top of the heap. We will most certainly get over it. IT's just, different...

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I have been pricing waterparks. I think we may surprise BM with a waterpark trip on his last day of school. There is one here that is actually a pretty good deal. (The other one is highway robbery - yeesh!!!)

In San Jose there is a park with a modest/cheap water slide park. Like 4 basic slides. I miss those. Everything had to get so dang big and fancy and expensive. We may try to hit that one too, sometime this summer. But, for the fancy one, we can convert one day passes into season passes (for San Jose location too - that one is maybe a small premium). Yeah, we will do that!

I also wanted to hit an amusement park we had never taken the kids too. Got to cram it all in on my week off!

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School board politics - GOOD LORD!

It is pretty nasty in our school district right now.

I feel blessed we have our little charter school (& our kids made it in/will make it in). But we aren't immune either. We are still in the district.

The school politics in itself have been a doozy. But seems preferable in comparison.

Weeks like these I hope my dh doesn't waste his time, energy and money on a teaching credential. I don't think he would last 2 seconds. He doesn't put up with bullcrap, and I don't think he could take it! He's just not the right personality for it, I am afraid. Which is too bad. He WANTS to teach those grades no one else wants (like middle school).

A local blog was featured in the paper today. Excellent article and excellent blog.

It's about eating well on a small budget. LOVE it. Mostly my personal philosophy except I know hardly nothing about cooking.

I am definitely bookmarking this one.

http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/

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I've never been a fan of tofu or soy in particular. I guess with age I am less adverse to it.

I have surprisingly become a fan of soy beans, but dh was scared to deal with it. He just didn't know how to cook it, etc. I kept bugging him to buy some and I'd figure it out. Yeesh.

Alton Brown came to the rescue. We recently caught a Good Eats about soy beans. & the best way to cook them? MICROWAVE! Dh was then sold. !

We also tried this recipe - divine:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/roasted-edamame-salad-rec...

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In other news, the weather was so HOT we finally opened up dh's "window sill herb growing kit" we got him for Christmas. I figured the warmth would be good for the little seeds.

The heat did its job. Instructions said 7-10 days for things to start growing. Um, how about 2-3 days?

The front window sill (spacious) has proved a good spot for out little herbs. If our little pots and prepackaged soil don't do the job, this may kick our butts into doing a DIY window herb project. That being said, the only problem is the cat. Hope she stays out of them... Will see!

We could try outside. I have no idea how herbs do in the heat though.

Well, for now they are growing, well and FAST! Cilantro, chives, basil, oregano and ???.

Our front window mostly faces east. Maybe a smidgen to the south/east. South or Southeast is recommended. Close enough I guess. Getting sun is not a problem!!

I've mentioned before my family is a huge Alton Brown fan. (The kids totally LOVE his show, Good Eats).

The cool thing about Alton Brown is also that he would appeal to any frugalite (he makes beef jerky with fans and air filters - teehee - and does not recommend a lot of kitchen items that can't be multi-purposed).

That being said, he uses a lot of kitchen utensils we don't own (he is a professional)! So I am surprised it has taken this long, but dh just bought a stick blender.

Of course, the recipe that sold him was this one:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lentil-soup-r...

It's simmering on the stove right now. I'll tell you what we think later.

The piles of 5 star reviews look promising though.

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ETA: YUM!

Today was BM's first day back at Karate - already paid.

But he didn't make it. The van wouldn't start.

!!!!!

I have no idea what we'll do. Could be the battery but I don't think so. I am thinking we will wait until Wednesday - dh can call AAA and have it towed to the mechanic if need be, while the kids are at school.

BAH!

The window isn't working either - maybe we'll get that fixed too. The mechanic said he just lubed it up last time, but we don't have the tools to get in there. It's just intermittent, along with the door locks. Crappy new car. I miss my 20-year-old Toyota. I don't think I EVER had a reliability issue with that car - nor with my old Saturn. NEW is not better, simply for being new. I'd swear off all American cars, but I do admit dh's Ford makes up for it. Thank goodness for that car. I would say it even trumps our older prior Toyota/Honda/Saturn. (I realize Saturn is American, but it is of the quality of a foreign car manufacturer if you ask me - hehe).

But AAA can be rather nice. Most of the tow truck drivers we have met were amateur mechanics and can be rather helpful. If it is just the battery they can give dh a jump and he can go buy a new battery and replace it himself. They'll be able to advise him. & if not, they can tow to the mechanic. Sounds like dh's Wednesday will be busy though.

I was going to ask dh to take the kids to school tomorrow so I can go to work early. So much for that...

------------------------

Back-to-School Night is tomorrow. I REALLY want to go but am not sure we can really justify the $20-$30 babysitting. I think I may stay home with the kids, while dh goes. Or we can flip for it. *sigh*

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Dh is making my favorite citrus chicken recipe (it has been a while so I requested the other day).

& Sweet & Sour Bok Choy:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1950,149174-248198,00.html

Had to find something for the bok choy we got with our CSA produce delivery. Not something we usually eat. (I'll have to report how it turns out).

Reminds me, now when I eat veggies I taste this awful chemical taste. I can't tell if I am imagining it or if I am just noticing it more in comparison to the fresh/organic/direct from farm fruits and veggies we have been eating. I noticed it in a spinach salad we had the other day, and some baby carrots we were eating at MIL's. BLECH.

ETA: The bok choy recipe was really good. YUM!

-----------------------------

ETA:

Sacramento Philharmonic is having a kids' concert (actually 2, sponsored by Target). Kids are free, adults are $10/each. We are THERE. I am so excited about this. LM, our little maestro, will be in HEAVEN. Show is November. One in May as well (we can probably swing both if he enjoys the November one).

We struck gold. Yay! Dh has been driving 10 miles+ to the post office. We live in the big city but no post office close AT ALL.

Anyway, they just opened a full service (domestic anyway) USPS in the Raley's grocery store. A mile away at most.

So not only is it REALLY close, but now we combine grocery shopping and USPS runs. Will help the business bottom line - woohoo.

--------------------------------

I calculated if we buy lunch every Friday for BM it will cost about $40 for the entire year $2/lunch and LOTS of Fridays off.

So I think that seems fair.

I am ready to prepay the whole year, but not sure if I can.

They have it set up so you can pay online and I was never given a student # so can't sign up. Just one more thing to figure out - will call the school Monday.

I guess we should wait and see the menus too.

-----------------------------

Yesterday I went to aerobics and worked a couple of hours. I did some online shopping for some much needed things.

In the afternoon we played some video games and Mario, and we all went swimming. I was going to take BM for a bit of a workout, but LM decided last minute he wanted to go.

Next weekend is the last weekend the pool is open. Silly since much of September should be pleasant swimming weather. It is even worse they do not open until end of May. (March, April and May can have some pretty pleasant days).

BM is a pro, I hope he doesn't forget all he has learned. But LM also did great in the water. He was happy to scoot around with floaties on his arms. Usually he just clings to me like glue so it was impressive. Too bad all this will be forgotten by next summer! I am making a mental note to help him practice dunking his head in the bath tub and get his comfort up with that. If he gets more comfortable I may sign him up for private swim lessons next year. I decided these were really the frugal way to go. Though more expensive up front, it just took one session to get BM proficient in the water, whereas he didn't learn much in the group class that cost 1/3. Not sure he would have got to this level in 3 sessions there, so I think we came out ahead.

I hesitate to pressure LM too soon. It is a fine line between traumatizing him and helping him. I was the same way, but even so I can't say where the line is. This year he was too young for it all. But his newfound comfort in the water gives me hope next year he may be ready to become a serious swimmer.

-------------------------------------

Today I would like to go to the gym and get a haircut. I need to return one thing at Kohls, phew. Get that bill down. One thing did not fit after all. All in the same shopping center though so will knock all that out in one trip.

Not much else planned. Dh is working on a family wedding video. Oh yes, he got XP working on his computer finally. Crisis Averted. He has 2 operating systems on his computer - the XP is just for editing. But knock on wood, all seems well so far. No more talks of upgrading $600 software right now. PHEW.

I did sign all the school paperwork and this is a charter school heavy on parental involvement. I figure I wouldn't mind being treasurer at some point down the road. Anyway, in the paperwork, they very smartly asked what our families talents/professions were. So I threw in the whole CPA and video editing thing. I thought it was great they asked up front and know we both may be able to contribute to the school in those areas. For now I am signing up for clerical work and dh is signing up for in-classroom volunteering.

I keep wanting to volunteer in other capacities because I like to mix it up. If I am going to sit at a desk all day I have often figured I'd prefer to do something entirely different for volunteer work. Which is one reason I have hesitated on finding a cause for now.

There is very much to this. I am happiest when I am doing many varied activities. I think I would be happy as a clam if I had 2 completely opposite jobs (I thrived in college with the various classes and jobs. My schedule was insane but I absolutely thrived with all the variety).

BUT, truth be told, as I look down the list of opportunities at the school, all I want to do is the treasurer kinds of functions or clerical work. I am not big with kids and much of the rest doesn't appeal to me. So be it! I imagine all this stuff is very different than my usual work anyway, in some regards.

It's kind of funny because dh and I were completely opposite. He just loves kids and wants to take the opportunity to get to know the teachers and principal and all that. He is still considering a teaching career and wants to take the opportunity to network and see how it really is on the inside.

------------------------------------------

I think dh is trying to butter me up. On the menu for the week:

*Baked Potatoes stuffed with yummies (I forget the official name, but that about covers it. He made this recipe a few weeks back and I could eat that every day. YUM!!!! cheese, bacon and all that is bad for you).

*Burritos - Not exciting but I have been craving them

*Citrus chicken - A fave we haven't had in a while.

I don't know what else, but I expect to gain a few pounds.

Reminds me, we cut up the melon we got from the farm yesterday and OMG. BEST melon I have ever had. We have melon out our ears. I couldn't even eat that much because it was so sweet.

You know I have my own pepsi addiction. I was going to have a bit of pepsi after dinner, and I just didn't even crave it after that. I told dh I wasn't sure of all that sugar pumping through my veins - VERY sweet. This from the pepsi addict! But was good. I said something like, "This tastes like candy." & the kids looked at me like I was crazy. "Of course this is candy!" They devoured way more than they should and I was surprised when they went to sleep well enough. All that sugar. I guess fruit sugar is different from processed sugar.

It just doesn't seem right to have all that sugar. But I was very impressed with the grapes from the farm, and little frame of reference for some of the other produce. But I give the melons an A+. In this case was Galia Melon.

The preschool is loving me - I think I will take a load of melon slices on Monday. The thing was huge.

Before I get too blabby, I forgot to share a recipe we tried last night. YUM! Dh improvised on the orzo because we didn't have dill, and it ended up kind of blah. But the chicken was SO good. He improvised on that one a bit as well. We generally cook with frozen chicken strips, and that seemed to work well enough. It was just a great flavor.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/lemon-roasted-chicken-wi...

Dh actually found this recipe when finding something to do with our arugula, and avoiding a trip to the store.

Anyway, the salad sucked. Blech. But the chicken was good. IT was a quick/easy meal as well.

--------------------------------

Well, we survived the first week of school.

It just hit me that we will have to be better prepared next week. Since next week we switch to full days and have to pack lunch.

I was thinking it may be reasonable to have him buy lunch on Fridays. It's only $2, they have almost every other Friday off, and gives us parents a break. Not the most frugal thing ever, but probably a nice treat. IT will only be $4/month in most months.

I am actually not a terribly organized person overall. I am in many regards. But in many regards I am not.

So I am feeling like I have to get more organized. I think we may move to preparing lunches the night before. & we need a laundry system since BM has white clothes to wash (I try to avoid white) and the more laundry we do the less clothes we have to buy, etc. So we need to work on a laundry and lunch system. I can just see waking up Monday with no clothes to wear and forgetting lunch in our haste. I guess it is an adjustment for all of us.

I guess when I want to be organized,
I can be. But I haven't put much thought into all this. I think I better think about it all...

BTW, I am going to spend my weekend filling out paperwork. Fun fun!

Yesterday was kind of nice.

We kind of worked through some stuff at work.

Until next time anyway...

I feel like I am making progress (knock on wood).

When I got home last night I decided to make squirmy wormies for dinner.

Actually, we subscribe to Taste of Home cooking mags (2). The Simple & Delicious or whatever (they keep changing the name) has a lot of GREAT stuff for Halloween, as usual.

Anyway, one was squirmy wormy sandwhiches.

We have an old family "recipe" of "BEanies and Weenies" which is basically cut up hot dogs, pork & beans, and some ketchup and brown sugar.

Anyway, so this was rather similar but a little more fancy.

Cut hot dogs in to 4 pieces lengthwise.

Saute in oil.

This part was the best part. They got kind of crisp and curled up like worms (eeewwww). So they tasted really good and looked kind of gross.

The sauce was ketchup, brown sugar, worchestire sauce, and spicy brown mustard. Since all I had was plain mustard, I used that and tossed in some pepper seasoning, like I always do. We like our food spicy.

It tasted a lot like BBQ. The kids just had a ball eating their worms.

(Luckily they didn't look enough like worms to gross me out. We tried some recipe a while back with ramen noodles and the kids pointed out how wormy they looked - in the recipe. Ugh, I could never eat that recipe again. LOL).

Anyway, we only used a 1/2 package of hot dogs and I Was going to halve the recipe, but I decided to make all the sauce and cook it up with beans on the side.

Served with some sour dough bread. Wouldn't have been my first thought, but the kids asked, and it was actually pretty good. We like to dip bread in the sauce.

Anyway, I don't get terribly creative in the kitchen usually. I am a recipe follower, through and through. But, had fun winging it a bit. I think this will be our new Beanie and Weenie recipe. It was yum. We could probably even cut the worms in half after they are cooked, to make it more casserole-y and easier to eat with a fork. But last night I just let the kids eat with their fingers - they had a blast.

This was quite an upgrade from the usual beanie/weenie recipe.

Last night around 9pm (thankfully it was only 9pm), the alarm went off at my office.

Which is just fine and dandy, except EVERYONE is on vacation and I am the highest one on the totem pole. (How sad!!!!).

So they call me and say alarm is ringing and police have been notified. Great.

It took about 15-20 minutes to pack up the fam and get over there. (Terrible area, would never go alone, and never thought I would get called - I am so low on the list).

The police never showed up and I wonder if they had even called. Or if they had checked the place and left. The alarm had been reset remotely it appeared, by the company.

So I expected a little more excitement.

But was relieved not to see any damage, etc. !!! I checked the place the best I could in the dark. All the important rooms were locked and secured. No obvious broken windows (though it was too dark to really check out the back - I didn't have a key for the back, etc. anyway - doh).

But the alarm was on and everything looked fine. We returned home and I prayed we didn't get another call.

My boss lives a few blocks from the place so I told dh I had never heard anyone mention answering a false alarm, etc. BUT my boss maybe has answered a few and not made a big deal about it.

It bugs me that I have no idea what set it off, though I believe in the past people and animals on the roof have set it off. That's all I can hope - that something was on the roof.

There's a lot of transients in the area that have broken in a few times, so I just kind of expected something like that - broken windows and such.

---------------------------------

Anyway, last night dh was on a cooking spree.

We made eggplant curry soup. YUM. When I got home the garage smelled like curry. LOL. It was strong...

http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/recipes/eggplantsoup-9810.shtml

Not for the faint of heart. (VERY spicy).

Dh also made chicken strips, more for leftovers I guess - ?

& finally, bacon-cheddar-stuffed-potatoes.

Yum!

Don't have the recipe handy, but they were going to have a bake potato bar on the last day of camp and I was so bummed we missed it because LM fell ill and we decided to leave early in the morning. So dh told me he would make it up to me.

Indeed he did. I am sure it was a million calories but it was so good. It was actually a mostly microwave recipe. But SO good.

My body is probably in shock - all those fruits and veggies? It's in shock.

We'll see how much I can keep it up I guess.

Not much else exciting to report.

I was thinking of coming home at lunch today and going to aerobics class tonight.

I have really been terrible on the workout front, eating front, etc. So I have much to work on.

Mostly I am just hoping nothing else falls apart or goes crazy this week. A little too much excitement for my taste.