OK, not much has really changed in the past 20 days since I decided to let weeds take over this garden of a blog of mine.
I definitely need to return to a place of thoughtful and organized goals. I've worked out the budget for July and August, which in order to meet our financial obligations, will require organized and thoughtful spending, and not much of it, unfortunately. I will be able to make the $2,000 tuition payment on 7/20 and the $2,270 payment for property taxes on 8/31.
I'm looking for suggestions for inexpensive tried and true recipes that work for you and yours. I do feel that my spending in the household category (groceries/paper/cleaning/pets/personal care) has gotten out of control due to lack of planning. I did attend an hour-long seminar on Tuesday about meal planning and recipe planning. I've taken the initial steps of "interviewing" the residents of my home and assemble a list of favorite meals. I'm a long way off of the presenter's present state with a rotating meal plan and master shopping list and buying my herbs in bulk and freezing them in ice cube trays, but again, I must stop the comparison to others, that just leads to feeling of inadequacy that are un-needed.
I've lost lots of time and energy due to the planning and running of VBS this week. I'm driving and picking up my kids' friends who are helpers. I've mistakenly let the girls attend a midweek sleepover and now they are exhausted and crabby and its rather terse here at my home, not the way it usually is.
Our list of inexpensive things to do since school's been out (2 weeks) has included going to the Movie Club movie $1 per ticket, the pool four times, the library several times - which the boys are participating in the summer reading program, and a presentation at the park of Matt Wilhelm who was a semi-finalist on AGT. I bought some latch hook kits using 50% off coupons at Michaels and Joanne's so I'm fostering some sort of creativity. I think next week we'll go to the Arboretum and sketch some trees.
I opted to not buy the prepackaged school supply kits, so that means I get to scour the sale ads and start buying school supplies sometime mid-July.
I spent $8 to buy the book by Crystal Paine over at money saving mom about budgeting. Why? I know the drill. Nothing new. Frittered away $8. Ugh.
So, this is sort of a mind-dump, and the realization that I'll need some support to stay on the straight and narrow. Who else will encourage me on the road?
My hiatus is over, and gone is my soapbox
June 21st, 2012 at 07:56 pm
June 21st, 2012 at 08:14 pm 1340309696
Have you gotten your kids into cooking yet? Maybe part of the whole organization/meal planning thing could be planning one meal per week prepared by a kid (or kids teaming up).
Picnics were another favorite of mine on long summer days. I'd fix myself a lunch & some lemonade, take it out under a tree, and write stories for hours.
Other craft projects:
My parents got me a plywood dollhouse kit, and I spent a summer putting that together, even wallpapering the walls with swatches from a wallpaper sample book we'd gotten somewhere.
For some reason I got really into finding rocks that looked like they might be shiny. I'd wash them with dish soap & water and sometimes they were beautiful. Or crack them open because sometimes they had jewel-like interiors.
Inexpensive meals: We love this one mushroom farfalle dish. Take any kind of pasta, any kind of mushroom, season w/ lemon juice (fresh or not), parsley (fresh or not), olive oil, butter/margarine, salt & pepper, garlic, white wine. I can give you the exact directions if you want.
Beans & rice can be dressed up any old way; Indian (curry), Mexican (baked w/cheese & salsa & veggies & spices), Italian (same as above but w/tomato sauce instead of salsa).
Just some random ramblings. Hope they help you!
June 21st, 2012 at 11:01 pm 1340319698
June 22nd, 2012 at 12:56 am 1340326597
Lots of tostadas with leftovers and garden veggies lately. Tuna and white bean salad is my lunch standby.
Hardboiled eggs in almost anything?
I've been trying lots of different bean salads too.
ps--glad you're back!
June 22nd, 2012 at 01:35 am 1340328937
Lots of instructions on-line. Have a look at crafting books when at the library and use materials already at home.
June 22nd, 2012 at 01:38 pm 1340372339
Glad to have you back! We will always be here to encourage you.
June 22nd, 2012 at 04:29 pm 1340382590
June 24th, 2012 at 10:29 pm 1340576955
Jerry