Husbands of the Year

For all my single ladies... I think it's better to be alone than be with these guys.

To Do: Finish To Do List

Figure out which library I am supposed to go to now since the closest library is in a different county. Check out books and movies for me and Isaac. Order camera cord from ebay Bring bags of donated clothes to Goodwill Finish putting away all Christmas decorations Make car appointment. Figure out how to pay for new tires/brakes. Organize downstairs coat closet. Tidy/organize garage. Clean/vacuum car. Call student loan people. Get hair dye and go back to brunette. Once again, the highlights are going by the wayside in the name of cutting expenses. Figure out how to clean the inside of the oven. Go swimming at the Y with Isaac. Plan menu for the next few weeks. Finish up Season 2 of Big Bang Theory and return. Write out goals for the new year. Not too shabby. I also cleaned the downstairs powder room and vacuumed and mopped the entryway down there which wasn't on my list. And I swung by the Y and cancelled our membership and spent some gift cards I got for Christmas. It's been a good day. Hopefully tomorrow I will tackle either the garage or the car. Both of those have been hanging around on my to do list foooooooooooorever.

I Love Pop Music

overly ambitious?

I'm off all week. Let's see how much I can get done in addition to the regular every day stuff. To do list (Week of December 28th) Figure out which library I am supposed to go to now since the closest library is in a different county. Check out books and movies for me and Isaac. Order camera cord from ebay Bring bags of donated clothes to Goodwill Finish putting away all Christmas decorations Make car appointment. Figure out how to pay for new tires/brakes. Organize downstairs coat closet. Tidy/organize garage. Clean/vacuum car. Call student loan people. Get hair dye and go back to brunette. Once again, the highlights are going by the wayside in the name of cutting expenses. Figure out how to clean the inside of the oven. Go swimming at the Y with Isaac. Plan menu for the next few weeks. Finish up Season 2 of Big Bang Theory and return. Write out goals for the new year.

Christmas and some other unexpected expenses (coughcoughspeedingticketcoughcough) along with just a desire to get a better grip on my finances has me trying to get serious about reducing expenses . But it's hard!!! Also, here are my hang-ups: * I'm freaking busy. And when I come home from work I'm hungry. I don't want to spend a ton of time cooking a big dinner after a long day at work. Also, although I get that it can be cheaper to make things from scratch I also have to factor in the time that it will take. My time is worth a lot to me. I won't sacrifice three hours to save three bucks. * It's really just me eating. Isaac is horrendously picky (that's a whole 'nother blog post). There is no point in making a big casserole. Even if I eat it for lunch and dinner the next three days I will never finish it. I need small portions. And sometimes I am just too lazy to make a whole elaborate meal with sidedishes etc. just for me to eat. Also, buying in bulk seems so silly when it's just me. * I'm not that great of a cook. I'm improving, but I don't have a solid foundation of homemaking skills to build on. So I stumbled across this article: 35 Ways to Reduce that Grocery Budget . Click on the link to see all of the author's links within the article. Here is the article and my reactions:

• Buy the least expensive ground beef and rinse the meat to reduce the fat content. I never would have thought of this but I'll give it a try. I usually buy ground turkey instead of ground beef.
• Stop buying baby carrots and cut the carrots yourself. I should totally do this. I'm so lazy though.
• Milk your milk budget by using powdered milk when milk prices are too high. Not really applicable. I only buy soy milk for Isaac to drink and milk occasionally for cooking. This one doesn't really appeal to me.
• Try making your own coffee creamers and syrups to save on your coffee expenses. Not applicable. Don't drink coffee.
• Dispose of disposable items and switch to cloth napkins, washclothes and microfiber cloths to replace your disposable wipes and paper napkins. I should do this. I am better with using cloths for wiping the counters now(it used to totally gross me out). I need to buy cloth napkins too. I don't have them.
• Try to make your own bread using a bread machine or making bread the old fashioned way. Haven't done this. I would give it a shot though. However, I don't eat a lot of bread. If I don't remember to toss the bag in the freezer it usually grows mold before I finish it. Also, I am worried that baking my own bread might take more time than it would be worth in dollar savings. Does that make sense? I'd try though.
• Start keeping a price book to cash in on the best deals. I've been meaning to do this forever. I don't have that many grocery stores around here but there is Target, and Weis. I generally shop at the Giant. I would like to at least get a baseline price for the stuff I normally buy.
• Take advantage of grocery delivery options or free in-store shopping services to help avoid impluse shopping. I will freely admit that I am an impulse shopper. It is worse when I take along another impulse shopper (Isaac). And having groceries delivered is terribly appealing.
• Give wholesale shopping a try for items that you use frequently, just be sure to use your price book to compare the prices. Joining Costco has been on my to-do list forever too, if for nothing else than the tires and the discount movie tickets.
• Start making homemade cleaners. I would give this a try. Goes hand in hand with the "going green" thing too.
• Learn the art of stockpiling and create a system for storing your stockpile that works for your family. I need to get better at this too. My idea of foodstorage is helping myself to my parents pantry.
• Try using coupons and utilizing free coupon services to help you score the best deals for your money. I try to make coupons work-- I really do. They are all over my house. They are stuck inside my purses. They are expired in envelopes in my car. But I don't think they really help me save money. I don't want to buy two of something to save 35 cents. And the store brand is usually cheaper than the discount that I get with coupon, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't get it. I can't make it work.
• Start gardening with simple foods that are easy to grow like tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers and squash. I really, really wanted to do this this year but it never happened. I am definitely doing it this coming year. My gardener friend Andrew said he would help me get things going, so that is exciting. I'm so on board with this one.
• Make your own baby food. Not applicable, but I am totally interested in doing it if I ever have the chance to have another go round with a second baby.
• Give cloth diapering a shot! They have come a long way and can save you hundreds and hundreds of dollars! Same comments as above.
• Sign up free samples of food and toiletry items. You will waste less money trying out new products and these samples can get you through when times are more lean. Not so sure about this one. I don't usually remember to use the samples. Also, getting samples usually puts you on annoying e-mail and mailing lists.
• Make your own mixes instead of buying. I love this one. I would love to do this. My mom went to a class on how to do this and I need to get her to give me a tutorial.
• Try shopping at a less expensive supermarket. I have done this to a certain extent. When I lived at my parents I shopped much more at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Now I pretty much only shop at Giant because it is big, clean, close by and new. The Weis and the Aldi's that are near me just seem icky. However, in the name of cutting costs I may need to stop being so snobby. Hopefully the pricebook will help me decide if I should change up my grocery shopping or not.
• Bring your own grocery bags for a grocery bag credit at most supermarkets. Eh. I have a million of those cloth grocery bags and although I have the best intentions I rarely remember to take them to the supermarket with me. Last time I checked they were giving you 5 cents a bag which doesn't seem to add up to that much of a savings. I bring 10 bags and I save a whopping 50 cents.
• Shop at a store that will double your coupons. I guess this assumes you are using coupons. I know the Giant will double ones under a dollar.
• Bring cash and a calculator instead of using your debit card. This will help you stay on a budget better. Oh I should totally do this. The debit card gets me in trouble a lot because I don't often bother to balance my checkbook.
• Utilize a slow cooker so you can buy cheaper cuts of meat and use the slow cooker to tenderize them. I don't have a slow cooker. But it is something I am interested in looking into.
• Make your own condiments like pancake syrup, croutons, and salad dressings. I'm willing to give this a shot assuming I don't have to buy a lot of crazy ingredients and again assuming the time it takes to do this is worth the savings in money.
• Take inventory in your fridge, pantry and freezer to avoid buying repeat and unnecessary items. I could do better at this. I often buy doubles. I also have something halfway made and then realize I am missing an important ingredient.
• Try replacing one evening meal with breakfast foods instead. Most brunch dishes are less expensive and you can omit or stretch meat in these dishes a lot further. I think I've mastered this one! I thought I was just being lazy though. "Hmm, I don't feel like making meat tonight for dinner... How about we have waffles instead?"
• Instead of buying prepackaged bagged ingredients, try prepackaging your own ingredients once a week instead. It will help get dinner on the table faster and save you money on your grocery budget. Doing this helps the portion issue and the time issue I mentioned at the beginning. I would be very interested in this. Anyone have ideas?
• Schedule a day in your kitchen every week to make cooking easier and to save money buying convience foods. So this would be the time to make your dishes and your dinners in a bag. I have done this before but I would like to get it scheduled in more regularly. I'm thinking either Sundays, or the Saturdays that Isaac goes to his dad's. I don't think a week night would realistically happen.
• Make a homemade pizza instead of buying a frozen one. I do this one about half the time. I have bags of frozen pizza dough, cheese and sauce. It doesn't take long to slap them together.
• Give once a month cooking a try to save time/money. Same as above.
• Eliminate meat or make one night a meat free night. I have been trying to reduce the amount of meat we eat (especially red meat). I need to do better at increasing the veggies though. I find my meat free meals are just variations of pasta.
• Make snack items more convenient so you don't have to buy prepackaged goodies. I don't buy tons of snack items. I would like to make my snack items more healthy. This will come into play more when I have to start packing Isaac a lunch again I'm sure.
• Buy your meat in bulk. I do this already. Ideally in the future I would love another freezer to store things in. My freezer is on the small side.

So do any of you have reactions or comments? Other tips? Lay 'em on me.

Passive aggression

Dear friends: I moved to Pottstown not Mars. With advanced warning I can occasionally hang out. Call me. I'm always bored and lonely.

Sherlock Holmes

Fantastic movie. Go see it!

Pretty lucky

So one of my complaints about this neighborhood is that it looks like a parking lot. As far as I can tell, I am the only person on this row of townhouses that lives by herself. Everyone else has two cars that they park behind each other in their driveways. My three closest neighbors all own two SUVs each. Our little townhouse unit looks like a used car lot. However, having two cars stacked in your driveway provides a definite advantage when it comes to snow removal. You just have to shovel out the sidewalks and that little strip of driveway between the road and the sidewalk. This morning I found myself with my work cut out for me and I did not have the best attitude while I was hauling away snow for the second time in 12 hours. I had just shoveled out 90% of my driveway only to have my brother call and say he was on his way over with his girlfriend and a shovel. I promptly stopped shoveling. I am a big feminist and definitely believe that girls can do anything guys can. But I am not so progressive that I can't allow someone else to break their back hauling snow while I sip hot chocolate and supervise. He can do the last 10%. =) It reminded me of a time when my dad made my brothers head out to shovel the driveway of a family he home taught- the Kneelands. Bruce Kneeland was away on business, so he figured he would go and shovel the driveway for Donna. After my brothers and Dad had finished it up, They were sure surprised when Bruce opened the door in a bathrobe and thank them. His flight had been cancelled but he hadn't gotten around to shoveling yet. I also remember my dad going to shovel out Linda Holiday, an older widow, on many occasions. I'm lucky to have a wonderful father and two caring brothers who always look around them for opportunities to help the women in their lives.

happies and crappies 12/18

Happies

• New blog look. Isn't it fabulous? Thanks Stacia (no clue if that link will work or not, I know she is private)!
• My sister is on her way home! I can't WAIT to see her again.
• 3.5 more days of school till Christmas break!!!!
• Christmas shopping is done!
• Saffron plays fetch and I LOVE it.

Crappies

• So, so, so much work to do before school gets out for winter break.
• I have hardly done any wrapping. I have stuff still in unopened amazon boxes all over the house.

• My cards are only about 2/3 sent.
• It's supposed to snow again this weekend. Why the heck can't it snow on a weekday?! Seriously.

BUT the weekend is almost upon us!

Bloggers Letters to Santa

Taken from here Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is COMMENTS. Seriously, it's all I want. Love, New Blogger P.S. I'M SERIOUS. Dear Santa, I want a book deal. And a movie. (All the other veteran bloggers have one!) Love, Veteran Blogger Dear Santa, I want a more expensive camera and more color-coordinated outfits for my kids and an orchard in my backyard. Love, Mommy Blogger Dear Santa, I want a vintage, retro, modern, artsy, modge-podged Polaroid camera with which to take vintage, retro, modern, artsy photos of letterpressed stationery. Love, Style Blogger Dear Santa, I want a home security system. And a gun. Please. Love, Private Blogger

12/11

Lisa's Random Thoughts * Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends... (Is that spelled correctly? I have been playing with the spelling for seriously, like, five minutes) . * Today was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing. I felt like the worst mom ever for not sending Isaac to school in a hat and gloves. Turned out they didn't take the kids outside so that was all good. * I think a stress related nervous break down at work is becoming a new pre-Christmas tradition. Last year on the last day of school before break I had a legitimate tantrum in my classroom that involved throwing objects and screaming. I can feel it coming this year... * They are providing only 100 flu shots for school district employees. I better get one. * The Daily Show with John Stewart is seriously one of my favorite shows. * I'm obsessed with blogs. And facebook. Here I sit refreshing and reading and I have a dishwasher full of clean dishes to put away and baskets of laundry to be dealt with. * I think I'm seeing Fantastic Mr. Fox tonight. * My cousin posted this on his FB. You know how I feel about Bella, so I thought this was funny.

* Isaac this morning ran into my room naked and shouted "Shake what your MAMA gave ya!"

Boo

Isaac is at his dad's. I was supposed to go to NYC this weekend. But alas, I'm just too broke. It's not going to happen. Guess Christmas in NYC will have to wait till next year...

I love her

Seriously....

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

And I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my fanny,

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside..

That really did the trick.....

I was just admiring my good work.

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops - I found

A real absorbing site

That I got SO way into it - I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse.

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess.......While I sit here on my hiney.

~Author unknown

Teacher rant.

For obvious reasons I generally avoid venting/writing about work here. This is an unlocked public blog and I would like to keep it that way. But I am not stupid enough to think that one of my parents couldn't stumble across it. And of course, I want to respect the privacy of my students and their families. But I'm going to break my rule and vent here (in a general way).

please

please

please

please

If you have a preschooler do you future kindergarten teacher a favor and teach them some skills to be independent in every day life. There is no reason for your child to be in kindergarten and be unable to zip their coat.

There is no reason for your kindergartener to not dress themselves. Today my co-teacher was talking to one of our students about remembering to put on her classes. She said she hadn't brought them to school because her mother hadn't put them on her. My co-teacher said"When you get yourself dressed, it's your job to put on your glasses." The girl gave her a weird look. My co-teacher was like "You do get yourself dressed don't you?" The girl said no. We quickly polled the kindergarten class and discovered that about a 1/3 of them are dressed each morning by their parents. This is a group that we have really struggled with to get them to understand classroom rules, routines, expectations, etc. The fact that most of them are being dressed like infants explained a lot.

And, although it is a little trickier, work with your child to teach them how to tie shoes. Your kindergarten teacher will thank you.It is very daunting to have 24 pairs of untied shoes and a chorus of "MISS-IS STEVEN-SON!!!!!!!"

I have certain parents (whose child does not show a delay in fine motor skills, as some of my special ed students do), who have worked and worked with their child on reading and math skills so he would be at the top of the kindergarten class but the child is unable to pack and unpack his own school bag, zipper his own coat, open the lunch containers that are sent in his lunch or tie his own shoes. I mean, there's more to school readiness than how many sight words your kid has memorized.

As a parent of a Pre-K student I have really tried hard to practice what I preach. We have dressing and zipping down. Hopefully shoe tying will be mastered before the fall. =)

Coming soon to a postcard in your mailbox...

2009 in a nutshell...

Link Round-Up

Monkeys are so smart These are cute Bring it on!!! Seriously, it's probably way better for my kids than the crazy psychotropic drugs they are on. It's cheap, readily available and all natural. I've seen kids on drugs with terrible side effects like facial tics, loss of bladder control, hyperactivity... If your only side effect is the munchies, what's wrong with that? And for kids who refuse to eat, pot brownies are better than putting your kids on a feeding tube. Thoughts?

Grandma's house is officially ready for Christmas.... Our's isn't quite there yet.

Happy Birthday to Me

No there are not 28 candles on this cake...

Tom with Cody Pablo... Look at how big he is now!

My dad and brothers installing my new thermostat. You know you are old when you are excited about a thermostat. My other big present was getting my washing machine fixed. Woot, woot.

Isaac with Saffron

Interesting...