My Non-fabulous "F" blog

New blog

2011-01-13T21:26:00.000-05:00

I won't be deleting this blog and still may post on it from time to time, but please check out my new baby blog, My Miss Maya. Thanks!

Welcome to the world!

2010-12-31T03:30:00.001-05:00

After days and hours of waiting, our sweet and mellow little Maya Koyomi finally made her appearance yesterday. She had everyone in the hospital running around what with having her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck a whole three times! She was perfectly fine when all 8 lbs 9 oz, 22.5 inches of her was born at 2:42 though.

November recap

2010-12-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

A Few days late, here is how we Fared in November...

On the FRUGAL Front, we were over budget on gas by about $40 due to various appointments and shopping trips but under budget on Food by about $65 so we swung some of that over to cover the extra gas. We Forgot about our entertainment/gift budget so, except for the Netflix charge that always comes out of that category, we can carry the rest over to next month. There are also two budget categories this month that had rarely changed in the past but decreased this month--the rent is reduced because we're moving partway through December and our health insurance is reduced because I'm eligible for cheaper insurance since I'm pregnant. We did have some extra shopping to do to Furnish our new abode, but that money didn't come out of any particular category. Fortunately, we'll make up for most of the extra money spent within a month or so living in our new place thanks to the drop in rent. Yeah!

On the FITNESS Front, all of this running around shopping, packing and moving has given me more exercise than I've had in months! Although this makes me Feel better overall, it also causes some aches and pains when I overdo it as my hormones are causing my joints to loosen in preparation for childbirth. Add to that more eating out and prepared Foods because we're so busy, and I'm probably not doing so well to stay FIT after all. Once we're moved in, though, I'll have more time to cook healthy Foods since I'm done working. At least until the baby comes, that is...

On the FUN Front, well, we've been awfully busy to think much about having FUN. I did enjoy my baby shower and Thanksgiving, but mostly the Focus in November has been about Finishing up my job and getting ready for this move. The offer to live in the guest cottage of an acquaintance a Few miles down the road was a very sudden and unexpected thing, but we knew we had to take advantage of it because it's 1) more FRUGAL than our living situation now, 2) quieter than our living situation now and 3) has a washer and dryer. These three Factors make it ideal timing for us being that we're going to have a baby and one less income, even if picking up and moving at eight months pregnant doesn't Feel ideal. I had more than a Few panicky moments trying to envision how it will all get done in time, but now that the space is starting to really look homey I'm beginning to look Forward to it.

Well, time to go get ready for the next round of boxes to transport. Hopefully I'll have some time to write again between being Fully moved in and the arrival of our little one. If she comes on time or late, I just might...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T21:13:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a (long, long) while since I've posted here, but I wrote this up for myself and thought I'd share it with anyone wondering how I've been and what I've been up to.

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for…

1. The health of myself and my unborn baby.

2. Little kicks to my ribs to remind me I’m going to be a mom and she’s going to be my baby.

3. The chance to be a stay-at-home mom.

4. My hard-working, understanding, kind-hearted husband.

5. His forgiveness of me and my quirks and moods and raging hormones.

6. Our sweet (if eccentric) little kitty Clio.

7. Our families’ endless support and love.

8. Our families’ overall health and happiness.

9. Rhi’s new job—with her giving spirit it’s so great to see her receiving.

10. Bobbie’s beautiful heart and voice and her part in the musical.

11. Kelsie’s unfaltering kindness and earnest interest in so many things.

12. Getting to watch the progress of B&K growing into amazing young women—hoping the same for our little one

13. Matt’s sweet personality, and the knowledge of what an awesome uncle he’ll be.

14. Stan’s help with so many things, not limited to furniture assembly and car problem rescues.

15. Mom’s cooking and encouragement during my crazy periods (which will no doubt continue).

16. Dad and Theresa’s advice, love and support from North Carolina.

17. Wakama-chan’s family’s thoughtful gifts and love sent from Japan.

18. Gram and Pop’s continued health and love for us and the little one to come.

19. Friends all over the world who give me such wonderful support—Sam, Amy & Clare!

20. Linda Gruntwagin’s kindness and amazing gift-giving sense.

21. All of the friends, neighbors and relatives who gave me such lovely gifts for the baby.

22. The accumulated stack of gift-y things that I’ve kept and can happily give this Christmas.

23. The amazing offer of a beautiful place to live from Hazue and her husband.

24. The basement and other area in our new place for Wakama-chan’s studio and storage.

25. The radiant heating in the floor of our new bathroom/shower/laundry area—ahh…

26. The help of family in setting up our new home while preparing for the baby.

27. The wonderful medical and support staff at my Ob/Gyn and the hospital in Rhinebeck.

28. The new reduced-cost health insurance that will cover me and the baby.

29. Having been able to be active during pregnancy, even if I haven’t always felt great.

30. My new-found ability to just let the answering machine take phone calls.

31. Having the brains to do various jobs well but also the sense to pursue more important things.

32. Not having to get up and go to work anymore when I’d rather sleep in, clean, read a book…

33. The patients and customers who have cared for me even when my jobs were stressful.

34. Not having to buy many maternity clothes thanks to hand-me-downs and my creativity.

35. The fact that people say I’m “tiny” for someone 8 months pregnant, though I’ve gained 40 lbs!

36. The experience I have losing weight the right way, which keeps me from worrying about baby weight.

37. The increase of unexpected feathery backrubs from my loving husband.

38. The cows that produced the endless organic milk I’ve consumed these 8 months.

39. Shredded Wheats, Ronnybrook’s ginger ice cream, and various beverages that got me through.

40. Netflix—particularly Criminal Minds and other series when I’m not feeling great.

41. Books—I tore through so many during the summer months of this pregnancy.

42. My computer that has its moments, but entertains and educates me.

43. Facebook so I can keep in touch with family and friends easily.

44. Skype so we can talk to Wakama-chan’s family for free.

45. Our camera, which I’ve been fortunate enough to have great chances to use this year.

46. My new love of photography which can only grow with our soon-to-be favorite subject.

47. The experiences I’ve been so lucky to have had in my life—travelling, college, jobs, etc.

48. Our sense of frugality and the relative freedom it will bring us as a one-income family.

49. Not having to worry about clean water, shelter, clothing, heat and food like so many others in this world.

50. Pumpkin pie, cranberries, stuffing, and leftover turkey sandwiches with mayo!

Happy Halloween and end of month recap...

2010-10-31T10:48:00.000-04:00

...So my little sick leave from this blog ended up being a whole two weeks. I wasn't sick all that time, but I really needed the break. I've been really Fatigued and not able to sleep well due to my growing tummy. I think I'll get back to blogging at a slower pace than my every-other-day pattern from before. Forgive me...

To recap October...

On the FRUGAL Front we did okay. We didn't count the money spent on our babymoon weekend getaway towards our budget, so we had a sizable sum left in our Food category. We decided to use this for a second large October shopping trip yesterday (because the timing was more convenient than next weekend), but I forgot to take my calculator and we ended up going over by $20. We were under on our gas budget for the month by $21, though, so it all works out. Our savings for the month wasn't quite as much as usual because hubby had less work when we had so much rain there for awhile, but at least we had a surplus so we are pleased. If I had to count the car repair and vet visit we had this month, we would be in the red, but we look at those things over a long period of time instead of counting them towards a particular month, so we're not too worried...
On the FITNESS Front, I have been doing my morning squats, but barely any other exercise at all. Also, I've been eating less healthy Food than usual and I can Feel the difference. I'm really looking Forward to making all our meals from scratch starting after Thanksgiving when I'll be quitting my job.
On the FUN Front, we are so so glad we went on our trip to Boston. It was kind of exhausting for me, but it was really worth it to get away, see new sights and spend some quality time with the hubby. I also had a baby shower at my grandma's house last weekend which was really nice. I received such lovely presents and had a FUN time talking with relatives I don't get to see very often. We also had my brother's birthday party last weekend, which was nice.

As Far as my decluttering objectives for the month go, October was a total wash-out. We spent one weekend on our trip, I spent one weekend sick, last weekend was the baby shower and my brother's birthday party, and this weekend was spent shopping and today I'm mostly resting. Goodness knows I haven't had the energy to do any decluttering on the weekdays, either, as the time between walking in the door from work and laying down in my bed seems to get shorter and shorter by the day.

I think my decluttering goals were a little too lofty considering how much more strenuous pregnancy is than I ever would have thought. I'm really glad I did the majority of setting aside possible Christmas gifts in the beginning, so even if I don't get around to going through and scanning various papers and photos, I still have a decent stash of presents that just need sorting and wrapping. Since I'll have a Few unemployed weeks to myself between Thanksgiving and baby time, I should be able to do that much. I hope so anyway...

So that was my October in a nutshell. I hope to continue blogging here for another month or so, even if only once or twice a week. Beyond that, I'm not exactly sure what will happen, though a brand new blog may be in order to signify the brand new life in our midst. I'll make sure to post any details here.

Taking a break to get well

2010-10-17T19:38:00.000-04:00

I seem to have caught a nasty head cold that's trying to make it's way down into my chest. I'm trying to prevent that so rest is more important than blogging for now. See you on the other side of this...

the lowdown on our Bostonian babymoon...

2010-10-15T07:35:00.063-04:00

How it was FUN:

We walked around Salem, Massachusetts on Saturday, enjoying the Freaky nature of October in the witch capital of the USA! They were having a street Festival and all kinds of people were dressed up in costumes and witch hats.
We walked around parts of Boston on Sunday, enjoying the history of the Freedom Trail, the sights and sounds of street performers and musicians around the Quincy Market area, and buying some Asian groceries in Chinatown.
We went to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts on Monday and enjoyed the wonderful layout and size of their collections of Asian art (esp. Japanese Buddhist sculptures), photography and impressionism, as well as their cool cafeteria!

How it was FIT:

We walked. A lot. 'Nuff said.

How it was FRUGAL:

We didn't partake of any of the Salem witch museums or Boston sights that cost money to enter.
We happened to go the art museum on their Fall Open House day which meant Free admission!
We offset the entire cost of our hotel stay with rewards points racked up on our credit card.

And, Finally, a bit on how our trip wasn't FRUGAL. For once, we allowed ourselves to ignore our budget and spend as we would like. We ate out twice a day (breakfasts were complimentary at the hotel) and ordered whatever we wanted. We bought souvenir treats for Family and Friends that were a bit pricier than we usually would have splurged on. While we didn't go hog wild (no doubt the mindset resultant of our usually FRUGAL lifestyle prevented that), we did enjoy letting loose a little. And did I mention how relaxed we were this week? I'd say a bit of cheating on our FRUGALITY definitely paid off!

We're home for the long haul...

2010-10-13T21:57:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely babymoon and I can't wait to tell you all about it, but I'm still exhausted on this, my second day back to the grind. I will say that it was the least FRUGAL three days we've spent in a long, long time, but I think we deserved it! Anyhow, sorry for another abbreviated post, but I'll try harder next time!

a Columbus Day link

2010-10-11T14:09:00.001-04:00

Happy Columbus Day!

And on a completely unrelated note, take a peek at this little slide show to give you ideas for other uses for socks that have lost their mates!

"6 things to do with a sock"

sometimes you've gotta go...

2010-10-09T22:11:00.010-04:00

...where nobody knows your name.

We're on a babymoon this weekend in the Boston area! I don't think we're planning on going to Cheers or any bars/taverns at all for that matter, but the theme song Fits. I really want to disappear with the hubby for a couple of days and not have to answer to anyone! I'll let you know more details when we get back...

three-quarters of the way down...

2010-10-07T09:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked week 30 of my pregnancy. It's been a long, not-so-easy road and I had another list of questions and concerns to take to my obstetrician's appointment in the morning...

Is it normal to have stomach cramps when I sneeze? Yes, because the muscles and ligaments are all stretched out...Instead of treating my allergy attacks when they come on, I could take a daily allergy medication to prevent them from the get-go.
Why do I have so much pain all around the circumference of my belly? Again, the stretched out muscles...I should drink more water and vary my position during the day, neither standing or sitting too long. I also should watch my posture and prevent gas buildup.
Speaking of that, why am I so gassy, even though I avoid every Food that usually causes that? Because pregnant women get that way...There are various medications I can take to help with that, both to prevent the symptoms before they happen and to treat them when they do come up.

The good news from yesterday's appointment was that my weight gain and tummy size are measuring perfectly, the baby's heartbeat was strong as always, and the deficiencies I was showing last month were not so severe that they Feel the need to recheck my blood. As long as I'm taking the suggested vitamins and supplements, they are confident I'm doing well, even though I admitted to decreased appetite. This, too, is normal because the baby's not giving my stomach room to Fill up, so I just need to eat smaller meals and snacks more often to stay well-nourished.

I remembered one more question at the end of my appointment and got quite a lovely response to it. I told the midwife that the night before I had had the strange experience of the baby kicking or moving in a slow, almost perfectly even tempo for a Full two minutes or more. She said that it was hiccups! How cute is that?!? Here we were thinking I was incubating the next Mozart or something, but I'll take that explanation instead. I'm just glad she got over them before too long so I could get some sleep...

no real post today...

2010-10-05T19:44:00.003-04:00

...'cause this baby is kicking and swirling and making me sick. G'night!

shop, return, repeat--the results

2010-10-03T10:14:00.097-04:00

Here's how my FRUGAL shopping and returning adventures Fared over the last Few days:

We returned the too small bargain basement toilet seat last Thursday and bought the correct size for $6 more in a different store. It was still pretty cheap, though.
Today I returned the maternity pillow and support belt I'd purchased online. For some reason, the woman working at the returns counter was unable to make my gift card balance come out to an even $50, so I ended up getting an extra 7 cents added on for my trouble. Imagine that. I used part of that gift card to get the toilet seat and a much-needed rust-resistant shower caddy, and the rest to reorder the maternity belt in a larger size. As for the pillow, instead of bothering my mom I'm actually going to have my landlady (who is a Fashion designer) make the pillow for me with material she already has.
I returned the $28 impulse buy cardigan to Kohl's, and while I was there got to use my $20 in Kohl's Cash to buy another pair of $18 awesome maternity leggings. I looked around to see if there was something cheap to make up the $2, and Found a cute maternity denim dress on the clearance rack for $9.80. I went up to the register and saw another customer use their Kohl's Cash along with a printed out coupon, which I didn't realize you could do. Fortunately, I had printed out the $5 off coupon they emailed me and brought it with me just in case. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that it had expired one day earlier. Fortunately, the woman at the register was able to give me the $5 off anyways. I ended up walking out of there with a pair of leggings and a dress for $2.80!!!
Another coupon I used today was one from CVS. These are emailed to me a Few times a month and are usually similar to this one, which was $4 off of a $20 purchase. I needed hair products and Found that CVS brand was on sale--buy one, get half off another. That left me quite shy of the $20 minimum until I Found a gift for my brother's upcoming birthday. Two birds with one stone!
Another random Find was when we stopped at a supermarket pharmacy halfway home for something to stop the allergy attack I was having. We have tons of little store cards on our key chain and it's a good thing we do. They had a special on the expensive protein powder that my doctor prescribed--buy one, get one Free! I think I can make those two canisters last for the next two months. Yippee!

Although I don't plan on being a big coupon clipper anytime soon, I'm certainly going to remain a coupon printer-outer and, of course, a receipt-keeper. Sometimes it really pays off!

September recap

2010-10-01T13:35:00.014-04:00

I'm going to make this quick because it's been a long week and a very long day and I can't wait to sit back and enjoy a DVD with hubby! To recap September:

On the FRUGAL Front we did well. We went over the phone budget by $3 because I recharged my phone card and we went over on the Food budget by $4 because of a miscalculation I made when shopping yesterday. No biggie...
On the FITNESS Front, I've started doing squats and pelvic rocks that are supposed to be good for pregnant women. I know this is nothing like the 'real' exercise I used to do, but I guess I have to take baby steps (har har).
On the FUN Front, it's a bit hard to have too much FUN when your belly is as uncomfortable as mine, but I'm trying to treasure the little things--things like apple picking with my Family and noticing the leaves change.

How can it be October already?!?

shop, return, repeat

2010-09-29T21:16:00.000-04:00

I am a big Fan of returning things. I should rephrase that to say I would love to love everything I buy, but I'm a big Fan of returning things when I don't love them.

Tomorrow we'll return a toilet seat which we bought to replace our cracked one, but it was the wrong size. Then, this weekend I'm going to return a brown cardigan I bought at Kohl's but then regretted paying $28 for. I ended up getting an organic cotton cardigan elsewhere for only $12. Fortunately, I'll be able to keep my Kohl's cash because they give you $10 for every $50 spent, and I had spent $130 so I'll still be over $100 after returning the sweater. I'll probably use the $20 for another pair of awesome maternity leggings.

Today a box came in the mail with two life-savers I had been waiting for: a maternity pillow and a maternity belt. Unfortunately, both were too small and need to be returned. I'll be doing that this weekend, then immediately reordering the belt in a larger size. I can't bear to pay the ridiculous prices they charge for the larger pregnancy pillows, though, so I'm planning on buying material and stuffing and having my mom sew me one. That way it will definitely be sized right, made with the Fabric of my choice, and will be made with love!

It's best to buy things that you are certain you'll like and will definitely use, but life's not always perfect that way. Thank goodness for returns!

decluttering phase 2, part B

2010-09-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I more or less Finished up the September decluttering goals I had set. I spent some time in hubby's studio/our storage space going through our belongings. My major Feat was separating things into different piles:

Stuff we don't need that would make nice Christmas gifts (a large plastic box Full)
Stuff we don't need that would be good to sell or Freecycle (a decent-sized pile)
Stuff we don't need that I have no idea how we'll get rid of (more than I'd like)
Stuff I have to go through and scan, ditch or recycle (old photos and papers)
Stuff hubby has to go through and keep or pass on (clothes and shoes, etc.)

The Christmas gift pile will remain where it is until November, when I can decide what to give to whom and get wrapping. If there are any leftovers I will let Family members like my sisters use them as gifts or simply donate them. The sell/recycle pile will be listed on Craig's List or Freecycle soon and any leftovers will be donated. I plan to try to think of uses for some of the items in the 'no idea' pile (maybe I'll post a list on here to ask for your ideas?), otherwise I'll probably donate them, too.

Finally, the scan/ditch/recycle pile is my decluttering task for next month. There's a lot to go through, so wish me luck!!!

where to get baby stuff

2010-09-25T11:29:00.000-04:00

My previous post was all about the baby items I registered for so that Friends and Family buy them for me new. Being that our little one will be the First grandbaby and great-grandbaby on my mother's side, and the First granddaughter on my Father and hubby's side (and the grandsons all live very Far away), hand-me-downs are not much of an option.

Also since she'll be the 'First' to so many in my Family, no one seems to want to the pre-owned route. Now I know it's important to get a really good carseat and clean bedding and all that, but I'm more than willing to consider gently used items for our baby. As such, I've been keeping my eye out on Freecycle and talking about borrowing some things from Friends with children.

Here's to hoping our little bundle won't cause us to make too huge an impact on the environment/the wallets of us and those around us...

how much baby stuff do we really need?

2010-09-23T19:58:00.007-04:00

Today I Finally Finished my baby shower registry! This has been hanging over my head for a while now. I think part of my mental block was my non-consumeristic, FRUGAL attitude, and part was that I enjoy picking out gifts for other people so very much more than picking out stuff for myself...

Oh, and there's also the huge Factor of baby-goods-overload, symptoms of which include, but are not limited to, obsessing over mismatched patterns in bedding, nagging one's spouse to help choose one out of dozens of very similar diaper pails, and Frequent migraines and upset stomachs.
.

At any rate, I'm done now, and my mother will be proud. I don't Feel that we need the recommended 75 (75!) items on the site's handy checklist, but I've managed to come up with 22. Believe me, it was a stretch for me even to add that many items to the registry, but I Figured the Following items would be handy:

Bedding: Since our apartment is so small, we're opting for a pack n' play with an attached diaper changing station and bassinet. I also added Fitted sheets for this and a pack of receiving blankets.
Feeding: After hearing so much about their versatility, I've decided to ask for a Boppy pillow, as well as a water resistant cover and an extra slipcover for it. I also added a pack of burp cloths to the list.
Bathing: We've picked out a bath that is compact and inexpensive, and a hooded towel/bath mitt set. I also added grooming and healthcare kits to cover things like nail clippers and a nasal aspirator.
Travel: After a slight panic attack from looking at the prices of diaper bags, I settled on an inexpensive but attractive and convenient-looking one. I've also chosen a Moby wrap-style baby carrier.
Toiletries: I've added a diaper pail, one pack of newborn and one pack of size 1 diapers, a pack of wipes and refill inserts, and a starter kit of organic lotions and creams which also has shampoo.
Clothing: I'm sure everyone under the sun will be buying our little one cute little girly clothes, so I only added one 5-pack of onesies and a bodysuit that has a picture of a pacifier and says "pacifist" on it.
Swing: This is the only item (besides the pacifist onesie) that I think is non-essential. I know people everywhere swear by them, but I don't think my parents ever had one, and we're okay. Right?

I know there are other things we will be needing, like more diapers and nursing accessories, but I'd rather work on those ourselves. And, of course, one of the most important items is missing from the list--my wonderful grandparents have told us they will buy our carseat as soon as we pick one out.

If anyone out there has advice, I'd love to hear it! That is especially true if you have tips on 'how to make do without X' than 'you absolutely need Y.' Since this is my First time at this, though, I'll take whatever help I can get! Thanks in advance!

what happens when the lights go out

2010-09-21T13:17:00.006-04:00

Since the beginning of my pregnancy I've been perpetually tired and able to Fall asleep within a Few minutes of my head hitting the pillow every night. I've even had to start going to bed earlier than usual because I was still sleepy after my usual seven or so hours of sleep.

So what is happening to me all of the sudden? For the last 5 nights, I Fall asleep easily enough and sleep well for 3 or 4 hours, but then I wake up. Sometimes I'm uncomfortable and need to change position, sometimes I need to go to the bathroom, and sometimes my nose is running or I need to sneeze. Once the cat woke me up. These are all normal pregnancy issues (except for the cat, of course) so it makes sense that they would disturb my sleep from time to time.

The problem is that I can't get back to sleep! Here I am, drained from nourishing and bearing the weight of this little one inside me, needing more sleep than usual. Yet, for some reason, I'm only able to get about 5 hours of shuteye a night tops. Argh!!! Any ideas, anyone?

P.S. Just in case my new nutrition regime is the cause, I'm cutting out my protein powder today to see if that helps.

nesting and apple picking

2010-09-19T13:35:00.007-04:00

This weekend I didn't work on my decluttering goals, but that doesn't mean I sat still much--that's for sure! Yesterday after working for my landlady for a couple of hours and tackling the laundry, hubby and I did some major cleaning. He used a borrowed steam cleaner to rid our bathroom tiles of mold and hard water stains. I used our new vacuum to rid every nook and cranny of our apartment of cat hair and other debris. The result: our apartment is as clean as it's been in a long time!

Today we went apple picking with my whole Family. We Followed mom, stepdad and the twins to a Farm about 40 minutes away and met my brother and his girlfriend there. I had called a Few days ago to ask what Fruits were available for picking and was told there were plums, peaches and strawberries as well as apples. While we were looking around, we saw completely bare peach trees, couldn't Find the plum trees and didn't much Feel like strawberries. Hmph!

Still, we picked (and sampled!) several varieties of apples. We didn't go nearly as crazy as we did last year, only buying about 12 pounds worth for our own consumption. This is a very good thing because I don't really have the energy to put together dishes with excess apples this year. After we bid adieu to the Family and left the orchard, we did some grocery shopping and went out for an early dinner. I'm so tired I could cry, but it was a good, good day and weekend!

I tried to be FRUGAL, but...

2010-09-17T13:37:00.009-04:00

...my wallet took a couple of hits yesterday.

First I had my doctor's appointment, which by itself did not cost me anything. I have never had such a list of (albeit minor) ailments to inquire about before, but I guess it's common to experience all kinds of crazy symptoms when you're pregnant. I don't intend to treat all of my little issues with pills for reasons of both FITNESS and FRUGALITY, but it's good to know what medications I can take if things get to be unbearable.

The only new things I do need to pay attention to are my low levels of calcium, vitamin D and protein. As of today, my previous daily regiment of prenatal vitamins and Fish oil capsules will be joined by calcium/vitamin D tablets and scoops of vanilla whey powder. The Former I bought a large bottle of at Sam's Club so the price tag didn't bother me too much, but I had never had whey powder before and was afraid to buy the wholesale size in case I didn't like it. I went to a health Food store and bought a jug containing two weeks worth and it was over $14! I'm going to have to research more FRUGAL alternatives for this...

My next task of the day was to replace the tire on my car that had gone Flat earlier in the week. All Four tires had been purchased within the last year, so I Felt certain I could get a Free tire if I could just Figure out where I had gotten the bad one. I thought it was from Sam's Club but it turns out the brand was different. Unfortunately, the Flat tire was the only one we didn't buy locally (we got it on the New Jersey Turnpike on the way to North Carolina last December!), and between that and the Fact that a 'road hazard' was the apparent cause of the Flat, I was out of luck. With help from my generous grandparents, I paid out of pocket for a new tire.

I went to the same car repair chain I usually go to but in a different town. While they were looking at my car, as they often do at such places, they looked for other problems to warn me about (read: charge me for). Lo and behold they Found that both my air conditioner belt and my alternator belt were in really bad shape. I remembered having a new air conditioner belt put in only a Few months ago, and they were able to verify that with the branch I usually use and replace it for Free. Yeah!

I told them I would wait on the alternator belt, but handed them a coupon for $7 off an oil change and asked them to add that while they were at it. On the other side of my coupon was an offer for 20% off some other service which I was not in need of, but the repairman said he could Fudge that coupon to knock 20% off the price of the belt I did need. Double yeah! He also threw in a complimentary road hazard warranty for the tire I bought. Triple yeah! The visit to the repair shop was costly, but I managed to get a Few good deals, too, so I'm happy.

My Final errand for the day was to buy some maternity pants. I had been to a couple of my Favorite discount stores a Few weeks ago but one had no maternity section and the other didn't have any Fall/winter items yet. Yesterday I went to Kohl's on my grandmother's advice, and spent more on clothes than I have in a long, long time. That said, everything I chose was on sale and all but one item were solid-color basics that I'll be able to use for a variety of looks. The only item that was not so basic was a really adorable (and cheap) plaid tunic shirt/dress that Fits well now but isn't even maternity so I'll be able to wear it for a long time to come!

Between visiting the doctor, the car repair shop, Kohl's, the health Food store,Sam's Club for a Few groceries, and my grandparents' house, yesterday was a long, Full day. I'm not sure my Feet or my wallet will be able to take many more of those for the next Few months!

a rare Thursday payday and some updates

2010-09-15T09:26:00.000-04:00

I know almost a week has passed, but I've been busy blogging about other things in the interim. Now I'm Finally getting around to posting about all of the wonderfully FRUGAL treats that arrived in my mailbox last Thursday:

a $3 off CVS coupon (which I already used over the weekend to get a big jug of pomegranate juice for just one dollar!)

a $10 off coupon for an oil change/car wash/interior cleaning/Fluid Fill (I have to Find out if they do tires, too, since I had a Flat yesterday...)

a $50 gift card for Target for doing surveys through e-Rewards.com (I know there's a boycott against them, but this was Free money so I couldn't resist!)

I also used the $30 I had earned on Swagbucks at that point (I've earned more since) towards a new vacuum cleaner from Amazon.com that arrived the other day. I had originally planned on saving the SB money for Christmas shopping, but I've actually decided to try to give everyone things I already have in my possession and/or homemade things for Christmas this year. This looks like it will go well judging by my decluttering progress so Far. It's looking to be a very FRUGAL season in our house!

Grandparents' Day and a birthday

2010-09-13T11:59:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was Grandparents' Day, and I was a little late sending out a card, but my Grammy and Poppy called tonight to say they'd received it. The card itself was one of the many Freebies I've received from environmental charities I've donated to. Into that I tucked a $50 gift certificate for an awesome local produce market, for which I got (lovingly) yelled at.

Tomorrow is my grandfather's birthday. Men of a certain age are always difficult to shop for, I Find, and he is no exception. The one advantage I did have this year is that I'm about to make him a great-grandfather for the First time. I ordered him a good-quality long-sleeved polo shirt and had "World's Best Great Grandpa" tastefully embroidered on it. Brownie points!

How did we manage to swing such splurges, you ask?

Well, a Few weeks back I asked my grandparents to keep an eye out in the newspapers for sales on vacuum cleaners. A couple days later, they sent us a check in the mail. I love my grandparents dearly and it's sweet that they spoil me so, but it was more than we needed and so we decided to spoil them back. Like I said, I got in a bit of trouble for it, but I'm glad we had the chance to give them nice gifts. They certainly deserve it!

decluttering phase 2, part A

2010-09-11T20:08:00.008-04:00

Today hubby and I worked on the next step of the decluttering process, or half of it anyways. This was the part where I said I would "go through all knickknacks and random items in both the apartment and studio, setting aside items that would work as Christmas gifts for Family and Friends." Today we tackled that task within the confines of our apartment, leaving the studio as phase 2, part B.

Specifically, since I had already tackled our dresser drawers and our only closet last week, what was left was our three bookcases. We have two narrow but very tall bookcases in the living room and I had taken up both of them with my knickknacks as well as my books. This left poor hubby to squeeze all his books and other items into the one shorter bookcase in our bedroom. I Finally decided to be nice and let him have one of the tall ones in the living room all to himself.

First I took all my knickknacks and Framed photos out of both bookcases and condensed the books into one. I kept a very Few small decorative items that hold special meaning to me and could be displayed in Front of or between the books, but everything else went into the Christmas gift pile. I took the photos out of their Frames so I could use the Frames for gifts as well. Then I helped hubby reorganize all his books and items in their new place in the living room.

Now that the shorter bookcase in the bedroom is empty, we can begin Filling it with baby stuff. I'm imagining it will be a great place to store diapers, wipes, lotions and other baby accessories. And given its place right next to the drawers I cleaned out last week, I think we're on our way to creating a convenient little baby station. Now all we need is the baby!

perfect item, perfect timing

2010-09-09T09:34:00.011-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, my brother's girlfriend told me she had Found an article of clothing she had worn as a child and asked if I'd like it for our little one. Yesterday, by way of various Family members, it arrived in my hands and I love it! Why?

It belonged to my brother's girlfriend, and she's a cool girl
It's 100% cotton, soft to the touch and still in perfect shape
It's passed down, so it's FRUGAL and environmentally FIT
It's green (literally and Figuratively) so will match anything
It has no Disney characters or emblems or logos of any kind

I'm so excited that this is the first piece of clothing I get to put in my newly-organized baby dresser! Thanks, Rhi!

decluttering phase 1

2010-09-07T11:56:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I discovered (or rediscovered) some things about myself while trying to accomplish step 1 of the decluttering process I outlined the other day: to "go through all the clothes in my closet and dresser, putting away any clothes that won't Fit around my belly until spring to make room for diapers and baby clothes."

I suck at downsizing my wardrobe--thanks to years of being tall and overweight in a country where large sizes don't exist, I have a Fear of getting rid of clothes that I might need sometime in the Future. This is also compounded by the Fact that my size is currently changing weekly and will continue to do so for the Forseeable Future.

My allergies have always had the tendency to act up when I'm going through belongings, even if I'm simply packing a suitcase. As I've learned these past months, pregnancy can worsen any previous medical conditions. That combined with Fluctuating weather had me under the weather for most of the rest of the weekend after a Saturday of decluttering.

I got halfway through decluttering my dresser drawers when I realized that storing all my Folded clothes in containers under the bed so baby clothes could go in the dresser would make extra work for myself getting dressed in the morning. I guess it's good I Figured this out now instead of later, as the bigger my belly gets, the less I'm going to want to squat.

Now the small free-standing white drawers that were in the closet are on top of our low, dark-colored dresser in the bedroom. I didn't think this would look very nice because the material, color and finish of the drawers versus the dresser are so different, but it's not that bad after all.

Thanks to this new arrangement, I can keep my everyday clothes in the dark dresser so I won't have to squat too much. And by putting my pre-pregnancy clothes in boxes under the bed, I have managed to empty out the white drawers so that baby stuff can go in them.

Finally, by taking those drawers out of the closet I was able to Fit my sewing machine and big box o' Fabric/ribbons/craft supplies in the closet instead of having it in the way all the time. I'm pretty pleased with how everything came out and now I can't wait to get going with phase 2!

decluttering is FRUGAL if not altogether FUN

2010-09-05T11:29:00.008-04:00

I hope to do a good going through and organizing of most of my possessions in the next Few months. Our apartment is quite small so it shouldn't take that terribly long, but I also have several boxes of old things from college and even high school that are currently stored in hubby's studio space. Luckily, I have a plan:

September

go through all the clothes in my closet and dresser, putting away any clothes that won't Fit around my belly until spring to make room for baby clothes and diapers
go through all knickknacks and random items in both the apartment and studio, setting aside items that would work as Christmas gifts for Family and Friends

October

go through the papers and photos that make up the bulk of the items being stored in the studio, scanning as much as necessary and doing some serious downsizing
use some of these old papers and photos (including the albums they came from) to make scrapbooks or other sentimental Christmas gifts for Family and Friends

November

Finishing up the Christmas gift preparation and wrapping
Preparing the apartment for the arrival of our little one

Who says spring is the best time for cleaning, anyhow? Wish me luck!

lots of changes goin' on 'round here...

2010-09-03T20:51:00.005-04:00

So as you can tell by my last post, life has been different for us the last several months and will only change more and more in the coming months. As a result, the overall theme of my blog and the Frequency of posts will likely be affected. I'm considering starting over upon the birth of our little one with a baby blog, which would no doubt incorporate mommyhood and childrearing as well as my current themes of FRUGALITY, FITNESS and FUN. It would also be a great way for distant Friends and Family to keep up with our little one's growth. These are things I'll be considering in the coming months...

The big news...

2010-09-01T22:04:00.001-04:00

Baby girl Waka, due 12/17/10

August recap, quick and easy

2010-08-30T13:45:00.005-04:00

Here's how I Fared in August:

On the FRUGAL Front, we were right on budget for everything! Nothing to carry over except $0.71 in our Food category, unless I buy some candy tomorrow... :)

On the FITNESS Front, I'm so out of shape that having only 2 days of rest between a day at the Fair and a long day of shopping didn't seem like enough. More on that soon...

On the FUN Front, I've been to the county Fair, a Friend's baby's baptism and party, and spent lots of time enjoying the weather, good books and time with the hubby and the kitty.

September is a time of new beginnings for kids (and teachers!) in school, and it very well may be a time of new beginnings for this blog, too. ;)

being FRUGAL at the county Fair

2010-08-28T13:44:00.005-04:00

Thursday we went to the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck, NY. We had kept some wiggle room in our budget for this purpose, but still tried a Few tricks to keep down costs:

Researching online ticket discounts--Unfortunately this didn't pan out as the coupons available for a Few dollars off admission are only good from 10am to 11am, and with hubby's work schedule, we couldn't make it there until about 3pm.

Not buying expensive Food and drinks--We ate a big lunch before we went and brought water with us to drink. After walking around for hours, the Fresh-squeezed lemonade they were selling started looking really good but it cost $6, so instead we shared a $2 regular bottle of lemonade. We also got some Fried pickles and onions to share, but those snacks were much more reasonable than some of the main dishes out there. Who wants to walk around the Fairgrounds trying to eat a $15 Fisherman's platter anyways?!?

Attractions--I'm not a roller coaster kinda girl and have absolutely no use for those huge stuffed animals won in carnival games. I like to window-shop at the different booths selling everything from jacuzzis to belt buckles, but I'm not usually up for buying much. What I do love about the Fair, though, is looking at the animals (of both the Four-legged and two-legged varieties), admiring the prize-winning arts/crafts/Flowers/produce/cooking, and otherwise absorbing all the end-of-summer nostalgia I can.

After Four hours of walking around the Fair, my Feet were tired (and dirty) and both hubby and I Felt we had gotten our Fair share (groan) of the Fair until next year.

great coupon for shopping this weekend!

2010-08-26T13:26:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post for today to share a great coupon with you. From today through Sunday, use this printable coupon to get 30% off your purchase at Gap, Banana Republic or Old Navy stores. Not only is this a treat for your wallet, but the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will also get 5% of what you spend! How great is that? I'm not advising spending money for things you don't need, but if you're like me and are in serious need of some attire for cooler weather, this is a great offer. Have FUN!

my little sister's borrowing my laptop...

2010-08-24T20:43:00.001-04:00

...so I'll be back with my next post Thursday!

who needs to order a pizza?

2010-08-22T13:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning hubby and I decided we'd have pizza for lunch. When you have resources like this, you don't have to get delivery or take-out, and it tastes so good:

a bread machine with a dough-making setting

shredded cheese bought in bulk from Sam's club

Fresh tomatoes and zucchini from Family and Friends

a pizza stone Christmas gift from mom a couple years ago

and a husband who likes to craft beautiful pizza from scratch!

any FRUGAL advice on vacuums???

2010-08-20T13:04:00.005-04:00

photo from Microsoft Office

Thanks to our Furnished apartment, hubby and I haven't had to buy any major household appliances for a long time. Actually, come to think of it, we haven't ever had to purchase any (aside from the treadmill) thanks to gifts and hand-me-downs from Family and acquaintances.

The vacuum cleaner we've been using for the last two years had been my grandmother's until a lever broke, meaning it wouldn't stand up by itself when not in use. We stored it in a corner to keep it from Falling over, and it did a good job for us despite its little handicap...

...until the last time I used it, that is. When I pulled the vacuum towards me it sucked up everything okay, but when I pushed it away from me it started spitting out big balls of cat hair from the back. We took a look at it but are pretty sure it's a lost cause.

So now we're in the market for a new vacuum. Considering we live in such a small apartment, I think a moderately-priced, mid-level machine is the way to go. That said, I'd really be happy to Find one that isn't too bulky and that has a good reputation for picking up pet hair.

Anybody have any suggestions?

my Foray into a new part-time career?

2010-08-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

In case you weren't aware, I have another blog called Jenniwaka's Photo Blog. There I post a picture daily to encourage myself to keep honing my photography skills and to show off any nice shots I've taken.

At the moment I'm Featuring pictures of the wedding I photographed on July 10th. This was my First-ever attempt at wedding (or any event!) photography and I was pretty nervous about it so I never mentioned it on either blog prior to the big day.

Now that it's over, though, and I did a decent job (if I do say so myself), I'm proudly showing my photos to anyone who'll take the time to look at them. If you have any interest in photography, weddings, public gardens, children, Flowers, etc. or just have a Few spare minutes, take a peek!

I'd love any Feedback, thanks!

a good way to get a FIT lower body...

2010-08-16T21:42:00.009-04:00

clip art from http://phillipmartin.info/

...shiko wo fumu.

This is loosely translated as the 'sumo stomp' and you may recognize it as the side-kick-into-squat motions done by sumo wrestlers before a match. My husband used to do sumo as a teen and now he usually does a Few dozen repetitions daily to maintain lower body strength and Flexibility. I do them sometimes and I can tell you, working to keep my balance and get into a good rhythm really seems to work my core muscles.

Here is a video (in English!) detailing how to do the sumo stomp. Give it a try if you're game!

.

happy blogiversary to me, a little late

2010-08-14T17:32:00.005-04:00

August 9th was this blog's one-year anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long already. I'd like to say that I'll be able to write at this pace Forever, but even being an every-other-day blogger is a big commitment. As a result, I'm doing some thinking about the Future of 'My Non-Fabulous "F" Blog," so expect an announcement soon. But in the meantime, here's to one year of being FRUGAL, FIT and FUN!

another lazy day link--FRUGAL beauty

2010-08-12T17:39:00.007-04:00

I'm having a busy week and today has been too Full of running around to even settle myself enough to write sensibly. Luckily, I've Found another FUN, FRUGAL slideshow to link to. There are some great beauty tips in here, ranging from hair care to makeup application tips. I can vouch for tea bags being helpful to reduce eye puffiness (just don't use raspberry tea bags like I did once--I got a rash from them!). I'm also very curious about the coffee ground cellulite scrub, since I've been taking too much time off from my FITNESS routine lately and those yucky bumps have been increasing. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy and get some good tips from "33 Money-Saving Beauty Tips."

there's always peanut butter...

2010-08-10T20:44:00.004-04:00

Some mornings while packing my lunch, or late afternoons while thinking about what to have for dinner when I get home, I Fantasize about take-out Food. There is a diner not too Far from my office where I've been thinking about buying lunch one of these days, and there are a couple of restaurants where I could stop to bring home a really nice salad and some entrees for dinner.

Thankfully, my more FRUGAL and FIT-minded self ultimately stops me from partaking, but I couldn't do it without knowing I have certain staples on hand to throw something together when I'm tired and in a rush. These are my Fall-backs from which I can assemble snacks and meals using the absolute least amount of energy and time possible, and I love them for it:

cereal (I know it's a cop-out, but I love my shredded wheat!)
peanut butter (on toast, crackers, apples, celery or on a spoon)
summer's endless tomatoes (with mayo and pepper on crackers)
cheese (on crackers or tortillas, or melted on just about anything)
tortillas (with refried beans, lettuce, salsa and cheese preferrably)
canned tuna (in a sandwich or mixed into pasta salad with veggies)

There are probably quite a Few more Foods I could add to this list, but these are the ones I give thanks for lately. And now that I've written this I really have a craving for tuna... :)

the simple summer life, or is it?

2010-08-08T12:24:00.005-04:00

When I was a little girl, I thought summer made up half the year. I couldn't quite get my head around the Fact that those seemingly endless FUN days of extra-long daylight only made up a measly three months.

As I got older, of course, school vacations began to Fly by and I realized the importance of treasuring each warm and sunny day. Even after I graduated college and started working as a teacher, summer breaks Felt all too Fleeting.

Now that I don't teach for a living and don't get summers off, there's even less time for me to Fit in the things I love about summer. Also, unfortunately, the things I don't like about this season seem to irk me more as they take up my energy on these warm days.

The things I love about summer:

Flip-Flops, shorts or skirts and lightweight shirts
Fresh vegetables, especially the corn and tomatoes
Going swimming and for long walks with my camera
Fireworks, Fireflies and Fire-roasted marshmallows
Flora and Fauna teeming in Fields, woods and ponds

The things I'm not so crazy about:

Sunburns, insect bites and having to shave my legs
Days when it's too hot and humid and I Feel sweaty and Fatigued by it
The overabundance of loud motorcycles going past my house morning, noon and night!

I'm thankful, though, that this weekend has turned out to be just gorgeous weather-wise, and I haven't been plagued by bugs or too much sun. The motorcycles have been incredibly annoying, but I've tried my best to ignore them as I read my book or cooked my lunch.

Yesterday I sat on the porch in the sun preparing Fresh green beans with a glass of black cherry seltzer in hand and my cat nibbling at the wisteria leaves nearby. These are the moments that I wish would go on for 6 months, but I value them even more because they don't.

Long live summer!

where do you keep your recyclables?

2010-08-06T09:27:00.003-04:00

We have a really small kitchen and not much space to keep our recyclables. Lately I have taken to putting cans to be taken back for deposit returns in a bag on the back of the kitchen/entry door handle. This is handy for 3 reasons:

We are reminded to take them with us whenever we go shopping. This prevents us from accumulating too many, as we usually recycle about 20 or 30 cans at a time.

Not that I would suspect it in our Friendly rural area, but if we ever had an intruder (or curious neighbor?), they would announce themselves thanks to the clanging of the cans against the wall when the door is opened.

Likewise, the cans clang when we enter the apartment. Our cat has been known to try to escape when we come home with our hands Full, unable to stop her. The sound of the cans Frightens her, though, so she stays back until we can get in to give her attention.

How do you organize your recycling?

my "Free" money maker updates

2010-08-04T09:36:00.002-04:00

(not putting all my eggs in one basket... :)

I've mentioned before that I participate in various programs through which I earn points, money or merchandise by shopping, completing surveys or doing web searches. Many of these programs send me periodic updates on my accounts so today I'd like to share my progress.

I do spend a Few minutes on at least one of these programs pretty much every day, but because they're so simple, I don't really consider it time-consuming. This list is pretty much in decreasing order of how much time I spend 'working' for the rewards. As of yesterday, I have:

91 swagbucks (SBs) on Swagbucks (since Saturday) which I earn by doing web searches, answering polls or surveys, clicking through offers, watching commercials and Finding codes. I avoid actually participating in offers and I could earn cash back for online shopping, but I don't. SBs can be used for merchandise or various gift cards, but I go for a $5 Amazon card every time I hit 450 swagbucks. Since I became a member on April 28th, I've accumulated $30 in my Amazon account, spending only a Few minutes a day. If you're interested in joining, you can click on this link or on the 'swidget' on the side of this blog. (Disclosure: I get SBs for referring you. If you want to sign up on your own, go to swagbucks.com.)

3,001 points on MyPoints (since Christmas) which I earn by 'clicking through' to websites from emails I receive (a Few each day) and doing occasional web searches or surveys, although you can earn points by online shopping, too. I can use these points for various gift cards and will probably try to save up 6,250 for a $50 L.L. Bean gift card.

63,740 miles on Delta/Northwest's SkyMiles program (since quite a while ago) which I earn by Flying as well as through E-rewards and E-miles (see below). I can use them for merchandise, travel and, of course, Flights. We are saving for an as yet unplanned trip to Japan and with the miles I've accumulated so Far, we can get $600 off! I think hubby may have an account, too, so I'll have to look into combining miles when the time comes.

$99.45 in my E-rewards account (since about May) which I earn by doing surveys that are emailed to me a couple times a week. I can use these dollars for merchandise, travel or gift cards. I have used them for SkyMiles in the past, and received 500 miles per $25. At the moment I'm considering getting a $50 Target card when I reach $100.*

295 miles on E-miles (since my last deposit on June 15th) which I earn by occasionally viewing websites or commercials and answering a Few questions, usually about once a week. I can deposit these miles into my SkyMiles account in 500 mile increments.

21,499 rewards points on my credit card (since Christmas) which I earn by charging groceries, gas, etc. I can use these points for cash back, merchandise, Future or previous travel, events/experiences or gift cards. I usually use mine for Amazon gift certificates and with this amount I can get $210 worth (but I'm saving them for Christmas).

So there it is, my 'earnings' aside from my regular job. Not too bad, eh?

*unless I decide to participate in that Target boycott...hmm...

a seriously FRUGAL summer hobby

2010-08-02T12:02:00.009-04:00

Something about summer always makes me want to grab a book and sit outside in the shade or inside by a window and just lose myself in the story. I guess it could be the longer daylight hours or just a habit leftover from when summer used to mean vacation from school and time to do what I please. For the last month or two I've been tearing through a book a week (except for a really long hardcover I had been given years ago that took me a couple of weeks to get through).

I really enjoy mystery/suspense novels with the occasional cultural, scientific or historical overtones. Luckily these are just the type of books people purchase on a whim at airports, etc. and then have no use for after they've read them once. Therefore, it's super easy to Find these books for Free or next to nothing. My usual source is the library/'Freebie' room at the post office my mom runs, which is conveniently located just a couple doors down from where I live.

Stieg Larsson's trilogy starting with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" seems to be really popular right now. My brother's girlfriend couldn't put it down during their recent stay in North Carolina, prompting my mother to want to read it as well. When she was back at work she happened to notice that someone had left this First book of the series in the 'Freebie' room and scooped it up. She knew that I'd read it Faster than she would, so she passed it on to me.

I started the book a Few days ago and I don't think it will last more than another night or two. Unfortunately I've heard that it's quite the cliffhanger so I know I will want to get my hands on the Following books as soon as possible. Still, I don't think I would stoop to buying the books Full price, but luckily my mother isn't as FRUGAL as I am and has already ordered them. I'm glad I'll be able to read the whole story, but I also kind of wish I'd waited for it to hit the library.

I've never been one to rush out to the movie theater just because everyone was talking about a certain movie. If it's a Film I really want to see, or if it's a social outing I might see a First-run movie once in a while, but I'm mostly content just to wait until movies come out on DVD, etc. Likewise, I don't usually buy books as soon as they come out. The last Few Harry Potter books were a notable exception, but I've tried to steer away from ongoing series since then.

I'm really enjoying this book and am anxious to see how the storylines progress through the second and third books. After this series, though, I think I'm back to reading old worn-out stand-alone books. Even if the techonology the characters use and the popular culture they refer to is 10 or 20 years old like a Few I've read recently, at least I'll know that the end of the story is within easy and FRUGAL reach.

goodbye, July--I'll miss you in winter

2010-07-31T19:20:00.004-04:00

photo by hubby

Here's a quickie recap of July:

On the FRUGAL Front, of course we went over budget, but considering we went on a week's vacation, it wasn't really that bad. We went over on our on our Food budget by about $8 and on our gas budget by about $16 (after subtracting the $77 leftover in our FUN/gift category, that is--hey, it was for a vacation that was a FUN gift to ourselves!) We'll be subtracting these overages from the corresponding categories this month. Everything else was Fine and our income was comfortably more than we budgeted for.

On the FITNESS Front, I've just about given up. I just don't have the energy to exercise on these hot, hot days and have had lots of allergy problems/head colds. I also ate a lot of rich Foods and junk Food this month thanks to being on vacation. I've got to work on this.

On the FUN Front, it was a great month. A trip to North Carolina, lots of time spent with Family (including my dad who I rarely get to see), my birthday and sunshiney-if-too-warm days. Ahh...

Be kind to me, August. I've got to get back in the groove...

aren't grandparents the greatest?

2010-07-29T20:34:00.002-04:00

Hubby and I went to visit my grandparents after a doctor's appointment today. I think I've mentioned before how they spoil us by sending us home with Food every single time we got to see them. Today not only did they send us home with a container of Fruit candy and a bag of chocolates, but they also took us out to dinner. Not only was this a treat for tonight, but I've got enough leftovers from the huge portion of eggplant rollatini and spaghetti I was served to make tomorrow's lunch, too. Bonus!

P.S. My grandfather doesn't usually wear a top hat, just in case you were wondering. My brother, on the other hand, has been known to wear this one from time to time (with a suit that has tails and fingerless gloves and...well, you get the picture). This photo was taken last Christmas and someone put my brother's hat on my grandfather and, well, the resulting photo is pretty darned cute, don't you think?

a long day = a lazy link post day :)

2010-07-27T22:04:00.002-04:00

I had a long long day at work today so I'd like to share this interesting article with you in lieu of a proper post. It should provide Food for thought for anyone who is on a budget and shopping for a car, or who just would like validation that his or her 'clunker' is not a bad choice after all...

"7 Ways My Clunker Is Smarter than a Hybrid" by Kentin Waits for FRUGAL Wisebread.com

a vacation day spent with my daddy

2010-07-25T18:32:00.006-04:00

We got to visit with my dad one day of our North Carolina vacation. It, too, was a relaxing, FUN and FRUGAL time thanks to the Following:

We drove down the Outer Banks and took the Ferry to meet him on the island of Ocracoke--it was very cool that this Ferry was Free, but the number of cars waiting to board was enough to make us give up and board as pedestrians.

Dad and stepmom Theresa treated us to crabcake sandwiches for lunch--thanks, guys!

We spent the rest of the afternoon checking out Ocracoke island life and culture--pelicans and crabs; beachgoers and locals; cacti and 'live' oaks; beachhouses and shops.

It was just a short visit this time, but thanks to the miracles of technology, it's a lot easier to stay connected with my dad over the miles than it used to be. Great to see you and love you, dad!

ode to a super-FRUGAL summer vacation

2010-07-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

To make up for Wednesday's extremely long and detailed post on FRUGAL car travel, I'm going to make today's post on FRUGAL vacationing super short. I'm just going to list a Few basic ideas we Followed to make our vacation to North Carolina as inexpensive (yet FUN) as possible:

we stayed with Family = no expensive hotel stays and lots of Free homecooked meals ;)
we skipped touristy stuff = mini golf would have been nice but we can do that anytime and anywhere
we Found Free entertainment = going to the beach, window shopping, walking, reading, and, oh yes, relaxing

Thanks to all these, er, tactics, we really didn't do much damage to our monthly budget much at all with this trip. I'll know more next week when I tally it all up, but I think we'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

how to be FRUGAL during a long car trip

2010-07-21T19:59:00.010-04:00

Actually I should have added "with two teenagers" to the title of this post as we were traveling with my twin 17-year-old sisters. When all was said and done, our drive to North Carolina took about 10.5 hours from start to Finish, and our return trip took about 12 hours thanks to traffic. That's a lot of time to make expensive mistakes, but this is how we tried to stay FRUGAL.

1. Gas: The last time hubby and I went to North Carolina, we took my Subaru Legacy. This time I researched which of the cars available to us got the best mileage and we went for my mom's Chevy HHR. I've always thought it looked like a hearse (she got it in black), but not only was it quite a bit better on gas, but it also had a lot more room and considering we had twice the number of passengers and quite a bit of luggage, this was a lifesaver!

2. Food: Hubby and I are really good at packing lunches, snacks and drinks for ourselves when we go on a long drive, but this time we had company whose Food tastes and needs differ a bit from our own.

To North Carolina: I had the twins pack a bag of stuff they had at home which included cookies, granola bars, muffins and Frozen packs of Capri Sun juice. On our end we packed two sandwiches per person (tailored to everyone's wishes of peanut butter, cheese or turkey), crackers, and various drinks.
Result: Aside from a bathroom break that ended up including the purchase of multicolored Slurpees (sister K's weakness), we didn't buy any Food or drinks the whole way there.
From North Carolina: We helped my mom and stepdad clean out the cupboards and Fridge of their soon-to-be retirement home because they were leaving, too, and it will be a while until they go back again. We Filled a bag with chips, crackers and pretzels and another one with grapes, cherries and plums. I took a container of leftover spaghetti and a Fork for myself, and made more peanut butter sandwiches for the girls and hubby. Drinks were water and iced tea.
Result:We ended up buying ice cream for a treat as well as a Few drinks along the way because the variety of beverages we packed was less appealing than our earlier trip, not to mention that it took an hour and a half longer due to traffic.
Lessons learned: Drinks are important! Also, it seems to help if you set out earlier (7:15am on the way there) than later (9:30am on the way back) because kids can sleep in the car and you can have dinner at your destination.

3. Miscellaneous tips:

GPS: We have a GPS but we only used it for very small portions of our trip. This was entirely thanks to handwritten directions from my stepdad and the surprising map-reading skills of sister K (more than making up for her Slurpee addiction). If we had to use the GPS the whole way, it likely would have taken us through some seriously congested areas such as we had experienced on our previous trip to North Carolina. Instead, we had really smooth sailing on the way down and only a couple of traffic jams to deal with on the way home.
Air conditioning: Although we started out both trips cooling ourselves with open windows, the lure of the air conditioner won out in the end. I tried to make sure we didn't turn the temperature down too Far nor the Fan speed up too Far, not only because of the drain on gas but also because it was making me Feel sick. According to those FUN guys on the show Mythbusters, though, at higher speeds (i.e. those on the highways where we spent most of our time) the drag caused by open windows is more costly than running the AC. I don't know to what extent that is true, but I'll take it!

Well, this post may have been long, dull and tedious to read, but that's the nature of car trips so I guess it's Fitting. See you next time!

last week I turned 29 for the 5th time!

2010-07-19T19:36:00.007-04:00

We're back from a week of total relaxation in North Carolina! I have a Few things to report on about our trip, but I'll start with the recap of my birthday, which Fell smack dab in the middle of it. I posted about my wish list before we left, so now I'd like to Fill in how each item panned out:

A yummy cake--I actually had two! My Family surprised me with a balloons, streamers, gifts, and birthday cake with candles at breakfast! Then, for my birthday dinner we went out for delicious local seafood and I had homemade cheesecake for dessert.

Time spent with my lovely husband & wonderful Family--I had a whole week with them!

A Few warm-weather tops--We hit one thrift shop where I got a skirt and a discount shop where I got a couple of tops. I went more Formal with my shopping than I intended but the items were FRUGAL and practical.

Some peace and quiet--The little town where my mom and stepdad bought a home is really nice. Their backyard has a dock for their boat and a deck with a lounge chair for me to read and relax in. Heaven!

A home pedicure or Facial--my sisters and I did home Facials at night while watching a particularly creepy episode of one of my Fave shows, Criminal Minds. Fun night!

So, it was a great birthday and a great week, but I'll tell you more about the rest of the trip next time!

alternative uses for everyday things # 3

2010-07-17T12:25:00.004-04:00

clip art from fundraw.com

Check out 20 New Uses for Old Things as my last alternative uses post. My mom has a birdbath Full of succulents like the one shown, and goodness knows I've done my Fair share of gift wrapping in old calendars. Next I'll have to add restaurant coaster gift tags as well!

I'll be back from vacation for my next post so hopefully I'll be refreshed and inspired with lots of new FRUGAL, FIT and FUN ideas to write about!

alternative uses for everyday things #2

2010-07-15T12:25:00.002-04:00

clip art from maine.gov

Check out 5 New Uses for New(ish) Things for some neat ideas on what to do with trendy stuff that may not be so trendy anymore. The rubber clogs as planters are actually kind of cute. Mine are just sitting in the closet now that I'm not gardening for a living so maybe I should try it.

alternative uses for everyday things #1

2010-07-13T12:25:00.005-04:00

clip art by fundraw.com

Check out 6 New Uses for a Coffee Can for some ideas of what to do when you run out of java. I really love the wine rack one, and if I had been drinking coffee much in the last Few months, I think I would have made one for my mom. Imagine the FUN designs you could paint on them!

hello there, much-needed vacation!

2010-07-11T12:25:00.001-04:00

clip art by fundraw.com
.

As this post publishes itself I'm already on my way to North Carolina for vacation! Hubby, my twin sisters and I are driving down to join my mom and stepdad at their home down there and hubby and I will take a side trip to visit my dad's house as well. I don't think I'll have much internet access and, if I do, I don't plan to spend much time on it because, well, it's vacation!

So, I'm pre-setting my blog to publish links to some articles I've read over the last Few months and never got around to writing about. The theme of the week will be "alternative uses for everyday things" which should be FUN, FRUGAL, and may help keep the environment FIT. Hope you enjoy them!

what I want for my birthday this year

2010-07-09T13:56:00.009-04:00

clip art by cksinfo.com

My birthday is coming up next week, and since I'll be on vacation in North Carolina I thought I'd write my wish list on today's post:

A yummy cake! I don't even care what kind!
Time spent with my lovely husband and wonderful Family
A Few warm-weather tops (thrift stores are in abundance in the area we're going to--yeah!)
Some peace and quiet (unlike the monster truck rally we went to on my birthday last year--don't ask!)
A home pedicure or Facial would be pretty nice (I'll have to ask my sister who's studying cosmetology to pack supplies)

Sometimes I see jewelery or toiletries I might like or think of accessories I've been meaning to look at for my camera, but none of these seem urgent at the moment. I guess as the years increase our material wants really decrease. How conveniently FRUGAL!

keeping FRUGALLY cool when it's hot hot hot

2010-07-07T13:28:00.010-04:00

clip art by cksinfo.com

We have had some really high temperatures here this week in the American northeast, and some of us aren't handling it as well as we used to (namely my husband and I who should be used to a lot worse from living in the southern part of Japan). Absence makes us soft, I guess.

Some people have offered us Free air conditioners but we have not taken them for Fear that we'd get used to the unnaturally cooled magnificance. My grandparents did give us a couple of large Fans to add to the one medium-sized one we already had, and we have used them a bit.

The more FRUGAL ways we are dealing with the heat this week are:

1-popsicles, shaved ice, icy drinks, etc.

2-ice pillows hubby's mom sent us from Japan (love, love, love them!)

3-spending time at my mom's house which is naturally cooler than our upstairs apartment

How do you keep cool without breaking the budget?

happy independence (from spending) day

2010-07-05T16:33:00.007-04:00

clip art by cksinfo.com

As I mentioned, I'm 'babysitting' my teen twin sisters for a couple of weeks. Teenage girls are really FUN because one minute they're like adults and have some of the most mature conversations with you, and the next they're cuddling with stuffed animals like kids.

My sisters really wanted to watch Fireworks for the Fourth of July, but on Saturday night I wasn't Feeling great after a long day of shopping and on Sunday, K had to work until 10pm. Not to mention that the only local Fireworks we really knew of were charging admission.

Pay to watch Fireworks?!? I don't think so. Anyhow, B said we should at least go buy some sparklers, but I didn't think we'd be able to Find them on such short notice. The kid side of them was stuggling with the Fact that we were about to give up on a summer childhood tradition...

Until we were on our way home from picking up K from her job. It was just after 10pm and between the trees I noticed a red glow in the sky. I drove until I could Find an open area, but no Fireworks. We drove some more and Finally saw them, then a bit Further for a better view.

Granted the Fireworks were Few and Far between. Granted they were on the other side of a mountain so we probably missed the better part of them. Granted it was hot in my car because my air conditioner belt is shot and we closed the windows so mosquitoes didn't join us.

It was still a FUN Few minutes, though. K requested that we make Firework sound effects for her because we couldn't hear them, and, Feeling sorry for her having to work so late on a holiday, B and I obliged. It was pretty darned humorous actually. Free FUN Fireworks it was!

we don't leave home without them

2010-07-03T15:28:00.007-04:00

Today we went on our big shopping trip of the month. I don't think I've ever shared what important FRUGAL tools we take with us each time we go, so here's my list:

A shopping list
A pen or pencil to cross items off
Our club card for Sam's
Our credit card to put it all on so we can get lots of reward points!
2 Styrofoam boxes to put perishables in (one large one from Family who ordered steaks online and one small one from work that had vaccines or something in it)
2 big cooler bags to put perishables in (we get a lot of perishables if you didn't gather--usually 6 or so cartons of organic milk, big packages of sliced and shredded cheeses, Family-sized packs of meat and lunch meat, 2 or 3 dozen eggs, Frozen Fruit and/or veggies, Fresh Fruit and/or veggies, etc.)
2 or so regular shopping bags (though we usually end up bringing home a couple of plastic bags, too, which we use when cleaning cat litter)
an insulated lunch bag with drinks and snacks

So, that's how we roll on our big shopping day. With all this, I'm glad it's only once a month!

bye June--time for a jammin' July!

2010-07-01T15:15:00.008-04:00

It's July already--my Favorite month because it's summer, it's warm, it's light out late, and did I mention it's my birthday month? Here's how I Fared in June:

On the FITNESS Front, I have been back in my routine for the last couple of weeks, but I seem to have caught yet another cold as of last night, so I'm skipping my walk today. I guess I get about 50% for the month of June...

On the FRUGAL Front, we did pretty well. We were under for gas and Food, if only by a couple of dollars. We have over $42 to carry over on our FUN/gift budget. Hubby made quite a bit more than he was budgeted to thanks to a three-paycheck month, so even after we pay the phone and electric bills we haven't received yet, we will probably still have twice our normal amount to put towards savings. Yippee!!

On the FUN Front, I think the highlight of my month was seeing my Friend Clare who came all the way from Saudi to a wedding just 40 minutes down the road. My sisters' birthday was also FUN and just enjoying the improving weather has been great, too.

Here's looking Forward to the best month of the year!

FRUGAL adventures in babysitting

2010-06-29T13:44:00.003-04:00

This babysitting thing is actually turning out to be quite a nice proposition. By the time I get home from work, change my clothes, spend a Few minutes with hubby and kitty, then drive the one mile down the road to my Family's house, my sisters usually have dinner waiting for me! Granted it usually leans towards the mac'n'cheese end of the spectrum, but it's still nice. And FRUGAL!

Blogging will be sporadic for a bit...

2010-06-27T18:32:00.002-04:00

Starting today I will be 'babysitting' my 17-year-old twin sisters for two weeks. My mom and stepdad went to North Carolina but they had to stay behind because they just started summer jobs. Fortunately, we will all be joining them in a couple of weeks for a vacation, though.

Taking care of kids that can pretty much take care of themselves is such a great job! Unfortunately they don't have driver's licenses yet, but other than arranging their transportation, there's not much for me to do. They cook, clean and do laundry themselves.

They do have internet at their house, but I don't want to hog it and I do want to spend quality time with them doing other things. Therefore, although you can be sure my FRUGAL, FIT lifestyle is still in effect, my blogging (and my Swagbucking!) might suffer a bit. Sorry!

you live, you learn, you pack a lunch

2010-06-25T18:54:00.005-04:00

FRUGAL tip of the day: When splurging on a take-out lunch with your last 7 dollars of personal allowance money for the month, make sure you order from a menu with current prices. Even though you ordered the same thing about a month ago for $6.50, they may have jacked up the price by $1.50 yet reduced the size of the chicken and veggie wrap 50 percent. And even though on the phone they may have listed onion rings as one of the options for your side, they may charge you an extra $1.00 for them. And when you ask when all these price changes came into effect they may tell you it's been several months, even though you paid $7.02 for the whole thing quite recently. Or, you could simply learn from this and not splurge on take-out lunch next time, Jen. Yes, I think that's my actual FRUGAL tip of the day for myself. Argh!

hot child in the city, er, the country

2010-06-23T21:33:00.004-04:00

Phew! I Feel like I'm melting. It's after 9:30 at night but it's still about 84 degrees out with 51% humidity. And did I mention we live in an upstairs apartment and don't have air conditioning? Not that we would use it much if we did, because AC isn't very FRUGAL, but...

The biggest reason I'm Feeling the heat so much right now is that I just got Finished doing 50 minutes on the treadmill. Yup, you read right--I'm back in action as of this week. I was off my exercise regime for two months but now I'm determined to get right back on the bandwagon.

I'm also hoping that the added heat of this sticky night will have increased the effects of my workout. Maybe the extra sweat and/or the large volume of water I'm gulping down right now will help clear up some skin issues I've been having lately, too. Just thinking of all the benefits...

Here's to keeping up with the FIT Joneses in my head!

yesterday was a loud, happy Fathers Day

2010-06-21T21:41:00.008-04:00

Yes, our theme for Fathers Day gifts this year was loud. Not loud as in car stereos or ipod speakers--loud as in super-duper bright and colorful. Take this lovely tie we got for my dad:

Believe it or not, I think it's even brighter in person. I had a medium blue shirt of my dad's in mind to go with it, but he has (graciously) said he plans to wear it with a white shirt at a big meeting coming up. Hopefully his colleagues will take it easy on him...

As for my stepdad, though I Forgot to take a picture First, we gave him a Hawaiian shirt! The colors were quite a bit calmer than the tie, but still, it was a Hawaiian shirt! He, too, promises to wear it soon, but instead of a boardroom it will be on the shores of North Carolina.

And, by the way, both of these purchases were rather FRUGAL and totally within our gift-giving budget. The tie was a nice quality brand but purchased at a mark-down store. The shirt was bought at an inexpensive store to begin with, and the price had been discounted. Love you guys!

to coupon or not to coupon...that's easy

2010-06-19T20:21:00.005-04:00

Today we stopped at a supermarket in a town larger than ours that we rarely visit. It was a major chain store and quite a bit larger than our local, small-town supermarket. We just stopped for some necessities, but ended up getting more than we planned--some extra produce, a bit of meat, and a couple of other items--simply because of the quality and variety there.

When we got to the register, we were behind a woman with about Four times as many items as we had, and a zillion coupons to her name. We didn't mind the extra wait as we weren't in a rush to go anywhere, and it was intriguing to see her whole coupon process. She had various envelopes for each of her Food categories and handed a wad of them to the girl at the register.

In the end, the check-out girl announced the woman's total charge--almost $100--and her savings--over $60 between coupons and sales--and I was impressed. When it was our turn to hear our total and our savings, it was much less of an impact to hear we'd spent $45 and saved less than $2. Am I ready to begin couponing so I can save 30% to 40% percent like this woman?

Um...no. You see, when I looked at her cart versus ours, the difference was obvious. Hers contained a lot of instant Foods in boxes with printed colors on them. Ours contained many whole Food items with natural colors--vibrant red meat, a beautiful array of Fruit, organic milk in simple white cartons...even the jar of pickles looked natural in comparison.

I know that there are coupons we could use for the packaged Food we do eat, such as condiments, cereal or cat Food. And I know that, especially in larger towns with multiple supermarkets (and therefore competition), there are coupons available for whole Food items, too. I just don't see the benefits outweighing the amount of work in it for us, though.

So, if I happen across a coupon online or in a newspaper that is for an item we always stock up on or is otherwise on our shopping list, I'll clip it out and try to use it. I don't plan on actively seeking out coupons anytime soon, though. Nor do I think I will be buying a specific packaged item simply because I Found a coupon for it. I'll leave those for the avid couponers out there!

today's random, colorful and FRUGAL dinner

2010-06-17T19:09:00.008-04:00

Late this afternoon it struck me that I'd like to replicate a dish from a local restaurant that we love. It's pasta carbonara with chicken, green peas and tomatoes. The only problem was, I didn't have any chicken thawed and had no heavy cream, Parmesan cheese or bacon to speak of.

So I made it the Jenniwaka way--substitutions and wacky combinations galore! I substituted Frozen meatballs for the chicken, and they looked quite lovely nestled between my Frozen green peas and canned diced tomatoes. The pasta was also tri-colored, so things were pretty bright.

I kept the 'carbonara' sauce separate because I wasn't sure how the Flavor would be without bacon or Parmesan cheese. I used regular 2% milk instead of the cream, added some butter and a couple of egg yolks, and then melted in a bit of shredded cheddar cheese.

It was a good thing I hadn't mixed the sauce into the whole dish because by the time hubby got home, the cream sauce had curdled a bit. It still tasted good, though, so I just masked it with a bit of extra melted cheese on the top. Melted cheese can cure anything, I think!

In the end, it was only slightly reminiscent of our restaurant's dish (in which the sauce does tend to curdle a bit now that I think about it!). It was yummy in its own way, though, and the best part? All the ingredients were already in our pantry, Fridge and Freezer! Deliciously FRUGAL!

turning consumer brainwashing on its end

2010-06-15T20:05:00.003-04:00

Recently I looked through a slideshow on MSN's new e-magazine Glo called "Our picks for products you need now," all the while laughing in my head. While I'm sure the people who thought of that title were trying to be both cute and not-so-subtly suggestive, to me the name of the slideshow was more of a challenge. Whenever I see the phrase "you need" in a magazine or online article, the words "no, I don't" echo in my head reflexively until I come to the end of it.

This particular article seems to be updated on a near-daily basis with items the producers wish to (or more likely, have been paid to) recommend. There are personal beauty products, clothing and accessories, household items and a plethora of other things Featured. Some of them are nice (see the May 3rd gift card assortment) and some are really out there or unnecessary (i.e. the April 22nd romance pro and con list paper), but pretty much all of them are overpriced.

While I did like the item for May 21st--a really FUN and handy spice rack with a spot for a bottle of olive oil--I would never buy it because what if my brand of oil came in a different size or shape bottle? In actuality, the only item I might possibly buy of all the photos in this gallery would have to be the May 13th cookies. They look so yummy! On second thought, $24/dozen translates to...two dollars per cookie?!?!? Scratch that. I wouldn't buy them either!

Just because I'll probably never buy anything from articles like this doesn't mean I'm going to stop reading them, though. This type of advertising does not very Frequently entice me to shop, but sometimes it does provide inspiration. For example, the journal Featured on May 6th titled "My Quotable Kid: a parents' journal of unforgettable quotes" is a very cute gift idea. It would be just as easy to make my own similar book, though, and it'd be a lot more FRUGAL!

how to get a (kind of almost) Free coffee...

2010-06-13T20:12:00.005-04:00

step one...recycle cans (the ones with a 5-cent deposit) in one of the machines in Front of your local grocery store (or, in my case today, Wal-mart)

step two...take the receipts (more than one if one machine is acting finicky) up to the service desk and wait in a long line for $1.90 back in cash

step three...go to the nearest coffee shop (i.e. the Dunkin' Donuts inside the Wal-mart) and order a nice hot cuppa joe (today was drizzly and chilly)

step Four...bum 2 cents off the person next to you because you miscalculated the tax, then thank them profusely and blush with embarrassment

step Five...remember not to clean all change out of your wallet again because you never know when you or a Fellow shopper will need some!

thank goodness it's Finally Friday!

2010-06-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

I can't remember the last time I looked Forward to the weekend this much! There's something about the beginning of summer when it stays light out so late and you blast good songs on the car radio with your windows down on the way home from work on a Friday night. Sigh...

Today was one of those days, and though the weather Forecast for the weekend is rain, rain, rain, I'm looking Forward to getting some rest, rest, rest. At most I'll have my sister give me a manicure or go for a walk around a beautiful local garden. At most.

Whatever the weekend holds, I'll be sure to be FRUGAL with not only my money, as always, but also my energy. I just Finally got over my cold and I want to make sure it stays that way. After all, there is so much summer left to enjoy.

FRUGAL shoes and Freebies update

2010-06-09T21:39:00.005-04:00

The other day I mentioned that I was having a hard time deciding whether or not to keep the $30 sandals I had bought. Yes, they are cute (my husband actually pointed them out!) and they were comfortable for the 2 minutes I had them on in the store. I wasn't really sure, though, if the comfort would last and if the style would match my job and my wardrobe. In the end, I decided to wait until I could make a trip to Payless shoes before choosing my Fate.

Little did I know how soon I'd be able to make that trip. This morning I had an appointment that was over sooner than I expected, so I had an hour to spare before going to work. I was in a city which I knew had a Payless, so I headed over in that direction. I spent a good part of that hour poring over the racks of shoes, trying on pair after pair. I was hoping to Find not just one pair of great shoes, but two because they were doing a buy-one-get-one-half-off sale.

In the end, I chose a black pair and a brown pair, both of which I was in need of. Both are high-heeled, but they're wedges which make them comfortable to walk in. Both are Fancier than the one pair I bought last weekend because the straps don't go between the toes like Flip-Flops do. Both have ankle straps which help keep my Feet in place, preventing discomfort as well as premature wear on the shoes. Oh, and did I mention that hubby Finds ankle straps sexy?

So how much did I pay for the two pair of shoes I bought today compared to the one pair from last weekend? Well, the black ones were on sale for $14.99 and the brown ones were on sale for $11, and since I got the second pair half-off, my total came to $20.49. I had money left over (or I will once I return the other pair) so I even treated myself to a coffee and a bagel. I made my way to work on another shopper's high thanks to my treats, my shoes and some Funk on the radio!

***

My other quick update is about Swagbucks. I don't want to turn any readers off by writing any more entire blog posts about this program, but I'm so excited that I have to write a little. Today I earned another $5 Amazon card and it's only been 9 days since my last one! I'm up to $15 in just over 6 weeks. To some people this may seem slow, but I really only spend a Few minutes a day doing searches, answering polls, watching a couple commercials, etc. It's so worth it!

Okay, I'm done obsessing about shoes and Swagbucks now. Good night!

shopper's high vs. shopper's remorse

2010-06-07T20:30:00.003-04:00

When hubby and I were headed home from shopping the other day, I Felt rather exhilarated. I wasn't sure why, but I knew it was more than just the nice weather and the Fact that my cold was Finally getting better. Then I realized that I had a bit of a post-consumption buzz going on.

What?!? FRUGAL me had a shopper's high? That doesn't sound right.

I was happy about the purchases we had made, though. First we went shopping for clothes and I bought a much needed pair of summer shoes, a much needed cardigan for working in an air-conditioned office, and a nice and comfy top that translates well for both casual and work outfits.

We also bought nice but inexpensive Father's Day gifts for my dad and stepdad, which of course is always more FUN than shopping for ourselves. Hubby even Found a really nice camera bag at Marshall's that is big enough to hold all our lenses and accessories, and was marked way down.

After that, we went Food shopping which was quite successful, too. We bought most of our usual necessities at Sam's Club, yet only spent about two-thirds what we usually do. We stopped at Wal-Mart for some cheap cereal (I got hubby hooked on Shredded Wheat!) and called it a day.

I'd say most of that shopping was sensible and FRUGAL enough to allow for my shopper's high. The only real splurge of the day was the container of beautiful bright red cherries that I wanted to eat right then and there. Somehow I managed to wait until the next morning, though.

It wasn't until yesterday that I started to have a sense of shopper's remorse, though, and only in regards to one purchase--the shoes. I bought the sandals above for $29.99, marked down from $50.00! They're really good quality and will match just about anything, but I'm just not sure...

I may end up returning them and using the money to buy a couple of cheaper pair of shoes. Of course they wouldn't be as high quality as these, but with shoes you never know if they will be comfortable when worn all day, and I would be so disappointed if these hurt my Feet.

To many people, including a younger me, it would seem silly to Fret over shoes that cost only $30. Many women spend more than ten times that on a single pair of shoes. But when your monthly personal allowance is only $75, you start to really think about every purchase. Sigh...

Far-away Friends keeping me FRUGAL

2010-06-05T22:58:00.006-04:00

Me--Sally--Clare

Today I saw my dear Friend Clare whom I hadn't seen in person for nearly two years. She's from the UK but currently living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for work. Right now she's in the U.S. for her Friend's wedding, so we met up for a Few hours this afternoon.

It's Funny that the last two times I saw Clare were at my own weddings. She was living in the UK then, but made trips to Japan for our First wedding, and the U.S. for our second. The one she was attending today was, unbelievably, only a 40-minute car ride from home for us!

I know it's just a coincidence that this Friend of Clare's chose to get married so close to where we live, but I have to say that it's also terribly convenient for someone who is 1) just getting over a cold and 2) trying to be FRUGAL. No public transport and little gas money were necessary!

Clare, Sally (who also made the trip to our Japanese wedding), hubby and I wandered around a cute little town not too Far from here, had coffee at a lovely cafe, then sushi at a new (to me) restaurant for lunch. We spent a bit of time back at the wedding site before saying adieu.

.
It was a lovely afternoon and I'm so glad to have gotten the chance to see my dear Clare (and Sally!) again. I'm also so thankful that the trip was so local that hubby and I had time to do both clothes and grocery shopping afterwards, and not be too exhausted at the end of the day.

And I wonder whose wedding will draw us together next...

Tomorrow is my twin sisters' bday...

2010-06-03T16:12:00.000-04:00

...but we actually celebrated last weekend because they'll be visiting their Father this weekend. It was a nice Family gathering, though, and they seemed quite pleased with their presents.

We got them one FRUGAL and one FUN gift each. Of course they were sort-of matching gifts, which is not because I pigeonhole them into being alike because they're twins (they are closer to being polar opposites, actually). Several years ago they asked me to keep their gifts similar because they don't want to get jealous over what the other one got. That's no skin off my nose as it kind of makes shopping easier, anyhow.

So here's what hubby and I got them:

FRUGAL = Let me set the record straight that brand name handbags are not my style at all. I usually like my purses to cost no more than $15 and often they are less than $5. But we have a couple of cousins who are really into brand name goods and when their Family recently had a yard sale, I picked up a couple of handbags for cheap with a great Family discount. Let's just say that the blue satchel-style one for B was from C__CH and the white and blue striped hobo-style one for K was from D & G.

FUN = The second gift we've arranged for the twins is going to their choice of several musicals being performed at an awesome local theater (in the round, no less). I went there once when I was about their age and it was so much FUN. I'm sure they will love it!

Their gifts from other Family members mostly involve shopping trips (what better for 17-year-old girls?) but I think they appreciated our gifts as well. Now to start thinking about Christmas...

Can May really be gone already?

2010-06-01T17:57:00.008-04:00

Here's how the month went for us...

On the FRUGAL Front, we made a couple of dumb mistakes. We went over on Food by $1.77 due to a prescription refill we Forgot about until the last minute. Not bad, though, considering a second biggish shopping trip we did a couple weeks ago! For the gas budget, we thought we had it all Figured out, but hubby spaced out when Filling his tank and put in too much, so we're $15.60 over. Since we're carrying over leftover money in our gift category ($30.90 this month!), we've decided to also carry over these Food and gas debts into June. That should teach us a lesson!

On the FITNESS Front, I was not FIT at all this month, thanks to the Fact that I ate more junk than I would've liked and went through a Few illnesses which knocked me off my exercise routine. Not good, not good at all. I'll work on easing myself back in this month!

On the FUN Front, unfortunately, said illnesses kept me from doing too much. I did enjoy a couple of events one of my sisters participated in at the high school, and it was so sweet to see the two of them dressed up for prom. There were lots of birthdays and, of course, Mothers' Day to celebrate as well and giving/making gifts always cheers me up. Also, the Fundraiser my landlady put on was nice, even though I was carrying around a box of tissues the whole time. Sigh... Here's hoping for a healthier, FUNNER June!

As summer begins here in upstate New York, it seems a great time to get back on track with all these goals. This season comes with lots of Free produce from people with overabundant gardens, helping us stay FIT and FRUGAL. And what's more FUN than a season Full of swimming, Fireworks and sunlight until 9pm?

P.S. One other change for me in May was joining Swagbucks as I mentioned in a previous post. The First $5 Amazon card I earned through them took me three weeks, but I earned another one yesterday and it didn't even take me two weeks this time! If you'd like to join through me (Full disclosure: I would benefit from your First 1,000 points), click on the link in the right column. If you're not interested, just be happy for FRUGAL little ol' me that I've already earned $10 towards this year's Christmas shopping. Yeah!

Free lunch and Free dinner to boot!

2010-05-30T20:40:00.006-04:00

For the last Few weeks I've been helping my landlady with preparations for an annual town Fundraiser that she holds right on our property. It's a pig roast/chicken barbecue and there are lots of yummy dishes to sample. Tents go up in our parking area for Food and dining tables.

In the back yard there is an arts and crafts table for kids and even a Fenced off area where a local Farm displays their miniature horses (ponies?). Out in Front of the house, part of the road is sectioned off for playing basketball, hula hooping and jumping rope.

There are also tables selling raffle tickets, town-produced cookbooks, and other event-related goods. One of my Favorite parts each year is the table where the woman who runs a program to catch and spay/neuter stray cats in town brings a Few little bitty kittens for adoption--so cute!

And of course all of the money raised at this event goes to our town. The group that runs it does things like donating Food baskets to those who need them and helping out people who have some type of emergency. This year they're raising money to build a ramp at the voting place.

This is my second year helping my landlady prepare. Last year I helped out a lot leading up to it and spent many many hours the day before and day of the event. Unfortunately this year I have caught myself a nasty head/chest cold and my day before/day of assistance was limited.

Because I helped so much in the weeks leading up to the event, though, I still counted as one of the volunteers and so I still got a Free ticket for the lunch. Yeah! Not only that, but just like last year I got to take home delicious leftovers that worked for dinner, too! Double score!

Volunteering is good for the soul and sometimes the wallet (and belly) too! :)

I Fear I've made a FRUGAL Faux pas...

2010-05-28T19:26:00.007-04:00

photo courtesy of hubby

Hubby and I don't usually drink soda, so the only beverage cans I'm used to having around the house are vegetable juice. The V8 cans that we get are recyclable, but there is no refundable deposit for them.

On the occasion that I have bought a can or bottle of soda over last Few years, it seems that any refunds available were only for other states besides New York. Granted I don't live that Far from Connecticut or Massachusetts, but it would be silly to go to either just to get 5 cents.

Last weekend, we bought a case of canned seltzer. We Figured it would be a nice fizzy treat with no sugar or sodium to worry about. I've been mixing the plain seltzer ones with lemon juice on the warm days we've been having and bringing the Flavored ones to work as well.

Today at work as I popped the top of my can of raspberry lime Flavored seltzer, I happened to glance down at the letters engraved on the top. Would you believe the initials "NY" were on there? I can actually get a refund for my seltzer cans!

Unfortunately, yesterday was garbage day both at home and in the office. Otherwise I would've been rooting through the trash for all the cans I threw away this week. I did manage to salvage a couple from yesterday, but I'm sad to report that that's all I have right now.

I won't be making that mistake anymore, though. Recycling/deposit refund machine, here I come!

how expensive is your outfit today?

2010-05-26T21:36:00.004-04:00

According to this article I saw today, the average woman's outfit on a given day costs $1,440.

$1,440?!?!

Let me take stock of my own outfit today and see how I add up:

novelty t-shirt: gift from Friend, but I'll estimate at $25
green shorts: bought a Few years ago at Marshall's, cost no more than $15
green Flip-Flops: bought several years ago at Uniqlo, cost $20 with beach towel and tote!
underwear and bra: no more than $15 combined
jewelery: none

So that totals $75. Wow, I didn't even think I cost that much today. Granted, I have the day off work and it's laundry day, so this probably isn't the best estimate of what I wear on a daily basis. Let's try what I wore yesterday, then, and see how that added up:

simple black short-sleeved top: about $10 from Burlington Coat Factory
mint-green summer cardigan: about $20 from a store in Japan
blue, black and silver striped skirt: bought many years ago at Target for no more than $25
grey patent leather Flat shoes: less than $15 from Payless
underwear and bra: no more than $15 combined
jewelery: teal gemstone necklace $20 and wedding ring about $500 or so

So that totals $605. If my ring wasn't in the mix, I would only have come up to $105. The article doesn't mention anything about wedding or engagement rings, but since they go into detail about the model's costume jewelery only, something tells me that wasn't necessarily part of the equation. If they were counting them, something tells me the average might have been higher.

On the other hand, the article does mention handbags and watches, neither of which I counted in my count. I have a watch but don't wear it every day. If I did, it would only add $15 to my total. As for handbags, most days I just use a canvas shopping bag to cart around my stuff. When I do go out shopping or for FUN, no matter what handbag I use, I don't think I'd top $30 with it. I love cheap handbags!!!

And just to clarify, I do dress nicely most of the time and I do get compliments on my style. Even though I very rarely buy new clothes, I also rarely throw away anything that still looks good or Fits well. I have lots of ways to use each piece that I own, and people often ask if an old item I'm wearing differently isn't actually new. Case in point, the skirt from Target that has been with me through several years, jobs and weight changes and probably will for many more.

So, what does your outfit cost today?

Atari really hit the nail on the head

2010-05-24T21:19:00.007-04:00

I was going to wait until my dad's actual birthday this Wednesday to post about what I got him, but he just called to say it had arrived in the mail today. Now that I don't have to worry about spoiling the surprise, here it is.

Last week when I was wandering aimlessly around Wal-mart looking for inspiration (I know), I Found myself drawn to a rack of discounted t-shirts. There were several 'retro' print shirts such as Ghostbusters, Transformers, etc. I, however, was drawn to the one bright green shirt on the rack with the old Atari game system joystick controller and logo printed on it.

When I was little I remember playing Space Invaders and a game called Fire Fighter with my dad on our Atari. I even had a bright silver (seriously silver) stadium jacket with the Atari logo on it. This shirt seemed a great way to recapture those special memories.

Not only was the Atari shirt the only one on that rack, but I couldn't Find another one like it in the whole store. Wouldn't you know, there was no price tag on it, either. After trying to scan the bar code twice myself and having a store clerk also try unsuccessfully, I continued shopping.

When I Finished the rest of my shopping and went to check out, I explained to the woman at the register that I'd done all I could to Find a price. After a moment trying to Find a hidden tag or bar code, she just shrugged and said, "How about $5?" Sold!!! An easy and FRUGAL gift!

P.S. As I mentioned a while back, his other gift was the photo Frame I decorated and added a special photo to.

P.P.S. The title of this post has another meaning. The word "atari" is actually a Japanese word roughly meaning 'hit the nail on the head' or to be succesful. :)

here's celebrating a month well spent...

2010-05-22T21:55:00.004-04:00

Thanks to not eating out for most of the month and the Fact that our 'big' shopping trip of the month wasn't so big after all, hubby and I were left with $111 of our Food/household budget as of this morning. Really? On the 22nd of the month?

That said, our Food supply was getting low and seeing as we were going to town to visit my grandparents anyway, we made the rare 2nd-trip-of-the-month to Sam's Club. It was actually quite liberating and enjoyable to shop Freely.

Usually when it gets to this time of the month, we are agonizing over every item we put in our cart to make sure we don't go over budget. Today, though, we had a chance to stock our Freezer. We even bought tuna steaks!

Thanks to today's trip, next month's 'big' shopping might also be on the smaller side. Even if it's not, we might keep spending this way in the Future. After all, the end of the month deserves to be enjoyed, too, right?

how to be FRUGAL and have great hair

2010-05-20T21:14:00.004-04:00

Probably not everyone trying to be FRUGAL is as lucky as I am in the hair cutting department. My mom used to be a hairdresser (still has her license) and one of my little sisters is in cosmetology school right now. Between the two of them I am set on hair cuts and color!

I think that there are probably a lot of people out there like my mom and sister, though, who either have the experience or are looking for experience. I'm sure just asking around, any FRUGAL girls would be able to Find someone to do their hair for a Fraction of the normal price.

Or, if your hairstyle is simple or you're really daring, just get someone with no experience to do the job like my hubby does. For some reason, he started having me cut his hair instead of my mom or sister. Sometimes I do okay and sometimes it's not that great, but he's okay with it.

Actually, the most FRUGAL thing to do is what I'm doing with my hair right now. Grow it out. :)

Forgive me my First promotional post

2010-05-18T20:44:00.009-04:00

A Few weeks ago over on one of my Favorite blogs, The Frugal Girl, I read about this site called Swagbucks. I'd heard of it in passing before, but never thought much of it. After reading her post about it, though, I decided to give it a try.

For Full disclosure, I think I should mention that I have tried other point-earning websites in the past to varying degrees of success. Here are two that I gave up on before I could earn anything:

Inbox Dollars--complete surveys, offers, etc. for money that you can redeem once you hit $30
Send Earnings--an almost identical site to Inbox Dollars with equally identical rules

And here are three that I have gotten some decent rewards from:

E-rewards and E-miles--Doing mostly simple surveys, I've earned at least 4,125 miles towards Delta Flights between the two sites!
MyPoints--By opening links in emails and doing about 31 searches per month through their toolbar, I've earned a $25 gift card and am halfway to another. You can also complete offers or shop through their site to earn lots more but I haven't done much if any of that.

As you can see, I've had a hit-and-miss relationship with these 'money for nothing' types of programs. I Figured it would be worth it to give Swagbucks a try, though, because many people have commented that it's so much Faster than these other sites. It's true, I can't recall how many months it took me to earn those miles or gift cards, but since it was just minutes a day, it didn't seem like a big deal. Free money is Free money, right?

Well, Swagbucks is definitely different! It is a Faster way to earn points, and you can get as involved in it as you want. Like MyPoints, you can earn SB (swagbucks) by completing offers, shopping through their site, and playing games. I have done a Few of the Free offers, but haven't done much else because many of them cost money or require you to download something, neither of which I like. You can also get Friends to sign up through you to earn even more.

The most straightforward and simple ways to earn SB, though, are to do web searches through their site, participate in their quick daily polls (1 SB per poll), and watch the commercials on their homepage (3 SB per video). SB won for searches are random, so often you'll win zero but sometimes you'll win 8, 11, 25 or maybe even 50 SB for a single search. Spacing out your searches is a good way to increase your chances.

Another FUN way to earn SB is to Find special codes that are given out randomly. The hints for these can be Found in the SB blog, the SB Facebook page, etc. and usually require a quick bit of research on your part as well. This might be annoying for some people, but anyone like me who likes an occasional treasure hunt might enjoy it. An example of a recent code was for Mother's Day--we had to Find out what year it became an official holiday and enter that in for a reward.

I know this has been a long and probably overly detailed post, but the only reason I decided to even blog about Swagbucks is because as of today, exactly three weeks after signing up, I have earned 450 SB. Spending only about Five minutes a day doing things that I enjoyed or would do anyway, even having stopped for a Few days when I was too busy, I have earned this magic number. It is the exact amount of SB needed for a $5 Amazon gift card (the most popular reward from what I hear). If I keep up at this pace, I estimate I'll have at least an extra $50 towards Amazon for Christmas gifts this year. And did I mention it's Free???

If anyone out there has read this Far and is interested in joining Swagbucks, Feel Free to go directly to their site and sign up for yourself. Or, if you would like to earn me some extra SB for signing up via my referral, click here or on the banners on the top and bottom of this post. No pressure, I promise! Just try it if you're interested. If not, I promise not to dwell on this anymore so hope to see you at my next post! Thanks!

that's one FRUGAL ride to the prom!

2010-05-16T20:05:00.001-04:00

The Father of one of my twin sisters' Friends is a school bus driver and somehow was able to borrow this one to take a bunch of them to the prom. They decorated with a Few balloons and garland, not to mention their lovely dresses, makeup and smiles. Who needs a limo when a bus can be so much FUN?

P.S. My sisters K and B are the two beauties on the right in the pretty princess-y white and super-glamorous multicolored dresses respectively. Hey, I never said they were identical twins, either in genetics or sense of style!

more office work tips: miscellaneous

2010-05-14T22:10:00.000-04:00

A Few random office tips for today...

Use your shreddings wisely: In some areas it may be easy to recycle shredded paper, but if not, it is great for composting (or so I've read on other blogs). In my office, my co-worker takes our shreddings for her pigs and they love it! They could also be used for rabbits, birds and probably lots of other pets/Farm animals. Think about it!

Reuse envelopes: When a Free envelope is sent with a bill but you pay online or otherwise don't need it, it's so easy to use white-out or a label to cover up the intended address and use it for something else. Be careful when reusing envelopes that were torn or cut open, though. Today my office received one that was re-closed with only one staple in the bottom and a check had Fallen out during shipping. That's not FUN!

Be careful of computer viruses! I don't know how it happened, but somehow my work computer got attacked this afternoon and I had to spend the rest of the day running to my co-worker's desk to log information and print out Forms. There were no sites I opened that I don't use on a daily basis, so I can't Fathom what happened, but I will have to manage without it for a Few more days. The computer guy will pick it up Monday and hopefully return it Tuesday. Sigh...

and did I mention all the events this month?

2010-05-12T19:16:00.004-04:00

On top of Mother's Day, my grandparents' anniversary was yesterday and the week after next my grandmother and Father will both celebrate birthdays. In order to be FRUGAL not only with my money but also with my time, I decorated three dollar store Frames and put photos in them when I did the one for Mother's Day. I will give my grandparents and Father one or more other small gifts as well, but getting one taken care of takes the pressure off. And not having to pull out and put away my craft stuff over and over is a bonus, too!

what did you give your mother yesterday?

2010-05-10T19:15:00.008-04:00

FRUGAL gifts I gave my mom for Mother's Day 2010:

a handmade card--a plain colored card from a big box I got over a year ago, decorated using a stamp, calligraphy marker, ribbon and crinkly gold rice paper I already had = $0

a handmade Frame--a simple photo Frame from the dollar store, decorated using some cute scrapbook stickers and ribbon that I already had = $1.00

a store bought bracelet--a pretty leather bangle bracelet in a great neutral dusty copper color I Found at Goodwill = a splurge at $1.99!

My grand total with tax was $3.23. And they were wrapped in a reused gift bag with reused tissue paper. Love it!

The most important part of Mother's Day, though, was spending time with mom. We went over in the early afternoon and just relaxed together as a Family until just about bedtime, watching movies, looking at old photos/baby books, talking, and eating. It was a really lovely day.

P.S. The Flower arrangement in the photo was unfortunately not one of my Mother's Day gifts. It's one I made out of old Flowers, believe it or not, when I worked for a Florist a couple years ago. If I had access to those yesterday, I'm sure I would have given them to mom, too!

oops! I missed a post a couple days ago...

2010-05-08T18:39:00.005-04:00

I've learned a bit about how difficult it can be for people who regularly have migraines. I had what I consider to be my First and I really hope it's my last. I had a throbbing headache from 1pm until I Fell asleep at about 8pm, with only a short break of a Few minutes when my kitty miraculously 'healed' me by 'kneading' my legs at about 7:30. Animals are little miracle workers, they are! At any rate, here's hoping I'm not afflicted with any more of these--my blog isn't the only thing that suffers!

time for that seasonal FRUGAL beverage

2010-05-04T20:34:00.007-04:00

...that's right! Iced tea!

We just got a new container with a spout so I don't have to take it out of the Fridge every time I Fill my cup. I've already emptied it once, as you can see. We also bought decaf tea bags in bulk which I plan to mix with the lovely lemon and raspberry varieties we already have. I'll also be experimenting with different combinations of honey, raw sugar, etc. to (mildly) sweeten the brew. I know it's silly, but I'm really excited about this as you can tell by my gratuitous use of exclamation marks in this post! I will stay hydrated this summer if it's the last thing I do!

will April's showers bring May Flowers?

2010-05-02T19:12:00.006-04:00

Here's my recap for April:

1. On the FITNESS Front, I kept up my exercise routine and my healthy eating routine until the last week or so when I didn't Feel good. I even had a doctor tell me to rest, so I Figure I can definitely let myself off the hook for breaking my three and a half month record. I'll get back to it as soon as I'm off the antibiotics!

2. On the FRUGAL Front, we did well. We went over by about $18 on our Food budget, mostly due to the Fact that I needed to buy some comfort Foods for when I was sick. We might've been able to cover that amount if we hadn't gone out to eat for hubby's birthday early in the month, but that was so nice that I don't mind a bit.

This month we were actually under on our gas budget for once, and by a whole $35.98! We discussed carrying over any balances for the next Few months to offset our road trip to North Carolina in July. Now that's some good motivation!

We were also under by $9.21 on our gift category. Well, that's not entirely true--we also spent Easter money from my grandparents on Easter presents (and ice cream), but we didn't count it in our budget. We had local movie house gift certificates sitting around that we gave my mom and stepdad for their anniversary, and my stepdad's birthday presents didn't cost anything either, as per my last post. We have discussed always carrying over any amount left in the gift category as some months (like May!) have more birthdays than others.

Overall, we did well on our budget this month. Despite the Fact that my paycheck got smaller partway through the month, we were saved (and will continue to be) by hubby's increased income. When all the bills are paid, we should still show quite a nice little savings for the month.

3. As for the FUN Front, we enjoyed Easter with Family, a nice dinner out by ourselves for hubby's birthday, a nice Japanese dinner out with my brother and his girlfriend, and my stepdad's birthday party the other night. I also spent quality time with my sisters now that I have Wednesdays off, and have pretty much kept up with my new daily photo blog. Being sick has definitely not been FUN, but I'm starting to Feel human again. Yeah!

From in front of my Fan in the sudden 90 degree heat wave, I'm signing off...

happy b-day to my stepdad, Stan!

2010-04-30T22:24:00.007-04:00

Tonight we went to his birthday party and gave him gifts that were at once both Fitting and FRUGAL. I love that!

The card Featured birch trees on the Front with a quote something like "going to the woods is going home" which is perfect for the woodsman he is. I received this card for Free a Few Christmasses ago when I ordered a couple of sets from a nature conservancy group. As explained inside the card, for each one produced a tree is planted.

The $25 gift certificate for L.L. Bean we tucked in the card was actually meant to be one of his Christmas presents but it hadn't arrived in time. I got it for Free through Mypoints, a site where you can 'earn' points for doing web searches, completing surveys, shopping online, and looking at ads. Then the points can be exchanged for gift cards, etc.

The Chinese dumplings (or potstickers or gyoza or whatever you want to call them) that hubby made used all ingredients we already had. He made the dough from scratch using Flour, salt and water and the Filling using shredded cabbage, scallions, ground beef, ginger and other spices. Then he Fried the bottoms in sesame oil and steamed the tops. Yum!!!

Unfortunately I totally Forgot to take any pictures at the party (even though I brought the camera with me) but it was Filled with Food and FUN with Family. I love that, too!!!

sugar & spice & everything nice...

2010-04-28T19:29:00.000-04:00

...that's what this girl is trying to break away from.

When I was dieting I used to use Equal instead of sugar. I knew it was artificial and chemical, but at the time I guess it was more important for me to lose weight and I hadn't really thought about the consequences. Now that I'm no longer considered obese, I've changed my tune.

For a while I tried Truvia. In Japan I had used the herb stevia at a couple of restaurants and Found it to be a refreshing alternative to sugar. Stevia itself can be pretty pricey but after a while I started to think Truvia wasn't very FRUGAL, either, especially since it's processed, too.

Some people swear by agave syrup, but I've read some things in the news lately that make me glad I didn't try that as well. Perhaps in its original, natural Form it would be good, but many agave syrups out there could just be high-Fructose corn syrup in a Fancy bottle. No thanks.

Now I'm into buying raw sugar. I'm not 100% sure of the benefits versus white sugar, but I like the Flavor and the imperfect color and shape make it seem more natural. We also use brown sugar when baking bread and are milking a precious bottle of pure maple syrup at the moment.

I suppose I could buy some honey, too, but sometimes that's almost too sweet for me. I also Find it Frustrating when the jar gets crusty or the honey inside hardens. I suppose it would be a good alternative for my husband, though. I'd just have to make sure it was real actual honey.

It's so complicated with all the choices we have to satisfy our sweet teeth these days...

how I missed you today, my dear...

2010-04-26T20:28:00.005-04:00

pink lunch bag! I still Felt pretty sick this morning but I dragged myself out of bed and went to work so I could be seen by my physician, otherwise known as my boss. Somehow I ended up Feeling well enough to stay to work until lunch time. I went home and had lunch, but I seriously missed having my lunch bag with me because I had no mid-morning snack to keep me Focused. I'll never leave home without you again!

No longer a boob tube addict, but...

2010-04-24T20:40:00.005-04:00

My husband and I used to have our TV schedule down pat. Each day of the week there were several shows we always watched and even when there were no Favorites on, we had a hierarchy of shows we would turn on for background 'noise'. It was kind of sad, really.

When we moved into our current apartment, it was the perfect chance to give all that up. There is no cable hookup here. We did use it as an excuse to sign up for Netflix so we can see some good movies and a Few TV series on DVD, but no more out-and-out boob tube addiction for us.

Except, that is, for when it's a lazy weekend, we're not Feeling so hot and we just need some entertainment. All of those conditions are converging this weekend, so I've spent the last Few hours watching an old Favorite, "Whose Line Is It Anyway" (the US version), on Youtube.

Thank goodness for Youtube for having so many episodes of this hilarious show! Thank goodness for "Whose Line Is It Anyway" for making me laugh like a hyena and Forget I Feel under the weather. And thank goodness for Wayne Brady for being Wayne Brady. 'Nuff said! Back to it...

a very happy Earth Day, one and all!

2010-04-22T20:38:00.008-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

I actually Forgot today was Earth Day until I got to work, but I had already done the Following earth-Friendly (and wallet-Friendly) things by that time:

Wore the same sweater I wore yesterday without washing it First--it smells Fine
Carpooled with hubby--he cleaned my office, went to another job and picked me up.
Borrowed a book from the library--it wasn't the one I was looking for, but it'll suffice.
Bought an energy-efficient light bulb to replace the old one that went out in the kitchen.
Bought delicious local ice cream, and I mean local--they make it within walking distance!)

This evening we got to enjoy another very local treat--Fresh trout that my co-worker's son caught in a nearby stream. Yum!

These are the kinds of things my husband and I try to do regardless of what day it is. I'm glad there is an Earth Day so that we get to recognize the efforts we are making and set goals for what we could do better. It would be sad, though, to think that some people might only take time to consider our impact on the planet just because it is Earth Day. I hope our generation and the generations after us will expand on our little planet-Friendly (and FRUGAL) ways.

taking an un-FRUGAL little lunch trip

2010-04-20T13:53:00.013-04:00

Today during my lunch break I did a rather un-FRUGAL thing, but it really Felt necessary at the time. Yes, I actually went for a drive. To nowhere.

With the cost of gas and our recent inability to stay within our gas budget, we're usually pretty careful not to do any unnecessary driving at all. As such, I usually spend my lunch break at my desk, eating my packed lunch while I blog, check my email, etc.

When the weather is nice, sometimes I go outside to eat at the picnic table at the mini golf course next door instead. Or, when I'm Feeling energetic, sometimes I walk to the post office or around town for about 45 minutes. I would probably do so more often if I worked in a more residential area, but, alas, my office is situated on a pretty busy road with no sidewalks.

Today, after a string of chilly, cloudy days (including my precious weekend!), the weather was absolutely perfect. I really wanted to spend time outdoors during my lunch break so I could soak in the warmth and sunshine to ease the stress my morning had brought. Unfortunately the golf course was being mowed making lunch at the picnic table out of the question and I didn't bring the right shoes for walking since I didn't expect it to be such a beautiful day. Sigh...

So instead I got in my car, drove out into the Farm country just a Few minutes from town and took a turn up an unpaved, twisty dead-end road. I'd never been up that road before, but I was Fairly certain there had to be some pretty scenery or at least some peace and quiet up there. I was right--there was a nice old barn, and blue skies and green grass as Far as I could see. I turned off the car's engine but listened to the radio as I enjoyed my lunch up there in the middle of nowhere. When I headed back to work, I was so much more relaxed for it. Ahh!!!

when life hands you oatmeal, make...

2010-04-18T11:04:00.009-04:00

When I wake up in the morning, the First thing I usually do is eat breakfast. My eyes are not even totally open as I grab whatever it is I plan to eat and sit down at the table. As a result, despite my best intentions, I did not eat nearly as much oatmeal this winter as I had planned.

I used to eat the pre-portioned instant oatmeal packets that only involve adding water and microwaving. One day I looked at how much sugar is in those things and vowed to switch to plain. I know there are reduced sugar options available, but not in a decent variety of Flavors.

So, a Few months back (or maybe more than a Few by now), I bought a big canister of old-Fashioned quick oats. I hoped to make my oatmeal from scratch every morning and Flavor it naturally. Unfortunately, the much simpler peanut butter on an apple won out every time.

Now it's spring, and as the weather gets warmer, a steaming bowl of oatmeal in the morning is not necessarily appealing. Yesterday morning when I woke up, however, my First thought was of that canister sitting on the shelf and how nice it would be to make a Few oatmeal cookies.

I Found a recipe online that was easy and I had the necessary ingredients for. It was supposed to make two and a half dozen cookies. I Figured that would be plenty for hubby and I to enjoy some and still share some with my Family as well. I preheated the oven and got to mixing.

The recipe called for a cup each of raisins broken pecans, but I didn't have raisins and I'm not a big Fan of nuts in my cookies. Instead I made half the batch plain and half the batch with dried cranberries, which I always have on hand. Hubby helped me roll the sticky dough into balls.

I tried just a half dozen cookies First to make sure they would really cook through in the ten to twelve minutes they were supposed to. They did, so we made the rest of the cookies the same size as the First six. As a result, in the end, we ended up with seven dozen cookies! Yikes!

I know we made them on the small side, but since we had done away with a cup of nuts and a half cup of raisins, I Figured if anything we'd break even with the number of cookies. Also, if they were bigger, they probably wouldn't have Fully cooked within the twelve minutes. Go Figure!

Anyhow, we ate several cookies right out of the oven, of course. We also sent three dozen home with my mother in the afternoon. Then this morning, with my eyes barely open, I had my soy milk decaf tea and my homemade oatmeal cookies. Now that's a breakfast I can appreciate!!!

I guess you win some, you lose some...

2010-04-16T14:01:00.011-04:00

Well, apparently I spoke too soon when I wrote my post on March 3rd about the new opportunity I had to work with a dermatology office one day a week. After just six weeks my position with them ended.

So, it turns out we will have to tighten our budget back to what it was previously. We'll have to make some adjustments to make up for the Fact that we were having problems staying within budget for gas, but I'm sure we'll Figure it out.

On the positive side, I will have more time to hone my photography skills and to spend with my Family. This Wednesday I cleaned my apartment from top to bottom and made a batch of homemade tortilla chips and guacamole for my sisters' after-school snack!

At the end of that March 3rd post, I had mentioned that there was another great opportunity on my horizon that I didn't write about yet because I didn't want to jinx it. I sure am glad I kept the lid on that one! And I may be announcing yet a third iron in the Fire soon! Stay tuned...

a Few other uses for old canning jars...

2010-04-14T20:13:00.001-04:00

Yesterday as I was practicing taking pictures of objects without much daylight left, I Found myself grabbing a couple of old canning jars that were sitting around. I noticed that I use them for a lot of things besides holding Food so I thought I'd share...

Our change jar

my candle jar:
I don't buy the candles that come in the jars,
I just keep popping 'bare' candles into this jar
after peeling out whatever was left of the old one

my makeup and makeup brush jars:
this is such a great way to keep everything orderly,
plus it makes cleaning the counter top so easy!

And, though I don't have a picture of it at the moment, it's always nice to use canning jars as gift containers for dry food items such as soup mix or tea, as well as potpurri, etc. These rustic jars look great with a bit of raffia to tie on a handmade card or label. It's an earth-Friendly and very FRUGAL way to treat someone!

water, water everywhere--many drops

2010-04-12T13:16:00.011-04:00

Hubby and I are usually pretty good about taking water with us wherever we go. Putting a bottle in our packed lunches is a given, but we also each take a bottle with us when we go grocery shopping or even to visit Family who usually serve soda or other sugary soft drinks. With all this carting around of water, you'd think we would have gotten some really good containers before now, wouldn't you? Alas, we had not.

A couple of years ago we bought some inexpensive plastic thermoses because they were gentle to our budget. Guess what--they leaked. Next we got sturdier plastic containers with leak-proof screw-on lids attached. They were nice in theory, but it turned out that when you got down to the last Few gulps of water, the heavy lids outweighed the liquid and the containers tipped over. Wonder what genius designed either of them...

Finally, last week, we got the real deal--wide-mouthed stainless steel BPA-Free containers. Hubby's is plain silver but mine is lime green (my Favorite color) with a pretty design. Not only are they safer, greener, and more attractive, but they actually keep the water colder even without putting ice packs in our lunch bags. This will be key in the coming warm months when hubby is toiling in the sun all day. Oh, and the best part? They were on sale!

extra, extra, read (see) all about it!

2010-04-10T16:12:00.005-04:00

Now that I've been able to keep up my new blog for ten whole days I'd like to introduce you to:

Jenniwaka's Photo Blog

Like so many other bloggers have done before me, I'm going to post a photo every day. It's a great way to Force myself to make time to practice my photography skills. Check it out!