Moving Day is Here!

Yes, it is thataway to my new blog site! I have decided to move before I had it all done since it is easier to just write from there and hope everyone has patience as I figure all this out. My own .com, my own blog host and hopefully a better blog.

Please come join me at my new place.

Ain't No Place To Put A Sticker

I look forward to seeing you and serving you from there.

Preserve those frugal finds

What is the point in being frugal, finding all kinds of great buys and buying in bulk if you are going to waste it or lose it all?

It is that time of year again when bugs like to venture into the house. Some hitch a ride on food, especially food from "natural" and bulk stores. I have had them enter my pantry in cereal boxes, granola from the bulk containers and other whole grain products.

Two years in a row I lost everything in my pantry while I was away on vacation and one year I lost it while home. All this since moving to Texas!

I have learned some things to protect those frugal savings as well as the other pantry items. To prevent or get rid of the bugs:

First, Remove everything from your pantry. Everything!

Now, wash it all down with some vinegar water or cleaner and then the vinegar. Let dry and air out and fully dry.

Get some food grade diatomous earth and sprinkle it on the back of the shelves and the floor. It is not anything that will harm you but will keep out the bugs. Since doing this I have not had them back.

Before putting anything in the pantry, check it good. New boxes of cereal have come in with the tell tale "web" inside the "airtight" package.

Then, freeze your whole grains, rice, corn meal etc. This will keep them from getting infested.

I then took all my other things and put them in well sealed air tight containers. Now, this is not a guarantee as these bugs are persistent!

I ended up with the bugs from my granola from Central Market. This is a big place that sells a lot of that type of bulk food, yet it had bugs. They were not there when I brought it home, but I put it in the pantry and a few days later there they were. Since they were in a good container they had not spread at that point, but I have never gone to that store again!

I love frugal finds and bulk stores are a favorite for my husband and I. But I hate losing my frugal finds and then making them an expensive .

For more frugal ideas, go to Biblical Womanhood!

Patience

Patience. What a word. I really dislike it.

I announced I was going to move my blog to my own .com, and I am. Just not as fast as I planned. It seems that this week has been busier than normal, plus a sick baby, who so nicely shared with her grammie.

I am using blogger here, of course you know that, but need to switch to Wordpress for putting it on my own .com. Everything is different. I can't seem to find a template that I want, when I do it does not have the right widgets, or does not go with the title of my blog or some other thing.

I know, you are probably one who has done this, and wonder how someone who was taking web design classes can be stuck and slow. Who knows!

I do know I am learning, and hope this will all be a positive move for the blog.

Here is the reason for some of my slowness. Isn't she adorable?

Sick or not, she is a sweety!

This Weekend

It is coming. I am officially the owner of three new domains. I will only be using two of them. Had to buy the third one to get the one I wanted as he would only sell me the two together.

My blog will be moving as soon as I get my templates set up as I want them and I am excited. I plan on a little bit of a new direction, a whole different look and hopefully get to be a better blog.

I have been with blogger now and this will be all different, but I want more control over my blog and the look of it. I want to add pages, be able to eventually have a newsletter and have more interaction with my readers. I am nervous about the move, but think it will be better.

Since I am working around a toddler it may take me a bit of time to get it set up, but I am hoping that it will be up in a week. I may be slow at posting, so please be patient with me.

When the big move comes I will let you know, post my url and look for you there!

Free Software!

How could anything be more frugal than for FREE?

For more frugal ideas go on over to Biblical Womanhood!

Easter Bread

I am also using this recipe for favorite ingredient Friday at Overwhelmed with Joy. For more favorite ingredients check Favorite Ingredient Friday!

Today is works for me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer and I want to share an Easter Recipe that I like to make.

I have made this bread for church breakfasts, the kids when they were little and for the big kids here and it is good and eaten up fast. Have extra eggs (hard boiled!) on hand. The eggs used in the recipe are raw, they cook with the bread.

Braided Easter Egg Bread

3 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. dry yeast
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. milk
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
6 colored eggs (do not hardcook)

Five hours before serving, mix sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup flour. Heat butter and milk until 125 degrees. With mixer, mix liquid into dry ingredients. Beat in 3 eggs and 3/4 cup flour. Stir in lemon peel and 1 1/4 cups flour. On floured surface, knead dough 5 minutes. (Add about 1/2 cup flour.)

Place in greased bowl; let rise 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, dye 6 eggs, but do not hard cook! When dough has risen, punch down; divide into 3 parts. Braid dough and make a circle and place on large greased cookie sheet. Let rise 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When dough has risen, decorate with raw colored eggs. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

For more Works for Me ideas go to Rocks in My Dryer. Or Favorite Ingredient Friday at Overwhelmed With Joy!

Weekend Meltdown

I had a melt down. No, the temperature in Texas did not get so hot I sweat to death, but an emotional melt down this past week.

As the week went on I became more and more upset with me. It started out by feeling "I was ugly, my curly hair was not doing what I wanted, most of my clothes are all getting old and stained because I am a dropper and splatterer." What I do not get on them my granddaughter does. "I am fat. Why buy new clothes when they only look bad on me anyway? Besides, I don't have the money. I am getting old. My next birthday will put me among the dead, I am sure. Before my 1st husband died I was doing all kinds of creative things, was active in the church, had been game director for church camps, kids programs, led VBS, organized the town craft fair. I made crafts of all kinds. Then my husband got sick, I was caregiver and many things were put on slow. He died and I died with him inside. My life went upside down. I was 5 years in limbo (with more going on then I want to mention as it would take a book). Now I am in Texas, married to a wonderful man and feel like all that I have gifts for, creativity for has been put on a shelf, or in the casket with my 1 st husband. Besides all that I am brain dead on my blog and I am fat and ugly and getting old." On and on my mind went.

Ever get like that?

I cried a number of times, and I do not cry so much any more. I whined to my husband. I looked in the mirror and looked fatter, uglier and older every time. My clothes are getting bad, but why get more when I am looking so bad? I was a mess.

Sunday morning I woke up and grumbled at my wonderful husband. He was thinking maybe he did something or did not do something that made me feel that way about myself. He did not. It was all me.

It was then that my mind got to thinking about something else. I thought back to the week after my first husband died and my sister took me out on a whale boat. I lived in ME, always wanted to go out on one, but never did. Now I was going. I was still numb from the death and funeral, but I was excited too.

I have always felt peace when I would get near the ocean and this was a stress relief for me. We were out in the ocean, whales surfacing and saw some other fish as well. I found myself praying. I was thanking God for the trip and telling Him that it does not get any better than this. Since I was a pastor's wife and we lived in the parsonage as part of my husband's salary I knew I would have to move somewhere else. I asked the Lord to please move me near the ocean. I told him how I needed the ocean for relief and how for me it could not get any better than what I was seeing. I reminded Him I could not afford living there as prices were high, but I had faith enough that HE could make it possible anyway. My prayer ran deep and from my heart. Then HE answered with something that about knocked me overboard:

"Are you willing to give all this up for My best?"

My answer was just as quick and to the point:

"NO"

I did not mean it rebelliously, I was just so hurting from losing my husband and in shock yet, but I meant "no" . How could God ask me such a thing? I just had 4 years of taking care of a husband who was a wonderful man for 29+ years of marriage. All through being sick and knowing he was dying he did not complain much. Now God is telling me that I am going to have to move from my kids also? How could He?

Time went by, I moved from Maine, back to Maine, away from Maine again. I knew God was preparing me for something, I did not know what.

Now, here I was this weekend feeling down and feeling like all my abilities, gifts etc are on a shelf in ME and I am here. God blessed me with a second really wonderful, loving husband and he is worth being here for, but still, I wondered why I had no outlet for anything yet.

When God reminded me of the whaleboat He said that this is His best. He has a plan, and I am being changed to fit that plan. All is not lost, set on a shelf. I am not brain dead, I am trying to do things myself and getting impatient instead of waiting on Him.

OK, so I still need to lose weight, I still need to get new clothes and do something with my hair and I am STILL GETTING OLDER, but the real me, the me God plans on using is being changed into what He wants me to be. I need to rest in Him, relax and know He is going to do it in His time.

An Amazing Woman

There are so many people out there that feel they can't make it. Life has brought them things that they feel they can't overcome. Maybe choices they have made have put them in the situation and now they feel like "woe is me". We all have times like that, but I am talking about the many people who are out there in the world that are able to work or do things and claim they can't.

I have seen some people with a leg missing and they are crying the blues over being disabled and wanting to sit around because they "can't do anything".

Some time ago I lived in a small community where there were many able bodied people collecting welfare and sitting around all day crying because the government is not caring for them right. (Not to mention they were selling drugs by night, right across the street from me and under the street light at that!)

Today a video came my way about someone who was more disabled than many people, yet does not give up. I wanted to share this with you and maybe it will encourage you like it did me. We face things, but not many of us face what she faces every day.

Getting Cheap Prints- HELP!

I wish Crystal would run a backwards Frugal Friday like Shannon has backward Works for Me Wednesday once a month. So, for today I am making my own backwards day and asking your help.

I am trying to make some memory books and use some pictures I have. However, I need to make a lot of photos. I also need to make copies of photo's for my wall that I am making into a family wall.

When getting the prints I need in the amount I need I need to do it as frugally (CHEAP) as possible, yet with quality that is not going to fade like some do it yourself inks do.

I won the 5 minutes for mom bloggy giveaway of a camera and $50 to spend in Kodak gallery which will help a lot, but I still need more. Can anyone recommend places that do a good job, are reasonable and do not make up the difference in the photo cost by charging a lot for shipping?

Thanks so much!

Now, for some ideas for being frugal, go to Biblical Womanhood!

Penny saved is a penny earned

I am really grateful to Rocks in My Dryer for having Works for Me Wednesday. I really love backwards week when we can ask things that are not working for us, thanks for all who helped me last week.

In our house money is tight. My husband and I are struggling the same as others and sometimes we just want to get away or do something or treat ourselves to something we normally would not buy.

I have been a bit frustrated lately about some of this. We do take money each week from an extra job we have and each get an "allowance". We can spend it no questions asked. It is not much, but adds up if you are like me and do not spend it. For my husband it does not hold up so well!


As I was thinking about this and how we want to get away this year sometime I remembered back to what I used to do but have been not doing very well the last few years. Every time I would go out and shop, get gas etc, I would put the change in a spot in my purse not to be used. When I came home I would put it in a container. Not just any container, but old milk cans.

I have two old milk cans. The kind that hold about a quart or so and when families needed milk they would fetch it in these cans. One of my cans came from my grandfather. When he was 10 he would take that can and go to the store for his mom. He would come home with the milk for the family. The other one is not as old as my grandfathers (his is 100 yrs old!) but it works as well. I put the pennies in the "newer" one and the rest of the change in the older one.

When I was faithful about doing this, I would save up vacation money. It adds up fast when you keep putting it in there and not taking it out. When the can gets full I roll them and put the rolls in a safe place and keep adding to the can.

I have started it again. It worked for me before and I am sure it will work again.

For more ideas for Works for me Wednesday go to Rocks in my Dryer.

It is Finally Here

Remember the Bloggy Giveaway? Well it seems like ages ago to me. You see I won the 5 minutes for mom giveaway. It was a Kodak camera plus $50 gift card from Kodak gallery.

I have been so excited!! When I found I won I watched my mail. And watched it. And watched it.

No package.

None.

Believe it or not, when I tried for that prize I was not being greedy. I wanted the gift card as I have a lot of photos I want prints of. I would have liked the camera, but I was not going for the grand prize, just the smaller prize. So why was I having to wait so long?

I guess I needed to learn some patience. God must have thought so anyway, I think I had all the patience I needed. Now, where was MY camera?

Kodak sent me an email that I should have it by the end of the week. Yipee!!! I watched my mail like a hawk. Was the end of the week ever going to get here?

Well, the end of the week came, but not the camera.

My camera and precious gift card were lost in the mail. Several weeks later I finally got my camera. Kodak sent out another one and it came last Friday. I grabbed the box, kissed the Fed Ex guy and opened my box. WOW, there was my gift card, and camera.

My weekend was so busy I did not have time to play with it at all, but last night pulled it out and took a picture.
My husband will not be too happy about me sticking this in here, but here it is. He was sitting at his computer and I pulled the camera out and had to try it. I need to learn to get the lighting right and get my programs into my new computer so I can edit the photo's, but that will come.

I guess this means I have enough patience now, so do not need any more lessons, right Lord?

Anyway, Thank you Kodak and 5 Minutes for mom for this gift.

I am a Flip Flop

Ok, I took this fun quiz and thought I would share it with everyone. I found the link on Ima on (and off) the Bima . I love reading her blog and this time there was this fun quiz.

I found out that I am a Flip Flop! Here is what it said about me:

You Are Flip Flops

You are laid back and very friendly. Cheery and sunny in disposition, you usually have something to smile about. Style is important to you, as long as you can stay casual. It takes a lot to get you to dress up! You are a loyal and true person, though you can be a bit of a flake. You tend to "play hooky" and blow off responsibilities a lot more than most people. You should live: By the beach You should work: At a casual up and coming company

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Keeping Family Close

Today is Works for Me backwards day at Rocks in My Dryer. This means instead of me sharing something with you, you share with me.

I find it strange that I can forever think of things I need help with until it is time to write a backwards works for me and then my mind draws a blank. This is where I find myself right now.

My mom has been here for 11 days, we drove to MO for a wedding over the weekend, came home Sunday and had the kids over today to say good bye to my mom. I am tired and tomorrow we bring her to the airport so she can head back east.

This is all said to bring me to my question. Four of my kids and 11 grandkids are in Maine, one daughter, a grand daughter and another grandchild due in September are in NC. My mom and most of my siblings are in the NJ/PA area and a brother is in MO, where we went to the wedding. I live in Texas and have 3 step children here as well as 4 grandkids. For those of you whose family is as scattered as mine, how do you keep go about keeping close ties?

When I went to the wedding this past weekend I realized I hardly know my brother and his family any more, we have lived apart since college. I miss my own kids and they all have busy lives as we do. I would like to do something to help us all keep up and close, but wondered what others do in this situation.

Thanks for your ideas!

For more backwards works for me go to Rocks in my Dryer.

Missouri, Oklahoma and home again

Ahhhhhhh home. Nice to be away, but nice to return.

My computer went down.

My mom came.

We left for Missouri, my first time to that state.

Went to a wedding. A beautiful wedding!

Drove home.

Today I am tired! Mom is spending her last few days with us as she leaves on Wednesday. Hopefully then I will have a computer going, things getting back to normal and my posting be regular again.

Bread making problems

I should probably save this for next week when it is backwards WFMW, but I need help now, so I will not wait.

I make my bread using my kitchenaid mixer. It does great and even though I have carpel tunnel I can still make homemade bread.

My problem is my husband. He had a bread maker and thinks it is so much easier, but for me it is a pain. I put the thing away and never used it after I read the directions the first time. It has set away for 3 years now with him telling me "how much easier it is with the bread maker". Two weeks ago I dug it out and used a mix to surprise him with the bread. It did not rise much, was heavy and gooey even though I followed the directions. Several days later I tried again only using the recipe in the book with the bread maker. (It was harder than making it with my kitcheraid!) It rose over the top, down into the element and made quite the mess. Of course I did not know since you can't open the thing till it is done! When it started smoking black smoke I knew something was wrong and shut the thing off, but it was too late. I had burnt bread all over the inside.

It is now a week later and I can't get the smell or some of the burnt out of the thing. I set it out side, I have set the bread pan out, but still the smell. The element. or rather behind it, is burnt yet and I can't get it off.

Does anyone have any ideas to help me, or is it ruined?

For some real things that work for others, go to Rocks in My Dryer.

My Mom!

This is my mom. She has flown out here to Texas from NJ. I do not get to see her much and am happy she has taken this trip.

She will be here until the 5th of March, with us going to a wedding in MO over this weekend. As a result, I will not be blogging too much until after that. I will read my comments and have time to write a little, but not like I want to.

Not everyone gets to have an 81 year old mom that makes plane trips just to see you!

Frugal Newsletters

Today is Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood. When you are done reading her go back to their site for may more frugal ideas.

I like to see what other people are doing and how they are saving money. It gives me ideas for things that may fit into my lifestyle. My husband and I are on a limited budget like most people and we all can learn from others.

I subscribe to a few newsletters that give me ideas. No, I do not use them all the time, but there are often things that I can pick out that I can do to help the budget.

One of them is The Dollar Stretcher Newsletter. There are ideas as well as links that will help.

Another is Saving Advice. They have a blog I subscribe to as well as a newsletter. Check out the site.

I also try to read faithfully as many of the frugal friday posts and other blogs that help with saving and amending my ways to help be more Frugal.

What is on your refrigerator?

Heart at home is hosting a what is on your refrigerator meme and has tagged me to be a part. I decided to play along , again, to a meme.

First, let me tell you my refrigerator gets rearranged by a 14 month old on a daily, actually more like a minute by minute basis. So here goes:



I have magnetic numbers, letters, fish and birds as well as just plain magnets.There is my memo pad for my shopping list, several pictures of grand kids, my CASA boy and Moose (I love moose and lived in Maine, so it is a part of me I have on the frig.

The dish towel is a hand towel to save on paper towels and I also have two friends that I pray for and want to be reminded.
Now, what is on YOUR refrigerator?? Hop over to Heart At Home and join the fun!

Blog Meme

I have never done a blog meme or any meme that I know of, however, I was tagged and I will play along. I am still learning who is who, and do not know all my readership yet, but I guess that is part of the fun too.

*Start Copying Here*

I have randomly selected 3 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!) If you don’t know five people just put any you do know! I only managed 3.

It’s real easy!

Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!

The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
- Increase your Google PageRank fast
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
- Build your community
- Make new friends!

The Strategist Notebook ~ Link Addiction ~ Ardour of the Heart ~ When Life Becomes a Book ~ The Malaysian Life ~ Yogatta.com ~ What goes under the sun ~ Roshidan’s Cyber Station ~ Sasha says ~ Arts of Physics ~ And the legend lives ~ My View, My Life ~ A Simple Life ~ Juliana RW ~ Mom Knows Everything ~ Beth & Cory’s Mom ~ A Mind Forever Voyaging~ enjoying the ride ~ Jennifer’s thoughts ~ Mom of 3 Girls ~ Amanda ~ Don’t Make Me Get The Flying Monkeys ~ ExPat Mom ~ Just Jessie ~ Wilson Six ~Krisitn ~ Nuttier Than You ~ Shonnte ~ Summer’s Nook ~ Laura Williams Musings ~ Melissa’s Idea Garden ~~ Eve at Confessions of an Everyday Housewife ~~ Blah Blah Blog ~~ Stop the Ride! ~~ Soap, Blings & Girly Things It’s All for the Best ~ Keeping Feet ~ Junky Love in Freehand ~ Getting Out of Debt ~ Free From Broke Knits and Knots ~ Two Kitties and a Puppy ~ Wissman.org ~ Retro Brett ~ Changing Seasons~Regan’s Weblog ~ Beauty from Chaos ~ The Natural Mommy ~ Charlie is Here ~ twentysixcats Drumbfaith ~ Aint no Place ~ Michiah.com

Sting My Heart ~ Families Against Feminism ~

I can only think of two that are not on here, but I will give it a try!

Clear Plastic boxes to the rescue!

How was your weekend? Mine was so busy I am still hurting. If you are into all kinds of crafts like I have been you will know what I am talking about; Crafts take up space! Unorganized craft supplies take up even more space! Add to that your husband's craft supplies and you have a real mess.

My mom is coming out this Saturday and I need to make room for her. My back bedroom has been home to many things. Books, scrapbook supplies, photos in boxes and being sorted, ceramics in boxes as well as baby stuff like my granddaughters pack n play, as well as the swing and johnny jump up that she no longer uses all fill that room. Now I need to get my mom in there too!

Saturday I spent cleaning off the shelves in the computer room, throwing stuff away and organizing. You see, all that craft stuff belongs on these shelves, but... The BIG BUT... they were filled with all kinds of other things. Husband's old computers that he wants parts off of, papers that had to be kept, stuff I had to move quickly and did not know where to put etc were all piled on the shelves.

After I cleaned them all off, I went and got some clear plastic storage boxes. I already had my sewing stuff in some, so just got more and organized. Now, I have clear boxes on the shelves, can see what is in them. I may label them later for hubby, but I know where to find things now anyway.

My mom has a bed to sleep in too! I have to move out the baby things, but I found a bed under all the scrapbook stuff! I knew I had one somewhere in that room!

I would like to give all of you some advice. If you live in small quarters like we do, with no storage area, take care of things immediatly. Organize in the boxes right away, it is a lot easier and does not hurt the back as much as what I did on Saturday. When I get craft stuff, I am going to get a new clear container and put it together right away. These containers can fit on a shelf, under a bed or where ever you can put them. Put your bed on blocks of wood or bed risers and there is lots of storage there too.

Just a hint from experience.

I would have pictures, but I still do not have a computer and am on a borrowed one. Hopefully tomorrow night I will be writing from my own.. yipee!

This works for me! For more works for me ideas, go to Rocks in my dryer!