Friday, May 15, 2020

Frugal Friday 344

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Saturday morning, Mark enjoyed a morning of fishing with his dad and our nephew. It was very cold and windy so the others headed home around noon. Mark stayed out all afternoon. He very much enjoyed some quiet time out with the fish.

- Saturday the kids and I stayed home. We made homemade soup, bread, and a cake for Mother's Day.


- Sunday we had a quiet morning at home with church online and a long phone call with my Mama. We went to Mark's parents' house and saw everyone for the first time in two months. We had a nice lunch and the kids had a great time playing out in the yard.

All the people (and the pup) that make me a Mama

- We did a hand-me-down swap between all of the kids. Owen took some Mickey Mouse board books to his younger cousin (This was a huge blessing as one he has had since his first birthday and I am very attached to. It made it "okay" with me to pass on knowing J will love it.) The older cousins brought Annabeth two pairs of shoes in the next size and my nephew brought some great camo, jackets, and Lakeview wear for Owen. Luke and Cassidy brought some dog toys to welcome Oscar - he is especially loving one of them this week! We love passing everything around like this!

- When we got home from lunch, we surprised Owen with his very first bike! We had planned to get one for him last summer but he broke his foot and was in a cast for most of the summer. He is very proud to be riding on his own! We look forward to helping him build his confidence and strength on it this spring and summer.


- Monday morning we were finally able to get Annabeth to the orthodontist to get her lip bumper out. Due to Social Distancing Guidelines she went in alone for the appointment. I was able to read out in the car for about 20 minutes which was lovely!

- Monday evening we got out for a little drive. We picked up more books and movies at the library and then also drove through Annabeth's dance studio for a fun parade. She was SO excited to see all of her teachers, the seniors, and to get the pins she has earned this year. It was so nice to be back at a place we love so much.

- Tuesday I put several hours of work into my Usborne Books & More business. We are much busier than usual for this time of year and I am thankful that Usborne paid ALL of our grocery bills and allowed us to order pizza in April. I used my Team Leader over ride to get something fun for each child and then saved the rest.

- Wednesday morning we drove up north to surprise Annabeth's friend with a birthday gift and card. I surprised the kids on the way home with our first Starbucks stop since February! They each got a cake pop and since they messed up my order I got two drinks for the price of one! Saved over $5!

- Wednesday afternoon our friends Jeanette and Audrey came over so the kids could ride bikes. They had a lot of fun playing and "feeling normal" as Annabeth said when they left. I enjoyed a long chat with Jeanette and Oscar.

- Wednesday night after dinner Mark took Owen to a big, empty parking lot to ride his new bike. Annabeth played outside and then had dance class on Zoom. She is very much looking forward to the hope of being back in the studio in June!

- Yesterday we had storms that I wasn't expecting so we stayed home in the morning doing chores. Then we spent a few hours out in the yard and then we packed up to go get our library holds. We also took Oscar to his first park! He kept up on our walk for a little while but eventually we just had to carry him. We enjoyed a good couple of park hours before another storm rolled in.

Oscar's First Park Trip

We had a good week, with an appointment and seeing Mark's family for a bit life felt a bit more normal. That was good because this week also came with the sad confirmation that Annabeth's week at camp was cancelled. Unfortunately, we have quite a few other summer plans that are still "on" for now and we aren't able to add her to a different section. She has been looking forward to returning to camp since her time there last summer and it nearly broke my heart to tell her she has to wait until next summer now. Praying for all children feeling that same sense of loss for their summer fun.

Looking forward to a weekend of lots of outside play between the rain storms.

Happy Savings to All!

No comments: