Frugal Friday 341

Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Like many Americans, we received our COVID-19 stimulus check. We made the decision to prepay many things upcoming in the year. We were able to pay ahead everything that we had in the foreseeable future and we added the rest to our savings.

- The kids were surprised on Saturday by a HUGE package from my sister. She sent them an amazing science kit with binoculars, telescope, and microscope! They have had a ton of fun looking at things in a whole new way. Thank you Aunt Lu!

 Science Class with Dad

Examining blood through their microscope

- I did our grocery trip. I did spend an extra $5 in fun items to the cart - new markers and new bubbles. I really like for the kids to have great supplies on hand to imagine and create with. I did earn back $3.10 with Ibotta so I feel like I only really spend $1.90 on those items.

- I shopped for some items and instead of buying through a big box store or Amazon I purchased from Etsy and a local crafter. I purchased doggie bandanas from PawsomePetCreations1 on Etsy and a handmade sign from my friend Katelyn at No Strings Attached.

- We ordered our fresh produce through Imperfect  and are happy to help create less food waste in our world.

- The kids and I did a big school room record purge. I had kept every school book that the kids have completed and am just running out of room. After consulting HSDLA, I kept only the records they suggested.

- The kids continued to enjoy a few classes online. Annabeth has been taking her dance classes online through Facebook. Together the kids enjoyed a Dino Camp thanks to fellow Book Lady Audrey. Thank you Audrey!

- Wednesday night I let the kids eat Lunchables during Hour 5 outside as their dinner. Then I made burgers and baked veggies (Thanks Hello Fresh!) for Mark and myself. We had dinner on the back porch while the kids watched their show for the day. It was lovely to be "alone on a date."

- Yesterday we purchased our beef for the spring from our friends at Burgett Family Farm. We purchase half a pig in the fall and our ground beef in the spring. This is 90% of our meat for the year. We realize that we are incredibly fortunate to be able to save ahead for these meat purchases. I only cook with meat a few days a week. We have lots of meat-free meals to help save money and resources.

- In case you don't follow me on Facebook or Instagram, here is our most exciting news - we have a puppy! Please meet Oscar a three month old Ocherese! We had been looking for quite some time and talking with several rescues across the state waiting for a pup that neither Annabeth or I are allergic to. I kept hearing the same thing that they rarely come in and become available for adoption. Over the past few months there have been two, both older/sick and with descriptions like "I need peace and quiet" I knew we were the wrong family for them. Finally, Mark and I decided to contact THE Ocherese lady to put our name on her waitlist. As God would have it, she had puppies left from her winter litter as people have been sheltering in place and not getting puppies. Saturday we drove to Loveable Companions in Ferdinand and surprised the kids with a pup. They had NO idea that we were doing it and they are SO excited! Oscar is a phenomenal puppy! He came to us nearly kennel trained so he happily goes in when asked, sleeps most of the night, doesn't whine, and is very gentle. We really feel so blessed to call him ours!

Oscar Chase

Our first picture as a family of five

We had a busy week filled with finishing lots of school books and snuggling with Oscar.
We are looking forward to a weekend of more of the same.

Frugal Friday 340

Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- We did a big family house clean-up on Saturday morning. I have been feeling completely overwhelmed and unmotivated to keep everything as picked up as it should be. Mark saw that and helped motivate all of us to work together to get everything put back in its right place.

- Mark's parents delivered a bag of goodies to us for Easter. We have not seen them in person for a month or so and it was great to wave from a distance. Thank you all!

- I shopped Matilda Jane's spring sale. I was able to get Annabeth two new items at great prices. Do you love Matilda Jane? You can shop with my friend Danielle here. (I am not having a party nor will I benefit from you shopping that link, just wanted to share a fellow Hoosier Mama's business)

- The kids finished up LOTS of stickers, scrapbook papers, and craft supplies. I love having a bunch on hand but also like them to be used pretty quickly.

- We were SO blessed to have our whole Easter Sunday as a family of four! Over the years, we have not had a great deal of holidays with Mark off work for them and it was really nice. He did take some phone calls but didn't have to leave.

Easter Sillies.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE family photos and my "trick" to getting good ones

 is letting them take whatever kind they want first and then I get my pretty one after.

- A few weeks ago, I let Annabeth design her own address labels. She has two penpals that she writes weekly as well as other mail she sends. They were due to us last Tuesday but never arrived and the shipping never updated. I waited a full week but when they didn't arrive I contacted the company. They sent a new set for free and refunded my original shipping. Made Back: $6.41

- Wednesday night I delivered several "You Are A Star" books for local heroes who are changing our community. It was nice to get out and to drive alone! I also loved a short socially distant visit with my friend Holly.

- Our friend Jeanette brought us duck eggs! Thank you! We baked many of them into German Pancakes for dinner last night.

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 339

Happy Frugal Friday!

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

- Last Friday we were doing some cleaning and I realized that we had two big (600+ pieces each) puzzles that we were never going to do. We have a friend who has kids who love puzzles. We did a porch drop off to share the fun.

- We also let go of the kids' Tiny Tyke cars. I have put this off because I am SO attached. Both kids got theirs when they were 2 and we have loved them so much. I have cried each time I have tried to get rid of them before. But knowing that everyone is home right now and looking for fun and that our kids are too big for them meant it was time. We are passing Owen's down to my nephew and I sold Annabeth's. Made: $20

- Friday night we ate dinner outside for fun. The kids LOVE doing this and I love not having to sweep or change the tablecloth after dinner.

- After dinner, I took Owen out to porch drop some books to a friend. She lives in Greenwood and on the drive up we passed a church with a big, pretty pond. On the drive home, Owen and I stopped and walked all around the pond, found a gazebo, and walked on a little bridge. We didn't come into contact with any people or touch anything but a tree branch. We loved being out in the sunshine together.

- Friday night I had an almost two hour Zoom chat with two of my best friends. It was SO lovely to talk to these fellow homeschool mamas! There are SO many things about our current state of life that can only truly be related to by another homeschool mama and they just get me. I am SO thankful to have done school alongside them since our oldest girls were in Kindergarten and we're not going to let COVID-19 break us!

- Saturday we woke up and had breakfast/play outside time. Mark mowed and treated the yard while I did some Usborne Books & More work for the week. We also did a good deal of housework. I went through the fridge, freezer, and pantry and made a meal plan for the weekend to use up items that needed used first. We are working very, very hard to have zero food waste.

- Saturday we enjoyed Palm Sunday service through our church's You Tube page. We waved our homemade Palm Branches and sang. Mark worked Saturday night into Sunday morning, came home to nap, and then worked Sunday afernoon for the Coroner's Office. Sunday afternoon the kids were surprised by a porch delivery of Easter eggs and homemade cards from Matt, Jenn, and the kids. Thank you all for helping make our Sunday extra special!!

- Monday morning Annabeth wrote letters to her pen-pals. Owen wanted to join in the fun and chose four special people to get mail from him. Two were delivered to friends on our street. He is very sweet and I love watching him find little ways to bless others. Last week, the kids took handmade crafts to our neighbors for a porch delivery surprise.

- Our kids' sale has been moved from April to late June. I have already organized and pulled most of our items and they are currently stored in Owen's closet. That wouldn't be so bad for a few weeks but a few more months upset Owen. I listed most of the kids' clothes on Facebook and was able to sell all of Owen's. Made: $27

- Our church friend Miss Terri brought by fantastic bags for the kids! They were filled with activities, eggs with candy, and a COVID-19 Journal. The kids enjoyed hiding and hunting the Easter eggs for the rest of the week.

- I have had my eye on an item on Etsy for a while. It was 10% off this week so I went ahead and go it. I was happy to support a crafter during this time.

- I ordered some activities for the kids to do from a local place vs picking up at a box store. The price was about what I would have paid on Amazon or at a box store and so I was happy to support a local business.

- Wednesday night the tornado sirens went off. We got the kids out of bed and into the guest bath. We loaded them into the tub with blankets and pillows. Mark took down the huge mirror and got that out as well. Once the power went out, super rare for here, we gave each of the kids a glow stick. After about an hour, we were out of the worst of it so we went back to bed. The kids were afraid so the three of us ended up camping out in the living room.

 Glow Stick Fun

- I cancelled our hotel for Derby weekend. Obviously, with the Derby moved to September we didn't need our May reservation anymore. This will add $305 back into our spring budget! What a savings!

- I had so much wonderful support from my Usborne Books & More customers. It is an intimidating time to own my own business and I am SO thankful for the many, many customers who have continued to shop with me. I know lots of friends are going to have wonderful Easter Baskets filled with beautiful books.

- We spent a few afternoons serving our neighbors by helping them in their yards. The kids and I did some weeding and Mark mowed and sprayed for them. Mark has such a servant's heart and has truly improved mine over the years. I pray our children always seek ways to help others. Serving doesn't have to be big, loud, or expensive - it just needs to be done with a joyful heart.

Happy Savings to All!

Perfect Days

The last two days have been perfect.

We have spent nine hours outside over the past two days. We have played in the sunshine, under blue skies. We have enjoyed the breeze. We have moved bricks and rocks to find worms. We have laid on warm grass finding shapes in the clouds. We have rested in the shade with ice water when the sun got too hot. We have read book after book while enjoying watching for our ducks and bunnies.

I have enjoyed the kids bringing me beautiful flowers - dandelions. We have searched the yard for clovers - finding three, four, five, and even six leaf clovers. We have had dozens of egg hunts for empty Easter eggs after our church friend dropped off a care package. We have played Red Light, Green Light. We have played Mother May I and Owen May I and Annabeth May I. We have held hands. Oh friends, I have held their little, warm, muddy, sticky hands in mine and we have made memories.

I don't know what to do about what is happening in the world.
I don't know what the days, week, or months ahead are going to look like.
I don't know when we will return to "normal."

I do know that I am certainly living the very best days. Right now. Yesterday. Today.
Heavenly Father has given me the incredible blessing of time. Time with my sweet, little people. Uninterrupted time to close my eyes and to savor the sounds of their voices, the feel of sun on my face, the breeze in my hair.

For these perfect days I am eternally grateful.

What blessings did you enjoy today?

First ice cream cones of the spring.

Which were quickly followed by the second and third as the days went on

Happy Frugal Friday 338

Happy Frugal Friday!

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

(We stayed home all week and did not spend any money so I think I'll just share how we've been enjoying each day of Shelter-In-Place)

Friday: Last Friday was hard. It was the first day of this that I wasn't sure I could make it. I had the stomach bug last week so I was worn down, tired and then it rained aaallll day. We did finish out our school week and the kids enjoyed an online dance class from Annabeth's dance studio as well as a pilates class with our friend Miss Laurel. We did simple breakfast for dinner (eggs with cheese, homemade breakfast potatoes, and fresh fruit) The kids went out after dinner for some fresh air.

Saturday: Saturday was lovely! We slowly started our day with the back door and windows open as it was SO warm and nice! We went outside at 10 and stayed out until dinner. We took walks, waved to neighbors, colored with chalk, worked on garage projects, rode scooters, saw more friends and neighbors, and Mark and Annabeth got a great start on one of her 4H projects. The kids also received a special FaceTime phone call from their church music teacher Miss Becky and they were able to sing with her over the phone and learn some new songs. I really enjoyed our "Toddler Lunch" in the garage - cheese-its with choice of protein, apples, and strawberries. It was like one of the lovely, long slow summer days that we used to have before the kids got into so many activities. We had a great dinner - pork chops, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and rolls. The rain really rolled in after dinner so we watched the new Lady and the Tramp movie before bed.


Sunday: We woke up and enjoyed church online. It was difficult for the kids to listen/watch a sermon online but we hung in there. We were dressed and outside for the day by 10. Mark did the first mow and trim of the lawn for the year. The kids rode scooters, rode the ATV, made chalk pictures, waved at neighbors, etc. We were outside almost all day until dinner. We did take a bit of a break and drove to take the paper and cardboard recycling and also did porch, no-contact, delivery of some books to book customers. After dinner we went outside almost until bedtime. I enjoyed a nice, long phone call with my Momaw as well.

Monday:  Monday we woke up and did our usual school day. After lunch, the kids headed out back to play. I was able to work for about 45 minutes in the kitchen and living room. We swapped yards and went out front to ride scooters and the ATV. We took a walk. Then we came back and made a mega-Mexican dinner at home. Annabeth has specifically mentioned wanting to eat out at our favorite Mexican place several times so Mark got everything to surprise her at home. I made homemade Mexican rice (thank you to Cynthia for teaching me), Mark made homemade queso, and we also had chips and tacos. After dinner and clean up we went back outside until bedtime.

Tuesday:  This was a ROUGH day. We had a hard time getting school and chores down. It was cold and windy so our outdoor time was minimal. We did have the fun of video-chatting with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and my one year old nephew. The kids loved watching their cousin play. Mark did some volunteer work on Tuesday evening so the kids and I had freezer pizza and ice cream for movie night dinner. I did learn to make a Matcha Tea Smoothie for Mark as he occasionally stops at Starbucks for that but our stores are closing soon.

Wednesday: Woke up, vowed to have a better day than Tuesday, and made Mark his Matcha smoothie. Annabeth and I made our family Easter cards. We did our typical school day, read aloud one hour, and spent two hours outside. Then I surprised the kids with a Zoom with their homeschool group. They were SO excited to see their friends. I made quiche for dinner - I used to make it ALL the time at our old house so it was fun to make and talk about old times during dinner. We saved quite a bit of money this day as Mark had free lunch from Greek's Pizzara and the kids and I finished all the leftovers in the fridge. We also surprised the kids with an ice cream cake (shockingly Anna-Safe!) from the grocery made by Friendly's and Crayola where you decorate it with sprinkles and icing. We have never found a safe ice cream cake before and the kids LOVED it! They were so excited to decorate it and then they loved eating it. That was a real mood booster for our week.

Ice cream cake decorators

Thursday:  This was pretty much a repeat of Wednesday. Annabeth especially enjoyed a long Zoom chat with one of her best friends, Audrey. She also took two online dance classes. Mark had a porch delivery to make to a friend after dinner so he and Owen went out for a drive. Annabeth and I stayed home and had girls' night. Annabeth chose to paint nails.

We had a good week at home. I told my best friend this week that I feel like I am on a roller-coaster! Some moments I feel so cool, calm, and collected and other moments I feel like nothing is in my control. In this season, I am so thankful to be a servant of God. I am thankful to serve the One who created us all and Who does have this all under control.

Happy Savings to All!