Cheaper Solutions for Lunch on the Go

We have to eat our lunches in the van sometimes.  I like to think that's not uncommon for families, especially those who decide to homeschool. 

Although there is always the temptation to fill that lunch with burgers and nuggets (which we honestly do sometimes, I won't lie), I also sometimes bring lunch along with us.  When I first started doing that, I used Ziploc baggies, though I hated seeing so much waste, when each of the three children (plus myself) were using a few bags for various food items.

One day, I realized that I had three reusable containers that were all the same size.  And, that size was perfect for putting in a sandwich, something like Goldfish crackers, and a small treat.  Plus, they made a great "tray" for the kids to just hold on their laps.

Easier to maneuver than several plastic baggies, no baggies to just throw away afterward, and saving money on buying food from out -- it is a perfect solution for our family when lunch has to be on the go.

Do you have to take meals on the go?  We seem to do a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches -- do you have any great on the go lunch ideas?







This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Easier Measuring for Liquid Ingredients

Right now with a rattling cough, full sinuses, and eyes that burn, as well as two kids taking antibiotics, we are using medicine dosage cups a lot lately for their intended purpose.  However, my favorite (and most used) way to use medicine dosage cups is a whole lot more fun.

Although I love measuring cups and spoons (I have several sets of each), my favorite way to measure smaller amounts of liquid ingredients is to use all of those medicine dosage cups that come with all of the children's liquid medications. 

Most of the cups can hold three teaspoons (which is one tablespoon), and have lots of markings for a variety of measurements.  So, instead of having to use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon three times for 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (and worrying about overfilling) or dirtying both a teaspoon and the 1/2 teaspoon, I just use a medicine dosage cup and fill it to the 1 1/2 teaspoon line.  Not only do I have fewer spills, but it's also great for allowing the kids to put in these ingredients (and I know it will be easy for them to pour in).

If your household is like mine, you have lots of these little cups sitting around.  Every so often, we'll throw some in the recycling bin, but we usually keep them for an easy and frugal way to measure out smaller liquid ingredients.

Do you have any "odd" uses for everyday household items?










This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

photo by justmalia

7 Quick Takes: February 12, 2010 (Vol. 29)

~ 1 ~

I still haven't gotten caught up from Blissdom 2010.  I promise that it is my intention to write about it very, very soon.  But, here is a sneak peek of my Blissdom experience (one of the few pictures I got)...

 

That's me, George Duran (formerly of Food Network's Ham on the Street and now on TLC with Ultimate Cake Off), and Holly from Saving For Eight (who is super sweet and was a pleasure to meet).

~ 2 ~

In my quest to get caught up on life after Blissdom, I was almost relieved to have not one but two snow days this week.  I have a strong stance on taking snow days in our homeschool, although by the second day, I did ask the kids if they wanted to go ahead and do school anyway.  I was not surprised to get an immediate, "No," from them.

~ 3 ~

In all the busyness of getting ready to go out of town, being out of town, and then trying to get caught back up, I have over 800 entries waiting to be read in my Google Reader.  *gulp*

Have any great tips for working through it more quickly (short of just hitting "mark all as read")?

~ 4 ~

I have a confession to make.  I am 33 years old, and I bought my first pair of high heel shoes about two weeks ago, per Eric's request, after we went through and got rid of about 1/3 of the clothes in my closet.  They are about 2.5 inch heels, and that allows me to wear them and be a lot closer to looking Eric right in the eye.  Very fun. 

And then, after wearing them to church one evening, along with a dark pair of flaired jeans, a black blazer, and a red top, I got several compliments (including someone who noticed that I had lost some weight).  This was definitely a sign that we were right in trying to cull some of the things out of my closet and find better choices of what to wear.

~ 5 ~

Are you a Catholic homeschooler or Catholic Mom of children who are still at home?  Would you be willing to check out a cool resource that we've been working on?  If so, drop me an email.

~ 6 ~

I'll never be one of those women that can go to the grocery store and get $400 worth of groceries for $1.85.  It's just not going to happen.  But, I was thrilled this week to go to Kroger and get $300 worth of groceries for $200.  WooHoo!

Between some great coupons, Kroger plus card sales, and then a deal they were having where you got $5 off for every 10 items you bought from a certain list of items, I saved us $94 on our grocery bill. 

But, don't feel bad if you're not a great grocery shopper -- I'll spend way too much money next time I go, I'm sure.  So, it will all even out in the end.

~ 7 ~

A tiny little Blissdom take away message that really spoke to me (about why people come to your blog)...

They come to hear your voice.

 

 

 

 

 

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

photos by: shoes mania  /  piggly wiggly supermarket

Using Only Craft Supplies That You Already Own

As a scrapbooker (or any kind of crafter), it's easy to feel like you always need to buy more supplies.  This becomes especially true when you are working on a specific project.  I, however, have been working on buying less supplies (a whole lot less!) and using what I already have in my craft room.

This whole idea was tested this Christmas when I realized that after having made eight Christmas albums to give out to family, I realized that I had accidentally given an album to someone I hadn't meant to.  This, of course, meant that I didn't have an album for the person that I was going to give that one to.  So, in just a couple of hours and with supplies that I had on hand (save for a couple of embellishments from my Mom, as well as the chipboard album I bought from her as well, which she had on hand), I was able to create a baby girl album for Eric's sister and her husband, as they are expecting a baby girl in February.

It was an amazing feeling to know that I used things that I had on hand, and didn't have to feel the need to go buy, buy, buy.

The baby girl album:

 

Not only was I thrilled to use up supplies (some that I had been holding on to from quite some time), but I was also happy knowing that my sister-in-law would have an easy way in those busy first few months to have a handmade album without having to do all the work herself.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Homebaked Christmas Goodies (2009 Edition)

I have spent the last few days busily working away in the kitchen.  While it has been a lot of work (especially all of the clean up), I have enjoyed it because I was working on my annual goodies for CCD teachers, church staff, some of the people at Eric's work (his boss, the employees that report to Eric, and one communal one for the other managers), and whomever else is in our life in any given year who seems to fit into the group of people that we give this type of gift to.  For instance, this year also included our tap/ballet teacher.

We had such a good time delivering all of the goodies today!  I love knowing that I am giving items that I took the time to make myself, and I like knowing that I was often thinking of those who would be receiving them while I was working on all the baking.  (I have to admit, during the longest stretch of working, it was also made a little easier with my iPod and the Relient K Christmas album.)

This year, I packaged everything in 8x8 foil baking tins that came with covers.  The contents this year included:

- Spritz cookies that were in the shapes of flowers/stars (take your pick) and Christmas trees (I used a cookie press on these)

- Cherry chip cake balls

- Chocolate truffles (I rolled each of these in either nonpareils, rainbow sprinkles, coarse blue sugar, or red sanding sugar)

- Peppermint Bark

- Fudge with walnuts

- Pine Bark (aka Cracker Candy)

- A baggie full of Holiday Snack Mix

I just love picking out the variety of things that I will pack up in the goodie baskets each year, and I really love the joy of delivering them!  To me, giving home baked goodies are not only a finer thing, but they're a frugal option when you need to give out many gifts.

7 Quick Takes: December 4, 2009 (Volume 23)

~ 1 ~

I. must. clean.

In just a few days, I will be hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law at my home.  Nothing like a party to force you into really a nice deep cleaning around the house, I suppose.  I actually have a bunch of things to do before the shower, but it should be a nice afternoon.

~ 2 ~

We are gearing up for St. Nicholas Day this weekend.  My kids are very excited, just like I always was when I was a kid.  Although we only do one small gift (between the three kids, the gifts averaged at right about $5/kiddo), they are eager to see what will await them.

On the topic of small gifts though, what are some of your favorite stocking stuffers for kids?

~ 3 ~

We just got our paperwork for Eric's health insurance for next year.  We have just a few days to make decisions and get it all turned back in.  I'm not sure why it has to be that way every year, but it is.

More importantly, I don't understand why we have to pay more for our monthly premiums each year, yet we also get an increase in our copays and introducing this year -- a deductible as well.  Oh well, I guess I can understand the increase in price, because they are cutting some of what they cover and making us financially responsible for more of it.

Yeah, it makes perfect sense.

~ 4 ~

I know that a lot of people around the U.S. right now are probably at the point where they are tired of coming up with creative ways to use leftover turkey.  But do you know what?  I only got to have turkey on Thanksgiving and then a few rolls with some turkey on them on the drive home the next day (from my grandparents house).  So, darn it -- I'm in the mood for turkey.

Good thing I went to Aldi's for the first time ever and picked up a Butterball turkey at a great price.  I have to decide when to make it (so I know when to start thawing it), but then I'm all psyched to have some turkey at home.

In preparation for when we get tired of turkey though, anyone have any great leftover turkey ideas?

~ 5 ~

I was excited to get to change my ringback tone on my cell phone to "Carol of the Bells" by Straight No Chaser just after Thanksgiving.  It was apparently a whole family event, because the kids had to call my phone and then so did my Mom.  Then the kids made me play the song on my iPod several times.  I didn't know it, but it is apparently Noah's favorite Christmas song.

~ 6 ~

I recently searched around town and the Internet for this Pastry Chef set from Step 2 for Molly for Christmas.  I just thought it looked so cute after reading about it in the most recent issue of Family Fun Magazine.

Much to my displeasure, what I thought was going to be a single click on Amazon.com actually ended up being an all-out search.  I have not linked you to Amazon, as a matter of fact, because they are out and there are third party sellers trying to get almost $60 for the set right now (which should be around $25).

I was thrilled to then find that Step 2 sells them on their website!  But, the catch is that they only sell a two pack of this toy on their site.  Get this though -- it was on sale for $29.99 for the two pack!  (Right now, it's up to $49.98 for the set of two, but that is what retail price would be for two.)

So, not only did I manage to get a toy that I wanted, but now we have another gift just waiting to be given to someone else!  WooHoo!

~ 7 ~

I recently heard this passage from Matthew's Gospel (when my friend Amanda put it on a mixed media painting) and I realized that I need to think of it a lot more often than I do:

Learn from the wildflowers in the field, and behold the birds in the sky.  Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will wear.  Your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you even ask Him.

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday.

Photos by: cleaning by The Shopping Sherpa / turkey by Another Pint Please... / flowers by Martin_Heigan

Why You Should Choose Larger Portraits for Your Walls

I used to have my own photography business, and I hung around on many photography forums.  One thing that came up again and again was how so many people would order very small sizes of prints.  They might order some wallets, a handful of 5x7s, and then their big portrait -- an 8x10.

I will admit, I once thought of 8x10s as big.  Not anymore.  Sure, if you're planning on using it on a 12x12 scrapbooking page, then an 8x10 is nice and eye-catching.  But, on a wall, if you can swing the expense of a large print from a photographer or even print your own photograph large, it is really worth it.

In my house, we don't have a lot of photographs on the wall, but the ones that we do are larger.  The smallest ones we have up are 12x12 framed scrapbook pages.  Most of the others are large and printed on canvas (from when I was able to get deals on them).

Just look at the comparison of an 8x10 portrait that I set next to the 24x24 (yes, that's two feet by two feet) canvas and 16x20 canvas that I have on the wall.  Even the 16x20 looks small compared to the 24x24, doesn't it?  (Sorry for the messy desk, but I needed to add in the desk to give a true size comparison.)

I get so many compliments on the portraits that I have on display, and I think one of those reasons is that they are eye-catching in their size.  

For a more frugal twist on this decorating idea, the next time one of the big online photo labs offers up a great deal on large prints (think at least 11x14, but why not a 16x20), order some of your favorite photos that you have taken.  Then, watch for deals on frames at places like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. 

Trust me -- you will get compliments, and, if you're like me, it will make you smile often while you're looking at the big portraits on your wall.








This post is linked to:  Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Fridays.

Home Baked Christmas Gifts

I haven't really been posting this week due to how crazy things have been since the very quick and unexpected death of my Grandma on Sunday.  (By the way, thanks so much for all of the kind comments.  It really means so much to have had such support through a variety of venues.)

But, I guess I couldn't let the chance pass by when Works for Me Wednesday's theme this month is holiday tips. 

One thing that I really love to do for Christmas is to make baskets and platters of home baked goodies to give to family and friends.  (You can check out our platters from last year, as well as a list of what was on each platter.)  For people like closer family, I put together baskets that contain a larger quantity of goodies, and then the platters tend to go to people like Eric's employees, the boys' therapists, religious education instructors, and so on.

The easiest way that I make something like this happen (since we give out somewhere around 20 - 25 baskets/platters total) is to do some baking ahead of time and freeze any cookies possible.  Then, closer to the time to actually deliver goodies, I make things that can't be frozen ahead of time.  If you are making just a few types of cookies/treats, it may not be as difficult to make them all close to delivery time.  However, I like to give a good variety of items, so it just becomes a necessity to do some of it ahead of time.

I know this is probably not an earth shattering revelation as a Christmas giving idea, but it is definitely one that works for me!  I think this gift is especially appreciated as more and more people lead such busy lives and have stopped making goodies (or anything) from scratch.  

Do you give any homemade goodies for Christmas?  What kinds of things do you like to give?


 





This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday, Finer Things Friday, and Frugal Friday.

Play It Again: Cleaning Out the Pantry for Halloween

Here's something I have done for several years now, and I thought I would pass it along. I do some pantry cleaning every year on Halloween -- right into the Halloween treat bowl!

Okay, don't get the wrong idea, I am not putting in cans of pinto beans or packets of dry spaghetti mix. I look through the pantry and see anything that is:

(1) Still Good

(2) Something we just aren't going to eat

(3) Is appropriate for the treat bowl.

If it meets all that criteria, it goes into the bowl.

For instance, last year from the pantry, I put in: a few packets of mini bags of microwave popcorn that were going to expire in November that we weren't going to use in time (we had an over abundance of microwave popcorn at the time), a small box worth of Cherry Kool-Aid single packets -- I picked them up once, but nobody was interested, an individual size of Coco Krispies from a time not too long ago when I splurged on a package of the single boxes of fun cereals (nobody will eat that one), some individually wrapped fortune cookies, and some gummy snacks that were not of a preferred brand.

Of course, I also have regular candy in the bowl that I pick up for trick or treaters as well. But, as I said, I have been doing this for a few years now, and I have found out something interesting -- the trick or treaters always choose those crazy things from my pantry first. Sure, I get the kid here or there that will pick regular candy instead, but mostly it is those things from my pantry that are the first to go, and then the regular candy is left for later trick or treaters.

So, before Saturday night, why not take a look through your pantry and see if you have any non-traditional goodies awaiting your trick or treaters!










photo by .imelda

For lots of great tips and ideas, be sure to check out Frugal Friday!

 

***this post was originally posted on October 31, 2007, but since it's the right time of year, I thought it would be great to repost!***

Flash Freezing Fruit to Save Money and the Environment

Forgive me, but I should have posted about flash freezing before our weather went to flash freezing in the blink of an eye.  However, I got to think about it while cleaning out my freezer and coming across cherries and blueberries.  So, I decided to go ahead and post about it right now anyway.

Why flash freeze?

By flash freezing locally grown fruit (or vegetables, like chopped peppers, for instance), you can not only save money, but you are also helping the environment.  For instance, because my family enjoyed blueberry muffins this summer when I made them, then I bought several pints when the prices were very low this summer at the grocery store.  I saved quite a bit of money, and the blueberries all came from the next state over from ours, rather than buying them during the winter and heaven only knows where they would have to ship them from (that's where the helping the environment comes in).

I didn't purposefully set out to flash freeze cherries though.  But, I bought some and we ate through them like crazy.  So, I bought more, and we didn't really touch them.  So, instead of letting them go to waste, I flash froze them instead.  I did this with bell peppers from our garden too.  Rather than let them go bad, I chopped them and flash froze the pieces.

To flash freeze produce (such as the cherries that I have pictures of), I washed them all first.  (For cherries, leave the stems intact.)

Then, I made sure that everything was very dry.  I both dried them myself, and also allowed them some time to air dry.  If you leave water on them before putting them in the freezer, of course, they will get very icy.

Spread whatever you are freezing out on a cookie sheet or whatever type of pan you can fit in your freezer.  Make sure to leave space in between items, or they might stick together as they freeze.

I let these freeze for around 30 - 45 minutes, or until they were cold and solidly frozen.  Then, I just bagged them into freezer bags in small portions, and put those smaller bags into a larger freezer bag that I put the name of the contents and date on the outside of.

This is a fun and frugal way to enjoy locally grown goodies in the middle of winter, as well as to avoid possible waste around your home.








This post is linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Frugal Fridays.

7 Quick Takes Friday: October 2, 2009 (Vol. 17)

~ 1 ~

We're studying early American history this year with the boys using Winter Promise's American Story I.  While we were reading on of our books (I believe it was The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689), there were some hints toward the idea of the Revolutionary War.

Jack said, "I hope the Americans win."

And, being the wonderful bad Mom that I am, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.  Of course, I didn't feel so bad, because I saw that little flicker in his eye that suggested that he really knew the answer and was saying it to be funny.

But, then he continued, "What?"

"Jack -- who do you think won the Revolutionary War?"

"I don't know."

"Are we British or are we American?"

"Ummmm...American?" in that way of asking a question that kids do sometimes when they really do know the answer.

"Okay, so who do you think won?"

"The Americans?"

"Well, there ya go," I said with a smirk.

~ 2 ~

During the same time of reading during our schooling, we were reading a few pages from Children's Encyclopedia of American History.  There was a little snippet about Benjamin Franklin on one page that we read.  (Don't worry -- we're reading more than just a snippet about him in other books.)

In telling about him, one of the things is said was that he had "made key discoveries about electricity..." (the emphasis on the word key is mine, not the book's).

Eric heard us from the other room and he and I laughed so hard!  The kids needed to be clued in to why that sentence was horribly funny.  I told Eric, "Whoever wrote that was probably laughing his butt off about it."

~ 3 ~

On the good deal alert front, I just noticed that the Wii has dropped by $50, taking it down to $200, plus Amazon has a $25 gift card if you buy the Wii through them.  We love our Wii!

The other good deal that I just heard about is that at Motivated Moms, they have the 2009 Planner marked down to just $2.  They are normally $8 for a whole year, but with having just released the 2010 edition, they marked down the previously marked down 2009 edition to $2.  This is a great way to be able to inexpensively try it out to see if you like it enough to buy it for the new year!

~ 4 ~

Isn't it funny how you can make friends with someone so deeply in a seemingly short amount of time?  I first met my friend Amanda only about a year and a half ago.  It was a bit longer ago than that, but that's the first time we really talked at all.  (Ironically, we actually went to high school together, though I didn't know her, and I was in a class with her husband.)

And, now, I feel like all the time when I am talking I say things like, "Well, do you know what my friend Amanda does?" or "My friend Amanda said...".  People probably get tired of hearing about "my friend Amanda."

I have thought many times about how God has blessed my life by bringing Amanda and her family into it.  I especially thought of it last night.  I had been having a hard time, and probably wasn't the best of friends of the phone when we had a problem come up that Amanda and I had to deal with for our homeschool group.  I later text messaged her to say that it had been a hard day for our family (because of news about a close family member who is having a very difficult time right now), and that I was sorry for being "a sucky friend and a whiner." She texted me that she adored me.

And, even better, when I saw her later in the evening, without saying a word, she just came up and hugged me.  It was a long, firm hug.  And, I couldn't help but have to fight back tears.

I suppose it's a sign of a true friend when no words are needed, isn't it?

~ 5 ~

It seems appropriate for number five to say that Molly has been counting down the "sleeps" until her fifth birthday.  It's pretty darn soon!

How do they get so old so fast?

~ 6 ~

Speaking of little girls, we were excited to find out that my sister-in-law (Eric's sister), who is pregnant, is expecting a baby girl!

In a very odd twist, they (Eric's sister and her husband) had sent Molly a gift card for her birthday and she went out on Tuesday and bought a doll that she named Elizabeth.  Well, imagine our surprise to get a call (and email) confirming that their baby is a girl, and they will be naming her (yeah, say it with me) -- Elizabeth.  Funny, huh?

~ 7 ~

 It's been a week of some real ups and downs.  When I was feeling particularly down, I saw that Amanda (from Encouragement Along the Way, not the Amanda from #4) posted on Facebook the following as her status, and it was really exactly what I needed:


His mercies are new each morning!

 




This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday.

photo credits: flag by Angie @ Many Little Blessings, except: keys by Bohman, sisterhood by  patries71, pink booties by debcll

Using Leftover Hamburger Buns to Make Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I have talked about ideas before for using leftover hamburger buns.  One of my favorites, especially when the buns are starting to get a little on the not as soft side, is to make grilled cheese sandwiches with them.

I can't claim this ideas as my own.  One of my best friends, Amanda, used hamburger buns that they had gotten from family after a big cookout to make us all grilled cheese sandwiches.  I thought she was a genius, and knew I had to try it sometime too!  (Of course, I think she's a genius anyway, not just because of cheesy sandwiches.)

To make these great tasting grilled cheese sandwiches, you just open up the buns and put butter on the insides of the bun (both halves).  These will be used as the outside of the sandwich.  Then, you just put on whatever cheese you like best.  My kids like Velveeta.  Okay, I said cheese, but I apparently meant anything that is remotely like cheese.  You know, like Velveeta.  Personally, Eric and I like a little bit of white American and then some marble cheddar.  It's a really nice combination.

This summer, while trying to feed a houseful of people all kind of different leftovers, I made these sandwiches for a few people.  Everyone seemed a little leery of the idea, but then I got lots of compliments.

I love that they are not only tasty, but it also stops me from looking in the pantry only to find a science experiment on hamburger buns that I forgot were there.  Plus, it would be a fabulous thing to make when picking up marked down hamburger buns that are not so fresh anymore (in addition to several of the things on my leftover hamburger bun usage list).








This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.

Free Home Depot Kids' Workshops

A couple of months ago, Eric took the boys to Home Depot to complete one of the Kids Workshops that they offer.  The boys came home pleased, and also had a completed project, a pin (with a graphic of that month's project on it), and a certificate of completion. (Oh, and some orange aprons that were very small, but Molly enjoyed those.)

Home Depot offers these workshops for free on the first Saturday of each month from 9 am until noon at their stores.  The workshops are for kids aged 5 - 12.  Expect that you will be helping your child to complete their project -- they don't do the project with the kids, but just have the kits, tools, and space to work on them.  The projects are easy to complete, and the boys were very proud of what they were able to complete.

I like that the website shows the next two projects, so that you can decide if it's something that you're interested in trying out with the kids.  Their next project day is Saturday, October 3rd.

I really liked that they made sure that the kids used a variety of tools, so that they could feel like they really made something.  Eric enjoyed the chance to spend some time with the boys, and they definitely enjoyed spending the time with him! 

So, let's see.  Time with parents to complete a project: Cool.  A nice variety of projects: Cool.  No need to register ahead of time: Very cool.  The fact that the project is free: Totally cool.








This post is linked to: Works for Me Wednesday, Finer Things Friday, and Frugal Fridays.

7 Quick Takes: September 18th (Vol. 16)

~ 1 ~

The free piano that we totally refinished, built new parts for, and prayed that it would actually be able to be tuned has now been serviced by a piano tuner.

I was so nervous that after all of the hard work we had put into it that it wouldn't be able to be tuned at all.  Honestly, I asked her to just get it "as close to tuned as possible."  The tuner said she would tune it, and then we could just make an appointment for 4 - 6 weeks for her to tune it again.

Except, then she actually started to tune it and told me it was in much better shape than she thought it would be from what I had told her about it.  As a matter of fact, she ended up telling me that we can probably just have it tuned twice this year, and then move to yearly after that.  I was beyond thrilled!

~ 2 ~

 Eric and I watched the movie Maxed Out about a week ago.  It was both maddening and sickening.  It was also a very interesting to watch knowing the state of the economy now.

Anyone else watched it before?  What did you think?

~ 3 ~

I am really considering instituting a "family night" around our house.  I don't know what it would consist of or when it would be, but I just think it might be a really nice idea.

We tried to do a game night when the kids were very little (and Molly wasn't even around yet), but that was short lived.  Now that everyone is older, I think it might be really nice to start up again.  I know that every time we bring out some game or activity for the whole family to do together, the kids get so excited.  Probably a sign we need to do it more often, huh?

~ 4 ~

I got to go to a consignment sale this week, and paid $69.50 for 27 pieces of clothing  (well, some were two piece sets, but I'm counting those as one) and two toys.

Rock on!

~ 5 ~

 So, how is it that Christmas is only about three months away?

I have purchased the big gift for one of the kids and also been working on some handmade gifts.  (Plus, I may know the big gift for the other two kids, but am not sure about one of them.)  But, otherwise, I'm unprepared.  I really think I need to start buying some things every month now, so that I can just pay cash for everything.

You know, especially after watching Maxed Out.

~ 6 ~

How is it possible that I have been so busy but have so little to say?

I really had to think very hard about what to write for my 7 Quick Takes this week, yet I feel like I have been crazy busy.  I think that might indicate that I am living the same day over and over again.

Do you ever get so busy, but yet feel like you aren't really doing anything?

~ 7 ~

One thing that has actually been really wonderful lately is that I have had a couple of opportunities to get together with some of my gal pals.  There is just something about sitting in a restaurant for three hours just talking to friends.

While I think family night is going to be really important, I have to say that I think that I need to get together for girls' night out a little more often too. 

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday.

Photos by: heart cup -- Bob.Fornal, Christmas gift -- stephbond