Frugality...(Is that even a word??)

We are being extra frugal lately and I have found an amazing book at the library which have given a whole new insight on budgeting (which to me is more visual and it just makes sense), and everything we spend money on from clothes and cars to entertainment. It is America's Cheapest Family. One of the ideas is not buying the lunch meat from the deli counter or prepackaged, instead buy the chub of meat from the meat section and take it to the deli for them to slice. Divide it into bags when you get home and freeze some. When you need more take it out of the bag put it in a plastic container in the fridge with a paper towel to absorb moisture and you have saved 5-7 dollars per pound. The meat chub is only about $1.19/pound as apposed to $6.99/pound for deli meat. Another fabulous idea is the budgeting but it is too hard to explain when typing, I just tried and deleted it all because it doesn't make sense. Call me and I can tell you, it is easier to explain verbally :)

The meaning of a word....

I wanted to share something I was thinking about this morning. As I was listening to the radio, the morning show host referred to a guest that was coming on the show and that his "lovely Bride would be joining him" It made me think about the words Bride and wife. What different feelings those two words can mean. Being a wife you are a cook, a housekeeper, a companion, friend and sometimes a nagging cranky women who prefers that socks not be left on the floor and that the room be painted "now"....and so on. BUT an Bride is something entirely different. The day you were a Bride you were committing to the world and to the Lord that the man next to you was going to be yours forever and you would cherish him and love him. It brings up feelings of great joy and contentment, where the entire day was a celebration of your love for each other. I want to encourage every married woman to look at your Husbands the same way you did on that day. Just remember the reasons why you fell in love with that man and how you felt on that day when you committed your lives to each other. After hearing it on the radio I walked in the door and hugged and kissed my Husband and he was surprised. Because I sometimes let our relationship sit on the back burner. Our relationship is the reason we are where we are today, and if I would just pause for a moment and show him how much I love him it would make such a huge difference in the way we (especially me) speak to each other in stressed times.

Have a Blessed Day!!

Valentine's Day!!

The top two pictures I took the night before Valentine's day so I could include it with Daddy's present. From start to finish with setting up "the backdrop" adding the decorations, dressing the kids and then taking the 30 or so pictures took about an hour. Oh I also had to give candy to encourage smiles and the TV was on behind me so they would stay in one place AND look in my direction, I was sweating and exhausted when we were done! Then we stayed up to decorate so when they came out in the morning it was festive and fun. We had heart shaped pancakes and special treasures in little bags that I decorated



Opening their chocolates from their sister He shoved and entire chocolate in his mouth!Playing with peanut butter play-doh

He wanted to eat the play-doh (fine with it has me lots of calories!)

Smiles!!Opening his treasure bagSporting her new visor that daddy made for herHugs from the only Valentine she'll ever have (according to Daddy)

"There's only one way to handle this...."

I hear the oldest say. " Handle what?" I replied without turning around. "Can I have the scissors please?" He says. That sure made me turn around and when I did I saw the Prince walking VERY closely behind his sister who is drinking water calmly from her cup. They are still too far away to see what is going on. "Why do you need scissors?" I questioned. "Well, I don't know how it happened but.... her hair got caught in the bubble blower... and well we are going to need scissors to get it out." I started cracking up. It was so funny, they were behaving nicely and then cooperatively came inside together that all I could do was laugh. Only one small knot had to be removed after I put bucket loads of conditioner on the "area". Good thing he didn't get the scissors without asking me, could you imagine???