July Goals

Hello all.  I've been doing a world of thinking these last two weeks and with May and June pretty much having flown past and very little accomplished over the last 8 weeks, I thought I'd try and make July count HARD.  I have three social/visits already on the calendar for July, too. I'd love to think that all of life is summer and like the photo above but I need to do a lot of work about here.  It might well prove to be a busy month.  There are nevertheless things I MUST do this month and I thought I'd like to add another thing or two just because, you know, I might not have enough to do...

#1.  Frugal Boot Camp started last week of June.  Why?  Because I need it just now.  I have this feeling I need to refresh my knowledge, find new ways and means to save.  Typically July is always a sticky sort of month and I don't mean because of the heat, which by the way is meant to be in the 100f range.  It always feels as though we have a slow down in the income, an increase in the outgo and enough wants/needs besides to frustrate.  I'll be reviewing several books from my bookshelves.  So all throughout July I'll continue to read and look for methods I have forgotten or need to now employ.

#2.  Really clean up the guest room and work hard on finding solutions to several problems I've noted over the past visits.   Naturally, the bulk of my work in that space will be 'Use what you have' generated.

#3.  Sort out the pantry/little freezer.  I've offered the smaller of the freezers to Katie.  I need to clear the pantry shelves so I can move them to move the freezer and then put the pantry stuff back.  Not a short job.  In this case I need to clean the guest room in order to have space to put things and be able to move the freezer out of the room.  BIG fruit basket turnover scenario...

#4.  Give notice at the flea market and clear that space...another fruit basket turnover situation.  I need to move some things meant for donation from the shed so that I can move stuff from the flea market into the shed.  Bonus:  I've two sets of shelves I can use in either the pantry area or the shed or both spaces.

#5.  Get my house back into shape.  It's not horrid, but it's looking careworn and is suffering from minor neglect.  I'd love to do a whole deep clean thing but I know too well with all my other plans I don't have enough time nor energy to do that this month.  I will get it back to neat and orderly though.

#6.  Shopping:  I need some things for my wardrobe.  I don't have shorts or lightweight pants or skirts I can wear about the house, nor do I have decent t-shirts.  I'm so over looking in the mirror and grimacing and tired of panicking at state of my clothing when the UPS man or the mail lady comes up unexpectedly.  It is a rare bit of clothing that doesn't have stains or paint on them or that isn't miles too large.  I don't have anything in my closet that can filter down to fill this gap.  I'm saving my allowance diligently in order to meet this and a few other clothing needs.  Other items on my list: robes (lightweight summer, heavier one for winter and I am up to sewing these if necessary).  Pajamas and nighties.  Fresh summer tops are needed as well.   My spring ones looked nice, but were just not fitting me well.   They did fit Bess perfectly.

#7. Get my pantry and freezer restocked.  I'll work on this slowly.  I've noted that Patsy at A Working Pantry and Brenda at Coffee, Tea, Books and Me both mention the challenge of slowly building pantries with low cash amounts.  I thought I'd like to give myself an allowance of $20 per pay period to start with.  I'll make a list, watch for sales and try my best to get big bang for small bucks.

#8.  June was a heavy month for grocery spending.  I was over budget and why shouldn't I have been?  While Bess and Sam helped out, we also had four family gatherings during the month.  I'd like to be below normal budget amount this month.  I've thought seriously about this and think I'm going to try to spend $50/week this month, which must include any cleaning, food, pet, and paper supplies needed.  I'll allow the $10/week for restocking (total of $60/week). 

#9.  Further my Diabetes Education.  I told myself last year that I needed a break and to do things slowly.  I concentrated hard on the basics: losing a few pounds, learning to balance carbs and lowering my blood sugar numbers.  My numbers are very good and I've maintained my weight loss.  I've had a few questions through out the year but reminded myself that I was focused on just those three areas and I stuck to that.  Now I'm ready to educate myself a little further, perhaps lose a few more pounds and learn more about what my body really needs in order to be healthy.  I've been collecting two different Diabetic magazines over the past year and I've pulled a few articles here and there.  I want to read and study and decide what my next focus areas will be for the coming year.

#10.  Blog.  I have several ideas for extra posts and of course, I hope to have more ideas as I do my budgetary work, study, boot camp, etc. 

And I think that is quite enough planned for July, don't you?  What I'm not adding in is working in the yard but if a few early mornings prove to be pleasant enough to allow it I might well do a few tasks over and above watering plants.  Ideally, I'd find a substitute plant for the petunias that are suffering in the full sun and heat.  I'd also organize the shed, read a few hundred books, cook up a few new recipes, etc. etc.  I know myself well.  I'll be busy aplenty without adding any of those tasks!

What do you have planned for July? 

In My Home This Week: Summer Daze

This week in my home...

 ...It was a quieter week than we've had in the week's just past.  The big news this week was getting the kitty out from under the back porch where she'd hidden herself for four days.  We got water and food bowls set up for her until we could concentrate on removing her to the pet crate.  This is one of Bess' cats that managed to escape last week when she picked them up from kennel.  Violet is now at home with the rest of the kitties.  They moved her there yesterday. 

Bittersweet.  That's what this past week has been and I expect this week will be also...It's the last week with the family here.

I'm torn, truly I am.  On Saturday the kids went down to spend time at the new home, albeit the empty home.  John and I whisked around and moved furniture and vacuumed deeply and cleared up toys and the house looked neat and pretty.  I realized I've missed the orderliness of my home, though it's hardly been a mess.  I suspect I shall also miss the clutter and the cars on the kitchen counter (Josh can just reach them now and is constantly pushing cars up on them).  I shall relish the peace and quiet and miss the mayhem and noise.  I'll enjoy being alone and miss having ready company. 

It's always so isn't it?  Can't have this without losing that, can't have that without losing this...One more week...

...we plan meals:             

Iced Tea Chat: The Eyes of the Beholder

 So come on in, but please be very quiet...It seems every one but myself is taking a nap.  And that's just fine by me because it means I have a few moments to be myself and not 'Gah' or "Mama" or homemaker, housekeeper, cook and chief bottle washer.  I think, really, I've almost forgotten who 'Terri' is these past few weeks. 

Just ignore the state of the house.  Despite all the tags I wear I don't keep up so very well these days and my back is giving me a little trouble at the moment so I'm further behind than usual.  I've gotten very philosophical about housework in the past seven weeks, lol.  A two year old is good for that sort of thing!

No sweets, dear, but mint or lime for tea...Doesn't that sound refreshing on this hot afternoon?  We had a brief break in the heat over the weekend and the week started out with cooler weather.  Tuesday morning after I saw John off to work and felt the sweet cool morning air, I came indoors and opened the windows all over the house and let the house breathe in fresh air.  I was able to keep them open until Josh got up.  Then I worried he'd bump one of those wobbly windows and have it come crashing down on his little hands.  I couldn't bear the thought of that so I closed them right up again, but gracious!  I just wish I could have bottled some of that clear, cool air and recorded the sweet, peaceful sounds of bird calls that trilled all about the house.  The birds certainly did relish that cool air as much as I did.   For all that it was mid 60's Tuesday morning, it was soon mid 90's and not in the least refreshing that afternoon!  And so it's been very warm ever since.

I mentioned in 'This Week In My Home' that I've suffered a little home envy this past week.  Truth is that it's the shiny new finishes I'm envious of, not the size of a home, etc.  It just seems to me that after twenty years of living in our home it's no longer fresh...and frankly the money to refresh is just not there.  I try hard to make the best of what I have but you know, now and then it's just not hitting anywhere near the mark of my own ideal...and so I find myself wishing I could do a lot more rather than a little here and there. Then I walk into a lovely little home that's been thoroughly refreshed and there I am with a hard dose of envy trying to wiggle it's bitter way down my throat. 

Frugal Friday: Proceed With Caution

Saturday:  I was certain I didn't have anything to make a big breakfast for John as he came in from work today but I went to the freezer and looked anyway.  Sure enough I found some sausage I'd forgotten about purchasing two weeks ago.  I had just enough eggs to fry and made toast.  Good enough!

I planned a steak dinner for today, using the last of the steak from the freezer.  I also used lettuce, previously sliced tomatoes, red cabbage, a carrot to make a salad to go along with the meal.

I had to go into town.  I knew I'd need eggs, was out of milk, wanted to treat John to a russet Baked Potato, something I haven't made in over a year. I also wanted to provide birthday pie for my two youngest who have birthdays just six days apart.   Katie was visiting today and I won't likely get a chance to see her again until her birthday is long past.  I spent about $30 today.  I realized I've spent about $80 the past week on groceries and still I need things.  I've cautioned myself to be mindful and very careful in the coming two week period.

Washed a full load of dishes. 

Bess washed two full loads of clothes, one of which contained some of our laundry.

Don't have to water plants courtesy the cooler weather and end of week rain we've had.

Pulled coffee from the pantry.  Bess had an extra gallon of whole milk for Josh's nightly bottle that she brought out of the freezer.

I dug about in the fridge and realized we had plenty of stuff for sandwiches tonight.  We used the last of a bag of Cheese Puffs from Josh's birthday party last Sunday.

In My Home This Week: Sweeter and Sweeter

In my home this week: 

 Another week behind, another week ahead.  On Friday this past week, I went down with Bess and Sam to see the new house.  It's a lovely place.  I admit to a wee small bit of home envy, which has taken root in me of late anyway courtesy the foolishness of having spent an entire afternoon viewing a bloggers' summer tour of homes that contained lovely things I have no way of possessing myself at the moment.  Not deep rooted envy, just a little moment and  I did quickly uproot it and put it aside. My family is so happy to have their home in their possession.  There's a bit of reno work to be done first, nothing too earth shattering and only delaying them about ten days before they can move in for good.

 I needed this weekend to remind me how very blessed I am.  I had a lovely day for the second time this month:  I had grandbabies in the house as well as my great nieces.   My niece is just a couple of years younger than Katie and Sam, Ashley and Katie all have children near in age.  There were just four here but at one point the house felt a bit like it was rollicking as aunts and cousins loved on children not theirs and children ran about screaming and laughing and playing.    Funny how four very little children can fill a house right up with noise.

It might not have been the most peaceful Shabat, nor the most restful one on record, but this sweet season keeps getting sweeter and sweeter!

 ...I plan meals:

Seriously?

  Confused by posts that have appeared and then disappeared today?  Wondering what on earth is going on?

It's me.  I've been doing some much needed work on another blog with blogger, a recipe blog.  I'm trying to make a companion blog to this one.  Between computer glitches, a two year old running about, breaks and such, I've gotten confused.  So posts have mysteriously been posted to this blog that ought to have gone elsewhere and some posts were posted well ahead of time here that are meant for later in the week. 

Pardon me while both sites are under light construction, won't you?  And please accept my apologies for any frustrations it might have caused you.

Frugal Friday: Freezing In the Heat

Saturday:  Nearly 100f today.  We pulled curtains closed on the sunny side of the house, ran fans to help circulate the air.

John washed a full load of clothes. He hung the bulk to dry.  I washed a full load of dishes.  This is not usual for us but it was necessary.

Samuel replaced the ceiling fan in John's music room.  That's a nice bit of home improvement done over these two weekends that should help keep the house a little cooler.

I cooked dinner entrée in the crock pot.  I made mashed potatoes from scratch but I think in future if it's this hot I'll use the instant potatoes.  I can boil water in the microwave and keep that heat down.  I decided to make cornbread, which used up the yolks from yesterday's birthday cake recipe.  I put a coffee cake in the oven to bake alongside.  I won't be using the oven again when it's this hot though.  It's just too hot and makes the AC work that much harder.

I mixed up frosting for Josh's birthday cupcakes.  Bess wanted blue and green.  I made a half batch, divided it in half and colored each to suit.

Bess and I went out to pick up supper as the guys vetoed any idea of baking anything in the oven this evening.  John paid from his allowance for take out for us all.  Bess and I carried off trash on our way into town.