Missouri Album DONE

I have finished our Missouri/Arkansas album. All layouts have been saved in jpg and will be heading to the printers next payday. When you are printing 18 layouts, you have to plan for these things!

We are on the road to debt-free(ness!). After a big grocery shopping trip yesterday I spent a lot of time today processing much of the food we bought. I cooked down tons of ground beef and made a huge pot of spaghetti/pizza sauce. I also made 40 Pizza PFOGs for dinners this month. Even when we finish buying milk for the next month, I will have dropped our grocery budget down by $300 per month!!!!!!!! It's really about cooking from scratch and going to meat-less (or less meat) meals. I still have several things that need to be done, but they aren't imperative.

So, here is the entire Arkansas/Missouri album!!! Woohoo - my first complete digi album.

Away for the week...

I haven't been on the computer much (less than 15 minutes total) since Saturday night. Needed to take a break. Yes, I'm missing out on many great freebies on the digiscrapping arena, but I'll live! LOL I've been sick with a stomach virus, but that's not what has kept me off - it's just the fact that I needed to take a step back and analyze the amount of time that I was spending on the computer. In the past few days we have been able to do a lot, even with me down. I'm getting back up to speed - just in time for DH to return to his normal work schedule. His new office is complete and he will be going in tomorrow. We are all sad, but glad that it is happening for just two days, until his next day off. We've enjoyed him being home, being with us, and the extra pair of adult hands has been wonderful. We'll survive!! I'm learning to just take it to God when things get crazy loud around here. I'll admit that I usually seek solice in the computer, but no longer!!! I've enjoyed some really wonderful times with my children the last few days and it has been awesome. Lots of reading, lots of resting, and fun activities, too.

I started K with B.4.B. on Monday. It's a pretty quick time as MFW wants you to get just ease them. Did I mention that I love that?! He loves it, too!! THe first 10 days is on Creation, to set the foundation for the rest of the year, when we learn about all the things that God has created A-Z. It's been fun!! I'm glad I waited until we were at week 3 with our big kiddos in Exploration to 1850. We started a read aloud this week, that so perfectly accompanies the rest of the study. I'm loving the Charlotte Mason blend. It's like the perfect balance between Sonlight and KONOS, both of which we struggled with. I don't want to leave my littles out. I couldn't seem to change that with Sonlight. And as we started to add to our family, KONOS was far too overwhelming. Did I also mention that we love the Book Basket idea from MFW. They even give you a list of books that they suggest, but even when I wasn't able to find those exact titles, I grabbed something from that same area in the library - viola!

I also received my copy of The Complete Tightwad Gazette on Friday. I've been able to do some reading in it and am psyched. I used to own this book, but when we were contemplating our RV move, I sold it in haste. :( Paid double for it what I had before, but still pretty cheap!

Well, this post is turning out longer than I intended. I think people are actually coming to my blog. I put up a stat counter, because I didn't want to keep blowing hot air with no one actually reading. Not many seem to comment, so you never know. Now I do! Heehee!

Dishwashing 101 video

We had a great time shooting this video. It may sound completely dorky to some of you, but washing by hand was new to me. Thanks to all the people over at the RDE yahoo group, I was able to get started. We've learned a lot over the past few weeks. Hope this will give you some help - or a chuckle.

Pocket Full of Goodness or PFOG

These little goodies are going to become a staple in our house very quickly. I got the idea for them from Linda at Radical Debt Elimination. Her video is great and has so many ideas for saving money!

So, what is a PFOG, you may ask. That would be the acronym for Pocket Full of Goodness. I decided to coin the term because of them being such a favorite around here lately. Another thought that came to mind for a name was "Leftovers in a Pocket", but that wasn't as cute. LIAP?! Nah.

Tonight I think we'll have oriental PFOGs.

What can you put in a PFOG?

pizza fixin's - cheese, pepperoni, sauce
bbq chicken
broccoli, chicken, rice

or any leftovers.

*I'm amending this to say that these are perfect for on the go meals. When you know that you are going to be in the car, running errands, at a friends, etc., these are a go-to meal! Veggies, protein, and starch all in one. Bring these and your mason jars of water/ice and you are set to be on the road for a while!

Here's the recipe that I use when making the dough. It's altered a little from Linda's, because I wanted a sweeter dough.

2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. yeast
1/4 c. sugar
all-purpose flour - as much as you need to clean the sides of your mixing bowl.

Now, I realize that some of you may be having a conniption fit that I'm using white flour! believe me, I know - me, too. But, it's cheap and makes yummy biscuits. I've almost perfected my biscuits!! Now, I think I will try this with 1/2 wheat, 1/2 white. I prefer the white flour for some things because it makes a softer dough.

this makes about 24 PFOGs, so split it up into 24 little balls. Then flatten them out in your hand and fill. I put about a heafty spoonful of filling in each, the cinch around teh edges. Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes.

Big P wants me to make some with breakfast fixings. I'll do that soon and keep them in the fridge and freezer for Sunday morning breakfasts. He usually makes Sunday breakfast, but I can do this to give both of us a break.

Oh, for lunch we had beef/pineapple/coconut stir fry (w/ cabbage, broccoli, and green beans). I think this would make a yummy PFOG.

Debt Elimination

Here are some of the simple changes that we have been making lately to save money money and pay off our debt quicker.

1. handwash all dishes. I was and P.9.G. dries and puts away. It is working beautifully and we do it twice a day.
2. reducing grocery budget. we have stopped getting raw milk and are majorly reducing our grocery budget by simplifying meals. I'm also only going to be going grocery shopping once per month and then stopping for fresh veggies and fruit after church on Sundays at the little market.
3. raising the thermometer. We live in Texas and it is hot here! HOT! We raised it up to 77 degrees and it has been there for several days. This morning I raised it up 1 degree and Big P said "I can feel it!!" So, I've promised to put it on 77 while he is here.
4. Big P has been working from home for a few weeks - this is week 3. He will be here at least 1 more week. They are doing some construction at his work and their desks are in major upheaval. It has drastically reduced our gas bill.
5. Reduced our Netflix plan from 3 at a time to 2.
6. No more starbucks! LOL See previous post.
7. Big P fixed the shower - which was costing us quite a bit in water monthly. The dripping (excuse me, constantly flowing) water didn't bother me, but I kept seeing dollar signs in my mind.
8. Taking food and water with us when we get in the car. Today, Big P is going up to work to pick up his new pager. He took 4 of the kidlets with him. They packed crackers, apples, water. And when they were on their way out the door, I shoved 1/2 a loaf of bread in their bag! LOL Don't stop!!!!!!!
   

We are doing this with the encouragement of The Boynton's from Radical Debt Elimination. We are still going through the book and Big P has been working on our debt worksheet. This is where you fill in all that you owe, APRs, etc.

Just thought I would share...

$900.64

That's approximately how much of my husband's hard earned money Starbucks has seen over a year. He likes to say that it is our money, but when I've been spending it like that - unnecessarily - it's his money that I'm wasting!! That's estimating 3 drinks for myself and 1 for Big P each week over the last year. That's INSANE. And I can't believe I'm posting it on my blog. But, it's my attempt at humbling myself and getting real enough to see that their drinks, albeit very yummy, are EXTREMELY overpriced. Recently I won a $25 gift certificate to starbucks. The sweet ladies just put it into my paypal account to use how I wanted. I should have done a better job at how it was used, but here's how I have used it: $2.50 used to purchase 2 of Yin's Templates, treating Big P and myself to a SB drink Sunday after church, $6.95 for a huge bottle of their caramel syrup, and I have $5.78 left on it. I plan to give that to Big P to use for my requested anniversary gift - one of their coffee tumblers that you change the insert on. That's how I won the contest, so I really should own one! LOL

This is my simple attempt to try to lure people away from Starbucks, or at least use them as a very AND I MEAN VERY special treat. Special doesn't mean grocery day with all 5 of your children - which happens weekly. Special, as in your 12th anniversary (mine is on Sunday!!), your birthday, etc.

So, I have been working on recipes for my coffee drinks at home. When I come up with one that is a rave, I'll post it here. Tweaking one from a friend of mine right now.