tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908468256859572024-03-04T22:35:14.792-06:00The Path to FrugalityMaking a lifestyle change: Losing a job, becoming a full time homemaker and learning to live frugally.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.comBlogger748125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-8998048017342098832015-03-16T07:57:00.000-05:002015-03-16T07:57:23.925-05:00Life Re-Invented<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I turned 56 years old on March 8<sup>th</sup>. For the past 6 months I have been working on
looking at what I want to do beyond homemaking with my life. I am determined not to work a paid full time
job, preferring to live on my husband’s income and I am determined to not cloister
myself in these walls of my home either. Finding a balance is the hard
part. Why? Because I tend to make big plans and then I
lose interest or a motivation to keep going.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">One day I sat down and brainstormed what I like to do. I like to be busy, but I don’t want to be busy
for the sake of being busy. I do tend to
get more done in every area of my life when I am busy because I am more apt to
write things down on a calendar and make a plan . When I have a lot of time on my hands, I
waste it because I feel like I have all the time in the world to get things
done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I made a decision last fall to leave the church I had been attending
for 7 years due to the fact that that church had become a “Country Club” church
only wanting to minister to its members and not wanting to reach out to people
in need in our community. The church
membership (and many leaders) is made up of several individuals who would
rather come to church on Sunday morning, have coffee with the same people they
had coffee with over many decades and leave feeling good about themselves. A pastor that tried to get them to direct
themselves to community outreach was pushed out as key vocal members only
wanted to take care of their own people.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My husband and I had been heavily involved in that church working with
the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">pastor to make changes such as having a coffee café, directing the
lunch program to feed hungry kids at our church during the summer, reaching out
to newcomers and becoming a hospitality individual for the small contemporary
service that had been attracting a different “set” of people than what some of
the old timers would accept. Hence, we
left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It is a warning sign that it is time to leave when a church does not
want to reach out to the poor. Since then we have found a church in a town 15
minutes away that is awesome. It is a
true church in every sense of the word.
I have vowed that I will never become so involved in a church again and
would prefer to be a worshiper only. The
sermons at this church are awesome and I take what the Pastor has said home
with me for the week. I am being
challenged and stretched. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">All the hours that I had spent in service to my old church (close to 10
hours a week) were now open. I made a
decision that those hours would be better spent in service to non-profits in my
community. I was already volunteering
many hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So in January I designated three non-profits as ones that I wanted to
donate my time to. I had already been involved
with these organizations but not at the level I am now. These non profits are the local animal
shelter of which I am a Board member, the Summer Lunch Program that I direct
and a non-profit dedicated to serving victims of domestic violence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Being “happy” busy is good for me.
Being “over the top crazy busy” is not.
I am finding a balance in my life and I have re-invented myself as a
Professional Volunteer and Homemaker. I
am committed to volunteerism and making a difference in my community. I am committed to my home and family. I have tailored made a “work” and a “home”
life for me. My volunteer work can be
done for the most part on my own time and schedule. I can fit it in just as I fit in my
homemaking activities. I am the master
of my schedule. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When I worked a full time job that I had loved, I had to do the work in
an office setting away from my home and during office hours. Now I can work things into my schedule where
I want them. Yes, I have board meetings
to attend and for the most part they are scheduled according to everyone’s schedule. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">To stay healthy mentally and to keep depression at bay, I find that
especially during the winter months being busy is the best thing for me. I can work at home or take my work to the
library. This past winter has been the
best winter I have had in over 5 years and it is due to finding the right
balance for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I can honestly say that I have found a life that works for me. I am giving back to my community with my
volunteer roles, I am able to have time with my family when I want and I can
still be a home keeper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My new “career” is definitely tailor made to me, and gives me
gratification. I am very happy and I
know it is because I am using my gifts and talents and not trying to fit myself
into a mould that isn’t meant for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Upcoming Posts: My Volunteer
Jobs defined. Being busy and keeping the
Budget in check. Evaluating How I Spend
my Time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-74447899782046583312015-03-12T06:29:00.002-05:002015-03-12T06:29:50.170-05:00Frugality Born out of Desperation – Now a Choice<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Life for me has changed
dramatically from when I started this blog back in 2009. So much so, that I have pondered whether I
wanted to continue this blog or start a new blog. Since I haven’t posted in months due to
busyness, I thought it would be time to bring the blog to a close. After all our circumstances have changed a
lot and perhaps blogging about a “Path to Frugality” when we no longer have to
live so frugally isn’t relevant for me. </div>
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We no longer struggle
with day to day finances because we have paid off debt. Our income has increased due to a few raises
along the way and extra jobs here and there. When you have more income and less
expenses there is the tendency on my part to reward myself with some purchases
and yes I did that. Then, one month ago
my husband told me that if we “watch our money” he could retire at age 65. He is now 57.
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My husband had been
talking about wanting to retire at 65 instead of 67 ½ but we didn’t think it
was possible. Then he “ran the numbers”
and realized that if we were to live a frugal lifestyle that we lived 6 years
ago when I lost my job, he could retire early.
Honestly I didn’t think I could go back to living like that because
money was so tight. I worried so much
about paying the bills back then but then I realized that this would be
different. Living a frugal lifestyle is
easier when you don’t feel desperate to save every single penny. Frugality because more of a hobby than a necessity. That is where I am at right now.</div>
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My husband doesn’t hate
his job. He enjoys his job but he wants
to be free to do other things that he loves.
He coached cross country for years and is now a certified official for
cross country and track and he earns around $100 per meet that he officiates
at. This is extra income and we don’t
count on it and we wouldn’t count on it during retirement either. He loves doing this and wants to do it more,
hence the talk about retirement. My
husband has been a runner for 46 years and he loves running 10K’s, half
marathons and even marathons. He wants
to spend more time running and training.</div>
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I love him and I want
him to be able to retire at 65 – just 8 short years away. We are best friends and when he is on
vacation, I enjoy him being at home. </div>
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There are a few changes
I am going to make on this different Path to Frugality. I won’t be making my own laundry soap, except
when necessary. While it cleaned okay, I
like a name brand detergent that I can afford now as it does a better job. BUT – if there isn’t a coupon or if it isn’t
on sale, the homemade will work for that week.
We are trying to eat as healthy as possible which can be a challenge
with the cost of fresh fruit and some fresh veggies. BUT – we have cut out junk food and when the
Farmer’s Market is open in the late spring and summer, I save a lot of
money. I buy country fresh eggs for only
$2 a dozen and when the freezer gets low I will be locating and purchasing
chicken, beef and pork from local farmers.
This is something I couldn’t afford to do back in 2009 as I didn’t have
the money up front to do it. </div>
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AND Yes – I will be
posting a few times a week as I now have a new take on frugality – not from a
point of stress and desperation, but as a choice in order to fulfill a dream of
early retirement. </div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-60131485184590742662014-11-22T20:38:00.000-06:002014-11-22T20:38:31.769-06:00Letting Go - Let's Declutter <div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<i>I want to begin this post by thanking everyone for their kind comments regarding my father in law. He broke his hip a little over two weeks ago and he is doing very well. We are thankful.</i></div>
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I continue to delve into
the vintage home economics books that I purchased and I think that around the
end of December I will be ready to share what I have learned. I am gleaning a lot of great
information. It is as if I am talking
with my grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother via these
books.</div>
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There are blogs that talk about vintage home keeping and I love to look at a few but I as
an amateur student of history, I enjoy doing the research myself and apply it
to my own life. I have always thought
that we need to elevate the career of homemaker and we should treat it as
seriously as we do any other career. So,
this is my continuing education for my homemaking career. </div>
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5 years ago I journeyed
on this path to frugality. At that time
I was frantically learning to live on less as that first year was beyond living
paycheck to paycheck. It was a day by
day existence. So what happens when you live
that way for awhile? Answer: You tend to hang on to stuff as you never
know when you could use it. You keep thinking
that you will make a big mistake if you give or throw anything away. After all,
you might need it later on. After 5 years you end up with a bunch of stuff
that you need to get out of your house. </div>
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This fall I decided
that it was time to be ruthless and go through the house and sell, donate or
throw stuff away. Many of the things
that I have been holding onto are things that I haven’t needed for several
years. Also, I feel as if the clutter is
overwhelming me. Now it isn’t visible to
many people. It is clutter in closets,
the basement and our upstairs smaller bedroom which is serving as a “junk”
room. But I know it is all there and I
just want to get rid of stuff and get organized. </div>
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It is very easy for me
to get side tracked when I am sorting through items so I am taking 45 minutes
in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon to get the job done. </div>
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For now I am tackling 5
areas of clutter: Books; Craft supplies; Sewing and knitting supplies ; Holiday
decorations and Clothes.</div>
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This week I tackled our
book collection. My husband is an avid
reader and while I love to read, I haven’t had much time to devote to it
lately. He reads fiction and I read
non-fiction. As of last week we had 4
tall book shelves (5 shelves on each) filled with books. We also had 4 small book shelves (2 shelves
on each) filled with books. That is a
lot of books that we have collected over the years. One evening we went through them and made a
pile of the ones that we no longer wanted.
The majority of these books were my husband’s and he said that since he
had read them, he didn’t need them anymore.
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We have an organization
in town that accepts donated books year round for their annual book sale. I would rather donate the books towards a
non-profit group than sell them myself.
The best part is that this organization makes it very easy to donate
books. They have a warehouse building
where you can call ahead and they will make sure the garage door is open and
you can simply arrive, open the door and drop off the books. I also gave some books away to some of my
neighbors. </div>
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We are now down to 3
tall bookshelves and that is it. Two shelves hold the remaining books and the
last one will hold baskets or boxes of my craft and hobby supplies. The rest of the bookshelves I am giving to my
sons and to a neighbor. With the books
gone, I won’t need the bookshelves. I am
already excited about the simplicity of less furniture and stuff. </div>
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It’s hard when you
downsize financially to let go of stuff.
You worry that you may need something and you don’t have money to replace
it. In the 5 years that we have been
living on 1 income I have never had to replace anything I gave away. Let it
go. It will bring more joy in your life to
surround yourself with the meaningful items than to surround yourself with a
lot of clutter. </div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-35713217948374902152014-11-13T20:57:00.000-06:002014-11-13T20:57:11.067-06:00Take Pride in Your Home.<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<i>What follows is a post I wrote the other night -- I had to go to my in laws yesterday when I planned on posting this, so I got a little behind. This post is a little "scattered" as I was having trouble concentrating. The point I want to make is to enjoy your home no matter where you live. The humblest of homes can be the ones filled with a lot of love and happy times. </i></div>
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No matter if you have a
lot of money, or are barely getting by, take pride in your home. Your home could be a little 1 bedroom
apartment, a small rented house, a starter home that you are purchasing or your
dream home. It doesn’t matter where you
live, take pride in it. Don’t look at
what other people have or where they live.
Don’t put down where you live, it is your home. Don’t think about what you don’t have or wish
you have, this will only make you unhappy.
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I have lived in small
apartments, a one bedroom rental house that was a little dilapidated, a little
two bedroom ranch that we bought to the old, old house we are in now. I am happy because we are able to live on one
income and have a life beyond my being tied down with a full time job outside
of the home.</div>
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One of the biggest
killers to a budget is envy. I totally
understand why God warned us of this in the scriptures. If you think about it, envy causes people to
purchase a lot of things that they can’t afford or need. </div>
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You’re invited over to
someone’s home for coffee or a meal and it is beautiful. Not only is the kitchen state of the art, but
the entire house is just beautiful with hard wood floors, woodwork and the
beautiful lighting. You are shown from
room to room and you admire all of the furnishings and little art pieces. You have a wonderful evening and then you
drive home. All the way home you think
about that beautiful house and how if you could only have the same house, you
would be happy and not want anything else in life. You pull into your driveway – there is no
garage. You get out and kick at the
gravel on the driveway. Why can’t we at
least have a paved driveway? Then you
walk through the yard, onto a creaky porch and as you reach for the door
handle, you look up at the door and it has peeling paint on it. Goodness, can’t we even afford a decent door?</div>
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Yep, I know the
scenario well. I have lived it, yet I moved beyond when something
happened. I had some friends with
beautiful homes that worked so much that they rarely spent time at home. They had a lot of stress in their lives
because they worked constantly and didn’t have much free time. They were busy running their kids to all of
the dance classes, sports events and much, much more. Families became worn out and relationships
became fractured. In the course of a
couple of years I saw friends get divorced.
I’m not saying that new homes cause marriage problems, but their
decision to “own” high end homes, cars and furnishings, along with giving their
children everything they felt they should have, led to living far beyond their
means and the stress that came with
it. </div>
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I learned that it doesn’t
matter what others think about where you live or what type of home you own, it
only matters to you. When it comes down
to it the one thing that everyone must learn is to ignore the envy and move
beyond it. </div>
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Also take pride in your
home. I’m not saying be prideful. I’m saying that we need to take care of what
we own and in so doing create a warm home environment for your family.</div>
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We purchased our house
in 1997 and have a lot of work to do on it.
Most of what I have to do is remove decades old wallpaper and then
repaint it. There are floors to refinish
and one room needs the paint stripped off of the wood trim. It is very time consuming, but I have the
time to do it. When the kids were living
at home and when I was working full time, I didn’t have the time to renovate. When you live on one income you can purchase
an older home that is very affordable.
Then you work on it a piece at a time and make it into something
beautiful. </div>
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We have had to buy big
ticket items for our house this year. In
March we had to replace a furnace and the central air conditioner. In September the water heater had to be
replaced. We had to put on a new roof a
couple of years ago. Next year we need a
new front porch floor. I’m not sure if
we will be able to do it on our own and may have to hire it out. No matter, we are still ahead than if we
would have bought a new house back in 1997.
Even after 17 years a new house could have needed a new furnace and the
things that we have replaced in our old house.
Not only is our mortgage low, so are our taxes. Purchasing this old house way back then was
the best decision we ever made. It was
because of this old house that I can remain home. We do
not know a lot about remodeling or home repairs. We learn as we go. Thank goodness for the internet and You Tube.</div>
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When you don’t have a
lot of money, you can still make your physical structure of a house, into a
home. Even if you rent and can’t paint a
lot of things, the best thing you can do is keep that little home of yours neat
and clean. Less is definitely more and
the simplest of decors, can be the best.
Too much stuff or clutter of knick knacks can make a space look over the
top. Worn couches and chairs with worn
areas or spots can look very inviting with a quilt thrown over them. I have
had to repair upholstery myself with a needle and upholstery thread. One couch we had years ago was getting so
worn on the fabric that I purchased a skein of rug yard in the same color as
the upholstery and wove it in and out to cover up a worn spot. </div>
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I am always amazed at
the simple things in a home that make it look so pretty. Dollar store votives, on a mirror with a
little greenery is so pretty on a counter.
Pretty valances in a kitchen made from a fabric remnant can add a pretty
little touch. A little doily under a
picture on a side table, looks so homey.
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Don’t get caught up
with what you think people think of your home.
It doesn’t matter what they think as you are the one living in your
apartment, rental house or purchased house.
Don’t buy more house than you can afford and in fact go one step further
and buy far under what you can afford.
Better to purchase a home under your budget than to over extend yourself
and be unable to enjoy the life God gave you.</div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-40053984348064413772014-11-11T20:20:00.001-06:002014-11-11T20:38:16.828-06:00Back to Almost NormalMy father in law had surgery last Thursday evening and came home on Saturday. My in laws live about 1 hour away from us. I have been driving to their house a lot over the past week. The joy of being home is that I am available to my family when they need me. It was the plan all along when I decided to be home that I would have that luxury. <br />
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My husband is one of 5 children in his family. The rest of the siblings live all over the country and are making plans to come and visit their parents and help out. My in-laws have 2 acres of land on which their house is built on and my father in law is a Master Gardener. The next two weekends will be work weekends getting their property ready for the winter. I will also be going to their house at least once a week to visit and see if there is anything they need me to do.<br />
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Now it's back to my home and my homemaking goals. <br />
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Yesterday the temperature was in the upper 50's so I washed windows on the outside of our house. I didn't get to all of them, but made it to the ones that really mattered. I was running out of time so I decided that the windows in the main living areas were my priority. <br />
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While I was sitting with my in laws in the hospital, I started to knit on a round loom and turned out some simple knitted caps. I had never done this before and decided that since I would have a lot of sitting and waiting time, I might as well put my hands to good use. <br />
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I have a lot of homemaking odds and ends going on right now. Reading the vintage home economics books, decluttering my house, keeping up on the normal daily housework AND getting ready for a new puppy. Yes, as if my life isn't busy enough, we will be getting a golden doodle puppy in December.<br />
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Back in September we made the decision to add another dog to our family. We already have a labra doodle. I contacted the breeder that we got Molly from and was fortunate to find out that they had a litter of golden doodles on the way. The puppies were born on October 21st and Decker will come home on December 10th. Why the name Decker? Because my husband is a runner and not just a weekend runner, he has been a runner for over 40 years and he runs several miles a day. He has run 12 marathons and runs many, many races during the year. Molly runs with my husband at least 2 miles out of his 6 to 7 mile daily runs. <br />
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So, nothing like a deadline to get my home keeping act together as when that puppy gets here, I will be spending my time housebreaking and going through obedience training. Getting a puppy just before Christmas is not the ideal time, but when you have a great, reliable local breeder that has just what you want, you take a puppy when you can get it. <br />
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Now, this blog is all about living frugally and homemaking so where does a new puppy fit into this? Over the past 5 years we have paid off some of our debt and can afford another puppy. A new puppy will also keep me more balanced with my bouts of depression and more importantly, our other dog, Molly, needs a companion. It is my goal that over time both of our dogs will be able to be trained to be therapy dogs. BUT -- owning and training a dog is work, work, work. Dogs don't just behave because you show love to them, you have to have them go through obedience training for a well balanced dog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGx-CupRGyXqcXkSd87dsh8GZWyG_xdamHITB7WA64ArieufRIIarUxYGkGQLdUkXTSkYymrl8a_7HXhMSWVkv9lqppZSMY9te22a6fnrn4YU5gtW6S2rxjWvgIGMhBgP9tscEtR3clulL/s1600/Molly+with+Keith+at+race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGx-CupRGyXqcXkSd87dsh8GZWyG_xdamHITB7WA64ArieufRIIarUxYGkGQLdUkXTSkYymrl8a_7HXhMSWVkv9lqppZSMY9te22a6fnrn4YU5gtW6S2rxjWvgIGMhBgP9tscEtR3clulL/s400/Molly+with+Keith+at+race.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly and my husband after running a 5K race<br />
They came in second.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Tomorrow's post: Take Pride in Your Home.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-547242874788896182014-11-08T08:52:00.001-06:002014-11-08T08:52:25.216-06:00Taking care of FamilyMy father in law fell and broke his hip last week. He had surgery and I am helping my mother in law right now. My in laws live a little over an hour from us. I hope to be back posting sometime next week.<br />
<br />
I'm so glad that I don't have a job outside the home as when a family crisis happens, I have the luxury to stop everything and help.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-38234736229335434322014-11-01T23:33:00.000-05:002014-11-01T23:33:00.051-05:00Decluttering - Do it now!<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
The past 7 months have
sidelined me as a housewife. I spent from
March to late August directing the Summer lunch program in our community. During that time I did minimal housework –
only what was absolutely necessary. When
the program was over, I was faced with a house that needed my attention
ASAP. It was, and still is,
overwhelming. I got sick a couple of
weeks ago just when I was starting to make a little head way on the housework. So after 1 week of a sinus infection that
went into a second week of being sick with bronchitis, the house was really in
bad shape. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
How many of you have
houses that are disaster sites right now?
Yeah, I was very busy this spring and summer but the fact remains that I
wasn’t doing a very good job at keeping my house in order to begin with. If I had, it would have been much easier to
maintain when I was busy or better yet, easier to delegate the cleaning. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
My husband is a dream
in that he not only loves me and supports the different volunteer roles I take
on, he doesn’t criticize when things get out of control at home. He usually throws in some laundry, empties the
dishwasher, vacuums and picks up without saying anything. He just sees what needs to be done, and does
it. My problem is that I don’t like it
when he does that because he works a full time plus job and he deserves his
down time in the evening and the weekends.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So to sum up: not doing a very good job of maintaining a
house leads to a disaster when you get busy which leads to guilt when someone
tries to help you out. Yep that’s me - sidetracked,
guilt ridden with a case of attention deficit thrown in. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
When I was sick I spent
a lot of time resting on the couch. When
you don’t have small children at home you get the luxury of resting when you
are sick. During that time I made a
mental plan for changes. I am not
perfect and my home will never be perfect, but there are definitely some new
habits I needed to work on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The first thing I
tackled when I felt better was to work on the main floor of our house. If I were to keep certain rooms always picked
up and relatively clean, I would feel a lot better. These rooms are the ones that you can see
from the front door: living room, dining
room and kitchen. The downstairs
bathroom is my bathroom so since I use it all the time, it is neat and
clean. I decided the minimum standard
in my house is that these rooms are kept picked up (even if they aren’t
clean). As to the two downstairs bedrooms (one is now
my sewing room), those have doors I can close, so they are not included in the minimum
standard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Next up, decluttering
my house. Yep, I’m not deep cleaning
from top to bottom, until I get rid of the stuff that I need to get out of my
house. Why would I dust and clean stuff
that I am going to give away anyway? I
have determined that in my home there are the following categories of
clutter: clothes, shoes, books, c.d.’s,
outerwear, kitchen gadgets, lamps, furnishings, decorating items, holiday décor,
and exercise equipment. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I have been spending 45
minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon 3 days a week going
through the clutter and making a pile of stuff to give away. That is all I can devote to this project and
still keep me from being side tracked.
On the days that I declutter I take the items and pack them up, put them
in my car and immediately take them to a thrift store to donate. I don’t keep them until I have one huge room
full of donation items. I have found that
if you get rid of the stuff each day, then you don’t struggle with second thoughts
of keeping the items and you don’t have a big pile of stuff that you have to
walk around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The more I declutter,
the more I am coming closer to a goal of a neater house. Once the decluttering is done, the seasonal
deep cleaning will begin. What is my
motivation? I have a mental picture of
my home after the clutter is gone. I see
a home that is neat, orderly and simple.
My basement won’t be filled with boxes upon boxes of holiday décor and exercise
equipment we don’t need.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Now is the time to go
through your home and declutter.
Goodwill and other thrift stores get more and more customers over the
holidays. Go through your decorations
and if you haven’t put up certain items in a few years, then quit storing them
and get rid of them. Get rid of the
winter clothes in your closet that you know you won’t wear this season. Many organizations are looking for donations
of winter coats at this time of year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I have been feeling
such freedom in giving away items I no longer use or need. I know that each day that I spend
decluttering brings me closer to my dream of an easier home to maintain. </div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-90027175577405454312014-10-14T19:39:00.000-05:002014-10-14T19:39:02.789-05:00Down with a Sinus InfectionYep -- I have been sick for a while with bronchitis and now a sinus infection. Don't worry -- I haven't gone away and neglected blogging. I have finally become smart in my 50's and realized that rest is the best way to heal from sickness. In the meantime, I am reading when I am not sleeping. I will be back soon.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-9302458314907135812014-10-07T15:06:00.004-05:002014-10-07T15:06:59.557-05:00A Healthy Peanut Butter Energy Bar AlternativeI make these and keep them in the fridge for my husband and I to use in place of an energy bar. When I am hungry right before I plan to work out to an exercise dvd or go for a long walk, I eat one of these. They are very, very good.<br />
<br />
<u>Peanut Butter Bites</u><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
1 cup oats, old fashioned or quick *<br />
1/2 cup natural peanut butter<br />
1/2 cup ground or milled flaxseed<br />
1/3 cup honey<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<br />Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into bite-sized balls and store in the refrigerator.<br />
<br />
Optional Ingredients: flaked coconut, nuts, chia seeds, pumpkins seeds, chocolate chips.<br />
<br />
<i>* I used Bob's Red Mill 5 grain Rolled Hot Cereal. It contains whole grain wheat, rye, barley, oats, triticale and flaxseed. I was out of steel cut oats, otherwise I would have used them. I also added 1 tablespoon of chia seeds.</i><br />
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-68345920990138847342014-10-06T22:28:00.000-05:002014-10-06T22:28:23.671-05:00Good Ole Fashioned Homemaking <div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
So, it has been a little
over 5 years since I became a stay at home wife. In that period of time I have tried and
failed on different ways to “keep house.”
What I longed for I never seem to be able to attain: a clean, orderly home that has been
refurbished and decorated with the beautiful things that I have collected over
the past 10 years or so. I never seem to
be able to keep up on the laundry or make a menu plan and stick with it. It shouldn’t be that difficult, but I haven’t
been able to stick to it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
In the past 5 years I
have gone through 2 major bouts of depression along with anxiety/panic attacks
which then ushered in menopause. Those were some interesting years and I am
glad they are behind me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
My dream has kept eluding
me because of a flaw: I am a
procrastinator along with having some attention deficit problems. I can get side tracked easily but if I can
sit down and make a plan, I can stick with it until the plan needs to be
tweaked. Then I get frustrated and want
to give up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Well, about a month ago
I started to think about how my mom kept house and how my grandmother kept
house. I was trying to figure out how
they did it. My mom told me how she
divided chores and spread them throughout the week. She made sure the downstairs was kept looking
nice, especially the entryway, but didn’t worry so much about the
upstairs. My grandmother, on the other
hand, cleaned her house every day. She
lived in a very small farm house which was heated by a coal stove. She mopped floors everyday along with dusting
and cleaning everything. I think the
main reason she did this was due to the fact that when she was a child, she had
no home. She lived on the streets of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her siblings and they had nothing. To get married, have a family and a small
house was the world to her so she took very good care of her home and
belongings as she wanted them to last. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
My mom brought up a
point that is different for my generation and that is that we are sidetracked
by technology that interrupts our day.
Wow, this is very, very true. I
am always checking my phone for messages and I always have the t.v. on while I
am working which means I stop to listen to something that “invites me in” to
stop and listen. My mom used to clean
while listening to the radio. My
grandmother cleaned to listening to herself sing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
After 5 years of not
attaining what I wanted to attain to be as a homemaker, I decided that it was
time to really sit down and have a heart to heart with myself as to what I want
to be and if it was attainable or not. I
decided that it was attainable and that I really, really wanted to have the
kind of warm, clean home that my grandmother had. I also want the peacefulness that comes from
having order in my home, albeit not to the level of scrubbing floors every
single day, but finding a happy medium that I can actually do. I want what my grandmother had: a routine that led to a peaceful and orderly
home. It brought her happiness and I was
always happy in her home and surroundings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
In thinking this over,
I realized that I can have what my grandmother had if I am willing to make some
changes in my life. I need to keep a
schedule not just for homemaking but for time for friends. I got into the habit of accepting an invitation
to coffee on the spur of the moment when the laundry was piled up and then I
would find myself getting side tracked for the rest of the day. Now I am starting to schedule in those coffee
times with friends and that is working so much better. I am finding out that my friends would prefer
to do this too. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So, how do I attain my
vision of being the kind of homemaker that my grandmother was? Well, grandmother died in 1985 so I can’t ask
her, but I can look at homemaking books from her era to get a glimpse into what
it was like to be a homemaker in the 1940’s and beyond. I have started to collect old Home Ec. Books and
I have been reading them. Remember when
Home Ec. was considered a science? I
still consider it a science. Look at a
Home Ec. book from the early 1900’s up to the 1960’s and you get an idea of how
a woman took care in the keeping of her home.
Being a homemaker is work if you really want to do it right. It means that you properly clean and keep the
home clean all the time. You serve
nutritious meals and you take proper care of clothing and such. If you look at the time involved in the role
of homemaker, it is definitely a full time job.
I am embracing it. This is my calling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Here
is a picture of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00581X5B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">my Home Ec. book from 1971</a> when I was in 7<sup>th</sup>
grade. I found it on Amazon. I also purchased Home Ec. books from 1915,
1940’s, 1950’s the 1980’s. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I am
really enjoying the book from 1915 entitled “The Science of Homemaking.” Homemaking was taken very seriously. It was important that the housewife not only
keep a home clean for presentation, but for sanitation. There is so much information in this book
regarding cooking, nutrition, cleaning and sewing that is relevant today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So, here is what I am
doing. I am gleaning as much information
as I can from these books and I will be implementing these homemaking
guidelines in my own home. I am
homeschooling myself in the proper way to keep a home. If I were to tell some people this, they
would laugh and think I was crazy. But,
for me, it is like choosing being at teacher or an accountant for a career –
this is my career – this is what I want to do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I want to be a better
homemaker. I have goals and dreams and
yes, they are centered around my home and family. In order to be better, I need more
education. I truly believe that I am
going to be able to settle down, read and glean as much as possible from these
books. Change does not happen overnight,
but I am motivated and most of all, I want this. More than anything I want to be successful as
a homemaker and I want to make this house more of a home than a house. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I’ve had the career
outside of the home and I was successful.
I was known for being a great employee and hard worker. I would rather be known for being a great homemaker,
wife, mother and grandmother. I want to
be known for my hospitality and for being happy and fulfilled. I am on my way. </div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-79298619960645409222014-10-04T23:16:00.001-05:002014-10-04T23:16:01.704-05:00I'm BackThe Summer Lunch Program that I directed has been over for 6 weeks. I spent the first month in meetings to discuss the program and what we would like to change for next year, filing reports with the State and getting feedback from volunteers. <br />
<br />
I have spent the rest of my time trying to get my house in order. I didn't do a lot of housework this summer and my house was a disaster. <br />
<br />
I have missed blogging and sharing my life with all of you. This week I will share more with you about the Summer Lunch program. However, tomorrow I want to share with you about my latest collection: old Home Ec text books from the early 1900's through the early 1980's and how I am taking the advice of these books in the managing of my home.<br />
<br />It's good to be back blogging. I have missed it a lot. Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-86357842349184814142014-07-05T11:29:00.000-05:002014-07-05T11:29:01.954-05:00Why I've Been GoneI haven't blogged for months and I owe everyone an explanation.<br />
<br />
I have been focusing on feeding hungry children in my community. I am the Director of our local Summer Lunch program which feeds children throughout the summer. We are focusing on those children who receive free and reduced lunches throughout the school year and go hungry during the summer.<br />
<br />This has consumed all of my time since February. I supervise over 140 volunteers, make up the menus, buy the food, keep an ongoing inventory and take care of all of the bookkeeping. So, this is why I haven't been blogging.<br />
<br />
I have found my passion in serving the children of our community. The program that we are going through to provide the food is the USDA Summer Lunch Program. We must comply with their guidelines for a healthy meal for the children in order to receive reimbursement from them. We have focused on feeding them lunch and our lunches consist of milk, whole grain breads, lean "whole muscle" meats such as turkey breast, non-processed cheeses such as provolone and cojack and fresh fruits and veggies. <br />
<br />
An example of a lunch menu would be a turkey/cojack cheese sandwich using Sara Lee whole grain white bread, milk, fruit salad of watermelon, strawberries and sliced grapes; and for a veggie - a tray of fresh green beans, sweet pepper strips, carrots, cucumber strips and grape tomatoes. <br />
<br />
Many children have never seen the fruits and veggies we are serving and someone questioned the cheese - why it wasn't wrapped in plastic. <br />
<br />
The program ends August 15th which is the Friday before school begins in our area. Then I will be back to focusing on my home and blogging. I have been going to bed at midnight and getting up at 6:00 a.m. for the past several months in the planning process, fundraising for start up costs and handling all of the paperwork and documents necessary to run a food service program.<br />
<br />
So, that is what I have been doing and I will be happy when I can go back to focusing on my home. My husband and I are empty nesters and he has gladly put up with quick dinners, an untidy home and doing his own laundry and clean up. It has been well worth the messiness of my home in order to feed children who would go hungry during the summer.<br />
<br />
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-4792424502742961332014-02-04T07:29:00.002-06:002014-02-04T07:29:17.503-06:00Update on Diaper RashRyan's diaper rash is gone. It's nice to see pretty white, pinkish normal skin on his bottom. My DIL took Ryan to the doctor and he prescribed a prescription cream for his bottom. It did appear that he had a yeast infection. Ryan had the "perfect storm" that led to his rash: ear infection; prescription for an antibiotic to treat the ear infection; and he was cutting teeth. <br />
<br />
After applying the prescription cream twice a day, we saw a difference within a day. However we still had to deal with the rash hurting him when we were cleaning him up after he soiled his diapers. The other problem was that he had horrible runny diapers. His bottom was still raw and yet we had to get it clean so it would clear up. I continued to use soft flannel homemade wipes on his bottom and then I applied Vaseline all over his bottom and genital area. He screamed and cried and then when I was done, I stood him up and he hugged me and put his head on my shoulder. I had a lot of tears last week.<br />
<br />
Since he was already getting a prescription cream in the morning and the afternoon we decided that it was best to go conservative throughout the day and just use Vaseline. <br />
<br />
Well the rash cleared up by the second day and when he was at my house yesterday I had one happy little boy. He had been sick and then he had the pain of the rash and cutting of the teeth so he hadn't been himself for a long time. Ryan spent the whole day happy. He smiled, he played, he giggled and he was feeling so good. I had a few errands to run and he waived and smiled at people. <br />
<br />
We had a great day and it was one of those days that you treasure. <br />
<br />
Thanks for all the advice on the rash. Many of these ideas I will be using on him in the future.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-37723582354381537772014-02-02T07:36:00.001-06:002014-02-02T07:36:47.806-06:00SNAP menu - Working on it.When I took up the challenge of coming up with food choices or menus for living on a food stamp budget, I struggled with where to begin. The reason: I probably know more about making things from scratch and stretching a food dollar than a lot of people. Why? Because I took the real Home Economics class in the early 1970's where the first thing we learned to make was muffins from scratch. <br />
<br />
What else did I learn from the good ole Home Ec class? Sewing, cooking from scratch, cleaning and generally an economical way to run a home. This kind of training went out the door as women went to work in order to help support their families and they needed faster tools for doing things: i.e. processed foods.<br />
<br />
Getting back to my own food stamp challenge, I have decided to do two options. One for me and with my knowledge of stretching a food budget and one with someone who has not had the same background and training and uses convenience and processed foods.<br />
<br />
With a $50 budget ($25 per person in my family) I will use that money to purchase what a person with my knowledge could make into menus. Since going on a SNAP budget means that we will probably have had hard times and I will have used up most of the items in my cupboard, I will be making up my grocery list with hardly any food at home in my pantry. <br />
<br />
Plan B will be using convenience foods to fill the menus for a person who doesn't cook much and doesn't have the same cooking schools that I have. <br />
<br />
For both plans I may add an option of getting a small amount of items (i.e. a few cans) from a food bank.<br />
<br />
When the food ads come out, I will be using the ad for this week to make up the menus. In fact I may do these budgets for a couple of weeks using the successive food ads.<br />
<br />
This was my stumbling block in getting this challenge done. I was struggling with the "Rules" of the challenge. Doing this challenge with a Plan A and a Plan B is just the ticket for my getting this research done.<br />
<br />Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-28675253161571704722014-02-02T07:34:00.000-06:002014-02-02T07:34:13.414-06:00Let's Hear a Yea for Menopause!I made a promise to myself last fall and that is that January and February were going to be wonderful months for me. Why? The last 3 Januarys and Februarys have been horrible for me. They were filled with depression and anxiety and I found myself spiraling downward each year. This year was going to be different and it has. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I continue with the drug therapy that I have been on since last April. Lexapro has been a wonderful drug therapy for me. It works and best of all it works for me in small doses. I do experience some anxiety but it is what I call "normal" anxiety. Normal anxiety to me is the anxiety you feel when you are going to be late for an appointment. Abnormal anxiety for me was having anxiety caused by a small thing such as our dog barking a little and then it would go from 1 to 10 in seconds leading me to full blown panic attacks. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Along with the drug therapy I am careful as to what I eat and I get sleep and exercise. AND I am now into full blown menopause. Now that I have gone through 1 year without a menses I can now say I made it through to the other side and being in menopause is not so bad. In fact, it is a blessing! I don't have to buy tampons or pads anymore or experience cramps and that monthly yuck feeling.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I used to think of menopause as being something an old lady gets. I don't consider myself as being old at 54. However, I must say that 54 was old to me when I was in my 20's. What it all comes down to is am I happy or not? If I am happy it shows in the way I take care of myself and this reflects in my general health and well being.<br />
<br />
I am not the same 50 year old woman that my mom was some 30 years ago. I work out, I watch what I eat and I am getting involved in volunteer activities in my church and community. I don't dress like my mom either and I don't dress like a teenager too. Yep being 50 is not like being your mom's 50. It is what you make of it and I love it.<br />
<br />
If I have a hot flash every now and then, I can deal with it. In fact, it has been kind of nice to have a hot flash with all of the cold weather we have been having, but I am sure come summer it might not be so nice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started my period at the age of 11 and ended it at the age of 53. That is 42 years of dealing with PMS, cramps and buying tampons. I'm glad it's over and I'm ready to move on. </div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-947912070286479062014-02-02T07:16:00.000-06:002014-02-02T07:16:53.039-06:00Cleaning my Area Rug - 1 Year LaterIt has been more than a year since I cleaned my area rugs as posted<a href="http://thepathtofrugality.blogspot.com/2012/10/update-on-cleaning-my-area-rug.html" target="_blank"> in this article</a>. These rugs never smelled from the ammonia of the pet urine since I cleaned them. I'm so pleased. <br />
<br />
I didn't get around to doing it last summer but beginning this summer I am going to take all of my large area rugs and simply wash them outside with cold water from the hose. The plan is to use no soap of any kind and simply "rinse" the dirt away. Then it will take a few days for them to dry hanging over the deck rail. Note to self: check the weather forecast before I do this.<br />
<br />
Water does the job quite well and is better for the fibers of the rug and for our health also It just goes to show that sometimes a conservative way of cleaning is much better than using a lot of chemicals. I had to use the store bought cleaner to get the urine smell out, but from now on it is going to be water. Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-15887037470720738302014-01-29T16:29:00.001-06:002014-02-02T07:10:04.856-06:00Dealing with a Grandson's Diaper Rash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVWUMB3a7qeTdJY7yG8OuagSZin9kyrup8WEJk_Qyk4jYrnBgLFhy07ChF985dEtTtosPBcCecc7nJH_K5achiecKLXh8kZDCJSOIGQLONFxiudrigjPwX5liza0OacovLHBvI5QnSAOF/s1600/Ryan+-+Hide+n+Seek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVWUMB3a7qeTdJY7yG8OuagSZin9kyrup8WEJk_Qyk4jYrnBgLFhy07ChF985dEtTtosPBcCecc7nJH_K5achiecKLXh8kZDCJSOIGQLONFxiudrigjPwX5liza0OacovLHBvI5QnSAOF/s1600/Ryan+-+Hide+n+Seek.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
My little grandson fell asleep a few minutes ago, so I thought I would steal some time away to write a post.<br />
<br />
I am caring for my grandson today and he has a horrible diaper rash. He is cutting teeth and recently had an ear infection. His parents have him in disposable diapers. Today I took the big risk of letting him run around diaper free to get air to the infected area. (He is 11 months old and started walking 3 weeks ago.) He liked it so much that I hope that he doesn't think that this will be the normal routine at Grandma's house. <br />
<br />
I have taken some flannel fabric and fashioned little diapers to keep on him. They are loose so fresh air can get to his sore bottom. This has only helped a little and while we have been putting a good quality and highly recommended diaper cream on his back side, it isn't getting much better. So Ryan is going to the doctor today and hopefully the doctor will prescribe a prescription diaper cream.<br />
<br />
My grandson, Ryan, is my only grandchild and he is the son of my eldest son, Mike. When Mike was around the same age he developed a horrible diaper rash. Caring for Ryan has brought all of that back to me. It is hard to clean the infected rash as it is very painful for a baby. I have taken pieces of flannel and soaked them in warm water with a little soap and carefully cleaned Ryan. It is still painful, but not as harsh as baby wipes. Even the alcohol free wipes bothered him. Try and get a diaper clean while the child is screaming because of the pain and it will bring tears to your eyes. <br />
<br />
I have put him in a warm water bath, but he won't sit down so I let him stand while I drizzle warm soap water over his butt and genitals. Even still, he cries from the pain. Then I pick him up, wrap him in a towel and let him rest on my lap. By the time I smear him with the diaper cream and a fresh diaper, he is exhausted and so am I. He rests his head on my shoulder and I rock him until he is ready to get down.<br />
<br />
Rocking him brought to mind the old hymns of the church that I grew up knowing. I have sung to him "What a Friend we Have in Jesus," "Trust and Obey" and "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." <br />
<br />
It is a labor of love to care for him and I am especially thankful that I can give him the extra care and attention that he needs at this time in order to conquer the rash. <br />
<br />
This is what it is all about. I thought I would only care for him 2 times a week, before he was born. Then I cared for him 4 days a week and now 3 days a week. My daughter in law has found a wonderful babysitter for Ryan to go to 2 days a week, so I can get a break and so Ryan can interact with other children.<br />
<br />
The sad part about Ryan being sick is that my daughter in law's mother died in July last year. She was in her 50's and she had a long struggle with cancer. I try very hard to help out all I can with Ryan and I also try hard not to butt in. It is a balance. But I can't help but think that when Ryan is sick that my daughter in law wishes that she had her mother to call on for advice. It always makes me sad to think that she lost her mom shortly after Ryan was born.<br />
<br />
My goal is to pick up the slack, be respectful and not offer advice when she doesn't need it and be there when she asks for it. It is a balance. <br />
<br />
When Ryan's other grandmother was in hospice I promised her that every time I kissed little Ryan that I would always give him two kisses, 1 from me and 1 from her. I also promised her that I would always tell him about her and that he would always grow up hearing from me about his Grandma Carol. Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-15080187711190575692014-01-19T20:21:00.000-06:002014-01-19T20:21:15.242-06:00Stretching Dishwasher Detergent<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
I have a
dishwasher. I didn’t grow up with a
dishwasher nor air conditioning but I find it kind of funny how my parents got
both after I was grown and married.
Maybe it was because my sister and I helped with the dishes and air conditioning
was something that most people in our community didn’t have when I was growing
up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I do love my dishwasher
for one reason – it tidies up the kitchen pretty quick. I may have a lot of dishes to clean, but
putting them in the dishwasher gets them off the counter and out of the sink
and makes the kitchen look better.
However, if a dishwasher didn’t’ come with the house, I probably
wouldn’t own one. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Dishwasher detergent
can get pretty expensive. I tried store
brands and I tried the homemade recipes.
The store brands worked fine but
was still kind of pricey. The homemade
recipes made my dishes look cloudy and this version didn’t clean them as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
My solution: combining the name brand with the homemade
version. About every 6 weeks Cascade or
another name brand dishwasher detergent goes on sale for $3.99 for a 75 oz. box
of powder or 75 oz. bottle of the gel version.
I usually have a coupon that I
can use. I can get the store brand for
about $3.00 for the same amount. I have
been mixing the name brand with the store brand to extend it, but lately I have
been mixing a homemade version with the store brand or name brand and I like it
much better. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Here is my version of
Dishwasher Detergent</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1 - 75 oz. box of
Dishwasher Detergent (Name brand or store brand, whatever you prefer)</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1 cup salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
2 cups of Borax</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
2 cups of Baking Soda </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Mix the above
ingredients together and keep in an airtight container. I use an old ice cream bucket or you could
use two old plastic coffee containers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I am a believer in
finding the least amount of product to get the same results as using the
recommended amount. I use 1 tablespoon of this mixture in my
dishwasher and I use white vinegar as a rinse agent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I have seen a recipe on
the internet that includes the salt, borax and baking soda along with a cup of
“Lemi Shine.” The problem is that the
Lemi Shine is over $3.00 for a small container so I felt it wasn’t worth the
price. The cost would exceed the reason
for making my own homemade version of dishwasher detergent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Once a month I run a
cup of bleach through the dishwasher WITHOUT any dishes in it to clean it
out. I also take a old toothbrush to
clean out the dirt and grime that can accumulate between the door and the seal
of the dishwasher. Baking soda and the
toothbrush works really great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The result: a cheap version of dishwasher detergent that
does a great job of cleaning my dishes and keeping them spot free AND an
equally cheap version of dishwasher cleaner. </div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-31360500569639681572014-01-19T20:19:00.001-06:002014-01-19T20:19:27.509-06:00My Eyes Have Been Opened<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
(This post has been 2
weeks in the making. I have written from
the heart on this one and instead of going back to proof read what I have
written, I am just going to post it. If
I were to go back and proof it, it would take me another hour or so and I want
to get this posted without putting it off.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I’m surprised I have
anyone following me after a very, very long time of not posting. I have been sent down a rabbit hole ever
since I started researching living on SNAP food benefits. I began to try to figure out what an average
family would get, how they would make that stretch for 4 people and that led me
to doing a lot of research. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
You see, it’s not as
simple as I thought. I thought that I
would get the SNAP amount, the amount of people in the family, perhaps do a
scenario where they were unemployed and had small children, but that wasn’t
enough for me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Little did I know that
this small project would open my eyes to a problem in my community, state and
country. I have found out through me son, who is a
teacher, through other teachers, through grocery store managers, clerks at
stores and law enforcement that there is an incredible amount of people living
in poverty in my community. It is
getting worse every year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
My son is in his 4<sup>th</sup>
year of teaching high school, the last two years at his alma mater. He graduated in 2003 and has told me that in
11 years since his high school graduation the student population has changed a
lot in that there are more and more kids that live in poverty as compared to
when he was a high school student. It
has increased by a great margin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I always knew that
there were people that were poor in our community, but I never realized how
many people in our community live with hunger every day. I have heard stories from school bus drivers
where kids have gotten onto their bus asking the bus driver if they had any
food OR where the kids on the bus were worried that the bus might be late and
they may miss breakfast at school. In
one school district near us I heard about the football team that wasn’t
performing well, because the players were hungry because of not having enough
food in the home. A local woman got involved
and then got her church involved in getting proper food to these athletes and
starting a weekend backpack food program.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
In a small community of
11,000 you would think that you would be more aware of the level of poverty and
hunger, but I wasn’t. In late November
and December and early January the local newspaper published articles regarding
local charities. I clipped the articles
and put them in an envelope. I read more
and more online articles about the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of LBJ’s war on
poverty and I came to one conclusion: in
the 1960’s and early 1970’s we did a lot of work to end poverty, but the
problem is back and it is worse than ever.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
No matter what you
think about people living in poverty, the one thing that should make you
shudder is that children are hungry all the time and not getting the proper
nutrition that they need to do well in school and life in general. Children don’t have a choice in their
circumstances.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
It’s not that I have
had my head in a hole, I just didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem and how
many people in our community go to bed hungry.
I am presently doing more research as to the numbers of singles and
couples making minimum wage that are termed the “working poor.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I began reading books
on hunger and poverty in America, watching documentaries on Netflix and from
the local public library. I shared what
I learned with women at my church. This
led to 5 of us forming a group to research the hunger needs of women and
children in our community. We made a
list of local charities and have been conducting interviews. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I am learning about the
Working Poor and how our local Food Pantry is not open during hours when they
can access it. I am learning about food
deserts and all sorts of things. I have
studied the history of food stamps and have watched with sadness recently as
more and more benefits have been cut. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Education is
power. I am enrolled in an online class
on children’s nutrition on Coursera. If
you are interested in free online classes on all types of subjects google
Coursera or EdX. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So I am taking this
knowledge and using it. For the past 4 ½
years since being home I have wanted to do something with my life that really
mattered (not that being home and taking care of family isn’t important) but I wanted
to give back to some kind of organization or movement. I wasn’t able to find anything that made me
want to give my time and resources to, so I have created one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The bottom line to our
research is that kids in our school district are coming to school hungry and
staying hungry over the weekend. We are
looking at a backpack program to send home food on the weekends. High schoolers are hungry when they go to
school and although most of them qualify for free breakfast they won’t stand in
line to get breakfast because there is a stigma OR it isn’t enough to get them
through the morning. We are thinking
about breakfast on the go where we put granola bars, a piece of fruit and some
milk or juice boxes in a sack, have them come by our church parking lot and we
hand them these sacks to eat prior to school OR providing a hot breakfast once
a week for all high schoolers in our community.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Then there is the
problem of the lack of nutrition in the school lunch program itself. This led me to studying how the school lunch
program began back in the 1940’s and how it changed from providing good
nutritious meals to heat and eat junky food that kids have become used to
eating over the years . </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
This sabbatical I have
been on has been the best thing I could have done. It was a God thing how it happened in that
God put some women in my church that I didn’t know very well in my Sunday
School class, we got a discussion going and we found out that we had the same
interests in fighting hunger and ending poverty. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Also, I am back. I missed posting but I am glad that I took
time off to educate myself. I will post
after our group meets at the end of this month to report on their interviews
with local charities. I myself will be
interviewing the local school superintendent and food service director. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
And as to the living on
SNAP benefits, my research has led me to doing interviews with people that are
doing just that and struggling. As I get
more information from these people, I will report on how they are doing it or
not doing it. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-57654612662150761462013-12-11T20:43:00.000-06:002013-12-11T20:44:06.109-06:00"A Place at the Table" - A Documentary that is Changing My LifeOne month ago I posted about how I was wondering what it would be like to have to live on food stamps as your sole source of food money. I asked you, my readers to help me by coming up with some scenarios. I will still be posting my ideas but – a lot has happened since then. I have been too busy – too busy in fact to put up my Christmas tree yet.<br />
<br />
One day a neighbor from a block away came to my house and asked if I had a frozen chicken that he could have. I had a whole chicken and I gave it to him. Have you ever had a neighbor come to your home asking for food? How hard was that to do?
Right after I posted that article, I came across a documentary on Netflix called “A Place at the Table.” I streamed it and watched it a couple of times.<br />
<br />
This documentary came out in 2012. On Netflix it is described as follows “Using personal stories, this powerful documentary illuminates the plight of the 49 million Americans struggling with food insecurity. A single mother, a small-town policeman and a farmer are among those for whom putting food on the table is a daily battle.”
This documentary is every enlightening and I am asking as many of my followers as possible to watch this.<br />
<br />
If you don’t have Netflix, ask your public library to get this documentary. Why? You will be surprised at what you learn. This documentary dispels the myths about hunger and poverty that you may have. Also it describes terms such as “Food Deserts” where fresh fruits and vegetables are not available or the fact that someone living in an inner city setting has to take a bus to a grocery store that takes 2 hours round trip.
It also tells the story of one minister trying to feed the people in his small community. One person is a police officer who now goes to the food pantry for food for his family. He hasn’t had a raise in 4 years and with the cost of food going up, his paycheck just doesn’t make it to the end of the month.<br />
<br />
This documentary has some Hollywood backing in Jeff Bridges. He, along with his brother, Beau, have been talking about hunger in America for years.
This documentary goes you historical background and also shows you what people are up against. For example, the single mom who finally gets a job, but her income is just a little bit too much and and she no longer qualifies for SNAP or child care assistance. She’s worse off working; then when she was on unemployment and assistance. Her food situation is dire. Stress from not being able to provide can make a person so sick. (No matter what you think about people on food assistance, always remember that the babies and children have no say in their parent’s choices for how they spend their SNAP funds.) <br />
<br />
Something is wrong when we live in the greatest nation in the world and yet we have children living with little food. The other problem is health related. Living on high processed, high carbohydrate food means obesity and type 2 diabetes and other health problems. Fresh fruits and vegetables are too expensive for many people.
After I saw this documentary, I purchased a DVD that came out 15 years ago starring Beau Bridges as a widower with two children and his struggle with unemployment and feeding his two children. It is called “Hidden in America.” It portrays someone who wants to work and is actively looking for work and doesn’t want to be on assistance. He tries so hard, but in the end he has to go to apply for food assistance and goes to a food bank. This is a gut wrenching story that sheds the light on hunger, especially with his kids.<br />
<br />
Here is the problem: we don’t give our children adequate nutrition and they perform poorly in school. In our school district alone there are over 50% of the children on free lunches and breakfasts. However, the USDA guidelines leave nutrition to the side when it comes to the school meals. High fat, high carbohydrate food is on the menu. Heat and eat foods is what kids get more and more.<br />
<br />
After viewing the documentary and film, I went ahead and purchased the participant’s book given the same name as the documentary, “A Place at the Table.” I have been reading it a chapter at a time each night. This book is a great companion to the documentary and it goes into detail where the documentary can’t. Why? It would take another 2 hours to get it all down on film.
For example, one chapter deals with the history of food stamps and how it came into being in 1939. The initial program helped farms and the poor by offering fresh fruits and vegetables and other extra farm commodities at a reduced rate that could be purchased with food stamps. Over the years the program morphed into allowing more foods to be purchased with food stamps, such as soda drinks. Don’t believe everything you hear on the news, do the research yourself. Call your library and ask to get that book perhaps through an inter library loan.<br />
<br />
After a couple of weeks of watching documentaries and reading and researching, I received an e-mail from a friend at church. A nearby college was hosting a hunger and homelessness awareness week. The friend asked me if I would like to attend a few of the events with her. I was very excited to go and learn more.
The first night they showed the documentary “A Place at the Table.” The next night we were invited to a panel discussion. Four panelists were present: one was the director of a local food pantry; one was a director of a large homeless shelter, one was from an organization that helps to fill the gaps in between charities and one person who promotes community gardens and individual gardens for individuals to grow their own produce.<br />
<br />
The 3rd night was an <a href="https://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=osfam&utm_campaign=oau-oxfam" target="_blank">OXFAM</a> banquet. I was given the role of being a middle income individual and was served rice and beans. There were guest speakers from the World Food Bank and a professor who is teaching a class on Food and Justice.<br />
<br />
OKAY – why am I telling you this? We all want to leave this life having made a difference and I am finding my niche. <br />
<br />
Between me and my friend, we have solicited a few other like minded women at our church to work on poverty and hunger in our community. We are in the process of interviewing 15 local charities to find out their purpose, their needs and their vision for our community to aid in this issue. In January when we meet and report our findings to each other, it is our goal to find a “gap” in meeting the needs of the hungry and poor in our community. We don’t want to overlap or try to fill a need that is already being met.<br />
<br />
I’m not sure where we will find the gap, but I am guessing that we may start a weekend food backpack program in our elementary school, summer time meals for children when school is out, or even a breakfast program at our church for students in High School. Most of these students could get a free breakfast, but how many poor High School students want that stigma?<br />
<br />
We will concentrate our efforts on one program.
I am passionate to do something.<br />
<br />
I want to also find a way to reduce our expenses as much as possible so that we can get money in the bank for our retirement. I have no idea what the cost of living will be in 11 years when we retire, but I am now feeling as if we need to set aside more money for food and other incidentals. If anything, I could save money so that when there is a hunger need, I can help meet it.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-49987909978972033492013-11-10T15:30:00.001-06:002013-11-10T15:30:08.440-06:00Food Insecurity is just a fancy word for Hunger<span style="font-size: large;">I am beginning to research hunger especially among children in my community. I'm not sure why this came to mind one day, but it did. I have never gone hungry although when I was a child food was scarce when my dad's union went on strike. We still ate, but at times it was just oatmeal. I don't remember feeling hungry as the oatmeal filled me up, I just wished I had more choices.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Recently the government cut back on food assistance benefits (SNAP program) effective November 1st. I know that there are people who abuse the system. There will always be abusers, however I know that there are more people in need that don't abuse the system versus those that do. Of particular interest to me are the children. No matter what choices the parents make, children have no decisions in the matter. In our country it is beyond my comprehension why a child should go without food. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Many families are under employed or have been unemployed for a long time. Having access to food is a priority and in my opinion is the right of every American. This country produces enough food for all of us, it's just that some of us can afford food and some of us can't.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I have been watching videos on You Tube regarding people on SNAP and what it is like to be a mother and not be able to feed her children. I have watched many videos produced by "Feeding America." All of this got me to wonder what it would be like to be a single mom receiving SNAP benefits for her and her school aged son during the summer months. This means no free school breakfast, lunch or after school program because it is summer. So, what would this look like? It looks like $1.40 per person per meal. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Instead of going on the food stamp challenge myself, I want to come up with meals on the above limited amount of money for 1 week for this type of scenario: single mom with a school age son. I am going to use the advertisement from the nearest grocery store and make up a list of food choices as if I am living in poverty. I am assuming that I won't have a car and will have to walk to the nearest store for groceries. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here is what I would like from my readers: I need your help in setting up this scenario. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. What items would you think this type of person would have on hand that I wouldn't have to buy on my first shopping trip? For example, ketchup, mustard, sugar, flour, soy sauce, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder. What do you think someone would have in their cupboard? You may think that someone in a dire situation wouldn't have any of the above, and if so, let me hear from you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. I have never been to a food pantry. In our community I know that I would need to be referred. Let's say that I get a referral, give me a list of a few items you think I would be able to get from my local food pantry for the week. Set the situation for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Give me any other ideas to set this situation up. Be brutal as I want to really have this as a challenge just as if I was this mom, underemployed, and struggling to feed my son. I want to experience the sadness, fear and pain of figuring this all out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So, give me your ideas so I can set up the challenge for myself.</span>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-23165098819032906812013-11-06T20:42:00.000-06:002013-11-06T20:42:11.165-06:00On Grandmothering and Keeping House<span style="font-size: large;">Posting can be a challenge when you care for an 8 month old 4 days a week. I remember caring for a baby was a lot easier when I was in my 20's than in my 50's. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I have spent this past week catching up on housework. It is hard sometimes to clean my house as I start to make a list of all the things that need to be repaired, painted or replaced and I tend to get side tracked. I think I will start to call myself "building manager."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">On Saturday it took me 6 hours to deep clean my living room, entryway, hallway and dining room. Our old house has the original old narrow wooden floors. They aren't sealed. The previous owners put in an in house vacuum system so I use it to vacuum the hard wood floors, but with a dog those floors quickly look furry after a couple of days. So, it was time to not only vacuum but to get down on the floor and clean them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">My mom used to spray her dust mop with a light spritz of soapy water. Then she would dust mop the floor and the dust would cling to the mop. Again, it was a light spritz and she didn't soak the mop. On Saturday I took a cloth and spritzed it with a mist of water and cleaned the baseboards and did the same to my hard wood floors. In a couple of weeks when I have more time I will mop the floors with Murphy's wood oil soap. I also used a separate cloth spritzed with soapy water to wipe down my old upright piano (that I painted a shiny black a few years back).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dusting, mopping, vacuuming area rugs and working on the hard wood floors, cleaning cob webs off the ceiling and putting clutter away and taking trash out wore me out. But the result was that after 6 hours I had 4 thoroughly clean areas in my down stairs. These rooms are the ones that are most visible from the front door.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Today I vacuumed again (that darn dog fur) and deep cleaned the downstairs bathroom. I don't watch my grandson on Wednesdays, as I need a day off. Tomorrow I can straighten up the den and downstairs bedroom. This is easily done with Ryan playing in the room that I am quickly working on. On Friday my son and his wife have the day off so Ryan won't be at my house and I will spend the day deep cleaning my kitchen. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The end result is that by Friday evening my entire downstairs will have been deep cleaned within a period of one week. Then the challenge will be to keep it up, which I should be able to do by devoting an hour a day to cleaning. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When Ryan is at my house I do a little housework, mostly laundry and some pick up. I can't do much with a little guy crawling around and I find that my day is spent caring for him, playing with him and catching moments of housework when he is napping. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This weekend I plan to tackle the upstairs but I know that it will take two weekends to clean out closets and deep clean. I find that once things are in good order, I want to maintain that order no matter what. It's just getting there and once you do get there, you feel like the queen of your home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Which brings me to grand mothering. As I stated I watch Ryan Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday each week. He arrives at 6:30 a.m. and goes home when my son is done teaching for the day. This depends on students staying after school for help, which I think is an awesome thing that he does. So Ryan could be at my house until 4:30 some nights. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I am finding that I am not the normal grandmother. Most grandmothers do not watch their grandchildren as I do. One person told me that no way would she ever be doing what I am doing as she had already raised her children. It's not for everyone and I understand it. However, I am a bit old fashioned and I feel that families need to support each other as much as possible. I also like the idea of Ryan being watched by family members as much as possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Childcare is expensive but that is not my primary motivation to watch Ryan. I want Ryan to grow up knowing that he is loved not only by his parents, but by extended family. I also want my son and his wife to have the kind of support that my husband and I never had. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we were raising our two sons, we did not have parents to help us out. My parents lived in New York and my husband's parents at one time were living in California. Family lived far away and we only had each other. We never had the luxury of grandparents caring for our children a day a week or even when we wanted to go to a movie. We were used to it as it was our normal, but it was difficult many times. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes I don't get a lot done many times when I am watching Ryan but I wouldn't trade the time I spend with him. I know that I am helping to raise a confident and happy little boy and when it comes down to it, that is the most important thing I can do right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One other thing about grandmothering, when I am caring for Ryan I know my role as his grandmother. If I think he is getting sick, I text his mother about this and let her make the decision if she needs to make a doctor's appointment or if he needs some Tylenol, I know my place. I am on the support team; my son and his wife are the parents and Ryan's primary care givers. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The only way for grandmothering to work is to recognize that you know your place. You have raised your children, but when you become a grandmother you get a second chance to have a powerful impact on a little baby's life. </span><br />
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-48438390511288271552013-10-22T19:51:00.003-05:002013-10-22T19:51:46.765-05:00Frugal Tip - Heels of Bread<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In my family, no one seems to want to eat the heels of
bread. Yes, I am included, unless
the heels are still fresh. What do I do
with the heels? I don’t throw them
out!! I keep a bread bag in the freezer
and put the heels of bread in a bread bag until it is full. I use them up by making French toast, use as
bread crumbs in a meat loaf recipe, make homemade croutons, brush with butter
and sprinkle with a little bit of garlic for garlic toast, or make grilled
cheese sandwiches by buttering the outside and putting the heel towards the
cheese slice. I would make bread
pudding, but I am the only one that would eat it. As a last resort if you run out of bread, you
at least have a bag of heels in the freezer to use. </span></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-69179404041459281322013-10-20T18:54:00.000-05:002013-10-22T19:50:05.661-05:00Higher Prices, Lower Wages<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There was an article in the <u>Des Moines Register</u> today that
confirmed what everyone already knows, prices have gone up. The premise of the article was that many
people have not recovered from the Great Recession because prices have gone up
and wages have gone down. Okay, I
already knew that, but the article gave statistical information which I found
quite interesting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In Iowa the median household income in 2007 was $52,371 and
in 2012 was $50,957. In the U.S. as a
whole the median household income in 2007 was $56,189 and in 2012 was
$51,371. Americans are paying about
12.5% more for household goods. In 2007
a pound of ground beef cost $2.40 and in August of this year a pound cost
$3.46. A loaf of whole wheat bread in
2007 cost $1.71 while in August of this year a loaf cost $2.04. A pound of coffee was $3.50 in 2007 and in
August of this year a pound was $5.21.
Gasoline has consistently fluctuated over the past few years and has increased
to the point that it was not uncommon in Iowa to pay an average of $3.37 by the
end of August this year. Fortunately as
of today, the price of a gallon of gas in our area is $2.97. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many Americans continue to feel the pinch as they are still
cutting back, have tried to adjust to lower wages, higher costs, have lost
their homes, jobs, are having problems paying their mortgage and have increased
credit card debt in order to pay basic bills.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The recent fiasco in Congress created more financial
problems for many people which has led me to believe this: we are on our own people. I have stated this recently on this blog. While thankfully there are programs that can
be helpful for families, many people don’t want to have to need these programs.
It is comforting that they are there to
help but when the government shut down occurred some of these resource programs
were suspended such as the W.I.C. program (Women, Infants and Children).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I believe it is becoming the responsibility of each of us to
take care of each other. If you have a
little extra and you have a neighbor in need, it is up to us to take care of
our neighbors. Sometimes we may not have
a lot, but a loaf of bread or a half a gallon of milk can go a long way for someone
who does not have much.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Recently I had an individual comment and ask what I am doing
to combat higher prices. I cut out some
frills in our budget such as getting my nails done and working out at Curves to
help our budget, but there is more that I can do. I have become a little lax, but with
retirement only 13 years away and the desire to continue to be a stay at home
wife and grandmother, there is more I need to do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">You know what it is like, you
sacrifice for such a long time, you need a vacation from the sacrificing. You get tired of counting pennies and you
just want to go out to a restaurant and spend some money on a great meal. I have been there. Funny thing is this: I can buy a 16 oz. steak on sale for $6.99
(recently $4.99), cut it in two, grill it, add a potato, small salad and a
homemade dessert for a lot less than I will spend for the two of us at a great
restaurant and it tastes better. The
same is true if I marinate some inexpensive chicken breasts and grill them with
some vegetables. The point is that
sometimes you need to take a break from the scrimping but you don’t need to
throw the budget out the window.
Sometimes it is creating a special meal and serve it by candle light OR
as we did when our kids were little, having pizza on a blanket on the living room
floor in the winter - our version of a
winter picnic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">When it comes to scrimping and
getting the most out of your hard earned money, there is one thing that will
save you a lot: being aware of what you
are doing daily. I know it sounds weird,
but think about it. Are you aware when
you run the water for a shower or bath how much water you are using? When you squirt dish soap into the dish pan
to wash dishes, are you using too much soap, the same being true for dishwasher
detergent? When you cook a casserole could you get by with using less meat and
more vegetables or pasta and rice? Instead of purchasing ice cream bars and cones
as a treat, buy a half gallon of ice cream on sale and put it in your own
cones. Sprinkle a few inexpensive
sprinkles on top and you have a cheap treat for your kids. Treats are great to keep us going during hard
times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">One thing I know is a fact, you
can still get great results in cleaning products by using less. You can save even more money by making your
own products or by using plain water to clean extremely dirty windows and then
spritzing on the cleaner to finish them off.
The same is for dirty services of any kind. Get the dirt or grime off as much as possible
with warm or hot water and then spritz on the cleaner at the end to finish the
cleaning process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Be aware of what you are doing
throughout the day and you will find ways to save money. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As far as combating food prices,
my main tool is my freezer and a storage space for pantry items. Buying meat and frozen vegetables when they
are on sale is a great tool. If you only
have the freezer above your fridge to use, then use it for expensive food items
that go on sale such as meat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am a believer in Ivory bar
soap. I can get it on sale with coupons
all the time for about 15 cents a bar. I
am steering myself away from the shower gels which are costly. I don’t need the fragrance as I spritz on a
very light amount of perfume after I dress.
No need for the scents of a shampoo with a shower gel and then a lotion
along with perfume. Don’t buy into all
of the hype and instead find a bar soap that is cheaper that you like. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I am at the store if I need
a product and don’t have a coupon, I always give the store brand a try. This is true for many items. I am not brand loyal and I am always looking
for a cheaper alternative. For basic
items such as canned tomatoes, pork n beans, and such I can virtually not see or
taste a difference especially when these items are going into soup, chili and
casseroles. I have always added my own ingredients
to pork n beans (ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and vinegar). Why would I care if they are name brand, store
brand or generic? The same is true of
laundry detergent. If I get a name brand
on sale at a really great deal, I buy it (during the summer I can get a great
deal on Tide). I reserve a bottle of Tide, Wisk, Oxydol or other name brand for
those wicked stains that won’t come out.
Then I mix the rest half and half with a store brand that I get on
sale. Once a year a store here in town
has their store brand detergent on sale for $1.00 or less for a 29 load
size. I have also done the same with
mixing sale bought name brand powdered detergent with the Fels Naptha powdered
laundry soap recipe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I use ivory bar soap (rub it into
the stain and let it sit) or a small amount of liquid Dawn dish detergent for
pretreating stains. And since we are on the discussion of laundry,
does each family need a ton of clothes in their closets? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you have children in the home
and you are working, you will have a much more difficult time in saving money
because you are busy and you may not have the time to do some money saving
tasks. I am going to address this in
another post this week as I have been there and I am also there a little bit
now with watching my grandson 4 days a week.
What questions do you have about saving money in general or in a
specific area? What help or ideas do you
have or need? Where are you at in your
household budget? Are you discouraged
and struggling? We may be facing a
different America than was there 20 or 40 years ago, but if you are willing to
put forth effort and keep a smile on your face, you can make it. It is sometimes about attitude and the
willingness to not give up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Leave a comment and I will
address them. </span></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617590846825685957.post-18150353092991421632013-10-14T22:28:00.000-05:002013-10-14T22:28:33.145-05:00Giving up Acrylic Nails<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-size: large;">I started getting
acrylic nails back in November 2000 and continued for 13 years. Acrylic nails are so easy to maintain and I
never had to paint my nails as the color would stay for 2 weeks until I got the
nails filled again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-size: large;">For those who have
never had this process done, a nail tip is applied to your nail and then a gel
like substance is placed over the tip to “fill it in.” Then every two weeks as your nail grows out,
you have to get the nail filled as the bottom of the acrylic nail has moved up
because your natural nail has grown. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">In order to
get the acrylic tips and gel to adhere to the natural nail, the manicurist has
to “sand down” the top of your nail. The
natural nail becomes thin. I tried gel
nails once and the process still involved sanding down the top of my nails.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I decided that I
couldn’t afford to have acrylic nails anymore, I knew that it would take a good
6 months or more to get my natural nails to return to their normal, healthy
state. It’s kind of like growing your
hair out, at some point you want to give in and get your hair cut, but you get
through the worse part of the growth process and then you are happy that you
were patient.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">The first month was
brutal. My nails broke off to the nubs
and they flaked as they grew out. My skin
near the tip of the nail became very, very sore. I applied a nail strengthener for the first
month to help them along, however I stopped after a month because the
strengthener was drying out the nail and causing more breakage. So I have simply let my nails go totally
natural – no strengthener and no polish.
I am trimming them very, very short as one of my nails continues to split
and all of them are just becoming normal in thickness and health. By the time December rolls around I am hoping
that I can then allow the nails to grow out to the tips of my fingers. They will be shorter than I ever had with
acrylic nails, but they will be the perfect length for a grandma changing a lot
of diapers. Also I will then start to
apply polish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">In order to protect my
nails I wear gloves while cleaning or doing dishes and I also apply lotion to
my hands frequently throughout the day to keep my hands and nails moisturized. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">Vanity is what led to my decision to get acrylic nails. I liked the
look of pretty polished nails that I didn’t have to do myself. When I worked in an office I was accustomed
to handling a lot of papers and meeting with clients. My hands and nails needed
to look professional. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">I hung on to this luxury
after I stayed home full time as I enjoyed this treat. My nails are getting healthy and when the
time comes to polish them I can do it myself and change colors often. Before when an acrylic nail broke off, it was quite
noticeable even if I polished the natural nail with the same color of polish. Lastly I am saving $22.00 every two weeks by
not having acrylic nails which brings it to a whopping savings of $572 a
year. YIKES!!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">I fell in love with
pretty polished long nails, but I am finding out that I am going to love shorter
nails that I take care of myself.
Everything I need to give myself a pretty home manicure can be found at
the dollar stores. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am also giving myself
pedicures. I have only had a
professional pedicure about 3 times in my life and professional pedicures are wonderful. I am learning to give myself a home pedicure
and it doesn’t involve a lot of products.
I bought a plastic dish pan to soak my feet, a pumice stone, a nail
file, nail clipper and foot lotion. All
of these products can be purchased for a dollar or less at the Dollar
Tree. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday nights are my
nights for manicures and pedicures. It
just makes sense after a long week that I should treat myself to pretty nails
and feet. Yes I walk around the house holding my hands up waiting
for my finger nails to dry and then I walk around with those separators between
my toes waiting for my toe nails to dry.
The only thing missing is a terry cloth bathrobe and curlers in my hair
to complete the look. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943812281623696381noreply@blogger.com6