My computer crashed

I'll be back.  My computer crashed and I waited for a good sale in order to buy a new one.  In the meantime I am loading software, learning my way around a new computer and trying to get updated on everything.  Fortunately I had backed up all of my photos and files not very long ago.

I will be back - I promise.

New Post Coming - - -

I received a few e-mails wondering if I am fine as I haven't posted for a while.  Actually, I thought it had only been a week when I realized that it had been a lot longer than that.  I will be back up to "posting" speed this weekend.  Life got busy and I am back. . . . hint, hint - getting ready for my first grand baby.

Are you on my Blog Roll?

If you have a blog and I don't have you listed on my blog roll or blog list, leave a comment and I will add you.  Also, I have been missing some blogs that I used to follow - not sure what happened, but I am going to blame being 50ish, going through menopause, having a puppy and a geriatric dog at the same time.  This is my way of making sure I'm not missing any of the people that follow me so I can keep on following them on their blogs.   I have been meaning to do this for a long time.  Thanks.

Blogger Changes

I must be getting old as I don't like the Blogger changes and it will be awhile before I understand everything.  Sometimes I wonder if things have to change just so they have a "pretty new look."  Well, I will have to get this figured out as having extra spaces between paragraphs is getting to the "type A" portion of me.  Ugh.

Using My Frugal Skills

I have spent a lot of my "spare" time over the past week preparing for a couponing program that I gave at our women's group at church.  It always happens - I don't think it will take long to work on a project and it ends up taking longer because I put my heart and soul into it.  The one thing that I came up with for the presentation was a handout on "Babysteps to Couponing."  In this handout I talked about not taking everything on at once and starting small and working your way up to a level that you are comfortable with.

I always emphasize that when taking on a new skill never try to learn or do everything all at once.  Take those baby steps until you are comfortable with a new skill.  If you try to do everything related to couponing and stockpiling all at once, you will burn out and get discouraged.  Start small and work your way up.

I have a lot of coupons that need to be clipped and I plan on enlisting the help of the college students that live with us and hang out at our house.  They are more than willing to help me with anything I need. 

Sunday evening I was in the livingroom working on my coupon presentation.  I went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee and there were our live in college girls doing dishes, cleaning up the kitchen and tidying up.  They want to help me out with the housework and they pitch in without my having to ask. 

This living situation is working out.  It is because these girls are a perfect match to our family and they fit in so well.  I know we are lucky.  I enjoy their company so much and I feel I have two "adopted" daughters now.  I dread when they graduate and move on but I know we have made life long friendships.

I heard on the news this morning that the stock market is doing well, but gas prices are out of sight.  This makes living below our means a little more challenging.  But hey - I love a challenge as long as it is not too tough. 

I try to prepare healthy meals and everyone in our household appreciates that.  Preparing healthy meals that don't cost a lot is a definite challenge.  Last night I roasted 3 bone in chicken breasts that had been on sale for 99 cents a lb.  I served the chicken with Birdseye Steamers - Wild Rice and Broccoli.  I used two packages and I remember that I was able to get them on sale for 75 cents each.  Along with this I had half a loaf of French bread left in the fridge.  I sliced it and buttered it and toasted the slices in the oven.  I made a tossed salad from lettuce, red peppers, green peppers, cucumbers and carrots.  All of these items had been on sale at a good price. Then I served fresh pineapple.  One whole pineapple was on sale for only $2.49.  For dessert - there were cookies in the cookie jar.   

This was not only a healthy meal but an easy meal to prepare for the 5 of us.  There is leftover salad for supper tonight and leftover chicken in the fridge for sandwiches for lunches. 

I have not baked homemade bread in quite a while but have decided that I need to make time as the store bought bread is expensive and not near as nutritious.  So I have finally used up enough things from the freezer and have space for loaves of my homemade bread.

Now on to some little blogger "housekeeping"  My post on putting our dog Buddy to sleep had some interesting comments.  Generally I don't like to post anonymous comments but many times people leave their name and I will go ahead and post them. 

Today I posted quite a negative anonymous comment regarding Buddy.  It isn't even the worst comment I received.  I decide when to post comments as I review them all.  Since I started this blog in September 2009 I have probably only not posted 5 comments in that entire time.  Leave it to an article about our pet dog to bring out the ugly comments. 

If you're going to have a blog, you have to take ugly comments as they come as it is just part of having a blog.

Doing a Search on my Site

For some reason, the "search this blog" gadget is not working on my site.  In the meantime to do a search on my blog, simply use the general blogger search box located in the upper left hand corner at the top of the blog. 

Martha

Problem with "Search this Blog" Gadget

Is anyone else having problem with this gadget?  Links come up and when I click on the tabs for search the web or search my blog list, they show different articles to read BUT when I click on the link to search my blog, nothing happens.  You can't even click on it to do a search on your very own blog.  Anyone else notice this?

Hold That Thought . . . .

 I am completely worn out and tired. I've been battling a cold so I am going to delay blogging today's post to Monday, the 11th.  Tomorrow is Prom here in our community and our son is attending and on Sunday evening I am co-leading the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace seminar at our church.  I need to get ready for the seminar and I know that tomorrow I will also be going with my son and his date to get their pictures taken around town.

And if that wasn't enough this morning we awoke to some pipes leaking in our basement.  Our plumber was quick to get here and quick to get the repairs done.  The only problem is we have a bunch of stuff that got soaked and we need to go through everything and find what we can keep and what needs to be pitched.  Fortunately it was stuff that wasn't that important anyway. 

I need to go to bed and rest in order to have the energy I will need to get everything done this weekend.  We'll see if I can really do it as I love to blog and I love to look at all the blogs that I am following. It's hard to stay away for long. 

I should add one more thing before I go, I am doing great on the $25 grocery budget I gave myself. 

So ... hold that thought and I will be back by Sunday evening or Monday morning to discuss the review on the Tightwad Gazette II --- if I can stay away that long. 

Dinner Tonight - March 29th and Writing for a News Website

Tonight we had leftover turkey casserole from last night.  I think it tasted even better tonight and everyone enjoyed it.  I still have two servings left so I will freeze those leftovers for when I am the only one home for dinner.  I did add a fruit salad and since we polished off the broccoli last night we had some green beans.

I write for a News Website that covers the local and state news in our area.  I have a column that is called Living on Less and I really enjoy writing for it.  Lately I have been posting an article about every 3 weeks but I need to post at least every other week.  The problem is, writer's block.  I couldn't think of what to write, until last night when I was working on the Tightwad post.  It came to me. 

I'm going to write a series of articles about the process of deciding if a woman can afford to stay home and the steps that need to be taken in that decision making process.  Since I am a woman and I have gone through this, I can only speak to women and I hope that no one thinks I am being sexist.  It only makes sense to write from what I have experienced. 

Last night and this morning I started to make a list of the decisions that need to be made and the process that is involved in this important decision.  There are many questions a couple needs to ask themselves prior to the wife staying home full time.

Also, if it isn't possible for the wife to quit her job, then I will talk about finding happiness in your work.  I had hoped to have it posted by tonight, but it is evolving into a series that will require more of my time.  When it is posted, I will put up a link to the site. 

New Blog Background Update

Okay, rule number one, don't play around with your blog design and color when you should be heading out the door to church.

I've changed the background back and will change the text colors and such when I get home this afternoon.  I didn't like the new background so I am going back to what I had, and loved, and will play with the background and colors when I have more time.

What was I thinking?  That suddenly on a Sunday morning, 10 minutes before leaving for church that I would come up with some cool design that usually takes me 30 minutes to play with?

New Blog Background

I changed my background and text colors as I had a few comments saying that it was hard to read with the old background and white text.  So, let me know if you like this.  I'm not sure if I like the text color combinations but I was trying to come up with something that was easy on the eyes.  I also have enlarged the font.

Let me know what you think.  It's okay to be critical.

I have much to share, but it will have to wait

I am very tired and am going to bed, but I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  We will be celebrating Christmas beginning Christmas Eve when I will be preparing a light meal for our sons and daughter in law.  As to the light meal I am serving chicken and noodles, dinner rolls, crackers and cheese and some little smokies sausages in barbecue sauce.  For dessert we have the ever present Christmas cookies.  We will then go to our church to the Christmas Eve service and after we get home we will open our gifts.  Then I will be preparing a Christmas feast for us and my in laws.  Sooo -- I am a little overwhelmed right now and will get back to posting right after Christmas. 

I miss sharing my day to day life with everyone and will try to share on Christmas day in the evening or on the 26th. 

Blessings to everyone this Christmas season and I do hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and that you are able to spend time with the people you love. 

No Ads on my Blog

I made the decision months ago that I would not be posting ads on my blog for a couple of reasons.  First of all, the intent of my blog is to post my lifestyle change.  Second, there are a ton of blogs out there that post ads and deals all the time.  What could I add that already hasn't been posted?  Third, it has never been my goal to make money from my blog.

I like to keep things simple.  My blog is just that - a simple diary of my life as it has transitioned from full time career woman to stay at home wife.  On occasion I may post about a good deal that I received but I won't be advertising that there is a great coupon for a certain product online and such.  I'll leave that up to the other blogs that have that as a goal.  I subscribe to several of those blogs and they are up to date on the current deals and such.  Trying to duplicate what other blogs are doing would be ridiculous.  After all, they are doing it better than I ever could.

So if you happen over here to this blog, you will get a simple version of my life and what I am doing.

Sugar Doll Award

Thanks to Elizabeth over at Trenches of Mommyhood for awarding me the Sugar Doll Blogger Award.  The rules are to list ten things that you may not know about me and then pass the award on to ten other bloggers.  Drum roll please . . . . . . .

1. I love old black and white movies.

2. We plan our vacations around sports (usually baseball) and historical sights.

3. I want to live in the Smokey Mountain region some day.

4. I want to go to Europe and visit Normandy and other World War II battlefields.

5. I like to sit on my back porch with a good book and a small glass of wine (obviously during warm weather).

6. I have lived in Iowa longer than I ever lived in my home state of New York.

7. I want to learn carpentry.

8. My favorite meal of the day is lunch.

9. I left college at the end of my junior year to get married.

10. I used to be a Republican.

Blogging can be time consuming and sometimes it can be hard to open our lives up for all to see, so to speak.  I love to read what other women are doing with their busy lives and appreciate all the time and energy that these ladies put into their blogs.  I hereby give the Sugar Doll Award to the following blogs:

A Joyful Chaos

50's Housewife

3 Sides of Crazy

Frugal Homemaker Plus

Good & Cheap Eats

Little Bits

Mom's Cooking Club

My Blessed Life

My Financial Kingdom

The Beginning Farmer's Wife

As a recipient of the Sugar Doll Award please post 10 things that people may not know about you and then list 10 blogs that you follow and pass the Sugar Doll Award on to them.

Blogging Lesson Two

First of all my DH and I are leading a SS class on a book written by Max Lucado called Fearless.  In blogging I am having to face my fears of being an older woman learning all of this techie stuff when I post to other sites and blogs.  This morning I added my blog url to "Life as Mom" except I accidentally added it twice - once under my name and once under my url.  Oops - I think there are more women out there like me who want to blog, want to tweet, want to use facebook but first of all have only so much time in the day to do all of this plus to sit down and learn it all.  My techie adviser is my 16 year old son.

However, if you were to ask me to prepare a Warranty Deed, Nunc Pro Tunc Order, documents to open a probate matter, file legal documents and track cases in the court system, then I am your lady. When I worked all of those hours at the law firm I didn't have time to come home at night and participate in blogs and such so I didn't get on the computer except to check my e-mail and to do a quick search.

The intent of my blog is for me to share this journey I am on and to make my blog easy to navigate.  I don't want to clutter it up with a bunch of other things.  I want to make it easy to read, easy to search and easy for anyone to add comments. One reason it took me so long to begin a blog was that I knew that I could easily get caught up with spending a lot of time on the computer and not getting my housework done.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I could sit here and search the computer and read other blogs and before you know it an hour or two has passed.  Yet - it is a great outlet for me and a way to meet a lot of people with the same like mind. 

So - here I am facing my fears on blogging and such and not wanting to look ridiculous.  Up to now the biggest fear I had faced was being in a car with a teenage boy trying to teach him how to drive.

Blogging

I was a legal assistant for many years and I used several different computer programs at work.  However I am a beginner at computer language and such so starting this Blog was a challenge to me.  Learning the computer lingo and setting things up was foreign to me but I have plodded on in hopes that people would look past my mistakes on how my blog looked to what I was posting. 

I have struggled to find time to blog as I have been putting dust bunnies ahead of writing what was going on in my day and my life. Or perhaps my real problem was that I wanted to be able to post the good things and not face what was not working in my new life at home.  That defeats the whole purpose of having a blog if I choose to sanitize it. 

So here is to a new day and to more postings.

Leaving the workplace

I lost my job on July 31, 2009.  I had plenty of time to prepare for this and my husband and I decided that I would stay home and not look for another job.  I am tired.  I had worked for 16 years as a legal assistant and the stress at times was great. Now I have traded in the work stress for the challenge of learning to live on one income. 

I am not too computer savvy but I wanted to start this blog so that I could enter my day to day challenges of re-training myself to not spend money unless it was necessary and to find ways to save money.  Soo - this blog set up may not be perfect but I will learn as I go.