Thursday, April 15, 2010

surprise

It been a long time since I have posted here or anywhere really. I have been tired..very tired and worried and busy.
Saturday before Easter we received a little surprise in the form of a pregnancy test with a BFP..or in layman terms..A Big Fat Positive.
But with the first sono, which I received because I just didn't feel right, the doctor said this pregnancy can go either way.
There was a pool of blood in the uterus but the pregnancy was just where it should be for 6 weeks. He didn't see a baby, but that is normal according to him, at this stage.
I didn't have symptoms except for one day, that saturday when I was sick to my stomach, in that familiar pregnancy way. And then nothing. with 4 M/C in my past I knew there might be a reason for no symptoms..hormones were not where they should be..high enough.
Well..FINALLY, I started feeling sick to my stomach more regularly.
Next week I get another Sono just to make sure things are still going well.
Haven't been frugal AT ALL. Hmm..thats another post for another time.

Friday, March 26, 2010

The best laid plans and validation

Yesterday was my day to change my schedule, to become the homemaker I should be, the mother I should be, the housekeeper I should be. I was planning for today, yesterday, as I baked and cleaned.
Today, I was going to be up early with the kids and stay up after..like yesterday. I was going to do a crock pot meal, a pork roast. I was going to wash and HANG UP CLOTHES, to save energy. I was going to be frugal, bake more, and be the master of my home.

Yesterday, I was rejoicing with my progress..I was tired, but a good tired and as I returned home at 9pm from my final errand of the day..all I could think of was my bed..and my pillow..and SLEEP. There were visions of my plans for the next day...and then.....

My phone rang. My hubby's grandmother was sick and needed me to rush her to the hospital.
We got there at 11pm and I finally left at almost 6 am..a full 24 hours after I woke up the previous day. She was admitted to the hospital and I left to make sure my kids were up for school.

I went to sleep, hubby took the kids to the bus stop..that is after he too got home from a double shift. We got home almost at the same time and he volunteered to take the kids. I did not argue..I was grateful.

Well, a couple of hours later my oldest woke me up to take him to work..I don't know how I got home..called hubby's aunt to let her know about her mother, and then fell asleep again..around 12:30pm..my hubby woke up to go to work and I eventual got out of bed, got lunch and made his lunch and then sulked.

My day was blown. No crock pot meal, no laundry hung out in the spring sun, no homemade frugal lunch..well, I did use my homemade bread to make my hubby's lunch..but with McDonald's in one hand and my super size soda in the other, I sulked.

Then I realized..you should thank God. You should thank God that you were available for Molly, you should thank God that you didn't have to call in to any job. You should thank God that you were there and that is one reason you want to be frugal..to be HERE for those who need you.

Wow, I did thank God.
And now I am eating my crock pot roast that I made regardless of the time..and it was good.
I just folded the two loads that I washed and HUNG UP..AND!!!!...I got an awesome deal at CVS.

2 Colgate toothpastes and two small bottles of Dawn dish detergent for..the insane amount of...


FOUR CENTS!!

and left the store with two $3.99 extra care bucks for another day.

PRAISE GOD!!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

a deal and an update.

I just returned from Walmart, had to get some last minute things like deodorant that my hubby forgot to tell me he need until he had to go to work. Since I had to drop my son off with the missionaries (he goes with them in preparation for his own mission), I decided to stop at walmart and get the needed items. Before I left, I took a glance at my "from scratch" dough that was STILL rising and figured I would see what happens to it after I return.

While at Wal-Mart, I remembered that I had a coupon for $1.50/3 off any hormel, spam or (something else I forgot). I went over got some yeast (gotta do what I gotta do), and then searched for the spam singles. They had some today, and they were .84 cents. I grabbed 6 because I had 2 coupons.
6 spam packs @$.84 = $5.04
subtract 2 $1.50 coupons=$2.04
making each $.34

I do believe that is one good deal. My son loves them, and they are a good snack for him. I know they are not the healthiest but he loves them, they are easy, and they save heartache when he is in search of a quick MEAL before dinner..did I mention he is 15 and 6'2?

When I returned, I took another gander at my dough and it actually rose. It was double its size. Not knowing what to do, because I had punched it down already once..only because it was "time" to punch it down..I punched it down and assumed it was the second punch down. Now the dough is rising in the tins...hopefully it will not take HOURS to rise in the tins. But, I will take what I can get.
My kids ate the bread from the bread maker, but they noticed it was just not the same. The bread was to dense and heavy.

Tomorrow I will try again with new yeast.

failure, but lots of potential

Well, my first venture into baking after a long long absence has failed. First, I forgot that one important step to baking or cooking in general: have all your supplies and ingredients ready. I didn't not and after I started I found that A. I did not have a complete set of measuring spoons, B. my yeast was expired, but I hoped it would still work, C it is required that you start with a clean working area.

So, I set myself up with failure, but realized that it was all preventable. I started by proofing the yeast to see if it was still viable...but I use a bread maker..so I started adding the ingredients to the machine and got as far as the first one...WATER..ok..so far so good, the second OIL..ummm? Forgot I used the last bit of oil last night..so I needed to make a run to the store..my yeast seemed to be proofing well..or so I thought.
well, came back from store and added all the ingredients to the machine..but struggled with measurements because of A..no measuring spoons. Well, I had one, the 1/8th and I used that.
added all the wet ingredients and dried ingredients..and started the machine..

but realized I didn't use the proofed yeast..just kept adding the ingredients in order and did not figure out that I had the proof yeast..by the way, I had a 4 year trying to get my attention most of the time..so I am not THAT scattered brain.

So, then I decided why not make more bread..a la "from scratch"..so I got a neat recipe from online. I will post the link when I am on my laptop as I have it saved to favorites there.

worked the dough, and set it to rise..and rise..and rise..and rise..Hmmm? Maybe the yeast was dead, or maybe my kitchen was to cold..it was cold..very cold..

so..by this time my bread machine beeped (I had been homeschooling and cleaning and cooking this whole while).. I looked at my little loaf. I guess the yeast was not good..because my bread did not rise as high as it should have.
Sadly I have LOTS of yeast, because a while ago, when I was on another homesteading/frugal kick I came across a HUGE clearance on yeast and I stocked up on yeast. .10 cents for a pack of 3..you can imagine the amount I had..I went crazy with yeast. I have had it in the fridge for ages..hoping that it would keep. Well..I guess not.

So I will have to go buy new yeast..and lesson learned..just because its a great deal doesn't mean you need it all right then and there.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

reading

What's On Your Nightstand

Currently I am reading, Jesus the Christ by James Edward Talmage, The Book of Mormon, War and Peace and a children's book called Katarina by Kathryn Winter.

Jesus the Christ is a very interesting book that I have had on my shelf for years. I never tried to read it and always wanted to attempt it..finally, I did.

Currently, I am on chapter 2 and have already had a few Ah-ha moments. I might tell you about them later.

The Book of Mormon is a constant book on my night stand, but I am striving to read it on a regular basis..what helps now is that my kids have been challenged at church to read the whole Book of Mormon. I have 2 non-readers, and I must read to them if I want to help them meet this challenge. So, I read with them and then alone.

War and Peace is another book that I am rereading. I read the book a very long time ago and loved it..but have forgotten many of the details..so here I am again trying to read it.

The children's book Katarina was one I found long ago and got it for my kids who never seemed to read it. It seemed lonely so, I am now reading it. Its good, for a children's book. It is about the Holocaust through the eyes of a young girl.

So, there you have it..the books on my nightstand.

new post on a newer blog

I blog a lot..but I decided to start yet another blog. I am trying to learn the ropes as a frugal mom, and I am going to try to document those attempts here. If I find a good deal, it goes here, if I mess up and splurge, it goes here..also, I homeschool, and I might have a few homeschool posts. My other blogs started as a homeschool blog but ended up as a dumping ground for my adoptee reunion with my birth mother.
You will not find any of that emotional roller coaster here..
My goals
Be more frugal so I can be a stay at home mom for a while longer due to the fact that my hubby's grandmother is in need of extra care.
Be more frugal so we can learn to live within our means, save and hopefully buy a home.
Be a better homemaker and learn to manage my time.
Those are a few of my goals, and I hope to start and continue, because I have started many a times before and never ever followed through.


Maybe this will be the time that I can be successful.