Wednesday Hodgepodge - May 3, 2017

From this Side of the Pond

1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, and rice? What about heat: mild, medium, or hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th a.k.a. Cinco de Mayo?

I enjoy eating Mexican food - both the "Americanized" version of it as well as food prepared in authentic Mexican restaurants.

Typically, I order either tacos or a burrito. As for sides, I'll eat beans and rice. Not sure I've had pinto beans with Mexican food, though.

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In terms of spice - either medium or hot.

On Friday - May 5th - Sophia, Olivia, and I will have a Mexican-theme dinner. I'm not sure yet what I'll make

The day before we have our 4-H club meeting and I bought a piñata and candy for the kids/teens. At the end of the meeting - right before they go home - we'll do the breaking-of-the-piñata-and-scramble-for-the-candy activity.

It should be a fun way to end the meeting.

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been, is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

My parents took my sister, brother, and I to Mexico when I was 16 years old. My sister was 14 and brother 12. It was a vacation that took us from Mexico City to a loop north and then south hitting such places as Taxco and Acapulco. I am so grateful to my parents for this family vacation.

There were parts that I enjoyed - exploring another country with my family, seeing the art and marketplaces, seeing the jewelry in Taxco, and going parasailing in Acapulco. It was an excellent way to practice my Spanish skills and put into practice what I had learned in high school Spanish class.

Source

It was fun to try different food there - although we had to be very careful because the water wasn't safe to drink. So - no all the fruits and vegetables had to be cooked - nothing raw.

It was first time that I learned that the tacos my Mom made were not like the Mexican tacos. When I ordered them, the meat wasn't ground hamburger, but rather nice cuts of cubed meat. I was convinced they didn't know how to make tacos. Where was the shredded lettuce and cheese; and chopped green peppers and onions?

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

I'd like to see all the gardens weeded and looking nice before Memorial Day weekend.

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

If I were mayor, I'd like to see a place where older people (50+ years old) could go for art classes, swimming, woodworking, educational activities, exercise/yoga classes, and meals. This would keep people engaged in life, connected with one another, and fend off loneliness (a major issue with an aging population in a rural area).

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I'd also like to see a safe place for those with Alzheimer's Disease to go and spend the day, giving their caregivers a much-needed break. There isn't anything like this in our town. The closest services like these are at least ten miles away.

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

So, I had to look up what's popular these days because I think I'm out of the loop on a lot of things. Found out that pink is the color of clothes to wear in 2017. Missed the boat on that one.

There also are popular color palettes for homes. Who knew. The top one: pastel colors called "Day Dreaming." It looks like colors that would decorate a child's nursery. I can't imagine having an entire home like that.

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On the color palettes website, there was a quote: "Rescue is the new buzzword that is replacing recycling, and handcrafted and raw materials are seeing a resurgence." Here's something that I can get behind.

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being "I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year," and 1 being, "What's a Vader?" - where do you land?

Not a fan of the Star Wars series. I didn't even know there was a Star Wars Day. I would rate myself a 2 on the scale of 1 to 10. I know who some of the characters are, but have no idea who the majority are or what the story line is for the movies - as a whole or by themselves.

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

My fourth blog post was written in June 2008 about Waldorf-inspired window stars that I made (and still do). Each of the stars are created by folding very small pieces of a special translucent paper multiple times - anywhere from a few times to over 20.

I mentioned putting them up in our windows to enhance the area where we homeschool as well as posting photos of what I made on Flickr and selling them on Etsy.

This is still something I'm doing - almost nine years later. Showing photos of the window stars I've made through the years is something that I've written about periodically.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I was surprised when I looked back on photos from the past five years that I had none from any Cinco de Mayo meals or activities that we've done. I  did find pictures of the girls on March 7, 2008, eating treats from a bakery in a Mexican supermarket/restaurant that we enjoy going to periodically. We were doing a homeschool unit study using the American Girl series focused on Josephina.

Sophia and Olivia eating treats from a Mexican bakery when

they were 7 and 5 years old respectively.

The girls were so excited about these treats - first, because they were huge and second, because they were delicious. The bakery has such a wide range of sweet treats that the girls still like looking at and sometimes getting something from if they are hungry.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Speaking of food, I have a few free food/deliveries from Blue Apron available to the first people I hear from.

Please send me an email with your first and last name as well as email address so I can let Blue Apron know. (My email address is - without the spaces: annmarierink @ hotmail . com .

Blue Apron will send you a special code that you use to get a free delivery! Hurry...I'll give them away on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saving Money and Being Frugal - Week in Review - April 8th-14th

Here's what the week from April 8th-14th looked like:

Progress on Financial Goals I Set for this Week

Last week, I set three main goals and two sub-goals to work on. This is how I did:

- Check to see if the beneficiary information on all insurance contracts; and investment and retirement accounts are updated. I didn't do this.

- Pick up the taxes from the accountant and then meet with the financial planner (in the same office) to do the following two things:

(1) Make a deposit into two Roth IRAs; and

(2) Help Sophia and Oliva set up their first mutual funds/Roth IRAs after meeting with a financial advisor.

I picked up the taxes and had them electronically filed. The majority of the refunds for federal and state taxes will be used to pre-pay estimated taxes for 2017. The rest of the refund for federal taxes will be invested in an IRA.

An appointment is scheduled for Monday at 4:15 p.m. with the financial planner who will have all the paperwork set up for the IRAs.

- Read Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey. I did this and wrote a blog post with notes about what I wanted to remember and do.

Progress on Blog Goals I Set for this Week

- Write information that I want to remember from "The Retirement Catch-Up Guide - 54 Real-Life Lessons to Boost Your Future Resources Now."

Wrote a post about this book and another book about investing when you're in your 20s and 30s.

Even though I'm past that point by 2-3 decades, I'm thinking about Sophia and Olivia.

- Continue to work streamlining and organizing our home by doing Weeks 13 and 14 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home. This didn't happen yet again. It was a busy week and my focus was to do the decluttering of files as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

- Write an update about 40 Bags in 40 Days about Days 30-40. Wrote a post about the conclusion of the challenge and how we got rid of 59 bags of trash, recycling, or donated items during a 40-day period.

- Make natural Vapor Rub using essential oils. Did not have a chance to do this.

- Write information that I want to remember from "Financial Peace Revisited." Wrote a post on April 11th about this book.

- Make Citrus Dusting Spray. Didn't make this.

- Write information that I want to remember from "How to Retire the Cheapskate Way." Wrote a post about this book on April 13th.

Smart and Not-so-Smart Purchases

- We underestimated the amount of powdered sugar and baking powder that we had on hand and needed for recipes. So, instead of being able to purchase it inexpensively where we normally shop, we had to go to the corner supermarket since we are about 14 miles (one way) from the larger grocery stores.

- Went to the Dollar Tree for some of the gifts for the Easter baskets.

- Limited gifts in Easter baskets to five per person (with several coming from the Dollar Tree). Aimed for practical gifts that could be used rather than luxury items.

Frugal Meals

- Ate leftovers for four out of seven dinners this past week. Rather than making food and not eating all of it, we are reducing food waste which is good.

What was on the table for dinner last week:

Saturday - Leftovers.

Sunday  - Parmesan crusted chicken with fettucine and roasted broccoli (Blue Apron meal)

This is the dinner I made. This is half of what was prepared.

It is supposed to serve only two people.

For us, this represents 4 different meals

(each one being a 1/2 chicken breast, and

1/4 of the noodles and broccoli).

Monday - Leftovers.

Tuesday - Tacos.

Wednesday - Leftovers.

Thursday - Leftovers.
    
Friday - Hot dogs and/or some shepherd's pie from Trader's Joe that came in the Fare for All pack this past month. The shepherd's pie was enough for two servings, so we supplemented it with other items.

My financial goals for this week:

- Meet with a financial advisor on Monday; and set up Sophia's and Oliva's first mutual funds/Roth IRAs.

- Check to see if the beneficiary information on all insurance contracts; and investment and retirement accounts are updated.

- Pay cash for all expenses at homeschool conference. Carefully consider new curriculum purchases.

Blog as it relates to saving money and home organization:

Since the majority of the week I'll be at a homeschool conference, the only realistic goal is to:

- Continue to do the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (letters O-S) and decluttering homeschool files.

*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on brokeGIRLrich.*

Happy Homemaker Monday - April 10, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....is misting this morning when I let the dogs out. Yesterday, there was thunder in the distance and rain in the afternoon.

Right now I am....having the start of a migraine. Took 800 mg of Ibuprofen and am hoping that it nips it in the bud. Otherwise, it is going to be a very long day.

Thinking....about how good it feels to get rid of 11 bags of recycling since the beginning of April thanks to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge I'm doing. It's all photocopies and clippings that I had filed. I'm going through each homeschooling file and keeping what I want and will use in the next year. What I don't need, I'm recycling. It is creating so much extra space in my home office.

Example of what I'm doing this month.

Above: Files that begin with "E."

Below: After going through them,

the files on the left are what I'm keeping and

the bag on the right will be papers I'm recycling.

So far, I have done eight posts:

A is for Alphabets and Alphabet Books
Bears, Bread, Books, and Bodies
Cats, Character, and Chinese Inventions
Death, Deer, and Discovery Gardens
Earth Day, Easter, and Etiquette
Forests, Foxes, and Frogs
Games, Gardening, and Grains
Hermit Crabs, Health, and Homeschooling

Reading... Winsome Womanhood by Margaret Sangster. The book was written in 1900 and the MN-LINK system had it! I am so grateful for MN-LINK because it allows anyone in Minnesota to order books from any library in the state - some are public and some are colleges. Very rarely do I need to purchase a book since at least one library carries what I want to read.

I had never heard the word Winsome used before so I looked it up. It means "generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence."

It is written for "women, with a wish and hope that it may prove suggestive and helpful to the girl in her teens, who faces so many problems, and stands before an unknown future, to the older woman bearing the responsibilities of middle life, and to her whose outlook is toward the setting sun."

As I was flipping through the book, a quote stood out about the value and "power of womanhood as exhibited in....the doing the little things which alone lie within...reach":

The blessing of her quiet life

Fell on us like the dew.

I immediately thought of my Mom. So many little things she did during her years as a stay at home mom/homemaker that we subtly knew were happening and were nourished by. Yet, she never won awards or was well-known for these things that made our life such a happy one growing up.

On my TV.....the last thing I watched on t.v. was Grey's Anatomy and Scandal on Thursday evening.

Favorite blog post last week (mine or other)....Spirit Cloth combines quilting and embroidery in an artistic way. I enjoyed seeing her latest work with embroidered stars that have a square center and eight triangular points.

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Something fun to share....after the 4-H state wildlife project bowl competition in Sauk Rapids, we went to St. Cloud to attend a pow wow. The colors of the outfits were so vibrant; and beadwork was very intricate and beautiful.

Sophia and Olivia both want to go to more pow wows, so I've been checking to see what other ones are within relatively close driving distance to our home.

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog)....Through the A to Z Challenge, I came across Earlier Years. There have been interesting stories of growing up on a farm in the 1950s and 1960s. Besides the good memories, it also gives a glimpse into the hard work required by farming.

On the menu for this week....aren't determined yet since we have some leftovers I'd prefer to use up first before making new food.

Monday - Leftovers of Blue Apron's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Creamy Fettuccine and Roasted Broccoli. The family meals (which are supposed to serve 4) end up making enough food for 7-8 servings for our family which is great. Lots of leftovers.

Tuesday - The rest of the chicken with fettuccine and/or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Wednesday - Pork roast with baked potatoes.

Thursday - Something with hamburger

Friday - Leftovers.

Saturday - Bratwurst.

Sunday - Easter dinner.

On my to do list....in addition to homeschooling:

Monday -  Sophia has an appointment with the optometrist. She's been having lots of headaches so I'm thinking her eyes have changed again...which means new contacts and glasses. Volunteer at the humane society doing cat socialization. Olivia has her weekly gymnastics lesson also in the afternoon. While she is there, pick up taxes from the accountant.

Tuesday - Homeschool co-op for both the girls and a longer harp lesson for Sophia as she prepares to record a CD. Get supplies for making about 12 welcome baskets for the nursing home (an activity we're leading next Monday).

These were the welcome baskets that

we made with the seniors back in July 2016.

They are given to new residents

when they enter the nursing home.

Wednesday - Dentist appointments in the morning; and Mary B. here for several hours in the afternoon.

Thursday - No appointments or lessons! A full day at home to catch up on whatever we need to do!

Friday - Olivia has a gymnastics lesson. No speech for her this week since it's Good Friday. In the afternoon, we volunteer again at the humane society. Sophia plays the harp for the dogs and cats while Olivia and I pet them. We find that animals that are stressed and anxious benefit the most from the one-on-one time.

Saturday - Depending on the weather, go to a state park that we haven't been to and have a picnic Afterwards, go to United Noodles to get some exotic fruit for Sophia's 4-H project about fruit. Her focus is on fruit that are common in Asian countries, but rare (or not grown) in the U.S.

Dragon Fruit is one of the fruits Sophia wants to try.

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Sunday - Easter. Looking forward to dinner with my sister and brother, and their families.

In the craft basket....I took the two projects I've been working on to the state Project Bowl this past weekend. Having time between competitions gave me just what I needed to finish doing all the blanket-stitching around the Christmas table runner. It's a relief to have that done.

Also sewed the opening on the northwoods flannel quilt. Now I just need to put yarn ties on it. There are 9 ties per horizontal row and 12 ties vertically - so 108 yarn ties. It secures all three layers together (the quilt front, batting, and backing).

Looking forward to this week....seeing my brother and sister. I haven't seen my brother since Christmas, so I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how he is doing and spending time with him. It's good for us "kids" to get together now that both our parents are no longer with us. This is the second Easter without our Mom and sixth Easter without our Dad.

Looking around the house....there's quite a bit of work that I want to do this week in terms of cleaning. Going through the files for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge has taken a lot of time. Yet, one of my goals has been to declutter and organize the household this year. It will all come together...it's just a matter of time.

From the camera....this was Saturday morning's sunrise. We were driving from St. Cloud to Sauk Rapids around 7:00 a.m. The entire sky was painted with shades of yellow, oranges, pinks ,and lavenders.

Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Saving Money and Being Frugal - Week in Review - April 8, 2017

Here's what the week from April 1st-7th looked like:

Progress on Financial Goals I Set for this Week

Last week, I set four main goals and nine sub-goals to work on. This is how I did:

- Review the 12 Months to a More Organized Financial Life from Trivent magazine. Do the recommendations for January-April.

These are the four monthly tasks and my progress on them:

JANUARY: Review retirement savings options. Talked with the accountant who did our taxes; and - because there is a refund - we'll pre-pay all of 2017's taxes and then invest the rest in an IRA. We also will be making more regular payments to the SEPP-IRA and Roth-IRAs.

FEBRUARY: Protect the people you love. I still need to check to see if the beneficiary information on all insurance contracts; and investment and retirement accounts are updated.

MARCH: Prepare for a spring break getaway. I didn't go on a spring break vacation, so there was no need to notify credit card companies that I was or will be going on vacation.

APRIL: Make sure your taxes are right. The 2017 pre-payment amount for taxes will be lowered to reflect a change in income as well as an increase in business expenses. The accountant handled this so that the refund for 2016 taxes is directly applied to pre-payment of 2017 taxes.

- If the taxes are completed by the accountant and I can pick them up, do the following two things: (1) Make a deposit into two Roth IRAs; and (2) Help Sophia and Oliva set up their first mutual funds/Roth IRAs after meeting with a financial advisor.

The taxes were just completed late on Thursday and are ready for picking up.

My daughters and I went out of town on Friday after a morning of appointments, so I was unable to pick up the taxes on Friday and meet with the financial advisor. This will be done next week when we have more free time and before April 15th.

- Using the Letting Go of Debt (a daily meditation book) for ideas, I selected the following goals from the book:

            - Pick one discipline to practice every day for a week (whether it be to make my bed, walk every day, or record my expenses). DONE! As I mentioned above, I've been going through my homeschooling files and recycling what I no longer need or want each day this week as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. It has been a rather labor-intensive project that I didn't foresee (in terms of scope).

However, I have been able to get rid of a lot of photocopies and clippings (from newspapers and magazines) which has freed up a considerable amount of space.

Interesting, the area where I've been doing the work on my files is in the financial corner (according to feng shui). This week, I received a $129 order for window stars and we received a considerable amount back in taxes (which we are using to pre-pay all of 2017'taxes and then open a SEPP-IRA with the balance).

Anyway, each day for the rest of the A to Z  Challenge, I'm going to continue to go through the files and keep only what I need and let go of what I don't want.

So far this month, I've written the following posts:

A is for Alphabets and Alphabet Books
Bears, Bread, Books, and Bodies
Cats, Character, and Chinese Inventions
Death, Deer, and Discovery Gardens
Earth Day, Easter, and Etiquette
Forests, Foxes, and Frogs
Games, Gardening, and Grain

            - Write down my top three priorities and keep them in mind when making any decision. DONE on Monday, April 3rd!

My top three priorities in terms of things to invest in for the future:
=> Maintaining the type of family life/living we have now (e.g., modest, comfortable, roof over our head).
=> Having a sufficient amount of money to pay for expenses - including health care - in retirement.
=> Being able to take trips to see other parts of the country and/or world.

Monitor on the airplane to Tokyo.

I'd love to go back to China to show

Sophia and Olivia where they born;

and then re-visit Japan to see my friend (Yoshiko) again.

I also think the following questions should be asked each time a purchase is made:
=> Does this purchase help me reach one or more of my priorities?
=> Are there more benefits than disadvantages to buying this item?
=> What will I have to sacrifice to get this item (e.g., not enough money to get food; less money at retirement)?

            - Brainstorm a list of simple treats that rely only on me - a hot bath, a walk in the park, or an exercise routine. Treats that will not only reward me but also will improve me. DONE on Wednesday, April 5th!

Here's the list of some things I came up with:

- A hot bath with fragrant soap and/or essential oils.
- Taking the dogs on a walk - whether it be down the road or at a state park.
- Use a face mask and nice lotion.
- Have a healthy snack - like mixed nuts or a piece of fruit.
- Do a nature journal entry.
- Read surrounded with the dogs and cats.
- Get a hammock and relax in that in the backyard.
- Enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate or Russian tea.
- Spend some time coloring using Prismas (colored pencils).

One of the mandalas I colored with colored pencils.

- Look for small ways to save $500 or $1000 a year.  DONE on Wednesday, April 5th!

I looked online for ideas. These were some that were most relevant to our situation and could easily be tried:

- Skip the grocery store this week. See if you can't feed your family with the things that you already have in the pantry.
- Save money in a ceramic bank (like the ceramic fish I have from my parents). Use that to purchase items that are $10 and under rather than using a debit or credit card.
- Make your own gifts using items you have on hand.
- Repair clothing rather than buying new clothes.
- Prepare and freeze casseroles in bulk. You're less likely to buy fast food.
- Check out free events around the community and neighboring towns.
- Plant a garden. Use the seeds from last year that we didn't plant.
- Eat less meat....and eat more vegetables and fruits.

Vegetable and noodle salad I made.

- Clean my wallet. DONE on Friday, April 7th!

I needed to do this prior to taking a trip for the state Project Bowl to make sure I had needed items (e.g., driver's license, credit card for ID to check into a hotel, cash to pay for all expenses).

Got rid of a pile of expired cards, cards I don't use, receipts, and checks that stores give you back after you make a purchase.

Put together all the gift cards, movie passes, and discount cards. Realized I need to find current car insurance cards (the ones I have expired in February 2017).

            - Create a personalized checklist to track my behavior regarding money. (See February 10th for ideas.)

I did not do this. I'm thinking that it may just be one more thing I'd have to do in an already full schedule. Will think more about if doing this checklist would be of value.

            - Remember one joy or dream I had in my youth and find a way to reintroduce it into my life.

One of the things that I enjoyed doing as a child/teen was arts and crafts.

Almost done...just the edge needs to be embroidered

using the blanket stitch.

This past week, I worked more on a quilt and table runner. I think it's a matter of making the time...carving it out of my schedule and making it a priority.

The edge needs to be sewed and yarn ties added; and

then the quilt is done!

- Read Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey.

I didn't read the book this past week.

Progress on Blog Goals I Set for this Week

- Continue to work streamlining and organizing our home by doing Weeks 13 and 14 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home.

Yet another week went by that I didn't do this project. Cleaning the basement (which is Week 13) is a rather time-consuming project because I also want to wash the walls; bleach areas of the walls and floor; sweep the floor and seal it (where the drain tiling was installed); and organize items I am storing there.

Hopefully by the end of April I'll have this project done.

- Write an update about 40 Bags in 40 Days about Days 30-36.

In lieu of doing an update about the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge, I've been posting daily pictures of cleaning my files and getting rid of 1-2 bags per day. Although it's not the same challenge, the end result is the same: decluttering.

Bags of recycling from two of the days this past week. 

The last time I wrote was March 29th. At that point, I had 43 bags I had recycled, thrown away, or donated. Add the 8 I've done through the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and that's 51 bags total!

- Make natural Vapor Rub using essential oils. I didn't do this.

- Make Citrus Dusting Spray. I didn't do this.

- Write information that I want to remember from The Retirement Catch-Up Guide - 54 Real-Life Lessons to Boost Your Future Resources Now. I read this book last week...just need to type what I want to remember.

- Write information that I want to remember from Financial Peace Revisited. I didn't do this.

Smart and Not-so-Smart Purchases

Smart Purchase
- Private gymnastics lessons - although expensive (compared to class lessons) - the lessons have moved Olivia from Beginner to Intermediate and into Advanced in about a month's time. Compared to what it would have cost for Olivia to do the entire 8-week Intermediate class, the private lessons are less expensive. The goal is to get her to a level where the youth are about her age and eventual skill level.

Frugal Meals

- Ate leftovers for several meals which was a good way to stretch the food budget and use up what was on hand. The Blue Apron meals make more than the suggested four servings. We are getting about 7-8 meals from them which makes the meals more affordable and (calorie-wise) more in line with what we should be eating.

What was on the table for dinner last week:

Saturday - Pork roast in the crockpot.

Sunday  - Leftovers.

Monday - Roasted chicken in the crockpot.

Tuesday - Leftovers.

Wednesday - Blue Apron meal: Spicy Korean Rice Cakes

Thursday - Leftovers.
    
Friday - Out to eat (traveling).

My financial goals for this week:

- Check to see if the beneficiary information on all insurance contracts; and investment and retirement accounts are updated.

- Pick up the taxes from the accountant and then meet with the financial planner (in the same office) to do the following two things:

(1) Make a deposit into two Roth IRAs; and

(2) Help Sophia and Oliva set up their first mutual funds/Roth IRAs after meeting with a financial advisor.

- Read Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey.

Blog as it relates to saving money and home organization:

- Continue to work streamlining and organizing our home by doing Weeks 13 and 14 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home.

- Write an update about 40 Bags in 40 Days about Days 30-40.

- Make natural Vapor Rub using essential oils.

- Make Citrus Dusting Spray.

- Write information that I want to remember from The Retirement Catch-Up Guide - 54 Real-Life Lessons to Boost Your Future Resources Now.

- Write information that I want to remember from Financial Peace Revisited.

*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on brokeGIRLrich.*

Happy Homemaker Monday - March 27, 2017

Family Corner

The weather.....alternates between raining and being overcast. We haven't had rain for some time so it's good for the trees and grass. Perhaps it will make things more green and Spring-like.

Right now I am....planning the A to Z challenge that begins on April 1st.

I'm going to be going through my homeschool files and getting rid of papers that I no longer need or want; and then either doing projects or writing things about each of the letters. It's a way to use the files rather than letting them just take up space in my (home) office.

Thinking....about the fun time I had this weekend. Sophia and I went to an expo that featured local businesses on Saturday. There were tons of freebies, drawings, and free food sampling from Famous Dave's (a barbecue place). We're hoping that we win one of the drawings we signed up for at the expo.

On Sunday, we saw Beauty and the Beast at a movie theater that has reclining chairs. We have seats that we like to be in (there is no one directly in front of us because of an aisle; and we're in the center middle part of the theater) and had to search through all the different movie times to find the seats that we could reserve.

This is the only movie theater near us that takes reservations. It's the only way that you're guaranteed a seat for movies. At any rate, the only time available that had "our" seats: 9:15 a.m.! We've never gone to a movie in the morning, so that was a first for us.

Source

The movie was very well done. The costumes were elaborate and beautiful; and the sets and special effects impressive.

One of the costumes from the movie.

Source

There were some parts of the movie that I didn't expect - like the scene where Belle takes the Beast back to her childhood home in Paris. She wanted to know what happened to her mother.

The Beast discovered a metal mask that doctors wore in the 16th and 17th century when the bubonic plague broke out. Belle's mother had the plague; and implored her husband to take Belle and escape so she wouldn't be affected by the plague. Her father confirmed this when they returned to the French village where they lived. I knew about the bubonic plague, but for some reason didn't make the connection to France.

Reading...still moving along in Animal Dialogues. Got many new books from the library to read over the upcoming couple of weeks.

On my TV.....didn't watch anything from Thursday night to now. Probably won't put on the t.v. until Tuesday night for a few shows I enjoy watching.

Favorite blog post last week (mine or other)....we have been using the Handbook of Nature Study for many years now as part of our homeschooling. One of the sections in the book is about zoo animals.

On March 16, 2017, we went with our 4-H club

on a behind-the-scenes tour and got to see the bears' kitchen.

The buckets are the food for the three grizzly bears.

They had a lot of good-looking produce -

including lettuce and carrots.

In March 2009, Sophia and Olivia were able to

see a sea otter up close.

In addition to sharing some facts about ten animals featured in the book in the post, I went back and looked at photos over the past ten years that I took of my daughters and I at zoos and sanctuaries with animals; and/or animals in the wild. It brought back many good memories.

Something fun to share....I was looking through my Pinterest boards and came across one I had started about hope chests.

These were something that seemed to be talked about more when my parents were growing up, although I do recall wooden hope chests being advertised when I was a teenager. The advertisements encouraged parents to purchase one for their daughters and start putting things in them to give to them either when they married or went off to college.

There are ideas on the Pinterest board for creating items for one's daughter: recipe box with favorite family recipes, kitchen towels, washcloths, and other practical items that can be used when she is starting a new life - either at college or in a relationship.

One of the crafts I like is for a tea towel that is at Lil' Luna.

Perhaps this Spring or Summer I can get started in making some items for Sophia and Olivia.

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog)....I'm wanting to learn how to make soap with lye and came across Sun Drop and Roses which shows a variety of different soap and bath bombs that she has made.

On the menu for this week....some of these meals may be leftovers instead if there's extra food that we need to finish first.

Sunday (yesterday) - Spiced Pork with Sweet Red Onions and Black Beans (Blue Apron meal). The picture below is from Blue Apron because their presentation is so nice.

The dinner was amazing! So much flavor; and the quality of the food was exceptional. This meal came to us thanks to Marci at Stone Cottage Adventures who gifted us with two meals (the other one we had last Friday).
Monday - Sloppy Joes
Tuesday - Taco Pockets
Wednesday - Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
Thursday - Barley Soup
Friday - Savory Southwest Couscous Salad
Saturday - Pork Roast with Potatoes and Gravy
Sunday - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

On my to do list....in addition to homeschooling:

Monday - Sophia and I do our second volunteering one-on-one session with cats at the humane society where she plays the harp.

I'm assigned to spend time with El - a 12-year cat.

Olivia has her weekly gymnastics lesson later that afternoon. She's making very good progress between doing that and a private lesson each week. Her coach's goal is to move her as quickly through the beginner and intermediate levels so she can be in the advanced level and be with girls closer to her age and eventual skill level.

Tuesday - Homeschool co-op for both the girls and harp lessons (Sophia). Bring taxes in if I didn't do so on Monday.

Wednesday - Sophia and I go to a thrift store to meet with a fashion consultant. We filled out a rather comprehensive online form that describes our style and size; and then linked to our Pinterest boards that visually shows what type of clothes we like. She will pull clothes and accessories that fit what we are looking for which will save us time.

In the late afternoon, go to Fare for All to get food that is sold at a greatly-reduced rate. The program is open to anyone who wants to stretch their budget.

Thursday - Take Sophia and Olivia to the Wildlife Project Bowl practice. Only one more practice and then we're headed to the state competition. I may take a mixed media necklace class at a bead store and ask if they can teach me how to make earrings as well.

Friday - Olivia has speech therapy and a private gymnastics lesson. If the weather is nice, have a backyard picket and finish sealing cracks in the concrete foundation/basement walls and steps.

Saturday - Do some crafting for the county fair. Start a thorough spring cleaning of the house.

Sunday - Pick up any litter along our property and across the street from us that's in the ditch.

In the craft basket....I quilted the Christmas table runner which was both fun and challenging. It's a random pattern that I created as I went along. It's nothing fancy...yet it does its job of holding the top, batting, and backing in place.

I purchased the flannel backing for the northwoods quilt and have it washed and ironed.

Looking forward to this week....decorating for Easter on Sunday.

Looking around the house....I'm happy that we're continuing to get rid of things that we no longer want or need. It will make Spring cleaning easier.

From the camera....went to a new county park on Sunday that I didn't even know existed. It was a bit chilly out - 37 degrees - so I didn't stay long.

However, I want to return when the leaves are on the tree so I can see what the trails and pond look like.

There were a couple geese that were on the pond and then took off; and several beaver lodges. Might be interesting to see what type of wildlife lives there in a month or so.


Also linked to:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

Saving Money and Being Frugal - Week in Review - March 25, 2017

Here's what the week from March 18th-24th looked like:

Progress on Financial Goals I Set for this Week

Last week, I set six goals to work on. This is how I did:

- Bring taxes to the accountant. I've made progress on them. Only three parts left to do - the most difficult ones for me - two businesses and homeschooling because of the volume of receipts and statements I need to condense and total. All other parts are organized and totaled which is a huge relief.

- Take Sophia and Olivia to the local bank so they can deposit money into an emergency fund account that they will each establish. Sophia did this on Saturday, March 18th and Olivia did this on Thursday, March 22nd.

- Help Sophia set up an appointment with a financial advisor to help her set up her first mutual fund/Roth IRA. Talked with a financial advisor earlier in the week about different plans and which one would fit what Sophia is looking for in the long-term. When I bring the taxes into the accountant, we will meet with the financial advisor (they share office space).

- Make a deposit into two Roth IRAs. Did not do this.

- Help Sophia and Olivia set up binders to hold their statements for different accounts (e.g., savings, checking, CD, emergency fund, retirement, college, life insurance). Sophia created her binder on March 21st. Olivia has all the components for creating the binder (e.g., binder, section dividers, page protectors). It's just a matter of putting things in the proper order in the binder now.

Source

- Finish setting up my binder to hold statements for different financial accounts and policies. Did not do this.

Progress on Blog Goals I Set for this Week

Last week,  I set the following blogging goals to work on  as they relate to saving money and home organization:

- Write a blog post about "Paying for College Without Going Broke." I read the book, and wrote a blog post about what I wanted to remember.

- Continue to work streamlining and organizing our home by doing Weeks 11-13 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home. Finished doing Week 4 (which I had been postponing until a more appropriate time to do the challenge), Week 11 and Week 12. Did not have a chance yet to work on Week 13.

- Write an update about 40 Bags in 40 Days about Days  16-22. Did not do this.

- Make homemade Peppermint Bath Melts. Purchased all the supplies to make these, but have not made them yet.

Smart and Not-So-Smart Purchases

A not-so-smart purchase was a generic version of a peroxide cleaner for contact lenses. Even though the ingredients appeared to be the same, the solution ended up affecting the lenses in that two of them ripped.

That was an expensive lesson. We are buying the brand name version of the peroxide cleaner from now on.

Also, one of our new dogs, Danny, snuck a pork chop bone (about 1" long and 1/4" wide) from the garbage and ate it in a matter of seconds.

Since he is small (about 20 pounds), this size bone can pose a challenge. So, we had to take him to an emergency vet who immediately, upon our arrival, took his vitals and did x-rays.

They found that he had four bones in his stomach - three smaller pieces and one larger piece.

The four bones can be seen in Danny's stomach.

They are on the right side of the photo

about in the middle of the x-ray.

The two options were to:
(1) feed him small meals for a few days and hope that the food binds with the pieces of bone and, as they move through the intestines, provides a cushion or barrier between the sharp edges of the bone and the intestinal walls. OR
(2) do surgery which costs about $1,500.

I chose the former...and the vet said she would as well.

Since we paid for the x-rays, I thought it would be good to take photographs of them since we rarely get to see the inside of a dog.

It was a good science lesson for Sophia today.

Frugal Meals

- Ate leftovers was a good way to stretch the food budget and use up what was on hand.

- Friday night's meal was from Blue Apron that we were gifted from another blogger. Another meal will be on Saturday night.

The ingredients to make two dinners - enough for 8+ meals.

That saved us almost $70 in delicious food this week!

What was on the table for dinner last week:

Saturday - Leftover spaghetti or fresh-baked cinnamon rolls with apple slices. (Sophia and Olivia picked the rolls since they were hot out of the oven.)

Sunday  - BBQ beef and pork on homemade parker house rolls. The BBQ beef and pork was a crockpot dinner I made last month and had a lot leftover. Just needed to reheat it for an easy dinner.

Monday -  Turkey meatballs and green peas. This was a memorable meal. One of the meatballs had a penny in it....and I didn't put it there. It looks like it went through a grinding machine at the processing factory or wherever they make ground turkey.

Sophia cut open the meatball and was surprised to find the coin.

It was really sharp and had jagged edges. She ended up cutting her finger on it.

I'm surprised I didn't come across it when I was mixing all the ingredients together or making the meatballs.

Needless to say, we are all a bit hesitant now to eat ground turkey (or any ground product).

Notified Jennie-o (the company that produced the turkey) to let them know that there was a penny in the ground turkey since there are obviously missing pieces to it and probably in someone else's turkey.

Their response was a mixture of apathy towards what happened to Sophia and defensiveness that it was impossible that the coin was in their turkey because of the size of their screens that filter out items. You would think a company would be concerned and want to make sure no one was hurt eating their products.

Well...neeedless to say, after their response we will not be eating ground turkey produced by their company.

Tuesday - Pork chops with dressing.

Wednesday - Pork roast and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Thursday - Leftovers.
    
Friday - Za'atar Spiced Chicken with Bulgur from Blue Apron.

This was super good and the portions were overly generous. The recipe says it makes four servings. However, there were probably eight meals that could have been made from the one recipe. Of course, some of the family members ate what we consider a normal dinner portion plus...because it was so delicious...they had second helpings.

We all agreed that continuing with Blue Apron would be a good idea. Not every week (because we need to be mindful of our spending), but perhaps once or twice a month.

What stands out about the meal, too, is that almost every ingredient was used. With the exception of garlic cloves (which will be used for the other meal that Blue Apron sent), there were no ingredients leftover. So, no food waste.

This is a big deal for us because we enjoy trying new recipes and will buy the ingredients. Often times, there are leftover ingredients that aren't used and that we don't have an immediate purpose for (e.g., fresh cilantro, inner part of lemon if only the zest is used, broth). Sometimes, these are then wasted which is frustrating. I liked not seeing that waste with Blue Apron.

My financial goals for this week:

- Bring taxes to the accountant. There is no more flexibility on this goal since after April 1st there is a 10% surcharge for tax preparation. I don't want to incur that fee.

- Help Sophia and Oliva set up their first mutual funds/Roth IRAs after meeting with a financial advisor.

- Go to a Fashion Consultant at the Thrift Store for New-to-Us Clothes. There's a free service where a fashion consultant helps clients at the thrift store find clothes that match their style.

There's a comprehensive profile form that you fill out ahead of time and provide the link to your  Pinterest board that shows examples of the types of clothes you wear. She will pull clothing in your size and style that she thinks you will like. My oldest daughter and I are doing that this week.

- Go to Fare for All. This is a great way to stretch one's budget. They buy food and/or are given food by grocery stores that are put into food packages and/or sold individually.

The produce pack has a nice variety of fruits and vegetables; the meat pack has about a half dozen types of meats; and the mega meat pack has about a dozen types of meat products. There also are special buys and free bread products.

My parents introduced me to Fare for All, and I've gone to monthly buying events whenever I am able to do so.

- Make a deposit into two Roth IRAs.

- Help Olivia finish setting up her binder to hold her statement for different accounts (e.g., savings, checking, CD, emergency fund, retirement, college, life insurance).

- Finish setting up my binder to hold statements for different financial accounts and policies.

Blog as it relates to saving money and home organization:

- Continue to work streamlining and organizing our home by doing Week 13 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home. The schedule for the year is posted on the link. It's been a very helpful guide to setting up the year and weekly goals.

- Write an update about 40 Bags in 40 Days about Days  16-22 and 23-29.

- Make homemade Peppermint Bath Melts.

- Make natural Vapor Rub using essential oils.

- Make an  upcycled bag holder for plastic bags.

*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on brokeGIRLrich.*