Frugal Challenge - Month #1

This is fun! Here is my Frugal Challenge report for January:
(I know there are 2 days left.. but I am NOT going shopping!)
Total out of pocket: $193.76

The coolest part is this...

This closet had NO food in it prior to January 1.
Really.

And that's not all...

This cupboard had old sheets in it.
Yep... that's right,
for many months to come, we aren't going to stink,
or have cavities AND
we will have clean, tangle-free hair.

But wait! There's more....

Part of how I was able to do this was by adding
money I made from opening a total of 4 new bank accounts.
3 at ING ($25 each) and 1 at a local bank.
This is where I got the above dishes.
That's right - they gave me $50 AND bowls.
How cool is that!

These pictures do not (of course) take into account all the food we CONSUMED or that is in my upright freezer (fairly full - after being mostly empty Jan. 1) and my regular kitchen cupboards that hold ALL the other food. Andrew is also living at home and packing a lunch and my in-laws have been here for 2 weeks. It definitely helps to have a BHAG. (big-hairy-audacious-goal) Which is:

Canon Rebel

so I can take pictures of...

Ketchikan, Ak

Where we'll spend the summer...
Well, a month on the road and a month in AK.
Not a cheap trip.
But who'd a thunk saving money would be this much fun??

p.s. Braden told me I shouldn't put the pictures of our food on the internet because someone would want to rob us. He thinks we can eat forever on this stuff. Sure, if you like Ragu and Peanut Butter for every meal. With a little soda and cat food mixed in.

Ice Storm in Texas

The weather turned very cold yesterday and there was a bit of moisture..... that means an ice storm and it makes the roads treacherous. Braden took Jack for a walk and took this picture, the trees were beautiful! School was delayed 2 hours this morning, but the temperature got up to 55 this afternoon and everything melted. Tonight back into the 20's. West Texas has WILD swings in temperatures.

Shea really wants snow to play in. She had a friend over and they got out all the winter stuff and played in the back yard for quite a while. I guess a bit of ice is better than nothing!

Playing tag with a cat

We have a cat named Faya (means "ugly" in Portuguese) that loves to play hide and seek. This picture doesn't show it well (I REALLY need my new camera!) but Shea is behind the brick column and as soon as Faya gets to her Shea runs to the other end and the cat chases her. Back and forth they go. Very funny!

Shea made the team!!

Shea tried out last night for the Lubbock Swim Club. Braden was on it in the 5th Grade and it is quite a bit of work. At least 3 practices a week (clear on the other side of town!) and swim meets in Lubbock, Midland and Amarillo.

Shea did fantastic on her try outs.... I was amazed because she has only had limited lessons and nothing for almost 2 years.

I didn't think to take a picture of her last night, but here is a short video of Shea when she first taught herself to somersault into the pool about a year and a half ago. Caution: Shea almost cracks her head open on this video.

Andrew the working man....

After 3 years in the grocery world, and a little bit of burn out... Andrew just got a new job at AT&T doing customer support. He is working full time, but didn't want to see his mom's head explode so he signed up for 3 online classes at South Plains College. In the fall, he plans to go to Texas Tech and keep working on his major in business. Way to go Andrew!

I won an award!

I won the Lemonade Award from my friend Tammy Brown!

This award is meant for people who are positive, show gratitude, and of course: make lemons out of lemonade! The rules for this award are that you post the graphic for it, write a post that links back to the giver, and then pass it on to up to ten others. Leave a comment on the blogs that get the award, so they know what's happened. And the award goes to . . . .

Tammy - I know she already won the award before passing it onto me, but deserves it again! http://threegirlsandarussianboy.blogspot.com/

I love to quilt and this crazy mom is a quilting/blogging queen! http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/

These are my quilt sisters. They inspire and motivate met! http://quiltingsisters.blogspot.com/

Melissa Smith does an amazing job with her blog on good ideas for your home. http://granvillehouse.blogspot.com/

Jenifer is my hero. Mother of 6. All night quilter extraordinare. http://toddnjenifermoss.blogspot.com/

Erin has done a fabulous job taking her personal goal and helping others along the way. http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/

This is a great blog dedicated to eating HEALTHY and inexpensively. http://www.5dollardinners.com/

Thanks to Tracey for starting the Frugal Challenge! http://frugalchallenge2009.blogspot.com/

Of course I have to give this award to Tammy... what else are best friends for? http://smithfieldlaw.blogspot.com/

Pictures from Kayla!

Kayla sent home a bunch of pictures...
Here are some of my favorite
(with her notes from the back below each picture)

January 3, 2009
Lila & Toy after their baptism!

Pushing the car out of the snow -
we did that a lot :)

SO many Scarves!
25 between the 3 of us :)
We should start a new fashion line -
"How many scarves do you have?"

Bowling!! I love using the pink ball!

This was on one of their preparation days -
Missionaries need to have some fun too!

My not so good Saturday.

I multi-task.
Usually with bad results.

But this was the mother of all bad results. Yesterday I was driving and decided I needed lotion so I took off my ring and placed it between the seats. The ring fell to the passenger side when I went over a bump, but I couldn't find it on the floor. Later I went out to find it and was moving the seat back to see if it was underneath.

It wasn't.

It was on the seat runner. and got crushed. Very, very crushed. So much for saving money.

Letter to my Aunt

Shea came home today from school with this letter she had written to her Aunt JeNeal. (my sister who passed away) Shea asked if we could go put it on her grave. When I told her that was in Colorado, she said "that's ok, we can do it when we are there next summer".

My Sweet Girl.

Dear Aunt JeNeal,

I wish I met you befor.

I'm sure you would

be extray nice. I made

this for you in art class.

I bet my mom was really

sad. I would be sad if Kayla

died at 21 or at any time.

I would like to changed

when you died. I got to at least

met you befor

that.

Note to readers: Spelling has not been edited. So as to NOT protect the spelling-impaired. Some day, my beautiful, smart girl will learn how to spell. Note also the Texas flag with an armadillo.

Science Projects with the Professor

Things I don't do with my kids

Decorate Easter eggs

Carve pumpkins

And Science Projects

My reasoning...

I carried them INSIDE my body for

9 looooong, not very fun, months

That absolves me from AT LEAST 3 things...

don't you agree?

These jobs belong to

the professor

who cheerfully (most of the time) gets it done

Braden's project is the effects of different types of water on house plants. Going well so far. These are the BEFORE pictures. Project will be done in a week or so and they don't look quite as healthy.

he is a scientist after all

14 years of higher education highly qualifies a person to do

4th & 8th grade science projects. I have no such qualifications.

Shea's FIRST project was with goldfish. But they died.

So she and the professor are doing a taste/smell project.

Involving icecream

garlic

lemon juice

mint

and other smelly things....

Andrew was a very willing subject

This is our neighbor, Corrie. She even brought
over her parents who were vising from Maryland.
Great sports!!

Winter campout... at 70 degrees!

Robert and Braden went this week on a Winter Campout.

It was 70 degrees and beautiful.

Does that REALLY count as a winter campout.

I don't think so.

Braden and Friends after the BIG HIKE

Robert and Joseph

crossing the log

They were STINKY and exhausted
when they got home.
That means they had a good time.

My Frugal Challenge

I am sharing my New Years Resolution on our blog - you know what they say "A goal not written down is just a wish." Plus, I figure this now means I am accountable to my friends and family. I'll report at the end of each month on my progress. This should definitely keep me motivated!

Here's the goal:

I will spend less than $200 each month on food.

Here's why:

Alaska for 1 month and I REALLY need a

Canon Rebel w/ telephoto lens

I don't want to take money out of savings for the trip or camera. We've cut many of our other expenses to work towards this goal.

Sounds crazy - especially since I regularly spend well over $500. But here's how I'm going to do it. (of course I have a plan... remember, I am very Type A)

1. I have lots of basic food storage I AM GOING TO USE. Yes, that means beans and rice and pasta. Grinding wheat for bread. Powdered milk in baking. Etc. Etc. Etc.
2. I use a website called refundcents to find great deals with coupons, refunding and rebates. I already have $70 in refunds/giftcards with Walgreens.
3. My family is on board with this. Shea and Braden are very excited to spend the summer in Alaska (and understand that we have to find the money somewhere). Robert is ALWAYS supportive of my wild schemes.
4. We will RARELY eat out. This is probably the hardest for me. Eating out is one of my favorite things to do!
5. I am a very competitive person... especially with myself and I love a challenge.
6. I've wanted to spend a month in AK for years.... and especially want Shea and Braden to experience it before they are too old to like being with me :)
7. I have an addictive personality and right now I am addicted to finding good deals! With the internet - it's pretty easy.
8. I'm slightly crazy.