the "B" word

Now that I got your attention, you are likely wondering, "What is the 'B' word"? That would be budget! I'm not going to talk about all the different areas of financial planning, but I do want to take a little time to talk about the food budget. First of all, I am no expert when it comes to saving money on food. There are a number of great blogs that focus on sales, coupons, and getting the most for your money, that have far better tips and insights into saving money on food. Please feel free to share your favorite websites and tips below!

One thing that I always tell my students (Yes, I teach a foods class at a local high school), is that purchasing food is always a balance between money, time & energy! In general I don't purchase a lot of prepackaged convenience foods because I enjoy cooking and controlling the food that I am preparing. Here is a great example of how I saved money and made my own convenience food.

  Last week I purchased a 10 pound bag of potatoes. They were on sale for less than $3 a bag! So, last Saturday I peeled a majority of the potatoes, cooked them up, mashed them, and froze four containers for another time. I saved a lot of money compared to purchasing a small container of frozen pre-made potatoes, but I also spent a lot of time in the process. However, I would also have to note that my family likes the taste of the homemade mashed potatoes better than the instant ones from the store, and that makes the time & energy worth it for me.



So, my questions for you:
     1. What is your favorite blog for learning great tips on how to save money?
     2. What has been your experiences when it comes to balancing money, time and energy?

     3. What would you do with a 10 pound bag of potatoes?

Running is Dangerous to your Health

I'm finally at a point where I can write this entry. First of all, I'm not a runner. Yes, I have run a couple of 5K races and I have logged in a few miles in my shoes, but after knee surgery and some "extra" pounds, my mileage has come from walking.

Now, on the other hand, my husband is a different story. He started running and caught the bug. However, on February 23 his running came to a screeching halt. He went our for an early morning training run around 5:15 AM and around 5:50 AM I got a phone call from a complete stranger telling me that my husband had fallen, and that his arm was likely broken. This is not my normal wake up call. So, after seven hours in the emergency room, I was on my way back home with a husband and his broken humerus bone. I'm very thankful that he only had a broken arm, especially when we think about all the other "what ifs" that could have happened on an early morning icy run.

We have made some changes to our plans, like staying in the West Michigan area for Spring Break, and walking the pavement, rather than pounding it. But overall, we are enjoying this chance to slow down. I'm also learning a lot about "nursing" and realizing I'm very thankful that God did not have me go into the medical field.

I will be back soon with more from the "home front" of domestic living!

i heart

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day? I have a few items that I display, but for the most part I don't spend much time decorating for this holiday. I have found that it is great just to add a couple of extra touches to my winter decor! Isn't it great to be able to use red all winter long!

One thing that I did different this year, was to place the heart window adhesives to my girls' bathroom mirror. They were so excited when they came home from school and noticed this addition to the bathroom! By the way, I store the plastic like hearts in between plastic wrap so I can use them from one year to the next.

2012

After struggling with my computer, camera and blog, I am finally back to blog land. I've still been reading your blogs, just sorry for my absence and my lack of commenting. I think I need a tutorial on all the new changes with blogger. Any suggestions? I'll be back soon with some new posts!

Christmas Tour

A number of my favorite bloggers are hosting Christmas tours this week! I hope you get to check them all out! This year I found myself simplifying my decorations and putting less accessories out. Someday this might change, but for now the simplicity works for our family.

This first picture is a close up of our front porch. I got some birch logs from my parents property! Just a galvanized bucket with some natural decorations!

I still use a lot of red in my decorating. It could be, because red is my favorite color! I've seen so many beautiful homes that have an all white theme, with just a touch of greenery, but I still keep my traditional red going. Will see what happens in the future!

Here is our mantel. These are the same blue shutters that I picked up at a garage sale, and spray painted. I just add some seasonal decorations.  I like to be able to use decorations year round, and make simple changes for each season or holiday.



Some of our built-ins.



Here is the vase that I got from my Grandmother. Just switched up with some Christmas greens!

I switched this vase to the table in our dining area. Typically it is on the mantel, but I wanted to simplify the corner stand. I'm using some leftover fabric from a craft project. It has red in it, but it isn't a Christmas fabric. It should get me through the winter months, since it doesn't "scream" Christmas.

Here is some of my everyday  glassware with a Christmas touch added to it!

My changeable sign with JESUS - the reason we celebrate!

Lastly, here is our tree! This is the first year that we put the tree in the front window. We have a nine foot tree and we typically put it in the entry area of our home. We just decided to try something different this year!

Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy all the other tours!

Linking up with the following:

Jennifer Rizzohttp://www.jenniferrizzo.com/

Framed

When I was single, I "invested" in some nice pieces of artwork. That was a while ago and I have found that my tastes have changed. Because my priorities and spending habits are at a different place right now, I have found some inexpensive ways to decorate my walls!

Thanks to Michaels & Hobby Lobby I have gotten some great frames. Lately, I've had a white theme going. I've purchased a few different frames on sale for $4.95!!! My other great find is all the free downloads available on-line!

My first print came from the Handmade Home. Love the vintage prints! I actually printed three different designs. One other "hint" - I used heavy card stock paper from the scrap booking section of Hobby Lobby. It cost a lot less than purchasing heavy paper from the office supply store.

This Christmas print was also FREE! In addition to cute prints, I'm also finding free tags to print for Christmas! We have so many resources available to us!

My last frame is my new chalkboard! Yes, I have gotten the chalk board paint bug! I found a 50% off frame, got out my paint and went to town.



These are just a few  ideas of how you can decorate your walls and keep your cost down. What are you putting on your walls?

What I learned From the Cleaning Lady

Last spring my husband bought me a Groupon for three hours of cleaning! I have never had anyone clean my home before. How exciting!!! I was waiting for the perfect time to take advantage of this gift. Well, the past few weeks have been extremely busy (part of my absence from blogging), my parents were visiting for five days, parent teacher conferences (my husband and I both teach), countless meetings for committees and volunteer responsibilities that we are apart of, etc. I know many of you can understand!!!! So, I figured this would be a great time to use up this Groupon. I had no idea what to expect.

When I first called to set up the appointment, I was asked, "What are your priorities for things to get cleaned?" I was thinking - my entire home! Well, I knew that wasn't going to happen, so I blurted out "the bathrooms and the hardwood floors".  Now, keep in mind, I do a fairly good job at keeping the clutter organized, but deep cleaning is another story!

Here is what I learned from the experience:
1. Walking into the home that smells clean can do wonders for you!
2. Polishing the chrome surfaces so they shine will brighten your day!
3. Enjoy the moment or hours of a clean home, it will not last!
4. Given the chance, I would do it again!

By the way, I'm not posting any pictures, because the house has reached the point of "it will not last"!

Would you or do you use a cleaning service? What would be your cleaning priorities?