Off Track In The Rain

This picture is obviously not me but it's the best I could find when I searched for "joints and rain".  Most of the pics were not about knee joints!  HA HA

Spring is the time to start fresh, right?  For some reason Mother Nature and my heart and body doesn't realize this.  The weather here has been unpredictable... just like me.  I am normally organized and think of myself as someone who handles change well.  I am a military spouse after all! 

I have been in a slump.  My life has gotten a bit off kilter and I am really looking forward to Spring.  I am ready to start fresh and start finding gratitude for God's gifts.  I even bought air fresheners for my car that say Think Happy Be Happy.

Today is rainy.  I usually love the rainy days.  I'll work extra hard in the morning to be able to carve out some time in the afternoon to sit and read a book and enjoy the rain.  Today I realized that it takes longer to recover from surgery than I thought and rain makes the pain flare up but I am happy to have a knee that is still getting me around - even if it is super achy on rainy days.  I missed an Etsy order and discovered that people are kind and forgiving.  Thank you Lindsay for your understanding.  I may be easily overwhelmed at this moment and a bit emotional.  We have a move coming up and so many things to keep my mind wrapped around.  I am thankful to God for making me a woman who feels joy just as strongly as any other emotion.  I am also blessed to have a family who sees my needs.  Just last night my husband listened to my worries and assured me that he understood and my girls cleaned the kitchen after dinner so I could have a break.

So, thank you God for getting me a bit off track in the rain today so I can be reminded to be thankful for the mercy and grace that you have freely given.

Learning to grocery shop once a month...

Please take note that my title has the word "learning" in it.  March was my first attempt at monthly shopping.  I did pretty well but I still over purchased.  One of the things I learned is that we only drink a gallon of milk a week.  We are still drinking last months milk.  Good thing it has been frozen. 

I really need to think about lunch for the girls.  They take their lunch to school every day and by the end of the month we were trying to come up with anything that would be easy to eat and pack.  They only get a few minutes for lunch so the food has to be easy to shovel in.  Isn't that sad?  We quickly ran out of apples and fruit.  Fresh fruit, especially apples, is a big lunch staple in our house.  As a result, I have given myself "permission" to shop for produce twice a month.  To be honest, I did have to sneak to the store and buy some lettuce.  Gene was sorely missing his salads.

My budget goal for April was $300.  I failed on that one.  I didn't take the time to plan well and left the few coupons I had at home.  It's been a crazy month and it hasn't even been two weeks yet. ha ha I also did a little retail therapy and bought things I didn't really need or were more expensive than was needed.  Note to self:  STICK TO THE LIST!  I did stick to my original $400 budget which is quite an accomplishment since I forgot when I was planning the shopping list that we needed pet food and all our bathroom paper products.  TMI?

As far as the pre-made homemade mixes... the oatmeal and pancake mix was a huge success.  The containers are completely empty.  The dry cream-of soup mix will be reluctently used.  It tastes odd, not terrible, but just off a bit.  I will probably try it again but add different spices.

I have started following The Krazy Coupon Lady on Facebook.  They post every great sale and coupon available.  Some days I get a little bugged by all the posts but I know that when we move and live in a metropolitan area that it will be more helpful.  I also got the Ibotta app on my iPhone.  Sadly, it doesn't work with the commissary but in a few months I'll have a Target available and will use it then.  Take a look at their Facebook page or blog.  It has a bazillion money saving tips for popular stores.

My goal next month is to get as close to $300 as I can.  I'm going to have to be more organized and clip some coupons but I think I can do it.  Wish me luck.

Saving Money and Monthly Grocery Shopping

There are always ways to improve, right?  I ran across a blog, Blissful and Domestic, a few months ago and was impressed that this family lives on approximately $14,000 a year.  One of the ways they save money is by planning ahead and doing one big grocery shopping trip a month.  I liked the idea of that.

I bet I run to the store several times a week for one item and walk out with $100 of stuff that I didn't know I "needed".   The author of the blog does her meal planning for the month - when I say meal planning, I mean all three meals for each day.  I am not that organized.  I seldom cook with recipes but we tend to eat the same type of meals so I had a fairly good idea of what we would need for the month.

If I were to make an estimate, I would guess that our monthly grocery bill, thanks to needless purchases, run about $600 - $700 or more a month.  I knew that we could eat for much less and I am always interested in feeding my girls food that is healthier and less processed.  So, the first month I focused on not going to the grocery store at all.  For an entire month we ate  what was in the pantry.  By the end of the month I was getting creative but we did it.  This month I sat down and made a shopping list that allowed us to buy groceries for the whole month.  My budget was $400.  I did some research and found out that all kinds of dairy products can be frozen... milk, cheese, cream, butter, etc.  My deep freezer is full of enough dairy products to get us through the month and tons of frozen veggies and meat.  The best part, I am under budget!

I've also started baking a lot of things I would normally have purchased such as bread, granola bars, and any other baked goods.  My first attempt at granola bars weren't great but I'll keep trying.  They turned out way to sweet... so they were a success for the girls but way too much sugar (in my opinion).  I like to bake and doing it myself costs so much less and I know what is going into the food.  That's a win-win situation.

One of the things I am most proud of and has been the most helpful was making my own mixes.  I made a huge batch of pancake mix, brown sugar maple instant oatmeal, and "cream of" dry soup mix. After a few months I think I'll be able to stream line the process even more. I'm not sure but I suspect I over bought for the month.  What do you do to cut your grocery costs? 

Crocus in the Snow

Have you ever stopped and really taken in the beauty of a crocus?  I am always amazed by its strength and beauty.  The gorgeous delicate petals are unbelievably bright and seem so fragile but have an amazing inner strength. They are the first sign of Spring and a new beginning, even when snow is still on the ground.

 

 

I have a dear friend who is like the crocus... strong, beautiful and has a gentle soul.  I painted her this painting  to remind her of the times we have spent together.  Kammy is moving to start a new chapter of her life.  I am so proud of her  but I am sad that she is leaving and will miss her.  She has become part of our family. Psalm 16:9

Singing Forest - recycled pallet painting

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for He comes,

He comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Psalms 96:11-13

 

 

 

 

 There is an art show coming up in March and the theme is recycled art.  Recycling is close to my heart.  I feel a deep responsibility to take care of the natural beauty that God created for us.  My heart aches at times when I think about the lack of respect we show the earth and although I frequently fail, I try to avoid the "more" trap.  It doesn't take a ton of energy to recycle or cut down on waste.  Plus, it saves money. I can find an hour a week to take my trash to the recycling center.  

 

 

 

 Gene was sweet enough to scavenge a pallet tossed to the side at one of the construction sights in our neighborhood, tear is down, and put it together as a canvas.  I'm so thankful for his willingness to support my passion.

 

 

 

I had the idea for this painting for several months.  God has gifted me with this ability and my inspirations usually come from my sermon notes during church.  I have a notebook that I take notes in during church.  On the right side of the page is the actual sermon notes and the left side of the page is sketch after sketch of inspiration based on what spoke to me during the service.  It is fun to browse through my notebook.

 

 

 

I tried to incorporate additional materials that would normally end out in the garbage.  The wings of the moth are made from a world map that was heading to the dumpster and the circle of the large flower is made from a scrap of waxed paper.  There are also bits of paper from a credit card mailer worked into the picture.

This was a fun piece to make.  It is definitely different from what I usually do and  I will absolutely do it again.

  

 

How do you carry your Kindle?

I don't have a Kindle but if I did I would absolutely carry mind in one of these cushioned totes.  They are sized to fit a Kindle, or any electronic reader or small iPad, with a sleeve.  My art journal would fit perfectly.  Hmmmm, I may need one for myself.

The bottom carrier is for a boy so of course it needed a drawstring.  I can't decide which one is my favorite but I am leaning towards the pink tote with the grey chevron lining.  Oh ya', I almost forgot... they are also reversible.  Which one is your favorite?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Journal Update

My Art Journal suffered during the holidays. I was so far behind but as soon as I finished sewing and painting for Christmas I got right back into my journal. There was a benefit to the procrastination.... I had lots of time to think about the prompts. A few of the pages I love and a couple I don't.

I follow the blog: A Year In The Life Of An Art Journal.  This blog provides art journal suggestions twice a month.  Each suggestion will have The Prompt, The Stuff, and The Technique.  Sometimes I use all three and other times I only use one.  It just depends on what inspires me.  This time around my favorite was the prompt on Christmas Traditions.  I really liked how the page came out.  I think we look like we belong in that bird's nest.  My least favorite was the Thank You prompt.  I didn't feel like there was room to be creative.  I just did it to get it finished.  I even thought about not even posting it but I like the reasons why I am thankful each and every single day.

The Prompt:  Once Upon A Time
The Stuff:  Fairy Tale Story/Character You Relate To
The Technique:  Crown, Apples Etc.

The Prompt:  Bird Is The Word
The Stuff:  yarn, twigs, sticks, feathers, leaves
The Technique:  Doodle yourself as a bird.

 

 

 

The Prompt:  Fall Is In The Air
The Stuff:  What signifies fall to you?
The Technique:  distress the page

 

 

 

 

The Prompt:  Relax - What do you do to de-stress?

The Stuff:  teabag

The Technique:  some type of spray paint

 



 

The Prompt:  Thank You
The Stuff:  Make a list of what you are thankful for.
The Technique:  Use a clean white page and your own handwriting.

The Prompt:  In The Oven
The Stuff:  Share a little thing you love about cooking.
The Technique: drip, splatter or dust

The Prompt:  Tradition
The Stuff:  What is your favorite holiday traditions?
The Technique:  Try a little "tinsel" on your page.