Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/10/23

   

   Here it is at the end of another week.  This one seemed to fly by.  It was our 38th wedding anniversary on Thursday so Jeff I reminisced about all the blessings we have had together and about the close knit family that we have created.  Little did we know when we stood up at the alter so many years ago giggling what was in store for us.  😊

   Now onto the not so nice stuff.  Today a second bank failed...Silicon Valley Bank shut down by regulators in collapse (nypost.com)  Wells Fargo also had what they said was a "computer glitch" that had many people waking up to find that all or most the money in their account was gone.  The failure of the SVB means that all funds are frozen for the time being.  There are both FDIC insured funds (up to $250,000) and ones that are not.  Businesses that have their money in this bank have found that their employees that were due to be paid today out of some of those funds now cannot be paid.  People are panicking. If they do not have cash on hand, a well stocked pantry, an emergency fund (that was not in that bank also), etc., then they are in a heap of trouble.  I don't for one minute believe that the funds will be released on Monday.  Bank runs have already started and many people, who were warned ahead of time, pulled money out of this particular bank and out of others.  Luckily Jeff and I have been preparing for this kind of a situation by paying down our debts as fast as we can, stocking our pantries, keeping cash on hand, and getting supplies that we need for the gardening season.  Bank runs, inflation, lay offs and such will just continue.  Then there are all the natural disasters from the huge amounts of snow and communities being cut off, tornados, and flooding all within the past few weeks and into today.  We need to be as prepared as we possibly can be.  Now onto the frugal doings...

Weekend:

~I cut up the roasts that I bought the day before.  Out of the two roasts, I got the following: 3 packages of stir fry meat, 4 packages stew meat, 1 package of 3 small steaks, and 3 packages of 2 each large sirloin tip steaks.

~I took one of the packages of the stew meat and got a nice stew going in the crockpot. for dinner. I served it Hawaiian Sweet rolls and some homemade applesauce that I pulled out of the freezer.  We had the leftover caramel apple pizza for dessert.

~I cooked up the last of the scrapple and 3 eggs (for Jeff) and we had that for lunch.

~I took a nap on Saturday after lunch.

~Jeff and I finally got my haircut.  I feel like a new woman again. 😉

~Jeff took me out on a date Sunday for our anniversary.  We went to the Mad Greek restaurant.  It is one of our favorite places to go.  I brought home some of my meal and had it for dinner later in the evening. Some people might recognize the name of the restaurant from the news as it is the place that 2 of the girls that were University of Idaho students and were murdered worked and where the "alleged" murderer was known to have gone to.  It was eerie to see the candles outside that were burnt at night as a vigil to all the innocent lives that were taken.

~After leaving the Mad Greek, we went to Goodwill and set a limit of $20 to spend there.  Our Goodwill now gets donations from Target.  I was able to find a nice bathmat for our master bathroom (the old one is falling apart) for $5.99, an 11 pack of underwear for $5.97, a bra (which was the color tag of the week, so half price) for $1.99, and some liquid hand soap (also half priced) for .99.  In addition, we were able to use a 20% off coupon on one item.  We spent just over $15 with tax.  Not bad and all the items were brand new.

~We picked up the rest of our grocery needs from Winco.  It was a very small shopping trip because not much was needed.  We should be fine for the next 2 weeks other than having to pick up more milk and some bananas next week.

~Our entertainment for Sunday evening was watching "Wakanda Forever" while munching on some popcorn here at home.

Monday:

~We had leftovers for dinner.  

~I had a long chat with one of Uncle Bob's sons and he showed me around the house and what they had done to it so far.  I helped him come up with a realistic price to sell the house for since the price that they thought they would start at, knowing that they would have to come down from, would make it so people would not look at the house to begin with.  I have been following the housing market in our area for awhile, so I know what is selling and for what price.

~I've been reading some books that I borrowed from the library.

Tuesday:

~Jeff had the day off so he worked on making a screened window for the greenhouse on the opposite side of the other one.  This window will be high up so that the hot air can escape when the temps are really high. It got so hot in there last Summer that it ended up melting some of the plastic trays that I start plants in. YIKES!

~I pulled a nice big boneless skinless chicken breast out of the freezer to thaw for dinner.  I also got some pulled pork out to use for dinner Wednesday.

~A HUGE red bell pepper was cut up and most of it was frozen. 

~I made fettuccini alfredo for dinner and added the thinly sliced chicken breast, along with some of the diced up red pepper to it.  It was amazing!

~Jeff and I watched "The Ark" together.

Wednesday:

~I had the leftover fettuccini alfredo for lunch.

~Uncle Bob's son Alan came over and gave me a birdbath that belonged to his parents.  I had expressed interest in buying it, but he just gave it to me.  He also gave me a bunch of cement pavers that were much appreciated since we were going to have to buy some to finish a project we have here.

~I watched several shows on Youtube and Paramount during the day.

~Jeff and I watched "Survivor".  I am so thankful to our kids for sharing their subscriptions with us so we can watch it.

~Dinner was pulled pork that I had pulled out of the freezer combined with some BBQ sauce served on the last of the hamburger buns, baby carrots and some canned fruit.

~I baked 2 loaves of sandwich bread.

~It was Bradley's 11th birthday!  How can he be this old already?  I started my blog right before he was born.  He is such a special, kindhearted, smart, handsome and yes, sarcastic young man.  I would not want him any other way!

Thursday:

~It was Jeff and my 38th wedding anniversary and he left little love notes for me around the house to find when I woke up.  He has been doing this for a few years now for special occasions and it is something that I look forward to and get such a kick out of!

~I made some krab salad for dinner.  I really enjoy this salad and it is so costly to buy it premade and only takes me about 10 minutes to make it here at home myself.

~Jeff finished off the last of the pork loin roast when he got home from bowling.

Friday:

~Jeff went into work early, is working through lunch and working half an hour later to make up some hours he is missing since he works a shorter shift this Saturday.

~I spent the morning following the news of the banks closing and the effect that is having on the stock market and other banks in general.  Ten more are at risk of closing also.

~After the news of what is going on with the banks, I quickly took inventory of our medicines, personal care products, etc.  I know we are good on food, but those other items are ones that I know could use some topping off.

~Jeff is picking up 2 pizzas from Safeway for $2.99 each for us to have for dinner tonight.  Easy peesy!

   My dear friends, buckle up...we are in for one heck of a bumpy ride.  Since our family is getting together tomorrow to celebrate Bradley's birthday, I am going to talk to the family about what our plans will be to help one another out and who has what resources.  I really do want to make a master list to help us all out so that we can share and no one goes out to buy something that someone else already has equipment wise. I already have raspberry and blackberry starts promised to Heather and to her mom Tammy.  I'm going to see if I can get some strawberry plants from a friend since some of mine need replacing.  I'll work out a trade of some sort with them also.  

Be blessed all!

  

Snow and Soup Kind of Day

 

      The snow is gently falling outside and starting to cover everything.  There is something so magical about snow falling around Christmas isn't there?  I have Christmas music playing softly in the background which just adds to the whole Winter wonderland and holiday mood.  The snow is expected to keep coming on and off through Christmas too!  I can't wait for my oldest two grandboys, Bradley and Isaiah, to be here this weekend and to help me build a snowman in the front yard.  We are also supposed to head down to the valley on Sunday evening and go to Clarkston, WA for a company Christmas party.  I think we will go the Idaho route for that one to get there since Idaho is much better at keeping their highways maintained during snowy times than Washington state is. Anyway, I am getting off topic again...it's one of those days. 😉

   Snowy weather is equated with hot homemade soup in my mind so I have the rest of the chicken that I had bought at Winco simmering away making a nice chicken broth at the moment.  I will strip the rest of the meat off the bones and add that to the broth, along with some veggies, garlic and noodles, to make a delicious and warming soup.  Jeff and I love homemade chicken noodle soup.  It was not something that he had growing up, they always had canned soups, so he was pretty amazed when he tasted real homemade chicken noodle soup the first time I made it eons ago.  It was something I grew up eating because my mother was, and still is, the queen of making things stretch and not wasting food.  I learned so many important lessons from her while growing up and it is just second nature to me now to throw together all kinds of soups based on what we have handy in our home and what needs to be used up ASAP.  Thank you Mom for imparting your wisdom onto me.

   Tonight we are expecting the temperatures to drop down to 16F.  I'm thinking I may need to add another blanket onto our bed and the guest bed too.  I never know which of the two beds I will end up in.  Last night I slept in our bed and poor Jeff was really restless waking up almost every hour after midnight.  I'm sure he is exhausted today.  I was able to sleep for a long stretch after he left for work and finally got up at 11 a.m..  That is really late in the day for me to get up, but it still only gave me 6 hours of good sleep.  If it is not windy tonight, I may opt for the guest bed if Jeff is having another rough night.  I don't like to sleep in the guest bedroom if the wind is blowing because the front awning makes noises that keep me awake.  Before anyone thinks that there is "trouble in my marriage" because I sometimes sleep in the guest bedroom, I can assure you that we are fine.  It is just that some nights either one of us can be really restless and toss and turn for the majority of the night keeping the other from getting good sleep.  Patchy cat loves the nights that I sleep in the guest bedroom because she joins me in there and cuddles up to sleep.  Midgy's domain is our bedroom and bed, so it is rare that Patchy will come up there unless it is a really cold night and both Jeff and I are sleeping in there.  Then she will risk the wrath of her sister to come snuggle up next to me while Midgy remains near Jeff's feet.  There has been more than one occasion where a cat fight has taken place over the top of Jeff and I when they have decided to go at it.  UGGGG! 

    I want to end this post by saying that my heart aches for and goes out to all those who lost loved ones, their homes and businesses in this awful weather that has been hitting our nation here in the USA.  I have friends who have had damage to their homes also.  My love and prayers are with them all.

   

    

Thank You and an Update

   This is a follow up to my post earlier today.  First of all, I want to thank Cheryl, Becky, Kathy and Billie Jo who all left me great comments and suggestions at the time of this update post.  Jeff and I are not able to get away for a few nights right now, but we are taking this weekend for ourselves and have made some other changes and plans as well.

   As most of you who have been reading my blog know, my hubby is my hero, safe place and my "safe harbor" in life's many storms.  When he woke up this afternoon after having a busy overnight work shift, he took me into his arms and just held me and asked me how I was doing and listened while I told him about how I was feeling about my friend's death and about feeling overwhelmed and guilty for not being able to be there for Rachel today. I want to make it abundantly clear that Rachel did nothing to make me feel this way, it is all my own feelings of guilt.

   We had a long talk after he got his coffee and I found myself in his arms once again.  This led to a very jealous Doofy cat, but I digress. Doofy does not like having to share me with anyone.😉  Anyway, we talked about how I feel like the worst Mother /Grammie in the world when I am not able to be there for my kids and grandkids and help them out or have to cancel out on things.  I feel like many people see me as a total flake and unreliable because they don't understand that I have no control over what my body decides to do at any given moment.  I try my best to rest as needed, but my sleep quality sucks and I never know if and when I will be able to sleep.  If I can't get to sleep until after 3 a.m. (which seems to be the norm for me), then having to get up early to help someone or be somewhere is very difficult for me, especially since the quality of my sleep is also not normal and I lack the level of deep sleep and even REM sleep that is needed to heal and refresh your body and mind.  Once in awhile, I can manage it, but to do so on a regular basis is nearly impossible without me feeling totally overwhelmed.  Jeff and I realized that with my counseling going on and all that is bringing up, that I am not in a position where I can take anything else on and that I need to be able to use my energy to process through things and to heal from my past.  I need to really pull back from all but a few outside the home commitments at this time.

   My amazing and protective hubby had a long talk with Jaysn and Rachel to let them know what is going on and why I have had to cancel out so much even though I want to spend as much time as I can with our little Steven.  They were so supportive and understood why I needed this time for me.  I'm know that my other kids will be/are just as supportive and that it was my own feelings of guilt for not being able to be the person that I want and used to be for all of them that was tearing me apart inside.

   Jeff and I also made some plans for our home to get it back into order and easier to manage.  We will be tackling these projects doing a little at a time so that I do not get overwhelmed and he does not get worn out.  As for this weekend...we are playing that by ear and seeing how I am doing.  Saturday we will stay at home and rest and if I am up to it, then we will head up to the lake for a bit on Sunday and if weather and my body  allows, bundle up and walk on the boardwalk out over the lake.  We shall see....

Not the Best Start to the New Year

 
   New Year's Eve was a rough one with Jeff in lots of abdominal pain.  We did everything we could to try and alleviate it.  Nothing worked and it was a very long night with neither of us sleeping well.  New Year's Day we knew that he needed to be seen, so I called our doctor's office.  They were not working that day.  I called Jaysn and we took Jeff to Quick Care...they were closed too.  Jeff asked to go to the emergency room.

   After a CT scan, and multiple tests, it was determined that he has an acute abdominal strain that he got at work on Friday night and that was the cause of his pain.  Poor guy is having all kinds of trouble walking, sitting, standing.  The doctor has him off for the rest of the week from work and then we will go from there and see how he is doing.  Luckily his bosses are wonderful and the medical costs will be covered by L and I.  

   What I have learned from all of this is that we are so blessed to have our kids close and that Jaysn had the day off from work.  He drove us to the hospital and back home again and help his dad into the car and back out again.  My fibro fog was so bad that I did not dare drive Jeff to the hospital myself.  I could not even fill out the L and I forms properly when we got there.  Jaysn even filled our pellet stove for us and brought in another bag so I can scoop pellets out to fill the stove and not have to lift the whole bag.

   I have also learned that I can push through a lot of pain when it comes to being there for the people that I love the most.  I know that I will be flaring big time (it has already started but I am trying not to let on to my husband so that he will not overdo things) from very little sleep and lots of stress.  I'm just praying he heals quickly...I hate to see my hubby in so much pain.

   

Nudgings and Keep On Keeping On

Doofy cat on his throne (the back on my recliner) after wreaking havoc all over the house.  You can see some of his handiwork on the floor there.

Do you feel it?  That nudging to stock up your pantry, medicine cabinet and everyday household needs like toilet paper, shampoo, deodorant, etc?

I don't feel "safe" unless I have a good stock of things here in our home.  Maybe it is because of having so little in times of financial crisis in the past.  Maybe it is because of being raised on a small island where everything had to be shipped in and having lived through shortages.  Maybe it is because I know that my reality, living in a small town with no grocery stores and dealing with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome among other illnesses on a daily basis means that I may not be able to get to the stores to get what I want and need at any moment.  But maybe, it is God nudging me to have my storehouse in order for any and all possibilities.

My crazy fur babies depend on Jeff and I to keep them fed, groomed and taken care of.  We need to make sure that they have what they need.  Wouldn't it be nice not to have to worry about things like they do?  They trust that we will always take good care of them, that their food dish will be full, their water bowls will have fresh water and that the kitties will have a clean litter box.  Treats will be handed out on a regular basis...just because...  😁

Those nudgings also push me to keep on keeping on.  Living with the illnesses that I do means that my energy is limited and that at any moment, I may crash and/or have a flare up.  I do try to pace myself and I look at what I have coming up activity and commitment wise each week and plan accordingly.  

This week I had Rachel and Steven over yesterday and Praise God, I was having the best day with the lowest amount of pain I have had in ages.  I also had quite a bit of energy.  That both thrilled and scared me because it meant that I could get a lot done, but it also usually means I will be having a crash soon.  Yes, it is one of those weird Fibro things again.  I took advantage of that though and got my grocery shopping done in the afternoon, cooked a nice meal for dinner and then retreated to my recliner for the rest of the evening and early morning hours while dealing with dog with an upset stomach.

Today I am working on getting the laundry caught up, doing some more baking and working on a few little projects, making sure to take lots of rest breaks in between.  I am aching and my pain level is steadily getting worse.  Yes, I knew this was coming...I felt it.

Tomorrow will be a day of rest for me for the most part.  I will need to get a huge pasta salad made to help feed the moving crew that will be helping Rachel and Jaysn move on Saturday.  I will have Steven with me on Saturday while the chaos of moving is going on and I need to be well rested to keep up with that little munchkin.  We had planned on going to church with Jaysn and Rachel on Sunday, but I am thinking that I will be in crash mode at that point, so we are playing that one by ear.  I do not do well with big effort and energy output days back to back and usually need a few days in between to recover and get ready for the next one.

I am really trying to work on listening to both those nudgings from God and to my own body about what it is that both He is telling me and what my body needs.  I am admitting defeat at times (that is the hardest thing for me, admitting that I can't do it all and that I need help) and coming to terms with my new "normal" and that I am not the person that I once was.  My amazing family has been totally supportive of me and are willing to help me whenever needed, including knowing that if I can't make an event, that it is not because I don't want to, but that I just am in too much pain to do so.  That is a huge gift from them to me...giving me grace.

We just keep on keeping on around here, doing what we can to make life easier for both of us.  My hubby also has chronic pain in his back and hands (what a pair we make) and I worry about him.  He and I both try to do what we can to ease the burden on each other and we push through pain as much as we can until one of us tells they other to stop and rest or we come to our senses on our own.  One of us is better at doing that than the other...just saying. 😉  I'll let you guess which one that is.


Update:  Well I went into crash mode big time and the baking did not get done.  I managed to get the laundry washed and dried, but Jeff had to do the folding for me.  I did also get some ground venison made into taco meat, so that is ready for us to use but everything else has been put on hold for the moment.

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/3-3/9 2018

 

Some thrift store finds!

   Again, late with this post.  We had a wonderful Friday and Saturday celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary! Saturday we were only able to do half of what we planned because of my limited energy and the pain in my back finally getting to be too overwhelming.  Both Sunday and Monday were spent recovering from having way too much fun and eating more than I usually do.  Even today, Tuesday, I am still in slug mode, but oh, it was so worth it! 😉 I wanted to thank everyone that took the time to comment and wish us well.  That was so sweet of you and it really touched my heart.  I have to admit to getting a bit teary eyed reading them today.  Onto the savings...

I have been looking all over for this book and finally found it at the Salvation Army thrift store.

~Saturday we went into town and had lunch at Subway.  They had some good specials and I was able to get a wrap, which cut way down on the carbs.
~A quick stop at Walmart surprised us with marked down Italian sausages.  We bought a package and I made them for dinner Sunday night along with some sweet potato fries.
~We also stopped at Goodwill where we found a toilet seat riser with grab bars.  Jeff got that installed with just one of the grab bars to make it easier to get on and off it in our small bathroom.
~We also found a Backgammon game, some Ziplock space bags, new left handed golf gloves for Jeff, and a pretty basket that is just the right size to fit our cloth napkins in but too small for the cats to fit in. 😉
~Jeff was able to borrow a truck from work to bring home another ton of pellets for our pellet stove.  He buys the pellets from his boss.  I am glad he put in the order a week ago because the supplier is now out of the red fir chips that he uses to make the pellets and does not know when he will be getting more.  It looks like there is going to be a huge shortage of pellets around here which means prices are going to go up too.

Roast Beef and Asparagus Roll Ups.

~Jeff tried to fix our old coffee maker that was brewing really slowly, but that did not work so we saved the carafe to donate, threw away the rest of it and then got our little 4 cup travel coffee maker out to use instead.
~After our trip to town, I was really tired and sore so we curled up in bed and watched 2 movies before going to sleep.
~Sunday was Bradley's birthday party and it was wonderful to see friends and family again!  After 2 hours though, I was again sore and tired so we came home and I got into my recliner until bed time.
~Monday I stayed home and worked on more laundry until I fell and hurt myself.
~Jeff headed in Monday morning to pick up some wood that was leftover from him building the stairs and redoing Jaysn and Rachel's back porch.  He thinks there is enough there to build most of our new front stairs with.
~He brought home Chinese food from the deli for us for lunch.  There was so much food that I had the second half of mine for dinner that night.

I loved this movie that we borrowed from the library.

~We got a refund check in the mail from our mortgage company.  We apparently overpaid by a little over $19 when we made our final payment.  Jeff cashed the check and that gave him some spending money to pick up coffee and things when he is driving for his job overnight.
~I caught up on some of my TV shows by watching them online.
~Jeff wanted some more bagels and I managed to find some in our freezer for him.  I also pulled out a big elk roast to start thawing.
~I borrowed the movie "Victoria and Abdul" from the library.
~Tuesday I printed off gift cards and some free item coupons.
~My phone was about out of minutes so I added a 60 minute phone card to it which tripled to 180 minutes. It also added text and data time.
~Our weather is warming up a bit, but I am still finding myself wearing a sweater or robe inside the house, along with house slippers, so I can keep the heat down.
~I had more Greek yogurt with a touch of agave and some fresh blueberries for breakfast.  Yummy, pretty, good for me and served in a glass fruit dish to make me feel special.
~Jeff picked up 2 bunches of bananas at .39 a pound on his way home from work.  This was the last day of the sale and we waited until today to get them since we still had a few left from our last shopping trip.

Squash casserole and leftover asparagus made for the perfect dinner.

~I had some tortillas and roast beef that needed to be used up so I made roast beef, cold grilled asparagus and cream cheese with onion and chives wraps for lunch. Oh my goodness was it ever good!  I served it with 2 tiny tangerines.  Who says you can't eat well on a budget?  That wrap would have cost at least $10 in a restaurant around here and I have never seen anyone use grilled asparagus in a wrap before.  I definitely will be doing it again however.
~Jeff and I watched the first episode of the current season of Survivor online
~Wednesday was another flare day so I did not get much done other than making my favorite squash casserole.
~Jeff and I hot tubbed and it felt really good!
~Thursday I was again dragging.  I did not sleep well and was having quite a bit of muscle stiffness and pain.  I did get 2 loaves of bread made and went over to take care of our neighbor's fur babies for her.
~We had leftovers for dinner.
~Jeff ran some errands in the town he had his bowling league in.

$2 for each of these seasons...what a deal!

~Friday was our 33rd Wedding anniversary and Jeff took the night off to spend it with me.  I just thought that was so sweet.  We agreed not to buy each other gifts ahead of time and to instead spend time together and see what the weekend brought.  The best present I could give him though was me feeling better and actually having some energy despite not sleeping well again on Thursday night.
~I got some coupons from Bath and Body Works in the mail.
~Jeff and I went out to an early dinner and then hit the Salvation Army thrift store.  I found some new puzzles,  Season 4 and 5 of a BBC series that I love ($2 each), Jeff found some pants and I found a shirt.
~We stopped at the Dollar Tree and picked up 4 bottles of laundry detergent.
~Jeff and I both could not finish our dinner from the restaurant so we brought the leftovers home and had them later that night.
~Shopko had some of their big totes on sale so we bought 5 of them to help organize this house.

These were $1 each at Dollar Tree.  I usually make my own laundry detergent but I think this actually came out to be cheaper.

   Our weather is finally starting to get better and it has helped with the pain, especially in my legs.  The cold just does a number on them so this is amazing.  I was even able to open up the sliding glass door to the porch yesterday, air out the house and enjoy the 68F temperatures.  Some of my crocuses are even up and blooming now!

He is still my Best Friend!

   Today Jeff and I celebrate 33 years of marriage!  We met when I was 19, officially started dating 6 months later when I was 20, got engaged on my 21st birthday and got married that following Spring.  Sometimes it just amazes me that the minute I met Jeff, I just felt this instant connection to him.  It only took us 6 months to run into each other again after that. 😉  From that moment on, we were a couple and spent every bit of time we could with each other.  Our relationship has always been built on the solid foundation of being friends first  From the very beginning, we could talk about anything and became each others biggest encourager, supporter, sounding board to bounce ideas off of.  No one knows us as well as we know each other.  We have shared our deepest secrets, fears, dreams, successes and sorrows together.  We are totally honest with each other and will let the other one know if we think that they could have handled something differently. 😉 We both have each other's backs and our love is, has and will always be unconditional.  Jeff has fully embraced my parents, brothers, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents as his own and they have done the same for him.  He shares a very special relationship with them and for that I am so thankful to him and to them.  He and  I also remain close to some of his cousins, one of my former sister in laws and her husband, and our oldest niece and her beautiful family.   We also love our youngest niece and hope that once she turns 18 and can make her own decisions in life, that we can rebuild our relationship with her.  They are all amazing people and we love them dearly.  We are choosing to focus on those that love and support us and not on the "the others".

   Jeff and I could have never imagined all those years ago the great joy of becoming parents and watching our children grow into the most amazing adults and start their own families.  Back then, being grandparents seemed to be so far off in the distant future but now here we are with a 6 year old, a 4 year old and a 9 month old!  We now have these amazing daughters that came into our family when they married our boys and hope to add another one in the near future. 

   My husband is a gift, given to me by God.  He has and continues to stick by my side through my debilitating illnesses that have taken years to get a proper diagnosis on.  He has really stepped up and taken on more and more of the daily responsibilities of running our home and making it easier for me on a daily basis to be able to function here, especially on bad flare/crash days.  He drives me where I need to go most days, comes with me to my doctor's appointments, is there when I have had surgery, takes over anything and everything when I am having a rough day and is my best friend.  I could not love him more! 

Wedding Gift Ideas That Will Be Appreciated and Used

 

Thirty two years ago we had a Hawaiian style wedding (my culture) and got married in the same church my husband's parents were married in.

   Today Jeff and I are celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary so of course I have been reminiscing and taking notice of the items that we got all those years ago as wedding gifts that we still use on a regular basis today.  Jeff and I also received our second invitation last  week to weddings that will be held this Summer.  That got me to thinking about wedding gifts for the newlyweds to be and what would actually be appreciated and used.  I don't want to get them things that will just end up gathering dust, be regifted or donated or sold at their next yard sale. 😉

    Let's be honest here, although the thought was nice, there are many gifts that we were given that we never or rarely use.  Those napkin rings, while pretty to look at, just were not something that my husband and I (or anyone else we know) use.  We are not fancy people at all.  The beautiful Japanese lacquered serving trays have been used once.  I was terrified for something (or someone) to drop hard on them and ruin them.  The fancy cocktail bread molds, well unless you throw a lot of cocktail parties or tea parties, they are not practical at all and besides that, they are a bear to clean.   I know this one is going to be hard for some people to accept, but that beautiful fancy (and delicate) china, although I really wanted it and was blessed to get some of it, I have used two of the plates (I have four complete place settings along with one of the serving platters) exactly one time.  We had three boys and my husband is tends to get a little heavy handed when using a knife so again, I was afraid of my china being broken or scratched.  It does look lovely in the china cabinet though and in the spirit of being totally transparent and honest, I do collect pretty china pieces because I am drawn to them and I will use some of them myself (mainly the pink Haviland patterns) because they bring back warm and wonderful memories for me of eating off the family china on holidays at the Grandma's house.  I did inherit all that china from her plus another set of her china, but it is packed away at the moment.

   So let's get onto the more practical (and appreciated) gifts ideas that will be used.  Remember that some of these items, especially the Winter type linens, are on sale at many stores right now.  Go get some and put them in your gift closet for those upcoming wedding gifts and even graduations.   Here is my list...

~Tupperware food storage containers.  I am still using the set that my Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ed got us when we were married and I have added to it over the years.  This is probably my most used wedding gift because they are in constant rotation in my refrigerator storing leftovers or bringing something to family dinners.
~Blankets, sheets, towels, kitchen towels, and oven mitts.  These are items that get a lot of use.  Invest in good quality towels please while they are on sale.  My husband and I prefer the huge "bath sheet" sized towels and find that most of the people that we have given those kinds of bath towels too love them.  Same goes for sheets, buy the couple a nice high thread count set while on sale.  Nobody likes scratchy sheets.  Don't forget about the beach towels!
~Cloth napkins.  No, not the fancy damask kind, but practical cotton napkins that can be used on a daily basis and just thrown in the wash after use.  With so many people trying to "go green" or be frugal, this is a wonderful and much used item.  They are also easy to sew and you can find fun fabrics that match the decor and interests of your recipients.  We use our's on a daily basis and our kids have grown up using them so now they have them and actually request them as gifts.
~Pyrex glassware for storage or baking.  These are things that we and everyone we know uses on a regular basis.  One of my favorite gifts to give is a Pyrex rectangular baking dish with it's insulated carrier.
~Mixing bowls.  My favorite mixing bowls are rubber with handles and a rubber ring on the bottoms that help it to drip to the counter while I am mixing something up.  They are a nesting set that we were given when we got married and are still going strong and seeing lots of use.
~Good knives.  Everyone needs good sharp kitchen knives that can be sharpened when they get dull.  Steak knives are also on my list of things that are much appreciated and used.
~Cookie sheets, bread pans, cake pans, and cooling racks.  Again, these are items that see a lot of use in my home.
~Rubber spatulas, tongs, wooden spoons, wisks, a good potato masher, ladles, large slotted spoon, measuring spoons and cups, Pyrex glass measuring cup that can also go in the microwave, splatter guards, and a kitchen timer.
~Good pots and pans.  These make cooking so much nicer and easier.  I also think everyone needs a good heavy duty stock pot to make soups in or to cook for a crowd.
~An immersion blender.  I love these for making creamed soups.  They are so easy to just put directly in the crockpot or regular pots and puree up things like lentil or split pea soup.
~A nice mixer.  This can either be a good quality hand held one or if the recipient does a lot of baking, a nice KitchenAid, Bosch, or Oster one.
~An Instapot pressure cooker.  I really want to get one of these for myself because I have heard such good things about them and they make it easy to get a nice meal cooked quickly.  This would save so much time and money for anyone!
~Matching silverware (stainless steel).  I know so many young people that have mismatched silverware and would love a nice set of matching good quality silverware.  I am still using the set we got as a wedding gift.
~Nice water glasses.  Again, this is something that I have seen appreciated over and over again.
~Cleaning supplies.  Fill a heavy duty laundry basket with cleaning supplies for the newlyweds who are setting up their home together.  I include paper towels, all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, dishwashing soap, laundry soap, dishwasher detergent and dryer sheets.
~If the newlyweds will be living in a house as opposed to an apartment, you can get them shovels (both regular and snow), rakes, hand shovels, hoses, and outdoor gardening stuff.  Big trash cans for garden waste are also a good idea.
~A small toolbox filled with a hammer, both Phillips and regular screwdriver, duct tape, assorted screws and nails, picture hanging kits, eye hooks, and a measuring tape are also much appreciated and needed.
~A customized cookbook.  It is so special to gather well loved recipes from family and friends that will bring back wonderful memories for the newlyweds.  Who doesn't want to eat Grandma's special angel food cake, Nana's meatloaf, Uncle Brad's "secret" marinade for steaks to grill, Mom's shoyu chicken and many other special foods.  Gather those together and make a cookbook.  Many of those recipes will be lost as people pass on and this will become a treasured family heirloom as the years go by.
~A calendar filled with all the family birthdays and anniversaries written or printed in.  You could make your own filled with family photos or beautiful scenery shots that have special meaning to the recipients.
~If you are a quilter, a handmade quilt in the newlyweds favorite colors is a much treasured gift.  My mother makes quilts for all the newlyweds in our family.  She also makes baby quilts for all the babies to follow.
~A family heirloom (if you are related to the newlyweds).  Maybe there is something that one of the newlyweds cherished as a child that can be passed down on their wedding day.  My MIL gave some of the family china to one of my nieces.  It is something that my niece cherished and uses.  For me it was a needlepoint picture that my grandmother had been working on for me before she died.  I loved her needlepoint pictures that she made.  When my grandfather remarried, his new wife Hazel, who had been good friends with my grandmother, had it finished by another friend and gave it to me on my wedding day.  She told me about how my Grandma Jean had been trying to get it finished before she died to give it to me as a wedding gift.  My husband and I were not even engaged yet when she started it, but Grandma told me I would marry him shortly after I first met him and he would take good care of me after she was gone and she was right.  That needlepoint hangs up in my livingroom  in a customized frame that my sweet hubby's father hand made for it as a reminder to me of her love and also of my FIL's love for us.
~I gave my DIL Heather my pearl earrings that I wore on my wedding day as a gift and she wore them on her wedding day.  I would have given our Rachel some jewelry too but she is allergic to so many metals and I did not have anything that she could wear that would not cause an allergic reaction.

   I'm sure there are many other things that I am missing here and that are special to the newlyweds in other people's lives.  I like to mix practical with unique and meaningful to the recipients.  This is just a start of what could become a very long list but I hope that it helps remind me and gives others some ideas to help out with all those weddings coming up.




 

Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary Honey!

Things I Wish Young Men and Women Would Consider BEFORE They Get Married

   Wedding Season is quickly approaching and we already have received a wedding invitation from a precious couple whom we love dearly.  We are thrilled for them because we know that they both are entering into this marriage as mature responsible adults who have many life experiences behind them and each of them know who they are as a person.

   Right off the bat, I am going to admit that I was pretty young when I got married.  I met my husband when I was 19, got engaged on my 21st birthday and married the following Spring.  We will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary next month.  Both my husband and I have worked hard and continue to in our marriage in order to keep it strong.   We have grown together because we are committed to one another and our family.   Looking back at our marriage and those of others that we know and love here are a few things that I believe are crucial to the success of a marriage:

1.  Each person should have enough life experience behind them to know exactly who they are and they should feel good about themselves.  That does not mean they are perfect by any means.  We all have flaws and areas we need to work on, but we need to "own" those flaws and be comfortable and confident in our own skin.

2.  Each person needs to be a mature and responsible adult.  I'm sure that most of us have done questionable and maybe even stupid things in our past, but it needs to be left there...in the past.   Some examples of these things are going out partying frequently, not being financially responsible, getting in trouble with the law, going out to "play" instead of taking care of things that need to be taken care of on a regular basis, being selfish, etc..

3.  A marriage should never be entered into for the following reasons:  to escape something, so that someone will take care of you, because you are lonely, or you feel like this may be your only chance at getting married.

4.  A marriage should be about two people, who genuinely want the best for one another, who build each other up, who are willing to not only put 100% into it at all times. but are willing to stick to it when times get rough.  And trust me, times will get rough.

5.  You should NEVER marry someone who makes you feel small, stupid, unloved, unwanted or who is controlling, manipulative, abusive (verbally or physically) or who you find yourself afraid of, nervous around or unsure of.  If you have any doubts or concerns in any of these areas....run the other way fast! Also, if you doubt their, or your ability to be faithful, don't marry them!

6.  The person you marry should be your best friend.  They are the one who you feel the most comfortable with, the one you trust unconditionally, the one who has proven that they are there for you  and you for them.  You should be able to talk about anything and everything.  You should have lots of things in common with one another and the same core values.  You should agree on important things like whether or not to have children, discipline of those children, finances, budgets, your faith and how that will play out in your marriage, especially if you come from different viewpoints.

7.  You are willing and ready to make your relationship a top priority.  This means that your marriage comes before your relationships with friends, other family and even work.  If you put those things above your marriage, it is doomed to fail. That does not mean that your friendships, work and other family members are not also important, but it is a balancing act, with your marriage relationship weighing in heavier than other relationships.

8.  You are ready to really sacrifice for your spouse and for your future children, should you have them.  You will have to give up things that you may enjoy in order to make ends meet financially.  You also will have to put things on hold for awhile, in order to meet the needs of your spouse and children.

9.  You are happy just to spend time together.  It does matter where you are.  You don't need to be going out all the time to have fun.  You are perfectly happy to spend a quiet evening at home.  Just being together is what matters.

10.  You are committed to this person for your life, through good times and bad.  You do not go into it thinking if it does not work out, you can get a divorce.  We live in a world where divorce in commonplace but people do not consider the damage that it does.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when divorce is necessary, like in the cases of abuse, or infidelity, but if you really know the person and have considered the reasons above, then you have more of a chance of having a successful marriage than someone who has not.


   I really hope that if you are reading this, and you are considering marriage, that you take these things to heart.  I would love to see more people go into marriages with their eyes wide open and knowing beyond a doubt that they are marrying the right person for the right reasons.  May your future be bright and very blessed!

A Room With A View

My amazing husband managed to really surprise me this year for my birthday by booking a hotel room down in Clarkston, WA for an overnight getaway.  He knows me well and knew that I needed to be near water again so he booked a hotel room with a river view for us.  We both really enjoyed swimming, taking walks along the river and relaxing.  Thanks honey for blessing me yet again...you rock!

 

An Early Anniversary Surprise

A couple of weekends ago, Jeff and I were given a wonderful gift.  My parents, brothers and my SIL and our kids all got together and sent Jeff and I away for a romantic night at a 4 start hotel in Spokane, WA.  Jeff and I had been trying to get away for years now but weddings, babies, and other family things kept happening that took precedence.

 We stayed at the Davenport Tower which has a Safari theme to it.  The rooms are really nice and the beds are so comfy.  The mattresses are made specifically for the Davenport Hotel Collection and the linens are super soft Italian made.  I know that you can buy the linens and even the mattresses at the Davenport Hotel store.  The rooms all have complementary robes and wonderful soaps, shampoos, conditioners and lotions and boast big marble walk in showers.

I did not get pictures of the lobby but it has gold leafed statues of elephants and a hippo, a tiger, stained glass with giraffes and some wonderful murals and lighting fixtures.  There is a big fireplace in the lobby with comfy chairs and couches that Jeff and I curled up in while sipping on Starbucks coffee.  There is a bar and restaurant right there and it seemed to be very popular with the young professional crowd. This hotel also has a nice pool and workout area.  It is right down town within walking distance of Riverpark Square and lots of fun restaurants.

We had such a great time shopping, going out to eat, enjoying the spa area and just the two of us and came back refreshed and ready to face the week ahead.  Thank you to our wonderful family for making this possible!  It was a much needed and appreciated break from the craziness that has been our lives lately.

I'd Still Say Yes!

My husband and I are marking 28 years of marriage this coming Saturday.  We first met when I was a mere 19 years old and then our paths did not cross again for 6 months.  When we did bump into each other again, it was one of those moments when time just stands still and everything around you seems to fade away.  From that night on, we knew that we did not want to be with anyone else.  We just "clicked" and we inseparable. :)  We spent the next year and a half getting to really know each other before we were married.

I was really blessed to have the love and support of my husband's parents right from the first time I met them.  They are warm, loving people who welcomed me into their home and heart.  It was Christmas Eve and I was missing my own family who were back in Hawaii.  We were meeting my then to be future inlaws at a Christmas Eve service at the same church they had been married at years before.  To say I was nervous would be a huge understatement.  What if they didn't like me?  I had already fallen in love with their son and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.  I felt like I was on the most important "interview" of my life.  I needn't have worried, they literally welcomed me with open arms, hugs, and even Christmas presents.  I could not have felt more at ease and at home with them.  I feel so blessed to have shared such a loving relationship with them for a little over 29 years now.

My family fell in love with my husband before they even met him.  They knew that I had found someone special and that I could trust with my heart.  I had some huge walls built up due to past hurts but through his patience, support, love and kindness, those walls came down.  I had never been able to trust anyone like I trusted him...I knew deep down in my soul that he would not hurt me.  My grandmother also knew instinctively, that he was the man for me and knew that we would be married and that he would take care of me.  My grandmother was my biggest cheerleader and supporter up until that point in my life and she and I were extremely close. Sadly, she died before Jeff and I got engaged and never got to meet him.  My parents and brothers finally got to meet Jeff after we got engaged and they too "clicked" with him immediately.  My parents could see the same qualities that I saw in him and my younger brothers were thrilled at the thought of having such a nice big brother who made their older sister so happy.  My husband shares a great relationship with my parents and brothers, our sweet sister-in-law who is married to my baby brother and our adorable nephews.  We all enjoy spending time together.  My sister, who lives in Tahiti, has yet to meet him and he her, but we really hope to have that happen sometime soon.

Over the many years we have been together, there have been a lot of changes in our own immediate family.  We were blessed with 3 amazing sons, home schooled them for most of their childhood and saw them all venture out on their own and be strong, confident and independent men while still sharing and valuing that close family connection.  Our twins have found and married wonderful women and by doing so, blessed us with 2 daughters that we love with all our hearts.  We also have become grandparents for the first time to our grandson Bradley who will be a big brother in July! 

Like every married couple, we have gone through some very difficult times but what has gotten us through it all  is the promise we made to each other early on...that whole "till death due us part" part of the vows...we took that seriously.  We have learned some important lessons along the way.  We learned how to make the most of what we have and to truly appreciate it.  We learned to work as a team towards our goals in life.  We learned to never let anyone come between us, not even friends or family.  We learned to compromise, sacrifice, to say sorry, to put each others and our childrens' needs above our own in different seasons of our lives.  We have learned that no matter what, we are stronger together and can weather any storm.  Most of all, we have learned that marriage and love evolves and changes over time.  Each season brings new challenges and new blessings.  We are each others best friend, strongest supporter and to be honest, we would be lost without each other.  No matter how hard things have been at times, I would still say yes.  I cannot imagine my life with anyone else.

He Got Me Bubble Wrap Because He Loves Me!

It has been a very busy month for me with lots and lots of subbing at the school.  I've been filling in for people for longer periods of time and will be continuing to do so for at least another few weeks.  Doing this is great for the bank account but it leaves my husband and I much less time together since I work days and he works nights.  It also makes for less time to get all the things done that need to be done around the house and that makes things a bit stressful at times.

Valentine's Day is not one that we usually go all out for.  This year, I actually planned ahead and got my husband some Bose earbuds for his ipod.  He absolutely loves them!  I gave them to him when they arrived, about a week before Valentine's Day.  Yesterday, I gave him a card and some of his favorite snack cakes.  I wanted him to still get something on the actual Valentine's Day. :)

My husband, being the wonderful and thoughtful man that he is, gave me a very funny card, some new oven mitts and hot pads with Snicker's candy bars in them and a whole roll of Bubble Wrap. ;)  Now some may question his choice of gifts for me but I loved them!  I had been saying for some time now that I really wanted and needed new oven mitts and hot pads because mine were old and the mitts had shrunk in the dryer and were very worn in places.  This had been making for burned fingers and hands in the kitchen.  Since I do a lot of cooking and baking, good tools in the kitchen are essential for me.  The Snickers bars are my favorite candy and I actually prefer getting them to flowers! ;)  Now for the Bubble Wrap...  I am known as the Bubble Wrap Queen by some of my close friends and family.  I am nuts about the stuff!  There is just something so satisfying about popping those little air filled bubbles that brings me such great joy.  It is a great stress reliever and for whatever reason, it bring this childlike delight out in me.  I will horde the stuff!  Parting with it to actually wrap delicate things for shipping is painful and seems like such a waste when it could be used for it's REAL purpose...to play with!  I have always said the perfect gift for me would be a whole roll of bubble wrap that I did not have to share with anyone else.  So that is what my husband, knowing my affection for the stuff, got me!  He gets me and all my quirks and he really listened to me.  So yes, the man got me Bubble Wrap because he loves me!  Oh I love that man of mine!

Off to a Clean Start in 2013

 

I don't know about you but I like to start the new year with a clean slate.  I want to wash off the dirt from the previous  year and leave it all behind.  Seems like my grandson is pondering all of this while he takes a bath. ;)  Oh how I love my little Monkey!

The Christmas tree is taken down and the delicate ornaments are carefully packed away.  Next year we will be doing the unbreakable and soft ornaments and I think I may even enlist Bradley's help in decorating the tree. ;)  The toy train set may even make an appearance because I'm sure he would enjoy it and it would drive my cats nuts...BONUS!!!! :D

For 2013 I plan to focus on relationships.

  There are people that I love that I did not spend much time with this last year.  I know that we all live busy lives but I need to make it a priority to connect with them and get together a few times at least.  Time goes so quickly and in the blink of an eye children grow up.  Sadly we also lose some of the people we love over the course of the years and I do not want to have any regrets of not having told them how much I love them and how much they mean to me.  Some of our family members and friends have struggled this year and we have even lost a few.  Tomorrow is not ever guaranteed for anyone, young or old.  

My family.  Anyone that knows me knows that my family is my world.  I want to make it a priority to spend more time and go out on more "dates" with my hubby.  He is my best friend and the one person in the world who knows me better than I know myself at times.  He taught me about unconditional love and is my safe harbor.  I want to make sure that he knows how much he means to me and how much I love him.  My children are some of the most amazing people in the world!  My three sons and 2 daughters (so blessed to have such loving girls marry into our family) make me laugh like no one else can.  They all have kind hearts and are there for one another.  As a mother, that brings me great joy!  My grandchildren; my precious monkey Bradley and my future grandchildren are such treasures.  They are the reason that we, as parents, let our teenage children live! ;)  Just kidding!  Bradley has taught us so much.  I am in awe of him.  I marvel in all his new discoveries and accomplishments.  His smile can turn the worst day into the best day.  He has gotten us through some very rough times, just by being the wonderful little guy that he is.  I look forward to Bradley one day becoming a big brother and also to any more grandchildren that my other children may bless us with.

I have other goals too but relationships are the most important to me and I feel should be the most important to everyone.  Things come and go but your relationships are what define you, help you to grow and what makes your life complete.