Mar. 17, 2008 - Open Minded
Lately I have been a little too reflective about everything. While spinning around in my thoughts and becoming dizzy, I have to stop and post my opinion on "open mindedness". Apparently, there is a group of people in this world who think they know what is best for everyone that call themselves "open minded" and "liberal". I have to laugh at them because I used to be one of "them".
Yes, it's true. I used to run around believing I knew what was best for everyone else based on half-thought ideals. I can't claim to ever have been a true liberal, but I definitely thought I was a "progressive thinker". I was all about saving the environment, freeing Tibet, freeing my mind, stopping the injustices of the world, yadayadayada.... And Christianity was a man-driven religion meant to cram a woman into a tiny box where she wasn't allowed to speak, control an entire society and oppress millions.
Now I'm on the other side. I'm a woman, living outside of the box, freely expressing my love for Jesus Christ and feeling freer than I ever felt before. The lies we'll believe...what a shame. I have been liberated from my closed-minded thinking.
But I am not writing this post because I want to share my personal transition, but because I feel great compassion for all those "progressive thinkers" that are in bondage by their hate for Christians. They have aligned themselves with false thinking and believe they are open minded by not living by a "religious doctrine". This thinking is generated by a fear of having to "change". Kind of the same reason people want abortion to remain a choice. Because becoming a parent requires "change".
Being a Christian isn't about being force fed a belief system, or having to live within a box, never coloring outside of the lines and always walking a straight and narrow path. God gave us the ability to choose for ourselves between right and wrong. Christianity simply states there are consequences for both and there is forgiveness when we admit we are wrong. It's about knowing that Jesus Christ carried your burdens to the cross so that you no longer have to drag your iniquities around with you. And with that there is growth so that we are equipped in life to handle all of the rest.
Well, I don't know if anyone stuck in the bondage of hating Christians will read this post, but I hope that those who feel led will pray for the people that haven't been won over to the cross. And I pray that the people still in the bondage of hate have a loving example in their lives that can shine a bright enough light on the lies they are believing.
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Mar. 14, 2008 - A little humor
My daughter has been experiencing panic attacks lately. My mom has had them her whole life and I have had a few of my own. I'm not sure what brings them on exactly but I do know that if you become alarmed they only get worse.
I called my mom to tell her about the attacks and to ask any advice. Of course there is nothing you can do about them except realize what is happening to you and calmly talk yourself down and wait for everything to return to normal.
My dad, however, had a wonderful cure. He said to get a large paper bag and put it over her head the next time she has a panic attack. He said it would cure her instantly. My mom and I laughed but you know what, it's true. This cure can fix just about any mental problem from panic attacks to being overcome with worry to a fantastic accessory to your next pity party.
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Mar. 13, 2008 - Life lessons
I am crying out to the Lord today. I have been holding on to too many things, thinking I can solve problems with no easy solutions, accomplish more than I am physically able, and do the things I normally do with a positive attitude and a servants heart. But the truth is, I can't do anything.
I have a "pray-about-it-later" mentality as I take on all kinds of things and then instead of praying I get tied up in knots and anxious over life and end up in perpetual worry. I have been a terrible wife, a terrible mother and a terrible person lately because I haven't taken time to give my worries to the Lord and pray. And now I am paying.
Why do I do this to myself? I find it kind of strange that I haven't learned my lesson yet. I know from past experience the Lord never lets me down. EVER. Even when things don't go my way, when I am walking with Him moment by moment, everything is better. I can accept the things that don't go my way with a joyful heart that is still full of hope for God's plan. And when things do go the way I had hoped, I am ever so thankful for a God who truly loves me and wants the very best for me!
But lately I have taken it all on and trusted myself. I can't be trusted without the Lord. I need Jesus Christ in my life every minute of the day or I will go astray. I need Him now.
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Mar. 10, 2008 - Retraction (deleted entry)
Last week I ventured to complain and gripe about Indiana winter. I proposed we rename the season "Miserable" in Indiana. (I was grumpy.) But, I have changed my mind since my grumpy entry (I deleted it). Here is why:
This is Indiana. Metamora, Indiana. Isn't it beautiful with the snow all over the place? How can I claim Central Indiana is a miserable place in winter when this is here? Look, some more:
So I retract my previous grievances and would like to even say while yes, being stuck in the house on the gloomier days is no fun, going out on the sunnier days is just such a joy!!!!
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Mar. 8, 2008 - Ruling in California
This case has got my attention and I encourage you to learn a little bit about what is going on in California right now. According to what I have read, and tried to sort the facts from opinions, there has been a court ruling in California that deems it illegal to homeschool.
Please see for yourself by visiting http://www.hslda.org/. I believe it is important for us to get involved and help the homeschoolers in California have this court opinion deplublished immediately.
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Mar. 6, 2008 - My husband, the problem solver....
I woke to find this e-mail:
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Mar. 4, 2008 - This land is our land!
This weekend we visited our property in Southern Indiana. We actually had a decent day with temperatures in the upper 50's! I think it reached somewhere in the low 60's where we were, at least that is what the thermometer on the porch said.
Now that the property is ours, we're planning a lot of improvements. My husband measured and drew up a sketch of the house and floorplan so that we could start making some plans. Two of the rooms on the back of the house will have to be torn off and then we will need to re-side the back of the house. We're planning on doing a board and batten siding as we can (financially). It looks like the cheapest way to go. The house also needs a new roof. While he was busy digging around and looking in all of the nooks and crannies in and around the house, we were doing our nature study in the meadow.
After a while, I guess he got tired. He came up and relaxed with us.
Unfortunately, we have no heat in the house, no water, no "flushy toilets" as my daughter calls them, and so we could only spend the day there. Hopefully by next year we'll have a few of those improvements in place and we can spend weekends there.
This is the meadow to the east.
This is a trail at the top of the east meadow that basically leads to the woods on the east side of the property. At the end of the trail is an old dump that we'd like to clean out this summer.
This is the part of the house that we're tearing off. These rooms were added after the original house was built and have suffered a lot of water damage inside. We'll remove all of the siding eventually and do board and batten siding around the entire house.
Soon we'll have a weekend vacation house and hopefully in the next several years we'll figure out a way to move down there for good!!
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Feb. 28, 2008 - Weekend coming...lacking faith
I find myself anxiously biting my nails wondering what this weekend will bring. I mentioned in my last entry our confusion over our church direction and that we have just kind of stopped going. I desperately want to find a church family. My husband is luke warm on the matter and seems quite satisfied not adding anymore pressure to his life. But I really want to find a place where I feel comfortable and loved. The hard truth is, no matter how much I try to convince myself I can find a home where we have been attending, I am just not comfortable there.
I am battling two views:
1. I should be willing to sacrifice my comfort and my "want list" and just let the Lord do His work. Eventually I will get comfortable and even find a place where I can be useful at the church where we're going. I may even change my mind about all of their policies. After all, my husband doesn't seem to care either way and the kids have friends there.
2. Be brave, get out there and keep searching. There is no use settling somewhere where you just aren't feeling a connection and going through all the pain and torment trying to convince yourself it is where God really wants you. Just because it is convenient, your next door neighbors go there, and a couple of your kids have a friend or two there isn't a reason to stay.
A couple of nights ago, the pastor called and I was so excited that he actually noticed we hadn't been coming. I guess secretly I hoped in our absence, maybe he would want to contact us to make sure we were ok and see if he could help. But he called to make us aware of a concert tonight that they're really wanting a "packed house" for. When he asked how we've been and I tried to start a conversation he politely cut me off as if to say, "now isn't a good time, there are still several people on my list to call. Maybe another time." I always feel like that when we talk to this pastor. I long for a "shephard-like" pastor. One willing to leave the ninety-nine for the one wandering over the hill.
Chalk it all up to spiritual immaturity, I guess. But Jesus is like that. He has been my "minister" all along. Maybe I am being unfair. My friend at the church told me I should tell the pastor my feelings about all of this but I keep thinking it doesn't seem right. I think the biggest problem is, I understand as saved Christians we should be fellowshipping with other saved Christians and bringing our children up in the church. If my husband doesn't feel the same way, I should be the one to find a church for us. He will go to church but he just doesn't experience the same need. Like I said, he's luke warm. I believe if we could find the right church with the right shephard-like minister, maybe he would really warm up.
Oh, I just wish I had more faith here. Seven years of wandering without end has grown tiresome.
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Feb. 26, 2008 - Shout out loud...long (Have some makin' up to do)
Many things have been happening in my personal life lately. More than I care to disclose here. But I would like to take time to praise the Lord for the trials I am faced with because it is through these trials I am growing and learning.
Praise for my experience in the dentist office yesterday:
I was dreading the hour drive to my son's ortho appointment yesterday because we had just made the drive the week before but due to an accident, the road we needed to take to get there was closed and we couldn't make it. And the appointment before that, some nosy teacher from a public school waiting to see the dentist was interrogating my son and I about our choice to homeschool. (A whole other story - this was my first real experience with a nay-sayer...UHG!)
But soon my dread found relief in a waiting room packed full of the most wonderful people I have been around in some time. To give you an idea of the environment, our dentist is in an old brick ranch house in an area enduring substantial growth. His office is a converted two, possibly three, bedroom home with a typical ranch floorplan. The family room is the waiting room, the kitchen/dining room is the "office"/receptionist area and the bedrooms are the examination rooms. The place is decorated the same way it must have been in 1980...very outdated and there is only a giant couch, a wing back chair, rocking chair and a couple of wooden kitchen table chairs to sit on (and the fireplace). Normally I share the waiting room with one other person at the most but yesterday we were a big group.
The wait began with a Willy Nelson look-alike, waiting for his wife to come out of anesthesia, who was quite the talker. Soon, a lovely, happy woman, probably enjoying retirement, and who happened to be waiting on her husband, joined in the conversation. We were all talking about the weather, which in Indiana is really a topic for discussion. It is unpredicatable, constantly changing and quite annoying at times! We were making light of the fact that not once has the weather report been accurate this season and it has really been comical watching the meteorologists make forecasts that no one even takes seriously (except for a few who run to the store for a new snow shovel every time a 6 inch snowfall is predicted). Well, then entered a mother with her two shy, little children. The woman on the couch just embraced the little girl, pulled her up close next to her and within minutes entertained her with a Highlights magazine. I thought she knew the girl but there was no connection at all.
The 15 minute wait with these strangers was by far the best social encounter I have had in a long time. It made my heart open up and see that people can be loving and caring to one another regardless of where they come from or who they are. It didn't happen in a home or a church, but a cramped little dentist office in a growing suburb of Indiana.
So this brings me to my next praise:
My husband and I need to find a church home. We need to make a decision about where we're going to worship and committ our time and service. We have been attending a church for about nine months now, which is in itself an incredible record for the church-hoppers we have been. But we have a lot of doubts right now about this church because it is so different from the people we are and what we have grown to believe. I would have to say it is nearly opposite.
The church where we have been attending is a flock of people that have been saved for a while and perhaps have even been in their denomination a while. If spiritual growth could be measured with an illustration of people on a sidewalk, my husband and I are looking at the backs of a lot of people. Or at least it appears this way because we seem to be all alone. Admittedly, I have fallen into judgment based solely on the appearance of the church and the way the congregation interracts. They are very much like a large family that has known each other for years and have become VERY comfortable. We have remained a little on the outside of this and have allowed ourselves to feel like orphans waiting for someone to adopt us...but no one comes.
In a nutshell, while the people of this church gather religiously together on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday, they never seem to venture outside of their flock. They're a tight-knit group of people who clearly love one another. Getting in to this group has been difficult. I suppose since they all already know each other they don't seem to feel the same need for small groups, smaller group Bible studies, etc. Fellowship opportunities are there but awkward for newcomers (especially painfully shy, introverted people). We haven't been going to church lately because we just don't feel like we fit in. We don't seem to connect or relate very well.
I have fallen into believing there is something terribly wrong with me that I can't just "get in there". Going to church is already a HUGE step to take, but actually putting myself out there and prying the shoulders of the congregation apart so that I can get into the group is like asking me to stop the war. To put it bluntly, there doesn't seem to be anybody in place to welcome and "love in" a potential member. We have been left to our own devices and it is entirely up to us if we're going to make it.
Now, to make this even more complicated, and even more of a blessing, we have friends at this church that we cherish. (They may not know just how much they mean to us because we're so introverted.) I have sobbed to my friend, I have expressed all of my emotional blubbering, I have clouded the situation with a million-and-one confusing doubts and questions, and I have probably chased my friend away. But, this can be praised because this is the first time I have "stuck in there" and not botched it all up with a "thanks for trying to love me, sorry it didn't work out" kind of mentality. I'm refusing to give up. I don't know if this church is right for us or not. But I do know my friend is right for me. My friend and her parents, who all attend this church, are incredible people. I like them a lot. But they're singularly the only reason we keep going back to the church. They're the only people that have made any effort to keep us going.
So, while this has all gotten confusing, I am sure, I praise God today for the chance to be friends with my neighbors, to grow with my neighbors as Christians. I praise God today for the church where we have attended because while we may not fit in, it has given us an opportunity to grow individually and face our spiritual identity, and get a conversation going...what kind of Christians do we want to be? And it is helping us see that church does not make the Christian, but if we are to grow, we will need fellowship somewhere. We've got a good start and I am excited to see where it is all leading.
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Feb. 19, 2008 - Still no computer...but a Wii?
We still haven't found a new adapter for our laptop so I don't have much access to the internet. I can't believe how much I rely on computers! There once was a time I was skeptical about getting hooked up to the internet and now here I am, depending on it as a lifeline!
The kids purchased a Wii yesterday with their Christmas money and gift cards. It took a lot of patience to wait for a Wii...the stores have been sold out since Christmas and every time a shipment did come, they were gone within hours. We went to the store on a whim yesterday and as usual the shelf was empty...but lo and behold there was a man standing in the middle of the store next to a stack of Wii's. He said they didn't even bother restocking anymore because they were gone as soon as they came in! They pooled their resources and worked together and now we have Wii-mania.
I have something to use to keep them motivated to do their work, too! (Hee-hee-heee
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Feb. 14, 2008 - Happy Valentines Day!
What a busy day I've had. I have pictures to add to my blog here, but unfortunately I am without my computer. My husband is letting me use his computer but I don't want to download all of my photo software so I will just have to wait until I get a new adapter for my laptop!
Anyway, my house has been a scary place as of late. Just about every corner of every room has a nice pile of something that needs sorting through. So today I went around and took pictures of all the trouble spots and began organizing. I began with the desk in the kitchen. It looks great (except for the drawer that I shoved all the odds and ends into to get them out of the way!) I am slowly gathering all of our supplies and getting them in one place. So, when I am fully up and running I will post the before and after shots.
The kids have kind of been on a reduced schedule this week as I have been experiencing frequent mental melt-downs. They have been playing some kind of Star Wars saga in the "catch-all" room (described as a "dining room" on the floorplan but acts as a room for toys, books, miscellaneous furniture, an ever-growing hamster palace, dust and debris). They finished their black history assignments and have done their daily reading and math assignments so I'm happy with that.
My mind has been off thinking about spring. Everyday is different here...one day it's snowing and frigid, the next day it is mild and tornados are moving through, the next day ice has settled all over the place and the next day the sun is shining. I'm so ready to be able to get outside again. I'm in the mood for a long hike or a camping trip (both, actually)!!!!
Valentine's Day has been great. My husband and I put goody bags together for the kids last night and gave them to them this morning. Then my hubby came home with flowers for me and balloons for the kids and cooked dinner!!!! What a sweetie pie! I couldn't ask for a better treat.
Well, Lost will be beginning soon and I need to get a few things done before I zone out and try to figure out where on earth this show is going. Hopefully I'll have my computer back before the weekend!
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Feb. 13, 2008 - Questioning
Today I pulled out my copy of The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery that I purchased several years ago when we were poor and struggling. I remember when I bought it I jumped right on board with wanting to homestead (or some form of self-sustainable living) and began lapping up all of her wonderful advice. I even got a subscription to Countryside Magazine. I wanted to learn the "in's" and "out's" of country living (being 100% suburban born and bred, I'm admittedly CLUELESS) and I wanted to move out to the country at first chance.
But things didn't go that way. Instead of simplifying and parring down, we moved on up...our income grew and we grew with it. My husband became too busy to be "country" and I mourned the loss of my dream.
I don't know what compelled me to pull the book of the shelf and look at it. Half the pages are underlined and highlighted...and I miss the dream. I want it back and I want to live it.
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Feb. 12, 2008 - New crayons
Here are some ideas for recycling CRAYONS. Those pesky broken crayons in the bottom of the drawer, in the back of the cabinet or wherever they roll away to be forgotten...Make new ones!
1. Dig out all your old broken crayons.
2. Unwrap them. (Something to do when kids are bored) Sort them (something for the preschooler to do). Experiment if you want. (Art class 101: what happens when you mix yellow and blue?)
3. Melt them. Just be sure to use an OLD pot that you don't really care about.
4. Pour them into molds. Any molds...ice cube trays, jello molds, small plastic containers (fill the bottoms of old yogurt containers for round crayons...), you get the idea.
5. Let them cool.
6. Voila! New crayons. They make great rubbing crayons for your kids to use with textured templates or leaf rubbings (or headstone rubbings, sidewalk rubbings, wood rubbings, coin rubbings...)
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Feb. 11, 2008 - Settlers of Catan
What could be more fun than spending more than six hours playing Settlers of Catan, Citties and Knights Expansion? Well, I could think of a dozen or so more things to do in that amount of time but I have to say, once you're in Catan, you just can't leave.
Well, besides The Ride Of The Valkyries being hummed by my older son as he competitively sets himself up on the board for a hopeful win for several hours, my husband needing artificial resuscitation nearly every hour for some game-induced trauma (usually brought on by said older son), not being allowed food or drink at the table near the game board by said husband (the game with expansions costs over $100 to replace), the bickering brought on by resource monopoly cards, the hurt feelings over being robbed and subsequently barred from natural resources until the robber flees to another land rich with resources, the complaining over whose road cuts off whose plan to expand in one direction or another, etc. etc., the game is VERY FUN.
Seriously folks, if you like games...especially role playing or historically influenced games, you might really benefit from an investment in Settlers of Catan. We have been playing for over a year with the core game and played the Cities and Knights expansion last night for the first time (hopefully the reason it took more than six hours). It really is a lot of fun and gives you a good reason to sit around a table together. Just deposit your emotions outside before beginning the game.
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Feb. 4, 2008 - SWEET VICTORY
There is a hole in my ceiling where my head hit last night after the Giants upset the Patriots in the Superbowl! I am not a Giants fan but a Colts fan and there was nothing more wonderful than seeing the Patriots lose to Eli Manning!! I think this excitement might just carry me through the week!
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Feb. 2, 2008 - Being Little
I often wonder what memories my kids will take with them? What experiences will mold them into the adults they will become? What is most meaningful to them now? Am I doing a good job? Are they happy and well adjusted? Am I paranoid?
So I look back on my own memories. Which ones stand out the most? What made the biggest impression on me? Speaking from an age less than 13, here are some things that come to mind:
1. Playing with my sister in our playroom for hours on end and listening to records on our little turn-table-in-a-box. We loved listening to The Music Machine. We would try to decorate the room like the cover of the album and then act out the whole album. I still remember the songs. I also remember my dad buying us a 45 of "Cow Patty" and making up a dance/skit...I think the flip side had "Elvira" on it and we made up an even cooler dance to that! Geez, come to think of it, we made cool dances for everything...in every room...in every place we lived!
2. Playing Little House on the Prairie on our lower deck (because it was the closest thing resembling a log cabin). I liked to play the really dramatic stories where we were starving and trapped by a blizzard or something. I really wanted to live that way (and still do!).
3. Spying and making up stories about "suspicious" neighbors and trying to link clues around the neighborhood to their "shady business". What an imagination! Just about every neighbor in our neighborhood was a "bad guy" and we had the evidence to prove it!
4. Creek stomping and looking for crayfish and believing our little creek would take us to the ocean if we followed it long enough.
5. My mom and dad bought us antique school desks and sometimes when we came home from school I would find a note from my mom on my desk. They were always short little notes to say "I love you" with a big smiley face drawn on them but it made me feel really good.
6. Being with my dad. My dad was always such a mystery to me when I was growing up. He traveled a lot so I was always wondering about him. When he was around I just loved to be around him. He always had some project for us to do when he was around like stacking wood or picking up sticks in the yard. And when we weren't working we were out exploring in the car. He really instilled a love of traveling in me.
7. Playing with my mom. From playing house to school to office, my mom had all kinds of cool ideas for us. She would hang sheets from the basement ceiling to make rooms for us and help us move our play furniture around so we would have a kitchen, living room and bedroom. She also gave us her old checks with the account numbers removed and anything "office-like" to play office. When we played school she was the teacher. I even liked doing the workbooks that she gave us to do even though I HATED them in "real school".
8. The symphony. Just about every year or fourth of July we would go somewhere and watch a symphony (at least it seems like we did it a lot). I loved it so much. The music was so powerful and emotional.
9. Visiting my grandma's house in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. What a cool house! I still have dreams about it. The house was on a hill and the front yard was all ivy that sloped down to a giant retaining wall that the driveway ran along side. The garage was partly underground with a giant sun porch on top where you could peek over the fences into other yards. One summer weekend we stayed with my grandma and she had tea time in the afternoons. We would have butter cookies and tea in little blue and white tea cups. I loved that!
10. Traveling. We were always in the car. The places are too numerous to name but we saw America. I remember the people we would pass always waved (in the country), no matter what part of the country (but especially Arkansas). The countryside would flatten the further west we went. In the east we would fly over hills and beg my dad to "tickle our tummies!". The roads in the east were always narrow and curvy and hilly and the roads out west were flat and long. I remember the colors of America, from the reds and yellows and oranges in Arizona to the yellows and blues in Kansas and the deep greens and white in Pennsylvania.
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Feb. 1, 2008 - Pictures
Without further ado, here are some lovely creatures I call my own.
The older three.
And the younger one.
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Feb. 1, 2008 - Praying for those who are hurting
Today I want to send up a special prayer for all of those who are hurting. This morning I was tempted to feel sorry for myself...for what, I don't know. I just wanted that feeling of being miserable. Strange. It's kind of like an old acquaintance that you are so glad you will never see again but from time to time think about even though you never really clicked. And this morning I wanted to be with my grumbly foe. I wanted to debate my worthiness.
But then I thought of some people who are really hurting. A friend of my parents who is going through chemotherapy and radiation for his throat cancer, living with his wife away from home in a sterile dormatory-environment, wondering where the money will come from to pay for the care they're receiving and relying on Jesus to get them through. A couple with a lot of faith, hurting. And I thought of my cousin's wife who is suffering through depression. And the people who are caring for her, coming in to clean her house and help her through. And her children. And the flood of pain wives and husbands and mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and sons and daughters feel when their loved ones are deployed to Iraq or Afghanastan and they have to go home again without them, waiting and hoping and praying. Living moment by moment. Hour by hour. Day by day. And the millions of other people plagued by cancer, heart disease, diabetes...or suffering through foreclosure or job loss...or the death of a loved one. There are people out there REALLY hurting. And Lord, I pray you will comfort each and every one of them, bring them in close to you, giving them hope that comes only from you.
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Jan. 31, 2008 - I love pictures
You wouldn't know it by viewing my blog...but I love pictures. I love browsing through other blogs and getting little snapshots into the lives of others but I rarely post my own pictures. I think for one, my husband and I have been stubborn about giving up the old 35mm. But alas! the trusty Olympus died and we have been relying on a very outdated hand-me-down digital...outdated in that I think it is only 3.2 mega pixels. Stop laughing at me.
Even though it is ancient, I have fallen in love with the convenience of a digital camera. And with all the cool software out there, (printed) picture quality isn't as much as an issue as it was at the dawning of the digital camera era. So I am sold. Digital it is.
Anyway, I want a new digital. But I am not interested in any ol' typical point and shoot...I want the works. Do you know how long I would have to save to buy one of these beauties? Well, I am sure by the time I had enough moolah saved up, digital cameras would be a thing of the past. But anyway, I'm holding out.
Until then, I will have to spend a little more time putting pictures on my blog and opening the drapes to our windows here.
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Jan. 25, 2008 - Times, they are a changin'
Boy, oh boy! I never thought I would be here again! While we're doing better financially than ever before, we're just not doing well enough to not be affected by the higher prices of EVERYTHING. So, I am having to reach back into my memory for how we made it on a third of our current income (minus only one mouth to feed). Once upon a time I could make one roll of toilet paper last several days and we could all eat on $50/week. We weren't eating steak mind you, but we were eating.
We have gotten so used to having just about everything we want. We have gotten in the habit of having snack foods and convenience so having to remove these things again has been hard. But here are some ways I am making a difference. (We still have a long way to go).
1. No more eating out. Oh boy. Well, we usually do fine with this but lately we have been out and about a little more than usual and have had a lot of dinners out. But, our new strategy is to have a plan. If we're planning to be somewhere away from home during mealtimes, I will be sure to have lunches packed and a few "tide us over" snacks. If we need to have an early (or late) dinner, I can be sure to have something for the crockpot or prepare something the night before. And no more ordering pizza! It is more work, but throwing a batch of pizza dough together and making our own is a lot more economical than having to pay for delivery. Getting the kids involved makes it fun too.
2. More nutritional snacks. Alright, aside from the fact I bought some BBQ chips for my son's sleepover tonight...we're going back to fruit, veggies homemade bread and peanut butter. I used to make a batch of fried biscuits or set out a plate of apples and peanut butter for snacks and the kids always loved it. It is so much healthier than a bag of chips or store bought cookies. And once again, the price you pay is just a little more effort.
3. Meal planning. By taking an hour or so every two weeks and planning our meals ahead of time, I am sure to buy only what I need for each meal and not much more. Checking all of the Sunday circulars, cutting coupons and buying in bulk, we save on the grocery bill!
4. No more milk with every meal. We drink a gallon of milk a day. Our cereal, lunch and dinner meals are always accompanied with milk. If we have half the amount of milk with our meals or alternate with ice water or tea, we should cut our milk usage in half. I am NOT paying $4.29/gallon!!!! (Of course I can find on sale most of the time but we have been desperate on occassion)
5. NO SODA! We don't usually buy soda but every once in a while I like to provide it for guests or as something easy to take along. We are not going to do that anymore. So, while I would love to provide a selection of beverages for our friends and family...if they want soda they will have to bring their own. (It's bad for you anyway.)
This is hardly extreme. But it is a start.
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