I'm changing up the way this blog has been.  Right now I'm up at 2 am because insomnia has hit yet again.  This is all due to that lovely stage of life I'm in called menopause.  I'm learning to grab sleep when I can and when I can't, try to be somewhat productive.

It seems like the newest bandwagon to jump on is Prepping for TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) or the other title of SHTF, (Sh*t Hits The Fan), survival living.  I've been somewhat intrigued for a long time, never acted upon it.  But I had a wake up call one morning about 2 weeks ago and felt like I really need to get going on this.  I'm in the very beginning stages, really researching and making plans, slowly, very slowly, working toward my goal.  Any and all hints, suggestions, advice are absolutely welcome!

My oldest daughter is looking at me like I'm nuts and paranoid, but that's ok.  My youngest thought that at first but she says it is making sense.  I'm working on our emergency plans and will sit them both down once I'm certain of meet up places, etc.

I'm still actively living a frugal lifestyle, from necessity but I know that even if it wasn't "necessity" I'd still be living frugally.  A friend of mine is purging her pantry and freezer.  She somehow thinks she has "too much poultry" in her freezer and she won't need the boxes of differing canned goods ranging from veggies to soups, in her pantry.  I am happily going to her house to take these things off of her hands on Monday after work.  This will really help get a jump on shoring up my almost depleted pantry.

I'm throwing my daughter her 2nd baby shower next Saturday...today is her 1st one, the one thrown by her husband's side of the family. Theirs is no holds barred.  Mine next week will be frugal to the max.  I'm holding it at a bakery that has a party room.  The only cost for this is the cost of the shower cake.  The owner of the bakery is engaged to my daughter's good friend so, yay me!  The theme is comic book superheroes, my grandbaby is a boy!)  Sadly the first shower took the same theme but I'm not changing it.  I've been to Dollar Tree and bought dark red and dark blue rectangular plastic table covers that I'll cut in half because the tables are square, I also bought red and blue plates, food and dessert, red and blue napkins.  I have a box of cutlery from another event.  I was given a large garbage bag of baby clothes that I went thru just yesterday and pulled out sleepers that I will hang on clothesline that I will get from Dollar Tree on Friday.  I need to find inexpensive small centerpieces as well as I will buy a box of diapers, and using sharpies that I already have I'm asking guests to write inspirational, fun things on them for those late night diaper changes.  I'm hitting Aldi after work on Friday, will pick up fixings for some finger foods that I'll make that night and have them ready to go Saturday morning.  I'm trying to keep my costs, including the cake, under $100.

I think my insomnia is waning so I'm going to try to fall back to sleep.  Will hopefully check in soon!

Lisa