So, see these girls right here.....
Look what they won last Saturday....
FIRST PLACE CLASS A JAZZ!!!

Yes, I'm extremely proud of them, they worked so hard!  Sadly we didn't get a qualifying score for State but we did take 1st place for our category!!!

We had a competition yesterday but did not place, did not qualify.  I will freely admit to the fact that the teams we competed against, they were fantastic.  They earned their spots and awards, they truly did.  I wish I had been able to record their dances just to review for our team next year.  No, I don't have any intention of copying a dance, no Bring It On play here, just ideas and see what blended and what didn't.

Again tho, all in all, I think my high school team of 6 girls did phenomenal!   It's been a rough dance season, we've had a lot of issues that we've dealt with, we lost about 5 dancers, some quit, I think they didn't believe me when I said it was truly a sport and not just a club or group, and one I had to ask to leave.  Through it all they worked together extremely hard!  I was also thrilled last week that the floor judge pointed out the girl who had the "solo" which was just that she couldn't do a handstand as she's dancing with a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum in her right shoulder and instead did a triple spin and a jump then sequed right into the next move with the others.The judge said "The girl who had the brief solo, what is her name?  I am giving her a Rising Star award."  I told her that it was actually my daughter and gave the judge her name.  The judge told me that she really just stood out in that she had so much charisma and enthusiasm and was very skilled.  I was so proud!  I didn't tell Alyssa ahead of time, wanted it to be a complete surprise when they were on the floor for the award ceremony.  And surprised she was!!!  She has wanted this award since 6th grade year and she finally received it as a sophomore in high school!  And the award is given for charisma, team spirit, skill and enthusiasm.  

So now with our 2 competitions out of the way, and not qualifying for State, we are going to settle in for the last 3 home games of the season, including senior night for the girls to dance at in February.  After that, dance draws to a close.  It has consumed so much of my time and thoughts and in some cases money!  But all in all I've loved it.  I will return to coach until Alyssa graduates.  I just feel the need and really want to.  Auditions will be the end of April/first part of May so I'm working on the fliers now that I want to send to the 8th graders coming into high school next year.  

Okay, no more dance talk, lol.  I'm really striving toward my goals for this year.  Losing weight is one I'm not doing so well at but in all honesty, "D" was taking so much time I wasn't eating right, was easier to grab fast food and that's soooo not good for me.  This week I quit the fast food and have been eating what we have on hand at home, including a salad.  If I have a salad a day, that will help a lot!

Frugality wise, I'm trying, I have set small goals to hit and will be so happy when I get the first one!  Stocking up on food has been difficult for some reason, probably because when I go into the store it's a run in, grab, run out instead of taking the time to mentally prepare beforehand or even make my list out before I go.  That is what I'll work on this week, make out a list, pull coupons to coincide, go from there.

I have a few special prayer requests friends, God knows what they are.  If you would please believe with me?  I need affirmation and confirmation on a few issues in my life, our lives.  I'm very bad at trying to tell God how to do things.  This time I'm letting it all at his feet, stepping away and asking Him to take over and steer me down the right course.

I suppose I should close and go finish supper, chicken flavored rice a roni (Aldi brand) and diced grilled chicken (frozen also Aldi).  Have a blessed day!!!


Lisa

Isn't this so pretty?  I have all of these plans in my head to decorate like this for Fall but...that's where they stay!  I keep thinking, next year I'll do this, but next year comes and I don't.  No more waiting, I'm going to find a way to make my space, my little rental house, more beautiful, inexpensively.  I'm all for barter and curbside shopping.  Not stealing from houses, lol, but garbage picking to be more direct.  I've done it before and have found some wonderful things that have been used over and over!

Trying to crack down on my frugality, get back in a more structured cycle again.  I had to trade in the van for a new vehicle, my transmission finally was winning the battle of going out after doctoring it for the last 3 years.  I've bought a 2011 Dodge Caliber but now have payments, the first time in about 6 years that I've had car payments.  I love the new car, I really do, decent gas mileage, doesn't cost an arm and a leg to fill up, but a car payment, and a little bit higher insurance since I now have to carry full coverage.  I've come up with a few things to help my frugality get better:

*Pack my lunch a few time a week
*If we want to eat out we always use coupons
*We drink bottled water and the best, cheapest place I've found is Aldi.
*Unplug appliances when not in use, am working to get better at that.
*buy generics, well most things generic.  There are a few things I will not pinch pennies on.
*Being a clearance fanatic, on anything and everything!
*I dropped my land line.  All of us have cell phones.  My youngest is still on my ex husband's plan but my middle daughter and myself are on Straight Talk, best bang for our bucks.  She buys her card, I buy mine.
*I dropped our satellite service.  I have yet to buy a converter box but am saving to do so.  The only thing I pay for is internet/wifi, that's saved me $90 between dropping the land line and the satellite.
*Saving change, I only have just started but I have a man I'm dating that saves all of his change at the end of the day,  he's set up some very nice savings accounts for his children!
*Stocking up clearance on food items as well!

There are some here I've started already, some I am working on, but all in all, they will help in the long run.    

Blessings to you all and again, Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa

I can't seem to get in a regular groove on blogging so no more apologies, I'm just a hit and miss kind of girl!

See these young ladies to the right, that's my girls, the dance team.  The young woman to the far right with the ponytail flying, that's my youngest girl Alyssa.  These girls are the reason I'm in a non-stop run week to week but let me tell you, it's so worth it.  Yes, I have days where I just want to say you know what, I'm done, but that's because I'm tired.  Working with these young women, watching how hard they practice, they dance sick, hurt, you name it, is inspiring.  Yes, they get on each other's nerves especially as I have them dancing 3-4 days a week, 2 hours a night, but nevertheless, their hearts are wholly in dancing and being the best that they can be.  There was an article published in our local paper about an event that took place last Saturday where you meet the winter teams.  The reporter covering the event didn't report about who was on the team or any of their attributes, he butchered them, calling out imperfections, belittling the teams, including my girls.  He called their hip hop routine edgy and pushing the envelope for our small town but in the very next sentence said the moves were simplistic and childish.  Ummm, how can you be edgy and push an envelope but be simplistic?  I wrote a letter to the editor on their FB page setting the paper straight and informing the young man that obviously he knows nothing about high school dance.  HS dance is highly competitive now, it's not simple arm movements and marching in saddle shoes with big poms like we did  when I was in high school in 1984.  You have to be competitive and edgy and this is a SPORT, there are legitimate injuries, torn rotator cuffs,torn labrums, ACL's that have to be repaired, bruises everywhere, even hernias that need repair.  My response went viral in our town as well as others chimed in as well about how he ripped apart the other teams.  I've sent an actual letter to the editor as well as the company that owns the newspaper.  What I've heard (small town so you hear all) is that he wrote the article, his boss was out of town so didn't proof it before it was printed.  A few others read the article and advised him against printing it but, he ran it anyway.  I will defend my girls to the bitter end.  All this did was fuel their fire in making them kick it up a higher notch for their competition.  I guess I found a motivator for them!

Dance has pretty much been my life, work, dance, my girls.  I was dating a very nice man for about a month but, well, I ended it.  He's sweet but my heart wasn't in it.  I believe I dated too soon.  I'm going back to just taking care of myself, my own children and my dance girls, as well as getting back into my church.  Even that has suffered some but am taking steps to get that on the right track again.  I'm going back to my church where I gave my life back to God.  It always feels like home and that's where I need to reconnect.

I'm amazed that Christmas is around the corner.  This Thanksgiving is going to be odd next week.  Rachel and her fiance' re hosting Thanksgiving lunch at her place for his parents and for her dad (my ex husband) and his wife and her children.  Alyssa is going as well.  Megan is catching a train to Chicago this Sunday and will be there for 1 week, I get her from the train next Saturday.  I'm going to be on my own.  If my ex had stuck to the divorce decree he would have had them every Thanksgiving, that was his holiday but it's been years since they've been with him.  I've agreed to go with my friend, Ted's ex wife actually, to her family's Thanksgiving.  No, Ted won't be there, it's her side of the family, my friend's own family is spreading all over this year as well.  I think this is the hardest for me, the kids growing up, doing their own things.

Christmas, well I'm not even going there right now.  I'm going to pull a Scarlet O'Hara, I'll think about that tomorrow.  I plan on taking half of my dance coach salary and using it for Christmas gifts.  Now just when I'll get that, that is another story.  Waiting to hear from the payroll person as to when they plan on cutting those checks.

My house is a wreck, my mattress is in the living room floor, but on the days I don't have dance we're running and doing other things like grocery shopping or other errands.  My goal this week is to get my house back in some kind of decent shape.  The reason my mattress is on the living room floor is because Meg has my room.  The girls' friends don't think anything of it, I keep my "bed" made, we're doing what we can.  I imagine this time next year Megan will be in Chicago, I actually figure it will be sooner than a year from now.  She needs a better car but, we'll see about that.

I should wrap this up, I'm writing from work.  I need to go around and start locking up, making sure the heat is down, etc.

I pray blessings over you all, remember those less fortunate than you, and may Christ's love fill you!

Lisa

 Happy October 4th!!!  This is me (well my eyes and nose) and my youngest sitting at our booth at the Fall Festival in our town....Goofy kid but it's rare she wants to take a picture with me!  I grab any opportunity I get!  

This week was a busy one, wait, they're all busy!  But this one was extremely busy.  My Dance Team helped booth in the festival, we sold glow in the dark tattoos, did nail art where we painted fingernails and put on designs.  We barely broke even, wouldn't have if someone had not donated  money without purchasing anything.  Seriously reconsidering  ever doing that again.  Unless we can come up with something that's more marketable, no way, not freezing my tush off 2 nights in a row again!  But....today was their first performance of the year and I was so proud!!!  

 These girls have worked hard and it showed!  I received so many compliments from people, including the cheer coach, friends of mine and random people that saw me wandering around carrying poms in a bag!

There were a few small goofs but only I could see, and the girls that messed up knew, nobody else had a clue.  Now I think the girls look adorable in those uniforms (borrowed from the cheerleading coach). I'm trying to be as frugal as possible so borrowing was the only thing we can do. I personally believe they look much better than black capri stretchy yoga pants and borrowed football jerseys, which is what the girls wanted to wear.  I have told them no, we were going to look unified and like a team.  
This coming week is going to be less stressful.  We will have practice just 2 days as I have a funeral to go to on Tuesday evening.  A very sweet woman I knew from a former church, a woman I got to know very well and took home from church often, died the other day, along with her husband.  They were involved in a car accident, he lost control in the rain and slid.  I feel like I just need to be there to pay my respects to Betty.

I've been as frugal as possible, even though my van has not cooperated.  On Wednesday I went to get into it to pick Alyssa up from school and it would not start.  I had taken the day off due to my back really hurting.  Blessings, the van was in my driveway when the starter decided to go out, and not in a parking lot wherever my errand travels would take me.  One of my co workers put the new starter in for me.  He said that it was the battery that shorted out my starter.  So tomorrow I'll take the starter back to O'Reillys to get my core charge back.  My co-worker only charged me $105 to buy a new battery & put in the starter I had already bought.  That $175 was not something in my budget, sigh, but ah well, Praising that I had it to pay for it...just!  God is so good!  Amazing how He always provides for me.  By my co-worker doing the work for me it saved me easily $200 that a garage would have charged in labor alone.

FRUGALS
The girls and I made due with what we had and did more cooking from home, when we were home.  There was not much extra to spend so we behaved!  I walked to work Thursday and Friday, simply because I had no choice.  

A very dear woman that I met on a frugal forum has sent me coupons as well as a list of what she uses so I can send my coupons for those things to her. She's so precious.  She's in her late 80's and loves to use her computer, has figured out her smart phone.  She cracks me up!  I plan on sending her an envelope full tomorrow evening after I get my paper.

Another frugal, one of the men at work is delivering newspapers in the mornings. I'm on the get the paper free for 6 weeks plan, oh how I love having a newspaper to read in the morning, after my devotions.  Not sure if I'll subscribe after my free trial is over.  I may for the Sunday paper.  If I lived close enough to a Dollar Tree I wouldn't and would just get it there for $1 but, I don't.  It's 20 minutes away and some Sundays I don't leave town to go to the bigger town.

THIS COMING WEEK
Tomorrow I am churching it from home, so I can sleep as long as I want, especially after this long, long weekend.  Once Alyssa and I are up and moving we'll be headed into town, we'll shop at Aldi, return the old starter to get my core money back, stop by Goodwill to get another pair of cheater glasses, they have them for $1.98 and are actually very nice, lots of different modern styles to choose from.

The dance team will be working on a new routine, a competition routine and it is difficult!  That should be fun.

I have the funeral of my dear friend to attend.

I have to go through the totes for Chrysalis to check how many manuals are still outstanding and get that organized.  It's my job as a Board Member, one I volunteered for.

I need to finish up the baby blanket I've been working on.  Would like to have it ready for the new baby girl before she gets here in a few weeks!

CHILLY DAYS
I believe I've written how much I love Fall but one thing that I'm not crazy about is how cold it's dropped, and so quickly.  I do love my hoodies and jeans or hoodies and yoga pants but you have to be careful wearing yoga pants.  Too many days in them you don't realize if your behind is spreading until you try to pour yourself into your jeans!  That is why yoga pants are just for dance practice.  I like to stretch with the girls, it's good for my back, especially now that it's getting really cold, and that messes with my back.  The leaves are falling, I doubt the grass will even need cutting anymore for the year, and that's fine with me.  That means I don't have to pay someone $20 again until next year!  I hope to have my own mower by then.

Along with chilly days are the shorter daylight hours, so not a fan.  I am so sleepy once it gets dark, I have to push myself to do anything, even wash dishes after work or work & practice.  And some days, to be honest, I just don't do it.  Either the girls will pitch in or they won't, and it doesn't hurt them to help out.  

My eyes are getting to where it's a chore to keep them open right now.  After this busy weekend I'm ready to curl up and finish watching Gone With the Wind.  I wanted to see it in the theater this week but, well, that didn't happen so I'll  just watch it at home.  I have the movie and it's no money out of my pocket so there you go, another frugal!

Have a blessed evening, day, week if I'm not back any time soon.

Lisa 

Fall is in the air....isn't this beautiful?  The most wonderful thing is that in the next few weeks I know a place that will look almost identical to this where I can walk and think and pray and be!

I guess you've figured out my good intentions don't always follow through, ha!  I had hoped to post before now but, well, by the end of my days I'm beat and don't feel like sitting upright that long!

But let's see, where were we?

CHRYSALIS

Ahhh, Chrysalis!  Oh my, how the Holy Spirit moved that weekend!  I had 22, yes 22 young women as "caterpillars~now butterflies" that's Chrysalis speak for campers.  We normally struggle to have 14!  Watching these girls that were scared silly that first half of the day because they were thrown in with absolutely no one they knew start to unwind, ease up, accept and embrace one another, the talks, the amazing teams we had working, I was just thrilled!  I refuse to take credit for this, this was all God.  HE was the one who chose the team, I was just the mouthpiece.  The ones that were meant to say yes to work, were there.  The girls that were meant to attend, were there.  The guys didn't have as many, they had 8 campers but from what my dear friend who was the lay director for the boys told me, the Holy Spirits was all over the camp, not just in the girls' section!  The weekend had 3 young ladies give their lives to God, 5 that I know of rededicate their lives and the other young ladies told me that it made their walk stronger.  I've had a lot of the girls friend me on Facebook, we chat, I check on them.  One girl, on the weekend, came to me and said "Has anyone ever told you that you look like the girl on Pretty in Pink?"  I said, "Molly Ringwald?"  and she said YES!  I told her yep, I get that all the time, Molly or Bette Midler.  I'll take it, I think they are both beautiful!  But the talks were even better on the weekend than they had been during the team meetings, and I didn't have one issue to deal with that was negative, praising God!  I had team members tell me that was one of the most fun and most moving flights in awhile.  When they went to thank me I said I'd love to accept the thanks but that goes to God. I truly stayed obedient to His guidance!

The day after I got home from that weekend, had handed my Lay Director book over to my very dear friend that it's her turn in January, I got sick.  Strep that turned into that awful upper respiratory mess that was going around.  I was exhausted after the weekend, prayer can sometimes take it out of you, lol.  That and if the enemy sees something good happening, well, he'll try to knock me down.  I missed 2 days of work but thankfully my boss let me use vacation time to cover those days.  That meant tho that I had to forego seeing Joyce Meyer this weekend.  I'm bummed about that but to me that just meant that it wasn't the time for me to go...yet.  I will go, I know I will.  Praying for next year!

DANCE!

My dance girls are really coming along!  We had our secondary tryout and gained 4 new members, the end of the first practice with all the girls, new and old, after I'd had a talk with 2 young ladies about stepping it up, one girl text me that she just really didn't have the passion for dance that she knew she needed.  I am proud of her in that she was mature enough to realize that.  The new girls are starting to catch on faster, and it's so much fun seeing them "get it!"   The girls learned a new dance, a pom dance.  After working their butts off for 2 hours on learning the dance, without poms to learn it,  right before we ended for the night I hopped up on some steps and asked, so, anyone want to play with some poms?  All 10 girls RAN at me, I started tossing poms out.  These teen girls turned into giggling young girls but danced their hearts out with the poms in their hands!  I asked when they were done, so you like the poms huh?  They all laughed and agreed!  We had the Athletic Director who is over me stop by and watch practice this past Thursday and I had them dancing with the poms toward the end.  He pulled me aside and said, you know, I can barely tell who the new girls are!  He said if he didn't know any better they all had been dancing about the same amount of time.  He congratulated me and I told him thank you but if they didn't have the talent, they would never have picked it up.  When they were done I told the girls, Hey, Mr. H says you all stink!  They threw their poms at him but they knew I was joking.  First performance is next Sat., Oct. 4th at the home football game, they are excited!  Now I just have to get uniform tops!

Dance has pretty much taken over even more of my time than Chrysalis did.  We practice 3x a week, over 2 hours a night.  I've got a fundraiser going on now.  A friend of mine is a graphic artist, she designed our new logo so we're putting it on t-shirts and then going on the back will be 2014/15 Dance Team, under that different levels, Gold, Silver, Bronze.  I've sent the girls out with flyers and order forms, $100 + is Gold, $50 to $99 is Silver, $25 to $49 is Bronze, all names will be put on the backs of the t-shirts.  I walked the town square yesterday dropping off the information, next Tues I'll retrace my steps and see if they are ready.  We have a whopping $26 in our school account.  The girls need dance shoes (they are paying for them on their own) but as far as uniforms and costumes I'm praying our fundraiser, well this t-shirt one, will help cover most of that.  We have a booth at our Fall Festival next weekend, and are selling glow in the dark tattoos, both the square ones as well as the ones that would go around a young person's arm or ankle, we're also doing nail painting, designs on fingernails.  I'm organizing who is bringing what, I've received the Tattoos from Oriental Trading, now I have someone bringing tables, someone else bringing chairs, I am bringing my crockpot to put the water in to keep it warm in case it's cold at night, we need to string up lights, I have Spooky Halloween Ribbon to decorate around the table, just the list is ongoing of what is needed.  All money is to be put in our account at the school to purchase what is needed.  Praising God we have just enough poms for the girls so I don't have to buy more!

Megan is back home now, but I'm disappointed, she's not looking for a job.  I think she's in a state of depression, all she does is sleep when she's not at school.  If you can join me in prayer for God to heal her?  I know that her older sister's actions of kicking her out of the apartment have left a mark, that and the break up of her first real boyfriend.  She wants so much to be an adult, but inside she's still a little girl and has her heart broken in a few different ways.

FRUGALITY

I've done some coupon cutting and matching them up to deals. The week after Chrysalis, when I finally felt like going anywhere after work, the girls and I ran into "town"....anywhere from where I live to a big town to buy from CVS or Walmart or Aldi is 20 minutes...we stopped in to CVS to catch some deals.  I've not been getting the CVS sales in the paper lately (I get the paper from work, free coupons for me!) so I went online and saw that quite a few things were on sale.  I had 47% savings!  Total amount saved was $8.94 and I paid out of pocket cash with tax $10.94 for Herbal Essence Shampoo & Conditioner, Puffs Kleenex (I badly needed those), Dawn dish soap w/ Olay, and Tide Simply Clean, the new Tide in the yellow bottle.  The only ting that didn't have a coupon was the Puffs.  The girls used to just groan when I pulled out a wad of coupons, now I give them each a handful and tell them, go on the hunt.  They are really getting good at it, I am happy!  

Alyssa wants to go to our former town we lived in and go to their homecoming football game with her friend, her best friend.  I figure I'll drop her off, then I'll head into the big town and look around Goodwill for anything we may truly need, not just want, as well as maybe a hoodie for myself, I love them in the Fall/Winter.  I'll look at the movies as well, we've seen all of ours over and over and Goodwill is selling VHS tapes 4 for $1, DVD's are $4.  Not bad at all!  I'll pick Alyssa up when she's done, we'll do a quick Aldi run and then back home where I'll finish up laundry, vacuum, and probably pull out my flowers that are finally dying.  I need to re-plant my Hostas, they have had too much sun.  Praying I can save them.  If not I'm sure I can get more next Spring from my neighbor, we all know how quickly Hostas grow!

I have been lazy of late, and a lot of it is because I've been tired, we've picked up things off the $1 menu at McD's.  It's awful for us, I know this, but at the end of the day I've been wiped out.  Mostly because that sickness really, really kicked my butt, but a lot of it is I'm running until 8 pm 3 nights a week, then one night we run into town to grocery shop, get whatever we need from Walmart, and it's getting dark so doggone early!  I'm truly solar powered I believe, as soon as it gets dark I'm ready to snuggle in with a book and chill.  

I've been re-reading my Complete Tightwad Gazette I bought years and years and years ago.  I usually get thru the 1st 2 sections but the last 2 get skimmed over.  This time I'm working through the book backwards.  I read Edition 4 last night, am reading Edition 3 today, and then it'll be 2, then 1.  It's good to refresh my mind, and I'm also trying to instill some of that into my dance girls as well, what we can do spending as little money as possible.  We're going through the cheerleading uniforms Monday evening to find 10 matching tops and hopefully skirts for my girls to use for performing at games.  Costumes are to be strictly for competition.  Re-use, recycle.  The cheer coach is thrilled!  She told me the other night, she loves that we have no animosity, I guess that has been an issue in the past.  Not with the last coach, she is a precious young woman, but coaches before her.  

My goals this week are:

1.  Cooking from home, using the crockpot

2.  Making a big batch of waffles, letting them cool well and then freezing them 2 per ziploc baggie (generic of course)

3.  Setting up and working the Fall Festival for as little outlay as possible, getting donations of things to use from the girls' families, using what I have like the spooky ribbon, ghost twinkle lights, etc.

4.  Getting all bills paid, on time so no late fees.

5.  Putting minimum $20 back toward starting my "late" Christmas fund.  Better late than never!

Now that I've talked your ears off, or made your eyes cross, I'll close.  Who knows, I may surprise you and post earlier than a month, you never know!  Sitting myself down to write is 3/4 of the battle.  Once I get started I can't shut up!

I pray blessings over all who read this.

Lisa 

Ohhhh, wouldn't it be nice if we did have a day between Saturday and Sunday?  My weeks are so jam packed anymore!  Weekends just seem to fly by!

Chrysalis Camp is next weekend.  Our last team meeting was today and it turned out great!  I am so proud of the ladies, adult and youth, on my team!  They have more than stepped up and I can just feel how God is using them and the talks they have prepared!  Will let you know how the weekend turns out!

Just this last week dance started, I held my first official practice as Dance Coach for the high school team.  It went well I think.  I sat them all down and let them know the rules.  I told them, this is not a group, a club, this is a SPORT!  That means I'm treating it as a sport, give 100% at each practice, go full out, no laziness.  I can see I may have one or two butt heads with me but that's ok, I'm a lot more hard headed than they are.  I would love to see these girls qualify for State this year!  That would make me so happy, and I know it would make the girls happy, especially the seniors!  Dance practices are 3 nights a week after I get off of work until about 7:30.  When it comes closer to competition time it will go to 4 nights and every other Saturday.  

I talked to Megan tonight, she and Rachel seem to have butted heads once too often (that seems to be the theme of this blog, butting heads).  She may end up moving back in here at the end of the week.  I'm good with that.  There's been a lot of drama and frankly I'm tired of it.  I think she'll be better off here until she graduates with her associates.  She should graduate in May with that.  After she gets her associates she's planning on moving to Chicago.  That's alright, we'll manage.  She'll pay some towards rent here, it'll be good for her to do.

I've been watching my pennies as best as I can.  Having to pay for Megan's tow and two new tires put me on precarious ground again but I'll build back up.  Didn't do a lot of shopping this past week.  I think I spent a whole $60.  Have been making meals from home.  Friday my boss bought us lunch so didn't really even eat for supper, was pretty full actually.  Mexican food does that to me, fills me for the evening!

I've got my coupons all sorted, expireds pulled out.  I wish I had someone in the military to send my expireds to.  I know they can use them up to 6 months expired at the commissary.  Ideally I would like to build up a small stockpile, nothing like the extreme couponers on the show but something to fall back on during tough times when I have to come up with cash for an auto repair or a weather related high utility bill.  Next month I plan to start doing just that.  I have shelving downstairs that came with this house that I can use.  

I'm also looking into possibly making my own laundry detergent.  I know it's much cheaper than buying, even with a coupon.  Although, I really do like the Tide Free and they're giving some pretty good coupons.  I need to get a paper tomorrow so I can see if they have any sales that I can match coupons up with.  I get the sales ads, write down what we use in a notebook, put the sale price and then write down if I have a coupon.  That's how I know the way to plan my trip, I go in a loop.  One thing I have to buy that of course I have no coupons for are two headlights for my vehicle.  One is completely out, the other one only runs on the low beam, not the high beam.  Not good when you're driving in the country and dodging deer!

Today's temp was 100 F when I passed the bank here in town, that was not the heat index, that was the temperature!  I have no idea what it was with the heat index factored in but once I finally got home from the camp I just lay on the couch for about 45 minutes.  I made myself get up, start laundry, wash dishes, switch out laundry.  I have a quiet house, just me and the cats.  Alyssa is spending the night at her friend's house.  

I don't do alone well but I'm getting better at it.  I know God has plans for me, I know He does.  I just have to stop being so antsy. All in His timing, not mine.  I have had to force myself to not go to the ex boyfriend's house.  He has one of my movies that I want to get but I believe his son is bringing it to me tomorrow along with a Chrysalis folder from someone that had to drop out of the weekend.  It's probably best, I'd feel awful all over again.  Although I know it's best, it's just my loneliness creeping in trying to mess with my head.  

My plans for frugality this week. 
*  Making meals from what we have on hand.
*  Couponing when I DO go to the store this weekend.
*  Trying to see if there's anything I can sell on one of the FB
    pages.  I don't have much luck with Craigslist and frankly,
    not a huge fan of Craigslist anyway.

Unfrugal will probably be spending extra gas money to go get Megan's things from Rachel's apartment since the bottom seems to have fallen thru on that arrangement.  I'll be happier with her back here tho.  We can manage it for awhile longer.  Just want to give the kid the chance to spread her wings but slowly.  

So that's what's brewing in my head tonight.  I need to wrap this up and hopefully get some sleep.  I missed church last Sunday, don't want to miss it this Sunday.

Hugs and blessings!
Lisa

My Blogging Vacation

Hello my friends....I know, it's been awhile.  I've been healing, emotionally, spiritually, wish I could say physically, lol.

When I last left you I was dealing with a lot, and that has lingered for most of the summer.  It's hard to find a new routine, a new schedule when you're used to something for several years.  But I've finally done it, and I'm a much more content woman.  It has taken me a few months but my heart and head are finally at peace about the break up of my relationship.  I realized how much I let myself be consumed with thoughts of him and our "relationship" and how much I neglected things for myself, even for my kids.  My prayer is whenever I do begin to date again that I realize that and not let it take precedence over the truly important things.

I've been in prayer numerous times a day, reading quite a few books, inspirational, devotional, not self help, no, but from trusted authors that have swam in the same waters I have been in.  God has got me through all of this.  I have found a new church home with some old friends from my Emmaus and Crysalis Community and I feel loved and accepted, welcomed.  I desperately needed to find a new church, and am so happy for my friend, Patty, who kept on inviting me each week.  Gentle persistence, that is Patty.

Now that I've had my little hiatus let's play catch up, again.  Here is my Megan.....graduation night, just before we left for the high school.

I am so proud of this young woman!  She graduated with dual credit classes that should allow her to get her associates degree at the junior college she starts tomorrow in one year instead of two!  My son was down here for a personal matter he's tending to and I made sure he knew we wanted him at the graduation.  Megan was thrilled to have all of her siblings, as well as my daughter's fiance' who wasn't a fiance' at that time, with us to celebrate her day!  And my son, goofy clown that he is, when Megan's name was called we, the family, were to stand and remain standing until after she received her diploma.  She told the school she wanted them to announce her as her name, daughter of Lisa......   I asked her if she was sure she didn't want her dad's name there, she said absolutely sure.  When they called her name my son bellows out, YOU GO GIRL in a feminine voice, lol!  Megan whipped her head around to us and the entire auditorium lost it!  Her graduation picture has her pretty red faced but still grinning as the superintendent shook her hand and handed her the diploma.  The principal shook her hand at the other end before she went to sit down and asked, "So, alphabet (their name has 10 letters in it, a polish last name, yeah, alphabet), family or friend?"  She told him, oh, just my brother.  The principal said, "Well as your brother said, 'You go girl."  We had cake after, just us.  It was nice.  Dan's performance at the graduation had her friends and mine talking for a few days!  

All of the girls have had their birthdays, Rachel is now 22, Megan is 18 and Alyssa is 15.  Dan turned 27 in May.  Rachel got engaged June 4th so we have a wedding scheduled for June 6th of next year.  The dress is bought, venue found and deposit on it. I wish I could say I've had a hand in that but I didn't.  Actually her soon to be in-laws have given them a $5000 budget.  They have 2 boys and said they want to do this for them.  I am paying for the photographer and her veil.  She is having 8 girls as attendants, I don't know why so many as she wants the affair to be low key, low budget but, well, she had to have certain people she thought.  Her fiance' is cringing but she's adamant.  Her dress is stunning, can't post a pic till after the big day but she is going to be so beautiful, it's just her.

Meg moved in with Rachel 3 weeks ago.  She is attending the junior college close to Rachel's apartment and they were down an apartment mate.  She's on the job hunt so prayers she finds something soon?  

I'm down to one child left in the house.  It seems surreal actually.  The up side, I have my own room again!  I love my room, will post pics at the end of this post.  It's truly my refuge, a huge prayer closet, lol, but it gives me peace to just look in my room.

Chrysalis weekend is soon upon me.  In less than 2 weeks it will be here and all of the prayer, hard work, more prayer, more hard work will be put in motion.  I have some last minute spots to fill.  Prayers are welcomed.  

My newest adventure is going to be Dance Coach for the high school dance team. I put in my letter of intent a few months ago and at the last board meeting the school board voted me in as the coach.  I've received everything from the former dance coach.  She has a 2 year old and is ready for a break from coaching.  She's offered assistance if I ever need it, the former team captain who graduated this year wants to help.  I welcome any help.  So once Chrysalis is over, all of my energies will be to working with the girls on the team, well almost all of my energies.

Time to get off of here and check on my tomatoes in my crockpot.  I'm making spaghetti sauce to can.  Oh boy!  

Blessings friends, 

Lisa