Get along Little Dogies

You know that Wyoming will be your new home!

Well, it'll be ours anyway. Jason has accepted a job offer in Gillette, Wy- and we are in the process of moving.

I despise moving. I really do. I hate the hassle, the packing, the cleaning, the mess, the stress, the fact that the children are underfoot 24/7... it's really a pain.

I also am bummed to leave behind all the terrific friends I have made here, and I will miss that fact that we've been so close to Grandma and Grandpa Moore that they could stop by for a day without major travel plans.

So far I have "most" of the bathroom packed
"most" of the boys' room packed
"most" of my craft items packed...
"most" of the dvds/ tv stuff packed...
see a trend here? The "most"s are not alls and are making me really antsy. I hope I can get this all done in time.

Pre-Winter Blues

It's not officially winter yet, I guess. But The view from my window would suggest otherwise. I have not posted in a while because I was ill for a time- and just didn't feel like it- now that I am feeling at least 97% I decided I'd update.

Update #1: On October 21st Hudson turned 5!

Update #2: We're MOVING!!! Yes- I am afraid it's true. Jason is graduating in less than a month and we are packing up our things- and going to......
well, we don't know where exactly yet, but we know we're moving.
The thing I dread most is our awful landlord who is (and I know it sounds trite, but there is no other way to describe her) mean. She is just mean. She has no reason to be cruel she just is- and that is what makes her so bad. So we are probably not going to get our desposit back even though I have lived for 2 1/2 years without putting up a single picture on the walls. (and before you ask, yes I tried those 3M sticky things.... don't work for anything that weighs more than a piece of paper and I have several broken frames to testify of that....)

Also I know my procrastinating ways- and I am combatting them even as I write this. It is my goal to have everything packed up and boxed away before Christmas EVE... And I don't fancy the idea of having to carry boxes out to the truck (which hopefully some company will PAY for) in -45 degree weather... today it is 8 degrees, but it might as well be 45 below... brrrr.

Update #3: I sold my red car to my friend Paula at work. This way we don't have to trailer 4 cars or make two or three trips. We've had our ups and downs in that red car, but it is reliable, and should work well for her. :) Plus this way we no longer have that specific monthly payment and it will help to pay down our debt.

Update #4: I have really come to enjoy taking portraits and think that if I get enough practice, I might be able to do some freelance photography in the future. I'd like to be able to save enough money to buy a "real" camera- a digital SLR and some nice lenses. I could then make some money doing something really fun and creative. (obviously not make ALOT, but just as a hobby)

Well, that's about it for now. We're going to G-ma Griffin's place for Thanksgiving, then possibly to Colorado but for sure up to Wyoming which may be our new home in 2011- if Jason likes what he sees...

Fulfillment

Is there anything more satisfying than meeting the needs of your children? I would argue no, there isn't.

Teen Suicides

I think that the recent increase in teen suicide due to bullying is very very sad. But wonders what kind of message we are sending to kids by martyring the teens all over the news so much? Yes- it is a call to action- something must be done. But if I were a teen with suicidal thoughts (and you don't know if I wasn't so don't judge) I think knowing my image would be on tv- publicily humiliating my tormenters, and the candles and the teddy bears and all the people who would gather together in my name- might just be making suicide look that much more appealing. I'm just saying- No excuse for bullies- very sad about the suicides, but instead of letting the media tell the story, shouldn't we sit down with our kids and TALK about it?

Mysterious Ways

I know that most people would say that Heavenly Father isn't interested in the trivial things of my day, like what shirt I choose, or what I eat for breakfast- but I know that he is aware of me- and that he blesses me in Mysterious Ways.

You know that Psych season 4 DVD that I was loathe to return, but put on my frugal big girl panties so that I could get my son a much needed coat? (small sacrafice, I know, but it was still hard for me)
well.... It's on netflix streaming! YAY! I can still watch it! :)

Ok- Netflix has become our entertainment budget. For 8.99 a month we get unlimited movies streamed to our computer and our tv with the wii- and one dvd at a time. This is what we do instead of renting videos and going out to movies. It works pretty well, actually. :) And I have sworn off buying movies for a long time- I don't really need to buy movies. I will watch it how many times after purchasing it? And I have to store the darn things and that just adds to the "stuff" that I am hoping to rid myself of soon.

Ok- I know- it may not be an earth-moving miracle- but it's a miracle to me. And I am thankful for the blessing. :)

The Frugal Beast

Ya, Ok, I admitt it. I am a reluctant frugalista- I would MUCH rather have a billion dollars to spend on whatever it is that I want. The fact is- I don't - and maybe if I did I still wouldn't be happy because I wouldn't know how to manage it. Maybe that's why we're struggling right now, to help prepare me for the blessing that are on their way. To prove that I can work with very little so that I can better manage it when we become better off... I don't know.

Anyway- my inner comedian is at work- and it makes these LEAN times a little more bearable.

For Example:

I wanted to buy Lincoln a Bumbo chair- but I knew he'll be sitting up on his own before too long, and I don't have an extra $40 sitting around. (also, don't want to store the darn thing when he's too big for it ...see hoarders post) So this is what I came up with instead.

And when you put a blanket in it it's even MORE comfy for him... This is the bucket we store Hudson's toy cars in, but when its not being used Oh Boy! What fun!

Also- I thought it would be nice to have one of those double stroller things where you have the one child sitting in front and a chair for the older child in the back- but this works equally well...



Ok- I know, it's not the intended use, but Hudson got tired on the way home from a walk and this seemed like the easiest solution... Not winning mommy of the year with this one, huh?


Anyhow- I did something that was pretty hard for me to do, but I am proud of myself for it. This July I bought season 4 of Psych at Wal Mart. I was SOOO excited, but when I brought it home I had buyers remorse. I didn't really NEED it- I shouldn't have spent money on it.... so I left it shrink wrapped. Well, things are pretty tight here, like I mentioned, and I sucked it up and returned the dvds to wal mart. I used that $40 to buy Hudson a new coat and to make a payment to my hospital bill. It wasn't easy, but I am proud that I could make a responsible decsion. And now, someone can buy me Psych season 4 as a gift later since I now no longer have it... hint hint. ;)

Look at me go! Maybe I can do this after all!

Sloppy Jofus

(This Beef Flavored TVP is found at http://www.shelfreliance.com/beef-tvp-1.html) It's the best price I have seen online- I got mine in Canada for about $15 a can)

I used TVP to make sloppy Joes last night- For those of you who don't know, my husband is a wonder bread and hot dog type guy. He likes easy cheap foods, but he wants them to be familiar. He has expressed less than enthusiasm about my using TVP in the past (TVP, incidentally, is Texturized Vegetable Protein, dehydrated soy basically) but what he doesn't know won't hurt him right? He doesn't even notice when I use it in chili or with taco meat as a filler... Well, my plan was to reconstitute the TVP before he got home so he didn't notice. It's actually "Beef flavored" so it tastes a little more like real meat. Texture-wise it's a little softer, but I know there is a noticeable difference. I was also planning to use 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 pound TVP to better disguise it.

But that's not what happened.

I had a pretty stressful day yesterday and was not in a good mood when Jason came home from his class. (I was actually still crying about cat feces to Erica- see previous post) so I was running a bit late and had to hurry with dinner if I wanted to eat before work. So I was just putting the TVP into the skillet with the tomato paste water and seasoning when Jason walked in. He looked at it for a second, but Bless that Man, he said nothing.

I think if he had said something, he knows he's get a Pyrex bowl thrown at his head- so I served it up and Hudson complained that it didn't taste like meat- I asked what it tasted like and he said water. I wonder if reconstituting it in Beef Broth would improve the flavor? hmmm...

Jason again said nothing. He ate two sloppy- jofus without complaint. If he's hungry he'll eat it. Of course I wasn't like "Oh honey look! I am using our TVP food storage- what do you think?"

and if he barfed later I am unaware because I went right to work. :)

Thank Goodness for WIC

I am on the WIC program- and I am sad because Hudson will be five next month, so we won't get benefits for him any more, but WIC has been such a blessing in our home because otherwise we couldn't afford to eat as well as we do.

Now that I am learning to use WIC to it's fullest, I am really beginning to see how much food we can eat with it!
I am practicing being a more frugal cook, and using up all that I can without wasting. So tomorrow I am boiling eggs for egg salad sandwhiches and using the eggs and cheese and some fresh veggies for an omlet, and of course Hudson loves his PB&J and milk and fruit. I got the stuff for a really nice Salad and I can use left over taco meat or chicken to make that a meal. So- you know I can really make my food stretch- and I am even starting to enjoy this meal prep stuff a little more- (remember when just a few posts ago I said I hated it.)

In other news- I watched Hoarders today for the first time and it upset and aggitated me for the entire night. I mean those of you who have seen my house - I am a little cluttered- I am NOT a hoarder (of course the people on the show say that too) at least not yet- but what I found the most disturbing is that I related to the things they said ie: I MIGHT need that, nothing has a place to go, I have always been cluttered, I feel guilty thowing stuff away... etc etc... YIKES! I was so upset about it I cried to my sister about cat feces for a while... I don't even have a cat.
Well, after watching a few gut wrenching episodes (literally) I got of my fanny and organized like mad... so maybe having OCD won't help. I will just watch an episode of Hoarders every morning and that will motivate me to clean the house for the day... I will then listen to a soothing church talk to help me feel better about myself.

Cooking from Food Storage-

There were two really good episodes of Living Essentials on BYUtv.com about cooking from food storage.
It looks cheaper than buying those processed foods and it's a good way to go through and rotate your food storage. Of course rotating means replenishing what you use, which I haven't been able to do for a while. Plus- we are anticipating a move sometime in the future and so we'll replenish then. Right now our budget is really tight, so we have to do what we can.

anyway, here are the episodes I liked.
http://byutv.org/watch/597-133#ooid=NhNTFqMToNcu1k5nNMqeKaePJl-Wl7KQ

http://www.byutv.org/watch/597-522

Date Night

Tonight is Date Night! It's been a really long time since Jason and I could go out some place alone. I am excited to spend some time with him. I want to try something creative- and since I am fairly sure he doesn't read this blog- I would share- but since I am not sure how well recepted the plan will be I will wait until after tonight.

I found this site- and it really inspires me-
http://loveactually-blog-ideas.blogspot.com/

It is full of inexpensive and creative date ideas- most of which I am sure Jason would scoff at- but I really enjoy the site anyway.
I am going to give Jason 52 weeks of date night for a christmas gift or a date of the month club. Please put ideas in the comment section!!!

The Biggest Loser

Last season was the first time I had watched the biggest loser- and a new season has begun. So I don't know- like I have a few extra pounds I'm hefting around- you know- postpardum and everything. But I know as Lincoln grows a little bigger, I should be growing a little smaller. It's only baby weight when I've got a baby around, you know. When they're teenagers I won't be able to use the excuse anymore.

So I am going to do it with them. (nothing like that motivation to help me along. I can't sit and eat a hamburger while watching.)

So I am going to start eating alittle better again, and exercising more. Nothing big like you see on TV- I can't afford to join a gym or anything, but I am going to go for it! :)

Also- I really like Burgandy Keel (purple team) I think she's got a great attitude and I relate to her. I hope she does really well in the competition. She is from Utah- I wonder if she is LDS- does anyone know?

7 days

I have to work seven days in a row this week- yarg. Tonight is day 6. I get wednesday off and then have to work thursday- then get Friday and Saturday off. YAY!

But I am pretty tired.

In other news- I already have a puppy and a tigger outfit for Lincoln, so maybe I will just use that for Halloween. I really want to make him a little fried egg costume, and make the stroller a frying pan.

I don't know. I am not fully awake yet.

Stand up- stand out- comedy

I've decided I am a closet stand up comic. I love telling a good story, even if it's not entirely true, and getting a laugh. I love being laughed at- and it happens to happen fairly often.
I have decided my job at Wal Mart (yes, that's where I work and I am actually enjoying it thanks,) is a perfect place to test some of my jokes.

I've got coworkers laughing and customers laughing, and so I think that I may be on to something.

But who wants to see a Mormon stand-up comedian. No, my jokes aren't about being Mormon, but they're all clean, usually not at all racy.

I have decided to start a joke and story journal- to just work on my material.
Maybe someday I'll go out on a limb and try it for an audience that has actually paid to see me. :)
But maybe not. Who knows?

Hand-made halloween

I want to make my kids' costumes this year. I am now a (kind of) stay at home mom- and could probably find time to do it. Lincoln won't know or care about what his costume is, but Hudson will want to pick (which means I could be in trouble)-

The cheap costumes are in the $15 range- and the really nice ones are all the way to $55. I have some surplus fabric, and could find fabric for cheaper than $15 if I need to, I am sure.

I also want to make a stroller cover for Lincoln's ride- like these by MapleTree2000 on etsy.

She has several different types, and I would gladly pay $55 for it, if I had $55. But as I am pretty much broke- I will have to somehow pay homage by finding way to make one myself.

Any ideas on what Lincoln could be? Maybe a worm in an apple? A skunk in a log? A hermit crab in a shell? Give me Ideas!

I will need to get started here pretty soon if I hope to be done by the end of the month.

Food Nanny Rescues 3 Families

Cooking Lessons part II

Thanks for the comments with tips and tricks. We had a rice cooker at one time, but it tended to leave 2nd degree burns in its wake. (Think "the cornballer" for all those Arrested Development fans out there. Best tv show ever, in my humble opinion)

I guess microwaving is an easy way to make rice too.

I think I will have to check out this "food nanny" as all of her recipes seem do-able. I am a beginner cook, but it seems when I type this into a search engine I get back "how to boil water". I have the basic skills, but not the knack- you know- the creativity or gumption to actually execute the meal.
I hate when you pick up a cook book or a magazine and see a recipe and think "wow that looks great" only to feel overwhelmed by the ingredients. Example. This one calls for white wine. (which I know, cooks out, whatever, but I am not going to buy a bottle of wine to use for one dish- and I don't feel 100% right about it anyway) or another recipe calls for Tarragon. I know this is a spice. I don't know what it tastes like- I never use it in other recipes, and it sounds like it's going to cost a lot for the 1/4 teaspoon that I'm going to need.

Boo hoo, right? Maybe I should just stick to the processed stuff for a little while. Wean myself and my family off of it. www.kraftfoods.com is a website that I really like for making "accessible" meals for people like me. 5 meals in 1 bag, is good too, because it plans everything for you. Ok, so if I want to cut the prices and the calories I can substitute name brands with generic and I can choose lower calorie options when available...

Tonight, I am making home fries (with real potatoes) :) I don't know what else will go with it, but hey it's a start.

Cooking Lessons

I'm back! I took a break from blogging after having my baby, Lincoln, who is adorable- and my husband was in California for an internship. I found that being a single parent for the summer took up most of my free time.

Ok- I am back. It feels like I am always working on one more thing- I always have somewhere to improve and it can be down right discouraging. I find that if I want to improve my finaces, I need to improve my organization, and if I want to improve my organization I need to better control my time management. I find that if I want to save money, I must be able to cook for my family instead of purchasing unhealthy and expensive processed foods, but it occured to me the other day as I was scalding a pot of rice on the stove. That I don't know how to cook.

I don't really enjoy cooking. I find that it requires planning (something I am not good at) and usually requires washing many dishes afterward...

BUT- I have decided to cook more, buy less frozen or processed foods, and save some money.

I have no idea where to start. I think I will cruise the internet and let you know what I can find for beginner cooks. :)

My clean sink

Yes, it's true. My sink is clean. I have done the dishes (not every night, but often) and it's amazing to me how much it helps to just keep the sink clean. Suddenly, dishes aren't quite as daunting. (I am hoping to make this a new life long habit... so don't jinx me!)

I was really sick last week, so that sucked. Combine my general lack of energy with a terrible cough and lack of bladder control (thanks alot baby ?).... and my house suffered a bit. But it's an upward trend and that's what I like to see....

I only have about 4 weeks left if they induce me at 39 like they plan to... and I still haven't felt that wonderful nesting urge... in fact it was only this morning that it really dawned on me that I only have a month left.... Panic does not equal nesting... Oh well. I fall back on the idea that it'll all work out... somehow.

Also- Great news! Jason was offered a summer internship in Los Angeles. We tried to figure out how we all could go and it just wasn't working out, so Jason will embark on a grand adventure in California.... and I will embark on an adventure here in Havre, MT.... Google map us- street view... yes, it's a little depressing.

Hudson isn't so thrilled with the idea, but we've been assuring him that Daddy is not moving away, he's just going to be gone a few weeks (a few like 12) and we're hopefully going to be able to afford to visit him at least once... Did the words Disney Land escape my lips? Maybe... that seemed to improve the little guy's outlook, but only marginally.

I am nervous about being a single mom of two for a few months, but I have an AWESOME support system here in Havre. I have a loving ward family that will take care of me if I need it. My wonderful in-laws are just a few hours away and have promised to visit on occasion, and I've got wonderful and helpful friends. I think I will be ok, other than missing my husband and the ambient sounds of World of Warcraft....

Anyway, life is good. And I am ready to go on to the next "babystep" in the FlyLady's book. Wish me luck!

Come FLY with Me

So- I've read the book before- I have read several home organization books- but this time I am conducting a little experiment. Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley- the Fly Lady.

Why am I doing this? Well, Heavenly Father blessed me with visiting teachers who wanted to come over- and while super excited to have VTs over, I was actually paniced because of the state of my house... I am usually anxious because of this, I have never been good at organizing EVER. My mother would section off my bedroom with "CAUTION" tape when I was kid... and I always figured, there will be enough to clean as a grown up, so I don't want to do it now.

Welcome to today- I am a grown up with an adorable 4 year old son, and another baby on the way... (EDD April 28) and my house STILL isn't clean. And as much as I keep rationalizing why I CAN'T do it- I know it needs to be done...

ANYWAY- My visiting teachers were coming. And it turns out that one of my VT's is actually the Relief Society President. I made the mistake (or maybe a cry for help) of complaining of my lack of "domestic goddess skills"- and wouldn't you know, she found an answer!

I am supposed to experiment with the book and when I've completed it- I get to teach about my experience at a weekday RS meeting (or enrichment meeting , if you are rebeilious like me. I still call it Homemaking meeting sometimes... sigh)

So- I am blogging about it. That's right. All the nitty-gritty WITH PICTURES! I am hoping you guys hold me accountable- and I bet some of you are following my progress from my ward too- so I hope you'll make a comment here and there- so here I am taking my first baby step. Wish my luck!

Belly Shot. 12/09. Don't say I never posted one. I actually have a little bump in the photo- It's otherwise still pretty small. :)

Winter Driving

I think you'd be proud of me if I told you how far I've come in my winter driving skills. A few years ago we moved from Kent, WA to Ellensburg, central Washington. It was my first real winter driving experience- and I HATED it. You can ask my husband and he will tell you that there were mornings when I'd have to pull over and call him because I was so scared I was crying. Of course, I had a longer commute to work at the time, on country roads with deep ditches on either side, and a speed limit of 50 mph... I could at my fastest reach maybe 35 before I could feel the road sliding out from under me. Yes, I spun out a few times, no I was never in an accident... but I remember praying earnestly every morning just to make it to work in one piece...

Then we moved to Montana, where I learned what a "real Montana Winter looked like"- The kind of cold that hurts way down to your bones. The negative 35 degrees winter that your car won't start it. The cold that makes your preschooler cry, even though he's bundled up tightly.

Last year I grumbled, cursed, and felt nervous behind the wheel everytime I got in the car. We got stuck a few times, again no accidents, but I was never so thankful for a thaw in all my life.

But, now I feel like a pro! Despite the several inches of snow we've gotten I have driven with alot more confidence. I haven't cried once! I still occasionally curse under my breath when it gets a little hairy, but over all a vast improvement. If anything I should be MORE nervous this year because I am pregnant and if I get in an accident it would be VERY scary, because it's not just me I have to worry about... but maybe because someone else is depending on me to be brave, I am able to just do it...

Anyway, I feel pretty proud of myself, and I thought I'd share. :)

Another Give AWAY!

Ok, It worked so well the last time that I thought I'd give it another go. There is an awesome give away at The Vintage Pearl- check out their link. ANYWAY, there is a give away for a $50 gift card. And if I don't get it, I would be just as psyched if one of you guys do, so... here is the link to Blue Cricket Designs on how you can enter.

New Year- Same Me

So, I've decided that I am ALWAYS resolving to do the same things better. Does that mean that I shouldn't make new year's resolutions? It doesn't seem popular any more, and while I admire the "just take things one day at a time" approach, I still think resolutions are a good thing to do. It's kind of a yearly inventory. Sure, I've already been late to church, and spent money on something I didn't really need, so if I were looking at resolutions that way, of course they would seem a little pointless. It's not about the "Always" or "never" it's about "where am I?" and "where do I want to be?"

So, in light of these observations I am going to share some of my resolutions with you. I believe that the key to success with these is to have a detailed plan, which I do, but I am not going to outline each of them here on the blog... So here is goes.

1. Get (more) out of debt
2. Become more organized
3. Be more self- reliant
4. finish my novel
5. transition to SAHM (or get closer)
6. Grow spiritually- specifically, attending the temple more frequently, and having a daily scripture study of some kind.

What are your new year's resolutions?