My beloved Buttercup eyed her home-made Egg McMuffin with distaste and and grumbled, "I guess if Bear Grylls can eat grubs, I can eat this."
Gee, thanks!
Showing posts with label Egg McMuffin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Egg McMuffin. Show all posts
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, March 2, 2009
Tuesday, Tuesday, Touch Your Shoe Day! - Random Stuff and another Frugal Tip!
Okay, so I think Tuesdays will be my Frugal Tip day and my catch up day going forward...in keeping with the random musings part of this blog.
Just in case you're following along, to date I've had 20 Egg McMuffins in 2009, most recently this morning during my Monday morning date with Superman. Valiant and I have been working out together for five weeks and are on day one of our sixth week. While we were shooting for 5 days a week, we've had no difficulty hitting our 4 day a week minimum. Buttercup has begun joining us, too, but I think she's in it for the television, not the exercise!
In case you're wondering about the babies I've had prayer request buttons on my blog for: The first two babies, Harper and Brayden have gone home and are doing well. I have removed their buttons from my blog. Click on their names if you'd like an update on their condition. Little baby Veiyah has pulled out of her surgeries (finally!) and stabilized and the second shunt is helping her a lot. The doctors are now making noises about letting her go home early this week. Her mother renamed the blog "Dirty Knees" out of respect for how much time she's asked people to spend on their knees praying for this baby.
Lastly, an new little girl for you to pray for and this one is closer to home. Baby Evelyn is one week old today and is the granddaughter of one of Superman's co-workers. Her parents and the doctors knew she was going to have problems before she was born, but the severity of the problems was even worse than anticipated. Her situation is complicated enough that she was delivered at Stanford Medical Center (even though her family lives in Oregon). Baby Evelyn has severe heart problems/malformation and inadequate lung development. Her young parents are grateful for any prayers you can spare for their family. She doesn't have a button to make it easier for you to check up on her, but you can get to their blog here to get more details and updates. [http://wholehearted4life.blogspot.com/] They've posted some pictures and some really moving posts about the power of their faith...I am humbled by them.
Now, for a change of pace, today's Frugal Tip...
Stop paying for people to containerize for you. What do I mean? Why are you buying a little box of sugar rather than a big bag? Yes, it might be convenient to have the little box, but have you ever seen how much more per pound you are paying for sugar? Flour? Cheese? Meat? If you save a little in every category, it really begins to add up.
Need another example? I go to the local Cash N Carry and buy my pasta in bulk. (No, I don't make it fresh because I am a slacker and that is a different post!) Egg noodles, macaroni noodles, spaghetti, capellini, penne pasta, rotini...it lasts forever and is so much less expensive to buy this way. (And think how green you'll be by eliminating all the excess packaging!)
Do you know those cute little foaming hand soap dispensers from Method? I love them...we have five. Do you use those or something like them? (Lots of manufacturers are making foaming hand soap now.) Are you replacing them when they're empty or are you refilling them? When you refill them, do you buy the "foaming soap refill" or do you buy the regular liquid soap and add your own water (roughly 1:3 - 1/4 container of liquid soap, 3/4 container water)? Did you know you could use regular liquid soap to refill those, too? Well, you can and that way you can stop paying people to add water for you and save a bunch of money to boot. Let me explain: 1 Method foaming soap dispenser is roughly $2.00 at Target. I bought a huge refill bottle of Method regular (non-foaming) liquid soap at Costco for $6.00. I've already had it six months and it is still not empty. I don't have to tell you how quickly those foaming hand soap dispensers need to be refilled, yet we've been using one $6.00 refill bottle for six months and aren't close to being out. (I even add one drop of food coloring to the clear soap to match each bathroom--very sophisticated, I know!) If I had gone out to replace those dispensers (like I used to!), I would have spent closer to $6 - $10/month, which would be $36-$60 in the same period that I spent $6! If I had bought the foaming soap replacement (the one whereby they add the water for me, I would have used probably $4-5/month worth of refill soap. (I think those bags are about $7-8.) While the savings would have been nice over replacing the whole soap dispenser, they don't come close to the savings I reap by adding my own water to the regular liquid soap. Something to think about.
Here is the thing, I know that individually these things might not be a huge amount of money, but combined, they can be a huge line item in your budget. If you buy in bulk and divide it up yourself, you are not paying for the labor or the extra packaging or the extra shipping. If you buy things in concentrate and add your own water, you are not paying someone else to add water for you. So, the next time you head to the store, look that the way things are priced. You might be surprised at how much you are paying for the privilege of having someone else containerize (or add water) for you.
And, if you don't want to do any of it, that is fine, too (because you probably don't run Bobbi Brown lip gloss through your dryer!); just be conscious that you are paying a premium to have someone do it for you.
Just in case you're following along, to date I've had 20 Egg McMuffins in 2009, most recently this morning during my Monday morning date with Superman. Valiant and I have been working out together for five weeks and are on day one of our sixth week. While we were shooting for 5 days a week, we've had no difficulty hitting our 4 day a week minimum. Buttercup has begun joining us, too, but I think she's in it for the television, not the exercise!
In case you're wondering about the babies I've had prayer request buttons on my blog for: The first two babies, Harper and Brayden have gone home and are doing well. I have removed their buttons from my blog. Click on their names if you'd like an update on their condition. Little baby Veiyah has pulled out of her surgeries (finally!) and stabilized and the second shunt is helping her a lot. The doctors are now making noises about letting her go home early this week. Her mother renamed the blog "Dirty Knees" out of respect for how much time she's asked people to spend on their knees praying for this baby.
Lastly, an new little girl for you to pray for and this one is closer to home. Baby Evelyn is one week old today and is the granddaughter of one of Superman's co-workers. Her parents and the doctors knew she was going to have problems before she was born, but the severity of the problems was even worse than anticipated. Her situation is complicated enough that she was delivered at Stanford Medical Center (even though her family lives in Oregon). Baby Evelyn has severe heart problems/malformation and inadequate lung development. Her young parents are grateful for any prayers you can spare for their family. She doesn't have a button to make it easier for you to check up on her, but you can get to their blog here to get more details and updates. [http://wholehearted4life.blogspot.com/] They've posted some pictures and some really moving posts about the power of their faith...I am humbled by them.
Now, for a change of pace, today's Frugal Tip...
Stop paying for people to containerize for you. What do I mean? Why are you buying a little box of sugar rather than a big bag? Yes, it might be convenient to have the little box, but have you ever seen how much more per pound you are paying for sugar? Flour? Cheese? Meat? If you save a little in every category, it really begins to add up.
Need another example? I go to the local Cash N Carry and buy my pasta in bulk. (No, I don't make it fresh because I am a slacker and that is a different post!) Egg noodles, macaroni noodles, spaghetti, capellini, penne pasta, rotini...it lasts forever and is so much less expensive to buy this way. (And think how green you'll be by eliminating all the excess packaging!)
Do you know those cute little foaming hand soap dispensers from Method? I love them...we have five. Do you use those or something like them? (Lots of manufacturers are making foaming hand soap now.) Are you replacing them when they're empty or are you refilling them? When you refill them, do you buy the "foaming soap refill" or do you buy the regular liquid soap and add your own water (roughly 1:3 - 1/4 container of liquid soap, 3/4 container water)? Did you know you could use regular liquid soap to refill those, too? Well, you can and that way you can stop paying people to add water for you and save a bunch of money to boot. Let me explain: 1 Method foaming soap dispenser is roughly $2.00 at Target. I bought a huge refill bottle of Method regular (non-foaming) liquid soap at Costco for $6.00. I've already had it six months and it is still not empty. I don't have to tell you how quickly those foaming hand soap dispensers need to be refilled, yet we've been using one $6.00 refill bottle for six months and aren't close to being out. (I even add one drop of food coloring to the clear soap to match each bathroom--very sophisticated, I know!) If I had gone out to replace those dispensers (like I used to!), I would have spent closer to $6 - $10/month, which would be $36-$60 in the same period that I spent $6! If I had bought the foaming soap replacement (the one whereby they add the water for me, I would have used probably $4-5/month worth of refill soap. (I think those bags are about $7-8.) While the savings would have been nice over replacing the whole soap dispenser, they don't come close to the savings I reap by adding my own water to the regular liquid soap. Something to think about.
Here is the thing, I know that individually these things might not be a huge amount of money, but combined, they can be a huge line item in your budget. If you buy in bulk and divide it up yourself, you are not paying for the labor or the extra packaging or the extra shipping. If you buy things in concentrate and add your own water, you are not paying someone else to add water for you. So, the next time you head to the store, look that the way things are priced. You might be surprised at how much you are paying for the privilege of having someone else containerize (or add water) for you.
And, if you don't want to do any of it, that is fine, too (because you probably don't run Bobbi Brown lip gloss through your dryer!); just be conscious that you are paying a premium to have someone do it for you.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, Monday, Jump and Run Day!
When my kids were little, there was a days of the week song that had "Monday, Monday, Jump and Run Day" and the kids and I still remember it...I like the idea of jumping right into the week.
Switching our dates to Monday morning helps both Superman and me start the week on the right track. (If I'm in my car in workout clothes and a parka and am not dissuaded by the fact that the temperature is reading -1 as I'm backing out of the driveway at 7:00 a.m., it must be love, right?)
Anyway, I was home by 8:30 a.m. and ready to start my day. Here it is 11:30 a.m. and the laundry is already done, a loaf of bread is on its final rise, the Red Fox has already put me through 45 minutes of working out (yes, 1 of my 5 I've committed to doing per week!), plants are watered (they're grateful), emails checked and answered, meat is thawing for dinner, the school day has begun and I'm posting on my blog. After lunch, I'll head down with the kids and we'll focus on the stuff they need me for until 3:00 or so and we'll be done with school. And there you have it, the recipe for an awesome day!
(I feel kind of like the old Army commercial that used to play all the time: "we do more by 6:00 a.m. than most people do in an entire day!") Like momstheword, I think the key to my days is getting an early start, no matter how much I don't like getting up early.
As for the rest of the week, I have the dinner menu set. I've decided to try something new...instead of specifically scheduling each day, I've asked Superman and the kids to each pick two suggestions for dinner and we'll spread them over the 7 day period. So, beginning today, these are on the menu for this week, with their tentative days:
Valiant's favorite gravy and rice with vegetables (Monday)
Lasagna with cheese bread (Tuesday)
Turkey Burgers with homemade french fries (Wednesday)
Pizza from scratch (Friday)
Garlic Cheddar Chicken (Sunday)
Mexican Night (Saturday)
Leftovers (Thursday)
Having all these dinners set in everyone's minds will help us from wanting to go out or running to go buy the stuff for some other meal. The kids and I are going to do the same thing for our breakfasts and lunches, too, so that should help us stay on track.
Finally, for anybody who's keeping count, I'm up to 10 Egg McMuffins in 2009. I think I should be embarrassed by that, but I just not. Last week really messed with my numbers, but I'm thinking I won't do so badly this week!
Switching our dates to Monday morning helps both Superman and me start the week on the right track. (If I'm in my car in workout clothes and a parka and am not dissuaded by the fact that the temperature is reading -1 as I'm backing out of the driveway at 7:00 a.m., it must be love, right?)
Anyway, I was home by 8:30 a.m. and ready to start my day. Here it is 11:30 a.m. and the laundry is already done, a loaf of bread is on its final rise, the Red Fox has already put me through 45 minutes of working out (yes, 1 of my 5 I've committed to doing per week!), plants are watered (they're grateful), emails checked and answered, meat is thawing for dinner, the school day has begun and I'm posting on my blog. After lunch, I'll head down with the kids and we'll focus on the stuff they need me for until 3:00 or so and we'll be done with school. And there you have it, the recipe for an awesome day!
(I feel kind of like the old Army commercial that used to play all the time: "we do more by 6:00 a.m. than most people do in an entire day!") Like momstheword, I think the key to my days is getting an early start, no matter how much I don't like getting up early.
As for the rest of the week, I have the dinner menu set. I've decided to try something new...instead of specifically scheduling each day, I've asked Superman and the kids to each pick two suggestions for dinner and we'll spread them over the 7 day period. So, beginning today, these are on the menu for this week, with their tentative days:
Valiant's favorite gravy and rice with vegetables (Monday)
Lasagna with cheese bread (Tuesday)
Turkey Burgers with homemade french fries (Wednesday)
Pizza from scratch (Friday)
Garlic Cheddar Chicken (Sunday)
Mexican Night (Saturday)
Leftovers (Thursday)
Having all these dinners set in everyone's minds will help us from wanting to go out or running to go buy the stuff for some other meal. The kids and I are going to do the same thing for our breakfasts and lunches, too, so that should help us stay on track.
Finally, for anybody who's keeping count, I'm up to 10 Egg McMuffins in 2009. I think I should be embarrassed by that, but I just not. Last week really messed with my numbers, but I'm thinking I won't do so badly this week!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Early Morning Date!
I am a firm believer that married people with children need to remember that their children will grow up and live adult lives one day (if we do our jobs correctly), leaving those two people alone with each other once again. If you've spent 20 years being Mom and Dad and not ever being the Boy and Girl you used to be, then when the kids fly off to live their own exciting lives, you'll be left living with someone you don't really know any more.
This belief, however, runs headlong into my absolutely pathological refusal to take vacations without our children. You read that correctly...in 19.2 years of marriage, almost 18 years of parenthood, Superman and I have NEVER taken a vacation away from our children. I won't do it...I just, well, I just can't. (I don't think Superman wants to, either, but I accept full responsibility for this fact.)
So, that means we've had to be creative to get time together. We've been on dates to the park when we had just one baby, so we could watch him play and still be alone together. We've been on dates to the back deck when the kids are sleeping. When we both worked, we made sure we came home on the same train and considered that 30 minute ride every day to be our time together. Because we do it deliberately and consciously, these little times count for something. They add up. They are meaningful. They matter.
Now that the kids are older, we can sneak out for a dinner alone, or, since we're counting pennies and paying down debt, a breakfast date! These days we have a standing Monday morning date at McDonald's...we take two cars so he can head off to work and I can come home to my work...he's dressed beautifully because he's heading off to corporate America and I, well, today I'm in workout clothes so I can't renege on my workout commitment, but it still felt like a date! We talked about our hopes, our dreams, and weird things that pop into our minds. He told me I'm pretty, I told him he's awesome. He walked me to my car and gave me a kiss as he held the door for me. I told him to drive carefully and that I loved him. It was terrific.
You know what? After 20 years together, Superman is still my boyfriend...and I can hardly wait for our next date...
P.S. For anyone who is keeping track with Kate, I did, in fact, have another Egg McMuffin today, so that brings my 2009 tally to 6!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)