As I am sure you can imagine, feeding our house guest has increased the grocery bills a great deal. Instead of spending between $200 to $250 a month we are now closer to $350 and probably more.
What brought this to mind was a video I just watched about couponing, the shopper went from spending well over $100 to just a tad over $6. Of course I was intrigued being the frugal person that I am. Much to my dismay what was purchased (other than many tubes of tooth paste) was either already prepared and more than likely not healthy. The more I thought about it the more I wondered can you feed your family a healthy, well balanced diet this way? How much do these couponers really spend to actually feed their families?
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Umbilical Cord
I am not sure which is tougher, sharing a house with a visitor or having the share the computer hookup. The nephew and the husband have laptops, I operate off a very slow desktop that is in the extra bedroom (the one the nephew has taken over). We are getting ready to go semi wireless but in the meantime we are all tethered to the Internet by the cable or maybe it should be called our umbilical cord.
I am a very early riser so sometimes I have the use of the Internet through the husbands laptop. This is a short time and not usually without interruption. It does not lend itself to the great creative endeavor also known as writing my blog. Often the nephew has the umbilical cord hooked up to his laptop in the office and until this morning I was not brave enough to tip toe in and steal the cord. I would sit at the laptop and play solitaire until Michael got up and borrowed back the cord.
Often when I get home in the afternoon the nephew is ensconced in the office/bedroom on the computer. Not only do I not have the computer but I also lack any privacy to write down my deepest thoughts and recent recipes.
So at least you know why I haven't been posting much since the beginning of July.
I am a very early riser so sometimes I have the use of the Internet through the husbands laptop. This is a short time and not usually without interruption. It does not lend itself to the great creative endeavor also known as writing my blog. Often the nephew has the umbilical cord hooked up to his laptop in the office and until this morning I was not brave enough to tip toe in and steal the cord. I would sit at the laptop and play solitaire until Michael got up and borrowed back the cord.
Often when I get home in the afternoon the nephew is ensconced in the office/bedroom on the computer. Not only do I not have the computer but I also lack any privacy to write down my deepest thoughts and recent recipes.
So at least you know why I haven't been posting much since the beginning of July.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Booboo
Some people are good at sitting on the couch, I am not one of those folks.
Last night while cleaning up supper a glass went crashing to the tile floor breaking into many pieces both big and small. I did not realize that one of the larger pieces had cut my leg and nicked a vein. Didn't hurt (still doesn't) but it required an immediate trip to the Emergency Room at Roper St. Francis. My wonderful husband who was a nurse before he gave that up for real estate jumped quickly into action and wrapped the wound, elevating it and me (I now have one less linen napkin) then calmly loaded all three of us in the car (the two of us and the nephew who refused to be left at home ).
A lot of stitches later and the next day here I sit, one leg elevated remanded to the couch for the next couple of days. Probably no shower (ewwww) and no hair washing. I still have to call work and let them know they will need a new closer for the next two evenings. I return to the hospital on Friday to have it checked out and get the stitches out some time next week.
So life continues around me and I am not allowed to do anything, no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry (I will see if I can sneak that in after the husband leaves for work) no haircut (my plan for this morning).
So if you are looking for me, I am on the couch catching up on all the judge shows and seeing how many men can be tested to find the father of that baby!
Last night while cleaning up supper a glass went crashing to the tile floor breaking into many pieces both big and small. I did not realize that one of the larger pieces had cut my leg and nicked a vein. Didn't hurt (still doesn't) but it required an immediate trip to the Emergency Room at Roper St. Francis. My wonderful husband who was a nurse before he gave that up for real estate jumped quickly into action and wrapped the wound, elevating it and me (I now have one less linen napkin) then calmly loaded all three of us in the car (the two of us and the nephew who refused to be left at home ).
A lot of stitches later and the next day here I sit, one leg elevated remanded to the couch for the next couple of days. Probably no shower (ewwww) and no hair washing. I still have to call work and let them know they will need a new closer for the next two evenings. I return to the hospital on Friday to have it checked out and get the stitches out some time next week.
So life continues around me and I am not allowed to do anything, no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry (I will see if I can sneak that in after the husband leaves for work) no haircut (my plan for this morning).
So if you are looking for me, I am on the couch catching up on all the judge shows and seeing how many men can be tested to find the father of that baby!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Is Today Wednesday?
Life here is getting closer to normal thank goodness. The floors are done and the Internet is back up (the hookup box was removed with the molding in the office). I have unpacked all the boxes I can that are in the house and the next move is to start bringing stuff back in from the shed. My hope is to get the computer desk in tomorrow and get my slow pc hooked back up, my bookcase back in and the millions (not really) of cookbooks back on them.
I didn't realize until my computer time was limited how dependent I am on it. Tonight I have chicken breasts to cook but until the hubby came home with his laptop I was with out a recipe, no cookbooks, no Internet. I was absolutely lost!!!! So for dinner we have boring roast chicken breast, gravy (you know me and gravy), mashed red potatoes and peas. I think the nephew is wondering what all this talk from Michael is about, you know the my wife is the only skinny chef I trust talk. Frankly the food the past week and a half has been pretty ordinary. So maybe that's actually okay with the nephew.
On another note Michael finally found and identical match for his rim on Monday so we are back to both cars. Another settling thing!!
This laptop is driving me crazy, I am apparently touching something on the keyboard that makes the screen bigger and than smaller. I don't know what it is because I can't get it to change when I try.
Spencer seems to be getting comfortable here and now actually talks to me. I think we wore him out this weekend since he has been more than content just hanging around the house the past two days.
Until tomorrow and the pc is back, pictures can be posted and the screen doesn't keep changing on me as I type!!
I didn't realize until my computer time was limited how dependent I am on it. Tonight I have chicken breasts to cook but until the hubby came home with his laptop I was with out a recipe, no cookbooks, no Internet. I was absolutely lost!!!! So for dinner we have boring roast chicken breast, gravy (you know me and gravy), mashed red potatoes and peas. I think the nephew is wondering what all this talk from Michael is about, you know the my wife is the only skinny chef I trust talk. Frankly the food the past week and a half has been pretty ordinary. So maybe that's actually okay with the nephew.
On another note Michael finally found and identical match for his rim on Monday so we are back to both cars. Another settling thing!!
This laptop is driving me crazy, I am apparently touching something on the keyboard that makes the screen bigger and than smaller. I don't know what it is because I can't get it to change when I try.
Spencer seems to be getting comfortable here and now actually talks to me. I think we wore him out this weekend since he has been more than content just hanging around the house the past two days.
Until tomorrow and the pc is back, pictures can be posted and the screen doesn't keep changing on me as I type!!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Friday Update
Well, we are back in our home. No the work is not done yet and yes the house is in complete chaos! The landlord is sick today so no work to be done, hopefully he will be feeling better soon as the office is in the living room, dining room combo and he leaves again on Monday. The new floor looks lovely and we just need the molding put back in (I don't know when). The bedroom is kind of back together and I took the time to wash all the walls while the furniture wasn't in it. I wash the Bear spots along the bottom of the wall often or at least I thought often, how Bear marks get behind the bed is beyond me though!
While we were staying downtown someone helped themselves to one of the tires off Michael's Jeep. Yes, just one....either it was a prank, someone came along and scared them off before they finished the job or my theory is they needed one tire just like his. They drove around downtown Charleston looking for just the right rim until they found his. Of course they just happened to have a cinder block in their car to hold up his. There were some great guys working at the house next door who came to the rescue and drove Michael and his flat spare to the gas station. My husband of course needs the exact rim, we have been to many places looking for it. I thought the place around the corner that had a similar rim was good enough but, a man and his truck are not to be denied! He is now on his way to upper Goose Creek to try another place.
Life with the nephew is interesting, turns out what he eats is the least of my concerns. I don't understand how these kids cannot communicate. They are plugged in to all this media but can't hold a conversation. We are starting Uncle and Aunt boot camp! This is not a vacation! You need to do the dishes, pick up after yourself but most importantly, talk!!!
Well, best be getting the things done I told Michael I was going to do while he was off hunting for the tire. Have a great day!!!
While we were staying downtown someone helped themselves to one of the tires off Michael's Jeep. Yes, just one....either it was a prank, someone came along and scared them off before they finished the job or my theory is they needed one tire just like his. They drove around downtown Charleston looking for just the right rim until they found his. Of course they just happened to have a cinder block in their car to hold up his. There were some great guys working at the house next door who came to the rescue and drove Michael and his flat spare to the gas station. My husband of course needs the exact rim, we have been to many places looking for it. I thought the place around the corner that had a similar rim was good enough but, a man and his truck are not to be denied! He is now on his way to upper Goose Creek to try another place.
Life with the nephew is interesting, turns out what he eats is the least of my concerns. I don't understand how these kids cannot communicate. They are plugged in to all this media but can't hold a conversation. We are starting Uncle and Aunt boot camp! This is not a vacation! You need to do the dishes, pick up after yourself but most importantly, talk!!!
Well, best be getting the things done I told Michael I was going to do while he was off hunting for the tire. Have a great day!!!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Fun with Fingers
I was texting with JuJu late yesterday and I realized when her answer zoomed back that I must be the slowest texter in the history of mankind. I have one of those phones that is a phone, it takes pictures (kinda) and I have a texting program but...it has a regular keypad. You know the one, you have to hit the number 2 three times to type a c.
This realization actually hit me last week when we were meeting at the Earth Wind and Fire concert. JuJu sent me a message and than I had to answer it. I always think I am going along fine, looking at the keys and not the message then bam, I read what I am about to send and realize it makes absolutely no sense! Backspacing through the entire message 5 minutes later I send my reply which is unbelievably short. Bam comes the reply.
It is time to get a new phone and Verizon is nice enough to give me a free one every two years (I suspect it is not just the goodness of their heart that they do this). I enjoy the simple life and have been fighting getting one of those snazzy phones that do everything, after all I do not need to check my Facebook page from work but....I do want to be able to send a text back that makes sense in some normal amount of time.
I may have advance technologically.
On another note Bear seems to be enjoying being a City dog, at least he seems to like the walks. He went out the doggy door yesterday (probably only because I was on the other side) but has not done it again since. This morning he stood on the outside crying to be let back in, I am tempted to push him out the door and than back in but don't want to traumatize the poor fellow. He appears to have mastered the slippery steps and will actually go down in front of you.
I tried to make pizza the other night, that is definitely a recipe I will not be sharing here!!!!! Can you say YUCK????
Well, enjoy the 4th if you are celebrating, if you are not Happy Wednesday! Off to work I go!!
This realization actually hit me last week when we were meeting at the Earth Wind and Fire concert. JuJu sent me a message and than I had to answer it. I always think I am going along fine, looking at the keys and not the message then bam, I read what I am about to send and realize it makes absolutely no sense! Backspacing through the entire message 5 minutes later I send my reply which is unbelievably short. Bam comes the reply.
It is time to get a new phone and Verizon is nice enough to give me a free one every two years (I suspect it is not just the goodness of their heart that they do this). I enjoy the simple life and have been fighting getting one of those snazzy phones that do everything, after all I do not need to check my Facebook page from work but....I do want to be able to send a text back that makes sense in some normal amount of time.
I may have advance technologically.
On another note Bear seems to be enjoying being a City dog, at least he seems to like the walks. He went out the doggy door yesterday (probably only because I was on the other side) but has not done it again since. This morning he stood on the outside crying to be let back in, I am tempted to push him out the door and than back in but don't want to traumatize the poor fellow. He appears to have mastered the slippery steps and will actually go down in front of you.
I tried to make pizza the other night, that is definitely a recipe I will not be sharing here!!!!! Can you say YUCK????
Well, enjoy the 4th if you are celebrating, if you are not Happy Wednesday! Off to work I go!!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Update
So instead of going down the street we are in downtown Charleston, life is tough let me tell you. First a little about Bear (who doesn't do change well), he doesn't like the wood stairs, they just do not lend themselves to running down. There is also a doggy door which I thought he would just love NOT, he is terrified of the door. I even brought treats into play but he will not go through the door unless I lift it up to let him out.
On to feeding the nephew.............
Its a task is all I can say, he eats just about anything but you need to make a lot of it and he eats fast. I forgot that my brothers ate so fast, I thinks its a way to make sure that you get seconds.
Michael went and ripped the carpet out of the bedroom today in order to attempt to speed things up a bit and get us back home sooner (the next renter moves into the place we are staying on Friday). He did a great job with Spencers help but....there are odds and ends of linoleum tile on the floor, you guessed it, this is going to be a longer job than intially anticipated.
I think that may be it for today. I am off work tomorrow so I think that Spence, Bear and I will be wandering around downtown. No parking worries for the week (if you have ever tried to park in downtown Charleston you know what I am talking about).
On to feeding the nephew.............
Its a task is all I can say, he eats just about anything but you need to make a lot of it and he eats fast. I forgot that my brothers ate so fast, I thinks its a way to make sure that you get seconds.
Michael went and ripped the carpet out of the bedroom today in order to attempt to speed things up a bit and get us back home sooner (the next renter moves into the place we are staying on Friday). He did a great job with Spencers help but....there are odds and ends of linoleum tile on the floor, you guessed it, this is going to be a longer job than intially anticipated.
I think that may be it for today. I am off work tomorrow so I think that Spence, Bear and I will be wandering around downtown. No parking worries for the week (if you have ever tried to park in downtown Charleston you know what I am talking about).
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