Frugal In Florida

Oh JOY! I WON back on March 11th and just now found out about it! I am very very very bad about checking my personal email. Very very bad. I’m sorry if you’ve emailed me & have not gotten a response. I promise to do better because: I WON!!! What did I win and where did I win it? I won coupons! Woohoo! I won them through the sunsentinel.com shopomatic blog. Trying to get a link to tell everyone to check it out but it’s difficult at times to find it … just go to sunsentinel.com and look for the shopomatic blog in the middle of the page (most times) … and of course, thank you KATHY for taking the time to do this!

Anyone else notice that I HAVE NOT posted anything more on that??? Been sick. Been weak. Been tired. Then, I feel better. Clean house. Cook dinner. Do laundry. Read book (and remember to RENEW book so I don't get slapped with a fine). Live life. Oh. Wait. Day 2. I DID do that. Here's the post that I wrote but never posted: Day 2 (This is from Tuesday) Plyometrics. Or something like that. Jumping. I thought it would be killing my knees, but surprisingly not. At least, not within the first 45 minutes. The last 15 minutes were a whole different story. I held out for the most part. Didn’t not get real jumpy happy as I was trying to be kinder to my knees. Nice sweat. Good workout. Nothing too difficult. Of course, I’m not a high jumper anyways so …. My legs were a little tense on Wednesday … the outside of my thighs (mid thigh) and the inside (mid thigh) which is a different area for me. Generally the front & lower part of thighs are tender but not this time. So ...

Day 1 The quote from the Dude-Tony is “Bring It”. I wanted to say, a few times, Screw Bring It. Rather than listen to him and their choice of music, I put on my IPod, LOUD and muted the TV. First day entailed the back and chest routine and the AbRipper at end. FYI – Back and chest consist strictly of pull ups & push ups. Lovely. If you have no upper body strength, you WILL give up & die the first day. I don’t have a chin up/pull up bar. Not sure my door frames could even deal with one. So I used my stretchy bands. Had to improvise, so wrapped them around the reflex bag stand a few times to shorten them, sat on floor, put feet flat against stand & pulled the bands, hence, almost like a pull up. BUT it was easier than a pull up so I will have to figure something else out soon. Like by next Monday when I get to do this all over again. Push ups are not a big problem for me. We did them pretty extensive in the boxing class. BUT I still do them on my knees. With ankles cros...

My food intake was reduced dramatically this past week. Granted, what I did eat was high in fat and calories (ice cream) but still, lower than normal I would think. I put on a skirt that I have not worn in a while. It fit fine around the waist & hips. But man, in the butt, I could see those damn bulges that I worked so hard to get rid of for 6 months through the boxing class!!! Crap. They are back. I lost weight. I know this is because of the muscle … I gained about 7 lbs when I started the class. And now that I haven’t worked out in, oh my god, 4 weeks (!!!!) things are starting to get a little jiggly again. Amazing how fast it happens. So last week, I got the reflex bag on a stand (clearance $29), 8 lb medicine ball ($29). I also finally got the P90X set. So guess what? Starting at 6pm tonight at my house, in the living room I start my NEW routine. Yes, I took my before picture, LAST week when I was feeling better and thought I was starting then. Maybe I should take a new ...

It’s Monday And I am finally starting to feel better. I spent the whole entire weekend laying on the couch, sleeping, sneezing, coughing, blowing my nose, watching tv, groaning, getting up to drink something, tossing some clothes in washer, reminding princess to toss same in dryer. Hubby and I both were sick. He stayed in his recliner. I stayed on the couch. The kids would check on us periodically. Sonny boy made the mistake once of saying he was hungry. Dinner Saturday & Sunday was the tray of lasagna from freezer. So glad I had that to just toss in the oven. Granted, it may have cooked a little too long, but at least it was hot food. My head is still a little fuzzy feeling. But much much better. I still look like a good candidate for a Visine commercial, but hey, at least the nose isn’t red & watery anymore. So tonight, god willing, I will cook the chicken that’s been marinating for days. And hopefully make some pasta to go with it for sonny boy (since he was so pati...

As an acknowledgement to the current recession/depression, I made HOMEMADE PIZZA, which I have not done in a while. We've been getting our pizza fix from Time Square down the road. Yummy but man, $32 for 2 super large pizzas that feeds this family of four 2 meals. So I used this recipe . I put in the bread machine (which I had to get out of the laundry room & dust off). Set it for 6 hour delay start. I always get nervous doing this if I'm not home since I won't be able to peek & make sure the yeast did it's thing, that I don't need more liquid or flour, etc. To be on the safe side, I used a packet of yeast this time. Got home at 5:30. Peeked at the dough (It would have been finished around 4:30-5pm). Looked great! Followed Tammys directions and baked. Not bad. Not bad at all. Was only me & sonny boy as princess was working. Still have 4 pieces left. Ate BEFORE I did my work out (see below). Not a good thing to eat before a kick ass lower body work...

The gym still has NOT opened. My trainer is no longer returning my calls, hubby or my best friend. Not a good sign. I find myself depressed. Looking in the mirror, seeing them thunder thighs peeking back at me. Sure, it may be my imagination, but I know those babies are NOT as thin as they were destined to be 4 weeks ago! So last week, stopped by Sports Authority on the way home. Browsed through the home workout stuff. Bunch of crap. Then they do have other things that are useful. Picked up a 10 lb medicine ball. 8 lbs is too light. 12 lbs is too heavy (granted, I could do it, but it's heavy). $30 later and I leave, happy. Me & hubby play with it that night. Oh. NOT good. The little 10 lb sandbag inside SHIFTS! So in other words, when you are laying on your back, you toss it up, it comes down at an angle. Not good at all. Take it back, and then see the Nike 12 lb. Geesh. Don't want 12 lbs. But then again, it will give me a sense of accomplishment, achievement, bad ass...

So I wake up this morning. 5am. This after staying up til almost midnight to be sure darling princess got home ok from work in the (AT LAST!) rain. Sore throat. Sniffling. Coughing. Oh man. I'm sick. I believe I've just got the cold that turns in to walking pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, or whatever your weakness may be. Out comes the Dayquil (pill form only for me!) Note to stop & get tissues. I know, what kind of person am I? Tell everyone else to use papertowels (now that I got my 6 month supply from Costco) and I, THE QUEEN, get to buy tissues. Oh well, some things are just that way! Sitting here, clearing my throat. Yup, that's post nasal drip. So the question is, how long before I can kick this OUT of my system? I give it til Friday. Nightly NyQuil and daily Dayquil today, tomorrow & Friday. That's it.

Ick. I hate when I go to Costco. As you may know, I've been putting it off for quite a while, because I know that most people call it the $300 store. Yeah. Right. I think I may have to join THAT club now. I had a very specific list. And a very specific mission. Focused. Very. But then I saw the Tonton sauce that I haven't been able to find for months & months. Woohoo. 3 bottles of that stuff went in the cart @ $7.29 each. AND I know that I paid only $3 to $4 last time. Then they had some men's polos on sale. 100% organic cotton. 3 button. Just like DH likes (after I just tossed one that he got overspray of mildew cleaner on which btw, contains bleach). 3 of them go in the cart. $12.99 each. Oh look, nice white towels. 6 pack. $19.99. Wow, that's like, $3 (??) each or so. In the cart they go. Big can of silverfloss sauerkraut for $3. Wow, in the cart. 36 count spring water, $4.25? Better deal than store. Half steamer pans that I had on my list $8.99, paper ...

Dd took a turn for the worse again after going to school on Wednesday. Poor thing. Made her go to school Thursday with the promise I would text her when I had her doctor appointment. Damn. "Well Ms. L., we havent seen her in a few years and well, we would have to treat her as a new patient, and well, we can't get her in til late next week." WTF??? I so hate the pediatricians! She just turned 18 so now she can to a regular doctor, thank God!! So I said, forget it, and took her to the walk in clinic down the road from work. You know what? $30 as opposed to $25 co-pay, in and out within 30 minutes AND an antibiotic prescription to boot (and the surprise that she got a TATTOO for her 18th birthday!!!!!) ... good lord. Someone please help me! She got 500mg amoxicillian 3 times a day. Those pills are huge. She does not take pills easily. So we cut in half & half again. Anyone here ever do that?? That stuff taste HORRIBLE. I am lucky if I can get half a dose in her befo...

My sniffling, sneezing, aching, Mommy I don’t feel good baby (who is 18) is finally feeling better tonight. Oh thank God! I don’t think I could stand another pathetic stare from her watery eyes … So the sympathy train pulls out of this household at 5am Wednesday morning, and baby girl, you better have your butt in gear and be a ray of sunshine!! This, after reading this nice, mushy, tear jerking post over at Carmen’s site (if you have NOT read any of her stuff, you gotta, funny, down to earth, and oh so truthful that it hurts at times). Yeah, my baby girl was sick for 5 straight days. 5 days of having an 18 year old girl in the house, 24 hours a day. Not even playing on her laptop, or texting on her cell phone. Lying on the couch. Reaching out her hand when I walk by. Asking me to please sit with her for a bit. Imagine that. My baby girl NEEDS me. It’s good to be a MOM.

Went to winndixie yesterday morning on way to work. Wanted to get the iceberg lettuce for the b1g1f and a canalope for 99 cents. Also picked up a small bunch of bananas for 98cents. All in all I spent $3.49. Saved $3.69. Used the self checkout, noted the sign that said 'no cash back' and said not a problem as I was using cash. Guess what? No cash period. The gal had to take me to the customer service desk to pay. At the bottom was a chance to win $2000 for taking short survey. Seriously folks, short. Not even a minute long, unlike the Publix one. So again, watch the bottom of receipt. It does NOT say when it ends.

As the P & G booklet had some coupons for Always & Tampax, I figured I’d swing by Publix this morning to stack them with Publix coupons. 50 cents off manuf and 50 cents off Publix. So, 1 box of pads, 1 box of tampons, 1 box of pantiliners. Each was $3.29 to $3.69 each, and $1 off each item total. So, figured $9 or so with tax. (actually came to $8.10) So …. There I am, I hand over the coupons before she starts ringing up the 3 items (OH – and I remembered to bring in my new FREE Publix shopping bag) … she totals, and hands me back the 3 publix coupons. Can’t double coupons. So I ask her to call a manager (believe me, I’m being polite and nice about it cuz I KNOW they do it after my last visit at the other store). A manager comes, says no, they don’t double coupons, specifically states one coupon per item, blah blah blah, but she will do it. She does it, I ask her if she can clarify with her corporate office, blah blah blah and she says no need to clarify, she knows as they ...

Oh thank God that February is over & March has arrived. Well, at least I hope that my attitude stays that way. For being such a short month, man was it hard. I was doing ‘well’ for the No Spend challenge, and then when I tallied up the numbers, well, maybe not so well. I am carrying over into March. I figured I would call it March Madness as I dislike basketball (my BIL & SIL would just give me a look if they heard that out loud since they both coach basketball) and it’s all about basketball this month. Soooo…just what is March Madness going to bring in our house? Why, madness, of course! Just kidding. Cooking. More from scratch. That is going to be quite a challenge IF and WHEN the GYM opens back up. BUT – I do know how to cook. I do know how to plan. So, really, there is no reason WHY I can do this. Of course, my list of things I wanted to make/bake on Sunday is still long. The only thing I did do was the pancakes, which dh & ds managed to eat half of, which is ok, ...

Pork chops & rice Garlicky baked chicken with l/o rice & broccoli Leftovers Shrimp packs Salad & sandwiches Tilapia Salisbury steaks Pasta Stir fry Soup and sandwiches Burers Left overs Crockpot shrimp Steaks Pizza Teriyaki chicken Chili Pasta Leftovers Bratwurst Hubby decides Quesadillas (mushroom) Tacos Tilapia Crockpot Bbq pork Leftovers Blackened chicken sandwiches Hubby decides pasta Baked tater bar Soup and sandwiches So I do this menu and REALIZE that there is hardly any chicken dishes on here. It’s actually looking kind of boring. Hmmm. This may not be suitable for March Madness BUT it’s at least a guideline. *As I get the recipes added in to the recipe site, I will try to remember to link to them. *Pasta does NOT mean spaghetti in this house. It could be mac & cheese, lasagna, etc. Just pasta lets me know it's a carb night for the rest of the day. *As dh anticipates traveling a bit this month, some days may be scratched and just changed to simple th...