Frugal In Florida

Raise your hands if you are in shock that it's MAY! Seriously! The fifth month of the new year, already? I just celebrated my 54th birthday. Baby Nolan just turned 4 months old ... he'll be here when he's hitting his 5th month! Mark just finished up his 5th round of chemo, which means he's been dealing with all that loveliness for 10 weeks ... We are approaching our 5 month diagnosis period. Odd, it feels like it just happened yesterday, yet it's gotten to the point where I can talk about it and not immediately tear up. Some days. I stopped crying for a while there. And then I realized, it was late April and how fast life was moving. It made me extremely sad so I started crying daily, again. Serves absolutely NO purpose, let me tell you. All I want is a PAUSE button. It's not that I want to stop the process, because I know I can't. But I would like to be able to stop and enjoy some moments more than others. That's what happens when you know...

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This is a repost from 2009 ... sometimes you have to look back on things and realize that for all the bad things that happen in life, good things will generally come of them!  This year marks 15 years   Hubby opted to take this ride in his Charger two years ago and told me about it later that day ... said it was still vivid ... I thank God each and every day for allowing him to be strong and live through this ...  Today is a big day in our home for a totally different reason. 7 years ago today, on a beautiful South Florida sunny Sunday, my life changed forever, as did my husband, my kids, my close friends, and our family. See, 7 years ago today, my husband and his best friend decided to take the Harleys for an afternoon cruise to Miami and back. No big deal, they’ve done it before, many times. After the ride, we were all going to have dinner at their house (my best friend is the wife). So we head over there around 10am. Of course, ...

*I had typed this up back in 2011 and came across it recently. I was going to just delete the post, but something made me go back and read it, several times. I decided, oh hell, share it Jan, because, honestly, things have changed so much over the years, both myself and the kids, our lives in general and so on.  So, here you have it ... a little bit of reflection I must have been having that fine June day in 2011 ... *Note, I am immensely proud of how my children have come around and grown in the past 5 1/2 years! I think it's very important to remember that yes, your children are a reflection of you BUT they are also individuals who will grow as they may, no matter how hard you push them a certain way * Being a mom of older ones, specifically young adults. It goes to show you that LIFE is hard, but there are so many rewards to be had. I know I've done a fairly decent job as a mom, raised  two kids to become young adults in a fast paced lifestyle environment. Shoot, t...

Hey hey, it's time to share the Frugal Activities post and I know a lot of you liked them because of my full disclosure too! So, what the heck, since I seem to have fallen off the Menu Plan Post, let's revive the Frugal Activities shall we? I generally try to start my week on Monday with it ending on Sunday Here are some of our Frugal Activities that we did this past week! 1.  Stayed OUT of the stores this week up until Thursday. Trying very hard to stick with a one day a week shopping plan and this week it worked. However, I sort of blew the budget, see #1 in the Not So Frugal Activities below. 2.  Did my own manicure. Like I've said before, it's not spa quality, but plenty sufficient for me and work. Saved $20, well worth it to do it yourself! I even used that same color! 3.  Made an extra $200 debt paydown payment ... I think I have $200 left on this particular credit card and that will pay off the new computer. This money came from Digit savings...

Hey hey, it's been awhile since I've done the Frugal Activities post and I know a lot of you liked them because of my full disclosure too! So, what the heck, since I seem to have fallen off the Menu Plan Post, let's revive the Frugal Activities shall we? I generally try to start my week on Monday with it ending on Sunday Here are some of our Frugal Activities that we did this past week! 1.  Said no thank you to Hubby to go for Pollo Tropical for lunch on Monday (I was home as I had a procedure done that morning) ... we ended up eating leftovers. Probably saved $20 as I know Hubby would have made me order a large whatever ;-) 2.  Did my own manicure. Like I've said before, it's not spa quality, but plenty sufficient for me and work. Saved $20, well worth it to do it yourself! 3.  Utilized my insurance and had a co-pay of $60 for my procedure. I'm glad I got a second opinion as the first doctor wanted to try something more dramatic and the i...

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This is a repost from 2009 ... sometimes you have to look back on things and realize that for all the bad things that happen in life, good things will generally come of them! This year marks 13 years ... last year, when Hubby was unemployed, he opted to take this ride in his Charger and told me about it later that day ... said it was still vivid ... I thank God each and every day for allowing him to be strong and live through this ...  Today is a big day in our home for a totally different reason. 7 years ago today, on a beautiful South Florida sunny Sunday, my life changed forever, as did my husband, my kids, my close friends, and our family. See, 7 years ago today, my husband and his best friend decided to take the Harleys for an afternoon cruise to Miami and back. No big deal, they’ve done it before, many times. After the ride, we were all going to have dinner at their house (my best friend is the wife). So we head over there around 10am. Of c...

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This is a repost from 2009 ... sometimes you have to look back on things and realize that for all the bad things that happen in life, good things will generally come of them! This year marks 12 years ... Today is a big day in our home for a totally different reason. 7 years ago today, on a beautiful South Florida sunny Sunday, my life changed forever, as did my husband, my kids, my close friends, and our family. See, 7 years ago today, my husband and his best friend decided to take the Harleys for an afternoon cruise to Miami and back. No big deal, they’ve done it before, many times. After the ride, we were all going to have dinner at their house (my best friend is the wife). So we head over there around 10am. Of course, hubby wears long jeans, a nice t-shirt and sneakers. As they get ready to leave for their ride, unbeknownst to me, he tried on several different helmets to find one that fit his head comfortably. His buddy also gave him a dif...

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This is a repost from 2009 ... sometimes you have to look back on things and realize that for all the bad things that happen in life, good things will generally come of them! This year marks 10 years ... Today is a big day in our home for a totally different reason. 7 years ago today, on a beautiful South Florida sunny Sunday, my life changed forever, as did my husband, my kids, my close friends, and our family. See, 7 years ago today, my husband and his best friend decided to take the Harleys for an afternoon cruise to Miami and back. No big deal, they’ve done it before, many times. After the ride, we were all going to have dinner at their house (my best friend is the wife). So we head over there around 10am. Of course, hubby wears long jeans, a nice t-shirt and sneakers. As they get ready to leave for their ride, unbeknownst to me, he tried on several different helmets to find one that fit his head comfortably. His buddy also gave him a diff...

Last Friday I was DETERMINED to try and get back in to the swing of things and I REFUSED to be sick anymore!! So here's what I choose for my Friday night poison: Espresso Martini(s) Figured one, maybe 2 and it turned in to 4 because each batch filled up the martini glass 2 times ... 1 part (shot) espresso vodka (double espresso Van Gough) 1 part (shot) Kahlua 2 parts (shots) iced coffee (strong brewed) Add ice to shaker and add all ingredients. Shake and then strain in to a martini glass and serve.  Really easy to make. I made the coffee in the Keurig using the middle size to brew. Tossed the glass  of coffee in the freezer to chill for awhile before making (probably an hour or so?).  I already had the rest of the ingredients on hand from the proposed Christmas Party that didn't happen (mom passed away) ... so it stayed within my self imposed "Frugal Guidelines" (post coming soon!) ... These were really yummy. And I need to do it ...

This is the one word in our household that Hubby utters and everyone will just roll their eyes normally. FOCUS. Which means, to him, PAY ATTENTION. Usually, it's not a flattering thing either, meaning spacing off, spilling something, whatever. However, I've made a sign and hung it on the refrigerator. F O C U S I need to stay focused. I've wandered off the path a bit and need to get myself out of the trees/clouds and back on solid ground. Which means, I must FOCUS. Focus on my money. Focus on my chores. Focus on my job. Focus on ME. Yes, I will also focus on my family, but I think at the moment, I need to focus on ME to find out what made me stray off the path that was so well marked. What tempted me to take the left instead of the right? And what kept me from jumping back on the clearly marked path when it was right in front of me? I know the answers to those questions, deep down inside. I just need to focus on correcting it!

I've been in a little funk lately, which made me switch out the flatware ... shop at Costco and now opt to try some new recipes . I've had a little more stress than I'd like to admit, and frankly, I've not always been a joy to be around. When you realize that, you know it's bad . So when Hubby told me Saturday morning to be "sportin' a bikini" within the next 30 minutes for a ride on the boat, I was less than pleased. I had laundry to do. I needed to finish up the menu plan for next week, clean the kitchen, mop the floor, wash the rugs, re-work the budget and so on. You know, a woman's work is NEVER done. But as he went about happily getting everything ready for a little ride on the boat (seriously, no such thing as a 'little' ride on the boat, it's a production and generally 4 plus hours of time), I figured, the heck with it. Sunshine, salt water and just clean, fresh air would be nice. So I got a bikini on (which totally motiv...

I enjoyed my day off yesterday ... thanks to MLK Day. I cooked. A new recipe. Two actually. Keep your eyes out this week :-) I cleaned (laundry and such). I went to the Casino with my neighbor (um, yeah, that sort of blew the budget). I went to Kmart due to poor timing on MY part (yes, that did NOT help the budget out either). I went to the gym. Damn near passed out and puked too. Something to do with shoulder exercises (buzzy feeling in the area and then just general foggyness sets in. Hmmm. Pinched nerve the doc mentioned?). Made myself a Greenish Smoothie when I got home. Made Hubby an awesome salad to go with the leftovers we ate for dinner. Showered and went to bed. Completely drained the battery on the Kindle so that meant it had to charge overnight. Odd. I thought I turned it off. It's back to work today. Which means all that stuff above? Well, it should be a part of my every day life for the most part (cooking, cleaning, gym, shower, eating healthy) but ...

We had every intention on having the boat parade. That didn't happen. But while Hubby was traveling, I was busy preparing...because as far as I could see, we were having about 30 people over. So I did the Big Shop . And I went to the liquor store. ABC Fine Wine & Spirits , to be exact. Had I been thinking more in line with things, I would have went to  Total Wine & More  as they are ALWAYS a little cheaper. But oh well, I wasn't thinking clearly, apparently. Can I tell you how much I love the holidays and liquor stores? All them special packages for the holiday gift giving ... And I got myself some Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka with 4 sample bottles. $28.00 (about) So my original intention was to make some Espresso Martinis. Just because. And my goal was to make sure EVERYONE woke up with sticky hair the next morning. Because when you drink a martini out of a martini GLASS, you are bound to spill it all over you. If you are like ME, you lea...

On December 7th, 2011, at 10:54 (central time), my mother passed on. It was sudden and so very unexpected. My only consolation is that she did not suffer for a long time. She died from complications of Leukemia. Ummm. She was diagnosed with that at 6pm on December 7th. Apparently, she had been feeling ill for quite some time but just never told anyone as she did not like people poking and prodding at her. They were in the ambulance transferring her from St. Anthony's in Michigan City to Rush Hospital in Chicago. She never made it. I believe she never intended to. I'm quite certain under 'normal' circumstances, my mother would not agree to undergo aggressive chemo and whatever else. Her blood platelets were something stupidly low, like SIX when they should be in the 100s. Her blood could not clot. I spoke to her for a mere 2 minutes that morning. Asked if I needed to come up. Said no (yeah, that's going to work with me mom). Then abruptly asked th...

That's the only way I can describe the freezers and pantry at the moment. I've been really reducing my grocery shopping (the amount of stuff I buy, not necessarily money out) ... so we are pretty much dried up on the snacks and such. I mean, shoot, the one shelf is normally stuffed with chips, breads, and other junk snacky types of foods. But since Sonny Boy hasn't been around, and all the boys with him (and girls) and Princes is working odd hours, we've pretty much cleaned out that shelf and just not bought any more ... which is ok because we ARE trying to eat healthier. So when I got the text message from our friends that they had 10 'plump' b/s chicken thighs, and would we like to grill them up at our house and hang out for a bit, I had a slight anxiety attack. What to serve for snacks? What to serve as a side. I mean, this is like an hour notice after a BUSY day. We said YES (of course) and hurried up to finish our projects in process (Hubby hanging...

The long holiday weekend is coming to an end and I am sitting here, being thankful. Thankful for many things. And not so thankful for others. But the key is to remember those things that I do give thanks for. Thankful that we were able to feed a houseful of teen boys this morning even though we've been gone for 6 days. Thankful for my friends who teamed up and worked out a schedule (without me knowing) to play with the cats, check the mail and garden and such. Thankful for my Hubby who made our trip completely possible with as little fuss as possible. Thankful for the love his family shows ME. Thankful that I have a job to look forward to tomorrow (and a paycheck is waiting). Thankful that I have clothes to wear this week without necessarily HAVING to do laundry today if I choose not to. See. There are plenty of things to be thankful for, things that you just take for granted. Because it's so easy to say "woe is me" and feel sorry and discontentment....

Its a once in a blue moon type of thing for me to say that I made a casserole. But today, I did. But it's not for us to eat at the house. It's for Hubby to take with him to the office tomorrow. He has a new employee who JUST moved here from the other coast, and he thinks the guy is flat broke and living in his car til his wife comes and a few paychecks roll in. That makes me sad. Very very sad. But there is hope in that Hubby must be coming around and be a little more sensitive =D which is a joke, yet not really. Anyways. When we made dinner Saturday night, he insisted that we double the meat for the grill and made an extra side dish. To take to work "as leftovers" and to tell the gang that it's too much food for us at home. Hmmm. That's pretty nice honey. This morning, we were talking about the status of chicken in the freezers and if I wanted to make some more stuff. Hmmm...How about a casserole type thingy? He just looked at me, well, because,...

I ran into my neighbor at the grocery store a few weekends ago. I haven't seen or talked to her in several weeks and had been meaning to call her and hassle her about the fact that surely, at the age of 70, she wasn't going back to work since I've noticed her car gone every morning by 7:30am. (She lives next door to me and my one kitchen window looks over her carport.) I should have known something was up as soon as we made eye contact. First off, her dog passed. Which is sad. Thor was such a good dog, old, but still. Good Dog. I thought that was the bad news. Poor Joan. Her eyes were just wide and empty. Remember, this is my neighbor who just had her kidney removed in June. 70 years old. We garden side by side over the fence. Every year for the past 11 years. She's now undergoing radiation 5 days a week and chemo once a week. For lung cancer. This, after she quit smoking AND drinking 10 years ago for throat cancer. Which she did radiation and surgery then...

This has been bothering me for several days. I was in the grocery store the other day ... it's a store that has a high clientele of non-english speaking individuals (and heavy cash usage) ... alot of different cultures and backgrounds in that store. Anyways. I was standing at the fish counter to get some of the $4.99 per lb shrimp (does not go on sale to that price very often anymore) and there was an older lady, maybe late 60's next to me, getting a big slab of salmon. To my other side is a young mom, with a little boy about 3 years old. He's messing with stuff at his level, as kids will do ... and she just reaches out and cuffs the kid on the side of the head, right over his ear. The little boy screams bloody murder, hand to ear and starts kicking at the wall in anger. Umm. Ok. Tears flowing and just howling. I'm trying to ignore the kid, not sure what I've just witnessed. They go to walk behind us, and the older lady is making shhh shhhh shhh sounds...

I sort of, kind of, really did, PUSH for the day off today. Heck, the banks are closed. Federal courthouses are closed. Post office is closed. I know the local courthouse and recording office is open (in Broward County), but heck, I'd be working with less than three-quarters of my necessary operating team. It worked. So what am I going to do today? Well, first off, I'm fighting a monumental urge to SHOP. Ack. I have no free, unaccounted for money so to speak at the moment. And them damn credit cards are screaming my name, saying "USE ME" but I am resisting. I did do my microdermabrasion this morning. That's 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp water. I added a little drip more to make it a little less dry. I love this stuff. It makes my skin feel so smooth and and soft. I still have some left in there to add to my heels later today. I also posted the weekly Menu Plan Monday  and got it  linked up  too! I even made the bed today ! I do nee...