You don't appreciate what you have

Until you don't have it anymore.

I never thought that I would say this, but I miss being just a housewife. I didn't work outside the home for almost 9 months last year. Financially it was extremely hard. Our outgoing was more than our incoming almost every month. The stress of paying the bills was almost more than I could handle, and it was definitely more than Charlie could handle. We didn't have a lost of extras. Any discretionary expenses were cut down to almost nothing. Then you think about those things that we did have. The house was always clean. The laundry was always done. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner were made by ME! I felt more of a sense of accomplishment doing those things than I have ever felt working in a 9-5 job, even when I made 6 figures!

So, now we have money to pay our bills, and we can go out to eat every once in a while, but I miss being at home. I miss being there when my kids needed me or Charlie needed me. I miss sewing, cooking, and Yes, even cleaning! We may not ever be to the place where I could stay at home without any income, but I will say that it was an experience that I'll never forget.

I envy those of you who are SAHM, and home school your children. I don't envy you, as some do, because "you don't have to work", we all know that is not true! I envy you because your work is so much more rewarding than just a paycheck!

Some say well, Krista, you can have it all! You can work, keep a clean house, have the laundry done, cook supper, and be there for your husband & kids when they need you. I say, "Do I look like SuperWoman?" My house is clean, we have clean clothes to wear, and I cook supper, but it just doesn't feel the same, and I am always tired! Now it just feels like I have 2 jobs.

Oh well, the moral of the story is...Be happy with what God gives you. If you are always unsatisfied then you'll always be looking for more. Sometimes you are right where God wants you, and doing what God wants you to do. It may not be what you want, but it is what God wants. Charlie & I have talked and we are going to try to pay off our debt with my earnings. That may take years... Who knows maybe I'll be a Stay at Home Grandma or Aunt! I wouldn't mind being either one because I love babies so I'll leave you with the newest pics of Baby Isaac! These were just taken on Sunday. He is in the 90th percentile for both weight and height. He is 17 lbs and 26 inches long! He'll be 4 months old on Feb. 22, 2009.

Kroger Meat & Produce

It is Saturday morning. Do you get up early on Saturday morning? The only people I know that do are the ones that go to yard sales and those that may have to go to work. Well, Have I ever told you that I am a sleepy head? I have always been called that. Yes, since I was a small child. I was never told as a child that it was time to go to bed because more often than not I was already in bed by that time. I was (am) very often the last person to get out of bed in the mornings though. To get to the point... this morning I had to take Trevlyn to work at 8am. I woke up about 7:15 which is just too early on Saturday morning for me! On my way back from taking him to work I thought "Hey, I'll stop by Kroger and see what I can buy!"

I walked in and started laughing! They were already taking the shelves apart in the meat department. The Meat Manager told me that people were there as early as 5am, pushing and shoving to get the best deals! He said that the boneless chicken breasts were the first to go. Now boneless chicken breast wasn't on sale this week at Kroger. The regular price is $4.79lb. 50% off that would be $2.39lb. If you are strategic grocery shopper than you know that boneless chicken breast goes on sale often for $1.99lb. My question is "What were they thinking?" The only items left in produce were things that are hard or impossible to freeze like cucumbers and lettuce.

I was amazed! Who gets up that early? Not me!

Being more organized

I have had a terrible time staying organized since I went back to work part-time a few weeks ago. I am only working on Tuesdays & Wednesday at the family flooring store, but the break up in my week seems to mess up my planning completely. I wasn't able to plan meals, all the clothes were piled up, and my house needed a thorough cleaning. I had gotten into the habit of cleaning a room a day, washing a couple loads of clothes everyday, and planning the meals kind of as I went through each day. That doesn't work anymore.

This week I decided enough is enough. I can't let this go on. So, last Saturday I got up early and worked on the house, washed some clothes, and made my weekly menu. Isn't it funny how something so little, like a menu plan, can make your entire week go smoothly? I wrote out the menu and made my grocery list at the same time. I posted the week's menu on the fridge for everyone to see and hold me accountable. Well, it worked! This week has been great! If you don't have a menu plan head on over to the Org Junkie on Mondays. You'll find several (I think this week there were over 300).

Tomorrow is a very busy day, so today I went through all my cabinets, cut out any remaining coupons, made my grocery list and decided what we were going to eat for next week. I already have my menu plan posted on the fridge for next week. I know this sounds silly, but I am so excited. I love making lists, and they make me happy. :)

I received some good news in the mail today. I'll tell you all about it in another post. Believe me it is important enough that it deserves it's own post!

Reynolds Handi Vac

This year I am trying to save money by freezing my fresh fruits & vegetables that I get from my in-laws. I don't have a garden but they do. I don't know how to 'can' and buying all the equipment necessary to do so would negate the whole saving money point. I've been looking at vacuum sealers as an alternative, but they are also very expensive. I found some reviews on the Reynolds Handi-Vac; some were favorable others not so much. What I'd like to find out is if any of you have used the Reynolds product and if you recommend it.

I appreciate your help!