Frugal week begins!

I have to be frugal till I get a $4100.00 bill paid off. Not sure I can pay $600.00 a month on it but that is my goal. The sooner I get it done the better! This is where I will say that I am going to start listing some of my items on ebay and craigslist and put books on a website to sell. I have to displine myself and that will bite.  Mr. C says I already pinch pennies even thou he says we don't have.  I haven't used coupons in years so that is one habit I am going to try to start doing again. I already shop Ross's and Big lots and Walls. I also shop wholesale at Dallas Tx, and at Marlow Floral. I always look for the best buy for my money.  When grocery shopping in our rural area we have small grocery store and Dollar General, unless I want to drive 25 miles to Homeland or Walmart. So I feel as if I am a smart shopper to a degree. My craft supplies I do use JoAnn coupons. Also I go to Basket Market in Oklahoma City, it is a huge place that sells Hobby Lobby discontinued items and samples.  It is a awesome place for crafters to shop!
       

     My big splurges is I drive to Elk City and stay  several nights at a hotel every other week.  So I probably will still go but only stay one night. At least till I get this bill paid down. So here I go to frugal land! Wish me lots of luck because this will be the hardest  goal I have set for myself besides losing weight!! Which by the way that weight loss thing hasn't been working out to well for me! Because I haven't put my 100 % into it at this point. 


At swap bot I am in a swap with 12 partners to gain blog followers.  I have so enjoyed looking at everyone's blogs.  So many different styles and so many very talented and creative.  I must I must try harder to be more creative! I tend to like doing easy and fast crafts. 

Well I am going for now! 

Grateful Wednesday

This morning as I was getting ready for the day about 8am I hear this car beeping its horn urgently outside my front door.  I go look out and it is my mail lady.  She normally doesn't show up till 12pm or so.  I say to her why are you so darn early? I have packages for you and wanted to catch up before you left for the day.  It was our new 32 inch flatscreen TV for our bedroom and a new sony dvd player we had ordered.  I just ordered it last week using Mr. C's safety bonus.  Now we are just waiting for the 27 inch flatscreen to arrive.  We bought it for Alisha's room. 

So I am very grateful to our mail lady that is always going above the call of duty for her rural customers.  She has taken very excellent care of me and my precious mail! If I have big packages or lots of mail she will bring to my front door for me.  I realize small town rural carriers aren't all as wonderful as my carrier.

I have bought a plate and glass to make a cute plate stand...When I start it I will make sure to get photos of it.  That is if it turns out like it should.   I also am hunting up old brass candlesticks to spray paint and make a tabletop arrangement.  I seen a gorgous one on a blog and want to try and make one similiar. 
  Thought this was a cute cake stand that I found the photo for off of Stock Photography. 

I am going to take some photos and get them posted soon!!

New tablet

My boys bought me a G Slate tablet from Tmobile for Christmas. I am loving it and seem to be on it too much. I had been thinking I wanted a Ipad but am very happy with this one.


Took Blake to look at guns yesterday. He is wanting a small handgun, I think it a waste of money. He should get the rifle he wants or a assult rifle.  I get the final say as I am the one who is buying it for his Christmas gift.  I am not fond of guns but my boys use them, mainly for target practice or deer hunting.
Truth of the matter is that guns scare me.  I have had my 380 semi~automatic hand gun for awhile now and have yet to shoot it.  Much to my boys dismay.  Blake bought it for my birthday last year.  For Christmas this year he was looking at a pink assult rifle for me.  Really? Can't he just buy me a $500.00 piece of jewelry instead ( I would promise to wear it often)!!  Mr. C would flip out if I came home with a assult rifle, he wouldn't like it very much at all!  Am thinking it would have to stay with Blake.

Haven't been very creative lately.  Have been in several large Christmas Card swaps on swap~bot.  I have sent out about 30 cards so far.  I love to place the cards on the back of a door in the shape of a tree.. It is something I have done for years.  I need to get family Christmas Cards made out and sent as well! 
    
My Bailey Church Secret Sis party is this Sunday from 2 ~ 4.  I have been doing this the last 4 years and so enjoy it.  We spend about $100.00 on our secret sis.  No one really sends anything during the year but brings all gifts to church. It kinda snuck up on me this year. But I do believe that I will be ready come Sunday.   We also take a toy for a child at church and a finger food.  I also am taking our two hostess a small thank you gift. Cherrie and I hosted it 3 years ago and they really gave us some cool hostess gifts. Usually you can either bring a toy or a hostess gift.  It is up to the members and usually they bring both. I am so excited to be part of this wonderful group of ladies.

                                         Peanut Butter Candy Balls

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cup cramy peanut butter
6 oz melting chocolate for dipping

     Blend together sugar, peanut butter, and graham cracker crumbs. Form mixture into 3/4 inch balls.  Chill untl firm.  Melt dipping chocolate in microwave on High for 2 minutes.  Dip peanut butter balls into melte chocolate.  Store in an airtight container.

It is time for candy and cookie making!  My boy's Aunt Ginger (on their dad's side) always made a huge container of goodies for her siblings.  Then Diane (boy's step~grandma) on dad's side would always make fudge and cookies.  Am thinking this should be the year I make some special treats for different family members. Just don't think I could go wrong with this recipe and I know my boys would love it!! 

                          

Monday Ramblings

This is going to be a wonderful day. Mr. C is cooking a Thanksgiving supper for us but especially for his daughter Alisha.  This man is very kind and thoughtful. He tries very hard to do family traditions with her. I remember how hard it was on my brother and I when we were younger and having to be pulled in a million directions.  Mr. C is making sure that his children have memories. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life. I might better add that he is a awesome cook I do believe he is a better cook than I am. He wanted to make stuffing like his grandma and my grandma made and it turned out super good.  He heated up a spiral ham, green beans and corn, made garlic mashed potatoes and ham gravy, we had cranberry sauce and I made a cherry cake and also deviled eggs.  He cooked all day it seemed and the house was filled with a wonderful aroma. 


                                   Heavenly Cherry Cake

1 box yellow or chocolate cake mix with pudding (Duncan Hines)
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
1 container Cool Whip
1 can cherry pie filling

        Bake cake according to directions. Cool. Mix pudding mix with 1/2 the milk called for. Chill. Pour pie filling over cooked cake evenly.  Mix pudding and Cool Whip gently and spread over pie filling.  Chill and Serve.

This is a very yummy cake and so simple to make. Next time I make it I will take a photo of it and post. I so enjoy going thru old recipe books and trying recipes out.  That is how I have found several of our favorite recipes thru the years.

   

Can you believe it is almost December? I am so not ready for Christmas!  I need to get my Christmas Dcorations out and get them up.  I do believe that I will do that Monday coming up.  I won't have much time till Christmas because I am going to be at the flower shop nearly every day.  Not that I mind that means more Christmas presents for the family. 

       

Talk to ya soon!! 

                       

Weekend getaway

Saturday  I went to a family gathering for Thanksgiving.  We had a great time and it was nice to visit with everyone who showed up.  While I was sitting there I felt the need to go spend a few nights with Mr. C at Elk City, Okla.  I came home about 2pm and threw clothes in a suitcase and off I went.  It is a 2 1/2 hour drive for me and I enjoy being alone.  I use that time to reflect on my life or have a loud concert of one in my car.  Am glad my windows are tinted dark or other travelers would see me  singing at the top of my lungs on occasion.  I get to Elk City about 6 pm.  Usually  I take something to work on for swaps and of course I had my journal I am working on for the month of November. I am caught up on the daily entries but have been adding lots of recipes and such to make it more "me".
I finally came home Monday afternoon..  Although I made a side trip to Oklahoma City before coming home.  I went to Kohls and Target and did some Christmas shopping. 
The several days away was awesome and  I do feel much more rested at this point!

Am glad to be back home! 

Stressed

Took Aaron to OU Children's hospital Wednesday.  We were there all day 1 pm till after 6 pm.  They did different test on Aaron and it is the infected enlarged lympe nodes near his appendix making the poor guy sick.  They did tell us he would be sick for at least another month till the infection worked its way out of the body.  So looks like to me that Aaron will be throwing up and such for awhile.  But at least we know for sure what we are dealing with and how it is going to affect him.  We have been dealing with Aaron hurting and sick for 2 long weeks and many trips to Dr and several to emergency rooms.

This weekend my mom's side of the family is getting together for our Thanksgiving celebration.  I have to work today and figure out a few desserts I can make that is "WOW" factor.  Wish me luck on that one.  I am thinking about using a recipe that is close to what my grandma use to make all the time.  She always called it the "Better than Sex" cake.  Which always shocked me when she said the word sex because my Grandma didn't talk about S. E. X. ever and here we are eating a cake that has THAT word in it.  I love good memories and that is the top of the list memory for me.  My neice Kaylee is coming over to spend the night with me and to help me with desserts.  We will have alot of fun cooking.  I also want to make a different side dish that we normally have at our get togethers.  When mom and grandma were alive they did most of the cooking.  Which didn't leave alot for anyone to bring.  My Aunt Connie always brought pies and if for some reason you brought one it hurt her feelings.  So this year my cousins Brenda and Belinda seem to be doing most of the cooking and is letting me bring desserts.  Aunt Connie and her children and familys have decieded not to come to this celebration.  It has a lot to do with grandma and mom passing.  I hate that our family will probably never be totally together ever again.  This hurts so many of us and there isn't anything I can do to make it better.  Why? because I am sitting on the fence and can see both sides and why they feel the way they do, and I am not going to take sides because I do not want to lose any communication with any of my family. 

I am almost done with my Christmas Wreath.  The hardest part is getting the ends wrapped around tightly.  I need someone to help me get this done.  I love how it turned out and am proud that I even attempted it.  It is super easy to do except for that last part of getting it closed

My cell phone usually takes better photos but my lightening in my dining room is horrible!  I thought it turned out alot better that I thought possible. 

I used a wire hanger (it needed to be thinner that it was) and bought ornaments from Wal~Mart and the Dollar Tree to put on it.  How super easy is that I ask.  I have to give credit to all the bloggers I have seen that has this on their site as well.  I would have never thought of this on my own!
                                                                            

                                                                              Swap Bot
I have sent off several swaps as of yesterday and it was $25.00 worth.  Wow that is crazy but that is my hobby and I do enjoy doing it.  Most of it was Christmas Cards and I had one box and 1 flat rate mailer.  I finally got my October Journal in the mail and the 30 day of surprises. 

I put up 3 swaps in our group " Girls Night In 2" and I was very happy with how many actually signed up to join them.  I am always happy if just 1 more joins but was excited to see that I have a total of about 10 ladies participating.

Well I have got to get ready to take Mr. Trevor to school and he doesn't want to get up as usual.  He is so much like me that it's scary. 

Everyone have a blesed weekend!!   Karen

Chili night

What a day it has been for me!  I got up and met my nephew Dylan at Marlow at 7am! Which put me leaving the house at 6:30.  Then I drove on down to Duncan Ok to Walmart.  Was shopping when my stepdad called and told me Trevor and Aaron were both sick..It is now 8:15. I call the Dr. and would you believe they can get them in at 9:15! I call and have Aaron meet me at Grannie's house in Marlow.  Poor Aaron has been sick since Sunday.  He was at Urgent Med Monday, I took him to Er Tuesday night where they said his lymp nodes near his appendix are enlarged to see regular Dr in two days.  Which was today.  Dr. wants Aaron back tomorrow and gave Trevor medicine for his sore throat.  We were in Dr's office for over 2 hours waiting on blood work for

When I got home I unloaded my groceries and put away.  Am glad I didn't have any cold items in cart.  But would you belive I left a sack at the store?  I don't believe I have ever done that before EVER!! I called the store and yes indeed the 4 items was logged and I get to take reciept and pick them out again..I supose that is what I get for being in a rush this

I have put on chili for tonight when Mr. C get's home.  I have already had a taste and its really yummy.  Now if I can get up and do some of the dishes that I messed up in preparing supper.

Chili recipe

2 lbs of ground beef

1 diced onion

2 cans of ranchstyle beans

1 can of hot rotel

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of snap e tom or spicy v8

1 envelope oc chili seasoning

Brown meat with onion add to pot with the rest of ingredients.