Home Alone!

I suppose one day my family will come to realize what an accomplished chef I am, evidenced here by my homemade croutons.  But for now, they'll have to wait.
#addictive #shamelesslyeatingthespoils #willbewalkingtheseoffforalongtime

Day 1: 1 Month, $0 Budget Challenge

Yesterday was only the first day, and I almost caved without even realizing it.We were out of Coke, although we had several other varieties of soda in the fridge. My husband, knowing how much I like Coke, offered to make a run to the store.  It was a sweet but typical suggestion, offered and accepted many, many times in the past.  But then I snapped:  no, no, no ... I can live without Coke, really I can.  *groan*


I wonder . . . how are others remembering to break those little sabotaging money-spending habits we don't even consciously think about? 

1 Month, $0 Budget Challenge

With month after month passing and the budget only getting more stretched--although I don't know how that's even possible--I figure this is a difficult but timely challenge.  After all, what could be more challenging than making ends meet on an income that already doesn't even cover basic bills and needs?  The biggest struggle may be celebrating our son's 10th birthday in style, but then that's the point of this challenge, right?  Spend money only on what you can literally not live without.  We've just celebrated a frugal Christmas.  Why not extend that to the upcoming birthdays?

See Stephanie at Full of Great Ideas for original post.

Full of Great Ideas: My 1 Month, $0 Budget challenge (V2.0) starting Ja...

Full of Great Ideas: My 1 Month, $0 Budget challenge (V2.0) starting Ja...: As you know, last March my husband and I made a decision to not spend any money on non-essential items. As I said then, March became our 'sp...

Happier Children

I find myself wondering if I've lost my opportunity to positively impact my children by my own "opinions" (aka venting).  But here's an interesting read:  31 Days to Happier Children.  And even though I've only just begun this journey, one thing I know from watching my kids:  because their attitudes often mirror my own, the transformation will take place by my modeling!  So the count down begins.  I'm starting Day 1.

Jets vs. Ravens a la Kung Pao Chicken

I love recipes with pictures, and even better, step-by-step pictures.  To top it off, this Kung Pao Chicken was ready in 30 minutes (that NEVER happens for me).  So hurry over for dinner.  We're about to sit down.  But just in case you can't get here in time, I've posted the recipe link:   http://blogchef.net/kung-pao-chicken-recipe.

Dollar Tree giveaway

One of my favorite bloggers, Denise from Sunny Days in Second Grade, is giving away goodies from the Dollar Tree.  The drawing is on September 30th, so don't delay.  You can find her at:  http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/