Dress Shopping

This is my first submission to :

Bear with me because I can take a while to get to the point :0 But I promise that this point is relevant :)

I want to be honest here, because frankly, I know no other way. I hate hate hate though when my last blog post seems dark and whiny LIKE MY LAST ONE. I then let it sit there for seemingly forver. so time to clear it up :)

Remember this lovely lady that we just talked about?
She graduated from college last weekend.
And THIS weekend she is getting married! Our parelell lives have been very seperate lately. Although she mesans the world to me, all I need to do is show up. With my family. Dressed. All 7 of us. Normally my family feels totally manageable but sometimes.......

So, we need haircuts and clothes and, to act like we have some sense :)...My twelve year old is a little annoyed because we have been to a few funerals and weddings lately and we go to church every week. Why do we need to get haircuts and buy clothes. He may have a point :)MAYBE but how do I stop him from "dancing" at the reception. These are his moves. He preserved them forever on MY camera.

I live in a small town off the beaten path. We have just had few store closure. There is no where for me to get a dress! I also am hard to fit. I wear an 18. Doesnt sound like a big deal does it? Somehow, it can be.

I have been looking online and found a few things. I would start to order and they would suddenly not have my size or be on backorder. I kept going for loud designs and then wondering if they were moo-moos :)

My daughter and I somehow snuck out alone for a few hours this week. We were wnadering a thrift store and they had all their prom dresses out. I spotted an orange dress from Davids Bridal, tags still on. It was a size 16. I tried to force it on. There are no dressing rooms mind you. My daughter was scared. I then spotted a szie 18. A nice classic fitting, tank dress in light coral silk. hmmm $6.00 and a cleaning later here is my dress for this weekend :) Feels handpicked just for me. I did take a picture to show you, but somehow a size 18 dress on a hanger taken with a crappy camera, doesnt look that great in retrospect. Your mind will do a better job, trust me. I'll try to get some pictures of it this weekend ON. If I have trouble findig my size, how is it that I found it a small thrift store? In a color that I like but much mellower than I may have chosen on my own. Sounds like someone is looking out for me doesn't it.

Mothers Day 2009

Around 10 months after having a baby, my hormones get wacky. I get really sad, I get really agitiated. My skin bleeds and cracks from something funky internally... I fight with prog cream">THIS and fight with 369">These among other things and, for atleast the last three babies, I have had to wean them at 12 months.

Can you guess how old this guy is?

Yep. 10 months, almost to the day. So, here I am :)

My husband has a dear dear cousin. Although she is a lot younger than us (atleast 16 years) she has been such a blessing and truly been "family." I "realized" that she was graduating from college on Saturday. How did this happen and we not know about it? Were there announcements? Should we have just known? Were there invites? Were there only so many people per student allowed? The college had been evacuated due to the Jesusita fire. Was the ceremony moved? postponed? I graduated from the SAME college (albeit 15 years ago) was it assumed that I knew these things? I called my in-laws. Yes, they were going. Oh....it was already too late for me to rally to go. I missed her college graduation. I had had the forethoguht to send a card. What was my excuse for missing her graduation ceremony?
Oh thats right i was sorting socks and eating doughnuts...although my husband is working, I have a 10 month old, a toddler, a house guest and 3 other children.....I wasn't JUST eating doughnuts, I was cooking and cleaning for those 6 other people...and doing a ton of laundry (that is an estimate) and driving to and from activities and....I missed her graduation...I cant believe I missed her graduation.

So....Saturday night I cry and cry and clean the kitchen with no abandon and Sunday I stay in bed until 1:01. I woke up to this....
my dear dear daughter :) She made me a card that read "Happy Movers Day" She made me a necklace, she made me paper flowers, and she made me a hanging plate...WOW huh!
At 4:10 decide to rally and get dressed and have tea and pie :) Not because I feel like it. How often do I do what I feel? Maybe I have been delt a bad hand, maybe my life is horrible and maybe I should have just stayed in bed. But, right now, fair or not I am what these 5 children have and they deserve a good Mothers day memory :) So I suck it up and smile, put on a little make up and.........

We celebrated :)

Week In Review: Jesusita Fire

A huge part of our week was spent in front of the television watching 24 hour coverage of: the Jesusita Fire, (this picture courtesy of MSNBC)

and praying....
Click HERE for a slide show.

The Governor of CA officially declared Fire Season open and within an hour a fire broke out on a small hiking path near the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens. A press release was issued at 1:45 pm saying that no structures were damaged. As this press release was being given, helicopters showed aerial pictures of the area. A newscaster interrupted to ask if he was seeing what he thought he was seeing--4 structures had just exploded into flames, we moved to another helicopter view to see the same thing. For days the fire was fought and fought with no containment. People were evacuated. Evacuation warnings were made. There was no time to go through and count the damaged structures....We were finally told that "dozens of structures had been lost or damaged" Things would seem "OK" and then a little after nightfall, winds would pick up, temperatures would stay between 80and 90 degrees and structures would literally explode. This went on for days...The official statement now is that the fire scorched 8,733 acres and as many as 80 homes. Approximately 30,000 people were evacuated.

This lady evacuated her house near the fire to stay with us....
It was a nice visit. We sorted socks
(where do they all come from and why are there no matches?)
We snuck away and "did" school. We performed a science experiment
and similated bark paintings.
We came home and baked a pie
from the canning that we did HERE back in August...when my dear friend was so smart to can pie filling
We stayed up late and watched movies and drank tea and ate doughnuts.....
My friend returned home to prepare for work, and Mothers Day came.

Thankful Thursdays

I have a lot to be thankful for. We all do. Even when life feels bleak and like there isn't much to be thankful for, we are called, In Philippians 4:19, to bring our thanksgiving to God, . I think we miss out on a lot of Joy and Blessings and the fruit of the provisions of Jehovah Jirah because we don't take time to be thankful....

That is one reason why I was so excited that my dear friend over at Monkeys on the Bed is doing Thankful Thursdays





This Thursday...I am thankful for my children. I am thankful that they are easily contented. Sometimes this breaks our hearts. My ten year old son fell head over heels in love with NERF">Nerf guns

These guns are great and VERY inexpensive. My sons came from a yard sale. He made a box for it and wears the ammo..My husband was a little choked up that our son was so excited about a $5.00 gun, and wishes he could give him more. But the thing is that our son is happy.

It has been hot here. We don't have access to a pool. We don't have an above ground pool.
We DO have a sandbox that we have been meaning to fill.......
They didn't seem to notice that it wasn't very deep, and that they didn't actually fit.

My oldest son (12) wanted to take our toddler to McDonalds to play in the toy structure there. I finally gave in. The thing is that the oldest four played and played and played and had SUCH a blast.

I worry sometimes that we won't be able to provide for our children. That financially, we won't be able to give them what they need: Do they need thier own room, 10 pairs of shoes, private lessons catering to every whim, 30 electronic devices, dessert every day? They do have 3 square meals a day, a warm and safe home, constant supervision, an education, time to grow.....I am thankful for each of these things and the lessons they have taught my children.

My blog has a button!! Grab it!!

I am soooo excited!!


I wish I had something to giveaway!! I'll work on that.

My new bloggy friend, who is soooo talented made me a button!!


Let me know what you think, let her know what you think.....go on over and meet her at Monkeys on the Bed.

Earth Day Post-Frugal Living

I have whined about money. I have praised God for His amazing provisions to our family. I have shared the dramas that have brought us to living on very little money...That is out there. You know that. Through this blog, I have shown you a glimpse into our lives in hopes that it will be an encouragement to others.

I am often asked, "How do you do it?" I KNOW that it's not me. Although, I have always been very cheap. I come from cheap blood and then was raised by a couple who grew up in the depression (and thought they were still in it :) Recently I was asked, on two different occasions, for some tips. I came up totally blank...I don't "do" anything MAJOR. We do try to always, as a family, consider each need and pray. Here are a few of the little things that work for us (they are little but add up)

Buy in Bulk. Buy when it's on sale, and you have a coupon, and you get cents off of gas for purchases. Seriously. Don't ever pay full price. Figure out how often chicken goes on sale and how often you eat it. When it goes on sale, buy enough to last until it is on sale again. This will only take a chunk of money up front. Once you are eating out of your freezer and pantry, it will be cheaper in the long run. Think too about the gas savings of less trips to the grocery store. Keep a price book so you know how much you "should" pay. Sometimes warehouse stores are a good savings. Sometimes not. I buy our olives on sale at Longs Drugs store a lot cheaper than by the case at Costco. Buying in bulk also saves you the expense of going to the grocery store EVERY day. You can only go past the Starbucks kios soo many times, then there are the doughnuts, and the cost of your time and the expense of gas involved.

Has been a big help for us in several ways. No gas money. Over $25.00 ships free. There is the benefit of buying in bulk AND when they have sale codes it gets even sweeter.

Keep your freezer full. Don't pay to keep air cold. If you don't have enough money to keep food in there for a time: either completely empty it or freeze water in empty juice and milk containers.

Don't buy paper towels or paper napkins. Use washcloths, shop cloths, rags, cotton material cut into squares...It costs a lot less to run a washer and dryer full of rags and towels than it would to fill it with paper towels and napkins. I suppose it would be cheaper to use a clothes line but we haven't graduated to that yet.

I also don't use paper plates. BUT I have three chidlren over 8 who can help and a portable dishwasher. Dishes were my nemesis when my husband worked long hours, and I had three children under four years old. I would have gladly used paper plates then.



Use cloth diapers and cloth baby wipes. I acquired our diapers by finding great deals online, buying used, testing out diapers for Work At Home Moms and doing reviews. I was able to "borrow" some from here to ge started:

Pay Bills online. Pay bills on time. I barely have enough money for my bills. I don't have an "extra" 45 cents to mail them, or money for interest and late fees. I either pay through the site of the bill, through my bank or over the phone.
Don't pay for anything "unnecessary" I don't buy trash bags for bedroom or bathroom waste baskets. I use plastic grocery bags (from the places that don't accept my cloth bags or the times that I forget to bring them) I use reusable Tupperware containers to freeze food rather than pay for freezer bags. I dont reuse cheap plastic however.

Don't buy bottled water. We fill our own water bottles from our reverse osmosis system ($15.00/month) This could be purchased and not rented but we also rent our home.
We also don't buy drinks when we are out. We get cups of water at fast food places and try REALLY REALLY hard to support our coffee addiction at home. Or carry a ceramic mug around.
These are just a few suggestions that you may want to slowly work into your home, IF they work for you.

I also reccomend this book:

Miserly Moms, Living on One Income in a Two-Income Economy by Jonni McCoy.

I learned a lot from her first book. Like how to make baby wipe solution or your own Taco Seasoning or keep a price book. Her philosophy is to get the most out of YOUR life with what money you have. If it takes a ton of your time and saves only a few pennies than it probably doesn't work for you. She has a very good balance and her books read well.

Here are some blog meme's for inspiration:

THRIFTY THURSDAYS



<">FRUGAL FRIDAY

Hey Hey it's my BIrthday!! 100 Things About Me

Well, this may seem narcissistic and it does feel that way. BUT today is my birthday and we're going to indulge.

here are 100 things about me:

1. I am terrified of mice.
2. I don't wear a watch.
3. I tend to run a little late (maybe I should wear a watch)
4. I text too often and know it.
5. I am TERRIFIED of mice.
6. I come from a lONG line of great cooks.
7. I am not a very good cook.
8. I despise Earl Grey tea.
9. I have a lazy eye (one goes cross eyed)
10. I did eye exercises as a child and it is now control ed.
11. I wore an eye patch in junior eye.
12. I was very into Beverly Hills 90210 in High school.
13. I was VERY into U2 in High school.
14. I rode in the bed of a truck to another state to see U2 in concert.
15. My mother had four children but I was raised as an only child.
16. I don't like only children too much :)
17. My mother was never married.
18. I was married 2 months and 2 weeks after becoming engaged.
19. No I wasn't pregnant.
20. I did get pregnant on our wedding night, using two kinds of birth control.
21. I have no rhythm.
22. I cant even clap.
23. I am lactose intolerant.
24. I eat chocolate anyway and get sick.
25. I got a job right out of college, Director of a Crisis Pregnancy Center.
26. I promptly got rid of all my hippy, teen clothing.
27. I bought dress shoes too.
28. I wore Doc Martens with all my new dresses :)
29. I am extremely clumsy.
30. I need glasses but am too lazy to wear them.
31. I eat Pb & J (or honey) everyday for lunch.
32. I am not competitive AT ALL.
33. I tend to be a little over aggressive.
34. I am a VERY passive driver (I get a lot of honks and people passing me up :)
35. I didn't pierce my ears until I was 17.
36. To do so, I lied about my age.
37. I am a bad liar.
38. First ear piercing place didn't believe that I was 18, at 17.
39. I am terrible at shaving my legs.
40. I either cut myself
41. or leave hairy patches
42. Usually I do both.
43. I am too lazy to pluck my eyebrows.
44. I try to use a razor (keep in mind my problems shaving my legs)
45. I don't know my place.
46. Why do people insist that "we" have a place.
47. Who gets to decide this place?
48. Maybe I just disagree with my decided place.
49. My two year old insists on putting his hand down my shirt.
50. In public.
51. I always jump, and sometimes I scream too.
52. I have a tattoo. It is visible but rarely "brought up."
53. I think that 100 things are very hard to come up with.
54. Others over commit, I have no problem saying "NO" but no one seems to listen.
55. I don't listen to Country music.
56, Somehow, I am always quoting Country music (usually crying) and getting others to listen.
57. They usually don't.
58. I speak Valley, circa 1982.
59. Very fast
60. I have lived in Ohio.
61. I have lived in MA.
62. They noticed.
63. My father has never voted in a political election, of any kind.
64. I come from a long line of great seamstresses.
65. I cannot sew.
67. My maternal grandmother died when I was 7 or 8, she was 50.
68. My mother died when I was 9, she was 34.
69. From 7-14 I lived with my grandfather's third cousin and her husband.
70. They were then in their 70's.
71. My bags were always packed.
72. I was told, daily, how no one wanted me and how great they were for taking in someone like me.
73. At 14, I went to "set up housekeeping" for my father.
74. My parents were never married.
75. My dad owned a bar and lived a wild, bachelor life.
76. I spent my high school years on the beach and made the most of it.
77. At 9, I walked myself to a Baptist church near by.
78. They were teaching "soul sleep" in the Sunday School class. I left.
79. But not before asking the Baptist lady to show me in the Bible where soul sleep was taught.
80. I went to the Catholic Church nearby.
81. I spent every Sunday from 7:30-past noon there "helping"
82. I went through Catechism and Confirmation courses and was baptized and confirmed on my 12th birthday.
83. When I lived with my father, I walked myself a few miles each Sunday to the Catholic Church.
84. I had usually partied the night before.
85. "Home" was a violent and scary place and I found other places to be.
86. There was alcohol at most places.
87. Sometimes I brought it.
88. I started having tea with an idealic Christian family.
89. Once a week and then more.
90. I had somewhere else to be.
91. I went to a Christian Liberal Arts College.
92. It got me out of my house.
93. I hold a Bachelors Degree in English (journalism.)
94. I became involved in Operation Rescue and Sidewalk Counseling while in college.
95. After graduation, I became the Director of a Crisis Pregnancy Center.
96. My husband and I met at a Bible study, we were close friends for a few years before anything clicked.
97. My mother loved birthdays, she made me Barbie cakes and princess cakes and all the hooplah. Really, all I wanted was for to truly be happy, and not crying, or hiding bruises.
98. After my mom died, my birthday wasn't celebrated again. Not until our tea days. I didn't know what to do when everyone tried to celebrate me. I am still so uncomfortable at Baby Showers and celebrations for me.
99. I was given a baby shower welcoming EVERY one of my five babies.
100. You made it through 100 random facts about me. You actually got through the shallow and on to the painful and shocking. You know more about me than you need to. More than maybe you should. the focus was on me, now its back to you and what you do with this information. It is always scary to tell anyone anything about yourself. It's back on you now-You can bring mice to my house and terrify me, bring me chocolate, wonder why I react when made me feel that I dont belong or am not good enough, or you can extend me Grace and Acceptance.