What's your take?

Extreme Home Foreclosure

I can't really form an opinion on this...

A. It's not MY house
B. I'm not sure how I'd handle a windfall of almost half a million in equity
C. I stopped watching the show, mostly because it seemed to propagate the "bigger & better" housing craze

I am all for people helping people, and sometimes people need someone to swoop in and save them (the best example of that was the woman who lived on an island was widowed & had a house fire, I balled my eyes out). The show has been great for that. But I've always felt like they go over the top a little too much. I can just see the assessors standing there ready to re-assess the property once taping is over. Most of these people are on the verge of losing their homes, how does increasing their property values by hundreds of thousands of dollars help?

But I do know that if I was one of the 1800 people who came to help I'd be ticked off. Multiple reasons I helped; my house isn't as nice; no one helped me; I wasted my week; etc, etc, etc.

Sure my house is HUGE (over 3800 square feet total) but it was built in 1867, not 2003. Trust me sometimes bigger isn't always better, there is more to clean, more to heat. More places for hamsters to hide...

Anti-Procrastination Wednesday

Another trip to the grocery store... Goodness! I'm not sure how anyone can keep up with 2 constantly hungry children! I'd love to say that I keep them in homemade goodies, but if I did I'd never leave my kitchen. So, I went to Aldi & stocked up on some MORE snack type stuff. Granola Bars, fruit snacks, brownie mix, corn chips, yogurt, and other misc food stuff. I spent about $80. My 2 splurges 100 ct box of splenda packets & a bag of frozen raspberries. I bought a smoothie recipe book when we were yard sale-ing (just for kicks & additive ideas more than recipes) & I can't wait to get blending. I found one that is going to require a trip to the vitamin isle but it sounds so yummy. I'll share it if I like it!

Hubby is bringing home another order of food from work Friday that will cover our much used basics coffee, bread flour, steak, burgers, ground beef... If all goes well, we should be in food for the rest of the month. I am going to give a white bread recipe I found a try & see if I can get away from the store bought stuff. It may only cost $0.58, but what is it doing to my kiddo's insides? It's not like I pack lunches for the Prince & I probably won't this year, with only a couple of weeks left, I doubt they'd get our change of income in time to make any changes to our lunch plan. So maybe we'll replace the store bought white nasty stuff with some homemade white nasty stuff! I really should get them into the whole wheat thing.

I have decided that I live in a useless state & village. I have been informed that before I set up my "Intex" pool that I have had for almost 4 years I will need to pay for a building permit, 48" fence & a surface alarm. We figure it will cost us around $250 to set up our $200 temporary pool, that is 4 years old. I even have to have an electrical inspection. We plug it in with an extension cord, not like it's hard wired... The worst part is ANY POOL over 24" needs this. I'm not sure who was promised what when they let this idiotic piece of legislation through but I hope it was worthwhile. We aren't sure if we are going to comply, set it up anyways & figure the chances of discovery are slim to none, or go out & buy a 23" pool! The Prince will get swim lessons during summer rec (finally, I used to attened swim lessons every summer & I worked them when I was old enough, we've been arguing for them to come back ever since). I was really looking forward to enjoying our pool this year. Now I'm not sure what we'll do. Maybe go buy a 12 foot inflatable water slide...

So what am I anti-procrastinating at today... Not sure I haven't gotten that far yet! I think I am going to go put away my laundry pile. Not sure why my stuff always gets put away last??? But it does!

Recovery!!!

Ok, so I've had time to think about it ~my craft addiction that is~ and I think that I have done a good job with what I have!!!

There is no way to get around the little expenses that creep up. Thread is to the sewer like eggs are to cake. It just isn't one with out the other. I am also at a point where I am not accumulating, I am replacing. Besides dh & I haven't been on more than an overnight in 12 years (there was a long weekend we called a honeymoon). Everyone needs a vacation, and right now mine is my sewing room!!!

So I guess that doing my craft as frugally as possible is the best I can do! Just wish there were a fabric store I could work at...Loved the employee discount!!!

I just got a 13 gal bag of clothes from my Mom. It's full of fleece, flannel & denim. There is even a silk pant suit. Not sure what I'll do with that, but it felt nice & some of it was quilted, so who know the possibilities are endless. Our Salvation Army got what I didn't take, so nothing will go to waste.

So for now I just need to evaluate my projects, work from my stash & stick to replacing only what is essential!

~Sigh~ As long as I avoid the stores I'll be ok!!!

Help!!!

I am a crafting addict!

There I said it!!! Admitting you have a problem is half the battle right!!! Ok, so I justify my craft with lofty attitudes... I am recycling clothes into something we can keep using, I can get a better fit if I sew it myself, the kids love the stuff I make them...

Ok, so honestly, the problem is that I am trying not to spend ANY money. Which is "impossible" if you want to sew, knit, craft, etc... I am ok on elastic for a little while & I am ok on white serger thread, I have a rainbow of shiny embroidery thread, and FABRIC, eek, don't ask, cuz I won't tell.

I know I am getting 4 cones of black serger thread in my stocking... However, I need batting (I have some for a crib quilt I'm making & some flatter fleece for a table runner), my Mom requested I make her a quilted Mixer Cozy. No problem, SURE!!! It has to match the table runner I made her (ok, so I need to find the same fabric??? Ebay???) and I am running low on white thread, and the gray to match the prison guards pants is almost gone (I do random hem jobs, esp for my brother). I wanted to sew my Dad a nice gun cover, but I would need 5 feet of zipper, not even sure if I can get that locally anymore.....

This is where my struggle lies... And dh's of course, cuz he doesn't seem to understand that it takes a few things to make the nice things I make....

There should be a 12 step program out there!!! I started sewing clothing, then I worked in a fabric shop & started quilting, now I am trying to learn to knit, I can already crochet, I have a file drawer full of odds & ends saved to be glued into rainy day crafts with the kids. (I will have to take pictures of the CD rom ornaments we made, since I have to make more, thanks AOL!!!)

So if I ever sound conflicted, stray off topic.... Please thump me & set me back to right!!!

This is the same struggle we all go through I think, because it isn't just for my crafting bent. I HATE going to the store, getting a $100 bill & realizing that in 2 months 90% of what we bought will be competely gone, some quicker than that. I have made a list of every thing we use on a regular basis that has to be replaced & it is mind boggling. I am sure I am not the most frugal when it comes to toiletries & such, but I have weird hair & it really does have a mind of its own...

When you think about it the laundry, the bathroom, the pantry, the printer paper, STAMPS, pens, pencils, tape......I could go on all day. Batteries is the worst culprit of all. What doesn't take batteries now???

Dh's & my arguments beging something like this..."Where is the digital camera, oh here it is, hey why isn't it working, what do you mean you don't have batteries for it, weren't you just at the store (sure I was but we didn't have $14 left over to buy the right batteries, thought milk bread & cheese where more important) they can't cost that much, oh you just forgot..." "Oh wow, they do cost $14 & those are the cheap ones, wouldn't the $20 be better??? (Ok, well at least I'm not a total idiot)" My favorite is over printer ink!!! To replace the ink in both printers would cost us over $100. So when I get "why doesn't the fax machine have black ink?" I usually just try to hide!!!

One can only make so much go so far, all that anyone should ask is that you do the best you can!

I am sure I fit every definition of the Sidetracked Home Executives from http://www.shesintouch.com/ and http://www.flylady.net/index.asp I can't even make it through a post with out getting sidetracked!!!