The Dreaded 'B' Word...

Budget (grimace). Are you having to tighten your financial belt at present? Maybe you've been keeping a tight budget and it just keeps getting tighter! Hubby & I found ourselves having this chat last night, ending with him saying, "Can you go easy on groceries this week?"

I love to buy groceries. In fact, I love to buy groceries for other people. But I especially like to buy groceries on sale. So for the first time in several months, I did not go to Sprouts on 'Double Ad Wednesday'- I admit, I tarried for a moment in sorrow when I woke up today, realizing that I would not be visiting "my store" on my usual day. However, I quickly moved on to the challenge of stretching our budget...further:)


As the kids & I were out watering plants in the back garden this morning, the phrase 'Living off the land' popped in my mind. By the time we had finished, I thought, "That's it! I'm setting out to live off the land (aka pantry/freezer) this week to shrink our grocery budget!"

My initial calculations show that by using groceries that I already have in stock (pantry/freezer) and buying minimal dairy/fresh produce to supplement this week, we'll be spending approx half of what I'd been spending in prior weeks as I was filling the pantry & freezer!



For dinner I made a turkey & vegetable curry served with Basmati and a green salad - not authentic or award winning but we enjoyed a hot meal together and I got a "Thanks for the food" from hubby which means he liked it!

Stay tuned for more budget solutions & thanks for stopping by:)

Tiffany

Mommy Outing

Can you remember the last time you ran an errand...alone? Did you fumble with your wallet sans a diaper bag strapped to your person? Did you look around periodically thinking you had misplaced something...like your children?

Well, this was me on Memorial Day afternoon as I entered 'sewing heaven' with my Mom in search of woven treasures, minus my 2 angels:) My husband graciously took the kids home from our picnic in the park so that I could enjoy a 'Mommy Outing':)


It was a very therapeutic time- I thought about my angels continually (not sure that I ever stop, actually), wondering if they were napping as usual, being naughty for Daddy, running wild etc.... but in the midst of this ever running mental process, I was almost giddy to have an uninterrupted chat with my Mom and shop leisurely!

I quickly found lots to take home while my Mom & I chatted with the sweetest 'Grandma' (a stellar employee) as she cut yard after yard...after yard...after yard...sigh...after yard of fabric for me! I felt as though we were having a tea party vs running an errand- truly delightful:)

Here is one of the pieces that I found (loving vintage/nostalgic prints right now!):


I plan to embellish a dress, tunic or skirt for Livy with this piece- always looking for things that can easily be matched! Can't wait to get started on this and see it draped on my gorgeous girl:)

Do you sew? Are you just starting, like me? Stay tuned for other projects that I'm working on & be sure to share yours too:)

Thanks 'sew' much.

Tiffany

A New Beginning

Greetings Fellow Moms & Housewives,

After much deliberation and procrastination, I've opted to start blogging again. I hope to bring a measure of humor and merriment to your days (that often feel like years!) and inspire you to live life to the fullest:)

When I consider the women that have most impacted my life, I'm blessed to have my Mom at the top of the list- I owe so much to her. She motivates, encourages and influences me on a daily basis and for this I'm eternally grateful:)

On a lighter note, however, Lucy Ricardo (aka Lucille Ball) is also on my list. For those that know my family personally, you're likely aware of how much we revere 'I Love Lucy'. I grew up watching 'Lucy' as a young child, thanks to my Dad's established love of the program- I loved to hear him reminisce of when he watched the episodes back in the day:) I still remember one Christmas where a TV station played nonstop episodes of 'Lucy' for 24 hrs on Christmas Day- my brothers & I were enthralled:)




I'd hazard a guess that second only to the Bible, 'I Love Lucy' is one of the greatest manuals for living life successfully. My husband and I have been blessed with 2 little angels and they were both introduced to 'Lucy' as infants and light up when they hear the intro music- I can't begin to list the numerous things that our daughter, Olivia (just turned 2) has learned from viewing 'Lucy'...that's for another day:)

However, this isn't a soliloquy on how you should be a diehard 'I Love Lucy' fan- it's merely to help you see the significance in the name of this blog and future posts.

In one particular episode, Lucy is duped into buying several "Handy Dandy" appliances which don't fare well under use. Ricky teases Lucy that she has no "sales resistance"- by the end of the episode, Ricky has also succumbed to the advertized marvels of the "Handy Dandy" company!

In the subsequent posts, I hope to share some 'Handy Dandy' tips with you (that actually work!) and I look forward to hearing your own!

Thanks for joining me:)

Tiffany