Month by Month

Declutter Jewelry

2012-02-13T05:26:00.001-06:00

I found this cute little idea over at: Fabulessly Frugal. It was posted as a way to make frugal gifts. I think it would be a cute and clever way to organize your jewelry. Boxes are okay for jewelry but they tend to get cluttered with pieces we seldom wear or worse yet a really great piece gets lost in the chaos. These frames would keep our favorite pieces in easy reach and also serve as some unusual decor. You could paint the frames to match your bedroom color scheme!

Frugal Friday: Little Sweet Treats in a Jar!

2012-02-10T06:14:00.002-06:00

Cakes in a jar....perfect gifts for teachers and co workers. Sweet and yummy. Check it out: HERE.

Also Pies in a jar....hmmmm.....HERE.

So that's it for Frugal Friday....some more cute and inexpensive gift ideas!! You could make them holiday related based on colors and ribbon etc or you could do them for any occasion!!

Free Printable Holiday Cookie Recipe Cards

2012-02-08T05:59:00.002-06:00

Well it's Wild Card Wednesday....which means you never know what you will find at Month by Month on Wednesdays! I'm trying to keep a basic framework to my posting...Monday focuses on decluttering with Declutter Club Monday, tips, internet finds etc. Friday is Frugal Friday with assorted budget minded ideas. But Wednesday is Wild Card Wednesday...which means you never know what you'll find posted on Wednesday. Now I wouldn't want to get too predictable and boring would I? LOL

So today is a free printable link. I came across these little printable holiday cookie cards....too sweet and what a neat way to get organized. I was also thinking if you printed a bunch up and placed them in a little album they would make an awesome little gift! You could also use them as tags on baked goodies you are giving as gifts. You can find this great printable at Party Place!

Declutter Club Monday: 52 Things in 52 Weeks

2012-02-06T05:44:00.002-06:00

I have to admit...I haven't even started the February Declutter Calendar....yikes! Life just gets so busy...I did GREAT in January so maybe I can get back on track for February! While bemoaning the fact that I'm off track and wanting to write a Declutter Club Monday post....I went seraching on line for "declutter" stuff. I found this from 2011. I didn't see an updated one for 2012...but you could follow the same outline!

The idea is to delcutter 52 things in 52 weeks....so a whole year but rather than daily (like the calendar I've been using) it's weekly. There's a list of 52 things with link to posts about delcuttering them, personal progress etc. It's worth a look. You can check it out HERE!

The truth is.....you can also make your own list of 52 items to declutter....anything from books to bowls.....from VHS tapes to computer games....Sometimes a calendar or list like the 52 Things Challenge is helpful (it does INSPIRE me) but you don't have to follow someone else's plan if you want to jot down your own. Make it personal, make it meaningful and then stick to it!!

Good luck Declutter Club members and visitors....now get to decluttering...it is Move It Out Monday!!

Framed Gifts for $1.20

2012-02-03T06:15:00.004-06:00

So it's Frugal Friday and I wanted to start with a quick and thrifty little gift. You can put this together in a snap for pennies and it would make a nice little Valentine's Day gift.

You can find the printable for FREE at It Works for Bobbi It comes in several sizes. I made mine 4 x 6. I saved it to my computer and sent it to Walgreens to print. Then I headed to the dollar store to pick up a frame.

Cost: Walgreens print 19 cents

Dollar Tree Frame $1.00

Total Cost= $1.19 (plus a few cents tax on the frame.)

I hope you enjoy this little freebie....and use it wisely! I'll be back next Friday with another Frugal Friday find or tip!

Month by Month 2012

2012-02-01T04:28:00.001-06:00

As you can see from the 2012 posts so far...decluttering ....is going to be a major focus here at Month by Month. You'll be seeing a weekly post every Monday about decluttering. Sometimes it will be an update on how things are going at my house, sometimes it will be a decluttering tip or idea, sometimes it will be a declutter link party, where I'll share with you blogs and sites that have great ideas and goodies to share about decluttering, Hopefully the Monday post will help us start the week with a bit of declutter motivation!

Wednesdays will be focused primarily on planning, cleaning, and organizing. I'd like to fine tune the Monthly Magic a bit because it seems a tad overwhelming. I think it's a great concept but time for some revision and overhaul! On Wednesdays we will also look at organizing tips, progress monitoring, daily and weekly schedules, and sometimes have a P.C.O. link party!

Friday's will be Frugal Fridays and they will be posts that include a frugal mindset, repurposing things in your home, flea market finds, budgeting, simple dollar store crafts, simple recipes, and couponing ideas!

At times there may be other posts on other days but my goal for 2012 is to post here ar least three times a week! I need to keep on track and the best way to do it is to share my plans and ideas with all the Month by Month readers!

I know it's Wednesday so consider this my Declutter Club Monday post....it's all about decluttering my thinking and getting back on track blog wise!!

Declutter Week Four Update

2012-01-29T07:34:00.000-06:00

Headed into the last two days of January....the declutter journey continues! You can see from the calendar above that I marked off a bunch of stuff! I put the calendat on my fridge and highlighted the tasks once I completed them! I tried not to get too hung up on the fact that some weeks I missed a task or two. I figured some progress was better than none....and I made myself move onto the new week without regrets!

Now honestly I haven't gotten to any of the BIG areas in my house,,,the trouble spots, so to speak! However I am finding the little things do make a difference in everyday life and the way one feels about the home. To open up a drawer and find what you need rather than it being crammed full of stuff that you wonder why you are even keeping is a great feeling! To know where the hammer is...instead of hunting everywhere for it...is a good feeling. To use your makeup without having to move aside expired bottles (or ones that just didn't work for you!) helps one start the day in a better mood!

Declutter Update: My Art Desk Storage

2012-01-22T06:49:00.000-06:00

I veered a bit from the "calendar" and worked on my crop/art desk a bit. It was a mess. I never realized how messy being creative is. Pens, markers, cards, paint, brushes, bits of paper, glue sticks etc etc. So I decided I needed some desk top storage options. I am trying to limit what I bring into the house and make sure more GOES OUT...than COMES IN,,,,then I remembered these little flower pots. I bought them at the Dollar Tree a couple years back and used them one season to "Plant Easter Eggs". They were eggs on little wooden stakes. Since then they have sit on the gardening shelf in the garage.

I LOVE their colors. There are four of them: pink, green, yellow and blue. I thought they'd be the perfect size for the desk and very pretty. In one I have placed the 3 x 5 Index cards for the ICAD challenge. In another I put some embellishements pieces that I know I'll be using in creating. The pink one is still empty while I decide it's best use. The blue one is full of pens...lots of black pens and some colored pens as well. I had already been using a little green and blue flowerpot for my paint brushes.

The other side of the desk holds a large baskets with tons of markers, my wooden calendar/journal box for daily writing and a pitcher and bowl that was my moms. The desk isn't pefect and it still gets cluttered but it's a little easier to return things to their proper place.!

I'm trying to learn to "shop home" first. It would have been easy to run somewhere...even the dollar store for some cute storage solutions....but i already had them...just needed to dig them out and dust them off!

Declutter Club Week Three: Jan. 15-21st

2012-01-22T06:32:00.000-06:00

Week Three I seem to be slowing down. I managed to get through 4 of the 7 tasks assigned. Sometimes I catch up on a couple on Sunday...so maybe that will happen today or maybe I will just move onto Week Four. Either way at least some things were accomplished. Really I did more decluttering this week than the four items from the calendar so I feel like I am making a little progress.

It looks like Week Four tasks are all related to storage which is going to work well for me because I am still jumbling around Christmas. WHAT you say....it's almost the end of January. Well it is what it is...last summer I orgnaized my Christmas better than it had been in years but even so I have to drag out the boxes etc and get things placed correctly...so this week will work for me!!

As I said this week I did some delcutter tasks not on the calendar:

1. I cleaned out my little file basket on my office desk. It has a-z and also some little tabbed dividers that say things like Family Information, Insurance Cards etc. So it serves as both an address place and important notes place. It's clean and tidy now!

2. I delcuttered TWO drawers in my crop/art desk. They were a mess. Nice and tidy now!

I think there were a couple others to but I can't bring them to mind right now!

Junk Drawer-After

2012-01-12T08:26:00.000-06:00

So here's the junk drawer-after....I only managed to throw away like three items and I moved three or four to other locations. Still it does look slightly LESS junky and a bit more organized!!

I need to keep this on my list for a monthly or every other month task and perhaps over time I will get rid of more stuff. But for now it looks a little better and I don't need the space for anything else...so all is good!!

Declutter Task of the Day-Junk Drawer

2012-01-12T07:02:00.000-06:00

The junk drawer is the declutter task of the day. Here's a "before" picture. I hope to be back later to blog the after picture. I have a love-hate relationship with the junk drawer. It's hard for me to pitch things that are in there or even find a "better home" for them. Some things I like to keep in there...like the small hammer. I find I ude it all the time and if it's in the junk drawer I know EXACTLY where it is....in the garage....not so much so!

I have a little plastic divider in there but I'm not sure if it helps or makes things worse. The little spaces in it are great for sticking small items and yet.....do I even really NEED to keep those small items?? Today I will ponder this as I tackle this Declutter Task of the Day!

Declutter Update-Week Two

2012-01-10T18:44:00.000-06:00

So one of the Week Two tasks..declutter your nightstand drawer.....This is a before picture.

This is the after picture. Such a simple little task...I wonder why I hadn't done it before? I returned some things to their proper places, pitched a couple of things and put back in some items. The mints I forgot I had and the really cool Victorian Ghost story book a friend gave me. I will pass it on to someone else after I finish it...perfect for the night stand drawer don't you think? Oh, and my hand weights for working out....just in time to take to the next Zumba class with me!!

Task time about 5-10 minutes. Hmmm....there is a second drawer in the night stand....I'll tackle it later!!

Declutter Club-Week Two

2012-01-10T06:34:00.001-06:00

As with all things "new"....week two is proving to be more challenging than week one. Time is as always a problem but also attitude. Sunday evening I planned to continue decluttering the laundry room but I was distracted and "not in the mood.". I find when this happens it is a lost cause. Sometimes I manage to start working anyway and then as piles of junk go into trash bags I really get more in the mood. But not this time....I ended up with three loads of clean clothes but that's about it! Oh well, decluttering is an art not a science!!

This week the calendar focuses on nightstand and junk drawers,...this is DOABLE....I just need to squeeze in a few minutes....I hope to do that this evening and tomorrow evening!! Let's get some things marked off!

My BIG declutter project for January is still the basement....will it ever get finished? Now I have the added challenge of Christmas totes to get put away correctly...I CAN DO IT....

Declutter Club Update Week One

2012-01-07T07:37:00.001-06:00

I managed to get through the first seven things on the declutter calendar this week. Sometimes when I have the time I just do two or three from the week in a row because I know there will be another day where it is difficult to get to them. One of the items was to declutter spices. My spice cabinet is always a mess and I can never find anything without digging. I thought about getting some plastic baskets to sit the spices in but then I rememberd I had a couple of old wooden boxes that might work!

It's too early to tell if this will work well or not but the idea is I can just pull the boxes out and look for a spice, select what I want and then pop them back in the cabinet. Later on I want to use a black marker on the caps that are not black and write the spice name on the top so I can see it when I look at the tops of them in the box!

I also managed to work on my major focus area this month....the laundry room. I donated one big bag of clothes to AGAPE and threw away one big bag that were just too old and worn to do donate! There's still more to do in the laundry room because I need to catch up on laundry and find some way to store some of the remaining clothing!

So far, 2012 Delcuttering Club is off to a great start!!

Join the 2012 Declutter Club

2011-12-29T08:21:00.000-06:00

So in 2011 at Magical Holiday Home forums we launched the Declutter Club. The club set monthly declutter goals with the idea that in 2011 we would declutter a room, a house, a lifetime, I think we did a pretty good job and made lots of progress. Many people took part and we allowed the occasional "missed month" because life happens! Overall for me, it made a difference. With that being said my house still has plenty of clutter....I'm one of those declutter a lifetime people, because it has accumulated for many years! Also clutter NEVER gives up, if you don't keep on top if it...well.....it starts to build right back up again. Each declutter project gets easier and easier if you stay on top of things!

One of the members of Magical Holiday Home found the neatest 2012 Declutter Calendar:

DECLUTTER CALENDAR

So we all decided to use it as the framework of our Declutter Club for 2012. We may throw in some monthly goals too but the calendar gives us some nice simple areas to focus on. With clutter, baby steps help...after a few baby steps you start to notice a difference!!

A Haunted Dinner Party

2011-10-26T08:05:00.000-05:00

This year we moved the BooBash inside and hosted a Haunted Dinner party. Everyone was to come as something "dead" or spooky looking. The tables were draped in black tablecoths and creepy cloths, skulls, bones, candles, spider webs etc. Everyone was immediately seated by the evil "Mistress of Darkness" who called them names like "maggots" and "zombie scum". There were candles everywhere but it was still pretty dark and there were scary sounds like screaming, growling, and bells tolling!

The menu

The picture is blurry but these are the menu selections. Things like Italian Horror and Grinch Fingers and Eye Pokers. The guests made their selections and recorded them on their dinner sheet:

In the kitchen each item was numbered so I needed to serve each plate according to what they had selected. I had two friends help me serve because with sixteen seated guests one person can not manage it! Imagine the guests surprise when they selected poorly! Some ended up with a napkin, two forks, two olives and a glass of water for their first course. After each course the table was cleared. BUT the little devils kept trying to hide their plasticware for the next course. If the Mistress of Darkness caught them she took away their chair and they had to stand for a bit!

I kept the portions really small for the served part of the meal but after course five the guests could help themselves to any and all food available and even get an extra fork!

This was a blast! I did learn some things from it and I will share the tips with you here in case you want to try this party!

Tips:

Make sure the food is in order 1-26 in your kitchen. I didn't think about this because some of the items were in crock pots etc. Even if you have to renumber the selections on the sheet for your guests I would set it up so you can just walk in a circle with items number 1-26.
The original sheet had 25 items, I added Vampire Treat (red wine, Bloody Mary, or red grape juice) The menu also included water and tea. If doing it again, I would set up the table with a water glass and a wine glass (an additonal glass if you desire) and I would start everyone out with a small glass of water and one of the Vampire Treat choices. Then they would not get another drink until it came up on their choices sheet. Then I would just pour it into the glass on the table. A pitcher of tea, water, bloody marys and a wine bottle could be carried around to do this!
Another option to consider would be making this a THREE course meal rather than five. You could still have all the food items but divide into three courses instead of five. The only caution about doing that is more people would end up with their plastic ware...so maybe cut down on how many forks etc are listed in the selection choices. Its fun to see people try to eat without their forks! lol. It did take a lot of back and forth trips to serve 16 people FIVE courses but if you have the energy it will work!!

This was one of my more successful parties but its not one you can repeat very often or with the same people because they will know what is coming. My brain is already swirling with ideas for next year.....maybe a murder mystery dinner party...hmmmmm.

Walmart Deal of the Week

2011-10-01T07:03:00.000-05:00

Do you still have your Scrubbing Bubbles coupon...from a couple a weeks ago? If so...hurry on in to Walmart this week and score some FREE Scrubbing Bubbles Auto Toilet Bowl Cleaner. Walmart has it for $3.97.....so with that four dollar coupon...you can get it free with 3 cents overage!

Another Great Kroger Deal

2011-07-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

Now I have quite a collection of 2 and 3 dollar off coupons for Olay and Garnier face products but when they cost anywhere from 19.99 to 24.99 a jar those coupons aren't very helpful. So I have been on the lookout for any of these at a discount price that I could then use my coupon to save even more!

When I shop Kroger I bowse their health and beauty department for really knock down prices. Most of the time Walmart is cheaper on these products but I usually catch some good deals at Kroger too. Today I found this Garnier face cream....knock down price of 8.49....(regular 19.99) AND I had a two dollar off coupon on any ultra lift product....SCORE....a really nice face cream for 6.49!! At prices like this I'll NEVER grow old...LOL.

What A Snack Deal

2011-07-09T09:13:00.000-05:00

Here's my candy and soda deal this week at Kroger!!

They have candy bars for 2/1.00 AND I had three candy bar coupons (2 for Three Musketeers and 1 for Milk Way (I had another Milk Way but I used it earlier when I had a craving! I LOVE the Dark Chocolare Milk Ways!) The coupons were fifty cents off two so once Kroger doubled the coupons ....the Candy Bars were FREE

Now for an even sweeter deal....I had some buy two candy bars get a FREE 20 ounce soda up to 1.59. So I also got THREE free sodas. The only draw back was the only kind on the coupon that Kroger had was the Sundrop. I picked these soda coupons up at a gas stop (Casey's I think) while we were on the way to South Dakota. Lesson: ALWAYS be on the lookout for coupons. I used one at the Casey's too...for a little trip treat but it wasn't near as good a deal as Kroger. :)

Speaking of Kroger, I want to put in a good word for our local Kroger. I have found some awesome coupon deals there. When I watch the sales and double my coupons I can get better prices than Walmart. Plus I like to throw some business to other local store than just MEGA GIANT Walmart. In addition, the cashiers are super friendly and helpful.

Motts for Tots

2011-07-03T00:04:00.000-05:00

Get your free sample of Motts for Tots over at Vocalpoint. www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots

Vocalpoint and Downy UN Stopables

2011-07-02T22:15:00.001-05:00

I just got back from a short vacation and I'm super excited to find that Vocalpoint sent me a full sized sample of Downy UN Stopables to try out and blog about!!
If you haven't discovered Vocalpoint yet, check it out. It's a great site with up to date product information and great money saving coupons, as well as, free samples. They will be doing another UN Stopables sample offer in the near future...so hurry on over and join. I am just getting to know the site but so far I have been very pleased with my membership there!

Now back to the Downy Un Stopables. This is a new product designed to be a laundry scent booster. I don't know about you but I LOVE the scent of fresh laundry and this might make it even better! The freshness is suppose to last up to thirty days....stay tuned...I'm going to be giving it a "sniff test" and blog about how long it lasts!

Along with the sample was a pair of black Downy socks....so on my feet they will go and then into the wash with Downy UN Stopables....then let the SNIFF test begin! Since it is the holiday weekend....my little sniff-a-roo adventure will have to start Tuesday or Wednesday. So stay tuned and I'll give you my opinion of the product!

Coupons and Christmas in July!

2011-06-07T07:23:00.001-05:00

So with all this couponing I have been doing, I decided to think about baskets that could be created with the great deals I have been finding. The picture above is sort of dark but behind the Degree twin packs of ladies deoderant are four deoderant/spray packs I picked up at Walmart. Here's how it worked:

Axe Deoderant (with a FREE spray attached) $3.44 ( I had a buy one get one free, so ended up with TWO...(so 2 deoderants and 2 free sprays) for $3.44

Since I had two of the B1G1FREE coupons....I ended up with four of the dual packs.

Axe is a great gift brand, you see the little gift packs around the holidays all cute and put together. Well I'm planning my own little gift baskets created with coupon discounts. :) They had the Axe Bodywash on sale and with coupons not too long ago but I missed those....so waiting for them to come around again so I can get some body wash....and then create some body wash, deoderant, spray gift packs. :)

Nivea is another nice usually "pricey" item. Recently I got a couple really great deals. This is the Body Wash

It was at Walgreens for 2/$7 but you got a 2 dollar Register Reward making it like 2/$5. I also had two $2/1 coupons....so my final cost was 2/$1.00. These are nice BIG bottles so a great buy. I had some other Nivea coupons so I did the same deal again with another "scent/type" of Nivea Body Wash for Men. Two of them went into my stockpile and two went into the gift basket items. Now just watching for more Nivea products or some other items to include to round out the guys gift baskets!

I have two daughters and now that my bathroom cupboard is pretty well stockpiled with items we will daily, I will be on the lookout for similar buys to create them gitt baskets also. With the girls, there are so many more possibilities!

Happy Weekend!

2011-05-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

It's Memorial Day weekend...the official start of summer! I have so many plans in my mind that I want to accomplish on my days off, but I know that it will be impossible to do them all.

Looking at the photo above reminds me. I wanted to say how much I love my Nook Color that I got back in February. I've slowly been stock piling some books so when we go camping or other places I am all ready! I doubt I'd take the nook on the beach with all the sand but still it's nice to have. I have taken advantage of Free Friday's a lot where Barnes and Noble offers a free book to down load every Friday. Some are not ones I'd normally pick to read but for FREE...I usually down load to give them a try! They also now have apps so I have bought and downloaded a couple of games too!

I wish the rain would stop for a while, however because my yard is looking pretty tacky and it's so hard to get anything accomplished with the weather as it has been being. Well just wanted to check in today and say have a GREAT Memorial Day weekend!

Moser's Deal 5-27-11

2011-05-27T19:55:00.002-05:00

Here's a good deal at our local grocery store....not all the items are pictured because I bought multiples of some items.

Here's how it stacks up:

Cool Whip Season's Delight (Strawberry and Chocolate) 99cents. I had coupons :) Buy two get a dollar off....so my cost 50 cents each....I bought four!

Van Camps Pork and Beans Sale priced at 2/1.00 I had a coupon to get a dollar off four...so I ended up with four cans for a dollar!

Kraft Big Slices: They had them for 1.99. I had coupons....duh of course.....for a dollar off....so ended up being .99 cents for me. I bought four!

Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs: Sale 2/3.00....minus my dollar off two coupons so ended up being 1.00 a package! I bought four!

Bar S Franks: Sale priced at .89 cents.....minus my dollar off two coupon....so 69 cents each....I got two.

Hidden Valley Salad kit: Marked down to 2.29. and I had a dollar off....so 1.29

I also bought soda they had on sale with a store coupon ended up with two twenty four boxes for 10.00

Nice Deal.....and all stocked up on Cool Whip and Hotdogs for a while! I put the cheese in the freezer. I wanted to get it because I have a bunch of coupons which will expire in June....but I need to check Walmart tomorrow and see their prices...might pick up a few more!

Summer Fun with V8

2011-05-25T17:56:00.001-05:00

V Fusion by V8 comes in seven delicious flavors: Strawberry Banana, Peach Mango, Pomegranate Blueberry, Acai Mixed Berry, Cranberry Blackberry, Goji Raspberry, and Grape Raspberry. Yummy flavors for some summer fun!

Make some freezer pops with these and give your kids some healthy freezer pops instead of ones choked full of sugar! They're low in sodium and no high fructose corn syrup or added sugars!

Now how about some adult fun? Add a shot of rum or perhaps a flavored vodka and liven up your next patio party. These look pretty in clear glasses where you can see the summery colors! Pop in a little umbrella and you will feel just like your in some tropical paradise.

Walgreens Bayer Deal

2011-05-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here's another Walgreens Deal for this week...

Bayer Advanced Aspirin Walgreens Sale price 3.99 (20 tablets)
Use the 2.00 off coupon in their sales flyer
Use 1.50 coupon for Bayer
BRINGS the price down to .49
I bought two because I had two coupons!

I also had register rewards from a previous purchase...so no out of pocket cash this trip! :)

Coupon Match Ups and Menus

2011-05-23T07:08:00.000-05:00

So how do all those coupons match up into menus...(I've gotten some good deals on health & beauty but what about REAL food!)

A weeks worth with coupons might look something like this!

MENU ONE
Oscar Meyer Hotdogs (.99 a package Walgreens sale plus coupon)
Ore Ida Fries (2.79 Kroger with a buy ten deal..no coupon)
Hot Dog Buns ( 1.00 Buy ten deal Kroger)
French's Mustard (Dollar General .70 cents a bottle with sale and coupon)
Total Cost= $5.48 (plus left over mustard)

MENU TWO
Chinese Meatballs (Armour Buy Ten deal at Kroger, can't remember exact price)
Rice (pantry)
Mixed Veggies (pantry)

MENU THREE
Lloyds Barbequed Pork (Buy one tub get one tub free plus .75 coupon=$3.15)
Hamburger Buns (buy ten deal Kroger 1.00)
Mashed Potatoes (Idaho packet of Loaded Baked) (with coupon on buy three=.66 cents)
Can of Peas (pantry)
Total Cost=$4.81 (plus can of peas cost)

MENU FOUR
DiGiorgno Pizza and Wings (Kroger buy ten plus 1.25 coupons= Pizzas $4.25) Use two!
Total Cost of Pizza and Wings $8.50

MENU FIVE
Spaghetti (pantry)
Hunts Sauce (buy ten plus coupon, forget exact price)
New York Garlic Bread (Schnucks Sale plus coupon .55 off= $ 1.45 for one box)

MENU SIX
Chicken Breast (on sale at Kroger)
Lawry's Garlic and Herb Marinade (Kroger sale and coupon .69 a bottle)
Idaho Mashed Potatoes (With sale and coupon .66)
Salad (fresh produce, no coupon this time!)

MENU SEVEN
Hamburger Helper (Schnucks Buy Ten plus coupon final cost = .50 a box (use two)
Hamburger (non sale 4.00)
Mix Vegs (pantry)
Total Cost=5.00 (plus can of vegs)

So for my first two weeks of really working the coupons...not too bad. I am starting to stock up slowly and once I have a pantry really built, it will be easier. I am currently looking for ketchup and meat deals. I found some Bob Evans sausage coupons and have some Eckrich Smoked sausage ones I want to use too before they expire. I have a couple others where you buy an item and get a dollar or two off meat so I need to see how those stack up! :)

Kroger Deal 5-20-11

2011-05-20T20:27:00.004-05:00

Okay thanks to Clippin with Carie and Coupon Divas I got a nice savings at Krogers this week. I even missed a couple deals but (sigh) such is the world of couponing ...sometimes you just miss a deal!

Here's how it stacks up, including a couple non coupon items.

DiGiono Pizzas with Wings or Cookies (Kroger Sale $5.99-.50 from a special buy ten get 5 off purchase on selected products) Kroger Cost $5.49 minus 1.25 coupons ...My cost=$4.24 I bought 4
Cool Whip (Kroger costs minus same buy ten deal .99) My cost .99 I had a coupon but they didn't have the specialty flavors. I bought four!
Ore-Ida Potatoes (Kroger costs minus same buy ten deal) My cost $2.79
Country Time or Kool Aid Drink Mix 10/$10....I stocked up for the whole summer :) TEN
French's Spicy Mustard (Kroger sale 1.69) minus a .50 coupon doubled= my cost 69 cents each. I bought three
Lawry's Marinade (Kroger sale $1.69) minus a .50 coupon doubled=my cost 69 cents each. I bought three different flavors.
Kraft 2% Milk Cheese Singles (Kroger Price $1.79) minus my 1.00 coupons. My cost=.79 each I had two coupons so I bought two!
Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce (Kroger $2.49) minus a .50 coupon doubled. My cost=$1.49 Bought 1.
Bread: Managers Special 89 cents. I picked up some last week for 49 cents and they were perfectly fine. Bought 1.
Chicken Breast. I forget the exact price. Not on sale.

Total Retail Cost= $133.15

Minus Manufactors Coupons (10.50)

Minus Doubled Coupons (3.50)

Minus Kroger Plus Savings and the 5 off deal (64.00)

My Cost: $55.15

Total Savings=78.00

Missed Deals (in case your Kroger has them)

California Pizza Kitchen plus appetizers (same as DiGiorno deal) there's some 1.25 coupons out too
Wisk: On sale for 3.99 and there's a 2 dollars off coupon out there. :( I'm sorry I missed this one!)
Texas Toast Kroger Sale 2.79 minus the 5 dollar off ten discount = 2.29 minus a 55 cent coupon. I didn't buy these because I had picked them up at Schnuck's for a slightly cheaper price.

I'm slowly stocking up. Over all I am working to cut about 40% off my grocery bill. Perhaps after doing it for a while I might be able to cut my current total bill by 50%. We will see. I figure for the first month or two I won't notice quite as much savings because I will need to get stocked up first.

***Footnote:

Those three French's Spicy Mustards each had a fifty cents coupon on them I can use later. They don't expire until sometime in 2012!
While I was in the store I picked up three 1.00 off any size Tide coupons that are good until the end of September 2011.

Happy Couponing!

Little vs Big Sizes

2011-05-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

So here are six little bottles of Wisk laundry detergent I bought at Walgreens. Each one cost .99 and does 12 loads for a total of 72 loads. Right beside these little gems was a larger bottle of Wisk that did 48 loads....on sale for 6.99 minus a dollar register reward so 5.99.....Hmmm....seems in this case the little gems are the better deal PLUS.......

Each of those hang tags have a $1.50 coupon on the back, good for a larger size bottle thorugh July. BONUS!

Now I will say I have a 2.00 off coupon so I might take another look at that larger sized bottle...bringing it down to 3.99 it might be a thrifty buy! :)

Walgreens Deal 5/15/11

2011-05-15T21:42:00.001-05:00

Here's the way it stackd up.

Walgreen's Ad: Buy three Gillette Body Washes for 3/10 and get 3 in cash register rewards so 3/7
I used THREE $2.00 off coupons making the final deal 3/$1.00

Walgreens Ad: But a Dove Men's + Deoderant for 3.99 and get 3 dollars in register rewards so 1/.99
AND I had a buy one deodertant get one free so I ended up with 2/.99

Walgreen;s Ad: Colgrate Proclinical Toothpaste 2/$6.00 and you get 4 dollars in register rewards so 2/$2.00 AND I have two 75 cents off coupons so... 2/.50

Grand total with tax $3.18. Less than the cost of one of the items and I got 7 items!

I consider that a pretty good stacking of coupons and using the ads. That body wash will last the men in my household awhile and by then another deal will be out. :)

Coupons and Savings

2011-05-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

When my children were little I did a lot of couponing and refunding to make ends meet but gradually over the years drifted away from it. Now with the economy the way it is and retirement looming. I decided it was worth another look. It's a whole new world out there with the internet and the ability to actually google and print specific coupons. It's still a challenge to find ones for products I actually use but it's like a treasure hunt. There are couple sites I really like. One is CouponDivas. They do a really good job of keeping track of coupons that are pritnable on other sites and they also mathc the coupons up with weekly sales at places like Walgreens, Krogers, Walmart and Target. For printing coupons RedPlum usually has a lot to offer. Most of the times they have printable versions of coupons that came in the Sunday paper so you can pick and choose to print extras of ones you know you will use by the expiration date. Coupon Cat has a list of coupons available so you can read the list and click on ones to print at other sites. Coupon Mom is a good source also along with Smart Source

So now that you have some great sources for coupons how do you store them and use them? I am setting up a binder. I actually want one of those large binders that zip shut but for now I am using a smaller one that I had on hand. The plactic inserts are actually baseball card holders. You can usually pick them up in the office supply section of Walmart pretty cheap. They are designed for baseball card collectors but work well for coupons. In the past I always just used a little file box...but that's a pain when you are digging for coupons. This way I can see them at a glance. If they are large I fold them so the expiration date/product is visible. You can also purchase similar protective sheets that are set up for photos and they are bigger slots on them.

Salsa Rollups

2011-05-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

6 tortilla shells
2 packages of cream cheese
1 cup of salsa
Package of shredded cheese (colby/monterey jack)

Soften cream cheese. Mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, and salsa together. Spread over each tortilla sheel. Then roll them up. Wrap them with saran wrap to help them stay wrapped and put in refrigerator for about an hour. Take them out and slice into bite sized pin wheels!

A quick and easy appetizer for a barbeque!

To All Mothers....

2011-05-08T09:19:00.001-05:00

Summer Bash Plans: Mardi Gras Madness

2011-04-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

So the date for our annual summer bash has been set....it's earlier this year...June 18th. Our theme is Mardi Gras Madness and I think it will be a great time! Plenty of beads, masks, feathers and fun!

I'm still working on decor plans (decorating outside is really difficult) and the menu. I'll be sharing it with you here at Month by Month. I've been picking up some decor items for a while now since we set the theme way earlier! I seriously need to think about lighting...that is always a problem.

Color scheme is easy...purple, green, and a golden yellow. I think I will get tissue paper in those colors and make some fun little treat bundles. But I better get busy....the time will get here quickly. I'll post some pics of the party favors once I start making them.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter Month by Month readers.....spring is here and I'm in the cleaning and blogging mood. But first I pause to celebrate the most amazing day of the year!!

The Power of Three

2011-04-22T08:57:00.000-05:00

Haven't blogged in a while.... :) Life is like that.....always through things at you until time is sucked up into the black hole of what the heck!

I bought the best little planner/to do list from Current. Each page has a space to fill in the weekly calendar down the side and then a generous To Do List section and a Notes and Reminders section. It is about 51/2 by 71/2 and it has been working great for me.

I secretly call each daily section the "power of three" because under each of the days listed down the side are three spaces. Those are my three priorities or must dos for the day! Sometimes at least one is an appointment or phone call but everyday also includes a household item to do. I'll be honest...sometimes they get done and sometimes not....but if they are in the "power of three" slot its much more likely that they will get marked off.

I use the bigger "to do section" for other things that I'd like to accomplish that week....and the Notes and Reminders for just that...reminders....across the bottom... I pencil in Mon, Tues. etc under the title of Exercise and then if I manage to exercise that day...I use my highlighter to highlight the day's abbreviation.

It'a great size because I can slip it into my purse but it still has plenty of room for planning. In some ways it has taken the place of my Home notebook....it's so much simplier to use! And I don;t have the tendency to include everything under the sun in it.

I went back to buy another one and they didn't have the same cover design but I did manager to find one that has the same inside set up and a different cover....it could even be personalized so it says Ginger's Life. I like them so much that I'm going to keep an eye of Current and buy a few extra when I get a chance. They have pages for a little over a year....so I know I'm set though Novmeber of this year with my current one and then I have the new one for 2012. Since they are blank and you write the dates in you can start them at any time. :)

Seasonal Menu Plans: Winter

2011-02-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Here are five weeks worth of menu plans. I use Tuesday as a day to try new recipes. Sometimes I reuse them the next go around or sometimes I try another one, so I have included Tueday menus even though typically they are "new recipes" and can change.

Traditional Sundays:

Roast, potatoes & carrots
Lasagna
Italian Baked chicken
Parmesan Sage Pork Chops
Baked Spaghetti

Meatless Mondays:

Baked Potatoes with assorted toppings
Quiche
Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Speedy Chinese Noodles
Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Try It Tuesdays:

Pineapple Steak Stir Fry
Sausage Casserole
Cheesy Beef Stronganoff
Ham and Cheese Croissants
Penne Pasta with Bacon and Cream

Wild Card Wednesdays:

Pineapple Dump Chicken and Rice
Chinese Meatballs
Chicken Fried Rice
Cheeseburgers
Taco Chicken

Quick and Simple Thursdays:

Hot Dogs
Chicken Nuggets
Pizza
Nachos
Breakfast for Supper

Fiesta Fridays:

Tacos
Tex Mex Stir Fry
Fajitas
Feliz Navidad Casserole
Mexican Chicken

Soup Saturdays:

Hamburger Vegetable Soup
Baked Potato Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup
Savory Winter Soup
Chili (recipes a, b, c)

I'll be happy to post recipes if there are any you are interested in.

The Bed

2010-10-28T20:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of the bed I bought at the flea market for 85 dollars. It was black but I spray painted it white! I really like it! The picture doesn't show the quilt as clearly as I'd like because I took it with my phone...it has lavendar flowers with also green and yellow in it.

The Bedroom Project

2010-10-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

So as you can see....I managed to blog Week One of the Holiday Grand Plan. I am soooo bad at long term projects but I finally pulled off the bedroom project. Well, almost, I still need to paint and put up the new closet door. I also need one other peice of furniture...still searching for it...a small tall dresser for beside the bed. A thrid item I am still looking for is a floral or twig swag to hang above the headboard of the bed...not playing full price...so I need to find it at a resale shop or flea market! That wall can be bare until I happen upon the perfect item! So to celebrate...here's a list of what I managed over hmmm about an 8 week time period. I will get some pictures up soon!

1. Painted walls lavendar and ceiling white.
2. Painted trim white
3. Painted electrical coverings white
4. Painted the floor vent sage green
5. Put down (wood-looking) flooring
6. Painted the old bed I found at the flea market (white)
7. Painted the resale shop lamp sage green (I love it!)
8. Painted the frames of some pcitures I found at the flea market (white)
9. Put up a white little shelf (from flea market)
10. Painted trinket box....sage green
11. Painted some adorable little metal squares white..they are linked with chains and I am going to add the words. Love Laugh Life (as soon as I find the rub on stencils of them)
12. Painted the old brown lamp from my husbands side of the bed white. (it looks new!)
13. Cleaned out about half of the closet
14. Got rid of three bags of clothing and shoes
15. Got rid of miscellaneous other junk

TOTAL Project cost= 400 dollars (thats with an estimated cost for closet doors & dresser & swag for above bed)

I love the room....it is so pretty...and clean! The bed will look nice at Christmas with some greenery wrapped around the headboard!

Holiday Grand Plan: Week One

2010-09-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

Week One of the Holiday Grand Plan focuses on Lists and the Front Porch. Well I'm a list maker so the list part was pretty much done before the week started. I have a small front porch so I also included my two front flower beds in my Week One plans.

I'm making good progress (yes I know the week is technically over)! I still plan on finishing off about three or four things on the list tomorrow but I am happy with my week one progress. I manged to week and transplant plants, paint a wire basket for pumpkins and gourds, put away some pots and gardening things that had been "hanging out" on the front porch, and put in some new solar lights. Tomorrow I will finish up by mopping, cleaning cobwebs and washing the siding on the front of the house. I will also look through fall decor for two signs/wreaths or some fall items to hang on the two hooks that are on the front porch! I still need to find a new door mat. All in all...a SUCESSFUL WEEK ONE!!

Flea Market and Resale Shop Finds

2010-08-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

So...the goal as we know is to redo my bedroom...on a shoestring budget...I have had this plan in my head for like TWO years and never managed to even start.

Color Scheme: Lavendar and Sage Green (Walls lavendar/ceiling white/accents sage green)
Flooring: Tear up old carpet: put down vinyl tiles that look like wood
Bed: Been wanting an metal headboard (think iron but not really)

So.....at the resale shop I found an absolutely hideous lamp...for $3.50. Now I say hideous....I'm going to take a before picture so you can see. The shade was a bit dirty but in good shape. The lamp was TALL and sort of a modernish look (think retro). It "called to me" though so I bought it with the intent to paint it sage green and use it in the bedroom when I finish redoing it....sort of an incentive to GET BUSY.

Then at the flea market...I happened upon a bed...headboard, footboard and frame.....metal....exactly in the style I've been dreaming of....it has a brass ball atop each post BUT the bed was BLACK....I don't want BLACK...I wanted a rustic look or white....but for the price....$95...but he came down to $85....I just couldn't resist....so with some white paint...I'll have a GREAT bed with lovely brass trim! The ones I had looked at were $695 for the HEADBOARD!!! I can just see it in the room! And with the headboard...greenery and lights draped across the top during the holiday season! (the bed pictured above is sort of like the one I bought except ours is queen sized and has brass trim and some more details in the trim)

As you can tell I am pretty excited about this project.......I'm buying the paint over the holiday weekend....and starting to tear up that filthy horrid carpet that is in there! I may even get the lamp spray painted....can't wait to show you the pictures!!

Meal Planning

2010-08-28T08:28:00.000-05:00

I'm struggling with getting meals organized and on the table now that school has started and most evenings find me exhausted. So I need some advance prep and planning...

Today I am going to preview the pantry and freezer before heading out for some grocery shopping. This last week found me picking the bottom of the barrel for lunches. I don't want to continue doing that because healthy living takes some planning!!!
I am needing to be VERY budget minded too so I need to make some good choices!
I am planning to brown some hamburger and freeze it so it's ready for some quick and easy meals. Also chopping onions and peppers etc so they are ready for the week!
Last but certainly not least...I need to clean the pantry and fridge...I SWEAR how do these two places get soooo messy!!!

Holiday Grand Plan and September Plan

2010-08-25T18:20:00.000-05:00

So I have been pondering how to do my monthly plan since August 29th the Holiday Plans start. This year I will attempt the Holiday Grand Plan. I like the way I started a room a month. focus a month, and living my life....but the Holiday Grand Plan won't exactly fit that...hmmm....or will it. (Well not the room for sure) Let's see how I can combined the two.

Room of the Month: Holiday Grand Plan uses weekly rooms:

List Week and Cleaning Area: Front Porch
Question Week and Cleaning Area: Livingroom
Entryway/Foyer (I don't really have one so I'll do an extra week on Master Bedroom
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom

Focus of the Month: Since there's two weeks of Master Bedroom (I want to paint and put down new flooring...have been trying to do this for THREE years!) I'm going to say the focus for the month is painting and flooring!

Living My Life:

Exercise! Goal is seven days a week....with the idea that one will most likely be dropped!
Plan the MT (girl's nights out for September) These are my lifelines in a crazy week!

That's a HEAVY load under Room of the Month...one of the reasons I have never finished this plan BUT I MUST do the bedroom....I would be sooo happy if I get this done before Christmas! So September it's going to happen!!!

I'll be blogging the plan here at Month by Month along with other random things...join me!

August Plan Update #2

2010-08-22T09:15:00.000-05:00

Room of the Month: The kitchen.....this is still not udner control and I have one week of August left...okay 9 nine days....lol. I have manged however to make REAL progress in the office...I don't know i was just inspired to do it...I have more to dp to the office but it looks a lot better!
Focus of the Month: Clothes....Today is laundry day...so this evening I will work through a basket or two of clothes that are just lingering in the laundry room and see if I can get a bit more accomplished with this focus area!

Living My Life: This is a hard one for August because things are rather hectic but I have manged to schedule: Trip to zoo on August 29th (weather permitting), Schenck Girls at the Lake-Autumn for weekend of October 2nd.

THIS WEEK'S PLAN:

Sunday: Laundry and Bedroom: I will clean what I can on the bedroom during the day and then work on laundry in evening while watching TV in family room (which is close to laundry room!)

Monday: Kitchen: I will clean the fridge and work on the cupboard again! The cupboard seems to be a never ending story!

Tuesday: It's Tuesday in Paris as some of my fellow MHH members say. Bathrooms!! This isn't a huge chore but one that seems to take some motivation!

Wednesday: Livingroom...It's usally a bit of a mess by midweek so hopefully this will make it easier to clean on the weekend!

Thursday: This is our "girl's night out" so no room!

Friday: Office...I'm not sure I will always be able to manage this on Fridays. It will depend on my schedule etc. but I think it is a good goal to set because if I keep at it...the office will just need a quick pick up and the desk top to be cleaned off!

Saturday: This is MAJOR cleaning day as well as grocery shopping...so floors, vacumning, etc. I am hoping this becomes easier if I stick with the room a day routine. This will also be the day for BIG projects like working on the garage and basment. So I may alternate ...like one week MAJOR cleaning, next week garage, next week MAJOR cleaning, next week basement. There's a lot to do in both the basement and the garage. I got a good start in the garage in the spring but then hot weather pretty much put a stop to that, Time to get back with it!!

August Plan Update #1

2010-08-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

Remember a few weeks ago when I devised the wonderful August Plan? Well, now it's August 9th....time for an update. Dear Me!

Room of the Month: The kitchen.....I'm going to be honest...it is a BIG MESS. Going back to work takes a bit of getting used to. I need to get it in order BIG TIME

Focus of the Month: Clothes....I did manage a tiny bit on this. I also hate that in about six weeks or so I am going to have to deal with season change, Lots to still do in this focus area.

Living My Life: I have managed to plan a few fall excursions but honestly until I get the home front under control...its hard to manage this one! After I get used to work schedule again I am picking one room a night to give a quick cleaning to in addition to general kitchen chores which are a nightly task ( that often gets skipped)

Honestly so far it's not really that I can't MAKE myself do the stuff....it's that I really am TIRED...also I think I have a cold...stopped up nose and headache. Hopefully once I get to feeling better I can get August on Track better!

Paying Down Debt

2010-08-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

The economy is NOT taking a turn for the better, I'm four years from retirement, and I have debt I want/need to pay down. So what's a girl to do.....come up with a plan of course...lol. I put my debt reduction plan on hold for the summer because I had so many trips planned. And let's face it....life goes on...I can't pay down debt and NEVER live....BUT what I did do was make sure I had the cash up front to pay for my little excursions. I am so proud of the fact that I did not add to the debt over the summer! And I had a great time. Yes, yes, I know, I could have used the money to pay down debt but I made a choice....to LIVE and have ADVENTURES this summer and I don't regret the choice in the least!

How did I pay for four trips? I started taking out CASH for groceries and what ever amount I didn't end up using and I was frugral...I took that money and socked it away in an envelopes marked for each vacation. I did the same thing with my spending money for the week....which is just 20 dollars but no stops for teas and coffee...that added 20 to the savings each week. Next we keep out a weekly expenses amount of money...for gas, etc Whatever was left each week went into the savings also! It has helped a lot that my husband has been working some overtime too!

Now that summer is almost over...I will continue the same plan....finding little bits of money to stash away. I discovered that in the debt reduction world this is called snowflaking. Taking those little amounts and applying them toward debt. Applying it weekly is great because on credit card debt the sooner you do it.... it decreases the amount of time you are paying interest on the money. Second of all it takes it out of your "hands" so you aren't tempted to use it for something else. If not weekly then every two weeks is a good place to start.

In my personal plan I will divide money betwen three things: Christmas savings, debt reduction, and starting my vacation fund over again! Yes I could pay down debt quicker by putting it all toward debt but the other two items are part of life too and I need to save for them. In addtion, this debt reduction is going to take some time but in the meantime I have to live life. The plan is to pay off one credit card first (highest interest and lowest balance) then use what I was paying on that to add to the second credit card bill. It will take time but I am excited to have a plan. Plus I have first hand experience that tells me a little here and there adds up to big bucks...I mean I did pay for four trips that way!!

Another debt reduction term (snowballing) means that whenever you get a big windfall (tax refund or bonus etc) you apply all of that toward debt. I seldom get a "snowball" that's why my main plan right now is snowflaking,. When tax time comes around ...IF I get a refund I plan to pay at least some part of it toward debt reduction!

I'll keep you posted on my snowflaking and if it makes a difference. I read somewhere that for every dollar extra you pay on your credit card debt...you save 2 dollars...Oh yes and of course debt reduction means we are operating on a cash only basis. We have been for about six months....it's hard but doable.

Being Inspired

2010-07-29T22:39:00.003-05:00

Work is here ....again but I'm determinjed to keep up my declutter, book purge, and other "projects" that will just make my life easier.

I'm headed out on one last short trip of the summer before really being "grounded". I'm leaving for Houston Saturday and will be gone until Thursday. After that my focus turns almost completely to home, budget, and holiday prep.

I was inspired by looking at some great blogs about turning junk and dollar store finds into home decor and/or gifts. Some of the things were just sweet and are items I would love to display. I have one little project in mind for when I get back from my trip but I also need to remind myself that I'd be able to do more of them....and enjoy displaying them if I can get clutter under control. So the little junk/dollar decor projects are going to be my inspiration. After I make progress.....declutter another shelf of books, take a boxc or bag to Goodwill, clean out a drawer or cabinet. I am going to reward myself with some creative fun. And of course I'll share it all with you here at Month by Month.

So stay tuned for inspiration and housework!!

Writing, Blogging, and Housework

2010-07-26T10:49:00.002-05:00

I'm working on too many projects at once! Well, what's new. That seems to be the story of my life. This summer is a great example....trip 1, trip 2, trip 3, and about to go on trip 4. As each trip rolled around, I've enjoyed it very much but for awhile there juggling all the plans and budgeting was a bit crazy...

So it is with writing, blogging, and housework. Today I've spent a great deal of my morning working over at Magical Holiday Home. I have been organizing and adding new materials. One of my goals is to get each of the "special day" pages written into a framework that I can follow each year. So far, I've completed Rudolph Day and Great Pumpkin Day. It was a bit of up front work but I think it will help me a lot. It clears the clutter of all the possibilites from my mind and allows me to see a small piece of the big puzzle.

Next on my "to do list" for Magical Holiday Home is to re-work the Monthly Magic pages. they have been up almost three years now and after working with them I feel like they are a bit cumbersome. So the goal is to get them ready for 2011. I'm not changing them too much but streamlining and simplifying the lists. They will also have a section that goes hand in hand with Rudolph Day and the other "special days" so I can't really finish this item until I finish those pages.

Here on the home front...today is dishes and laundry day....so off the computer and into the real world....it awaits and if I ignore it...it will only become a monster of a mess and take twice as long!

Merry Christmas in July

2010-07-25T09:59:00.002-05:00

Hello, Month by Month readers....Today is Christmas in July....after this....the holidays will get here quickly! There's lots to do her at Ginger's House....(lol) but today is my day off. And even as a day off I'll still be doing a few things! But after getting ready for our party yesterday...I am rewarding myself with a little "day off".

My list for today:

1. Grocery Shopping
2. Clean up after party mess...mostly trash and putting stuff away.

That's it!

I hope to hop into the Christmas Chats over at the Merry forums later today. Several of the members of the Merry Network are working on a site called rudolphday.com I hope you will check it out...it is still "evolving" but I think we will follow the year round prep framework from Magical Holiday Home plus others will be posting decor ideas, traditions, recipes, and crafts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS in JULY and HAPPY RUDOLPH DAY!

Not So Funny

2010-07-22T15:10:00.002-05:00

So...the frog is loose...somewhere in this house...but I can't find him!

My son said I should loosen the lid because he was thinking he might not have enough air. So I left it sitting on the table in the livingroom with a block on top of the lid. Evidently, our cat Snickers knocked it over and now I can't find him. I suppose she might have eaten him but I would have thought there would have been some evidence of that. She was also looking under the dry sink when I came into the room. I've moved it out and looked but I don't see him. He might be crawled up side the piece of furniture but I don't feel like taking the drawers out to check right now...ugggghhhh!!!

Now I'm afraid to sit down in there....in case he hops out and scares me!!

A Little Funny

2010-07-22T12:15:00.003-05:00

So I had put a white trash can out on the patio and decided to bring it inside to use in another spot. It had water in it from the recent rain so I drained the water out and brought the trash inside to empty into an large trash bag I was using.

When I emptied the trash into the bag a piece of trash flew out. When I bent over to pick it up...it hopped away. Oh dear me....a tree frog. I wasn't wearing my glasses so I had just thought he was a piece of trash. I had to quickly find a jar and chase him around the house till I managed to snag him! I'm going to save him until Evan gets here this evening so he can see him and then I'll release him!

Outdoor Living Spaces

2010-07-22T10:17:00.003-05:00

This summer has not been kind as far as outdoor living spaces but I'm hoping for a kinder autumn. I did manage to finish weeding the flowerbed behind the garage and worked on the bed in the front....at least it is coming along nicely...it is about half finished...I need lots more plants but I knew when I started that I would need to add plants a few each year. Mulching is also never ending in such a big space but what I have planted...I have mulched. I will just plan to cover with cardboard this fall what I don't get mulched so I won't have to reclaim it from the weeds next spring!

I always have lots of outdoor plans and never quite seem able to pull them off. Time and consistency...and money are the main villians. Working on it a little at a time does make a big difference though. By working about and hour to an hour and a half each morning this week I have made tons of progress. Gardens are ongoing projects and as such I have to keep reminding myself of that!

With work starting back up, I am planning to devote an hour or so on Saturday mornings to the front beds and the same on Sunday mornings to the back beds. The area behind the garage with the bed....I envision using some patio stones to create a little nook for relaxing. We don't have a lot of shade but this area is shaded by the garage and our house for a good part of the morning and some of the evening...so it would be a cute little corner. It would allow me to enjoy the planting I have in that bed also. I have a start with some of the stone work but there's lots more to do. Again it is one of those projects I will have to work on bit by bit.

I am learning more and more to be patient and to rejoice in the little progress I do make. It't tempting to give up or get frustrated when there's lots to do..so I always need pep talks!

Keeping on Track: August

2010-07-21T16:44:00.007-05:00

August you are approaching quickly. I've struggled with keeping on track lately but this week has been productive. As summer's end is drawing near, I am working on getting back into some kind of routine. I'm still working on books....believe it or not but I've managed to declutter some other areas too.

August Planning:

Room of the Month: The kitchen.....I already got a bit of a head start on this because I cleaned the top shelf of the cupboard but there is still mega stuff to do. This is a great room to do for August because it gets me ready for holiday baking, menu planning and parties!

Focus of the Month: Clothes....I'm not sure exactly what or how I am going to mange this focus but something needs to change. I know it's not early enough for changing seasonal clothes. I am more concerned about going through clothes in the laundry room and getting rid of a bunch of stuff. Closets and drawers are over flowing! (I'm going to continue on my shelf a week of book decluttering also!)

Living My Life: This month brings back work but the one thing I want to really cultivate in "living my life" is to get over the idea that everything comes to a stop when school starts. I still want to find time for a few fun excursions this fall.

So that's the basic plan....I am going to go one step further for August and I am going to break down the items into "weekly room tasks", "weekly focus goals" and "weekly living my life thoughts". BUT ....I know and you know the real progress comes in actually MAKING myself do the things on the list! lol

Another Productive Day

2010-07-19T21:09:00.002-05:00

Today I managed to clean all the weeds out of the rock garden. They were taking over the whole thing! It looks so much better. Then I headed inside.

Inside I started on the horrid laundry room. Only did two loads of clothes but decluttered and got rid of a couple of bags of stuff. There's still more to go through but I'm pleased with the progress. I plan on working about an hour in there tomorrow to go through a few more boxes of clothes and wash a few more items.

Next cleaned the livingroom and decluttered the bottom of the dry sink that's in there. Then I put all of Evan's game in the reclaimed space. I like it because the games are out of sight but handy! I got rid of several items and found new homes for a couple of things. Started a new Goodwill box out in the garage because the last one was full and was deliverd yesterday!

Tomorrow I need a box to put the tea sets in as I gather them from EVERYWHERE...so people can choose the ones they want! Right now quite a few sets are just sitting on the coffee table. The living room looks lovely. And it FEELS clean because I didn't just surface clean....I actually got rid of stuff and organized!

While I was downstairs I wanted to tackle another shelf of books but just didn't get around to that...perhaps tomorrow! Tomorrow is also kitchen day...so we will see. Kelsey has a doctors appointment so that will cut the day short for cleaning!

Just wanted to share the joy I feel...I'm tired but I feel like I am making progress!

My Day at Home

2010-07-18T11:37:00.003-05:00

For some reason, I couldn't sleep last night because all I could think about was getting up today and cleaning. Actually if you could see my house you would ask what I've been doing. It doesn't look like much cleaning is happening. But trust me, it is.

I started working on the bottom shelves of my antique china cabinet. Behind the closed doors were numerous minature tea sets...too many I say. I have been wanting for a long time to give some to my two daughters, my nieces, and my two great nieces. They are everywhere. In the china cabinet, tucked in drawers, in some other cabinets....my gosh. So I'll keep the little ones that are holiday oriented...in my holiday decor boxes and pick a few "I love it" ones...limit six! The rest are going up for grabs!

So now the bottom of the cabinet is filled with two sets of Christmas dishes and some holiday paper plate sets (bought on after Christmas clearance of course!) It will be so great when the holidays roll around to have the stuff at my fingertips instead of on a high high shelf in the cupboard.

Then the top shelf of the cupboard got decluttered and organized too. And I am re-purposing two clear (with green lids) totes so I can start buying and storing the holiday baking ingredients. I was using these two totes to store craft stuff...(I bought these little gems on after Christmas clearance one year too) They aren't very big and are perfect for the cupboard! I am feeling super organized...

Now the rest of the house is a wreck but sometimes in cleaning and organizing we make a big mess FIRST....and so it is today!

Magical Holiday Home

2010-07-17T08:03:00.003-05:00

We are having server issues. I will keep you updated. In the meantime, don't forget the

Facebook page:

and

Yahoo Group:

Keep your fingers crossed!!!

In the Home Mood

2010-07-16T18:09:00.002-05:00

Just got back from camping and I am really in the mood to work around the house...good thing because a week from tomorrow we are hosting out annual back yard bash and there's tons of stuff to do to get ready! Thanks to Facebook Events and a few invitations that went out prior to the camping trip...everyone should be in the know!

This year....it's a Gypsy Caravan...such fun...but first the cleaning and prep! The backyard quite honestly is a disaster...what with all the rain from this summer, the heat and humidity, and all my trips...things have been neglected...so I have seven days (more like 7 mornings because of heat) to get it just a tiny bit under control! So tomorrow morning I survey the area and start some weed control. After tomorrow, I'll have a list for my early morning yard work and I need to stick with it!

Getting Back to Work

2010-07-07T08:05:00.002-05:00

Wow ....I have been home from my trip now for four days and just can't seem to get moving. Spent two of the days at the emergency room and the orthopedist.....because daughter Kelsey twisted her knee while in Mexico and it looks like it's going to need some ongoing treatment....nothing like doctor visits to upset one's routine.

July is still GET RID OF BOOKS MONTH and so today I will work a bit on that, as well as, laundry....I have a ton of that. So I want to get some of it finished. To keep the books managable, I plan to work on just two shelves today and then make an immediate trip to the Goodwill store to get rid of them. I also have some clothese to go there so I can do both on the same trip. Another MUST for the day is to clean off my desk and pay a few bills.

Since it's Stocking Stuffers Month also I wanted to try picking up a few things. Yesterday I made a trip out to the local book store at the little outlet mall and was very disappointed to discover that it was closed....everything is gone and they have shut their doors....so sad! This economy has to get better because things are really getting depressing!

I'll try to pop back in this afternoon with an update and a yummy recipe!!!

July is Get Rid of Books Month

2010-06-25T14:16:00.003-05:00

So if you have been reading you realize that I have far too many books and seriously need to get rid of them...or about 90% of them.

So here at Month by Month...we are having Get Rid of Books Month during July. I hope you will join me on this little adventure. If you don't have a lot of books ...pick the one items that you do need to get rid of...clothes? magazines? or something else?

We will cheer each other on...post results and if I can figureout how to set it up we will have some polls...that will show our progress.

I am off for a week's vacation but when I get back ...we will get started....getting rid of books....and think of all the free space we will have!!

Thursday Notes

2010-06-24T06:54:00.004-05:00

When I return from my trip...it will be JULY.....where oh where does time go? I must work my July plan better. The garage project sort of got sidetracked because of this blasted HOT weather but it's still on my mind and on my list...I am determined to conquer it...maybe not on the time line I set but little by little it will get decluttered, cleaned and organized. I have made progress but more to do!

Today is Fairy Day and my daughter's birthday so I am picking up Evan after lunch and we are making fairy bread and a fairy in a jar to celebrate Fairy Day. He is also making something for his mom's birthday! It's one of our summer Grandma Days...well it's just an afternoon but believe me he will enjoy it!

On the agenda for this morning is cleaning my bedroom as I pack for my trip. I need drawer space so I am putting a few things in a tote. They are some clothes that don't fit or fall items...I know they say to get rid of things that don't fit but I am losing some weight so plan to keep them six months and re-evaluate. If they don't fit or I don't like them then to Goodwill they will go...I'm calling this my Six Month Box and am labeling it with the date!!

So off to blog over at the Faery blog and then on to the bedroom and packing!!

Recipe: Ranch Pasta

2010-06-22T07:07:00.004-05:00

1 box medium sized pasta shells
1 package dry Ranch dip mix
3/4 cup mayo
1 carrot sliced julienne
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup green/red/yellow pepper chopped

Boil pasta til al dente. Mix ranch dip with mayo. Add remaining ingredients and fold mayo mixture into shells and vegetables. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Tuesday Must Dos

2010-06-22T07:02:00.002-05:00

Well yesterday was a lost day as I explained. I'm up early this morning to walk and then start on laundry again. I also MUST get the livingroom in order. The problem in there is Evan's toys...I need to take most of them back downstairs and that means trips back and forth. Perhaps I can combine that with the laundry trips somehow, otherwise I am going to be exhausted.

I'm still not feeling well and hope I get over it before Saturday when we leave for Mexico. I'm really looking forward to this trip and just relaxing a bit.

Tuesday Must Dos:

1. Laundry

2. Clean livingroom

3. Take Evan's toys back downstairs

4. Dishes (again)

5. Sweep kitchen floor

6. Pedicure (on the Cozumel Countdown so need pretty toes...:)

The Lost Day

2010-06-21T17:50:00.002-05:00

Okay...time to come clean...I have accomplished very little today...it is super hot here even with the air conditioning on and I haven't felt very well.

I have managed to keep working a bit on laundry...still loads to do...but I've done a couple. So like I said...very little done. Not even having any fun either...lol. I was hoping if I posted something...I might feel encouraged to get a few more things done this evening. So....

1. Keep working on laundry...sort ONE of the baskets that have accumulated in the laundry room.

2. Do dishes

3. Fix dinner

4. Find a spot to put Evan's Pirate Ship ...lol

5. Walk on treadmill 30 minutes

Okay...so that's not a lot but if it comes together I'll feel good. I'll check in later and let you know.

Flea Market Find #3

2010-06-20T15:01:00.003-05:00

I found this cute little table for 8 dollars. I wanted something new to use beside the chair in the livingroom and I thought is fit the bill. I gave my daughter Kelsey a similar one but it was painted mauve....so if she doesn't need it for her apartment this fall....I might bring it home and paint it to match this one! There are actually small legs under that shelf that you see at the bottom...I just didn't get them in the photo. So for now I like it...if later I change my mind, I'll use it somewhere else or give it away. For 8 dollars it's easy to do that!

For the Christmas dishes find...check out my blog Rudolph Ramblings. I'll be putting photos up there later.

For the faery plant find...check out Faery Dust & Faery Kisses because I'll be putting up some faery garden pics.

Flea Market Find #2

2010-06-20T14:50:00.004-05:00

This is the Paris Hat Box I found for three dollars. It is so cute. I thought immediately of the Tuesday's in Paris but it is too big to fit anywhere in my bathroom. However I have a French theme in mind for the bedroom so I picked it up in anticipation.

This is a view of the box from the side. It's cream and black. I have a "thing" for hat boxes. I have a couple others but I must say this is my fave.

Without the lid you can see the tiny black dots inside the box...I think I shall use it to store scarves. Silky, flowery, whatever kind I have.

Flea Market Find #1

2010-06-20T14:43:00.005-05:00

This is the Mexican Sun I bought to hang on my office wall. I love setting themes and then finding little treasures to pull the theme together. This was 3 dollars and has Mexico stamped on the back. There were actually two of them but the other one had a pale tan face and then a dark outer ring. I didn't like it as well so I just got this one.

I'm hoping to find some more treasures in Mexico itself, but obviously I couldn't pass up this cutie!

Hot Hot Housework

2010-06-20T08:49:00.002-05:00

I know the title caught your attention....lol. It is VERY hot here today...is suppose to be hot all week....so today I will be working inside until evening and then I simply MUST work on the faery garden in front of the house. The backyard beds are all overgrown and crazy but I just can't seem to get to them...

Today my focus will be books, laundry, and the kitchen. Just got back from the flea market and I have a few finds to share with you later. I'll take some pictures here in a bit because pictures are always a fun way to share! But here's the list:

1. Sun wall hanging (from Mexico) to use in my office at school

2. New plants for the faery garden

3. A cute little end table

4. A hat box (I couldn't resist...it's Paris themed)

5. Christmas Dishes (Set for Four) They are snowmen....I already have a green set with snowmen but I figured this one could mix and match with it.

It was a good day for finds. :)

So I'll blog a bit more and then ...to work to work....on this hot hot housework...

Fairy Day 2010

2010-06-19T22:53:00.003-05:00

Thursday June 24th is Fairy Day. Why not celebrate with a wee bit of Fairy bread. So yummy.
Fairy Bread is bread spread with butter and then covered in sprinkles. Sounds plain but is actually VERY tasty. Some people cut their bread into shapes like the hearts shown above and some just do the diagonal cut of the slice like the ones below.

I have also read that some people use peanut butter instead of regular butter but I haven't tried that myself. So get out the sprinkles and make some Fairy Bread on Thursday. Kids love to help make it. I am going to let Evan help me!

Grilled Pepper Salad

2010-06-18T09:33:00.002-05:00

4 bell peppers (mixed colors) halved, seeded and stemmed.
1/4 cup halved and pitted oil cured black olives
1/4 cup rinsed and chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Grill peppers on medium high, truning once, until soft and charred in spots, about 5 minutes per side. When cool, chop into cubes and toss with other ingredients in a bowl.

Kitchen Clutter

2010-06-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

I'll be doing some kitchen declutter this morning before heading off to see Wicked, so I thought I'd jot a short post about my thoughts on kitchen clutter.

Kitchen gadgets can be a blessing or a downfall. How many of the latest gadgets do you have and where do you store them? I have come to the realization that less is better. Many times we are lured into buying the sandwichmaker, smores maker, kitchen chopper, quesidilla maker etc etc and really all they do is present storage problems.

Do they save us work? In my book, the answer would be no. I spend as much time getting out, cleaning them and restoring them as it would take to just do whatever kitchen task...by hand or the old fashioned way. Oh, there are a few I love and use daily or several times a week. Like my minature blender that I make smoothies in ....I use it almost daily or at least five times a week. So it takes up a tiny bit of space on the countertop because it is used OFTEN.

The other thing that tends to accumulate lots of stuff is my utensil drawer....that is in need of a serious declutter. I use most of the items in there frequently but how many does one really need. The melon scooper could be delegated to a different spot since it is only used once in awhile. This drawwer will be my goal for this morning. Perhaps getting rid of a few items, changing a few to different locations, and in general making it easier to find what is needed.

So I'm off to make a breakfast smoothie, blog a couple posts on some other blogs, and then declutter a tiny bit in the kitchen. If I get back early from Wicked, I'll pop in with a new recipe for today.

Victory and Spontaneity

2010-06-16T18:56:00.002-05:00

So you know how I was writing about Housework, Blogging and Life.....well....life is happening AGAIN....lol.

My niece called today to see if I could go see Wicked at Foz Theatre tomorrow with her...yes I had planned on cleaning more....all day actually but come on....2nd row seats....well....I said YES of course. I rationalized and said I'd clean tonight and in the morning.....

Thursday evening is our regualr MT night....drinks, dinner and chit chat with friends...can't possibly miss that now!

Then LIFE again........my young friend called to see if Kelsey and I could meet him for a bite to eat this evening...so of course I said YES....I hadn't started supper yet...so well....we haven't talked in a while and he is headed to college in the fall....

Friday.....lunch and a roadtrip with friends celebrating my friend Barb's return from Afghanistan. Things just keep coming up....

BUT on a positive note....I manged to pack up two bags of books to take to the Goodwill Store...and I'll drop them off on my way to dinner this evening!! Also bagged two bags of trash and declutter junk from the basement......so VICTORY.....of a small sort...but it's all I've got right now!

Garden Salad

2010-06-16T13:27:00.002-05:00

This salad is great for the picnic and barbeque season!

Marinade:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bean juice

Vegetables:
1 (16oz) can peas (drained)
1 (16 oz) can corn (drained)
1 (16 oz) can french style greenbeans (drained)
1 small jar pimentos
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup green pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped

In a sauce pan combine the sugar, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and bean juice. Bring to a boil and cool. Combine all vegetables and pour cooled marinade ovet them. Refrigerate over night.

Salad will keep for one week.

July Plan

2010-06-16T10:54:00.002-05:00

Let's just skip June totally because I am still working on the garage and just general house stuff. Plus my trip to Cozumel means June will end with a wonderful bang....and I fear the house will not get much TLC.

July Plan:

Room of the Month: Master Bedroom (yes I know it was up in May but...)

Focus of the Month: Books (again, I know) Sometimes I fear I will drown in books....they are everywhere. I still haven't bought my nook but hubby says if I don't get it before then ...it will be my birthday present in October!! Some books I love and I don't want to part with them but most of this is just silly hoarding and sentimental keeping.

Living My Life: So we have a 5-6 day camping trip planned for July and the end of July brings back...the dreaded...gasp...work....so I think my living my life goals for this month will just be to relax and enjoy the time off that I do have and to spend time with family!

Housework, Blogging, and Life

2010-06-16T10:01:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I ponder housework, blogging. and life. Sometimes the three dovetail together in perfect harmony. Like a well played beloved song. And at other times they are like an all out brawl.

With the new blogger templates and my desire to get back to blogging, I am neglecting that which I must do, that which I write about....housework and being organized. Right as I'm typing this I realize that I have phone calls to make, bills to pay, and a kitchen to clean.

But I was so very excited about the new look of Month by Month that I couldn't resist a short post. I am hoping that blogging is like housework. When you get something new...it sparks on the drive to do more and better things. I am hoping that is the case here at Month by Month.

I'll be back later this afternoon with a rather yummy recipe for you. It's a little marinated garden salad, that everyone seems to enjoy!

Flea Market Finds

2010-05-23T15:02:00.003-05:00

Here's another rabbbit find for the Chinese New Year's Eve party. In 2011 we will usher in the Year of the Rabbit so my goal is to have lots and lots of rabbits, all sizes, all kinds to decorate the house with for the party. Hmmm.....did I also mention we were going to dress as Playboy Bunnies....lol. I thought I could use this one as a center piece on the table, surrounded by something...I don't know what yet.

Another find...three little benches...Here they are sitting on my dry sink and I plan to find some little American minatures to display on them. I am getting the livingroom back to it's "normal theme" which is Americana May-August. These three are VERY sturdy pieces and for 3 dollars....well worth the purchase price!

I'll pop back later with another find....but off to work on the house some more now!

Christmas Cupboard

2010-05-22T08:43:00.002-05:00

Well a disaster in the garage (our freezer went out and before we realized it everything was horribly spoiled) led to the creation of the Christmas Cupboard.

I had an old amoire in the garage storing some stuff. Since I was cleaning, decluttering, and organizing out there I decided to create a Christmas Cupboard out of it for my Christmas dishes. I still have one more set of dishes and some misc. pieces that I need to move out there but all in all I think it will be quite handy. They are so much easier to get to then being in a box and a high high cabinet that I had them in before.

My next goal is to organize fall and Halloween pieces in another dry sink like cabinet I have. I don't have actual "fall or Halloween dishes" but I do have assorted pieces and bowls and serving trays. After that it will be Spring and Easter's turn. Only a few there but it would be nice to actually KNOW where they are and be able to get to them!

Along with all this organizing....I hope to finish cleaning that horrid garage once and for all.....I need to get rid of a bunch of STUFF out there and this is the TIME to do it!!

It's Flea Market Time

2010-05-20T20:13:00.003-05:00

One of the things I love about warmer weather is FLEA MARKETS. I am a big fan of resale shops and flea markets. Decorating on a shoe string is a whole lot easier with special finds. Sometimes I like to "set a theme" or two for the summer. It helps to limit my buys so clutter doesn't accumulate and it also gives some fun to the hunt.

Summer 2010 Themes:

1. Mexican pottery and decor items (I'm going to decorate my office at school in Mexican art)

2. Rabbits (our 2011 Chinese New Years Eve party...ushers in the year of the rabbit so I need to collect a bunch of cheap rabbits to sit everywhere in the house.....then at the end of the night I will keep a few and sit the others out for people to take as party favors)

3. Gingerbread items: I have quite a few but I am rounding out my stuff so I have enough to really decorate the kitchen in Gingerbread come Christmas)

4. Costume jewelry: (this is for our Gypsy Caravan backyard bash...I want a basket full so guests can wear it for the event along with their gypsy attire)

Those are my four main "themes" for my summer search. Do you like flea markets? Are there certain items you are "on the hunt" for?

May Plan

2010-04-24T23:02:00.004-05:00

Well April skipped by without much progress...but I NEVER give up....lol

May Room of the Month: Master Bedroom & Bath
This room is in dire need of help...and I am hoping to do it during May...in prep of doing even more with the room during June!!! So for the next two months.....it's the bedroom and bath!!

Central Theme: Continues to be books...still barely a dent made in them but I am determined that this is going to happen in a big way....I want to be able to use some of those shelves to display things I LOVE and even though I love books...not dusty, faded, old yellowing ones...

Living My Life: Graduation Parties and Outdoor Fun: The main focus will be on getting outside and doing some yard work as well as starting some summer/outdoor entertaining!!! Flower bed prep and laying some patio stones are on the agenda!

Spring Flower Pots...

2010-03-21T10:12:00.002-05:00

Evan and I created some Easter Egg flower pots as a decor project. The four lovely colored pots were a dollar each at Dollar Tree....and I hope to use them for another Spring display after Easter. We also bought the eggs on stakes at Dollar Tree for a dollar for a package of ten. They had full size eggs on a stake...which I went back later and bought a couple packs of them...then every few nights I switch out a couple of the small for the larger ones...Evan has a lot of fun when he comes over....checking to see which ones are growing...LOL. I used moss to cover the foam that I inserted in the pots to hold the egg stakes...but you could also use some of the lovely colored Easter grass they have out now. They have it in all different colors so you could probably find it to match each pot color!!

Total Project Cost:
Four pots= 4 dollars
Foam inserts (4 in package) 1 dollar
Moss (1 bag) 1 dollar
Eggs (2 bags ten in each) 2 dollars
TOTAL= 8 dollars....!!!

After Easter I hope to turn each one into a minature faery garden using some artificial flowers and other items!!

Mid Way Through March

2010-03-20T14:45:00.003-05:00

Well I'm half way through March....not exactly where I want to be with cleaning and organizing but feel like I am headed in the right direction.

My Room of the Month: Living room....I have organized some DVDs and the entertainment center. Still have lots of drawers that need cleaning so I am going to try one a day for the coming week and see how that works.

Central Theme: Books....honestly haven't done much at all with this so I need to do at least one shelf this week...

Living My Life: Budget and Diet....this is probably the area that I am actually doing best with. Tucking away money for our summer trips...not tons but a little here and there adds up. I have been trying some healthier food choices...whole wheat pasta, beans, and more fiber rich foods.

The Case Against and For Lists

2010-03-15T19:19:00.002-05:00

I'm a long time list maker....sometimes the lists work well....they help me organize, remind me of important things, and offer, in a manner, tangible evidence that I am moving forward. At other times, lists have been my enemy...mocking me with an evergrowing column of things that are needing attention. Until I throw my hands up in despair and hide from the lists.

Presently lists...are still part of my life. I find that I just can't remember things without them and they help me look ahead and accomplish things that have to be done rather than scurrying around at the last minute. Sometimes they still stare at me...a big evil grin....and point out quite dramatically that I am BEHIND....But I find them useful and so I continue to use them.

Wild Card Wednesday

2010-03-10T07:31:00.003-06:00

It's Wild Card Wednesday!!!! I'm headed out here in about an hour on a little four day Spring Break trip...but never fear I will be back. Blogging again has helped me get a focus...makes me do stuff cause if I don't I can't write about it.

For my Wild Card...I am going to count cleaning out my purse....needed to do it anyway for the trip...:)

Remember for your Wild Card pick some little thing that you keep meaning to do...but keep putting off....And get it done! Let me tell you that once you start making progress with little things you will be more motivated to get some of the big stuff done.

Another thing I'm doing is....at the end of the day...instead of focusing on the things I did not get done....I am thinking about the things I did get done....giving myself a sense of accomplishment...and so less discouraging. Even if it's just one or two little things...!!!!

March Menu Plans

2010-03-09T13:38:00.005-06:00

Along with my monthly plan I am incorporating monthly menu planning ...I used to do it monthly and then just got away from that approach. This time I will plan monthly meals but without assigning them a day ....so for March I have about 18 dinners left (give or take one or two...because with our schedule it's hard to predict) We eat out on Thursdays and sometimes a Friday here or there. We also at times use left overs. So for the remainder of this month I will construct 18 menu plans....I'm cleaning and working on this post at the same time....LOL....so I will come back and forth filling in the menu plans as I clean the kitchen and do a freezer/pantry inventory.

MEAL #1
Hotdogs, Mac and Cheese, Peas

MEAL # 2
Center cut pork chops, potatoes, green beans

Meal #3
Tacos with toppings

Meal #4
Salad with chicken and other toppings

Meal #5
Chicken Nuggets, Fries, Corn

Meal #6
Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans, salad

Meal #7
Barbequed Chicken Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw

Meal #8
Chicken Taco Salad

Meal #9
Honey Chicken, Stir Fried Vegs, Rice

Meal #10
Beans n Hamburger, Cornbread, Tomatoes n Cucumbers

Meal # 11
Baked Potatoes with Toppings (Chili, Cheese, Bacon Bits etc)

Meal #12
Hamburgers, Pasta Salad, Corn

Meal #13
Chef Salads

Meal #14
BLT's, Chips, Tomato Soup

Meal #15
Pizza with Salad

Meal #16
Roast Beef, potatoes, carrots

Meal #17
Breakfast for Dinner: Omelets, Toast, Sausage, Hash Browns

Meal #18
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots

Track it Tuesday

2010-03-09T08:17:00.002-06:00

Update on Monday: Managed to Move Out that dresser.....it feels good...just to accomplish one little thing that I had planned to do!!

This is a good day for Track It Tuesday. I need to print and mail some state tax paperwork, pay some bills. and do some menu planning for March. I would also like to clean off the desk top....a job that I could probably do weekly...or every other day. It just seems to be a magnet for "stuff."

I am getting ready to go on a short trip (four days) so if I'm not working the monthly plan or blogging...you will know it's because I am relaxing with friends. I never usually go anywhere on Spring Break but this year decided to.

The March Plan

2010-03-08T16:21:00.003-06:00

I've been giving some thought to a plan to jump into for March. The Room of the Month and then a Central Theme...especially since the month is well underway...

MARCH PLAN:

Room of the Month: Livingroom I picked this room because it isn't that bad and feel it is doable in what is left of the month. I also picked it because my tea sets are housed in there and I really want to move forward with that simplifying task as well as put up a pleasant display in the hodge podge cabinet that now houses them. There are many drawers in this room that could also use a good declutter and organization.
Central Theme: Books....the central theme for March and this may extend into April ...is going to be books. In my house they are everywhere. That's why I have on my want to buy list...an e book reader...but alas funds are short and so it will be a few months before that becomes a reality...perhaps I will make it a reward for this VERY large project. I have started on the library shelves downstairs...but there's still tons to do...and random books...here...there...and everywhere....so most likely this will remain my project for April...and who knows....even May. (I've been saying this for ever and have made a little dent in the project...but now's the time to really move forward)
Living My Life: Budget and Diet..After some thought I decided to include an extra category called Living My Life....This category has to do more with mind set, dreams, self improvement etc. Some of the monthly goals will be practical, some inspiring, some just things I'm already working on and want to keep on track! This month I'm just going to work on two things that I've already started....One is my diet/healthy eating and the other is my budget....I have a busy 2010 Summer planned and since I am no longer using credit cards...I need to be tucking away money for some trips and things we will be doing...I've already started...In MARCH...I need to stay on track with the plan. Interestingly I am finding the more I can keep on track with these things the more in control of my life I feel and thus more likely to keep up in other areas as well....I suppose it is the sense of accomplishment....

That's the March Plan.....more details and updates to follow in the days to come...:)

Move It Out Monday

2010-03-08T08:10:00.002-06:00

It's.....Move It Out Monday and I have ONE major goal...that is to get a dresser up out of the basement and out of the house to Goodwill...The drawers are actually already up here in the van...now I just need the dresser part....and to take it to Goodwill....THEN it will be GONE....such a good feeling.

I have been thinking about clutter...and not just stuff that's junk or needs throwing away...I mean all the stuff surrounding me that is really good, but two things....

1. I don't really need it...or I never really use it...

or

2. I have TOO much of it....

For example.....a few years ago...I started collecting minature tea sets (specifically I like children's sets but ended up with a whole lot of minature ones...people find you like something and then you are overran with it..) They are all lovely...I recently gave away a couple of the little tiny ones...BUT I am thinking about giving away more...I get tired of having them on display all the time....and I have some packed away but really then I have to store them, remember where they are...get them out at times to display...then pack away again etc etc...CRAZY....

So all the seasonal/holiday ones are getting packed with holiday decor...that will take care of about a dozen. THEN I will pick out the ones I LOVE...and decide how to display them....I have an idea for this one...THEN I am letting my daughters pick one or more from whats left...THEN my nieces....and great nieces....if they want any....IF there are any left...to Goodwill they go...

It's ALL in the Title

2010-03-07T19:11:00.003-06:00

You know....from my rambling post yesterday that motivation is alluding me of late...well...I've been pondering that some more and then it hit me....It's all in the title....the blog title....Month by Month....the best progress I've ever made on anything has been month by month....

Not necessarily in a notebook or note pad or even on a card....but just plain old good monthly planning. The cleaning plan that always helped me the most was the Room of the Month. I feel more organized when I look at things in a monthly format. Even when I taught Kindergarten we did our planning monthly...monthly themes etc.

So I'm going to try getting back on track with the Room of the Month approach...along with some other little things like Move It Out Mondays (one of my fave daily ones). I think the idea of weekly planning overwhelms and discourages me (even though the monthly list gets broken down into weekly ones).

I also think monthly planning fits my lifestyle because I get a FRESH start every 30-31 days. I also like it that I can spice up my monthly planning by adding the Monthly Magic ideas for birthdays and party planning if needed that month! Throw in a FUN Celebrate Me Day on the 15th and Rudolph Day on the 25th and it makes for a well rounded month.

In addition, I can add a bit of FOCUS to my month by adding in a CENTRAL THEME....for that month. For example let's say March's Room of the Month is the Living Room....I can also have a central theme of say...BOOKS (if I want to be specific) or DECLUTTER (if I want to be general) and then along with the Room of the Month...throughout the whole house I also concentrate on the central theme.....

I don't know if it will work but I just feel like I need MORE than just the Room of the Month.....or I'm never going to accomplish what I want to do.

Motivation

2010-03-06T19:39:00.002-06:00

Motivation escapes me...for writing and for cleaning and organizing....and the thing is I have no idea why or no idea how to get it back. So I'm here rambling on a bit in the hopes of coming up with a plan that I can actually use to get back on track...

I've tried note cards (like index cards) ...one for each day of the week....I write the list and then they just sit...untouched and the chores....just get a hit and miss.

I've tried revamping my Month by Month notebook and then there is it on the shelf...looking at me accusingly...mocking me as it sits there....

I've tried my handy dandy really cute...monthly notepads....I used to love them ...the clever little pads that feature symbols and such for each month....We are in March so of course...shanrocks...I used to love to make a list and mark things off and then start a fresh page...feeling that soo much had gotten accomplished...

It's not that I'm sad or depressed.....I have lots of things I'm loving doing....walking, talking with friends, facebooking, going on trips, reading novels, watching some new shows on TV....playing with the faery cards....I just don't want to do the mundane chores....and feel overwhelmed with the blogs...but I do love writing so I am here...writing in the hopes it will get me moving...somewhere along this path...where the hours of the day just slip by and then I realize once again...I have not made a dent in the things I need to do...:(......perhaps I will write more....and in the writing perhaps the answers are hidden.

Recipe: Ginger's Version of Ship Wrecked

2010-01-31T19:12:00.002-06:00

This is a variation of a dish called Ship Wrecked. I may have shared the original with you earlier but I played around with it a bit and thing this one is a lot tastier.

Shipwrecked (Ginger's Version)

6 potatoes peeled and sliced thin
1 lb ground beef
salt
black pepper
ground mustard
parley flakes
garlic minced
1 onion
15 ounce can of black beans (drained)
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease bottom of casserole dish
Brown hamburger with garlic and some parsley flakes
Layer the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish and sprinkle with parsley flakes and some ground mustard. Salt and pepper the potatoes.
Layer the browned ground beef over the potatoes.
Layer the chopped onion over the ground beef.
Layer the drained can of blackbeans over the onion.
(If you want add a few chopped green or orange peppers with them.)
Mix the soup, ketchup and brown sugar in a bowl and then pour over the beans.

Bake 45 minutes covered. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Move It Out Monday

2010-01-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

So it's Move It Out Monday.....time to declutter....the goal is to get rid of one bag or box of trash, clothes, books, etc....or a useless piece of furniture if you have one gathering dust in the garage or basement.

I got a good start on Move It Out Monday... yesterday when I cleaned some in the laundry room....OUT OUT OUT went two bags of trash and old clothes...feels GREAT..

But I'm not done yet...that was on Sunday....it's Move It Out Monday....so I need to find one more bag or box of something to get rid of...PLEASE join me.....let's move it out today!!!

Jumpstart January (First phase)

2010-01-09T10:51:00.004-06:00

Well week one of the first two week part of the plan has passed and I still have Christmas EVERYWHERE.....what in the world is wrong with me???....I must have an emotional attachment to Christmas "stuff" .....either that or I hate climbing up and down the basement steps with totes...

The first two weeks I called Christmas Recovery...and I think I need an ACS (Addicts of Christmas Stuff) meeting to get on track...the living room is done except for that stack of Santas sitting on the loveseat waiting to be lovingly placed in a storage box...and the tote full of snowmen needs to be banished to the basement....BUT wait...the kitchen is still overflowing with odds and ends of Christmas ...gathered on the table, on the counter, on the little desk...stacked there just waiting to be put in their proper storage tote.

I even had two snow days this past week which I managed to use up quite nicely without touching a single Christmas piece....well.....no use beating myself up over that....:) So today I'm off to do a bit of grocery shopping and then I am going to get those Santas and Snowmen where they belong...WISH me luck...it's only one small step but still....I feel like I need that Nike slogan.....JUST DO IT!!!

Decluttering: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-10-30T09:17:00.002-05:00

I have talked about decluttering a lot....I have promised it, I have been overwhelmed by it, I've decribed it, set up schedules for it, been inspired by it and been undone by it. Decluttering is probably the single biggest thing that could make my life easier...so WHY isn't it happening the way I want it to?

Time: with everything time is a big factor, hard to squeeze in declutter time when so many other obligations and distractions call to me. And no matter how you look at it decluttering takes time...its not JUST about throwing away things...its about making choices about things, sorting things, rehousing things, and then donating or disposing of things.
Stuff: I have too much stuff...and well that is what decluttering is all about....the amount of stuff to look through and work through is sort of overwhleming. The stuff comes in all sorts of categories...some is stuff that is important and just not organized and stored correctly, some is stuff that might have some value but do I really need it?, some is just pretty stuff, some is fun stuff, some is simply JUNK that needs to go....
Storage: Lots of questions about storage....the rule of thumb is not to buy storage containers or items UNTIL after you declutter and see just what you need....good advice becuase I tend to stuff things into containers and well...maybe it was stuff that should have just GONE away...but at the same time...what exactly do I do with the stuff I know I'm keeping. Where do I put it, how do I remember where I put it, what makes sense where? So questions like that just STOP me in my track and I have yet to find good answers for some of them.
Motivation: It's hard to be motivated...first of all there's a lot to do and second of all its hard enough to keep up with the regular chores...add a decluttering project to it and well....one would rather just write a blog post about decluttering than really do it. Yes, I know baby steps BUT it's hard to get motivated when you declutter a few square feet which are sure to start collecting something even before you get moticated enough for the next round...uuuugggghhh!!!

So those are the main areas and how they seem to impact my decluttering efforts...suffice to say things go slow, then hit a complete stop, then I get annoyed for lack of accomplishment, then I charge forward with energy for a bit, then things come up, and then so on and so on...BUT time to get off the computer for now and get busy....cleaning...with some decluttering along the way.

October

2009-09-28T19:55:00.002-05:00

It's almost October!!!

Time for some Autumn regrouping....it's hard for me to blog when things are falling down around my head so please know that I am still with you...but I have to lead by example which means house first....blog second!!

For October I am going to focus on TWO main things.....here at Month by Month...

Freezer OAMC (Once A Month Cooking)...I'm using some recipes someone posted about that are on Recipezarr...and so far things are working great. I'll share the links to the recipes and tell you how my first mini chicken cooking session went. I am planning a mini ground beef session next so I'll be sharing that also.
Clutter Clutter Clutter...this is the absolute KEY to a clean house....well....decluttering is the key...We are going to take a ruthless approach here at Month by Month and part of it will involve the closet...and clothing pods...so Autumn wardrobes...beware...!!!

Autumn Notebook Challenge Week Two

2009-09-13T17:32:00.003-05:00

Autumn Notebook Challenge Week Two: September

Okay....a few days behind putting up this information but according to our schedule, week two is the time to work on September. Since we are halfway throught the month, we are playing a little catch up on this one. In a way this can be good because as the month unfold, you can see the things that need to be included in this section.

Possiblities include:

School Events Calendar

List of Fall Gardening Chores

List of Home Chores/Seasonal for September

Notes for the beginning of the Halloween Countdown

Any Local Events to Attend

Birthday Ideas and/or Ideas for the First Day of Fall

Inventory of Autumn Decor

Colorful Ideas: Fun Things for Yourself this month

MHH Forums are Down

2009-09-03T17:25:00.002-05:00

UPDATE:

At first I thought the problem was something I had done in managing the boards but after careful analysis by three knowledgable people, it has been determined to be a site failure of unknown origins. We are looking at ways to get the boards back up and running but I am not sure of the time that will take or exactly how they will be re-created. Continue to watch this page for further details.

Ginger

Week One Updates

2009-09-03T06:16:00.001-05:00

How are you proceeding with week one? Have you made some decisions about your notebook? Have you printed sheets and put the dividers in your notebook? Time's a ticking so get busy!!!

Autumn Notebook Challenge: Week One

2009-09-01T05:59:00.003-05:00

It's time to get started. First an overview and some ideas to ponder. Then you will need to make a decision about how to set up your notebook.

There are lots of ways to set up the notebook, so first you need to ask yourself what you want this notebook to accomplish/do. Is it primarily an archive of Fall Stuff? Is it a three month household notebook? Is it a combination? Do you see it as a daily working notebook or a special events notebook? Try to fine tune your ideas about the notebook because thay will direct you in the best method for setting up your notebook.

I am going to share my set up. It may work for you or you may choose to go a whole different direction.

Inside the notebook:

Front sheet that says Autumn..behind it I will place my notebook table of contents at the end of this challenge. It will come last then I will not have to keep redoing it every time I think of something new.
September Divider and behind it are three sections: Home and Garden, Holidays & Events, and Celebrating
October (same as above)
November (same as above)

Here are some ideas for things to go behind the sections:

Home and Garden: Calendars, Home Checklist, Seasonal Chores Checklist, Garden Checklist, Journal page for September for dreaming about home and garden, Ideas from magazine or online pertaining to home and garden in the fall, back to school stuff, monthly menu plans, etc.
Holidays & Events: Any holidays for that month, local events, quick get away ideas for the month, party ideas, birthday plans, journal page
Celebrating: Decor ideas, traditions, themes you may use, ideas to make your life colorful, journal page, hobbies and craft ideas to try, fun little things to celebrate me, etc

Now I have decided to organizing mine monthly...three months and behind each month the three sections BUT you could organize it by the three sections: Home and Garden, Holidays and Events, and the Celebrating and behind each of those place the three months. It's a personal choice. Or some may decide to do sections for Crafts, Holidays, Home, Hobbies, etc. Doesn't matter. What does matter is getting started. So get busy...pick a way and pull the cover sheets and sections together. Later we will add the "goodies" .

Autumn Notebook Challenge

2009-08-29T09:22:00.004-05:00

Okay...we are all set for the Autumn Notebook Challenge...right? Right? Well if not ...get out there and get your notebook and dividers....September 1st is coming up on Tuesday....so out weekly challenges will post EVERY TUESDAY in September...and by the end of the motnh you will have your notebook set up and ready to use for the fall season this year and every year!!

Week One: September 1st: Overview of the sections/items/set up.

Week Two: September 8th: The Month of September

Week Two: September 15th: The Month of October

Week Three: September 22nd: The Month of November

Week Four: September 29th: Catching up and Pulling it all together

As I mentioned, I'll be working the challenge with you...so let's pull together a great resource.

Autumn Notebook

2009-08-25T05:58:00.006-05:00

It's almost September first...and time to be thinking about the Autumn Notebook Challenge here at Month by Month. Yes you heard me right...a notebook challenge...each week during September I will post a short list of things to do in setting up your Autumn Notebook. Your CHALLENGE is to do them each week and by the end of the month. You will have a great notebook set up for the fall season!

Right now is a GREAT time to buy notebooks. I picked up a lovely orange one at Walmart. It is a clearview so I can use the cover sheets from Melinda's site to jazz it up a bit. I created my own spine insert for it...and it's ready to rock and roll! My notebook is only partially set up so I'll be joining you in the challenge also.

PRE CHALLENGE LIST:

1. Get a notebook
2. Be brainstorming ideas for sections
3. Create or Buy dividers

Here's a little hint: I set mine up as months...so inside the notebook I have a section for September, October, and November. Then behind each of those I have sections called: Home & Garden, Holidays & Events. and Celebrating.

I'll talk more about the sections and what I am planning to include in them during the first week of September!

August Daily Focus List

2009-08-06T07:16:00.004-05:00

Each month, I plan to create a Daily Focus List for each week of the

month.

Using the framework of Move It Out Mondays, Track It Tuesdays, Wild Card Wednesday, Thirty Minute Thursdays and Fifteen Minute Fridays, it will alllow me to focus on the "hot spots" of my home. Those places that seem in constant need of attention or they accumulate and get out of control. I've been doing the daily focus for a bit but it seemed a little hit and miss....but by planning it for a whole month I am able to see a framework for taking care of little jobs that seem to be a thorn in my side!!!