Baby Steps

No announcements here, just a new approach to cleaning.  I met a mom at my daughters gymnastics last week, and she told me all about the flylady.  It's a website, or blog rather, about taking baby steps to organizing and cleaning your house.  Anyway, I decided to give it a go, so I'll update my progress.  Today is day one.  Her plan is very doable and stresses taking care of yourself without stressing out.  It's kind of a revolutionary idea to a stay at home kind of mom.

Drum roll please....My kids have been McDonalds free for six weeks.  The dining in diet has some other benefits besides saving money.  I really have learned the discipline of going home and it's good for all of us.  It forces us to not be on the go so much, and believe me, we are on the go enough.  The girls are really appreciative of whatever I make them as well which helps.  They don't always eat all of it, but they don't make faces either.  I have also looked at where we spend money in other places.  Recycled appliances can be a great thing.  My blender gave out this month and I got a new to me blender from Goodwell as well as a stainless steel thermo I had been meaning to purchase.  We also got a new (or new to us) Halloween costume from a secondhand store.  It was a beautiful dress, and really, when I was little we just used whatever we had around the house.  When did Halloween become so complicated?  My littlest wants to wear her "party dress".  Not sure what she is dressing up as, but as long as she wears a long sleeve shirt and leggings under it, it's fine.  In her mind, it's beautiful.

I do spare a little money for important things.  Trips to the apple orchard, for example.  Trips back for fresh fruit and hand pressed apple cider.  Every other week or so, I still treat myself to Starbucks or something of that nature.  It's still a treat.  I look forward to it more and it beats the heck out of the cost of going four times a week.