~~October 2016~~Sew, it was the greatest Stitch Experience ever!~~Final Update 3/19/2017!

[Born 2B a Princess]

I am SO happy to have a three-day weekend. And I'll have a three day weekend again next weekend. Happy me!

My fingers are crossed that the repairs do turn out to be minor and that you'll have the vehicle back very, very quickly. That would be wonderful!

My car was making a strange noise this morning...turns out that the plastic weather stripping (?) around the front windshield on the passenger side has come loose and was flapping in the air as I drove. I hope this is something my husband can fix...if not, my car will have to go into the shop. Car repairs are not my favorite...

Have a great day!

 

[Texan]

Now I have cleaning guilt and frig guilt; I need to meal plan this weekend so maybe I should put frig clean out on my list of things to do. I know I should not complain, I am very blessed to have a job, but I get so tired of spending every Sat and Sun doing errands, washing clothes, and cleaning what I can cram in. It gets old at times. That's enough of that.

Glad to hear truck repairs were not as bad as feared. I just paid both Shane's and Tyler's Spring semester tuitions. Ugh. Speaking of a winding path; there is Tyler, who graduated with an engineering degree after 5 years of college, now at graduate school at 26 years old. Then Shane, hoo boy, he makes like interesting I just want him to be happy and find something that will keep his interest. I didn't have the opportunity to go to college either D; straight to work at 18 years old. So, to say I have been working a while puts it mildly. It is amazing to see how you found your talent at sewing and your path. I never, ever wanted to work in the legal field. I had a friend talk me into it when I was around 22. And here I am.

I keep forgetting to tell you Dorine. Your silhouettes sparked something in my brain. My Mom took my brother and I to DL when I was 8 years old; my first and only trip until I was around 34. I remember she had silhouettes done of us both, and they were hanging at their lake house for the longest time. I don't know where they went. I will have to ask my brother, who is usually clueless. I did not know they could do pets! Awesome.

Looking forward to more updates! And then maybe, maybe, maybe, some time this year your PTR for a January girls trip

Have a wonderful weekend D!!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Allison dropped a bomb on us this weekend... She's decided that she no longer wishes to continue cosmetology school... She loves it - but she hates working on other people... Soooo... now she is trying to figure out her next step regarding school... I'll keep you all updated... She has a plan - I am just not ready to make it public yet. Please understand though - Josh and I do support her in her decision and realize how hard it was for her to look inside herself to come to that realization, she loves the school portion so much, her classmates and teachers - so this is going to be a very difficult transition for her. Asking for prayers, that Allison can find the path that is right for her.

I would think that working on people's hair is a very intimate thing and not everyone would want to get that close to people. I wish her the best of luck on her future plans. At least now she knows what she doesn't want to do with her life.

Welcome home Sue!!! And to having your kitchen back - such a great feeling!!! I know - moving back in is a difficult chore isn't it??? I think we lived in our kitchen for a good month before I moved everything back in. LOL

I can't tell you how comforting it is to hear that you took a month to move back into your kitchen. I thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't want to rush in and move everything back the very moment I could.
Our kitchen and bathroom were finally finished yesterday. The construction foreman took their sign out of the yard, their lock box off the door, and we paid them the final payment. I moved my stuff into the bathroom last night and took my first shower in it this morning. We had a wand shower head put in and I love it.

Yes - we do plan to do the bathroom work ourselves - it will be a mess, and not one I am looking forward to - we just cannot justify paying someone to do the work that Josh can do himself - which means that it will take longer, but the price is right and we know it will be done right too. And thankfully, it's a small room - so hopefully it will go fast. I do feel like the hardest part to figure out will be the tub situation... whether we want to replace it - or have the porcelain redone...

It is nice that Josh is able to do all that work. Not everyone is that handy. My husband remodeled our second bathroom. It was originally a powder room next to the kitchen with a really big closet in it. He took out the big closet and installed a shower stall. He even did the tile and wallpaper himself. It was really great that he could do that at the time. But that was when he was in his forties and had a lot more time and energy for things like that. It was really nice that we were able to hire someone this time.

Have a great weekend Sue!!!

I am really looking forward to the weekend since I am finally ready to move 100% into the kitchen. I hope you have a nice weekend, too.

Truck update... We brought it into the shop on Wednesday night... We did hear from the mechanic right before close yesterday - as of now, it does not appear to be a major repair, as we had feared... Please keep your fingers crossed, as this would be really awesome!

I'm crossing my fingers that the repair is cheap. You need to save for a Disney trip in January.

I did a major clean and reorganization of our fridge yesterday morning - I've kind of been avoiding it... But since it was the day before grocery shopping day - I figured it was easier to clean an empty fridge rather than a full one... So, that's what I did. At least - you can tell - we eat what I buy, as Mother Hubbard's cupboards are BARE! LOL

Your frig looks great. I love the little bins you use. My new frig has those big, deep shelves like yours and I was able to create a "pickle" shelf just for my husband. Now he doesn't have to search through the whole frig for his favorite pickles.

 

[Sweetly]

Hi! Things have finally quieted down here. Everyone is back to school/work, and the house is all put back together. I have to admit I miss everyone being here.

So nice that you got to see your favorite photographer and they spend so much time with you. Ugh, on that nail polish. Work has been busy which is fine. Makes time go fast. I so looking forward to the warmer weather. Mind you it hasn't been that cold here.

So excited to here another trip in 2018!! Something to definitely look forward to. We will wait sometime before we make a definite decision on our trip this year. See what everyone will be doing etc...

Unfortunately, I must run back and work. I needed a little break to "catch up". Enjoy your three day weekend!

Hope Allison decides on what she wants to do.

 

[DMGeurts]

Glad that Allison discovered now that she didn't like her schooling. Can't wait to hear what she is going to do next.
Glad the truck doesn't seem to be the big job you were expecting.

I hurt my foot this morning. I was on a stepladder getting the last roll of paper towels. Had to use a stick to reach it, in the process of getting down, I missed a step and hurt the bottom of my foot.

Yes - it is much better that she decided now, rather than waiting until later.

Yah - the truck... Sigh. I'll talk about it below.

Oh no!!! I hope you are doing much better now!

She got me the Cinderellas Castle silver bracelet. I really like it. The only problem I have is putting it on and taking it off. I really have to stretch it to do so. I feel like I am going to break it. Hopefully it will loosen up a bit.
Praying that your truck is cheaper to fix than you thought.
Love the picture of V and Cooper! So cute! Our golden retriever does that with her paw too. Especially when she is wanting some attention.
Hope you have a great weekend!

I love that one - what a fun gift!!! Alex and Ani bracelets are meant to expand... So grab it on each side of where the wires overlap and pull - it will lock open so you can put it on, then you can just give it a squeeze to make it small again. Hope that helps.

I'll talk about the truck below... Sigh...

Hehehe... Gotta love Cooper - he is a NUT! LOL

Thanks! Same to you!

It's good that Allison fond out that she didn't like working on people before she finished school.
V.'s parade experience was horrible. I would have completed freaked out. I don't like people that I don't know too close to me.
You can come over and clean my house anytime you want. My vacuum cleaner quit working on Sunday and I have to get a new one. In the mean time, I'm using the little shark. It does pick up the cat hair, though.
That's good news about the truck. Hopefully you get it back soon.
I've been busy working on quilting the quilt I pieced together and crocheting an afghan. Work is slow right, now which is nice. We've been cleaning every thing that doesn't move.
Have a good day
Liz

Yes - it's better that she made the decision now, rather than later.

I agree - she is big on personal space... It was a tough night for that. LOL

Bummer about your vacuum... If it makes you feel any better - ours is temporarily on the fritz too... Josh accidentally sucked up a sock in the bedroom the other day - one of the "safety features" is that the vacuum will disengage the brush motor until you reset it (it's a Dyson)... So, now I need to go online to read how to reset it... I should do that now while I am thinking about it - my living room hasn't been vacuumed all week! LOL I sure hope you are able to get a new vacuum soon!

Yah - the truck... I'll talk about that beast below...

I hope you are making good progress on the quilt... Such a fun winter activity!

I hope you have a nice weekend Liz!

Sounds like you are in a good flow eating fantastic and doing excellent in your sewing room Keep up the good work.

Crossing my fingers that the mechanic doesn't find anything more wrong with the truck so it turns into a major repair and that you will have the car back home today.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend

Thank you - I am doing pretty well... I've decided to just try to concentrate on some smaller goals and that is helping me stay focused.

I will talk about the truck below... It's not looking good after all. Sad to report.

Thank you Lillian - same to you!

After looking at your frig picture I went and looked at mine. I may adopt the condiment tote idea. Sending good thoughts that your truck repair won't be as bad as you feared. For me, that would be a huge relief and would feel like I just came into a windfall - haha! Would love to see you start a Jan. PTR!

That condiment tote thing is new to us... I think I may have seen the idea a while ago on Pinterest - though when I decided to do it the other day - it was just because I was looking for some way to contain that mess. Hopefully this works well... Last week, when we had salads with dinner, I had salad dressings all over the fridge - it was like a giant Where's Waldo game... So, hopefully having them all together now - will make life a little easier?

Thank you - I sure hope so, though it isn't looking very promising anymore... I'll talk about it a little bit below.

I am SO happy to have a three-day weekend. And I'll have a three day weekend again next weekend. Happy me!

My fingers are crossed that the repairs do turn out to be minor and that you'll have the vehicle back very, very quickly. That would be wonderful!

My car was making a strange noise this morning...turns out that the plastic weather stripping (?) around the front windshield on the passenger side has come loose and was flapping in the air as I drove. I hope this is something my husband can fix...if not, my car will have to go into the shop. Car repairs are not my favorite...

Have a great day!

I bet - that is very nice, especially coming off of your vacation time... To go into work, knowing that you had a 3 day weekend coming up... Niiiiiice.

Yah - the truck... I"ll talk about it below...

Hopefully your DH can fix that piece... I also hate car repairs... They are soooo expensive!!!

Now I have cleaning guilt and frig guilt; I need to meal plan this weekend so maybe I should put frig clean out on my list of things to do. I know I should not complain, I am very blessed to have a job, but I get so tired of spending every Sat and Sun doing errands, washing clothes, and cleaning what I can cram in. It gets old at times. That's enough of that.

Glad to hear truck repairs were not as bad as feared. I just paid both Shane's and Tyler's Spring semester tuitions. Ugh. Speaking of a winding path; there is Tyler, who graduated with an engineering degree after 5 years of college, now at graduate school at 26 years old. Then Shane, hoo boy, he makes like interesting I just want him to be happy and find something that will keep his interest. I didn't have the opportunity to go to college either D; straight to work at 18 years old. So, to say I have been working a while puts it mildly. It is amazing to see how you found your talent at sewing and your path. I never, ever wanted to work in the legal field. I had a friend talk me into it when I was around 22. And here I am.

I keep forgetting to tell you Dorine. Your silhouettes sparked something in my brain. My Mom took my brother and I to DL when I was 8 years old; my first and only trip until I was around 34. I remember she had silhouettes done of us both, and they were hanging at their lake house for the longest time. I don't know where they went. I will have to ask my brother, who is usually clueless. I did not know they could do pets! Awesome.

Looking forward to more updates! And then maybe, maybe, maybe, some time this year your PTR for a January girls trip

Have a wonderful weekend D!!!

Hahaha - no need for the guilt! We all do the best we can! I am just trying to get a handle on some things in our house that have been outta whack for a while... The pantry was one (which I reorganized right after Christmas), and the fridge was next... I really need to also re organize our cabinets... When we moved back in last summer - I just kind of put everything back where it used to be - and I think it could be a little better thought out... We'll see. Not only that - but when we moved Dad into assisted living a few years ago - I inherited a lot of his stuff... So, I think I need to sort through everything and maybe make a box for the girls - because eventually - they may venture off on their own?

I cannot imagine working full-time out of the home, I've been very fortunate over the years that I have only had to work part time... When the girls were little - I made more $$ staying home (theoretically) because we didn't have to pay for daycare... Then when they went to school - I only worked during school hours... And then eventually, I began working almost-full-time from home... Which sometimes makes things difficult here - because I know there are things that need tending in the house, and I am here... Yet - my work still needs to get done. Which is why I am really picky about my schedule and adhering to it... I have work time, home time, work out time... And if things don't get done with in those time zones - I am outta luck... Or I have to take the time from my "me time" and that really sucks. LOL So, I try not to.

Ahhhh... The truck... Let's try not to get the cart before the horse... I'll talk about it below...

It's amazing the winding path our roads take us on, isn't it? I look back at when Josh and I first met, and our careers at that time... Life put many choices in our path - yet overall, I am happy with the way things went... We had our fair share of some pretty hard times, I remember when the girls were first born, and we were so broke that we couldn't afford to feed ourselves... But we sacrificed and we learned... and here we are... Not rich by any means - but both of us work hard and we do the best we can. Our children will find their own winding path, and hopefully end up in a place that makes them happy - or at the very least - content with life.

That is so cool Carol!!! I sure hope that they aren't lost and you are able to find them! That would be such a cool memory to have!

We'll see about the Jan trip... I am pretty sure I still have a few months before discounts are up... I hope.

Have a wonderful weekend Carol!

I would think that working on people's hair is a very intimate thing and not everyone would want to get that close to people. I wish her the best of luck on her future plans. At least now she knows what she doesn't want to do with her life.

I can't tell you how comforting it is to hear that you took a month to move back into your kitchen. I thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't want to rush in and move everything back the very moment I could.
Our kitchen and bathroom were finally finished yesterday. The construction foreman took their sign out of the yard, their lock box off the door, and we paid them the final payment. I moved my stuff into the bathroom last night and took my first shower in it this morning. We had a wand shower head put in and I love it.

It is nice that Josh is able to do all that work. Not everyone is that handy. My husband remodeled our second bathroom. It was originally a powder room next to the kitchen with a really big closet in it. He took out the big closet and installed a shower stall. He even did the tile and wallpaper himself. It was really great that he could do that at the time. But that was when he was in his forties and had a lot more time and energy for things like that. It was really nice that we were able to hire someone this time.

I am really looking forward to the weekend since I am finally ready to move 100% into the kitchen. I hope you have a nice weekend, too.

I'm crossing my fingers that the repair is cheap. You need to save for a Disney trip in January.

Your frig looks great. I love the little bins you use. My new frig has those big, deep shelves like yours and I was able to create a "pickle" shelf just for my husband. Now he doesn't have to search through the whole frig for his favorite pickles.

Exactly!!! I never realized how intimate it was until Allison started doing it... but you are right - it is.

Nope... It's not strange at all... To be honest - I think what took me so long is that I kind of enjoyed living with the bare minimum in there... So moving everything back in there as a bit overwhelming - both the process and just having it there. Like I said above - when we moved Dad into assisted living, I inherited many of his kitchen items - so, my cupboards are bursting... I think what I need to do (next project maybe?) is to go through my kitchen and pack up a box for the girls to fight over... I think I have 4 or 5 pyrex glass cake pans with the lids... Nice to have, but I survived for MANY years with just one... I think I could spare a couple for the girls? LOL

I hope that moving back into your kitchen this weekend goes well - and you are just able to sit there and enjoy your space and all the hard work.

Yes - it's nice that Josh can do it... However - I don't know how many more full remodel jobs his body will be able to handle? He will be 47 this year - and while he is still a pretty young guy - we always have to be careful with his back... Due to the nerves being burned off - he sometimes doesn't know that he's injured himself. I have a feeling that this will be his last big job... Thankfully - this is the last big job in this house. We still have some remodeling to do in our master area - though it won't be nearly the back breaking work that I fear the main bathroom will be...

Thanks - I think I put the cart in front of the horse regarding the truck...

Thanks! I've love to get different bins - these are just the cheap plastic shoe bins... I think they are $1 each or something like that? If this works out - I will invest in better ones which take up less space.

Awesome about the pickle shelf! I was surprised - I used to have a pickle shelf too - though not because I wanted one... It just seemed that everyone kept opening jars of pickles with out bothering to look in the fridge first... I was very happy to discover when I cleaned out the fridge the other day that I only had one jar open! WIN! LOL

Have a great weekend Sue!

Hi! Things have finally quieted down here. Everyone is back to school/work, and the house is all put back together. I have to admit I miss everyone being here.

So nice that you got to see your favorite photographer and they spend so much time with you. Ugh, on that nail polish. Work has been busy which is fine. Makes time go fast. I so looking forward to the warmer weather. Mind you it hasn't been that cold here.

So excited to here another trip in 2018!! Something to definitely look forward to. We will wait sometime before we make a definite decision on our trip this year. See what everyone will be doing etc...

Unfortunately, I must run back and work. I needed a little break to "catch up". Enjoy your three day weekend!

Hope Allison decides on what she wants to do.

Welcome back and happy to hear that life has settled down a little bit for you.

Maybe another trip in 2018??? We'll see... Many things have to fall into place, as usual for it... Not only truck repairs, but girls' schedules too... It might be tough to make the time...

Thanks for stopping by - and saying hi... It's always nice to see you here! Take care and have a nice weekend!

*******************************************************************************************************

First off - the truck.... Ugh!!! I should have known better than to get excited... Upon further inspection - it appears that it might be the catalytic converter??? And we aren't sure if Josh's truck has just one or two... Josh did research last night - and it looks like parts alone will run about $600... If we are lucky... So, it appears that this will not be a cheap repair. Perhaps cheaper than a full motor rebuild (which is what we initially feared) - yet not as cheap as we had hoped. Our mechanic is working today (for which we better NOT be charged weekend prices - because we explicitly told him that we were in NO hurry to get it back)... So we should have more answers today - maybe? Fingers still crossed.

Yesterday - I did my heavy lifting which I was supposed to do on Thursday... I am feeling in in my shoulders and back today - which is always good, as I know I worked hard enough.

And then Allison and I went grocery shopping... I did very good and I stayed within budget - which is a win for me. We started off at Target... Then Allison had to hit Ulta quick... Then we shopped at Aldi - I love Aldi!!! We would not be able to eat nearly as well if it wasn't for that store... $60 buys a LOT of produce! I ignore that whole processed food aisle when you first walk in - and I go straight to the produce section - where I buy a gazillion of everything. I also buy their take n' bake pizza - traditionally our dinner on grocery shopping nights - and we like their pizza sauce better than Papa Murphy's. Although - I didn't eat their pizza this time, as I am trying to avoid eating things like that right now.

While we were out - we decided we were hungry - would you believe, it's been WEEKS since I've stepped foot into a Chipotle??? LOL Allison was kind enough to take this beautiful picture of me... LOL It doesn't get much more "real" than this... And side note: When lemons aren't available - I opt for limes.

We also picked V up an hour early from school - she had a rough day yesterday... It was blood drive day at school, and since she is over 16, she can give blood... Poor kid - both girls were blessed with my veins - which are terrible... V was poked 4 different times - each time (as usual) her veins rolled, so they moved the needle around in her arm trying to chase the veins... It's quite painful when they do this... Anyways - they finally found a vein, and then V was only able to give a half of a bag of blood... Since it wasn't a full bag - they threw it all out... So all of that for nothing. She was so upset - I can't say I blame her - it would have been one thing to suffer for a good outcome - knowing she was being useful and helping someone... but to go through all of that, only to have them throw it away. By the time I picked her up from school - her arm was swollen and starting to bruise. A reminder to myself, to remind my girls how much they suffer when they give blood - so they can decide if it's worth it to them.

Anyways - we came home and I put away groceries... Which took forever, it seemed.

I also decided to try to rearrange my coffee space... I purchased a serving plate yesterday (which is going back, as I don't like it in this space) to put our coffee pot on - it's just the wrong shape/color/something... I'd love for this space to look nice, and be "put together" yet still functional... It's difficult. I still have hopes of doing a coffee bar on the other side of the room - like we had originally intended when we remodeled - if I can ever find the right cabinet... Anyways - before and after...

Before with the new plate:

And after - what I decided to do until I can find something better... (I wish I could remember where I stashed that canister lid - I took it off to store utincils in - and now I can't remember which "safe" hiding spot I put it in - UGH! I hate that! LOL)

And then I was lazy for most of the night... Josh decided we should go up to bed early and watch a movie - so we streamed Alice Through the Looking Glass... It was a surprisingly good movie - I feel asleep for the last 30 min or so, but I did wake to see the ending.

Today... I don't have much on my radar. I may try to do a TR update? I may also work upstairs for a while? I know, for sure - I plan to pack up my fall decor items... When I took them down to set up Christmas, I just put them in my office... I kept meaning to grab boxes from work - then I continued to forget... I finally have boxes - so I will pack all of it up, and get it put away in the closet.

That's about all... I hope you all have a nice weekend - stay safe - stay warm... Those of you in the path of the ice storm especially... Sending out prayers and pixie dust!

D~

 

[Terkina]

I'm so sorry to hear that it was bad news about the truck. Maybe it's time to start looking for a newer one.

How great that you was able to stay within your budget when grocery shopping.

Poor V. If it was me they couldn't find a vein and had to be poked several times I would have stopped them after their second time and told them to not try any more.

Your coffee space looks great.



Today the plan was to take the car to the parking house at one of the malls here in Tromsø so Ulf and I could be inside practice driving the wheelchair in and out of the car. The plan was also to get a Travelbug attached to the car, fix a rubber mat in the car and check the air pressure in the tires of the car and my manual wheelchair. We also had to go to a grocery store to get some jam. Well when we came down to the car in the garage the car was dead. It wouldn't start. At first we didn't understand what had drained the batteries, but then I noticed that I light in the ceiling was on. Ulf must have touched the button to turn the light on with his head yesterday when he was back there fixing something with my electrical wheelchair. Luckily the car was in the garage to we could put the charger cable in to the car and into the socket inn the wall, wait a few minutes and then try to start the car again.

After charging the car for a few minutes it started without a problem. But this meant that we should try to stop the car and start it again once outside of the garage. So Ulf had to drive since you have to stop the motor of the car to get the seat to move back and forth and I have to move the seat to be able to get in and out of the car and to get in the right position to drive. Since we assumed that we wouldn't have much power in the battery to get the lift in the car to work we decided it was best NOT to go and practice getting the wheelchair in and out of the car. We decided to go and check the tires of the car and wheelchair and go and buy the jam and not stop the motor on the car while we did this so we could get back home. When we came back home we started to charge the battery of the car. Now it will be charging for 24 hours. Lesson learned. Be sure to check that no lights are on when leaving the car.

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

I'm so sorry about the truck! That's frustrating. I hope the mechanic doesn't charge weekend prices and that it can be fixed for a reasonable amount. Mark replaced all of my spark plugs today and we need to look into get that plastic weatherstripping replaced. He doesn't think he can do that himself because the space is so tiny and he has large hands.

Good for you for getting your lifting done!

Giving blood -- yikes! Good for your girls for being willing to do that! I am NOT -- nope, never. I had to have six or seven tubes of blood drawn yesterday at my doctor's appointment. Not fun. I hope V's arm feels better soon.

I like the way you have your coffee area set up. I think it looks great.

I love Aldi for produce -- I was there earlier today and got all the produce I need for this week, and then some...for around $62. Yea! And their berries have been really good lately, which is nice. The rest of my grocery shopping was at Target and Costco.

Biggest news for us -- Alyssa found her wedding dress today, and it fits perfectly and won't need a single alteration. Miracle! A friend of mine owns a bridal shop and so Alyssa went there with two of her roommates and ended up falling in love with the first dress she tried on (which we had ruled out when we saw it online while she was home...but in person, on her, it was absolutely stunning and perfect). So she was able to buy her dress, veil, and sash and they gave us a discount, which was absolutely wonderful. So that stress is over. If you're interested in seeing the dress, it's the "Dorian" dress at latterdaybride.com -- it's perfect on her. Whew!

 

[Ladyfish77]

Boo on the truck. I don't know if your DH does any of his own repair work, but my DH does most of our auto repairs. Check out rockauto.com they have really great prices on car parts. I know you said it was at the shop, but just throwing it out there in case they will let you bring them the parts and you can find a better deal.

Don't you hate it when you put something away in a safe place and discover it happens to be a portal to another dimension and you can't find it again until you aren't looking for it about two years later!

 

[branmuffin]

Hey! First of all, the picture of V and Cooper is SO CUTE! And don't ya just love when someone takes a pic of you eating?! I bet you were enjoying Chipotle so much that you didn't care, Lol! I am sorry about the truck. I hope it is an easier fix than what they said, but with vehicles.... uugghh. It is awesome that you are doing so well with your eating. I am on day 14 of W30. I know it's not in the book, but I think I'd like to name this stage "cranky pants". I do feel better overall, but I am just tired of cooking and frustrated at the food choices. We went out to eat last night- DH reconnected with an old USMC buddy who is now retired and is married to a Japanese lady here. We went to Yakiniku which is probably the best choice for this program as the meat and veggies come out uncooked & you get to cook everything yourself. I tried as best I could to eat only the things that were dry seasoned with no sauces. I felt like I didn't eat much, and I was so hungry. I was a little upset because I wanted to enjoy myself but was holding back. There might have been a little cross-contamination with the seasonings, but I am not starting over. I did do the 30 Day Shred without the weights 2 days ago- MAN OH MAN! My legs were sore! If you have any doubt about how strong you are- the fact that you do that workout is proof to me that you are!! Today, I am going to go through some boxes & try to find my weights to do the phase 1 with weights. Tomorrow, we are taking the girls up to a mountain retreat where they have sledding. DH told me they also have an Onsen (you can look it up for full details). This one is for families, so you can wear a swimsuit after you are done sledding.... Yah... that is what I want- to be in a swimsuit... Traditional Onsens are like public baths- I think this is more like a hottub? Yikes either way!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend and get some good news about the truck! I'm going to make some eggs......

 

[DMGeurts]

I'm so sorry to hear that it was bad news about the truck. Maybe it's time to start looking for a newer one.

How great that you was able to stay within your budget when grocery shopping.

Poor V. If it was me they couldn't find a vein and had to be poked several times I would have stopped them after their second time and told them to not try any more.

Your coffee space looks great.

Today the plan was to take the car to the parking house at one of the malls here in Tromsø so Ulf and I could be inside practice driving the wheelchair in and out of the car. The plan was also to get a Travelbug attached to the car, fix a rubber mat in the car and check the air pressure in the tires of the car and my manual wheelchair. We also had to go to a grocery store to get some jam. Well when we came down to the car in the garage the car was dead. It wouldn't start. At first we didn't understand what had drained the batteries, but then I noticed that I light in the ceiling was on. Ulf must have touched the button to turn the light on with his head yesterday when he was back there fixing something with my electrical wheelchair. Luckily the car was in the garage to we could put the charger cable in to the car and into the socket inn the wall, wait a few minutes and then try to start the car again.

After charging the car for a few minutes it started without a problem. But this meant that we should try to stop the car and start it again once outside of the garage. So Ulf had to drive since you have to stop the motor of the car to get the seat to move back and forth and I have to move the seat to be able to get in and out of the car and to get in the right position to drive. Since we assumed that we wouldn't have much power in the battery to get the lift in the car to work we decided it was best NOT to go and practice getting the wheelchair in and out of the car. We decided to go and check the tires of the car and wheelchair and go and buy the jam and not stop the motor on the car while we did this so we could get back home. When we came back home we started to charge the battery of the car. Now it will be charging for 24 hours. Lesson learned. Be sure to check that no lights are on when leaving the car.

Yes - maybe it is? We'll see... If we start looking for a new truck - it may be a LONG search... Among other things, Josh's list of requirements is quite specific and he is particular... Finding a truck that fits his requirements is sometimes exhausting - he searched for almost a year for the one he currently has. Phew! LOL We'll see, we are definitely keeping our eyes open - I didn't realize how many miles he had on it until we brought it in the other day, so it's getting close to that time for sure.

Yes - it was a great grocery shopping trip... I still have a few more items I need to get though.

I don't think V realized how painful it would be after - or what they were doing at the time. Poor kid... Surprisingly, she didn't bruise nearly as bad as Allison or I would have.

Thanks - I still have dreams of making it look better - but one thing at a time.

Yikes!!! That could have been a much worse lesson learned, thankfully you weren't stranded somewhere. I think you made a good choice to just go to places where you could leave the car running - then there was no danger of not being able to turn it back on again. Hopefully the 24 hour charging does it some good and your battery is still good after... I am not sure how your batteries are over there - but here, if they are drained like that, they never quite make it back to their full capacity... However - I've never had that happen on such a new battery, so maybe yours will bounce back easier? I hope so!

Have a great remainder of your weekend Lillian!

I'm so sorry about the truck! That's frustrating. I hope the mechanic doesn't charge weekend prices and that it can be fixed for a reasonable amount. Mark replaced all of my spark plugs today and we need to look into get that plastic weatherstripping replaced. He doesn't think he can do that himself because the space is so tiny and he has large hands.

Good for you for getting your lifting done!

Giving blood -- yikes! Good for your girls for being willing to do that! I am NOT -- nope, never. I had to have six or seven tubes of blood drawn yesterday at my doctor's appointment. Not fun. I hope V's arm feels better soon.

I like the way you have your coffee area set up. I think it looks great.

I love Aldi for produce -- I was there earlier today and got all the produce I need for this week, and then some...for around $62. Yea! And their berries have been really good lately, which is nice. The rest of my grocery shopping was at Target and Costco.

Biggest news for us -- Alyssa found her wedding dress today, and it fits perfectly and won't need a single alteration. Miracle! A friend of mine owns a bridal shop and so Alyssa went there with two of her roommates and ended up falling in love with the first dress she tried on (which we had ruled out when we saw it online while she was home...but in person, on her, it was absolutely stunning and perfect). So she was able to buy her dress, veil, and sash and they gave us a discount, which was absolutely wonderful. So that stress is over. If you're interested in seeing the dress, it's the "Dorian" dress at latterdaybride.com -- it's perfect on her. Whew!

Thanks - just looking at prices of the parts - if that's truly what is wrong with it - it's not going to be a cheap repair... I am thankful that we saved extra - so it won't hit us as hard as it could have.

Hopefully your DH can figure out a way to fix the weatherstripping without having to take it in. There's gotta be a way to use a screw driver or something? Carefully, of course.

Thanks - I am glad I did... I don't mind doing my Tuesday lifting - which includes dead lifts... But my Thursday lifting is squats - and as much as I love the results, I really detest doing them for some reason. LOL So, I tend to procrastinate a lot on those sets.

I agree - I dread when they need my blood... When I am at the Dr.s office - I always request their most experienced person available to draw my blood - they always give me a look like "yah right - it's not that difficult" - your veins are beautiful - and I am sure they are - then they get in there and have to dig around because my veins revolt the minute they see the needle - it's no fun really, afterwards the techs usually apologize to me for not believing me... It's incredibly rare that they ever get me on the first stick.

That is so exciting about Alyssa's dress - what a relief to all of you to have that part done and with a discount too! I did go take a peek at it, and it is beautiful - and it will be beautiful on her! I cannot wait to see pictures! Soooo... How many days left until the wedding? I cannot - for the life of me- remember when you said it is... I want to say May - but I could be soooo wrong. LOL

I hope you have a wonderful remainder of your weekend - and you are able to take some time for yourself.

Boo on the truck. I don't know if your DH does any of his own repair work, but my DH does most of our auto repairs. Check out rockauto.com they have really great prices on car parts. I know you said it was at the shop, but just throwing it out there in case they will let you bring them the parts and you can find a better deal.

Don't you hate it when you put something away in a safe place and discover it happens to be a portal to another dimension and you can't find it again until you aren't looking for it about two years later!

He does do very limited repair work on his vehicles, to be honest though - he doesn't like to do it himself. He fears he isn't too good at it and it's never been an enjoyable experience for him. I will definitely pass along the info though and tell him to go see how much his parts will cost there... I am almost certain that our mechanic may have issues with us bringing our own parts in - there could possibly be some warranty issues there... I'll definitely ask though - it doesn't hurt. Thanks for the idea!

Hahahaha... This is my life! LOL I know I have that lid somewhere...

Hey! First of all, the picture of V and Cooper is SO CUTE! And don't ya just love when someone takes a pic of you eating?! I bet you were enjoying Chipotle so much that you didn't care, Lol! I am sorry about the truck. I hope it is an easier fix than what they said, but with vehicles.... uugghh. It is awesome that you are doing so well with your eating. I am on day 14 of W30. I know it's not in the book, but I think I'd like to name this stage "cranky pants". I do feel better overall, but I am just tired of cooking and frustrated at the food choices. We went out to eat last night- DH reconnected with an old USMC buddy who is now retired and is married to a Japanese lady here. We went to Yakiniku which is probably the best choice for this program as the meat and veggies come out uncooked & you get to cook everything yourself. I tried as best I could to eat only the things that were dry seasoned with no sauces. I felt like I didn't eat much, and I was so hungry. I was a little upset because I wanted to enjoy myself but was holding back. There might have been a little cross-contamination with the seasonings, but I am not starting over. I did do the 30 Day Shred without the weights 2 days ago- MAN OH MAN! My legs were sore! If you have any doubt about how strong you are- the fact that you do that workout is proof to me that you are!! Today, I am going to go through some boxes & try to find my weights to do the phase 1 with weights. Tomorrow, we are taking the girls up to a mountain retreat where they have sledding. DH told me they also have an Onsen (you can look it up for full details). This one is for families, so you can wear a swimsuit after you are done sledding.... Yah... that is what I want- to be in a swimsuit... Traditional Onsens are like public baths- I think this is more like a hottub? Yikes either way!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend and get some good news about the truck! I'm going to make some eggs......

Hahaha... I admit - when Allison was taking that picture - I knew she was taking it and a purposely gave her a growly face. LOL So - that picture is a bit over exaggerated. It was very nice to have lunch at Chipotle - it's been too long!

Yes - the truck... It's a bummer, but it is what it is... I think we will start to look for a new one - for the time being though, I think we'll just have to take a loss on this one and fix it - which is a bummer, I feel like it's had problems since day one - but Josh doesn't like to admit it... I still remember the day we drove it home from the dealership - it started hesitating and bucking... I told him to bring it back and make them figure it out - he never did and it turned out to be a minor repair (spark plugs) which costed us $800 to replace, because on this particular truck they are difficult. Grrrrr... And since then - because he puts on so many miles - changing spark plugs to the tune of $800 yearly... It's a bit excessive. I try not to be annoyed by that, but I am... I feel like the cost of maintenance work should be a factor when trying to decide on a vehicle to purchase.

WTG you!!! That is a HUGE accomplishment! When things like that came up while doing my strict W30 - I just told myself that this wasn't a lifetime change, and I only had to limit these things for 30 days - that helped a bit with my annoyance... Just knowing it would be over soon... At the same time - knowing that you said no to something tempting is very empowering too!!! I am very proud of you - you are doing great!!!!

I still eat a lot of eggs - they are easy - quick - and I still like them a lot. LOL Although - I did go through a period, last summer, where I just wasn't feeling eggs too much. You are over half-way there! You can do this!!!

I hope you have a great remainder of your weekend!

**********************************************************************************************************

We did not hear anything on the truck yesterday - so we have no idea if the mechanic worked on it or not... So, no updates there.

I spent my morning being lazy on Pinterest and FB... Around 10am, I started to get bored and anxious...

I went upstairs to tackle more of our master closet... I've been working on it intermittently over the last week or so. Josh and I sorted our bedroom together last weekend - cleaned, organized, DONATED a ton of clothes and stuff... It was such a good feeling. Our master closet though was way out of hand. I went up with the intention of just doing one shelf where I store my tees/tanks/jeans... And before I knew it - I had not only done the shelf, but my entire dresser inside and out... I donated soooo much more stuff - I didn't realize how many clothing items I had! It felt really good to go through it all and purge. This task was not on my radar at all - this has nothing to do with any New Years resolutions (I don't have any) or anything like that - it's just me being in the mood to do it. I feel like it's part of my empty nest process - even though my nest isn't empty yet.

I do have to reset the brush on the Dyson though - because Josh accidentally sucked up a sock last weekend and a safety feature of our vacuum is that it stops the brush... Once I get that reset - I can get our closet vacuumed. It's such a great feeling to have this task done!

The next step will be a deep clean of the entire space... It's always the last space to be cleaned, since no one goes in there, except for us - of course. I do have dreams of finishing the space too - one day - it's our last room of windows that need trim... And then paint - it's still painted the same color as was there when we moved in 10+ years ago, and it's a color I've never really liked (or hated)...

Anyways... I am just rambling now... Sorry... :rollseyes:

Last night - we went out for dinner... V was at work, so Josh, Allison and I walked down to the local bar - Josh wanted a burger and both Allison and I had salads. It was a good and satisfying meal.

I was in bed by 7:30, I read for a while... Josh stayed up to watch the Wild play, and I was sound asleep when he came to bed - so I have no idea what time the game ended?

I have nothing on my schedule for today... Except vacuuming our closet... I may get started on my deep clean up there too - but I won't devote too much time to it yet. I may or may not get brave and show pictures here when I am done... We'll see? I don't have any befores - because it was so terrible... LOL So, maybe the after won't be that impactful - we'll see? LOL

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Sending prayers and pixie dust out to all of you!

D~

 

[Terkina]

How great that you got to clean your closet and donate some clothes. I really should be doing that myself because I know I have a lot of clothes I never use in there that is just taking up space.

I hope you get your vacuum brush reset so you can use it again.


I hope my battery on the car is OK. I went out for a drive today to see if the parking lot at the mall was open so I could practice getting the wheelchair in and out of the car. The parking lot was open but dark. So I just drove back home and started charging the batteries of the car again.

 

[Clio]

Sorry about the truck. My last car was always having some sort of weird problem. Luckily my nephew is a mechanic and would fix it just for the cost of the parts. That's why I got rid of it and bought my Dodge
Congrats on cleaning out your closet. That's a big job. I need to do that one of these days between work and all my projects. I'm glad your vacuum has a reset button. It makes it easy to fix the problem. Mine is just dead.
Today we're supposed to go down to the outlets to find something for my niece's baby shower. The outlets are on the street I live off of only 30 minutes south. It's a nice drive in the country most of the way.
That picture of V. and Cooper is so cute. Sorry about her problems donating blood. They always have problems finding veins on me, too.
Enjoy your weekend
Liz

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Good for you on getting more work done in your closet. I need to do that...I was missing something this morning and was sure it was in my closet...I had forgotten what a mess my closet is right now. That's where I put all of the Christmas gifts leading up to Christmas and it's a huge mess. Maybe I'll work on that tonight....

Alyssa's dress really is gorgeous. I'm so relieved she found something that she loves and that fits her. She's out shopping for shoes for the wedding today. She wanted to wear flats but with this dress she'll have to wear heels.

I have the same problem with blood draws -- I always tell them to use the smallest needle possible. My veins look great until they try to place the needle -- then they roll, disappear, and blow out. It's awful. I'm grateful that Friday's blood draw went very, very well. I was pleasantly surprised and very grateful.

My sister gave Brie the Sprinkles baking cookbook for Christmas and so of course Brie is trying to bake her way through that...yummy but but not good for my eating plan! She's made four types of cupcakes in the last 8-10 days...a couple of batches were for friends' birthdays, but still -- we don't need cupcakes in the house. I'm hoping she lays off the baking for a little while!

Have a great day!

 

[branmuffin]

Well, I was able to read a few days ago on my phone, but couldn't reply. Our wifi router went out on Sunday, and Monday was a holiday, so we couldn't get it replaced until Tuesday. It's back now, though, and so am I!
I sure hope you have been able to make some progress with your truck this week. It sounds like you really got into the closet cleaning! Sometimes when the mood strikes, you just have to go with it! I think an after picture would be great. I will just imagine that it looked as bad as my closet currently looks and that will be a heavenly transformation if you can see a floor, LOL.

You probably saw on FB where we went sledding on Monday. It was a 30 mi drive that took us about 3 hours. An hour of that was figuring out how to put snow chains on our tires. Luckily someone with us was from Idaho and very experienced with cold weather driving. Anyway, we soon discovered that they do not maintain the roads here in Japan like they do in the states, at least not in rural areas like ours. We have a little car, and we did a complete 360 spin on a mountain road. My heart was in my throat. I was so stressed. I did eat a Larabar after that, which I guess is "stress eating" but at least it's compliant. We had fun, but whew! I will not go back up there in our little car!

I've done the phase 1 30 day shred twice this week. It is really a killer! I know I said that before, but MAN!

I hope you are having a good week!

 

[DMGeurts]

How great that you got to clean your closet and donate some clothes. I really should be doing that myself because I know I have a lot of clothes I never use in there that is just taking up space.

I hope you get your vacuum brush reset so you can use it again.


I hope my battery on the car is OK. I went out for a drive today to see if the parking lot at the mall was open so I could practice getting the wheelchair in and out of the car. The parking lot was open but dark. So I just drove back home and started charging the batteries of the car again.

Yes - it felt really good - it's so nice to walk through there now and see how much space there is - it was really starting to feel closed in!

Yup - vacuum is back in business and floors are done... I probably need to do them again actually.

I hope your car is doing well and the battery is no longer an issue.

Sorry about the truck. My last car was always having some sort of weird problem. Luckily my nephew is a mechanic and would fix it just for the cost of the parts. That's why I got rid of it and bought my Dodge
Congrats on cleaning out your closet. That's a big job. I need to do that one of these days between work and all my projects. I'm glad your vacuum has a reset button. It makes it easy to fix the problem. Mine is just dead.
Today we're supposed to go down to the outlets to find something for my niece's baby shower. The outlets are on the street I live off of only 30 minutes south. It's a nice drive in the country most of the way.
That picture of V. and Cooper is so cute. Sorry about her problems donating blood. They always have problems finding veins on me, too.
Enjoy your weekend
Liz

Yes - the truck... Sigh, still no news.

It was a big job - though I am so glad it's done, it really feels good to have the space so much more open and organized - I can actually find everything!

I hope you have your new vacuum by now...

I hope you had fun at the outlets and were able to find what you wanted to get for a gift.

V is much better now - no mention of her arm being sore or the bruises - they were already yellow the last time I looked.

Thanks - I hope you are having a nice week!

Good for you on getting more work done in your closet. I need to do that...I was missing something this morning and was sure it was in my closet...I had forgotten what a mess my closet is right now. That's where I put all of the Christmas gifts leading up to Christmas and it's a huge mess. Maybe I'll work on that tonight....

Alyssa's dress really is gorgeous. I'm so relieved she found something that she loves and that fits her. She's out shopping for shoes for the wedding today. She wanted to wear flats but with this dress she'll have to wear heels.

I have the same problem with blood draws -- I always tell them to use the smallest needle possible. My veins look great until they try to place the needle -- then they roll, disappear, and blow out. It's awful. I'm grateful that Friday's blood draw went very, very well. I was pleasantly surprised and very grateful.

My sister gave Brie the Sprinkles baking cookbook for Christmas and so of course Brie is trying to bake her way through that...yummy but but not good for my eating plan! She's made four types of cupcakes in the last 8-10 days...a couple of batches were for friends' birthdays, but still -- we don't need cupcakes in the house. I'm hoping she lays off the baking for a little while!

Have a great day!

Hahaha - Yah - I found some Christmas gifts when I was cleaning out the closet... Webkinz... The receipt was dated 5/1/09! Bahhahaha!!! The girls weren't exactly thrilled when I gave them their "belated Christmas gifts"... They were so old that when V logged into her ancient Webkinz accout - the codes were expired. LOL

Hopefully you were able to make some headway on your closet?

I am so excited for Alyssa - it seems to me, once you have the dress (and the groom) the wedding becomes more real!

Yup, same here... I hate having blood work done... Glad to hear that your last draw went well.

Oh wow... I would start giving those puppies away in a hurry!!! That temptation would be too great for me to resist.

I hope you are having a wonderful week!

Well, I was able to read a few days ago on my phone, but couldn't reply. Our wifi router went out on Sunday, and Monday was a holiday, so we couldn't get it replaced until Tuesday. It's back now, though, and so am I!
I sure hope you have been able to make some progress with your truck this week. It sounds like you really got into the closet cleaning! Sometimes when the mood strikes, you just have to go with it! I think an after picture would be great. I will just imagine that it looked as bad as my closet currently looks and that will be a heavenly transformation if you can see a floor, LOL.

You probably saw on FB where we went sledding on Monday. It was a 30 mi drive that took us about 3 hours. An hour of that was figuring out how to put snow chains on our tires. Luckily someone with us was from Idaho and very experienced with cold weather driving. Anyway, we soon discovered that they do not maintain the roads here in Japan like they do in the states, at least not in rural areas like ours. We have a little car, and we did a complete 360 spin on a mountain road. My heart was in my throat. I was so stressed. I did eat a Larabar after that, which I guess is "stress eating" but at least it's compliant. We had fun, but whew! I will not go back up there in our little car!

I've done the phase 1 30 day shred twice this week. It is really a killer! I know I said that before, but MAN!

I hope you are having a good week!

My week is so off from the holiday too...

No progress with the truck yet...

Hahaha - I wish I could show a picture... I don't think I can bring myself to do it though? We still have a lot of sheet rock and painting to do in our master area - and the one wall where we replaced the windows in our closet is the worst wall in the house... I'll see how brave I am? LOL But yes - I do have a floor - so that is a bonus... And I still have a LOT of clothes - I could stand to donate about 50 more bags. LOL It's a bit embarrassing.

Oh my gosh!!! I am so glad you all are OK - how scary that must have been!!! I saw your pictures on FB and it looked like everyone had a great time despite that. Great job handling that experience so well concerning your W30... What day are you on?

Yes - that 30DS is killer - personally - I think level 1 is the hardest of all of them. Level 2 is a TON of plank-work though, so that one isn't necessarily easy either... By the time you get to level 3, you are just used to the torture. Let's just say - I don't do 30ds, as a rule, unless I really need to kick my fitness into high gear (usually the month before trips - LOL)... Most of the time, I just do my heavy lifting and WATP - that's good enough for me. Good luck!!!

*********************************************************************************************************

Good morning everyone! My schedule is so off this week due to everyone being home on Monday for the holiday.

No news on the truck at all... I called the mechanic yesterday afternoon - and since Josh called him last week and told him not to "hurry" on it (as in, we don't want to pay weekend rates) - he took that to mean that we really weren't in a hurry to get it back and he could take his time. Sigh. As of yesterday - he was finishing up an "engine job" and we are next in line. It sure would be nice to have an accurate quote at this point, as we are still in "extreme save mode"...

However, being in "extreme save mode" isn't the worst thing in the world... It's been a very eye opening experience for me, and I've realized that I spend way too much on nothing. It's actually been kind of fun to see how much we can put away. I am pretty proud of us, to be honest. I am seriously considering staying on this path for as long as we can and see how far we can take it... We've been following Dave Ramsey for several years - though we've been very relaxed about it for a while now... Many things fall into place for us financially this year, we could tackle our debt hard core and truly make a large dent in it over the coming months... Many of you may not know this about me - but I am a HUGE budgeter - I am a little embarrassed to admit - I have our budget detailed and planned out through the end of 2019. I love seeing our $$ planned out... I budget for everything - I always have - groceries, gas, dog food... It's all in there. Is anyone else like this? Or am I just weird? LOL

Ok - enough about that...

What else is new this week? Not much... Allison has continued to make plans - which I am not sharing yet... I want to make sure she follows through before I say anything...

I continue to work out and work towards a healthier me... So far - I am back down to my pre holiday and pre Disney weight, which is good. I've set mini-goals for myself and it seems to be helping me stay motivated, and make good progress.

Since I am not going to town every single day - I am spending way more time at home and working... Which is making a huge difference two-fold... I am not spending $$ and I am making $$.

Anyways - if you cant' tell, I am trying to drag out this TR a bit... I do have my next updates ready to go though - I just need to write them out... I promise I will be working on those this weekend.

I miss you all - and hope you are all doing well. Sending prayers and pixie dust out to all of you!

D~

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Sorry the truck is taking so long. That's frustrating.

When it comes to money, I'm the opposite of you and it's terrible and has caused some problems. I'm terrified of it -- can't stand to think about it. I'm not kidding when I say it gives me massive anxiety to the point of panic attacks. I need to work on that....

I am working from home today...the inauguration has the transportation situation so messed up in DC that any people are teleworking. And I'm off tomorrow. Yea! I had a root canal yesterday so I didn't work at all yesterday. Feeling better today although my jaw is still sore. I have TMJ and anything that requires that I keep my mouth open for more than a few minutes results in me having a very sore jaw for a couple of days.

Good wishes to Allison as she figures out and sets forth on her next steps!

The wedding plans are coming along very nicely. Next up is airfare out to Utah...I am hoping it will drop lower than it currently is, but my parents really want me on the same flight with them and they want to buy their tickets now, when it's still at about $150 more than I want to spend. It looks like Mark and Brie will drive out -- that way all the wedding stuff we're ordering online can be shipped here so I can check it and make sure it's all the right colors, etc., and then they'll be able to drive it out to Utah. Otherwise we would have to send it to Alyssa who has absolutely no storage space in her college apartment, or one of my husband's family members but then I wouldn't be able to check it until I got to Utah and it would be too late to do anything about it if it wasn't right. Decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Have a great day!

 

[gopherdame]

Hoping Josh's truck isn't too bad. My husband took his in for 50,000 mile maintenance and it was $580. He really needs new tires but he doesn't drive it in the winter so it can wait until spring. We don't really have a budget at all, but luckily have been able to stay out of debt. It was tough when I became a stay at home mom, but I really didn't charge much back then. In fact we didn't have a major credit card until we needed one for our first Disney trip. It's kind of funny but my husband always paid all the bills and really watched our money very closely. About 10 years ago I took over paying everything online and I think he's happy to be done with it. I think I told you I am saving for new windows though. I hope to have at least half down and then use the free interest financing. We are skipping our trip next year. Good for you to be saving up and I don't think it's weird to budget everything out. It's what works for you. I find when I go out for a few things, I always find way too much stuff I don't need. So sometimes it's good to be stuck at home.

Only a week until our trip and I can't wait. We might leave a day early and just stay at a hotel for our first night. Right now they're talking snow on our first driving day and that makes us a little nervous. So we decided if it still looks like snow when it gets closer, we'll be ready to leave. It's kind of nice that the weather here is going to be so nice now, but then gets colder again when we leave. Last year we went at the end of Feb. and there was a day in the 60's here and my grandson sent me a picture of him in shorts.

I'm glad to hear Allison is taking the time to decide what she wants to do. Will be excited to hear what it is.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Car issues are my least favorite surprises I have to spend money on Three weeks before Disney I had to put brand new tires on my car because I got two unrepairable flats!! There went $700 and another $400 a week later when something in Rob's car went wrong. SIGH. I am definitely a budgeter, too!! So, I hate when things go wrong!! BUT I am usually pretty good at keeping a cushion for just in case.

The best news is I saved SO well for our trip this year that we actually came home with a lot of gift cards leftover AND an excess of cash we didn't end up spending. WOO HOO! Disney fund for the next trip is already in place I am thinking perhaps joining Arianna for the 5K in January 2018 or a Disney Cruise sometime next year.

 

[Clio]

Hope you get some news about the truck soon.
We had fun down at the outlets. It was cold, though. We found some cute stuff for the baby at the Carter's outlet and a couple of really soft fleece jackets at Northface. I did get a new vacuum from Walmart,course. My carpet really needed vacuuming after a week. The funny thing was that someone took the old one out of the trash after I took it out to the street on Monday night.
I'm still working on quilting the quilt. Other than that, nothing's going on.
Glad to hear that you're making progress with your weight loss and getting back into shape.
Have a good day
Liz

 

[Texan]

Good morning D; just popping to say hi! Enjoying your updates - except the news on the truck. Car repairs are the worst. DIL has a vehicle with a lot of miles on it and is starting to have problems; Tyler is pretty good at fixing the simple stuff. Hope you hear a price quote soon. I am so amazed at your budget; not weird at all but absolutely kudos to you. I preach to my sons all the time about if they have a credit card to put it on automatic payment and make sure it is paid every month. We have a CC that we charge everything on, only because of its rewards; but it is paid off each month. January is always a hard month with taxes due for 2 houses and 2 college tuition payments.

I wish I had your drive to clean out our closet; I so need to get in there and just start tossing. It seems everything gets thrown in there. Do you have a timeline for the bathroom remodel?

Hope to see a TR soon!

Hugs and prayers!!