Now, I grew up with a gas dryer.  I remember a neighbor having a clothes line and when it rained, my mom let her use our dryer. The closest I ever came to line drying clothes was in a hotel room. (And does a pair of panty hose and underwear count?)

I stared at the box for quantity, I went ahead and typed in 2!  I ordered a portable clothes line for me too!  Why not give it a whirl? I always had delicates to wash.  My clothes line was delivered and my husband put it up. I had a brand new bag of clothes pins ready and waiting! I washed a load of underwear and bras and went outside to hang it.

A funny thing happened outside while I hung the panties on the line.  The sun was warm on my back as I stood there in the sun. The dogs were sitting calmly at my feet while I fastened clothes pins on the bras and panties. They actually looked cute hanging in the sun.  I wasn’t feeling rushed or as if I was doing a chore. I could hear my neighborhood buzzing about; a dog bark, a gardener’s lawn mower, birds chirping, the mail man’s cart approaching our home. Before I knew it, the entire load was on the line. It was a warm California day and the clothes were dry in about an hour.

I went out to take them off the line and again experienced a calmness as I folded each item and put it in the basket. It was easy and I felt, well… I felt accomplished! I have been drying my clothes on the line ever since.

It took some research and a few tries to figure out how to hang jeans, dress shirts and that socks are hung from the toes. I found the fabric softener I loved and realized that the sun bleached my dishtowels like Clorox never could.

No matter how busy and hectic my days are, I find that hanging clothes on the line calms me and slows me down.  As I hang Pilar’s favorite Hawaiian Punch graphic t-shirt, or her favorite white hoodie, I find myself thinking about her. I stop and reflect on her smile or her laugh. I always smile when I hang my husbands sexy briefs on the line. When no one is looking, I make them dance! And for some weird reason, I always get an even number of socks! Not one sock has gone to live with Jesus since I have been hanging laundry!

At the risk of sounding like a commercial, my laundry looks brighter and  smells fresher. No matter how hard or stressful a day has been, I look forward to the calming effect I get from hanging my laundry.

Here’s a link to the same one I have. This is Target’s version: http://www.target.com/Household-Essentials-Portable-Umbrella-Dryer/dp/B001H1GUXW/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

I learned so much about budgeting, party planning and crafting while I was a room mom and wanted to share some of those tips!    Here are ten tips for room moms and will also come in handy for any party planner on a budget.

I used my position as room mom to teach the children bout the world outside of theirs. We not only had parties,  we learned about other cultures, life styles and even did charity work.

Tip #1: Collect money from each student at the beginning of the year.  I planned on 30 dollars for the year and this would allow the children to have something once a month.  As a parent, you know that every time you turn around your child needs 5 dollars her and 10 dollars there.  It really cuts into your budget.  I sent a letter to the parents letting them know that this would be the only time I would collect.  I put the money in an envelope along with coupons from craft and party stores.

Tip #2: Set up your calender with the teacher at the beginning of the year.  This prevents any conflicts regarding dates.  Teachers have to schedule tests, presentations and in service dates, so be respectful of their schedules.  Also, ask the teacher if she can spare a shelf for your supplies.  Label all your supplies to avoid getting them mixed up with the teacher’s.

Tip #3: As a room mom, I wasn’t just a party planner.  I had a guest speaker come in every year to talk to the children.  One year I had my friend who was a professional stunt woman come in to demonstrate her  amazing skills and tell the children what her career was like.  I also had a friend who has been blind since the age of six.  He brought “cool blind man stuff” as he put it, to share with the students to teach them about how a blind person functions.  HE even brought his seeing eye dog and a few games for blind children their age.  Think outside the box!

Tip #4: Don’t just think about the world wide  or national holidays.  We celebrated and learned about cultures from around the world as we celebrated Chinese New Year and Mexican Independence Day. One of my favorite parties was a kick off for baseball season!  The kids wore baseball jerseys and caps and we played grammar baseball and watched Angels in the Outfield.  Lunch was hotdogs, chips, lemon aid and of course, cracker jack!

Tip #5: Make Big Lots and the dollar store some of your regular stops.  I often found all my paper goods for round  dollar!  I have picked up bare wreaths to decorate for 19 cents each, spools of ribbon for a quarter and craft items like stickers and paint for a song!  Go ahead and pick the table ware of the clearance rack…kids don’t mind the off beat colors!  Some of our parties were a hodgepodge of all the leftovers!

Tip #6: Ask for old daddy t or button down shirts for painting projects.  I kept them at home so I could wash them all at once and bring them back with me for project days.  Parents will love you for saving the wear and tear on school clothes or uniforms!

Tip #7: Invest in cupcake making supplies!   Long before Cupcake Wars took over the food network, room mothers everywhere knew cupcakes were the perfect dessert!   Restaurant supply stores have the 2 doz cupcake tin!  What a life saver!  You can get 24 done in 20 minutes!  I also invested in a cupcake carrier; it was one of the best buys I have made.  Keep an eye open for cupcake mixes and frostings  when they are  on sale and stock up on basic chocolate and vanilla.  I found great assortments of sprinkles on line.  I use them for family celebrations too!  They have a long shelf life and can turn a regular cupcake into a party cupcake!

Tip #8: Teach generosity!  I had our students collect for and make Christmas stocking for the homeless community in our area.  They collected personal grooming items and stuffed the stockings.  By the third year, many parents were inspired and also donated gift cards to add to the stockings.

Tip #9: When making projects for Mother’s or Father’s Day, keep in mind that some children are from blended families and may want to make 2 Mother’s Day gifts; one for mom and one for step mom.  I had a child whose father died and every year he made  a card and craft for his daddy.  I have learned so much about the children’s thoughtfulness when it comes to how they feel about their families.

Tip #10: Have the children help with all the projects!  Yes, another mommy and I could do it faster and neater, but the children should learn about offering a helping hand.  This is a teaching opportunity.  Have them help set up, serve and clean up. I had kids clean desks, we took out trash and left a clean class room.  We never left a mess for the janitorial staff.   The kids  often took plates of left over treats to office staff or teacher’s lounge.   They will learn their helping hands are building character and their generosity is always appreciated.

I missed my kids during the sixth grade year…and from what I hear, they missed me too!  My daughter said she wouldn’t mind if I was room mom next year.

I understand that many of you are too busy to be a room mom, but your help is always appreciated.   Room moms could always use the help…even if you can only volunteer once a year!    We could use anything from old shirts for painting to another pair of hands handing out hot dogs.  Your children love seeing you there, even if they act like they don’t….trust me!

So, I’d like to hear from you. Send me a short story about your relationship and how it works. How has my story/comedy changed or affected your relationship? I really look forward to your responses. fromdebi@debiontheweb.com

(Note – I will use these stories for research purposes only. They will not be published.)

Our daughter, Pilar, can sit at the kitchen table from 3:30 in the afternoon to bedtime doing just a few assignments that her teachers have assured us should only take 1 1/2 hours! The entire time she does homework, she is looking out the window, laughing at the dogs, getting a drink of water, going to the bathroom, looking for a definition on the computer or just SITTING there STARING!

Or, how about this….you and your kid struggle, fight, argue and finally the assignment is complete and then your kid DOESN’T turn it in! I try to picture the class room…easy for me to do since I was a teacher for 10 years. The teacher is at the front of the class and asks the kids to pass in their homework. Each kid passes their paper to the one in front of him and the teacher collects them all….right? And yet…and yet…for some unknown reason, my kid will sit there and not hand in a a COMPLETED homework assignment! WHAT??? SERIOUSLY? HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

After all the begging, pleading, crying, and yelling, my husband had it! Pilar had been sitting with a math homework lesson for 2 hours and during that 2 hours finished 3 questions…FROM THE WRONG LESSON!!! Oh, and not just a lesson one chapter over… but 23 lessons back???

“GO to bed!” he thundered! We all sat shocked!

“What?” Pilar answered. “It’s still daytime and we didn’t eat dinner.”

“I don’t care!“, a daddy so frustrated and mad we didn’t even recognize him answered. “Stop what you are doing right now, get on your pajamas, brush your teeth and go to bed!”

I watched, stunned as she went upstairs and went to bed. She fell fast asleep and he woke her up for dinner and before he put her back to bed, he calmly told her, “Tomorrow morning I will wake you up at 5:00 a.m. and sit with you while you do your homework.” Now, this family hasn’t been up at 5 AM since and earthquake, and even then, we questioned if we should get up. My husband set his alarm and went to bed. When that alarm went off, he was out of bed and woke up a very surprised 12 year old! There was no yelling, pleading, or crying. Pilar went to the table and her assignment was done within an hour!
Later that night, she actually thanked her dad for taking the time to help her. I wish I could say that one time was all it took, but as you know, our kids can be very stubborn and may have to have a lesson taught more than once. My husband had to set the alarm again this morning for an unfinished book report on a book she didn’t finish reading!

My husband is more than willing to go the rest of this school year, setting the 5 or even 4:30 AM revellie bugle call to get Pilar out of bed and to tackle homework she dilly-dallied over the day before! Now that’s a dad that means business!

One rainy afternoon, Kathy and Baby Jeremy stopped by and she asked me what I was serving for dinner. I said, “We were having the rainy day special, Albodigas.” Kathy said she loved that soup and asked how to make it. So I promised to get her the recipe.

It is so easy to make and although it requires a good amount of chopping of fresh ingredients, it is one of those meals that can be stored and reserved throughout the week…with quesadillas for a complete dinner or just a bowl for a hearty lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 small brown onion, chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 handfuls of uncooked rice
• 1 raw egg
• salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 6-8 carrots, coin sized slices
• 3-4 celery ribs, chopped
• 4-5 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 can of tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Set a large pot of water to boil. (I add some salt to the water while it boils.)
2. Combine ground beef, 1/2 onion, 1/2 of the cilantro, rice, egg and seasonings and mix by hand.
3. Form meat mixture into small meatballs and put in boiling water.
4. Add chopped carrots and celery to mixture, remaining onion and cilantro, tomato sauce to water and meatballs.
5. Set to simmer for 90 minutes.
6. Add potatoes and simmer another 30 minutes.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve with fresh wheat, white or corn tortillas or for a complete meal; quesadillas!

You can find other quick and easy recipes right here on this blog. Just select the ‘RECIPE” link from the Categories menu on the right. I am all about the easiest way to prep healthy meals within a budget!

Send me some of your favorites and we can all help each other get in and out of the kitchen quickly and enjoy our families! ]]> http://debscorner.info/archives/330/feed 0 http://debscorner.info/archives/292 http://debscorner.info/archives/292#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:58:18 +0000 Debi http://debscorner.info/?p=292 My husband and I are fans of talk show host and money guru, Dave Ramsey.  In fact, he is the at the source of most of my blogs about budgeting and finances.  One tool Dave employs in the use of “money envelopes”.  My husband and I have incorporated these tools into our budget and have achieved success and have come to rely on our envelopes daily.

The envelope system is based on the fact that most people are more aware of what they are spending if they are using cold hard cash.  The feeling of handing over two $100 dollar bills for a purchase at the mall stings more than running a debit card and punching in your PIN. I know as a mother, I actually see “cash” laying on the floor of my daughter’s room in the form of brand new jeans and t shirt!

I am what Dave Ramsey refers to as the “nerd” and my husband is the “free spirit” which means that I love to look at and crunch the numbers and he is happy having me do just that!   But, every month, the two of us sit down and look at the next months bills.  We take into consideration any thing special coming up.  For example, we had to add Mother’s Day gifts for the moms in our family and for our daughter’s birthday.  This reminds us that birthdays and holidays are NOT emergencies and come at the same time every year so we should plan for them.  That being said, we look at our budget for the month, add in anything that can come up every few months like insurances, car registrations, birthdays. or even utility bills that have a high fluctuation during certain months.

During this time we talk  over the budget calmly and rationally and coffee and pastries are always welcome!  After we establish our budget, at the beginning of the month, (we are self employed and schedule our paydays on the first  of the month) I set up the bills to be paid on line, write checks for other bills, and withdraw all the cash we have set aside in the budget for groceries, dining out, gasoline, holiday or birthday, clothing and “misc”.  I take the cash and put the amount we agreed on into different envelopes. When I go to the grocery store, I take my envelope and buy my groceries and, if at the end of the month we are running out of grocery money, it’s time to get creative! If we are out and about and my daughter wants a cold drink or I want a coffee, we check our dining out envelope and if there is cash we can enjoy a treat!

As the mother of a tween daughter, buying clothes are always an issue, but with an envelope with cash, she can see how much we have allotted for ALL OF US that month!  Our gift/holiday envelope keeps up to stay within budget when buying presents for friends and family.  I also realized that we buy gifts for people who we love and love us and they would never want to know we spent more than we could afford on them.  The “misc” envelope is just that; miscellaneous items.  We also use it if we do not have enough in the other envelopes. For example, we are almost out of cash in our dining out envelope but haven’t touched our misc envelope.  Tonight is going to be crazy with 3 of us going in 3 different directions and I am using some misc cash for Subway sandwiches!  Done deal! At the end of the month we can see if we underestimated or overestimated in certain areas and can plan even better for the next month.

At first I was worried that people would think I was an idiot carrying around my envelopes, but most people are curious and my envelopes have become quite the conversation starter!   The best part of using this tool is that since we have been using our envelopes we have stayed within budget EVERY month!  We have have cash in our checking account at the end of the month as well.  We have put a stop to spending without thinking.  We have learned the difference between a need and a want.  We have all come together as a family to live the best life possible, be creative and take care of our resources.

Give it a try for one month and let me know what you think!

Kris Jenner,  a self proclaimed “momager” and matriarch of the Kardashian children exploits her more than willing daughters to display themselves as tawdry sex objects, including going behind her husband’s back to book her daughters for a nude Playboy Magazine shoot.  I am not a prude, all I am saying is; is this the job of a mom?  Do you not realize what most men use these photos for Kris?  You are a big grown up girl, so I  am assuming you do know, it just doesn’t matter to you.  I think the one photo that bothered me so much was the one of a very pregnant daughter in g-string and thigh highs posing in a sexual position…again, I say, I can see how some smarmy agent would arrange that photo shoot…not  a mother and future grandmother.

I have tried to watch the show, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and was appalled with the way the children speak to the parents.  The “f” bomb flows freely and is used on their parents and siblings both in jest and in anger.  They have told their parents to go to hell.  The youngest daughter, a 12 year old, yelled at her father in public when he objected to the was she showed up wearing  to a family dinner in a restaurant.  The 12 year old toddled into the restaurant on 4 inch high heels, with a dress that barely covered her vageen and  was wearing more makeup than Ru Paul!   When her father, Bruce Jenner objected, he allowed himself to be  chewed up and spat out by his wife in front of all his children for being too hard on the girl and he left….all by himself.  How did this family get a reality show in the first place?   Lest any of you forget, daughter Kim launched her career with a sex tape with her best friend’s ex boyfriend.  Kris Kardashian, Mom or Mom-ster?  I vote Mom-ster.

Kate Gosslin, You know her right?  She is that long suffering mother who puts her kids first before anyone or anything!  The mother who protects her children from any awful thing.  Kate has all but put a pork chop around the neck of each of these children and thrown them right to the wolves!  If you want to protect your children, you do not constantly put yourself in the eye of the paparazzi.  If you want to provide for your children, you get a JOB.  I am so sick of Jon and Kate demanding the only place they can earn money is in the world of television…have we all forgotten that TLC found them AFTER the children were born?  How were they expecting to pay for these children in the first place?  He was a computer tech and she was a nurse.  They had a way to support their children.  They may not have been able to to give them the elaborate vacations, designer clothes,  latest toys and three nannies…but they could have supported them.  Get your ass off the dance floor; you are neither a star or a dancer, quit pushing your book with intimate letters for your children, and don’t write another one.  Quit calling yourself one of us…a hardworking single mother, you are a divorced woman who was mean to her husband and continues to exploit your family for your own fame and profit.  Kate Gosslin, Mom or Mom-ster?  I vote Mom-ster.

Deana Lohan, another “momager” allowed her daughter, Lindsey Lohan to spin out of control into a world of false friendships, drugs and alcohol.   What sould Lindsey count on from her mom…help? support? rescue?  NO!  Deana only continues to give excuses.  You are going to excuse that girl right into an early grave and I am assuming you will write a book and make the talk show circuit to tell us all about Lindsey’s sad story.  Mom or Mom-ster?  I vote Mom-ster.

On a recent episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County, the wives showed up to a cocktail party where they would proceed to tear each other and their husbands apart, one wife and her husband got out of the limo and looked great..no detail escaped them.  Not a hair out of place, expensive purse complimented more expensive shoes.  Unfortunately, they overlooked two “accessories” …their 2 daughters!  The girls,  ages 15 and 16 got out of the same limo falling down drunk!  The mother later said she never noticed them drinking in the limo, really?  Are you that self absorbed that you couldn’t see what your daughters were doing 2 feet away from you?  Then they get to the party and EVERY one of the housewives and their husbands notice the girls are drinking.  I am sure the bar tenders and servers knew and I am sure the producers kept the cameras rolling while 2 underage, half naked, intoxicated girls, kept drinking!    Moms or Mom-sters?  I vote Mom-sters.

Through Baby Step One, we learned several things.  The first thing we learned is that even though we thought we were only using the credit card for emergencies, we really weren’t.  We were only fooling ourselves.  When we had to discuss the incident that required us to go unlock the box, unseal the envelope and touch the cash, we realized what was a   what was a want!   We also were able to negotiate with cash in ways you can’t with a credit card.  The plumber would much rather have the cash than take a credit card and will be willing to negotiate.

We had to discuss a need v.s a want and realized, sometimes an incident can ride the line between both.  We had wanted to get another miniature doxie and had been keeping our eye open for one.  We found one through our local  the dachshund  rescue.  This puppy had been abandoned and left in a small crate with 2 other dogs.  She was underweight and very scared.  Dog rescues have financial responsibilities and therefore need to charge people who rescue these dogs.   We knew this dog needed our family and we need to rescue her.  We felt good about paying the $300 required to cover her vet bills and paper work.  Yes, this was a want, that became a need, and thanks to our newfound attitude toward money, we had the cash to rescue our newest member of our family and continue to pay down credit card.

We continued on to Baby Step 2; pay off credit card debt.  We made great progress!  Then, as Dave Ramsey warns, Murphy (Murphy’s Law) came knocking at our door and my husband was laid off.   Thanks to following just the first 2 Baby Steps of the Dave Ramsey program, and by adjusting our attitude toward spending and saving, we were in a much better place than other families who lost thier income.   We were able to access our home equity loan and even 2 months into this experience, we have only needed to borrow from it to pay one bill so far.

I will be blogging about our progress.  I do encourage you to go to your local library or book store and pay CASH for one of Dave Ramsey’s book and begin your own journey!

“But Deb,” you say to me, “We only go out maybe once a week.  Now and then I grab lunch for the kids at McDonald’s.  I grab a coffee in the morning from Starbucks..but really, is getting coffee considered going out? That’s not much, right?”

WRONG!

Your wallet isn’t differentiating if money is going toward a coffee, a happy meal with a toy or a reasonable restaurant, it is still money going out!

Let’s look at your average week of not going out.  If you drink Starbucks 4 times a week at 4.00 per order, that is $12.00 per week.  If you are drinking Starbucks during the week, chances are you are grabbing one on the weekend for your kid’s early morning soccer games, so let’s say you are spending anywhere from 50 to 60 dollars a month!  And that’s just for a one person luxury!  If you are dining out, even fast food, you can spend hundreds on going out.  Let’s say your family of four goes out to dinner at a local family style restaurant  just once a month and spends 50-60 dollars per visit; that comes to $200 to $240 per month.  How about fast food…let’s take just fast food lunch for your two kids once a week; easily $14 dollars a visit, or $56 per month.   How about pizza on a rushed night once a week, delivered to your home, so there is also a tip…there’s another $17.00 a week.

Ready to add it up?

• Starbucks……..$50-$60 per month
• Restaurant …….$200-$240 per month
• Fast food visit…$14-$20 per month
• Pizza night……..$17 to $20 per month

GRAND TOTAL:      $281-$340.00 per month!

What could your family do with that much money every month?  Could it be your car note?  Could it be private school tuition for a month?  Could it be your electric and water bill during the summer months?  How about back to school uniforms and supplies for one kid? Could it go towards a family vacation?  I know I could pay quite a few bills with that chunk of change.  Now, this is a conservative estimate of a family that doesn’t go out much!  Some families double this!

Cooking at home is cheaper.   You control the cost and the ingredients.

I will be blogging about many ways to save money by preparing your meals and snacks  at home… my family even enjoys happy hour now and then with appetizers, wine  and virgin blended drinks!

Really?  As I am writing this, I am watching a past episode of July 4th and all she did was gripe and be all over his ass for everything!   If I ate a cookie every time she hit him on the back of the head, I would be in a diabetic coma!  Really Kate?  How about you watch just a few of these episodes instead of tanning, manicuring and planning your next pr move and you will see why you deserved to be left.

During our home schooling, my mentor teacher took away the traditional book reports and told Pilar to read for the love of it.  Well, that girl went on to read 7 books from February to May!  One book she especially loved was, The Tail of Emily Windsnap”. She loved the story of the unpopular girl who realized that she was a mermaid.  She went on to read the series which included two more books.  She wanted to share the book with her friends.  She came up with the idea to have a book club.  It was a great idea.   She would be able to see her friends during the summer and keep up with the reading at the same time.  Other moms were so excited.   Keeping up with study skills are so important and our children lose so much during the summer.

DESIGNING A BOOK CLUB:

• THE DAY
  We picked a day of the week that would work for everyone and sent out handmade invitations.  I was lucky enough to have a set of mermaid stamps and always have card stock on hand.

• BOOKS
  I bought the books on www.amazon.com (linked to the book) and got a great price!  I also found an accompanying book with wonderful ideas for activities and fun quizzes…girls this age love to find out their hidden talents and skills that define their personalities through these quizzes.

• BAGS
  Pilar and I were off to the dollar stores to find white book bags and journals.  We found them at Michaels. While there, we also found fun ocean themed stickers.  I always have a 40% discount coupon for Michael’s in my wallet.   We already had a big collection of gel pens, color pencils, crayons and markers.

• JOURNALS
  The girls came and were thrilled with their new books and journals.  I gave them a five minute writing assignment.  It was a fun topic.  I did this with my daughter every morning before home schooling began.  The topic could be, “What would you do with a  robot maid?”  “Give a new excuse for the dog ate my homework!”  “What would you do if you found a wallet with money?”  I told the  girls no one would read their journals except them and if they wanted to, they could share.  They are keeping notes as they read, drawing pictures in their journals, and writing down anything they want to talk about at our next meeting.

• CRAFT
  We have a craft and snack at each meeting.  The first meeting they decorated their plain white cloth bags and journals.  Other crafts include ocean themed fun, decorating frames with sea shells, making mermaid tails for their dolls with shimmery fabric, filling and decorating small treasure chests.  I am asking moms for either a small craft fee.  If I give them enough notice, they may even have stuff around the house we can use for our craft!

• FINAL ACTIVITY
  Tie in an activity with the last meeting to celebrate the book.  For example, our last meeting will be a day at the aquarium or the beach.  We will also have an underwater themed slumber party.

The girls are reading at home as well as at our meetings and discussing topics. It is very interesting to hear them talk about their feelings on popularity and how they are nervous about fitting in.  I believe it helps them realize this is something their friends are concerned about as well and everyone is a little insecure!

During their craft time, I busy myself in the kitchen and they can talk with each other.  I asked the moms to stay away from the journals or asking too many questions so the girls feel a sense of independence.  Interestingly, the girls are sharing with their moms and each other.

I have to say, so far I have learned so much.  My daughter loves having her friends over.  A few of the “popular girls”  didn’t want anything to do with our book club.  My daughter is not part of the popular  group and I know it hurts, but I also know that is part of growing up.  My job is to build her character and confidence, not making sure she fits in to the popular group.  One of the popular girls heard how much fun we were having and asked me if she could join. The door is always open!  It shows our girls that if we have fun dancing to the music we make, others will see how much fun we are having and may even join in!

Michael Jackson was tortured.  The one abuse there are witness to was that between him and his father.  Michael Jackson’s father was driven and that drive caused him to abuse his child.  A weak mother never saved him.  His career isolated him.  Yes, a tortured soul.

I take issue with Michael Jackson and the people he bought off.  Mothers who sold their children. People who sold their silence.  Doctors who wrote prescriptions.  Family members who turned away from his bad behaviour and took money while their own niece and nephews were possibly abused.

Clearly he was tortured and he continued with that cycle and left behind unanswered questions and lives in chaos.   Maybe he was innocent.  Maybe he was bought off.  We will never know.

What we do know is that there are 3 children left not only fatherless, but quite possibly parent-less.  I pray the same circle of weak people  will find the strength to protect, raise and guide these children.  But I know that the craziness has only started.

Sarah Palin and Todd in office?   Could you even imagine the reality tv show this country would be forced to watch if the Palin family was the VP family?  Sarah, how could you be second in command of the most powerful country if you are going to buckle and take issue with a late night joke?!   Was the joke in bad taste?  Probably. I will give her that.  Was it fair, it is my personal position that jokes about innocent children are never fair.  But that’s not the issue in this blog.  The issue for me is that this tells me that Sarah Palin doesn’t know how to pick her battles.  Are our children important and therefore worthy of a battle?  Yes of course they are!  But if Sarah Palin was the VP she would have faced mammoth battles that involved the livelihood of all Americans.  I, for one, am relieved that she was not elected to such a high position.  To watch her lose her composure on national television when defending this issue was uncomfortable enough without imagining how she would handle herself with a leader from a foreign country when aired?

Again, let me set the table here; Sarah Palin trotted those children out and exposed their personal lives for all to see.  You can’t control the general public and their comments.  Isn’t there anything else going on in Alaska that requires Gov. Palin’s attention right now?  Now she is claiming that David Letterman is contributing to the male perversity of young women!  If this was a heartfelt  issue for her to begin with, where was it on the campaign trail?  Where was this cause when she was a beauty queen and had the forum to speak out about sexual imaging and degradation of women?

I continue to see Sarah Palin as a politician who continues to play the media to her advantage and choosing her battles based on what gets her more face time.  If this was an issue she brought to the campaign trail, she would have had a huge audience and garnered so much attention.  Women are mistreated in many countries and this mistreatment is causing our world to suffer a loss of HUMANITY.

As a mother, I understand her hurt.  As a mother, I would have suffered a great deal if my child were humiliated.  Like a mother bear, I would have protected my cub; by keeping her in the cave while she was vulnerable… not trotting her out in front of hunters!

As an American woman and mother of daughters, I would have loved for Sarah Palin to have defended women when it was a concern for all of us, not just when she felt it was knocking at her door.

Pilar couldn’t wait to give her some home made scones and butter from our colonial history lesson.  She baked and brought her a home made loaf of Irish Soda bread.  Pilar was embarrassed to give it to her because she thought it turned out ugly.  Mrs. Lloyd took one look at it and exclaimed, “It looks so beautiful and rustic, just like you baked in a colonial oven!” We have taken trips…everywhere!  The California Science Museum (photo above), the History museum, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a California Mission… we turn all these trips into learning opportunities.  She joined a book club for kids her age, I didn’t even know they existed!  We visited her older sister, Anna Maria, who gathers wool and spins her own yarn.  We sat and spun with her all day.  It really brought home what being a colonist went through to provide for their families.  Pilar has read 4 books in one month.  In 11 years of being read to and 6 years of reading on her own, Pilar has never liked to read.  Once the formatted book reports were no longer required, books came alive to her and she loves reading!  We have done several science experiments…3 on one day!  We took pictures and discussed the process of diffusion and osmosis.

I am more  relaxed in my teaching and  proud of my daughters capabilities and skills. As you can see, I have had time to blog!

Sure there are lows.  I am on the other end of every bad mood and temper tantrum.  If I do not reach out for support and ask my husband for help, I get overwhelmed.  I will write a separate blog about the meltdowns and how I didn’t even take my own advice.  Stay tuned!

My 2 older children were involved in the drama program from middle school through Senior year of high school…and that brings a whole bunch of other laundry problems which included, professional grease paint make up, ground in theater grime from construction, blood, both real and fake, (sometimes stage construction did not always go as planned) and often these costumes had to clean and ready to go for the next night’s performance!

Tide detergent has never let me down.  I have never needed a pre-treat for stains, I never need to use more than the required amount and I can always find it on sale.  When I have used another laundry detergents, they have left my clothes dingy, stained and dull.  Even after repeated washings, I still had dingy clothes.   (Wow, do I sound like a commercial or what?!)  With Tide, I wash once and everything looks and smells great.  I never stray from my Tide.   I never have to pretreat, add softener, and re-wash “clean” clothes and that is good for me and my schedule!

Tide Detergent, one of my favorite things!

TIDE’S WEBSITE: http://www.tide.com

Stella got her grove back and Deb feels some dancing coming on!

Due to a difficult classroom situation, we had to withdraw our daughter from her fifth grade class.  Our choices were public school, another private school, or home school.   Since we made this decision at the end of the semester, we were looking at a solution for four months, not the entire school year.  Our public school system was not acceptable.  Another private school would be costly as we would have to pay for  registration, book fees and new uniforms and all for just 16 weeks before we had to do it all over again for the new year.

I was a teacher for 10 years before I started a career in show business and I have missed teaching so much. But to home school my own child?  That took some thought and discussion with the family.  Aside from the actual academics,  home schooling requires the emotional support of the child… and the mommy!

My first step was to enroll her in our local public school and then have her released to home schooling.  I then met with our home school teacher, Mrs. Lloyd.  She not only gave me every book I could ever dream about, after visiting with our daughter, Pilar, she  found books, materials and projects specified for us.  She even invited Pilar to play groups on campus and is currently working on a service project in which Pilar can participate.

Home schooling has it’s challenges and blessings.   I will find time to describe them both to you in my blog.  I will be blogging some of our ideas and events that have been successes so you can incorporate some of them and support your own child’s education.   It seems like I can find so many projects and outings that are both educational and fun.

A friend of mine who is the Independent Studies and Home Schooling Advisor  in her school district, has been very supportive.  She encourages me every step of the way.  She said that this home schooling experience for the next 4 months can be a great big hug for my fifth grader before she goes into junior high.

I look forward to sharing good experiences and funny ones as well.   Of course I will be using my blog to reach out!

Science lessons start in a few minutes!

1. Ground meat: chicken, turkey, beef or a mixture
2. Frozen mixed veggies
3. 1-2 eggs, depending on how many loafs you are making
4. oatmeal, eyeball amount for the number of loafs you are making
5. Spray your loaf pan with non stick spray, fill pans and bake for an hour.

Why make this for your dogs? Read on…

After adopting a one year old doxie, I had 2 dachshunds to feed!  The person from whom we adopted the dog gave me a list of healthful dog foods. She also said that the dog food we were giving our dog was equivalent to McDonalds.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes everyone needs a good McDonald’s fix, but she was right, not every day.   We went to the local pet store and priced the canned food and kibble.  It was so pricey!  Granted, my dogs are small, but still, with the cost of raising a family going up every day, I knew I had to compromise with their food budget as well.

I was watching a commercial about dog food and the spokesman said, “My dog enjoys dog food made of fresh turkey, egg, vegetables and EVEN oatmeal!”   I thought to myself,  that’s MEATLOAF!  I make meatloaf for my family at least once a month.  I often make two and freeze one for a later date.  It is quick, easy, and economical.   Why not make meatloaf for the dogs.  I have bought the dog food loaves ( in the refrigerated section) in the store and they set me back about $4.99 and that’s on sale.  It is a loaf about as big as a refrigerated cookie dough roll.

I went to Smart and Final and found a 5 pound chub of ground turkey on sale for $3.99.  I also bought the giant sized frozen mixed vegetables.  I already had oatmeal and eggs at home.  I stopped by the dollar store and bought loaf pans.  I figured if I was going to make several loafs, I should make them at one time.  Having only one loaf pan, it would take forever.

I mixed the ground turkey, veggies, egg and oatmeal into  a bowl, sprayed my loaf pans and made 3 large loafs and 4 mini loafs.  I cooked them all at once.  It took less than an hour and half  from start to finish.  While I was at it, I made beef meatloaf for my family!  Once they cooled completely, I wrapped them in heavy duty Reynolds wrap and froze them.  One loaf feeds our dogs for a week.  They eat twice a day with a small amount of kibble.

It was quick, easy and cost me around 5 dollars to make a month of food for them.  They love it and unlike store bought dog food, it doesn’t smell so bad you have to sneak up on it to serve it!

Two weeks ago there was a peanut butter scare and many food products, including canned dog food, were pulled from the shelves.  I felt safe knowing my dogs ate home made dog food and I knew every ingredient that went in it.

Then she talks about pitching a reality show… Unless you want to see a mom completely lose her damn mind, which don’t get me wrong, can be good tv, but unfortunately be only one episode long..no second season here!  More of a you tube thing if you ask me.

Jon and Kate plus 8 is a reality show about a family that works and it works because you have a husband at home and an over-controlling, neurotic mother working together,  full-time, full-tilt boogie taking care of these children. They also have the support of friends and sponsors.  If I had a product to sell, I would be happy to let the Jon and Kate brood hock it.  That family isn’t crazy!

This lady is obviously nuts!   Unless she is pushing Zoloft with red wine chasers, I can’t believe in any product associated with her.

Larry King interviewed the parents of the last set of Octuplets  born 10 years ago.  They looked like a beautiful family, but still stunned!  All they kept saying, (no matter what question was asked) was, ” They are a blessing Larry, A real blessing”.

My 11 year old was listening to an interview and made a wise observation, “Why couldn’t she just turn into the crazy cat lady?  It would be so much easier!”

Chicken Pot Pie

Frozen deep dish pie shells

1 family sized can of chicken (or you can use leftover roasted chicken)

1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1 can of  Cambells cream of chicken mushroom soup

salt, pepper, garlic powder

Simply mix chicken, vegetables, and soup into a bowl.  Add seasonings to your taste.  Scoop mixture into pie shells.  Here’s a hint, place the top shell on to the mixture the same way they were placed as frozen, so pie crust is sealing the chicken mixture. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes.  If you want a pretty presentation, during the last 15 minutes, brush egg wash over the pie for a golden crust.  Serve with biscuits.

I keep all these things on hand so I can get this dinner together when I have a day that gets away from me.  Fix it and forget it and like I said, leftovers make a good breakfast or lunch!

It is time for Miley to get out of the lime light and take all those other gals with her.  Our daughters need to focus on favorite subjects, not a favorite Jonas Brother.  Our girls need to learn what they can do for their communities and work towards global awareness.  Our girls need to learn how to dress to impress and not to arouse!  I remember hearing Dr. Laura’s radio program and a mom called about her daughter copying all these young role models like Miley Cyrus.  She insisted on wearing clothes that were tight and showing off her bra straps, thong underwear and having t shirts with suggestive slogans.  My first thought is how can your kid wear these unless the parent is buying them.   Dr. Laura asked to speak with the girl and I will never forget what she said to her.   Dr.  Laura simply said, “When you wear these clothes and boys see you, it makes their penis erect.”  You could hear this girl just wince and they say, “….ewww”.   This young girl got it!  When Dr. Laura hung up, she went on to say that these young girls also entice older men when they dress like that.

Right on Dr. Laura for setting this girl straight and telling her the truth.

Sasha and Malia Obama are being placed into social situations, on an international level, and handled it with so much grace and style.   They dress so beautifully and carry themselves like young ladies.  They even dance in a way that is in the moment and so fun and cool.  (Need I go into how Miley Cyrus gyrates on stage?)   The Obama girls are so proud of their parents and they in turn show pride when they are with thier girls.

I look forward to learning more about being an effective parent from the President and First Lady Obama.

My daughter will learn about coming of age gracefully as she sees the First Daughters grow and represent a new fresh face of girlhood.

I save my sanity by keeping a list of “5 Ingredients Or Less”  dinner  suggestions handy and I am going to share a few with you.  Feel free to give me your ideas as well!

Let’s start with an easy one…so incredibly easy!   Breakfast for dinner!!   It’s been months since my family has had time to enjoy a great breakfast on the weekend.  Dinner gives us a little more time.  Fry bacon, make toast and to keep it easy for me, I make scrambled eggs for everyone.  I scramble them with milk and can toss in anything I may have handy, green onions, bell peppers, shredded cheese, or ham.  I slice up some fruit and we are eating within a half hour.

Ingredients:

Bacon, eggs, bread, fruit.

It’s that easy!

Now, MAC isn’t cheap, but it is moderate compared to some lines out there.  You can always get help at the MAC counter.  I used to feel intimidated by  the “MAC girls”, but then I realized, even though I am old enough to be their mother, I still need makeup and let’s face it, I am not using my allowance, I have disposable income!  At first I was scared the MAC rep would try to talk me into that  goth-I-just-got-bit-by-a-vampire-look,  but she was very pleasant and helpful.  Now that I know the colors and formulas that work for me, I order on line from the MAC website and keep my eye open for shipping specials.

MAC is a great product.  The foundations, concealers and powders all go on like a dream and last through out the day.  The lipsticks and glosses are fresh and pretty and never greasy or gloopy.   The eye shadows are beautiful and go from daytime and natural to dramatic and sexy.   Even though the products don’t go on sale, the price points are moderate; and let’s think back to that makeup drawer of bargain buys we don’t even use!  There is always an in store representative or an on line expert available to help you.  Exchanges and returns are handled professionally and MAC even has a recycle program for empty containers.  MAC sponsors good will charities and so you can buy products to make you look good and feel good and pass the blessings on to others.

MAC is one of my favorite things.  Even when I wear just my  MAC Love Child LipGlass to pick up kids at school, I feel quite pretty!

MAC’S WEBSITE: http://www.maccosmetics.com

Here are some guidelines I have learned to set when interviewing and hiring a baby sitter.

1) You must set up interviews.   You are hiring a sitter, so you must interview and consider several applicants.  Ask around and talk to other parents about who they recommend.  Even if this sitter comes with the highest recommendations, you must meet and hire her yourself.  If you have no personal recommendations, check out your local college career center.   I called our local college and was given a list of names of students who live in the dorms near by.  My husband and I were looking for a female sitter for our daughter, so  I only interviewed young ladies.  This is our personal preference.  You should consider the gender of the sitter before you interview applicants.   I spoke to several young ladies and interviewed them.  I asked about school schedule, family life, goals as a student.   I also asked why they were looking for a job as a sitter.  I was lucky enough to find a young lady who is studying to be a teacher and came from a family with several siblings.

2) Establish the price you are going to pay and what exactly are the job duties.   Remember, this is a job and you are the employer.  We  pay our sitter, $10.00 an hour up until 11:00 p.m. and then we pay her more after midnight.   We pay for the first hour if we have to cancel.  This lets our sitter know that we respect her holding the date open for us.  Our sitter has dinner with our daughter and puts away any leftovers.  She helps with homework and gets our daughter to be at 9.  The rest of the night is hers to study, watch TV, or get on her computer.

3) Don’t spring anything new on your sitter and expect her to just roll with the punches.  For example, I let our sitter know at the interview, that we had a small inside dog.  When we adopted a new puppy, we let her know before she came over about the new family addition.  My older daughter has told me about friends of the family bringing extra kids for her to watch.  How would you handle it if your boss dumped twice the work on your desk and expected you to be OK with it and accept the same pay.  Chances are your sitter will be willing to watch extra kids, but ask her first and compensate her financially.

4) Be clear on your rules. For example, Is transportation important to you?  We didn’t want to worry about picking up our sitter or dropping her off at the end of the evening.  After a great evening out, we like to relax.  I didn’t hire anyone who said she could probably get a ride back and forth.  This was a deal breaker for me.    If you don’t want your sitter on her phone or have friends over, then make it clear during the interview.  You may relax a few rules once you feel more comfortable with her.

5)  Be nice to your sitter.  Be a good employer.  Be nice!  We all remember that boss that made it a pleasure to go to work or show her appreciation.  Since she lives in the dorm and appreciates home made cookies and treats.  At Christmas we tip her the equivalent of what she makes in a week.  Either my husband or I walk her to her car and we always remember to say “thank you”.

If you have a respectful relationship with your sitter, you will build a bond that will last for all the years you need her.

Here’s how I save time in the kitchen.  First, I plan my grocery shopping to take a few hours from the time I get my coupons together, shopping, unloading and organizing my groceries for the week.  I know it sounds like an extravaganza,  but trust me, it’s worth it.  I am a busy woman and I never know when I will be called for an audition which takes me out of town for the better part of the day.  I organize my kitchen so my husband or I can make meals with little effort.  But it does take time.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I have a reach in freezer.  I love it.  It has saved my family so much money.  Do not invest in a fridge for the garage or put your old one out there….they drain so much energy and as you know, you can’t keep much in a fridge for months like you can with a freezer.  You can also take advantage of sales on meat.  Properly stored, you can keep meat for months!

When I get home from shopping, I wrap my meats for the freezer or fridge and put them away. I keep a few days worth of meat in the fridge, the rest goes in the freezer.

Then, I take all my veggies, carrots, celery, cucumbers, onion,  etc, and I wash, slice and store it in see through plastic baggies.  Why wait until the day you cook to wash, peel and cut up veggies.  No recipe I ever saw calls for a whole carrot or celery stalk!  When was the last time you had to throw a whole onion in a dish?  If I know I am going to use lettuce and tomato within a few days, I wash, dry and cut that up too.  Diced onion can be stored in the freezer and defrosts easily.  You can even store in snack sized baggies.  You usually don’t need more than that in your average recipe.

I also grate a 2 lb brick of cheese and can store it in my deli pantry in baggies.  Now I am ready to rock and roll a whole wheat quesadilla on a school morning or an omelet  on the weekend.  I also have cheese ready for popular Mexican foods like tacos, burritos or tostadas!   If I find mozzarella cheese on sale, I also grate that so it’s ready for pasta or salads.  Let’s face it, cleaning a cheese grater is the worst!!!

Anything you see prepackaged at the grocery store, you can do at home.  It takes time, but it is worth the money.  Lettuce, cheese and cookies can cost you up to 3 times as much.  And in today’s financial climate, we all need to learn how to save here and there.

If the spirit moves me, will even package pretzels, crackers and cookies in snack sized bags (holds the right portion size)  for lunch.

You must invest in freezer friendly storage containers and plastic bags…and the help of your family.  You can all decide what to eat during the week.  Anytime the family is gathered around food… even putting it away, can be a good place for conversation.

I had some time to think about what is missing in my life that was in my mother’s life that made things seemingly easier for her.  I always remember great meals, Halloween and school play costumes, vacations, swim parties and clean laundry.  My mom and her friends made it seem effortless.  They did it all without microwaves, prepackaged foods, take out dinners, and the cartoon channel.  They didn’t have Oprah telling them that they needed to put themselves first and to love themselves before anyone else and that they deserve a hot bath, a magazine and some “me” time after going to work, picking up kids, driving to soccer and driving through Jack in the Box for dinner!

My mother and her friends had….each other.  They had “sisterhood”.  They supported each other.  They helped each other…with kids, dinner, rides, and other errands.  I remember going next door to  Mrs. Scheffler’s house to get a can of tomato sauce.  I remember running a cup of flour or rice to other ladies on the block.  A humidifier went back and forth from Mrs. Kyger’s home.   Mrs. Cleary would come over to use our dryer when it rained.  One of these precious ladies was suffering from domestic abuse, but we never knew until we all became older.  Those other mothers and wives rallied around her and kept her and her children safe and secure privately until she had the chance to get out.  Looking back on it, I know now that the children came to our home to play while so much of that was going on.

Yes, it was a sisterhood.

Today’s gals? Not so much.  First, as women we over extend ourselves… and often for people we don’t even like!  We come home tired and pissed off and we wonder “why”?  Do we have a friend we can call on to help us?  Do we know the lady across the street?  Have we introduced ourselves and waved “hello” when we pass by?  Have we judged her unfairly?

We, as women have become so competitive.  Whose baby is walking talking, reading first?  Who has their kid is in ballet, soccer, t-ball, softball, and stars in the school play?  Whose job is more prestigious?  Whose vacation is in a Hawaii?  Whose SUV is bigger and better?!   Ladies, really, do we have to hold such high standards for others and in turn for ourselves? Can’t we be supportive of the mom doing it all, maybe on her own?  If she came to our house to borrow a can of tomato sauce, would we give it to her, with a smile and then later, behind closed doors talk about her?

“What’s going on with that sketchy broad that she needs to borrow tomato sauce?  Can’t she keep her shit together?

Meanwhile, instead of having a friend we can ask a favor of, we are loading kids in the car at crunch time and buying that tomato sauce, milk or eggs in time to make dinner, help with homework and get little Johnny to soccer on time.  If we leaned on each other instead of setting these standards and overworking ourselves, we would be so much better off.

I have a friend I can call on when it is raining and my husband has to take the car instead of his motorcycle to work.  She gladly picks up Pilar for school and brings her home.  She knows she can ask me the same favor for her daughter.  We have helped each other with our Bunco appetizers,  a gallon of milk, dog sitting, a missing item for a party and taking turns with our kids so we can have alone time.

Here is the one memory we treasure and KNEW we were sisters….I was at Walmart and knew that she was hosting a Bunco party that evening.  I called her to see if there was anything I could pick up for her.  I was thinking, ice, chips, plastic cups…she called back and said, “Could you pick up a floor lamp for my living room?”  I didn’t think twice about it, and amazingly found the perfect one for her living room and it was on sale!!!  It wasn’t until later when I brought it over to the party and we were trying to put it together and she said, “Did you by any chance buy light bulbs?”  I said, “A good friend picks up a floor lamp for you, now you want me to pull a light bulb out of my ass?!”

We laughed so hard!  That was a cool sisterhood moment.

I know I can talk to her about problems with my children, finances or career without being judged.  She knows she can do the same.

Recently, we lamented about how our homes are easily destroyed by the family living in it…we can clean the hell out of it and within days, you can’t tell.  We made a pact to have an envelope with money for maid service in case one of us dies, we can have have the house cleaned before family starts coming over!  You know they will be bringing food and will see the inside of our fridge and microwave!  Now that’s a sister!

Girlfriend, be a sister

Now I DO love my Rachael Ray.  She makes ordinary dishes take on a new and tasty personality.  But Rach, as much as I love you and your recipes, I don’t always have the time you do for these creations.  I do indulge in the money and time now and then and enjoy the delicious dishes.  However, unlike Rachael, I do my own grocery shopping, storing, chopping, cooking and then there is washing dishes, pots, pans and cleaning a kitchen.

I am a busy mom managing her family on a budget and in times like today, that is so important.

Before I go one, I must say, one of the best purchases we ever made was a reach in freezer.  Many families I know have an extra refrigerator in the garage, but I found that took far too much energy and all we had in there were drinks and  occasionally we used it for storing party food or something for a potluck.  I find the deep freezer holds so much more and is more economical on my energy bill than the extra fridge.  That being said….

I buy meat when it is on sale.  I buy whole chickens, roasts, porkchops, ribs, and ground beef when it is on sale.  I wrap then in meal sized portions in Glad Press and Seal.  Recently whole chickens were on sale.  I picked up 4 of them.  Each one averaged $2.50.  I also picked up ground beef for a song.

This week, I have to watch my grocery bill more than usual.  I defrosted  a whole chicken and a 2 lb portion of ground beef. I roasted the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper and powdered garlic.  I split the ground beef and made a meatloaf and used a meat sauce for pasta.  The chicken was delicious that night!  As I write this, I am boiling the left over, still attached to the bone and making a delicious home made soup.  I toss in small shell pasta, which makes the soup so much heartier, and serve with a salad and it is my 4th dinner!  Bam!!!  Four dinners for a family of four for ten dollars!

I am not even including leftovers for some lunches this week either.

I also made the 3 meals in one day.  It was very time saving.

Finally, the new year is here!  I headlined 2 shows on New Year’s Eve and the audience members were more than ready to say good riddance to 2008!  No one I know had anything good to say about last year!  Most of us think we can get hit by a tow truck, dragged 3 miles and left in front of a closed-due -to-the economy soup kitchen and when you came to would utter, “At least it is better than last year!”

The country was in such an awful state, personal finances were at an all time low, hope was all but gone.  We had a president that seemed to not only  care less about our well being, but to keep that arrogant smile on his face while he assured us all was OK!

I seemed to have fallen apart so easily during 2008.  I was easily agitated, stressed and in a constant state of worry.  I had FOX  and CNN constantly; God forbid I miss some current or upcoming crisis!  I unloaded all my acquired knowledge to my husband while he tried to unwind and relax after a long day at work.  I made sure he was kept abreast of the election, the floods, tornadoes, housing problems and whether Lindsay Lohan was straight or gay that particular day.

Before he laid his head down for bed, I would ask him if he thought our governor in order to clean up California’s economic bankruptcy would  really be taxing me when I go to my salon and have my roots touched up?!  And at the rate I was worrying, my roots were coming in fast and furious.  I was a Chicken Little claiming the sky was falling and dragging my family under the umbrella with me.

2008 came.  2008 went.  And do you know what? The sky never fell.  Sure we saw some catastrophes through out the world.  There was job loss and stock markets crashed.   Our president made speeches that made us wince with embarrassment and did little for us.  There were fires, floods and earthquakes.  Crazy mothers killed their babies and insane fathers murdered  their families.   But, the sky never fell.  The sun came up each and every morning.  The stars came out each night.  My daughter had her birthday, complete with a rain and lightening storm…her favorite weather ever!  My other daughter was able to update an ancient school library as an internship and enjoyed every minute of it.  My son completed his first year of college.  My husband got a chance to put his writing on it’s feet and realized how talented he is.  A position opened for him to showcase his music.  He is well on his way to his journey as an artist.

We had some loss.  My uncle’s partner of over 30 years passed away.  But we as a family realized so much about love, acceptance, patience and tolerance from this relationship.  My brother in law suffered a stroke and we saw the beauty of a devoted wife in my sister and dedication of family towards him and his recovery.

Yes, the sky never fell.  It was never even close.  Not for me and mine.  We were there for others in need which reminded me how safe and sound we are.  We had some financial struggles, but always found money to help someone less fortunate. We had some illness,  but had family and friends to help us out when we needed them; and when we were well, we offered cash, casseroles and carpools for them.

I realize now, I was safe, loved and blessed in 2008.  I never focused on the positive until a few days after that year left.

I embrace 2009 and take with me the lessons I learned from 2008.

No more Geraldo, Hannity or Jon and Ken for me.  I will indulge in Rachael Ray’s talk show and dance with Ellen.  I will tune in to the news to check in a few times a day.  The real important stuff happens right here at home and in my heart and soul.

Bless You in 2009.

Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the final rinse water  when washing clothes.  By rinsing off dulling saop residue, vinegar brightens colors and whitens whites.  It even keeps your black clothes as dark as when you bought them.

Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to laundry detergent  when washing new clothes. It gets rid of manufacturing chemicals in new clothing.

Add 1 cup of vinegar to your dishwasher and run it empty for a cycle.  The vinegar gets rid of any soap residue that makes glassware cloudy.

Make a spray bottle of a mixture of vinegar and water to clean and freshen counter tops, inside of the microwave, lunch boxes, plastic food containers and  the refrigerator.

A mixture of white distilled vinegar and water (mixture amount depends on the size of the job) will get rid of varmints such as fleas on your dog, or ants in your yard.

I know this blog entry may seem lack luster is comparison of what is going on in the world.  We have an economic crisis, two wars, a new president, and sometimes with all this going on, I feel like the only thing I CAN control is the health, and happy hum of my home!

Sarah Palin, during your campaign trail, with the responsibilities of mothering five children, you have time to attend a table read, rehearsal and performance of a SNL show?  REALLY?

Sarah Palin, while you can’t make time for any  interviews after the debacle  with Katie Couric, and while you ignore any requests from  any other news networks, you will go on  a show that publicly humiliated you, and throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care? REALLY?  HUH?  REALLY?

Sarah Palin, your sense of humor is NOT what is at stake here.  We are terribly concerned about a number of issues about your experience, ideas on foreign policy,  your revoking rights of women, and the recent charge of abusing your power as a United States Governor.

I don’t care if you can laugh at yourself and roll with the punches on SNL!  In my opinion, you have already displayed “your sense of humor” and it is snarky, sarcastic, and a word I have NEVER used about another woman, Bitchy.

I have an idea.  Since you seem to be able to include network tv time scheduled at the last minute into  your campaign trail, may be you can schedule a hard core news interview to discuss why Colin Powell has announced to support the Obama-Biden ticket, voting against his party and his friend of 25 years, John McCain.

Maybe you can get someone to write you a clever rap about that.

Most grocery store chains have a gift card mall with gift card for everyone! There are gift cards for everything you can think of! Of course we are all know about gift cards to the book store and restaurants, but you should stop by and look at all the new and unique gift cards that are now available! Give your babysitter a gift card for gasoline! How about a fast food gift card for your postman? Your child’s teacher would love a gift card to Michael’s craft stores. What college kid wouldn’t love a gift card toward the purchase of an airline ticket?! Give that “hard to shop for teen” a gift card to a show store. My mom loves to go out once a week with her girlfriends for lunch and a movie. I am getting her some gift cards for her Girl’s Day Out.

You can find a gift card for any budget and anyone on your list!

I have always shopped year round for Christmas and enjoyed having everything done by holiday time. But, I did have to secure one whole closet for my purchases, boxes and gift wrap. I am able to store all my Christmas gifts in an envelope! Wrapping is so easy! I can use an decorated envelope or a small gift box or bag.

I don’t have to run around the mall looking for deals, I am crossing people off my list every other week, and I don’t have to worry about storage!

VISIT HER WEBSITE:
Melinda Kelley
www.melindakelley.com

I took a pair of my husband’s shoes to the cobbler.   His shoes are going to be repaired, polished and shined …all for about $7.00.  When I pick them up, I have a few pairs of my own heels that need some polish and shine and for the fraction of the cost of a new pair of shoes, my classic ones will be as good as new.

I am cleaning my own home and with regular cleaning and  care of my appliances, furniture and home fixtures,  they will all look great and last longer!

I take care of clothing, stains, rips or missing socks and buttons as soon as I see them.  I also find time to iron instead of heading off to the dry cleaner.  (Don’t feel sorry for me! Yes, ironing is tedious, but I use that time to watch a favorite tv show or listen to talk radio).

I cleaned out my makeup drawer and got rid of expired and stale makeup.  I realized how much makeup I buy and compared it to the make up I actually use!  Shame on me!

I found and put away lost hair curlers, bobby pins, headbands and hair ties!  In the past, I would have just gone out and buy new ones.

I keep all my personal brushes CLEAN!  I run our toothbrushes through the dishwasher once a week, I wash my makeup brushes with a special brush cleaner from MAC, (yes, it was pricey, but still a fraction of what it would cost me to replace my makeup brushes when they get dirty), I clean out our hair brushes and spray them with a light rubbing alcohol/water mixture on a regular basis.  I throw in our personal shower puffs…lathers up  like crazy and extends the life of a bottle of your favorite body soap…in the washer with bath towels.

I am going through my book shelves and pulling out those books I never read!  New books!

I keep my car clean!  My car, like most of yours, would cost too much for me to sell back to the dealer and buy a smaller one.  I do like my car and I re-route and use gas wisely to save there.  And I make sure it is always clean, no trash and a regular wash, buy 4 get one free!  (our neighborhood water program bans car-washing at home for now) .

I am taking care of what my family already has or is locked into.   I know it takes time, but it is worth it.  Besides, life isn’t easy!  It is filled with highs and lows and right now, we are all at a low. It is time to take care of our families.  No matter what candidate you are backing, it is clear you must start taking care of things at the grass roots level and start with your own family.

I save a LOT of money by taking care of our home and our things.  I am busy too.  I do not have an 8-5 job, but my hours and days I work vary.  In other words, I do have to schedule some of this maintenance.  But it is worth it.  Yes, there are financial benefits, but there are other advantages; you demonstrate self respect for you, your family and your home.

Teach your children how to take care of their things.  My daughter knows how much her lunch box and water bottle cost.  She is not to lose it or throw it against the wall or on the floor. Taking care of toys and Legos means she has those toys for as long as she wants.

No one said it would be easy.  We can learn a lot from people who went through a depression  and those who were raised by depression babies!  No one needs fast food, the latest car, CD, or jeans.  Leftovers can be stored or frozen, not thrown down the drain.

Like Dave Ramsey says…”Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else!”

In a day and age where friends, girlfriends, are so very important, the manic mommies offers a place where other moms can get advice, empathy, ideas or laughs!  I don’t know my next door neighbors, our schedules never really permitted us to bond.  I have some good friends from church and school, but again, our schedules get hectic and we get busy.  Many of us grew up with stay at home moms who had good friends up an down the street!  They helped each other out, watching kids, borrowing a can of tomato sauce, doing laundry for a sick mom, helping with carpool.  But today’s woman doesn’t have that.  We can,  however, reach out out to other moms on the web.  I am hoping my own blog can do that.  I do enjoy the Manic Mom Web site, blogs and message boards.  There are so many  smart, savvy, and humorous women who share ideas, thoughts and suggestions.  It’s like a neighbor who is available when you are!

You go Manic Moms!

My hubby’s Sausage & Peppers recipe. It’s fast and so delicious! Serves three. (With a little left over for a lunch the next day!)

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Polish Sausage (Chicken, pork or beef… your choice)
• 1 green bell pepper (Chopped or sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (Chopped or sliced)
• 1 green apple (Chopped or sliced)
• 1 pat of butter
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup of rice

Slice the sausage into small pieces and heat them up in a skillet. When they are cooked, drop in the bell peppers and apple. Heat until the peppers and apple are soft. Serve over white rice. An alternative is to not use bell peppers and add more green apples. Either way, this dish is perfect for those cool Autumn evenings. Your whole house will smell wonderful and your dinner will be delicious!

Enjoy!

My husband and I negotiated a fixed first and a modest adjustable 2nd so we had somewhere to draw from if there was an emergency.  By the way, my husband and I DO NOT consider vacations, Christmas, or gifts an emergency!  We don’t live beyond our means.  As the person who sends the bills out and manages the home, I have noticed a tremendous difference in the amount I am paying for groceries, gas and energy!  Those of you who know me or read my blogs, are aware that I am savvy with a buck!  I am thinking if someone like me with a sensible home loan, minimal credit card balance,  and good health insurance is having financial struggles, I can only imagine  the hardship that  someone with a balloon house payment, huge credit card balances and no insurance must be going through just to put food in the table and gas in the car!

Meanwhile, Golden Parachutes  are still being given out on Wall Street as recently as last Friday with a 13.5 million dollar retirement and bonus package for an exec at WaMu who worked there, (GET THIS!…) 3 weeks!!!

Now we are asked to bail out Wall Street and Joe Blow who lived life large while people like me were good stewards with our money and people like my mom, now a widow, whose husband worked two jobs and invested money to make sure she would have a good quality of life when he passed on!  Americans are pissed.  Government websites have been crashing with the amount of emails Americans are sending to thier Congress people.

I am an avid reader of Dave Ramsey and listener of his radio show and down load his talk show.  He makes sense to me!  His philosophy is like he says, Grandma’s advice except he keeps his teeth in!  He believes in cash on the barrel and sensible home loans.  He is on the Fox news channel and is telling us of a sensible plan to get us out of this crisis.  I encourage you to visit his website and read the plan for yourself.  I agree something has to be done and Dave’s plan which, includes revisiting the mortgage negotiations to help people stay in their homes and get back on their feet. [ http://www.daveramsey.com ]

….It’s going to be a bumpy night!

My uncle lost his best friend and partner of 33 years 2 weeks ago.  My sister’s husband and one of my favorite people in the whole world, Uncle Dave, had a stroke.  We looked at a public school for our daughter and had to make a choice as to where we were going to send her to school for the rest of the academic year.  My unions are back to fighting and a possible strike once again looms over Hollywood.  My husband saw his doctor yesterday and now has to have a surgery he has been able to avoid up until now.  Throughout it all, I have been auditioning for TV shows and have had some great stand up spots in town.  I have been managing my home  during financially tough times.

No wonder I haven’t had a chance to blog!  But I have missed it.  Those of you who journal know just how therapeutic it can be.  I will be blogging on all of this and more.  I am having a cup of coffee while my little girl sleeps well into the weekday morning.  We were all up until 4 A.M. with the noise the wind makes when it whips through our canyon.  My poor husband didn’t sleep at all.  He was like a guard dog over his family trying to figure out if the noise was actual damage to the house!  I look forward to sorting out the thoughts in my head and sharing with you.