A Win and A Fail

I'll start with the fail first.

So, 8 (!) years ago, Mike and I got married. It was a small humble affair with immediate family and a few friends. Somebody left an umbrella. It was quite a dapper umbrella, tasteful stripes with a wooden handle. No one ever came to claim it, so I commandeered it as my own.

We shared some good times together, me and this trusty umbrella. The handle eventually broke off, but we soldiered on.

Until this summer (7) years later, we were at the shore, on the boardwalk and it started to rain. I broke out old trusty, and low and behold, he no longer kept the rain at bay. The what I assume is the "brella" part of the umbrella was so worn the rain was seeping through. Forlorn, I stuck old trusty in the garbage on the Ocean City boardwalk.

I don't have many pictures to choose from. Here is Mike and kid 1 a couple of years ago building a sand castle on the beach.

And for good measure, kid 1 and I in front of the beach house.

 

So, back to my story. I proceeded to forget about it until one day recently, when I had to go out in the rain, and I did not have old trusty to take along with me. I had to get to work, and the only place on the way to stop was a CVS drugstore, not a thrift store in sight. I shelled out $10 for a cheap metal and plastic imitation, a poor substitution to my old friend. If I had planned better, I could have scored an umbrella at the thrift shop I'm sure.

FAIL!

Now for the win. Another wedding, this time my mother in law and her husband, 2 years ago. Somebody left a pair of sunglasses. My mother in law searched in vain for their owner, and when no one laid claim, she asked me if I would like to give them a home. I accepted, and over the last year or so I have enjoyed wearing them. So, I kept them in the pocket in the door of my car. One day, I opened the car door and they fell out onto the pavement. I proceeded to get out to pick them up, but I must have poorly misjudged my place in space and I stepped on them, breaking off the ear piece. 

I was disappointed, I like these glasses, and good sunglasses can be hard to find. Sometimes they squeeze your face, and sometimes the ears are lopsided, but these fit well. I was prepared to go to Good Will to search for a replacement, when an idea came to me. I brought them to my dad, and asked if he thought he could fix them. And he did! So, I saved myself a trip to the store and having to find and buy new glasses! WIN!

I Bought Something New

So, I bought something new even though I said I wasn't going to buy anything new.

But, hear me out.

I weighed back and forth on what to do, but I think buying this thing new in the long run makes more sense then going without, or trying to make something myself.

Why? What did I buy?

I bought a composter!

I have had this on my Amazon Wish List for at least a year. I have waited in vain for my husband to build one out of a trash can, but living next to a state park we have a high potential of wildlife getting into it. This one is self contained and comes with a wildlife- free guarantee.

(If you would like to know what kind of flora and fauna are near me, I highly encourage you to check out Joy's blog, Joyfully Green. She lives about 45 minutes from me, and her pictures are beautiful!)

I know I pledged to not buy anything new for a year, but I felt that the benefits outweighed the cons to investing in this. I am excited to further reduce my waste.

What do you think? Was the composter a good investment? Or am I just making excuses for breaching the compact?

Things I have bought new so far:
1.) an umbrella (poor planning)
2.) Sneakers for kid
3.) Bathing suit
4.) Composter

Weekly Spending Report 4.19.14 - 4.25.15 and My Dreams are Getting to Literal

Weekly Expenditures:

Groceries: 84.15
Monthly Total so Far: 413.13

13.35- Baby Food and Formula ( I went into work and needed a back up for the baby)
146.03- Bills
2.00- Snacks at Library
23.46- Diapers and Wipes
75.00 - Anniversary Dinner at Restaurant with Kids
Our first dinner out as a family of 4.
10.00 - Field Trip for Kid 1

The couple weeks I have been using disposables makes me see how expensive they are! My total stash of cloth diapers and accessories paid for itself in 4 months.

Total for Week: 353.99

I have been having a lot of dreams lately, that I remember. I think it may be due to the fact my sleep is so broken that I am in this semi-awake-asleep state. They are getting so literal I cannot remember if they happened in real life or not.

For example, in one dream I was hanging out with our extended family, who thinks I am a hippie communist liberal, and we were having a friendly discussion over dinner of whether or not electronics affect the environment. And, in my dream, I hopped on my soapbox to educate everyone about the mining of coltan in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and how bad it is.

Since this did not actually happen in real life, I figured I'd share it here and encourage you to learn about coltan and try to hold out on buying new electonics as long as possible.

Have a great weekend!

Katie

What I am Reading 4.22.14

Hello all, Happy Earth Day! Which also happens to be my wedding anniversary. We are celebrating 8 years of marriage :) 8 years and 2 kids later and we still like each other.

The Offspring

I am very excited to share this post from one of my favorite blogs, The American Jesus.

Easter Sunday is over, Now What?

It summarizes very eloquently what I believe:


"If the resurrection is merely something we confess, celebrate, and sing about on Easter Sunday, but don’t live out each and every day, then everything we did at church yesterday was a complete waste of time.

I often tell people that I believe in the resurrection because I believe I have encountered the resurrected Christ in my own life through the kindness of strangers, the love of family, the grace of friends, and forgiveness from everyone in between." -Zack Hunt

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!

Katie

If the resurrection is merely something we confess, celebrate, and sing about on Easter Sunday, but don’t live out each and every day, then everything we did at church yesterday was a complete waste of time.
I often tell people that I believe in the resurrection because I believe I have encountered the resurrected Christ in my own life through the kindness of strangers, the love of family, the grace of friends, and forgiveness from everyone in between.
- See more at: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12077#sthash.KXnf0nkH.dpuf

If the resurrection is merely something we confess, celebrate, and sing about on Easter Sunday, but don’t live out each and every day, then everything we did at church yesterday was a complete waste of time.
I often tell people that I believe in the resurrection because I believe I have encountered the resurrected Christ in my own life through the kindness of strangers, the love of family, the grace of friends, and forgiveness from everyone in between.
- See more at: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12077#sthash.KXnf0nkH.dpuf

If the resurrection is merely something we confess, celebrate, and sing about on Easter Sunday, but don’t live out each and every day, then everything we did at church yesterday was a complete waste of time.
I often tell people that I believe in the resurrection because I believe I have encountered the resurrected Christ in my own life through the kindness of strangers, the love of family, the grace of friends, and forgiveness from everyone in between.
- See more at: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12077#sthash.KXnf0nkH.dpuf

If the resurrection is merely something we confess, celebrate, and sing about on Easter Sunday, but don’t live out each and every day, then everything we did at church yesterday was a complete waste of time.
I often tell people that I believe in the resurrection because I believe I have encountered the resurrected Christ in my own life through the kindness of strangers, the love of family, the grace of friends, and forgiveness from everyone in between.
- See more at: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12077#sthash.KXnf0nkH.dpuf

If the resurrection is merely something we confess, celebrate, and sing about on Easter Sunday, but don’t live out each and every day, then everything we did at church yesterday was a complete waste of time.
I often tell people that I believe in the resurrection because I believe I have encountered the resurrected Christ in my own life through the kindness of strangers, the love of family, the grace of friends, and forgiveness from everyone in between.
- See more at: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12077#sthash.KXnf0nkH.dpuf

Weekly Spending Report 4.12 - 4.18.14

Happy Easter/Passover/whatever holiday you might celebrate!

We had a busy Easter weekend, my husband and I sang in the choir and kid 1 went to a few egg hunts. I find the Easter bunny thing kind of dumb (bunnies do not lay eggs!) and really has nothing to do with Jesus rising, but, what are you going to do?

Trying to explain the resurrection to a 7 year old boy is not easy. He was very concerned Jesus was a skeleton or a zombie. We had to work on that one!

Anywho, here is the spending report.

Groceries:
38.87 which brings the total so far this month to 328.98

Takeout:
22.50
total for month so far: 48.43

Gasoline:
54.02
total for month so far: 130.72

Other Spending:
54.94 - CVS- included diapers, wipes, granola bars, and personal item
17.74- Easter candy and prescription
25.00- Easter toy for kids
3.34- Netflix

Total for Week: 216.41

How to tell if Your Life is Good or Amazing Quiz

Disclaimer:
I created this quiz myself and cannot be held responsible for your own personal feelings and actions as a result.



How to tell if Your Life is Good Quiz

1.) Are you starving?
2.) Are you homeless?

If you answered no to both of these questions, Congratulations! Your life is good.



How to tell if Your Life is Amazing Quiz

1.) Do you have access to clean water?
2.) Do you have indoor plumbing?
3.) Do you have access to electricity?
4.) Do you make more than $34,000 USD/ year?

If you answered yes to these questions, Congratulations!

Your life is amazing. 

You are not part of the 3.4 million people in our world to not have access to clean drinking water (1), 2.6 Billion people do not have a toilet to use (2), 1.6 Billion (1 quarter of the world) without electricity (3), and if you make $34,000 USD/year, your are in the top 1% of the highest income earners of the world (4).

Congratulations, you are free to deal with first world problems like I do.

Go out and have an amazing life!!!




Sources:
1.) http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
2.) http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/26-billion-with-no-place-to-go-to-the-toilet/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
3.) http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
4.) http://money.msn.com/now/post--charles-koch-dollar34000-puts-you-in-the-top-1percent

What I'm Reading 4.14.14

What I'm reading on the 'net.

The Buyerarchy of Needs-

I try to follow this hierarchy of buyerarchy.


And Lindsay's story of How She Quit the Supermarket


I got a chuckle about Unrecognized Personality Disorders and have to woefully admit I used to suffer from "Normal Personality Disorder."

Sarah over at Live to List is exploring different religious issues. I was interested to read and weigh in on Modesty in Dress.

What are you reading?

Katie

Weekly Spending Report 4.1.14 - 4.10.14

I know I have said it the past couple months but this month I really mean it- I am keeping a close eye on the 3 most controllable expenses I have- Groceries, Take Out, and Gasoline.

Goals:

Groceries: $400.00
Gas: $200.00
Take Out: $35.00

This spending increment is longer because I am including the first 4 days of April in this week.

Groceries:
$82.28 at regular grocery store
$215.93 Costco run (this is a monthly trip- hopefully will lower my over all monthly grocery bill)
Total: 298.11

Gasoline:
Mike: $36.75
Me: $40.00
Total: 76.75

Takeout:
 $14.92 (fast food)
$9.01 (milkshakes and soft pretzels with Kid 1)
Total: 25.93

Other Expenditures:

$900.00 Housing
$74.00 Sewer Bill
$17.00 Hair cut for Kid 1
$20.38 Disposable Diapers and wipes (cloth diaper hiatus due to shingles fatigue)
$40.55 Includes birthday gift for husband, coffee and bagel for self
$51.59 Honest Company order with included dish soap, dish washer soap, hand soap, bar soap, sponge, window cleaner, and 3 tubes of toothpaste. Still undecided about canceling this. I have been giving myself a pass as we are going on month 5 with out a full nights sleep!

Total For Week: 1504.31

That's Life (as Frankie Says)

So I mentioned in my last post how I have a "weak constitution" and don't deal with stress well, so I thought I'd provide you with some anecdotal evidence of such.

The other night, I woke up in the middle of the night to a feeling, with the closest thing I can describe is the feeling of when you have your lady 'stache waxed off (you know that burning, tingling, irritated feeling? oh, you don't have a lady 'stache? Lucky you. Darn Italian genes.) But this was on my stomach. And, I am not at the point in my life (and hopefully never will be) that I need to have my stomach waxed.

So, I decide this merits extricating myself from the baby and son who are sleeping with/on me (Son 1 sleeps in his own bed, but somehow migrates into ours without me knowing) and checking it out. I have to do this very stealthily, because waking them up is not an option.

So I stumble into the family room, which isn't very far because our house is small, and Mike is passed out on the couch, where he usually is when he falls asleep watching something such as Star Trek (the Next Generation, I Love Patrick Stewart. I digress).

I lift up my shirt to inspect tummy, and low and behold is a funky rash. "Look Mike," I say, "I've got a funky rash."

He mumbles something like "That's nice" and stumbles off too bed. (We're doing a lot of stumbling tonight.)

My first thought is, "oh sh*t, the carpet beetles are back." We had a carpet beetle infestation a couple of years ago. It sucked.

So I break out the google, and research "carpet beetles." But, they don't bite. Then I am thinking, "aw crap, it's bed bugs." Even though we haven't traveled anywhere. It's the middle of the night, and I am not thinking properly. So I google all types of bug bites, and then I decide it's mosquitoes. And I go back to bed.

The next day the rash is still there and itching and burning. While inspecting it, Mike says "Whoa, you've got a funky rash! You should get that checked out!" And I'm like yeah, I showed you last night. But he doesn't remember. Whatever.

So then I show my mom, and she tells me I should get it checked out.

I go to the doctor, and low and behold, I have shingles. She says it usually only happens to old people but if you are stressed and run down, sometimes it can happen then. (Weak Constitution!)

I get a prescription for Valtrex, which she says is okay for nursing.

But, I go home and break out the google again, just to make sure it's okay for nursing.

While researching, I find out Valtrex primarily treats genital herpes. "Great," I'm thinking. The pharmacist is going to look at me and think I am genital herpes girl.

"No matter," I say to myself. The pharmacist is probably some old guy who I will never see again.

Commence pharmacy trip.

I am standing in line, waiting to pick up my prescription. I am staring around, and notice the sign with the name of my pharmacist today.

"Huh," I think. "That name is familiar".

That is the problem about living where you grew up. You always run into people you knew (like old dates, past mean girls, etc.) on a day where you've forgone yet another shower (I can go one more day, right?) and decided your pajamas could pass for clothes today.

The name is familiar, I remember, because that guy went to school with my husband.

Great, so now I am genital herpes girl who also doesn't shower.

But, that's life right?

What I'm Reading 4.8.14

I haven't done a "what I am reading" post in a while. I haven't had much time for blogging. Mothering is a lot of work. Really. I don't deal well with lack of sleep and stress. I know probably everyone would say that, but I really don't. I have a "weak constitution".  :)

Anyway, I spend a lot of my time reading. My sister is a librarian and knows what I like, she recommends books to me all the time. Here are a few of my recent favorites.

Home to Woefield by Susan Juby

 This book is about a girl who inherits a farm from her Uncle and goes to live there. It was a funny, lighthearted, read. Probably my favorite of the recent books I have read.

Keeping up with the farm theme, The Lost Husband by Katherine Center is about a widow with children who goes to live on her aunt's farm. I loved this one too! (Not to be confused with "The Husband's Secret", another popular book that I did NOT like.

and

  "Little Heathens Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during The Great Depression" by Mildred Armstrong Kalish.
This is a non-fiction about a woman's childhood on a farm (as is obvious by the title.) Another great read!

Can you tell I like books about farms? As a kid I always wished I could live on a farm. I wanted to milk cows and collect eggs, which is ironic because I am lactose intolerant and eggs give me diarrhea. Oh well.

What are you reading?

~Katie~

Weekly Spending Report 3.24.14-3.31.14 and Spending Temptations

Usually I do a week of spending, but I decided to just wait until the end of the month to wrap it up, then I can be done with March.

March is a long cold month here in these parts (Southeastern Pennsylvania, United States, North America, Earth).  I am glad to be looking forward to Spring. April is a big month, I have Mike's (32) birthday (he's older than me :) and our 8th wedding anniversary. We got married on Earth Day. Not on purpose. It just so happened to be that way. Oh, and our wedding cost $500.00 and was awesome.

Aw, we love each other. I realize we have almost no photos of just the 2 of us together. Oh well.

Have I mentioned my husband is a jazz musician?  If you are so inclined, check out his first album. :) :)

Anyway, back to the spending report. To recap, I am in the compact, buying nothing new, family of 4, Southeastern crappy expensive PA, etc. etc.

Shoes for Kid 1 : 46.35
Shoes are one thing I spend money on. Good shoes are important for your back and stuff.
Date with Kid 1: 7.95
Gift For Kid 1 Birthday Party: 16.05
I don't know why I made him go to the party. He does not like large groups of people. Neither do I.
Groceries: 145.78 (Time to go back to Costco me thinks.)
Take out: 14.92 ( I was so tired. Baby does not sleep through the night yet! )
Gas for Both Cars: 83.23 (I am getting my bike soon equipped with baby seat. I can't wait! I am hoping to have a basket and/or cart fixed so I can go to the food store!!)
Church: 70.00
Kindle Books: 11.00

Total: 395.28

Total for Month of March: 1991.97 WOW! New Low!! Woohoo!

I love not spending money.

That is not to say I do not have temptations, although I do not think my spending temptations fall in with what normal ladies spend money on. Books are my biggest temptation. Follow that with cleaning supplies.

Yes, cleaning supplies.
I am a sucker for anything that promises my house to be cleaner in an easier, less work, less time fashion. I am sorta lazy but I like to have a clean house. In the end, I have found the simpler products are usually the best. I have all hardwood floors, so I find a dust mop works the best, and I have a steam mop that I use around 4 times a year to clean and sanitize. (This may change once baby is crawling around, but in my opinion kids can use to eat a little dirt. Kid 1 tried to eat a cigarette butt once at the playground and lived to tell the tale. That was super disgusting. And don't get me started on our poison control call history.)

As for clothing temptations, I am tempted by things that promise me comfort. Like pajama jeans. Don't be fooled. They do not feel like pajamas! I love pajamas. And skirts. I love skirts.

What are your spending temptations?

Katie