100 things challenge, day 32 update

Since I haven't been blogging much, you may have guessed that I'm also behind on my 100 things challenge. A couple weeks ago, we dropped off a few things at Goodwill, but haven't gotten rid of much else. I did list a bunch of Hallmark ornaments on Craigslist, but didn't get any bites. Here's the latest gone:

1 photo album
1 dress
2 tee shirts
7 books
1 purse
1 wallet
1 CD
1 set napkins
1 nightgown

total gone 18/100

I'm most proud of the nightgown. It is the last of my flannel favorites. I had four flannel nightgowns that I literally wore out. A couple of them were 20+ years old (no, that's not an exaggeration) and the last one, I was hoping to patch and get another couple years out of. But since I never got around to patching the tear on the back seam, I decided I should just get rid of it. Now that was a difficult decision. But to get a little more use out of it, I cut it into rags. It makes me happy to use them.
And yes, I'm tossing them in the trash when I'm done using them. The cut edges shed too much to make it practical to wash and reuse them. And no, I'm not getting out the sewing machine to hem them.

Almost ready for Christmas

Only one more gift to wrap and these are "wrapped" too. We're bringing rice balls and nu mai fan (Chinese sticky rice) to Christmas dinner tomorrow. We'll fry the rice balls tomorrow morning. Rice and rice, from each of our cultures. I know the family likes the rice balls; we'll see about the sticky rice.

Thank you Glitz Design!

I was lucky to win some new Glitz papers and embellies from the Moxie Fab World blog (they're part of Paper Crafts). I was sooo excited that I had to sit down and make a card. When have you heard of me crafting that quickly??!! The only things I added was a bit of ink and the Bazzill flowers.
Thank you Glitz and Paper Crafts!

Still thankful

It has been over a week since we got home from our quick Thanksgiving trip. We decided to drive up to see my side of the family for Thanksgiving, mostly because we (actually Mr. Fix-it) needed to do some things around the folk's house. Stuff like trimming trees, fixing faucets, stuff that I'm not really good at.

The drive up was surprisingly easy. No long lines at any of the bathrooms and gas was cheaper than back home. We saw my dad and then he kicked us out (we suspect he wanted to watch some football, lol).

Thanksgiving was at my cousin S's. This was the first time I've seen her home, which is huge! And a good thing too since she had 30 guests. Mostly family, but some friends too. Just her family/siblings/kids/parent/in-laws totaled 19 people. There was so much food since everyone brought multiple dishes (we brought multiple snacks since we were traveling): spinach artichoke dip, chips, pigs in blanket, lumpia, cheese and salami tray, nuts, deviled eggs, krab salad in baked filo cups, baked brie/jam in baked filo cups, green salad, crudites, turkey, ham, prime rib, sticky rice (nu mai fan), mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, asparagus, rolls, green bean casserole, two kinds of cranberry relish, pumpkin pie, cake, sweet potato pie, berry pie, ice cream, cookies, Chex mix, and gosh, I can't remember what else. Needless to say, after two trips to the buffet I was stuffed, but still found room for dessert.

It was a wonderful gathering. The food was delish, but what really shone through was the love my cousins' family. Their kids (my first cousins once removed?) are so close and they've really missed each other. A couple of them have gotten married so being all together is really rare. My uncle was mellower than usual. And, I met a scrapbooker! One of my cousin's friends is a scrabooker (why is it I keep meeting scrapbookers who live hundreds of miles away??!).

We spent the day after Thanksgiving doing stuff at folk's. Mr. Fix-it did all the heavy tree trimming and mom and I used the pruners and hauled everything out front. He cleaned the gutters in the front and I cleaned them in the back. There was still more to do, but it was getting too cold.

The drive home was even faster than the drive up. We both woke up early so decided to leave early. But we waited until it was light, which was a good plan since it was foggy. Although traffic was heavier as we got closer to home, we still made good time and only got gouged on gas prices once.

All-in-all, it was an awesome Thanksgiving, one of the best.

100 things challenge, round 2

You may remember my recent 100 things challenge. I didn't get rid of as much as I hoped, but I am still happy with the results. So I'm starting it again. I was going to wait till next month (only four more days from now), but since we got rid of two big things today, I thought I'd start the challenge again.

To recap, get rid of 100 things in 100 days. Starting now, ending Tuesday, March 6, 2012. One thing a day, or 10 things every week or so. Remember, there's only one rule. To count, it has to out of the house. It can't be in the donate box, it can't be in the Craig's List/ebay box. With the end of the year coming soon, you may want to considering donating for tax purposes. I recommend not waiting until the last minute since donation sites get pretty crowded the last week of the year.

Here's what we got rid of today (okay, what Mr. Fix-it got rid of, gotta give credit where credit is due):

1 clay extruder
1 clay rolling pin

total gone 2/100

100 things challenge, last day

It is day 100 of my 100 things challenge. I got rid of a few more things:

1 pile of gift boxes that were too far gone to use again
1 stack (about 1.5 inches) of scrapbook paper (you should be really proud of this one)
3 things from my gift closet (I gave them to my sister so if you know her, they may be on their way to you)

Yesterday, day 99, I had big plans to put together a pile of stuff to take to Goodwill. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain most of the day after grocery shopping this morning, we stayed in the rest of the day (it was raining so hard, we skipped the Starbucks BOGO, and you know how I love a Starbucks discount).

The total gone is far short of my 100 items goal, but I'm still happy with my challenge. There's less stuff in the house and a little more money in my pocket (not as much as I'd like).

What I learned:

• I don't miss any of the clothes I got rid off.
• Even though it is a lot easier to see what's in my closet, I still have trouble deciding what to wear.
  
• You can't tell that we've gotten rid of books and magazines. I think that means we still need to work on that.

I'll be starting this challenge again soon. Hopefully, Mr. Fix-it will have some time to list some things on Craig's List (I believe this is called delegating, lol). I think I need to challenge myself to include weekly updates. Or maybe every other week. Or maybe every ten things. Look for another 100 things challenge before the end of the year.

Yellow Split Pea and Lentil Soup with Mushrooms

Tonight's dinner was another Macgyver, throw it together adventure. My friend Jackie posted a recipe from Elana's Pantry and I modified it for our dinner tonight.

All the measurements are approximate since I was just using up what I had in the kitchen.

Yellow Split Pea and Lentil Soup with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 pound yellow split peas
• 3/4 pound red lentils
  
• 3 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups stock (I had some ham stock in the freezer and that's all I had, feel free to use more stock)
  
• 1/8 tsp celery salt
• fresh ground pepper
  

Directions:

1. Look over the peas and lentils and remove any stones or debris. (I used to think this was a stupid instruction until I found some pebbles in some beans.)
2. In a large sauce pan (I used a four quart pan) , bring split peas (and lentils), water, bay leaves and paprika to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 1 hour, until peas break apart (the lentils will cook faster so if you want, add them after the peas have cooked for about half an hour).
   
3. In a large stockpot (at least 6 quart), heat oil and saute onion over medium low until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender.
   
4. Add the split peas and lentils to the onion/mushroom mixture.
5. Add the stock, celery salt, and pepper.
   
6. Simmer for a few minutes. Adjust seasonings if needed (you may need more salt; we don't use a lot of salt, plus I figured there was salt in the ham stock).
   

If you prefer a smoother soup, remove the bay leaves and blend the peas/lentils after step 2.

Win it! Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 DVD

Chief Family Officer is having a giveaway for the latest Harry Potter DVD. Good luck!

100 things challenge, day 87 update

I'm a bit behind. Here's what we've gotten rid of recently. Some of it was given to people I know; the majority was donated.

2 piles of magazines
3 nightgowns
3 shirts
1 small bag of toiletries
5 pairs of shoes
1 purse
2 boxes of kitchen stuff
3 books
2 jeans
2 sweaters
1 vacuum
3 vases
2 box of office supplies
2 picture frames
1 GPS
1 bathroom scale
1 vaporizor
1 briefcase
1 box of dishes
2 boxes of paperwork

total gone 61/100

The last item (paperwork) might be considered a bit of a cheat, but getting rid of two boxes of "to be shredded" stuff is a huge accomplishment in my book. That's two filing drawers of stuff (or would be if we actually got around to filing stuff, lol). A local company hired a shredding company as a community goodwill gesture and you could bring five boxes. It was hard enough to get two boxes together; we try to shred stuff on a regular basis.

I don't think I'm going to meet my deadline; finding 40 more things to get rid of in less than two weeks is definitely going to be a challenge.

Reduce your debt, save thousands a year (a vent)

It seems that everyone today has advice on how to save hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year by taking a few simple steps. I really must stop reading these articles because I just shake my head in sorrow whenever I read them. Are people really so stupid that they need to be told that buying a latte at Starbucks costs more than a cup of coffee? Or a cup of coffee brewed at home costs less than takeout? That if they're having trouble paying their bills, going out to eat isn't a good idea? That a vacation is a want, not a need. And I get frustrated because I already do most, if not all of the money-saving ideas people post.

I had a little more hope that this post over at Becoming Minimalist would be different, just because it was a longer list. Maybe there would be something I hadn't thought of. I'm always looking for ideas on how to spend less. Alas, there was nothing new. And of the 33 ideas, I already do 28 out of the 33. I'm including the list here. Maybe it will give you some ideas and maybe you can help me with the five I don't do (1, 3, 12, 13, 20).

1. Re-shop auto, home and life insurance to see if you can bring down your payments. (Not interested in changing companies so am stuck with this one.)
   
2. Downgrade your cable package, or get rid of it entirely. (Never had cable.)
   
3. Disconnect your home phone if you have adequate cell service at your home. Or downgrade to a cheaper package. (Need to keep the landline in case I get a call requiring the TTY. And there are no cheaper cell phone plans available unless we decide to go pay-as-you-go, which we don't want to do. We don't have data plans.)
   
4. Buy and sell clothes at your local consignment or shop at Goodwill. (My clothes isn't good enough for consignment shops and I buy all of my clothes on clearance, which is usually cheaper than Goodwill.)
   
5. Have a massive garage sale. (If you’d rather be out of debt than have an item, choose to sell it to help you get you there.) (Did that and will do it again.)
   
6. Advertise higher quality items on Craigslist, Facebook, or your local newspaper to get better prices. (Did that and will do it again.)
   
7. Focus on buying mostly sale items at grocery store or generic brands to reduce your cost. (I've always shopped this way. And don't forget the coupons.)
   
8. Use a grocery store awards program to earn money off gas. (Not available locally)
9. Cancel unnecessary expenses like magazine subscriptions, newspapers, manicures, pedicures etc. Anything that could be considered a “want” instead of a “need” should go until you are out of debt or greatly decrease your debt. (I save more in coupons I get than I pay for my newspaper subscription.)
   
10. Go to the matinee movies instead of paying full price (and skip the concessions). (Yep. I also buy movies tickets at a discount so I can go to the movies any time.)
11. Or better yet, use the Red Box for at-home movie entertainment. (I don't rent movies, but I may start using Red Box. So do I count this as a Yep? I think I will.)
    
12. Get temporary work or seasonal part time work to boost your income. (I already work 50 hours a week, plus a commute. I've done a bit of consulting, but it is pretty tough out there.)
    
13. Read books from the library or take a few trips to Barnes & Noble to complete a book. (Although I do spend around $20/year on books, my last books came from a library sale, Goodwill, or were gifts. I don't believe in cheating B&N out of their $ by reading there for free.)
    
14. Buy your most expensive groceries in bulk at Coscto: meats, breads, cheese, produce, paper products. Establish a monthly grocery budget for the additional needs at regular grocery stores. (Yep.)
15. When eating out, skip the soft drinks and stick with water. Skip the extras too (dessert, etc.). (Yep.)
16. When eating out, share a large entrée or have small appetizers instead of the costly meal. (Yep.)
17. Plan your errands more efficiently to conserve gas. (Yep.)
18. Find friends that you can trade services with…haircutting, handyman, photography, babysitting, pet-sitting. (We do have friends in trades that give us discounts.)
    
19. Give home-made gifts, baked goods, or service IOU’s rather than expensive presents. (Yep.)
20. Boxed cereals are expensive; switch to oatmeal, eggs or fruit for more nutritional and financial bang. (I buy name brand cereal for $1 to $2/box. Although more expensive than oatmeal, I pay significantly less than most people. We go through about 3 boxes a month so it is still pretty cheap.)
21. Call the utility companies and get on a budget plan to give you more consistency with expenses each month. (How does this save $? But yes, some of our utilities are on level-pay plans.)
22. Set a spending limit with family at Christmas and/or draw names. (Yep.)
23. Use exercise videos, walking or hiking instead of paying for the gym. (Yep. Oh wait, this implies that I exercise, lol.)
24. If your haircut is too expensive, find a less expensive stylist or see if your hairdresser will cut you a break on price temporarily – ours did. ($15 including tip. I'd be embarrassed to ask for a discount.)
25. Say “no” to hosting and/or attending in-home parties where you feel pressure to purchase. (Yep.)
26. Does your family live nearby? Once a week dinners with mom or dad saved us a meal out of our shopping budget. Additionally, it usually led to leftovers and our parents looked forward to our visit each week. (I'm the one who usually sends food to others.)
27. Make your coffee at home instead of buying it each day. (Yep.)
28. Pack your lunch – not once a week, but regularly. (Yep.)
29. Make extra dinner servings on purpose to have leftovers for lunch. (Yep.)
30. Our dentist advised us we could skip the fluoride treatments if we were using a daily dental rinse – which we did… and bought on sale. (Never had fluoride treatments so this doesn't apply)
31. Program your thermostat for savings on heating/cooling when you’re not at home. (Yep.)
32. Tempted by certain retail stores? While digging out of debt, avoid window shopping these places where you’ve failed to control your impulses before. (Yep.)
33. Give**. (Yep.)

Eh, enough with my venting. Keep in mind, most of these things aren't that hard to do. And you might enjoy the extra savings in your pocket.

Five (excuses) on Friday

Why I haven't been blogging much:

1. We went on vacation. A REAL vacation that involved sightseeing and going out and gaining weight, lol.
2. I had a visitor for a few days. My SIL (and one of my best friends) came to visit so no computer time when I got home from work.
3. My computer is really old and really slow, so I am avoiding it.
4. I'm still catching up on my TV watching from all the shows we recorded while we were gone.
5. I haven't been in the mood (hey, at least I'm honest).

Three pounds

After a week-long cruise, filled with all-you-can-eat buffets, plus lunches and dinners that included appetizers, first courses, and desserts (definitely multiple on the desserts), I am happy to report a mere increase of three pounds. As it turns out, I didn't exercise as much on this cruise. Last cruise, I made a huge effort to go to the early morning exercise classes and spent time on the treadmill. This cruise, the yoga and Zumba classes didn't burn off what I ate. Ironically, I don't think the food was as good this time around, even though it was the same cruise line. So why the weight gain? Can I blame it on old age? Hopefully, healthy eating habits will get rid of those three pounds (and more!).

Five on Friday

1. Remember that scrapbook project I started? Well, I abandoned it. I might just use the pieces for cards, just to get them out of the way.
2. I had a couple of appointments this week so came in a little late (9:30) or left a little early (4:00). The sad thing is, despite the late arrivals or early departures, I worked more than 40 hours this week.
3. I'm trying to lose a couple pounds before we go on vacation. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll burst out of my clothes before the end of our trip.
4. Fall is definitely here. I've had to break out the sweaters and jackets.
   
5. Happy birthday to me! I turned 27, again, lol. (I decided to use 27 instead of 29 since 27 was a better year).
   

Five on Friday is a random collection of thoughts from the week. Feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments or on your own blog and link back here.

Remembering 9/11

I've spent the last week crying at every news story about 9/11. Some of my friends posted on FB that they were avoiding the news; that reliving that day was too emotional for them. I understand. I won't be watching the news tomorrow.

I wrote about how 9/11 affected me several years ago. But as I look back, I also remember how touched I was by the outpouring of sympathy from the rest of the world. How Canada allowed planes to land and welcomed stranded passengers with open arms. How the world stood with us as we mourned. The photos of citizens from around the world gathering at US embassies in solidarity gave me hope. Hope that good will triumph over evil.

I remember those who were taken from us in such a terrible way and I remember and thank the brave men and women who protect us here and overseas.

100 things challenge, day 24 update

1 small pile of magazines (and we have lots more to get rid of)
1 mattress pad
1 Star Trek candy dish (we've got more ST dishes and "collectibles" if you're interested)
1 large box of dye (I'm finally admitting that I will never revive my silk scarf business)

total gone 22/100

So we're a little behind on getting rid of stuff. Plus, I took a major step backward last week when we went to a library book sale. It was the last day of the sale and books were only $1/bag. I ended up with two bags of books. Now I need to sort though what I've got so I can get rid of some of my current collection in keeping with the one-in-one-out rule.

Five on Friday

1. I'm starting a new scrapbook project...no really I am. I even started cutting the paper today.
2. I'm so glad I decided to take today off. Four-day weekend, woo hoo! The bad news is I brought home work. Let's see if I actually do it.
3. The weather has really cooled off. I need to wear a sweater or jacket in the mornings. That doesn't stop me from wearing sandals though.
4. Yes, I know I'm behind on my blogging.
5. Mr. Fix-it thinks we're going to work on the house this weekend. I'm more interested in shopping and scrapping (see item 1). Let's see who wins.

Five on Friday is a random collection of thoughts from the week. Feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments or on your own blog and link back here.

My Tupperware collection

I know that it isn't all Tupperware (and I've got some mixing bowls and other glassware there), but they are the most valuable pieces of my collection. ;) Mr. Fix-it built these pull-out shelves for me a few months ago and I've really enjoyed them. On the plus side, I did get rid of a lot of the cheap, old stuff that was cluttering up the old shelves since it wouldn't all fit on the new shelves. I must confess that this isn't all of my collection...I've got a couple of more shelves full of plastic ware that I'm not showing you.

A thousand sheets of paper

My friend Nancy posted that her friend Amy over at A Thousand Sheets of Paper, is giving away a thousand sheets of paper, plus a bunch of stamps! How's that for a prize?!!? Actually, she has several prizes. Check it out!

A little bling

I don't usually do my nails, but when I saw this glitter polish, I couldn't resist. It looks awesome over red, but I wasn't brave enough to wear that to work. The gold over silver is actually relatively subtle.

Awkward

As we were out and about with our errands today, we ran into a few people we knew. One was an acquaintance of Mr. Fix-it who has had some difficult times. He was laid off over a year ago and hasn't been able to find a job since. We've seen the guy out and about since he lives in the neighborhood. The acquaintance told Andy he was buying food for just a few meals at a time since he couldn't afford more. When Mr. Fix-it told me that, I wanted to do something to help. I usually give groceries to the local food bank a couple times a year. Why not give it to someone who you know instead?

Mr. Fix-it was hesitant, but I wanted to try. I knew that it might be refused, that it could be embarrassing. And as it turns out, it was...both. I tried to be gracious, the acquaintance tried to be gracious, but it was still embarrassing. I understand, but I don't understand too because in my family, we're always giving food to one another. It might be something from the garden or a favorite food or something purchased on sale that you got a great deal on. I'm not an extreme couponer, but I do get a lot of good deals. I'm sorry I couldn't share them.

Later, we ran into one of my coworkers at Home Depot. I didn't even know she lived in the area. Thank goodness I looked presentable. Sometimes, I don't bother changing out of my "garden clothes," which are really suitable for public viewing. Or I'll just throw on a plaid shirt over striped pants and wear socks with my sandals. Yes, I have no fashion sense, lol. So, not too awkward, but still, I'm going to be more careful about what I wear when I'm out and about.