Category: Family Life

Winds of Change

I am very sad that my fifty year old pecan tree has to be cut down this year. The hurricane torn down so many top limbs that are still hanging in pieces at the top of the tree. Unfortunately pecan is a brittle wood, and it litters my yard if we get a bad thunder storm. I have always admired Elm trees. I am thinking that would make a great replacement tree for next year.

Going to Walt Disney World!!!

We have been putting off going to Walt Disney World for over 2 years. This is the year we finally go. I already booked the rooms with that great promotion they are running. You get 3 free nights when you pay for 4 nights at one of the resorts. We are going to stay at the French Quarter, and I can’t wait until May. I really need to start getting in shape since you do tons of walking. I have been walking a mile each day so far this month. Then next month I’m going up to 2 miles, and 3 in March, and so on. By May I am hoping to be walking 5 miles daily. This will also help me to lose that weight so no Leptovox for me. I also have been drinking more water each day. I feel so much better already with just the simple daily walk and increased water intake. I have lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks so I’m really proud of my progress.

Another Busy Weekend

Whew! It’s been another busy weekend around the house. We took a road trip to my sister’s house, and rode horses at her sister’s ranch. She even has a couple of Shetland ponies that our son rode. He did get on one of the bigger horses near the end of our visit. We went to the local feed store with her to get some horse supplies. We had a blast and can’t wait to go back.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #56

Today’s thrifty living tip is use powered milk for cooking. It’s cheaper than fresh milk, and can be stored much longer. You can even use it in your own dry mixes like pancakes or biscuits. You can even further your savings by stretching fresh 2% with half powered milk. You won’t notice the difference in taste.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Today my little man turned 8 years old! Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday he was just a little baby. Sometimes I wish I could stop time or at least slow it down. He is just growing up so fast. We had his party on Saturday with just friends and family. He wanted a Wall-E cake from the bakery and it was delicious. I also brought a Mardi Gras king cake to his school with some drinks for his class. He had a great day, and he even made Honor Roll on his report card.

This Old Floor

I love living in an older house. I always knew I wanted to live in one with original wood flooring when I bought my first house. Old houses have so much character and charm to them. I get a certain feeling when I walk into one like they are telling me a great story from the past. We are trying our best to preserve our house and not modernizing it. We are slowly making the house look as nice as it did when it was built. It just gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment as I finish another project. Older homes aren’t for everyone, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #51

Today’s thrifty living tip is extend the life of your clothes with simple alterations. What I mean is cut long sleeve shirts into short sleeve or jeans and pants into shorts. Of course you would either need some basic sewing knowledge or know someone that could do this for you. My mom is an excellent seamstress and does sewing jobs for me. I do know how to sew but I don’t have a machine, and I don’t really enjoy sewing like she does.

I mainly do this for my son’s clothes. This is really great for uniform pants so I don’t have to buy shorts since the pants are usually too short for the next winter. They will still fit nicely in the waist so this is ideal. I know I save at least $20-30 by doing this plus I donate them so less in the landfills. My mom does an excellent job hemming and you can’t tell they weren’t bought this way. I also have done this with his winter pajamas and jeans. I have bought a couple of knit shirts that were on a great sale, but I really wanted short sleeve. I paid $3 each and I wear short sleeve more since weather is warmer more during the year. Wear your favorite item longer with a simple alteration.