When Bad Luck is Good Luck

One of the most annoying things in the world that could happen around the holidays, always seems to happen. Without failure, something breaks, somebody gets sick, a window falls out of your house, your vehicle doesn't pass inspection, or your electric company decides to revise your budget plan for the coming year, in December!
For as many years that this has been a "tradition" in our family, it has also brought some of the best lessons, and brought our family even closer together.
It usually happens around, October, each year. (this is also when my pick up truck is due for inspection)
Inspection went ok this year, with the exception of the gauge cluster dying. That doesn't sound bad, right? Wrong! In my truck, (a Ford F150), the gauge cluster display of course, displays the mileage, and also all of the warning lights, the tach and speedometer, typical gauge cluster...... Until, my husband takes it out and there are no fuses, no wires. It looks like something from a science fiction movie lol! There is a circuit board attached, along with a bunch of tiny, little tongs!! (It does always seem like everything that does happen here, is beyond complicated, it can't be something simple!)
So, after some research and phone calls, and some very outrageous quotes from local Ford dealers, we found a place who could fix it, and since the gauge cluster holds the actual mileage for the truck, we were able to keep the low mileage that is on the truck and have it repaired within a week.
Yes, as odd as it is, the mileage is inside the cluster, nowhere else in the truck. Which is strange, because, once the cluster goes, your mileage will be off.
My options were:
Buy a used one from a junkyard with super high mileage...
Go to a Ford dealer, and have them take it out, charge a fortune, send it to Ford to repair, and charge another giant fee, and then pay them to program, and do whatever magical things they need to do to supposedly get my truck running again.
OR, we could run it to a shop, (in another vehicle of course), and let them have it for a week, to reprogram, repair, whatever they do. BUT, it sure was not even a fraction of the price that the dealer wanted.
We opted for the latter, of course. It saved us tons of money, money we didn't have at the time, since this was the 3rd thing to break in a month.
Now to the "good luck" or "positive" that came from this recent dilemma....
Since the truck really couldn't drive without the cluster, (the battery wouldn't charge with it removed), I had to gather all of our groceries, and make sure that every little errand for the week was done, all in one morning.
That took quite a bit of planning, cutting coupons, and lots of lists!
We live in a very rural area, and sometimes, groceries alone take a whole day to grab. Especially when I want to get actual groceries and have to travel several miles just to get to a store with more then one brand of each product.
We also are down to one vehicle, so, this is tricky. Thankfully, I work weekends, and I am able to stay home with the little ones throughout the week.
Sunday morning was a bit of a struggle, but I was able to knock out each list, in 6 stops.
The rest of the week, for the first time in several years, I was able to stay at home, without having to run somewhere, everyday of the week. That was a vacation in itself!
The kids were more then pleased too. No rushing around after school, or after dinner, for a full week, we stayed home. We had so much fun! I was able to get a few things done on my "project to do lists" that I don't often get done, due to our super hectic schedule, and we had time to sit and enjoy each other's company.
I will take a broken gauge cluster, anytime!
I always believe that something good always comes from everything. Sometimes, it may take a while for it to shine through, but in time, it will. This particular time was almost instant.
For this I consider myself, very lucky, and yes, I do plan on making more time like this, by "pretending" that the truck is in the repair shop again.

Managing time at Home

I often have a very long "to do list", I do lists of to do lists that I need to write, and daily, and weekly, and even monthly project to do lists!
I will even narrow it all down to several different categories, online work, bills, mail, phone calls, errands, paperwork, housework, projects, ( This normally includes uncluttering projects, lol).
The online work to do list, is getting to be the longest, and takes up one whole side of the notebook paper. This includes, blogs, surveys, points sites, answering emails, facebook, twitter, paying bills, reviews, personal facebook, Old Navy and Amazon orders, Groupon orders, research, and lots more that I can't seem to think of off the top of my head. I wish so much that I had a laptop, or Notebook, or anything that would help me tackle this list and complete the entire thing! I believe this would enable me to spend a lot less time in 'the computer room" and I will definately feel more at ease, getting this all worked on and finished each day.
So I think I have to make a game plan! I have to somehow put some money aside each week, until I have enough to cover a pretty good, but very reasonably priced, lap top. I am very interested in any comments, suggestions, reviews, thoughts, anything about your experience with any laptops, so I know what price range and time frame I am looking at.
The rest of my 'to do lists" are just a matter of trying to find a babysitter for a few hours a week, so that I can get some housework and house projects done. With Aaron in 2nd grade, and Genevive in preschool 3 days per week, I think I figured out the errands for the time being. (At least the local errands)
Genevive only attends preschool 3 days a week, and for 2 and a half hours at a time, so between that time, Deegan and I can run to Boyers Markets, Walmart, CVS, the post office, the bank, the farmers market, and maybe Weis. These are all within 25 miles, and I can get 1 or sometimes a few done in a day. I am very greatful for the way the smaller children behave in the stores. Deegan is 1, so he should be ok for the rest of the school year. After that, I will have to revise my errand list.
I am looking for any cute printables, or to do list tablets, notebooks, that are handmade, or that someone sells!
Please leave any links for any of these types of products, I would love to have cute papers with plenty of room, that i can check off on the side as the day goes and I can be happy to watch the lines get crossed off or the little boxes checked!!

What do you do with the kids when it is much to hot to go outdoors?

It is a scorching 97 degrees where we live, and as funny as it sounds, it is to hot and humid to even swim in the pool!
The weather report is saying that this will get worse as the week goes on!
So, we are stuck indoors for the time being. I do have a few errands to run in a bit. (Cvs, Boyers, groceries, and my husband is out of Prilosec)I am dreading walking out the door, and having the humidity make it hard to breathe!
I am not a fan of air conditioning, I love the smell of fresh air, and open the windows as much as I can, year round;p My husband hates this, and loves to be frozen to death all summer with the air conditioners, and has them on the entire time he is home.
Well, now I have 4 kids stuck in the house! HELP ME!! The 18 year old, Bethany, is pretty content with her laptop at the moment. The other 3 have been making such a mess, tearing the house apart, bickering and tattling, and basically,just driving me up the wall!
Luckily, we have A lot of crafts, and coloring books, and games, and quite a few fun things to do when they are all restless.
But I believe that this evening, after I am forced outside, by the very thirsty vegetable garden, and screaming flowers, lol, I am going to take the kid recipie book off the shelf, and we will make some snacks and treats!
mMy kids love to creat things, make messes, cook, and do experiments. Anything that has to do with glue, paint, chocolate, sugar, or play doh, is accepted with open arms.
The time spent with them, is something I wish I had more time to do, they really enjoy being together and having a good time,and tend to behave much better when we are occupied!
Not to mention that the homemade Crispix mix and Rice Krispie treats, are much cheaper and taste better!
Do you have any fun recipes you and your children enjoy making together? What plans do you have in your part of the world this week? Are you stuck indoors like we are?
Please post any links to your blog, website, anywhere you may have your favorite recipe! I will be posting our recipes we decide on later!

coupon deals for today's shopping trip

i love coupons, and i am proud of how many awesome deals and freebies i manage to find on a weekly basis.
today will prove to be a super deal day, with so many free items and many items that will cost a quarter!
i do tend to grab as many coupons as i can, but only the ones for products that my family will use.
i normally buy 1 or 2 Sunday papers, and i am fortunate to know a few people who don't use their coupons, and a friend who has a nice connection at a local gas station for any extras;p (after a few of the local ladies nicely steal whatever they can get their hands on)
i will also purchase, for a very small price, lots of coupons, from certain sellers on ebay. i do not mind paying a few bucks for 60 $3 off any 2 arm and hammer dryer sheet coupons, when i will end up getting cash back for 120 boxes. $60 as a matter of fact! of course i must deduct the $3 i paid for these coupons, and yes, i will keep several boxes. but about half, maybe more, will be given away, and donated.
arm and hammer has the best dryer sheets and laundry detergent, in my book. i use the detergent everyday, and am a long time fan. yes, i have tried lots of others, but not 1 has come close to the scent, the power, or the price, of arm and hammer!
the dryer sheets are also used for dusting in my house, and they leave a very appealing scent throughout the house. i also really love their bathroom cleaners, but that's a whole other blog;p
i have not used these coupons all at once, but i have acquired quite a few more, (the seller sent her leftovers!), plus i had already had some from my own stash. i will not ever take the entire supply off the shelf, but i will ask an associate if there are any more in the stockroom, and i will earn this $60+ , in a few trips. (i'm already going there for groceries over the few weeks, so there isn't a need for extra trips.
that's just an example of what i will be "getting paid to buy" today. i have around 20 of these left, and they will be used up during my trip today.
there is also a good deal on ronzoni garden delight pasta, (also another family favorite), they are $1 a box, and i still have leftover coupons for $1 off a box, so i will be getting these for free.
then the nestle quik chocolate shakes are 4/$5, and i have a bunch of the 50  cent off coupons from last weeks newspaper, so after those are all doubled, i'll pay a quarter each;p
there are a decent amount of matchups this week, and i have some cvs extra bucks from last week, so that should be an all free shopping trip today!
i'll post any other exciting deals i may be forgetting, and any i may have missed, later today!

it started at 5am already...........

i have a very sweet and dear, elderly neighbor, who i am very good friends with.
she has been having a horribly sad time with her husbands downhill battle with alzheimers. we do our best to help them out, in any way we can, (even if it is 5am;p).
i wasn't asleep for very long, until i heard helga, screaming my name from outside. i got up as quickly as i could, went to the back door, and found her standing there in the street. "helga! what happened? are you ok?", i said. "oh my! i have to talk to you! i cannot get you on your cell phone, and i think you're blocking my number or something?" she yelled.
we have this issue on an almost daily basis. she gets confused with the area code, (we live in a 2 area code area). so, we go through the same routine, checking the number, explaining to her i am not blocking her, and on and on.
so,  luckily nothing went wrong, just the same old morning with her husbands appointments, her being upset and sad, 3 of my 4 children are by now, wide awake amd running out the door to see what is wrong with helga.
our day has been quite uneventful so far, with the occasional fights amongst the 4 yr old and 7 yr old, the baby has had a small nap, thank goodness! but my plans of getting everybody ready for a frightening trip to the grocery store, isn't happening.
i have read through numerous blogs, countless emails, did some laundry, made a few important phone calls, paid a few bills, cut out a ton of coupons, and picked up a lot of toys and books.
i will be trying to get my errand list and my coupons all done in just a bit. i already have my lists for the stores i have to get to today, and when my oldest daughter comes home from work, i will be excitedly running out the door to start my coupon adventures;p
i was looking forward to taking the 3 little ones with me this morning, but as any other day, plans around here change within seconds, unfortunately. however, the time by myself will be much appreciated, and i certainly will not take as long as i would have with the kids.
so, when i get home, after making dinner, getting some housework done, and then the ever so anticipated, bathtime, lol, we can enjoy some time together to either make some ice cream, or a craft. as long as everything goes as planned....