Good Things in February February 28, 2010

Feb 1– Dinner date on a Monday night! Sweet!
Feb 2-My dad’s 63rd birthday! We celebrated his life big because we are blessed he is even with us.
Feb 3-The bosses son thought his mom was on the other end of the line and answered “Trade ya a nickel for your pickle” It was a had to be there moment, but we were hysterical over it.
Feb 4-TV night of Grey’s and Private Practice.
Feb 5-Our second date night of the week! Dinner at Outback, window shopping, and then a DVR marathon at home.
Feb 6-Day trip to Hot Springs to take the cans we have collected the past few months for AR Childrens Hospital. We had 104 lbs of cans which totalled about $70. I was pleased.
Feb 7-FBC had an actual fellowship/potluck this morning and later that day a Superbowl Party in the youth group that I made some awesome chicken dip. New Orlean Saints won!
Feb 8-Snow day! We were in my brother in laws 4 wheel drive truck and helped a guy’s family out of the highway median with the truck wench. Not too shabby for 3 women.
Feb 9-Another snow day! I spent the day making 200 gold organza bags filled with all gold wrapped candy and customized tags I made that had to be attached by gold thread. Not a small feat people.
Feb 10-My sweet honey got TOP Supervisor with his team at work. I turned in over $1200 for my AR Childrens Hospital Change Angel Team!
Feb 11-Richard had an early Valentine present from me of his favorite Chicago style pizza from the place we ate in Chicago called “Lou Malnati’s”.
Feb 12-Winter Olympics 2010 begins tonight in Vancouver. We watched the opening ceremony, watched the movie Couples Retreat (so funny!) and shared a couple of pieces of the cookie cake R bought me for Valentines.
Feb 13-I worked on the those gold organza bags some more and finally finished! A trip to Target also happened which always makes me happy.
Feb 14-Day trip to Des Arc for a 50th Anniversary for two people I love dearly, Ann and Donald Guess. I miss DA so much and all the people there.
Feb 15-Walmart trip after work that actually didn’t cost me $100 and was out of there in under 20 minutes. Amazing!
Feb 16-I made some delicious homemade spaghetti and meatballs.
Feb 17-Ash Wednesday. I decided to take a break from Facebook until Easter. I spent most of the day at work listening to my Ipod. I love how the song order on shuffle is always surprising.
Feb 18-I searched for tulips to plant and it was a fail.
Feb 19-Dinner and a movie.
Feb 20– My friends Jay and Jennie had their baby boy, Owen. He weighed in at 9lbs and 4 oz. with a head full of blonde hair. I’m so proud for them!
We day tripped to Little Rock for fun instead of work. Lunch at Arkansas Burger, dessert at Community Bakery, fish for future dinner from Fresh Market, strolling in the River Market for fun, the Good Earth Garden Center, and a drive to the top of the hill to see the view. It was a beautiful day!
Feb 21-Rainy day=lots of snuggling.
Feb 22-Surprise lunch with my Aunt Linda (my mom’s sister) visiting unexpectedly from Virginia. My crockpot didn’t fail me tonight when I made red beans.
Feb 23-Easter aisles at Target are evil with all those delicious bunnies, chicks, and eggs.
Feb 24-Ok I had a hard time finding something good today. Happy to be alive though and we had a yum-o lunch at Terry Lynn’s. I love that place.
Feb 25-Lunch with one of my favorite people, Tracy. She is on my heart daily as is her five beautiful babies and her sweet husband Chad who will soon be leaving us all for Afghanistan. Please pray for him.
Feb 26– Finally Friday! Work was busy which makes my day good. Date night of Chili’s (our old standby) and then a lazy night at home.
Feb 27– Day trip to Hot Springs to a friends lake house.
Feb 28-Closing ceremony of the Olympics in Vancouver. The 60 degree weather today also made my day even better.

Day Six without Facebook: Its Not Easy! February 23, 2010

To not bore you with all the little details about me “fasting” from Facebook until April 4th I will simply say that it is not easy! I decided everyday would be a bit much to update so instead I’m trying to update weekly about it. Less stressful that way and less reminders of what I’m missing out on about other peoples lives.

The past year or longer my days have almost always included viewing Facebook either by Blackberry or home computer almost by the hour. Not being able to do that one simple habit each and everyday has been a challenge especially in the mornings. When you get down to it the fact remains that it is like any other habit we as humans have developed whether it be smoking, drinking, overeating, or buying things we don’t need. Its a habit! I can surely break this simple little thing of checking my phone every hour to see if anyone has updated. I know it won’t kill me, but can I really do it?

Honestly I don’t know if I will make it until April 4th, but I am praying everyday that God will give me the stamina to try each time that it looks me in the face. I pray he gives me other things to keep my mind and hands busy.

A short list of things that I have found myself doing instead of Facebooking:

• Spending time with my sweet honey Richard
• Reading
• Walking the dog when its not freezing arse cold outside
• Cooking which this is something I’ve always done but I’m trying new recipes
• Praying A LOT!
• Not worrying as much about others
• Dreaming about life stuff such as the dreams we have for ourselves.
• Photography and making my pictures much better. We are even signed up for a photography class in March and I can hardly wait!

So this no Facebook thing can be done. Its definitely not easy, but I believe if God will grant me the strength to keep on keeping on then this will be a great thing for me. And maybe just maybe it will help me break other bad habits. One thing at a time though…we don’t want to overdue it!

Day One Without Facebook: "I Didn’t Die" February 18, 2010

“I Didn’t Die”…

I decided at the beginning of this new year, 2010, that I would challenge myself with different things. First thing was in January when I finally completed an entire Bible study myself. It was tough to sit down every single day and do it except now I want to do it. Second thing began today with Ash Wednesday and sacrificing the one thing I have fallen in love with the most in this past few months and of course it involves the World Wide Web! I heart Facebook!

So I decided that Facebook would be the perfect thing to give up for Lent even though I am not Catholic or even Methodist…but I feel Lent should be a time to reflect on myself as a Christian person. I mean good grief my Savior sacrificed himself so that I could live. Surely to goodness and mercy I can live without a novelty like Facebook for 46 days. I can do this!

Anyway…I won’t say that it has been easy today because it hasn’t and I have been tempted more than once to check it. I mean its right there on my phone waiting for me to open it and see all the status’ of the “friends” from my past and my future. Its stares at me… ALL. DAY. LONG.

Tonight was hard also because Richard was late from work and a family deal so I was making myself dinner thinking about what was happening on Facebook. I didn’t realize how much I actually do check it. I even said to someone that I didn’t check it that often, but the moment you say something like that you might as well bend on over for that nice swift kick in the arse because you just committed a lie.

So I made myself busy tonight. I started my new Bible study which I am already in love with and I took the pooch for a much needed walk. I took a deep breath in and out about not checking the new internet cocaine we are currently feeding to small children. And you know what…I didn’t die.

Good Things In January February 2, 2010

Each month I am trying to find something good about each day. How hard can this be?

Jan 1st- Pajamas ALL day and eating black-eyed peas for dinner. Not the group the vegetable.
Jan 2nd- Trip to Jonesboro for lunch with my dad’s family and dinner with my mom’s family for late Christmas. Meeting the first new Crews boy in 43 years. That’s exciting!
Jan 3rd-My brother in-law I loving call “Fishface” birthday dinner and lots of Mario Kart.
Jan 4th- New season of Bachelor. His name is Jake and he is cute. It also snowed today.
Jan 5th-My crockpot didn’t fail me.
Jan 6th- Change Angel Kickoff at AR Children’s Hospital. I collected $75 the first day online!
Jan 7th-Football party at my parents house with a bunch of college kids. Ahhh they make me feel young! Oh and Alabama won it!
Jan 8th-Coldest. Day. Ever. It was 10 degrees all day! We had date night at home with pizza and movies!
Jan 9th-Pajamas most of the day because it was too cold to go anywhere, but it was a good snuggle day.
Jan 10th- Skipped church to sleep.
Jan 11th- One of my dear friends turned 31.
Jan 12th-I overslept an hour on a work day and it felt fantastic. American Idol’s new season!
Jan 13th-Tried to convince myself with 10 good reasons I should help out with the youth group at church. I failed.
Jan 14th-Dad got a good report at one of his heart doctors.
Jan 15th-Haircut by my favorite boy. It was one of the best Friday nights I’ve had in a long time. Jan 16th- Anna’s Baby Shower and meeting baby Eden for the first time.
Jan 17th- Bridal Fair in Little Rock with one of my sweetest cousins who is newly engaged, Breigh.
Jan 18th- Our neighbors came to visit for a few minutes which is really odd in this neighborhood. Jan 19th- A quiet office at work today since the men were all out. Nice.
Jan 20th- Lunch in the middle of the week with my sweet honey!
Jan 21st- I learned a new word “Yuckadoodle”…thanks Amy!
Jan 22nd-Friday date night of Chili’s and Target. What more could a girl want?
Jan 23rd-Our niece, Juliann, stayed with us a few hours this afternoon. She played Wii the entire time. She went home and her sister came over for an intense game of Hog-Opoly with her Uncle Richard.
Jan 24th- Tough Day for a Good thing…but lets just keep it real. Church sucked today.
Jan 25th- Made an awesome chicken pot pie for dinner.
Jan 26th-Breakfast at home for the first time in forever. Homemade pancakes and bacon.
Jan 27th- I learned today that rectangles do not fit into squares. Early date night of El Porton & Home Depot.
Jan 28th- Anxiously awaiting the first ice storm of 2010.
Jan 29th- Ice storm officially hit and we got a snowday at work! Woohoo! Walmart before 8 a.m. and breakfast at McDonald’s.
Jan 30th- Watched a lot of television on this weekend snowday! I heart DVR.
Jan 31st- We had lunch with “Clark Kent”…heheheheh!

Eat From The Pantry February 1, 2010

I read a blog post recently here FancyPantsFoodie, here MoneySavingMom, and here LifesAMom, and it has me a inspired to try a challenge they recently issued called “Eat from the Pantry”. I’m a month late on the challenge and we do not have a pantry in our house which is the top item on my wants for future homes. Anyway the idea of this challenge is about being frugal and other part is for respecting our resources so we aren’t wasting so much food.

To participate, you can be really formal and organized about it. OR you can be me who is organized in my very own Susan way. Never feel guilty about either.

The other main idea is to become more aware of what you are buying and cooking. What is being used and what is being wasted every single week. You know we all do it. We forget what we have in the fridge and buy another one of the same thing we already have 3 of at home. We get home and realize we forgot something except we didn’t because the something is stuck behind the can of corn on the top shelf of the pantry.

The organized version involves making a thorough inventory of your freezer, fridge and pantry. Then you are to create meal plans normally one week at a time using the items you already have right here at home. If you’re really into the challenge of “Eating from the Pantry” use only those items instead of running to the store for extras.

This challenge will allow me to save some money, be hopefully creative and free up a little bit of time. Beginning this week the game is on for me. February is best for me since its the shortest month. Ha!

My goals in this challenge are:

To still enjoy our once a week date nights. It keep the fire burning…right? Ha!
To only purchase milk, eggs, veggies, and fruits as we need them.
To use what we have in our freezer and pantry.
To try to visit the store no more than 3 times this month.

To be creative in food preparation and presentation if possible. I sometimes lack in this area.
To spend no more than $75 this month on said items if possible which we all know could be impossible.

To save the extra money and put it towards a vacation or something fun!

Amen.