Some things that are making me happy
This post presented because contentment and thankfulness are key parts of frugal living. If you can't be content with what you have right now, you probably won't be content with even twice that. And listing things that are making you happy is a super helpful way to grow your contentment/thankfulness muscles.
Happy Monday, frugal peeps! Let's start off the week with some cheerful stuff, shall we?
My brother helped me with a plumbing problem.
Almost every time Mr. FG is out of town, something unusual happens that requires skills I don't possess. It's like clockwork!
This weekend, the girls were filling up water balloons outside, and I thought I was hearing the hose run.
But when I went into the laundry room, I discovered that a pipe on top of the water heater was actually spraying water.
(!)
Thankfully, my brother was able to stop by and look at it. He helped me get the pressure down so we could remove the pipe and he told me what to buy to replace it.
Luckily, it was an easy fix (just screwing the ends of the new pipe on), so I was able to do that by myself.
Water balloon fun
A great thing is that Sonia and Zoe are old enough to handle this all on their own. They can fill up the water balloons, play with them, and clean up the mess all without me!
They've been enjoying using the balloons on the trampoline, mostly, where they randomly pop during bounce sessions.
Driver's ed is done!
Lisey's all done with the two-week class portion of her driver education, and she finished with a 96. Sweet!
The school was close to our house, so it was pretty easy to drop her off and pick her up...but still, it'll be nice to have one less thing on our schedule.
And now maybe she'll have time to do some actual driving.
Fun with friends
Now that school's out, Sonia and Zoe have gotten to hang out with their friends a lot more. It's sleepover season! And trips to the donut shop season!
A quieter week in front of me
Last week was an unusually busy week and I was hardly home at all. Way too much going on for my taste.
But this week promises to be a little slower, and I'm so thankful for that.
Your turn!
Perk up your Monday by listing some things that are making you happy.
I had a week's vacation which, despite some issues (kid got an ear infection during the trip and driving 900 miles in one day is not my idea of fun) it was nice to get away and not worry about work or any of that stuff any more.
I also got to go thrift shopping with my wife which was a first in a long time. So that was nice.
Also, seeing the area near where my in-laws live make me really feel grateful for where I live. Sure some things are a little pricier (like our taxes, gasoline etc.) but other things are cheaper and in general it's just a nicer place being home. I am going to miss some of the southern food but I think my waistline won't.
Oh my. 900 miles is a LOT for one day. Yay that you got away, though!
1. The weather is finally warm enough to be enjoyable.
2. My coffee is caffeinated.
3. Even though I overslept today, I made it to work on time.
4. I'm off tomorrow.
I love this! I got an unexpected lunch with my mother-in-law yesterday (she lives a couple of hours away and was passing through my city), so that was great, as I hadn't seen her for a few weeks. Also, and I know this is silly, but you said to write about things that are making me happy, I found a new game called Alphabear on the App Store. It's a fun, quirky word game with a great visual style. Great for a few minutes of brain twisting here and there!
A new game totally can count as something that's making you happy. 😉
Grandsons and I are going to NYC next month. The boys both love music- they're in chorus and band- so we have tickets to Dear Evan Hansen. We're all excited about that. They want to shop and see the Statue of Liberty. It won't be a frugal trip -we're flying in and spending 3 nights at a hotel but I like to treat them occasionally and I've saved up for it. I haven't been to NYC since 2001. My youngest daughter and I saw Les Miserables then. So in the meantime I am being very frugal which means pantry/freezer cooking and staying out of stores!
Wow sounds like a great week to me! I'm glad Joshua and Mr. FG had a great time in NY.
I'm basically scared of any home maintenance issues that involve water or gas. A leak with some drops here and there makes me think about all the worst things that could happen to our house. I think it's partly because Mr. FAF is not a handyman, and I don't want to drop hundreds of dollars on a repair although it's necessary. Your brother is so awesome!
I know, right?? Plumbing gives me heart palpitations, usually. I don't know why it makes me so nervous, but it does.
As someone who works in a utility related job, yeah, anything with gas in it is best left for licensed professionals.
This is a fun way to "count your blessings"
1. My husband fixed the clogged toilet by himself. He had to buy a new piece of equipment, but it was still (probably, I hope) a lot less than calling a plumber.
2. It's hot and sunny today, perfect beach weather for my son's end of year party at the town beach.
3. My husband has to go pick up a check today for his business and he's treating me to lunch, it's like a little date.
4. We put the A/C's in the windows yesterday, so I had cool air at night. I really don't do well in hot weather, I really hate it.
5. Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon!
Same, same, same about the hot weather. I love air conditioning with all my heart.
Water ballons on the trampoline?! Fun!!! My kids would love that!
I also love the contentment perspective... it helps so much to look at the things we're thankful for.
They came up with that idea all on their own. It makes balloon clean-up pretty easy too, since the pieces are all pretty contained.
1.You're back this week and I can look forward to reading your posts!
2. My lilac bush is finally in bloom and I adore the smell.
3. Four loads of laundry on the clothesline today....two loads already dry.
1. I have purged many items. They have either went to Goodwill or the children's clothing bank in our town.
2. Most of the kitchen has received a thorough cleaning. I'm planning on finishing up this week.
3. We had perfect weather for our family's annual yard sale over the weekend.
4. This week promises great pool weather.
5. I'm looking forward to a slower paced week this week.
Central air. Alleluia. This is the first time in twenty years that I've lived in a house with central air and it is SUCH a luxury. I love it. Of course, we live on the Canadian border, so it's in no way necessary or even very common here, but the house we're renting has it, and when it's 85 degrees with a twenty-mile-an-hour wind that blows the screens out of the windows (literally), being able to close those windows and turn on air conditioning for the entire house is bliss. Plus, I sleep a lot better when the wind isn't howling into my room.
The second major thing is that baseball/T-ball will be over this Friday. With two kids playing (and only one car in the family at the moment), there's been a lot of shuttling to ball games after early dinners and a LOT of bug bites. Never have I dealt with black flies and mosquitoes like I have at those ball fields surrounded by woods and streams. Makes for a pretty park, but total murder during the northwoods bug season., which seems to align exactly with baseball season.
Painting, hiding and finding inspirational rocks on the hiking trails is so fun for me and the kids! Totally frugal since rocks are a free canvas that can be found practically everywhere and we have lots of acrylic paints on hand in our craft box. We spent this morning painting up a dozen and when they dry we will hide them around the park and if we are super lucky we may even find a few. Our town has a Facebook page-- Bentonville rocks!!
As of today, I weigh 50 pounds less than this day last year. That is enough happy to last me for weeks.
WTG!!!
Great job!!
What's making me happy is . . .
I'm spending the summer working in the archives for my dissertation. Heaven.
Saturday we're spending the day at the beach. Virginia Beach is a two hour drive for us. Far enough that it is special, but close enough that is an easy (cheap) day trip.
Next week is our annual week we spend back home at our usual weekend house. It is always so nice to stay a spell instead of hustling to pack back up 48 hours after we arrive. The kids are excited about the beach and the week in South Hill.
Our business is going so well that we are contemplating hiring a fourth full timer. It is great to have extra cash in the checking account. But I think it means even more to me to see my husband feel like he is successful.
Last night I did the grocery shopping, make bread, roasted chicken, and did the weekend laundry. It should make our week go a lot smoother.
Today is Day One of my summer break!!!!! I'm a Instructional Aide at a local high school. I work with students that have learning disabilities, like autism & ADHD, etc. I'm so thankful for my job & I love helping students. But, for the next 2 months, I have more time to get some jobs done around the house & do some things I enjoy.
My computer's been having issues and this is my third posting attempt, so maybe, if this posts, that will be the number 1 thing making me happy!
I'm happy that, although I came down with an absolutely VICIOUS cold this weekend, a week before my mission trip, I still have the week to get rid of the cold. I am loaded up with Sambucol, spiced tea, Echinacea, Fire Cider, and of course, my neti pot.
The black cherry tomatoes are ripening on our plants, which makes me happy. We've enjoyed a couple of handfuls so far. Cherry tomatoes survive this Florida weather much better than most regular sized ones.
I found an onion in the ground that I missed pulling a couple of weeks ago, and it was still good, so that's making me happy.
My oldest grandchild goes to church camp today. I'm so happy she enjoys going. I used to love to go to church camp, but my own kids never wanted to go at all. It must have skipped a generation, because my granddaughter doesn't want to miss it.
1. I cancelled 2 appointments for my son today, meaning we only have 3 to go to.
2. Friends live right around the corner from 2 of the appraisal, meaning I can leave 2 of my 3 kiddos (ages 1, 2, and 3) with friends. Double bonus: they get to play and I have it easier for a little bit.
3. I have a comfortable rocking chair.
4. Someone is bringing us a meal tonight because we've had a crazy week. And our friends cared enough to check on us and offered to help by bringing meals and watching the kids so my husband and I could sleep.
5. Modern medicine. It keeps one of my kids alive every day and it's humbling to think that even 60 years ago, my child wouldn't have survived his first moments outside the womb. We had a bit of a fright last week and stayed at the hospital for a few days and that's what got me thinking about this. I'm so thankful for nurses and doctors who make it their life work to protect the lives of out vulnerable children.
We also have had some unexpected medical issues we are dealing with for a special needs child. I am so grateful for the incredible specialist who lovingly treat her. Our experience has been made so nice. We have free internet, free parking, great food and unlimited snacks.
Those little add-ons can make such a difference when dealing with specialists appointments, and other all day (all night) affairs at hospitals!
Happy the weather is nice enough to play outside, and we're getting to meet up with friends at the park this week. The kids have had a great time checking out new books at the library and logging minutes for the summer reading program. Happy both of them love reading because I am getting a lot of time on my own to clean up homeschool items and do some general decluttering. Yay, for all of these things! I LOVE SUMMER, AND being content just makes life so much happier! Thank you for always reminding me of this!!!
1. I am grateful for my home and family and our health.
2. Summer is in full swing. Kids get to sleep in and enjoy their days. Lots of pool time.
3. I have a stable job that provides for our family.
4. I have great faith.
5. We are eating more at home which is huge for us.
1. We just got home from a trip to see friends we moved away from 2 1/2 years ago. We could not have felt more loved! Our time there was so special and part of my heart will always be there.
2. We got a new a/c unit for our bedroom with our tax return and it is making life way better in this crazy heat.
3. My kids did so well on our trip!! Other than my baby hating sleep in the middle of the night, I'm so proud of how well they did handling lots of new people and places. My three-year-old is so sweet and friendly.
4. We have enough. We do not have the nicest of the nice, but we have enough and I'm thankful.
Way to go, Joshua! I love the idea of taking a trip in lieu of a ceremony. I'm sure he'll remember it for years to come. 🙂
This week:
1. I'm so, so happy I got to see my dad last weekend. I haven't seen him since Christmas!
2. I filched another pair of Mr. Picky Pincher's socks, which means more socks for me. 🙂
3. I've been keeping up with my exercise routine, which has been great!
4. We're harvesting veggies like crazy from the garden. Loads of fresh produce are around here, for sure!
I'm curious to know how you handle sleepovers - what are your rules in deciding where your kids are allowed to spend the night? I hear so many scary stories of inadequate supervision, abuse, peer pressure, etc and have seen suggestions not to allow sleepovers at all (to avoid sticky situations/judgements). But there is some fun in the right situation. What has guided and worked for your family?
We don't have a sleepover ban, but we are particular about where we will let our kids sleep over. We have to be very familiar with the parents and kids involved and be comfortable with the level of supervision and care our kids will get.
And, as I mentioned in another comment on this post, we regularly remind our kids to let us know if they're somewhere and things don't feel right or they're being treated inappropriately. You can't necessarily protect your kids from every potentially problematic situation, but if your kids know that they can tell you when something's not right, that's going to go a long way. If I'd known that when I was a kid, the problematic situation I was in would have been brought to a stop way, way earlier because I would have told my parents about it.
Oh, and of course sleepovers at our own house are a-ok with us!