Still Picking up the Pennies

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Please remember service members away from their families today, when your making the list of things you are thankful for.

I am about a week late or a day early depending on how you look at things. I am joining the Zero Food Waste Challenge hosted by pennilessparenting , and I am so excited. I have been practicing no food wasting for some time now, but happy to have found a place where this type of idea is common. My closest friends in real life look at me like I am nuts when I recycle food into other meals. It is so common now-a-days to pitch everything that is not eaten at a meal time. I will post my last week's effort, after I tell a bit about my situation. We are pretty broke, but living well, due to frugalness in most areas of live. My DH just got a full time job after 18 months of unemployment. His job come with good points and bad points. It is wonderful that is he employed and will be getting full time hours with benefits. The bad news is that he was maxing his unemployment benefits and taking the job he will be losing about $250 a month, but a job is a job and unemployment can't last fore

I cannot believe that is has been two weeks since I have written. Today I am joining Laura from Heavenly Homemakers for Gratituesday. I have spent most of the day putsing round the house. I enjoyed my DH's company before he had to go to work, he made me an excellent omelet. Then he went to work, I made fresh bread and cookies. It was just in the nick of time that I finished the cookies that the bus pulled up and dropped off my two boys. I got to spend snack time talking about their days, then help with homework. So what I am trying to say that I am very thankful for my sweet men that I get to share the life with. I would not trade any of them for anything.

Gratituesday Today I am grateful for my Gram, today is her 79th birthday and she is in pretty good health and strong. Also, I think I have mastered bread making. Today I made 4 yummy loafs of onion, garlic bread. As you can tell from the photo, only 3 loaves remain. For more Gratituesday posts pop over to Heavenly Homemakers to visit Laura's site.

So here it is Saturday morning! I feel pretty inspired. Last night after I picked the boys up from school. We went to pick up my Mom and Great niece who is 4 months old. We hit the library for a few books and videos. Then we all went out to eat. I really feel pretty frugal in doing so :) I did a survey for a $15 gc that I used and it was also a mystery shop :D So I will get ALL of the money I spent back and had a great time. The boys and I finished up the gift for my Gram's birthday. It only cost money to mail it to her. She loves flowers and can NEVER find a pen. So this is what we made. I am thinking she will love it. DH is out of town for the night completely the first of the bus driver education class. He took the school van, so no cash spent there, maybe even over time :) OH yeah also in the picture is a cookie jar that I got Friday night from a garage sale for 50 cents. There is a tiny chip in the lid that I colored with an orange marker.

Menu Plan Monday ~ Nov 1st Can you believe that it is November 1, 2010? I CAN NOT! but it is so there. I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween. My family and I sure did. The kids were so excited to go trick or treating and on the 9th house my youngest Noah asked if it was time to go home. In total I think we T or Ted at 18 houses and got way more candy then all 4 of us will eat ever. So the Menu Plan for this week is: Monday Turkey, mashed taters, candied carrots. Tuesday Turkey rice, veggies soup and HM dinner rolls. Wednesday skillet tacos. Thursday breakfast, pancakes. Friday pizza Saturday tba Sunday meatloaf, and something. to see more awesome menu plans go to orgjunkie.org