March Madness Controlled/No Spend Thread

[reeneejune]

As I said on facebook, Hey look, I'm older! I'm going back to bed.

SES - I didn't spot anything remotely like what you're talking about. I store my thread in a snapwear container, the levels are just about the perfect height for thread. If I've got too many out at once, they do fall over, but it takes up less space than the dedicated thread organizers on offer at the sewing store. Plus the other levels hold my notions.

[mizbear]

SES- try clotilde.com- bobbin mates or handi-bobs. Don't know if that is what you are looking for.
Also- someone was looking for a new bodkin- clotilde has a sale right now on bodkins.

[reeneejune]

Warning: whiny-ness ahead: Really should have stayed in bed today. BFF forgot my birthday. Friends from work canceled last minute. So I ended up spending most of the day by myself, though when I went to visit BFF she was kind enough to "let" me help her bake cookies and brownies for her parent's group tomorrow. At least I got a chance to pester her hubby about the surprise we're doing for her birthday in two weeks. Nailed down the date, told him how much money he'd need to give me, and let him know I'll be pestering him about it all week. I've been planning this surprise for a month and a half already. She complained today that her hubby wouldn't go with her to see Wicked the musical but they're going to a Jeff Dunham show. It was hard to suppress a smirk, since he and I are buying tickets for all three of us to go see Wicked as her birthday present. She knows we're plotting a surprise together, but she has no idea what the surprise is. You know, it hurts a little that I'm putting in quite a bit of effort into this, and she knows I've been plotting for a while, and then she forgets my birthday. So after spending a couple hours helping her bake, I went and saw "The King's Speech" by myself then had a late dinner. All in all, pretty much par for the course. Birthday sucked. Back to work in the morning.

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 12 NS Days and 5 CS Days = 17NS/CS Days
This does not reflect today. I may be running some errands this afternoon so I'm not sure what that may bring spending wise.
renee -- Happy Birthday (Sorry I'm a day late)

Hope all of you are doing well. Allergies are really acting up and my eyes are currently suffering from them the most. Will sign off now.

[startsmart]

Rene- sorry your special day sucked It's definitely hard when you work weeks ahead to make your friend's day special and they forget yours. But hey, it's just a day and you have 364 more to make this year AWESOME!

Working today thus I caved to the call of tacos I'll be so glad when this rain stops, it's destroying my plants already!

[mizbear]

renee- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! HUGS!

update: 1 S, 3/15 CS, 16/15 NS I have made and EXCEEDED my no spend goal this month!!!! (Granted, it's easy to do when you're broke, but still....)

[sapphire12]

Welcome to Spring!!

I hope all who are suffering from the weather feel better soon.

I watched a Zumba infomercial; I need to do Zumba for 10 days if I want to see fast results. LOL. My goal is to exercise 5 days a week, instead of 3. My shins still hurt from 2 hours of walking on Friday. I called myself walking slower, I guess I didn't walk slow enough for them. No matter, leg kicks in each direction. My punishment is no ice cream unless I exercise. I exercised yesterday so I'm on track so far this week.

Fri was a joy to run errands, though I didn't plan them well and didn't go some places I should have. Everything is in budget. I have to stock up on food, so my grocery spending will be on the higher end of my budget.

I know I read Nickel and Dimed. I think I read Scratch Beginnings because I remember the guy foregoing health insurance and it got me to thinking, men don't really have health concerns in their 20s and 30s, so it is easier to fore go health insurance.

[muttleynfelix]

Completely gross DS story .. well I start with the cute story. Yesterday I was on the computer in our home office and our laundry room is off that room. DH and I both had our shoes in the laundry room. DS was playing (AKA distroying) the office and then wandered into the laundry room. He was playing in there (there is nothing he can get into there) and he saw our shoes. He very carefully picked up our shoes one at a time and very carefully placed them in the office very neatly. I was laughing so hard at him. Ok the gross story - Then before bed I took him outside to let him run around a little bit. We had quite a bit of rain on Saturday and we had dead worms all over the concrete pad in front of our garage and the sidewalk. Well he's playing and I sit down to look at the mail and I look over he put something in his mouth. I asked him to come over and I didn't see anything. THen a minute later, I look over at him and he has a DEAD WORM sticking out of his mouth. ACK!! So gross. He is such a boy.

[shanendoah]

Update: 6 of 12 NSD
I've got 11 days to get my 6 more NSDs. I don't know that we will, but I'm going to try.
Friday I got my nails done after work, then we got gas, went up to a friend's art show, stopped by a comic book shop to pick up my favorite comic and some books for DH, and finally went out to our favorite restaurant for dinner. Total spend.
Saturday was a great day, right up until the end. The weather was lovely for our friends' spring wedding, the roller derby was a ton of fun (though the timing of the reception followed by derby meant we bought food at derby - $26 for 2 burgers, 2 fries, and a small shake - ACK). Anyway, got home from derby to find out a friend's dog (who I adored) died suddenly and unexpectedly. So suckiness there, especially for my friend and her daughters.
Sunday we actually managed a no spend. We took the Junebug to the dog park. Without Smokey there as her protector, she was unexpectedly shy and reserved, not getting too far from us, and not wanting anything to do with dogs bigger than her. While she didn't run and play as much as we would have liked, it was apparently enough, because when we got home, she crashed, big time.

Price of Gas: Because we buy bio-deisel at B50 or greater, there really isn't standardized pricing for it the way there is for most gas. I know I pay more, and I accept that. I also know that I pay a different amount based on where I'm buying my gas - trending u-district station, or a pump behind the distributor in the industrial section. Well, the distributor has decided to stop dispensing from their pump, so up in the U-district we went. $4.75/gallon. Hopefully, we'll start going to a couple new places (nearer us) soon and they'll be a little cheaper.

muttley: Thank you for my morning laugh.

[mizbear]

shan- sorry for your friends dog.
muttley- So cute! Even if it is a tad gross. My brother was scared of worms

[reeneejune]

I can't believe I forgot to post this yesterday, but I got some great news. Backstory: The store closest to us is getting a new location to open in May. The two stores in the next closest town are combining into one, larger location in June. I had known that the combined store would have an education department, and I had already asked my store manager if she would support me in going after the education coordinator position for that store and she agreed (much to my surprise). In fact, she gave me tips on how to make sure I get noticed by the right people because she knows that education is what I'm passionate about. So then about a week and a half ago I belatedly found out that the other store would be getting an education department as well. So I've emailed the store managers for the two new locations to express my interest and hadn't heard anything back. When I came in on Saturday, I was disappointed to find out that they had offered the education position in the closer store to one of my coworkers without even talking to me. Then later I found an email the store manager had printed and left for me: it was from the other store manager with instructions on how she wanted me to apply and saying that she was excited that I was applying!!
So now I know what I need to do to get this job. I've got the handbooks for that department and I'm studying up on that. I've got the interview guidelines for the position (one of the benefits of being in charge of hiring at my current store). I know that when they interview me they'll be looking for examples of my work, and so I plan to sew my outfit for the interview, take the scrapbook I made for Grandma for Christmas, make a scrapbook/portfolio of as many of my sewing and crafting projects as possible, and print my blog to take along. I just want to blow them out of the water with my enthusiasm for this position.

[shanendoah]

renee: Exciting news! Hmm, maybe you should put off your apartment hunt until you know if you've got the new job. Then you might want to be looking at the town your new store is in.

[Deleted]

Renee, you go girl . I know you will get it.
I have another wedding vent. My fMIL texted my DF to let him know that the mothers "decided" that we are spending the night before the wedding not at the hotel we are renting but at home with our respected mothers. 1. Not their decision 2. Hell no 3. That would just increase the chance of my mom and I in a fight and me with a stress headache 4. Not sleeping on the floor at my mom's when I could be in a nice comfy bed. I want to ask my mom if she really had anything to do with it, but decided it is not worth another fight with her cause it is not happening.

[startsmart]

Tomorrow I get 30 pounds of lemons delivered! So excited to zest and juice and make slushies ;D

Random Challenge for the Week: bake something from your pantry. Muffins. Cupcakes. Brownies. Cookies. Bread. Whatever.

for me it's brownies from a mix topped with kettle corn, chocolate chips and coconut. should be me into a sugar coma in one bite lol

[sheilaincali]

Black Hills Meet Up: I was telling my dad the other day about our upcoming trip and he reminded me of something. My aunt and uncle own a winery in Belle Fourche (about an hour from Rapid City I think). He suggested I ask to see if anyone is interested in doing a tour there one day. If no one is interested I am not at all offended. I had completely forgotten about the winery. I can be a little spacey some days

[mizbear]

Renee- KARMA for your persistence! And HUGS and Good Luck!
Gin- Stick to your guns! And you are right - you want to be comfy and stress free before your wedding (after 3 divorces- I would know )
startsmart- Wow- this is a real baking challenge for me- I'm excited! Usually I buy as I need, so this should be interesting...

UPDATE- 1S, 3CS, 18NS

[shanendoah]

Update: 7 of 12 NSDs
Two NSDs in a row! That's the first time that's happened all month. I need to stop by the store and get milk on the way home tonight, so we won't make three, but I'll take whatever progress I can get at this point.

baking challenge: My pantry almost always has enough of whatever I need to do random baking. And I do have some peanut butter chips that have been sitting around for a while. Maybe I'll make DH some cookies next Tuesday when he's back in class.

black hills: My wishy-washy is now going to become a settled we won't be able to make it. DH had been considering being back in school for 2 years to earn his combo BA/BS, but is now thinking that he could be done in a year, if he takes summer classes, and that seems much more appealing. So, summer classes for him = no traveling for us. And while I am sad I won't get to come meet all of you, I support him fully in this decision.

[dianartemis]

Update: 8/15 NSD I don't remember anything else, but I may meet my NS goal.

[startsmart]

91. I have 91 lemons in my kitchen.

Thanks to an early wake up call I now have enough citrus to make all the slushies my heart desires. Which is a lot. Very excited.

But on the downside I haven't been sleeping well and by 8pm I'm exhausted only to not sleep well again. Between headaches, feeling nauseated and tired this month sucks.

Thinking that my spring cleaning plan will be "call house cleaner company" and my weekend plan will be "sleep, drink water, sleep"

[mizbear]

startsmart- hope you feel better- Don't forget to save your rind if you don't use it in your slushies.

[dakota4600]

Hi ladies. I'm still buried at work. Just thought I'd pop in and say HI! Mini-D, DH & I had a wonderful few days in St. Louis. Mini-D loved going up in the rainbow (Arch). The Bob the builder exhibit was also a huge hit with him.

I'm hoping to get someone in here starting next week. I'm going through a temp agency and will be talking to one candidate hopefully tomorrow.

Baking: I was just looking at some mint chocolate chips and thinking I needed to use them. I will probably make mint choco chip whole wheat cookies. or maybe granola bars. DH has to work tonight & Thursday so that will give mini-D and I something to do.

I've lost track of my NS's for the month, so I'll wait for the wagon to circle and pick me up. Though on Saturday we did save some money by parking a 1/4 mile from the zoo and walking we didn't have to pay the $12 parking fee at the zoo which was free to get into. And we also got there early enough to go to the children's area when it was free. Very glad we didn't pay to get in there as it really wasn't worth it.

Reenee- Good luck on the new position sounds like a great fit!

Mrs Lynch- For your blog I suggest Magic Erasers for your useful tool pick.

[mrslynch]

dakota--i agree. look for that one next week! i have this week's already planned.

[sapphire12]

Afternoon ladies --

I walked down 8 flights of stairs three times today and I took a Zumba class at lunch. I've exercised 3 days this week. Whew. I'm wiped out. I'm ready for a nap, but that won't happen anytime soon.

shanen -- We'll miss you, but I'm all for summer school.
start -- 91 lemons? Strawberry lemonade sounds good right about now.

[startsmart]

Lemon Madness '11

I don't have cable. This is what I do instead

1. Wash all lemons
2. Zest
3. Juice
4. Peel and cut into chunks
5. Slice thin
6. Chop up rinds

Freeze everything I won't use in the next week to use for:

Juice: salmon flavoring, salad dressings, water, lemonade, very sour popsicles
Zest: random recipes requiring zest
Chunks: salads
Thin slices: to add to lemonade and fruit punch
Rinds: use to deodorize the garbage disposal
Chunks: salads,

I'll probably arrange and take a bunch of pictures first, I love the look of bright yellow lemons! So pretty. These came out to 30 cents/ea so I'm determined to get lots of use out of each one.

[ses]

Smartstart-- I loved to see that you save rinds to "feed" the disposal. I have a decorative jar beside the sink with chunks of dried citrus peels that I drop in the disposal every so often that rehydrate with the water draining over them and when I run the disposal they do their job. I never thought about freezing them.

[ses]

Sheila--that would be fun. The suggested sites I have mentioned are primarily south of Rapid City, but nothing is down for the Friday after. Belle Fourche is about an hour north of Rapid City but might be fun at the end of the trip. We need input from others.

I am going to Rapid City this weekend and am going to go to the Super 8 in person to check again about discounts.

[mrsbradford]

I found the board!! I'm so excited!!!! Very much need this board now. But... my baby just started screaming. Will be back though

[mizbear]

Welcome mrsbradford- and people here TOTALLY understand screaming babies!

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 15 NS Days and 5 CS Days = 20NS/CS Days

Black Hills -- I will not be flying out until Saturday morning and plan to see a little of the downtown area but am willing to explore any area of interest.

Renee -- Great news about the possibility of the teaching position.

shen-- Sorry that I won't get a chance to meet you at the BH meetup but your DH's education should come first.

Just finished a set of test papers. Caught up until the three new sets come in tomorrow.

[Deleted]

Mar 22, 2011 20:39:46 GMT -5 @mrsbradford said:

I found the board!! I'm so excited!!!! Very much need this board now. But... my baby just started screaming. Will be back though

Welcome back Have your first karma to start you off.