Update to My Previous Post

In an effort to squelch my eating-out addiction, I am going to attempt to go two full weeks without a single fast food indulgence, or a restaurant stop, etc. This starts tomorrow, the 18th. Wish me luck!

Advice For a Take Out Queen?

In my attempts to spend less needless $$, I find that some temptations are easier to eliminate than others.
My biggest vice?
Take out, restaurants, drive-thrus, ice cream parlors--the joy of eating out has always been a weakness of mine.
I see all of these things for making freezer meals to stash, meals in jars, etc., and it all seems like they are really fabulous ideas, but I never seem to put them to fruition. With two little ones, the desire to snag easy food wins out far too often.
I try to find short-cuts...I have done freezer meals, learned to make some yummy quickie dinners, have precooked and canned (or have frozen) meats to make kitchen prep a little easier. And it all seems to be to no avail.
I know the steps I need to take, but the question is, how to I motivate myself to take them? Any way to make it fun along the way?
To be fair, we have set an "eat-out budget" this pay cycle that we have been adhering to, and I am hoping that it will help--BUT, we've blown this before, so I worry.
Any advice for a take-out queen?

On the Way to a Forever Home (In Pictures)

I attended an adoption event (held at a neighboring town's Petco about an hour away) for our local animal shelter. We took eleven dogs with us, and three found forever homes. I volunteer at our local shelter, but I usually do laundry and wash food and water bowls, so I don't get to see the animals find homes as often as I like because I typically do "behind the scenes" work. Luckily, I was able to spend a full day working to find forever homes for animals that I love, and managed to snag some pics of a particular dog, Slim, who found his forever home yesterday.


Slim, sitting in his crate on the bus beside me, on the way to Petco.


Slim on the left, getting accustomed to the other dogs. All of the dogs loved the fresh air and time to play with each other and new people.

Slim, relaxed and enjoying the one on one attention with a volunteer. He had these big, soulful eyes, and was such a gentle giant, and he started getting a lot of interest from potential families.

Slim finds his new home. The lady on the far right took such a shine to him, and she was just amazing. The two were a match made in heaven. Slim was the popular guy at the event, and another couple came back later to adopt him, only to find he was already in a new home.
This is why I love to volunteer for the animals. But, not all are as lucky as Slim. Too many shelters still needlessly euthanize adoptable animals for space. I thank heaven that ours has abandoned that primitive and inhumane practice. But, for as many animals that were adopted yesterday, we still took too many home, and we will do all we can to find ALL of them the homes they both need and deserve. It was a wonderful, moving day for all of us involved.

Adding to My Food Storage

My church counsels us to have a food storage in the event of possible emergencies and financial downturns. They never once told me specifically what I had to store. Easter clearance sales on grocery day are the best!

Excited to Share Some Blogging News....

I can finally share this. I'm guest blogging at Pantry Paratus, an awesome blog/knowledge base/online store for all things relating to self-sufficiency, particularly relating to the kitchen. I'm so excited! Check it out! http://pantryparatus.com/blog

Proof We Know Too Much About The Scooter Store...

James and I watch a ridiculous amount of daytime television, particularly game shows, Golden Girls, and the like.
If you have ever noticed, a lot of the commercials during the morning hours are geared toward the elderly, with advertisements selling life insurance policies, catheters and medical supplies for diabetics, motorized scooter chairs, and lawyer consultations. During one such commercial about legal services, James looked at the featured lawyer on the screen, and got this really sad look on his face, as he cried, "Ohh no...he needs a Powerchair!"
Too much television = FAIL.

Homemade Baby Washcloths, Part Two

Well, there are multiple lines of stitches on each one (I prefer quantity over quality ), the seams are crooked, and they aren't what even a kindergartener would call "square," but I sewed these baby washcloths on my own, and that is what matters. They may be ugly, but I am proud of myself, and I have scads of fabric and terry cloth left to make more and to keep practicing! That is one of the reasons why I picked this as a first project--the baby doesn't care what they look like, and it's a lot of "straight" lines (if you can actually sew a straight line).