During spring break in 2008, when Garth and I were still not quite a couple, Garth's family was going to Hawaii with his grandparents. I was a little sad knowing I wouldn't get to see him for over a week, especially a week when we had no school, but I was going to stay with a friend while her parents were out of town so I wasn't too heartbroken. Besides, I was still trying to convince myself not to get attached to the boy.
At youth group a few days before they were heading on their trip to the Warm Lands, Garth's mom asked me what I wanted them to bring back for me. I told her I really didn't want anything, that they didn't have to get a gift for me, but she wouldn't have it. Gifting is not my love language. In fact, they tend to make me a little uncomfortable, and being Garth's not-girlfriend made gifts extremely uncomfortable for me.
When I dropped him off after youth group that night, we had one of our nice talks that we always had, as he insisted he wanted to listen to the radio, and would never leave my car. When he finally did leave, I looked through the open door before he closed it and said, "What? No hug?" He smiled and leaned in across the seat, and what I got was not a hug.
Nope, he laughed nervously, leaned in, and gave me a very nice kiss. I was still smiling when I went to rehearsal for chamber orchestra the next morning. My obvious grin that led my friends to see right through to the happenings of the night before was fairly humiliating; but it was such a good feeling.
That weekend I went over to his house one last time before he went thousands of miles away for ten days. We were sitting on the couch talking, picking on each other as we always seemed to do, and he asked me if I would call him my boyfriend. He wanted to know before he went away. I thought for a few moments, and responded that I would call him my boyfriend if I missed him while he was gone. Yes, I am aware that I was mean, but remember that I was "morally opposed" to becoming attached to him.
After all, I didn't want to ruin whatever possibilities he may have had with the island girls. If only I had known he just wasn't that type.
He left for a family vacation, and I moved into my friend's house for a week and pretended to be a grown-up for awhile. Three days went by, and I did not hear from Garth.
One of the last nights of spring break, halfway through Garth's vacation, my friend and I threw a party. We had promised her parents that we wouldn't have anyone over, but we just couldn't go a whole week without breaking that rule. We went out and got some pop, and picked up the guys so that there wouldn't be any cars sitting outside the house, lest the neighbors be watchful. As we entered the neighborhood, we had everyone duck down in my friend's mom's Nissan Murano (nice big car for transporting a number of teenagers). We had rented some movies, and ordered a pizza. I remember us making fun of ourselves for throwing a party while her parents were out of town, and our drinking consisted only of caffeinated beverages. It was a fun night though, and I don't know if her parents ever did find out, but I'm sure they wouldn't have cared if they knew.
As our party was in full swing, my phone rang. I thought perhaps it was my parents, they hadn't heard from me all week, after all. I was surprised, and very excited, to see Garth's name light up on my phone. I took the call and ran upstairs, and the boy who claimed to not do well talking on the phone kept me retained for an hour.
Yup, he played it well. Gave me time to miss him, then called to show he cared. Smart guy, there. And I didn't suspect a thing.
When he came back the next week I ran over to see him during lunch. He was so excited to see me that he lifted me off the floor when we hugged. I felt like I was living a fairytale for the first time in my life. To my high school child self, this was the way it was supposed to be. The guy had me hooked.
That weekend, I went to his house to "finally" hang out with him, and hear tales of island life from his family. When I got there, his mom sent him away and they all acted suspiciously. Garth went to his room and came back with his arms clasped behind his back. He was acting nervous. He gave me a hug and put a tiny bag in my hand.
I opened my hand to find a string of pearls. I had mentioned once, offhandedly, that I loved pearls, and I couldn't believe he remembered. Maybe he didn't, and just had good taste, but either way he had me.
A week later I told him that I did miss him while he was gone, and that I would like to call him my boyfriend. It was official.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Our Story - The Beginning: Part 2
If you missed part one of Our Story, click here.
Around this time of year, nearing the end of February four years ago, my husband and I went on our first date. Neither of us bothered to keep track of the date, mostly because we didn't really expect to be together forever (well, I didn't, anyway).
The day after the Super Bowl party where my husband Garth and I first bonded, our school group found out that we would be staying at Luther College for an extra night, because school had been cancelled at home due to a snow storm, and the bus would not be coming to get us. Because of the unplanned night spent at the college, the girls had no place to sleep, as we had stayed in the study center. The girls, boys, and teacher all had to stay in the student lounge. Normally this would be a big no-no, but we were a small group of students, and our teacher woke up and patrolled a few times to make sure the boys and girls stayed separated and respectable. My man and I, however, who I called a man-boy at the time, were still awake at the 2:00 teacher patrol, and again at the 4:30 patrol. Why? Well, this beautiful blonde boy who was younger than me was reading his Bible right there in front of everyone. Just that he had brought the Bible with him threw me. I asked him about it, and he totally didn't think it was a big deal. It was just normal to him. I wanted to know more about this person, the type of person who was unashamed to read his Bible in front of his peers outside of church or youth group. The type of person I was not.
My questions started a discussion, which branched off into talking about previous relationships and crushes, family, and all the silliness in jokes and funny life stories that still make us laugh today. We stayed up all night, getting only one hour of sleep, then sat next to each other on the bus ride home and talked some more. Never in all of this time together did we think we would be more than friends; though I know both of us were hoping to be.
The week that followed consisted of he and I running into each other at lunch, as he passed my locker after school, all the places our paths had crossed before that we had never noticed. Then, on that Wednesday night, I finally accepted my best friend's invitation to her youth group, and found "that boy" once again. His mother was there that night, and remembered me as a little blonde girl from when her sons and I went to the same elementary school.
Garth and I found each other after the night's activities and spent the remainder of the night talking. He even begged his mom to let him stay until I left so that I could give him a ride home. When I pulled up to their house that night, I was a little taken aback at the large house they lived in, and asked what his dad did for a living.
"My dad's a doctor." He replied.
"Oh yeah. I think I knew that." I said, embarrassed.
I was invited over for dinner by his parents a few times (yes, not Garth, but his parents), and his brothers and sister took to me well, too. I started wondering if this would become more than just a friendship, but I didn't want to bring it up.
A guy friend of mine from school, who was also friends with Garth, was on to us before we even were. He kept asking us both if we liked each other, and we both always denied it. He kept asking if he could just ask Garth and I finally told him okay, but that I didn't want to know the answer. One day he told me he was finally going to ask, and that he would tell me the answer if I wanted to know. I told him to do with the information what he wished. The next day I received a text message that said, "he likes you!!!"
Of course, I didn't bring this up with Garth.
Two weeks later, on a Wednesday, as I drove him home from youth group, Garth asked me out.
As soon as I began to pull out of the parking lot, he started, "I've been wanting to talk to you about something, but I haven't wanted to do it after school."
"What is that?" I urged.
"Well, I'm wondering if you'll go out with me."
"What do you mean, 'go out with you'? Like, on a date? Or as your girlfriend?" I asked, nervously.
"Like, when people ask if I'm going out with Bre, I can say yes."
I could hear the smile in his voice. At first I was speechless, but when we pulled into the driveway I dug into every reason why he wouldn't want to go out with me, trying to convince him to change his mind. For forty-five minutes all he had to say to each of my reasons was that "that's what I like about you," or, "I don't mind."
So finally, we reached a compromise. I told him he can take me out on a date, and that after just dating and hanging out a little longer I would decide if I really wanted to call him my boyfriend, if he still wanted me to be his girlfriend.
So he asked if I'd like to go to a movie with him that weekend, and I agreed. We went to the theater, and he bought me pop. I can't remember if we got popcorn, or candy, but I remember that the awkwardness I expected was not present during our date. In fact, going on a date with him seemed perfectly natural.
We all know where this story ends. But I hope you'll join me as I tell the story of how we got there.
Around this time of year, nearing the end of February four years ago, my husband and I went on our first date. Neither of us bothered to keep track of the date, mostly because we didn't really expect to be together forever (well, I didn't, anyway).
The day after the Super Bowl party where my husband Garth and I first bonded, our school group found out that we would be staying at Luther College for an extra night, because school had been cancelled at home due to a snow storm, and the bus would not be coming to get us. Because of the unplanned night spent at the college, the girls had no place to sleep, as we had stayed in the study center. The girls, boys, and teacher all had to stay in the student lounge. Normally this would be a big no-no, but we were a small group of students, and our teacher woke up and patrolled a few times to make sure the boys and girls stayed separated and respectable. My man and I, however, who I called a man-boy at the time, were still awake at the 2:00 teacher patrol, and again at the 4:30 patrol. Why? Well, this beautiful blonde boy who was younger than me was reading his Bible right there in front of everyone. Just that he had brought the Bible with him threw me. I asked him about it, and he totally didn't think it was a big deal. It was just normal to him. I wanted to know more about this person, the type of person who was unashamed to read his Bible in front of his peers outside of church or youth group. The type of person I was not.
My questions started a discussion, which branched off into talking about previous relationships and crushes, family, and all the silliness in jokes and funny life stories that still make us laugh today. We stayed up all night, getting only one hour of sleep, then sat next to each other on the bus ride home and talked some more. Never in all of this time together did we think we would be more than friends; though I know both of us were hoping to be.
The week that followed consisted of he and I running into each other at lunch, as he passed my locker after school, all the places our paths had crossed before that we had never noticed. Then, on that Wednesday night, I finally accepted my best friend's invitation to her youth group, and found "that boy" once again. His mother was there that night, and remembered me as a little blonde girl from when her sons and I went to the same elementary school.
Garth and I found each other after the night's activities and spent the remainder of the night talking. He even begged his mom to let him stay until I left so that I could give him a ride home. When I pulled up to their house that night, I was a little taken aback at the large house they lived in, and asked what his dad did for a living.
"My dad's a doctor." He replied.
"Oh yeah. I think I knew that." I said, embarrassed.
I was invited over for dinner by his parents a few times (yes, not Garth, but his parents), and his brothers and sister took to me well, too. I started wondering if this would become more than just a friendship, but I didn't want to bring it up.
A guy friend of mine from school, who was also friends with Garth, was on to us before we even were. He kept asking us both if we liked each other, and we both always denied it. He kept asking if he could just ask Garth and I finally told him okay, but that I didn't want to know the answer. One day he told me he was finally going to ask, and that he would tell me the answer if I wanted to know. I told him to do with the information what he wished. The next day I received a text message that said, "he likes you!!!"
Of course, I didn't bring this up with Garth.
Two weeks later, on a Wednesday, as I drove him home from youth group, Garth asked me out.
As soon as I began to pull out of the parking lot, he started, "I've been wanting to talk to you about something, but I haven't wanted to do it after school."
"What is that?" I urged.
"Well, I'm wondering if you'll go out with me."
"What do you mean, 'go out with you'? Like, on a date? Or as your girlfriend?" I asked, nervously.
"Like, when people ask if I'm going out with Bre, I can say yes."
I could hear the smile in his voice. At first I was speechless, but when we pulled into the driveway I dug into every reason why he wouldn't want to go out with me, trying to convince him to change his mind. For forty-five minutes all he had to say to each of my reasons was that "that's what I like about you," or, "I don't mind."
So finally, we reached a compromise. I told him he can take me out on a date, and that after just dating and hanging out a little longer I would decide if I really wanted to call him my boyfriend, if he still wanted me to be his girlfriend.
So he asked if I'd like to go to a movie with him that weekend, and I agreed. We went to the theater, and he bought me pop. I can't remember if we got popcorn, or candy, but I remember that the awkwardness I expected was not present during our date. In fact, going on a date with him seemed perfectly natural.
We all know where this story ends. But I hope you'll join me as I tell the story of how we got there.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Real Conversations 2/26
Hey all! Though these tend to be a favorite feature on my blog, I haven't gotten around to writing down our silly conversations for awhile. Isn't it strange how when we try to get into a good habit it's hard to do it, but when we're trying to break a bad habit it's hard to break? If only it were the other way around.
Lately, I have been dealing with a lot of migraines. Most of the problem is caused by my inability to stay away from caffeine, but part of it is just because I'm a girl and my hormones are all wacked out all the time. Some nights my head just hurts so bad that I basically sit in the dark and can't bring myself to make dinner, so I have my man do the cooking. One night in particular, as we were eating a meal prepared by my dear sweet husband, we had a conversation that started out very normal, then escalated into ridiculousness, as they often do.
I said to him, "You didn't really seem to want to make dinner tonight."
He said, "Well, I'm tired, too."
I said, "But your head isn't pounding-" and he cut me off.
"Who said it isn't?"
Me: "... and your neck can still hold up your head. Mine hurts." I rubbed my neck.
Mr.: "My head could hurt."
Me: "Does your head hurt?"
Mr.: "No. But my... heart.... and my... lungs were pounding."
Me: "I'm no biology student, but I think that's like, how we survive."
Mr.: "Well, point is, my spleen has been under a lot of stress lately."
Me: "Your spleen had nothing to do with your original point."
Yes, we had a good laugh after his spleen statement. Who comes up with that kind of stuff, anyway? What a silly, silly man. But ah, I love him.
Enjoy your week, dear friends. I hope you find laughter in the obscure.
Lately, I have been dealing with a lot of migraines. Most of the problem is caused by my inability to stay away from caffeine, but part of it is just because I'm a girl and my hormones are all wacked out all the time. Some nights my head just hurts so bad that I basically sit in the dark and can't bring myself to make dinner, so I have my man do the cooking. One night in particular, as we were eating a meal prepared by my dear sweet husband, we had a conversation that started out very normal, then escalated into ridiculousness, as they often do.
I said to him, "You didn't really seem to want to make dinner tonight."
He said, "Well, I'm tired, too."
I said, "But your head isn't pounding-" and he cut me off.
"Who said it isn't?"
Me: "... and your neck can still hold up your head. Mine hurts." I rubbed my neck.
Mr.: "My head could hurt."
Me: "Does your head hurt?"
Mr.: "No. But my... heart.... and my... lungs were pounding."
Me: "I'm no biology student, but I think that's like, how we survive."
Mr.: "Well, point is, my spleen has been under a lot of stress lately."
Me: "Your spleen had nothing to do with your original point."
Yes, we had a good laugh after his spleen statement. Who comes up with that kind of stuff, anyway? What a silly, silly man. But ah, I love him.
Enjoy your week, dear friends. I hope you find laughter in the obscure.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Our Story - The Beginning
This week I have come down with a cold and just felt generally uninspired. Last night I had a drugged-up, groggy, cold-mind dream that I didn't like so much. Someone told me I was a horrible writer, and I then declared, with great conviction, that I would never write again. To me, that dream amounts to a nightmare. So here I am.
Last week, my father-in-law lost his job and is now scrambling for a new one, and we pray faithfully that he will find a good one that will suit him. We just keep reminding him that he's still a doctor, and God has a great plan for him. My husband is looking for a new job as well, and is feeling a bit discouraged. I feel for them both, I hate looking for a job, and in the months to come I will have to start looking for a new one as well, as teachers only get work during the school year.
There is still time, and willpower, to enjoy life, however. Last weekend I did not get nearly enough sleep, which probably kept my immune system from being able to bolster this cold that I'm sure I caught from a former roommate I visited on Saturday. She's a dear friend, though, and as I've gotten sufficient work this week, I don't mind taking a day or two off to get well. It was worth it.
On Sunday we had the E.L.'s over to watch the Super Bowl, and this was a special one for Mr. Wonderful and myself. I have developed an irrational superstition that the Giants winning the Super Bowl is somehow a good omen for me, but not completely without reason. See, it was four years ago at a Super Bowl party that my husband and I first spoke to each other and really got along for the first time (we were on an orchestra trip with the school, and spent the first part of the day avoiding each other since we had insulted one another earlier). It was the Giants vs Patriots that year as well, and I was rooting for the Giants. They became my team (though I will always be loyal to the Vikings).
At half-time that year, I had given up on watching the game. I never really did watch football, but attempted to watch it every now and then because my dad loved it so much. I went and found the group of students from my high school, and learned that they were about to play a game of charades. Our orchestra teacher, Mr. Berdine, asked me to "round up" the rest of the students and ask them if they'd like to play. We had one girl on the phone, so I bypassed her and looked for my next target.
And there he was.
Off in the middle of the room, on a couch, away from any other activity, was a blond-haired sophomore from my school who played viola (and quite well, might I add). He was sitting alone and sulking because his ex-almost-gf was there (which would be the girl on the phone I mentioned a moment ago). I invited him to play charades, and he said everyone should move over by him. I told him it's a lot easier to move one person than a whole group, and turned a chair to face the circle, telling him that it was his if he wanted it. I went off to talk another person into playing with us, and when I turned back to the circle, there he was. In the very chair I set aside for him.
We ended up on the same team and had a really good time. The two of us made an especially good team, and that helped us get along for a few hours. The next day, we were practically inseparable, and to our astonishment, we have pretty much been that way ever since.
Last week, my father-in-law lost his job and is now scrambling for a new one, and we pray faithfully that he will find a good one that will suit him. We just keep reminding him that he's still a doctor, and God has a great plan for him. My husband is looking for a new job as well, and is feeling a bit discouraged. I feel for them both, I hate looking for a job, and in the months to come I will have to start looking for a new one as well, as teachers only get work during the school year.
There is still time, and willpower, to enjoy life, however. Last weekend I did not get nearly enough sleep, which probably kept my immune system from being able to bolster this cold that I'm sure I caught from a former roommate I visited on Saturday. She's a dear friend, though, and as I've gotten sufficient work this week, I don't mind taking a day or two off to get well. It was worth it.
On Sunday we had the E.L.'s over to watch the Super Bowl, and this was a special one for Mr. Wonderful and myself. I have developed an irrational superstition that the Giants winning the Super Bowl is somehow a good omen for me, but not completely without reason. See, it was four years ago at a Super Bowl party that my husband and I first spoke to each other and really got along for the first time (we were on an orchestra trip with the school, and spent the first part of the day avoiding each other since we had insulted one another earlier). It was the Giants vs Patriots that year as well, and I was rooting for the Giants. They became my team (though I will always be loyal to the Vikings).
At half-time that year, I had given up on watching the game. I never really did watch football, but attempted to watch it every now and then because my dad loved it so much. I went and found the group of students from my high school, and learned that they were about to play a game of charades. Our orchestra teacher, Mr. Berdine, asked me to "round up" the rest of the students and ask them if they'd like to play. We had one girl on the phone, so I bypassed her and looked for my next target.
And there he was.
Off in the middle of the room, on a couch, away from any other activity, was a blond-haired sophomore from my school who played viola (and quite well, might I add). He was sitting alone and sulking because his ex-almost-gf was there (which would be the girl on the phone I mentioned a moment ago). I invited him to play charades, and he said everyone should move over by him. I told him it's a lot easier to move one person than a whole group, and turned a chair to face the circle, telling him that it was his if he wanted it. I went off to talk another person into playing with us, and when I turned back to the circle, there he was. In the very chair I set aside for him.
We ended up on the same team and had a really good time. The two of us made an especially good team, and that helped us get along for a few hours. The next day, we were practically inseparable, and to our astonishment, we have pretty much been that way ever since.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Spicy Citrus Pork Roast
My husband has to be one of the best picky eaters in the world. Not a huge surprise to me, since his mom spent the majority of his teen years actually trying to make new things he had never had before, but he used to throw things away if he didn't like it or just wasn't sure about it. He has come a long way since then, folks. And that is why I call him Mr. Wonderful. He tries every new thing I make (even the occasional vegetable, but he's not quite okay with those yet), and eats it. And often-times, even likes it!
Mr. Wonderful's love of my cooking doesn't make me dance in the kitchen with glee just because of some vain satisfaction I get out of being the Queen of the Kitchen. No. It's because most of the things he loves come straight from my mind to the table. He is simply flabbergasted that I can look into the fridge, pantry, and freezer and piece together a meal without looking at a recipe online, or running to the store to get things I need. It's really what I do. Seriously! And last night it went oh so well for me.
Doc recently returned back from his home with a huge bag of grapefruit. Now, I didn't doubt that he would eat all of that stuff before it went bad, but he was a little concerned about it. So I told him I'd use one and come up with a recipe for it. After all, we did have a big grocery trip coming up, so I looked at the sales and picked a nice pork roast, and whoa, there it was. A sweet, sweet idea. Oh, and little spicy.
Here's how to make Spicy Citrus Pork:
Ingredients: 1 pork roast (mine was 2-3 lbs)
1 cup Ginger-ale
1 large grapefruit, cut in fourths
1 golden delicious apple, cut in half
1 onion, chopped/diced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander
salt, to taste
Directions: In a small bowl, mix cayenne pepper, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and coriander. Rub onto pork and allow to marinate in fridge for at least half an hour.
Before putting roast in crock pot, add 1/4-1/2 cup water (I always do this to prevent sticking and help with moisture). Place pork roast in crock pot. Add half of the grapefruit, and both apple halves around roast, and onion on top and around. Pour Ginger-ale over entire roast. Add salt.
Cook on high for six hours or low for eight to ten hours.
The other half of the grapefruit we squeezed into a pitcher, leaving a slice of grapefruit inside, and added the rest of the Ginger-ale. It made a nice complimentary drink with our meal. Next time I do this, I'm going to try cooking it in Coca-cola instead of Ginger-ale, but this was really good!
Mr. Wonderful's love of my cooking doesn't make me dance in the kitchen with glee just because of some vain satisfaction I get out of being the Queen of the Kitchen. No. It's because most of the things he loves come straight from my mind to the table. He is simply flabbergasted that I can look into the fridge, pantry, and freezer and piece together a meal without looking at a recipe online, or running to the store to get things I need. It's really what I do. Seriously! And last night it went oh so well for me.
Doc recently returned back from his home with a huge bag of grapefruit. Now, I didn't doubt that he would eat all of that stuff before it went bad, but he was a little concerned about it. So I told him I'd use one and come up with a recipe for it. After all, we did have a big grocery trip coming up, so I looked at the sales and picked a nice pork roast, and whoa, there it was. A sweet, sweet idea. Oh, and little spicy.
Here's how to make Spicy Citrus Pork:
Ingredients: 1 pork roast (mine was 2-3 lbs)
1 cup Ginger-ale
1 large grapefruit, cut in fourths
1 golden delicious apple, cut in half
1 onion, chopped/diced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander
salt, to taste
Directions: In a small bowl, mix cayenne pepper, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and coriander. Rub onto pork and allow to marinate in fridge for at least half an hour.
Before putting roast in crock pot, add 1/4-1/2 cup water (I always do this to prevent sticking and help with moisture). Place pork roast in crock pot. Add half of the grapefruit, and both apple halves around roast, and onion on top and around. Pour Ginger-ale over entire roast. Add salt.
Cook on high for six hours or low for eight to ten hours.
The other half of the grapefruit we squeezed into a pitcher, leaving a slice of grapefruit inside, and added the rest of the Ginger-ale. It made a nice complimentary drink with our meal. Next time I do this, I'm going to try cooking it in Coca-cola instead of Ginger-ale, but this was really good!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Savin' Up
Hey all! It's good to have you reading, again. Six out of the last eight days I suffered from migraines, so I spent little time on the computer. Which was really hard. But I mostly sat in the dark with a caffeinated beverage, or water and ibuprofen, trying to cure the pain. My fabulous husband gave me a massage almost every day (incentive to fake the occasional headache? Eh... no, I can't do that). But now I am migraine-free and so happy.
So, due to lack of work the week leading to Christmas break, for several reasons, I had a pretty pitiful first paycheck of the year. My husband and I try to live a frugal life, but this past month we've had to step back and take an even closer look at what we really need, and what we can live without. So, for you, I will set my pride aside and share some of the ways we have decided to cut back and save money.
1) When we first moved, we decided not to buy snackie foods for the most part. No fruit snacks, pop tarts, chips, etc. We would get cheese, crackers, and we bought ice cream by the gallon, along with a few toppings to choose from, because ice cream lasts a long time when it's shared between two people who only indulge on occasion. We slacked up on this rule around Thanksgiving, but we have implemented it once again. When we do have snacks, they're usually homemade, and dessert is a luxury here. We don't eat it every night, and feel so much healthier that way.
2) Laundry here is $1.25 per load for washing, and then for drying as well. That's $2.50 per load, which really didn't seem like a big deal when we first moved in. But after a week and a half, the hamper starts looking pretty full, and it's time to do laundry again. For us, that's usually two or three loads of clothes alone. Then there's sheets, towels, etc (about once a month or so). So we made a cut in our budget here, too. Don't worry, we didn't cut laundry out of our budget completely! Just drying our clothes in the dryer. Last weekend we tried out bringing our clothes back up to our room to air dry them, and it worked out fine. They're not quite as soft, but beating them out a little while they're in the process of drying takes care of that for the most part. We're going to head out to Target and pick up a drying rack for about $20 soon. This way, we'll be doing four loads of laundry for the cost of two if we were to dry them. That money adds up.
3) I noticed that I'm running out of household cleaners, especially my bathroom/kitchen surface cleaners. It makes sense, because those are the rooms I clean the most, since they're the rooms where the most germs happen. As I was ravaging my cleaning solutions cabinet to see what endless list of things I need to buy on our next shopping trip, I noticed that I had a huge bottle of Pine-sol tucked away in there. I normally just use it to clean the floors, I mean, that's all it's normally credited for, right? Turns out, that stuff can be used for just about anything. Bathtub, sinks, floors, counter tops, toilet. This stuff does it all. It's also much cheaper than most other cleaners, and is super concentrated so you add it water. Using Pine-sol (or an even less expensive generic) will really be giving us more bang for our buck.
4) One more thing that we do, which we have been doing since we moved in, is try to save money by using as little electricity as possible. We have all of our computer hookups, internet, etc, and our television and everything that goes with that, plugged into power-strips. We don't turn them on until we need them, so normally at the end of the day after we get home from school/work, and we turn them all off every night. We also unplug all chargers, and kitchen and hair appliances when they're not in use. If you don't already do this, it can be hard to get used to, but once you start consciously doing it, it slowly becomes a habit, and it saves money as well as helps the environment.
So, to you who are poor like my husband and myself, there are some ideas for you to implement into your own lifestyle. I hope this was helpful. It doesn't feel good to watch the bank account dwindle and hope and pray to make it to the next paycheck, but it does feel good to be doing things to help save money.
So, due to lack of work the week leading to Christmas break, for several reasons, I had a pretty pitiful first paycheck of the year. My husband and I try to live a frugal life, but this past month we've had to step back and take an even closer look at what we really need, and what we can live without. So, for you, I will set my pride aside and share some of the ways we have decided to cut back and save money.
1) When we first moved, we decided not to buy snackie foods for the most part. No fruit snacks, pop tarts, chips, etc. We would get cheese, crackers, and we bought ice cream by the gallon, along with a few toppings to choose from, because ice cream lasts a long time when it's shared between two people who only indulge on occasion. We slacked up on this rule around Thanksgiving, but we have implemented it once again. When we do have snacks, they're usually homemade, and dessert is a luxury here. We don't eat it every night, and feel so much healthier that way.
2) Laundry here is $1.25 per load for washing, and then for drying as well. That's $2.50 per load, which really didn't seem like a big deal when we first moved in. But after a week and a half, the hamper starts looking pretty full, and it's time to do laundry again. For us, that's usually two or three loads of clothes alone. Then there's sheets, towels, etc (about once a month or so). So we made a cut in our budget here, too. Don't worry, we didn't cut laundry out of our budget completely! Just drying our clothes in the dryer. Last weekend we tried out bringing our clothes back up to our room to air dry them, and it worked out fine. They're not quite as soft, but beating them out a little while they're in the process of drying takes care of that for the most part. We're going to head out to Target and pick up a drying rack for about $20 soon. This way, we'll be doing four loads of laundry for the cost of two if we were to dry them. That money adds up.
3) I noticed that I'm running out of household cleaners, especially my bathroom/kitchen surface cleaners. It makes sense, because those are the rooms I clean the most, since they're the rooms where the most germs happen. As I was ravaging my cleaning solutions cabinet to see what endless list of things I need to buy on our next shopping trip, I noticed that I had a huge bottle of Pine-sol tucked away in there. I normally just use it to clean the floors, I mean, that's all it's normally credited for, right? Turns out, that stuff can be used for just about anything. Bathtub, sinks, floors, counter tops, toilet. This stuff does it all. It's also much cheaper than most other cleaners, and is super concentrated so you add it water. Using Pine-sol (or an even less expensive generic) will really be giving us more bang for our buck.
4) One more thing that we do, which we have been doing since we moved in, is try to save money by using as little electricity as possible. We have all of our computer hookups, internet, etc, and our television and everything that goes with that, plugged into power-strips. We don't turn them on until we need them, so normally at the end of the day after we get home from school/work, and we turn them all off every night. We also unplug all chargers, and kitchen and hair appliances when they're not in use. If you don't already do this, it can be hard to get used to, but once you start consciously doing it, it slowly becomes a habit, and it saves money as well as helps the environment.
So, to you who are poor like my husband and myself, there are some ideas for you to implement into your own lifestyle. I hope this was helpful. It doesn't feel good to watch the bank account dwindle and hope and pray to make it to the next paycheck, but it does feel good to be doing things to help save money.
Monday, January 16, 2012
By Faith
Today, we remember one man.
His name was Martin Luther King, Jr. and he had a dream. And it wasn't just to have a holiday named after himself. His dream was that all people would be considered equal, not judged by the color of their skin. His dream was that we wouldn't choose friends, spouses, who gets what job, where to eat, where to sit, how to dress based on the amount of melanin in one's skin.
He was controversial. He was loved by many and hated by many. He was a revolutionary. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind, he was articulate even when put on the spot, and he was passionate about what he was fighting for. We don't have many of these types of people anymore.
Why is he so well remembered, even though he was controversial? Not only did he stir up the masses in his day, but he caused a movement that went on even after he was killed over the cause he was fighting for. He succeeded in his goal, and he is remembered today for all that he did; what he died for.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Christian man. A godly man. And he was not afraid. Not afraid to share God's word, not afraid to fight for his cause, not afraid at all. He knew the hope and the joy that was set before him, so he kept going, reassured that God was on his side.
The testimony of this man's life has me thinking about Hebrews chapter 11, the chapter on all that was achieved and set into motion by faith of those who loved and trusted God. I long to have such faith, such conviction, that I would know what to fight for, when to step down, and when to keep right on going no matter how rough the road. By faith.
His name was Martin Luther King, Jr. and he had a dream. And it wasn't just to have a holiday named after himself. His dream was that all people would be considered equal, not judged by the color of their skin. His dream was that we wouldn't choose friends, spouses, who gets what job, where to eat, where to sit, how to dress based on the amount of melanin in one's skin.
He was controversial. He was loved by many and hated by many. He was a revolutionary. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind, he was articulate even when put on the spot, and he was passionate about what he was fighting for. We don't have many of these types of people anymore.
Why is he so well remembered, even though he was controversial? Not only did he stir up the masses in his day, but he caused a movement that went on even after he was killed over the cause he was fighting for. He succeeded in his goal, and he is remembered today for all that he did; what he died for.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Christian man. A godly man. And he was not afraid. Not afraid to share God's word, not afraid to fight for his cause, not afraid at all. He knew the hope and the joy that was set before him, so he kept going, reassured that God was on his side.
The testimony of this man's life has me thinking about Hebrews chapter 11, the chapter on all that was achieved and set into motion by faith of those who loved and trusted God. I long to have such faith, such conviction, that I would know what to fight for, when to step down, and when to keep right on going no matter how rough the road. By faith.
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