Sleeping In

I woke up again before 6 AM, but before my feet could touch the floor, I fell back to sleep and didn't wake again until 9. I guess I had to have a little extra shut-eye.

For a while it looked like it was going to be another wintry day of snow flurries, very strong winds and mainly cloudy. With that in mind, I decided to go to the post office early to mail out the rest of my valentines. While there I picked up an Amazon order that Dee sent my way. She bought my grand daughter some satin pillow slips, but asked me if I would embroider the edges for her. I have no idea how difficult it is to embroider satin, if at all, but I will try. I also received some taxation forms that I will need in order to do my taxes at the end of February.

When I got back home, the sun came out and the flurries stopped. I decided to get out of the house and hit the roads. I went first to Michael's to see if they had any blades for my paper trimmer. Yes, finally!  I used a 45% off coupon on the package of two blades. I also picked up some enamel hearts to attach to my cards. This year's valentines are finished, but I will have them for next year. They were 50% off and I paid the total with a gift card. No oop.  From there I went to Home Depot to pick up my pre-mixed sheet rock mud and a flapper for my toilet. I used a gift card that I received for "Mother's Day", so again no oop.

Staples was right next door in the mall, so I took advantage of a GREAT sale and another gift card that I received at Christmas to buy 100 page protectors and 750 mailing labels.  These packages were on sale for only $5 each.

I was on a roll, until I got to No Frills to buy some  frozen produce and no gift card. That wasn't so bad because I need to eat.

I spent a total of $17.95 on mixed berries, 1 bag of Oriental mix, two bags of winter mix and shredded spinach. I probably already had enough veggies for the coming week, but since I was in buying berries, I decided to pick up more frozen produce. 



However, my next stop on the way home was to the Dollar Stop in Amerstview, where I only intended to buy more 2-way tape, but ended up buying more.

I picked up 4 rolls of tape, 2 packages of enamel lady bugs, and some clear acrylic stamps for only $2. My total here came to $12.45  On the right is the package of enamel hearts that I picked up at Michael's for half price.  I see lots of card-making in my future. Have a great weekend everyone. I know what my plans are.

Freezing Rain

Monday and Tuesday we had a two days in a row of above freezing temperatures and some sunshine. They felt like Spring Days had arrived. We lost a lot of snow due to melting.  I changed out my seasonal dishes for my everyday dishes. I made three new cards, then walked to the post office to mail them out with my long distance valentines to make sure they were received by next week. I will mail out the local ones this Friday. While at the post office I picked up the new stickers for my license plate that I had renewed on-line. And while I was outside and the weather was nice, I spread my full container of used coffee grounds on one of my flower beds.

Inside I made a batch of yoghurt and baked another loaf of keto bread. Last night I made chili con carne (without the beans) for dinner with some toasted keto bread and melted cheese. I made another jar of taco seasoning and wrote up a list of spices to buy the next time I shop at the Bulk Barn. I paid my Hydro bill on-line. I didn't accomplish much from my goals list, but I was busy all day. I accomplished lots and was tired when I went to bed.

This morning was so-o-o different. It was freezing rain and ice pellets all day. It is another winter wonderland out there with temperatures back down to minus 10* C. The plows and sanders have been going constantly and the fire department has been responding to highway accidents. I have no idea what I did today, except that I had a long nap on the couch this afternoon. I guess some days you just have to give in.

Daybook: Monday, January 4/19

Outside my window.....it is mainly overcast and wet. Temperatures are above freezing today, so a lot of melting going on.

I am thinking.....of the busy day I had yesterday. Having not posted anything since my last Daybook Monday, I wrote 4 blog posts yesterday...My Budget,   January Goals Update, This Week in Review, and
My Mile Long To-Do List for February 2019.     These posts were written as my goal check-ins to keep me more accountable this year.

I am thankful for.....all my wonderful friends and well wishers who keep me in their thoughts.

From the kitchen..... I may not have tackled many goals from last weeks list, but I was busy with chores, nonetheless. I "riced" all 5 of the cauliflower I bought on sale Friday and shredded one of the large heads of cabbage. I made another loaf of keto bread and today I will be making another batch of homemade yoghurt. I sliced up the large ham and portioned into freezer bags. The ham bone is now in the crock pot to make a broth. I baked up all the chicken thighs on Friday because my son and DIL came out for supper. I had enough leftover for two further meals. I gave my DIL the sweet potato I cooked and mashed and froze. I also gave her my shaker bottle of "Seven Things Farm Chicken Seasoning" because she loved it so much. I will need to make another jar for myself.

I am wearing.....blue jeans, a blue long sleeved hooded pullover with an allover pattern of small gray hearts, and black fuzzy socks.

I am creating.....probably more cards this week, as I cannot start my scrapbook yet. I finished an embroidery project for myself.

I am going.....to the Post Office today. I did not send out any cards last week, but I do have to get some birthday cards and valentines mailed out as soon as possible.

I am hoping.....to have another relatively successful month of February in which I can get some home maintenance projects done.

I am hearing.....the sound of traffic this morning. The roads are wet with puddles of melted snow.

Around the house.....there is a lot of dusting and tidying to do. I have sort of let things slide while busy with my crafting.

One of my favourite things......is my Amazon Echo, which was gifted to me at Christmas. I have been playing music from some of my favourite artists (Gordon Lightfoot, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Simon and Garfunkle, and Evanescence). Quite the eclectic mix.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....do not include appointments. The one appointment I had last week, I did not make because of the snowstorm. I bought groceries on Thursday and yesterday, so don't expect to have to buy more. My trips are usually spontaneous. I don't put a lot of planning into my trips.

This Week's Goals

• make 10 cards this week

• mail out 3 "Thinking of You" cards

• exchange my seasonal winter dishes for my everyday

• dust and vacuum the downstairs and the carpeted staircase

• Go through the book case in the computer room and purge

• Check Michael's to see if they have blades for my paper slicer

• Use my gift card for Home Depot to buy Spackle and a flapper for my toilet 

Here's the picture I am sharing.....

 Making yoghurt

 An embroidery project I did for myself.

My Mile Long To-Do List for February 2019

Here is a guide for February activities that will help me to achieve more of my goals.

• Print out and follow my new February budget. 
• Put away my seasonal dishes and exchange them for my everyday dishes by end of the month.
• Keep printing out the 10 minute decluttering tasks from Organizing Moms and try to incorporate as many as possible into my housekeeping schedule.
• Go through all my books and novels and purge as many as I can
• Find more papers from my binders and filing box to shred
• Make another 25 cards this month
• Put together one scrap book
• Produce one homemade gift
• Replace the flapper in my master bathroom toilet
• I discovered two slow plumbing leaks this past month. Try to fix the problem by tightening the fittings, before I need to call in a plumber. 
• Buy some Spackle to repair some drywall areas in the house. Use a $50 gift card to buy required materials for this month's repairs. 
• Continue to send out at least 3 cards a week to keep in touch with family and friends

This Week in Review

This week I gave up on my list of goals. One of my excuses, I think, is because it was the end of the month. It felt like an additional week, and since I planned to update my goals review and set up some new ones for the next month, I dug in my heels and didn't do anything goals related until this weekend. Besides that, I was kind of snow-bound. We received so much snow Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I was outside pushing snow twice a day. I didn't have much energy or will to do much more than that.

I did look at my budget for February and I did my first grocery shopping for the month this past Thursday. I shopped at Food Basics and No Frills for the bargains. I also went to Michael's for some new blades for my paper slicer, but they were completely sold out.

Fresh produce cost $23.18  Cauliflower was only 1.97 this week, so I bought 5. Yellow onions were only 88 cents, 4 sweet peppers were on sale for  $2.97. Cabbage was not on sale for 97 cents per pound.

Frozen produce came to $24.94  This weekend I bought mixed strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries for $11, 4 winter veggies, 1 of green beans, 1 of Oriental mix, and 2 blocks of spinach. Since zucchini is now almost $3 a pound, I will make my omelets with spinach.

I paid $37.02 for meat. I hadn't found much meat on sale in the weekend flyers, so while I was at the first store, I bought chubs of ground chicken for $10 and 4 chicken legs with backs attached, just because they are always the cheaper cuts of meat. I still have lots of pork left in my freezer. However, when I arrived at the second shop, I found the large hams on for only $1.75/lb. and chicken thighs also for less than $2/lb. 

Dairy cost $25.46  I bought 3 pkgs. of cheese (450 gms each) for $3.77 each,  butter at $2.97/lb.,  and 1 doz eggs only for $2.27 because I knew I could pick up more for cheaper this weekend at Shoppers.

I bought Stevia for $6.47 (I was completely out) and dishwasher tabs for $12.99. I had run out of those a few days before, so had been washing dishes by hand. Total for these two items was $19.46  I spent a total of $131.75

Today I drove into Shoppers to pick up my 2 doz. eggs at only $1.88/doz. and 3 tins of chunk tuna for $5 (I opened one for lunch already), 4 liters of milk and cottage cheese on sale for $2.49 for a total of $16.55, leaving me a total of $151.70 for the rest of the month. I added the two dimes in my wallet to my found money jar.

January Goals Update

1.  Print out a new budget sheet for January     Done

2.  Print out checklist called "100 Things to Throw Away" and see how many I can check off in January    Not even started

3.  Subscribe to Organizing Moms to receive their weekly "10 minute tasks" to complete.   I print this list every Monday, but have not been very good about getting them done. I have attempted some.

4.  Take down indoor Christmas decorations and tree and put in storage.        Done


5.  Take down outdoor decorations and lights and put into storage.      Done

6.  Organize my filing bin and throw out papers and instruction manuals no longer relevant     Done, but I want to do a better job. This is a work in progress.


7.  Organize my recipe binder and throw out papers no longer relevant     Done

8.  Organize my card-making binder     Done

9.  Organize my Christmas and gift binder     Done

10. Organize my home and finance binder     Done  I worked at organizing my binders, but I need to go through again to purge material no longer relevant.

11.Shred all papers and save to the garbage bin to use as mulch in Spring.      Ongoing, and since decluttering and organizing my filing bin, I have even more papers to shred.

12.Paint primer on door (inside and out) of downstairs powder room       Done. I also primed 2 shelf units and a bedside table.

13. Put weather caulking around smaller kitchen window      Done

14.Put together one scrapbook     No. I am still waiting on new blades for my paper slicer.

15.Make 25 cards this month     Done. I made 25 valentine and birthday cards alone. I also made some additional thank-you and Thinking of you cards


16.Produce one gift     Done. I embroidered another tea towel this past month and put it away in my gift trunk.

My Budget

My finances are not in a very healthy state but this is my day to day life and the consequences of not being prepared. Nobody expects their lives to take a turn for the worst, but you must prepare yourself for that possibility.  This is the result of not having all your ducks in a row.

I am new to the game of finance, but I take my share of the blame because I frankly did not want to deal with money when my husband was alive. So now I am taking on my share of the responsibilities. I know  enough that I know these percentages are not healthy, but at this point I am just trying to learn.

I am still paying a mortgage. The total of my mortgage, property taxes, house insurance, and payments on a new furnace accounts for just under 50% of my pension.
Utilities account for 20%
Debt repayment accounts for 16%
Household and car expenses use roughly 13%
And if you have been adding that up, I have already spent approximately 99%, so that leaves maybe 1% for savings....sometimes more or less, depending on how much less I had to pay on my utilities.

Because of the amount of pension I receive, I qualify for some government assistance., which I do not count as income.  One small cheque arrives monthly, which is earmarked for gifts. Another slightly bigger cheque arrives quarterly, which is earmarked for savings. If I do not need to rob my savings account for those "surprise expenses", I take a chunk of it every so often to dump into debt repayment.

 I need to look at my budget at the beginning of every month to find extra savings so I can figure  out how much I can put in my savings account first. I am not really "paying myself first", but rather figuring out what is left over, so that I can put it into the savings account so it isn't as easily accessible. If I miscalculate, or there is a surprise expense I didn't see coming, that money is sometimes taken back out before the end of the month, but there is a little bit of cushion. Also, last month I started going to my bank once at the first of the month to physically remove the cash that I allocate for household and car expenses. That way I see exactly what is left.  This month I still have not got my final tally for my Hydro and some unexpected charges, so I still do not know if there will be much if anything to go into savings for the month of February. March is looking more promising.