Veggie Garden Update!

I see progress!
The tomato plants have REALLY taken off. I feel really pleased with the garden's progress, a little frightened at the rate of progress of the tomatoes, but still happy. I think I have about 15 tomatoes now. The onions are huge and the carrots are very healthy. The hot peppers are producing.
I am so happy with the progress, I went to Home Depot and bought some watermelon plants, okra, and cucumber plants. Two days later, they still look healthy. I finally feel like this garden thing may actually pan out! Yay me!!

On a sad note, I lost one banana pepper plant to a dog who loves to dig and the lettuce plants have not grown in about a month. I just don't think I will see lettuce this year.

Veggie Garden Update!

It is still a slow time with the garden. The last cold snap really set everything back. But, the lettuce has gotten bigger, the tomatoes are taller, and I can see tiny carrot leaves. My hot peppers (forgot the type) have outgrown their seedling containers and I planted a few of those. They are so tiny next to the one I bought from Home Depot. I am sad to report that the strawberries did not make it. I added some mulch that I found in the garage to try and keep as much moisture in the ground rather than having the sun bake the roots. Hopefully, this will help out as it gets hotter and dryer. Other than that, everything is moving along, but oh so slowly. My biggest lesson is that gardening is not for the impatient and the bored.

My hubby talked with one of his co-workers and he informed us that I planted way to early. The ground was too cold. Never plant tomatoes before tax day.....I'll remember next year. Also, he got a laugh because I used potting soil rather than soil conditioner. I should of seen that one.

Here are some updated progress pictures. The top picture is of my tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. (Look closely at the small freshly planted peppers next to the larger one in the middle. The middle picture is of my teeny tiny carrots and the last picture is of my lettuce.

I will keep hoping that there will be more progress.
When the Georgia heat kicks in, then the real worrying will happen.

Back to the buying what you don't need.....

I have an example for you about why you should buy what you don't need to get what you do need. Here it goes...
We need toilet paper. Kroger no longer carries the TP that ended up being free after coupons....boo!
At CVS Charmin is $5.99 and that is about what it is running everywhere. Here are my transactions
#1
Buy Edge Gentle Shave Gel $3.49
Total $3.49
(get back $3.49 ECB + my quarterly ECB earned $2.70 will print = $6.10)

#2
(2) Easter grass $1.58 (charity)
(2) Easter baskets $3.98 (charity)
(3) Mentos Gum $4.02-(3)$1 coupons = $1.47
Total $7.03 - 6.10ECB for #1 = .93
(get back $6.56 ECB from baskets, grass and gum)

#3
CVS Cleansing Cloths $1.99
Charmin $5.99 - .25 = $5.75
Total $7.74 - $6.56BCB from #3
(get back $1 ECB for next week)

Total out of pocket =$5.99 (the original price of the toilet paper) Look at everything else you got for free!

Vegetable Garden Update

I am a little concerned. My garden is not looking so good. All of the tiny plants are pale and some of the seeds have washed away with all of the recent rain. I am getting comments from the hubby about planting too early. I am ignoring him. The book I bought said I could plant them and I think the author knows more than him. Plus, I have seen a squirrel hanging out over there. I am blaming him.
Another bad thing happened. In an attempt to get one of our cats out of a tree, my hubby steps on my poor defenseless lettuce plants. They are a lime green and about 1/2" tall. Some didn't make it.
This garden thing is not working out. I am feeling a little guilty for digging up some of the pretty sod. Something better happen soon, or I am going to buy more sod!

My mail lady

I have to vent about this. I think our mail lady is a horrible mean and spiteful person.

As many of you know, I sell alot of things on eBay and have the shipments automatically picked up by my mail carrier. Today, I sat some packages by our front door and left. When I get back home there is a nasty hand written letter saying, "probably when you know it is going to rain, put your packages in a plastic bag so they don't get wet." I read that as saying, "hey dumb ass, it's raining and your boxes got wet! Think next time!"

We have received letters scolding us for not putting up the flag when we have out going mail before, too. Then there was the time someone ran into our mailbox and tore the door off. We got a letter stating the federal requirements for a postal box (height, distance from the road and functioning parts). She knew we were going to replace it, she just wanted to be a b'atch.

Ok, I am done. Thanks I feel alot better!

Scrapbook 12 hour Event

Ah, one of my favorite pass times - scrapbooking!

And there is not a better reason to scrapbook than for a good cause. I am helping to promote an event that my brother-in-law told me about. It is being held by the Autism Society of America.

I would love for you to join me for a 12 hour crop at Archiver's! Lunch and dinner will be provided (dinner is provided by Carrabba's - thanks Steve). There are going to be raffles, give-aways, and other fun things to do. There is a $50 table fee, but that is tax deductible (that comes in handy).

To reserve your spot, call the ASA office t 770.904.4474 to reserve your spot.
Oh, and if you want to sit with me, I'll be at table 9. :-)

My nephew is autistic and I jump on every chance to help the advancement of treatment and hopefully, a cure.

http://www.asaga.com/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=5

Spring is coming!

I am very excited that spring is almost here! I have accumulated all of my coupons and am about to run out and stockpile clothes for Abby.

I am on every possible mailing list for coupons. This time of year they are pouring into the mail box and my email inbox. I guess it is a buyers market. Plus, I am going to try and snag some winter clothing for a super great bargain!

The stores I am going to hit are Old Navy, Gap, Carter's and Oshkosh. I have 25% coupons for two of them and 30% for the other two.

Then, I am going to pick Abby up from school and take her to Brusters for an ice cream cone. It is free for her if I buy something ($1.25 coke). Cannot beat that!

Who says living on a budget cannot be fun?!

Why do the coupon game?

Why do I love the coupon game? There are several reasons, the first and possibly the most important is that I am unemployed. Other reasons include, being able to have great meals on a budget, save money, and it gives me something to do. Plus, it helps us maintain a certain level of quality of life while on a budget.
What I mean by "quality of life" is that we don't buy "store brand" and I am not reduced to shop at Walmart and discount stores (Big Lots, dollar store, and similar stores).

I hate to say it but no matter how we like to kid ourselves, store brands really are not like the name brands. I know we like to kid ourselves and say, "they are probably the same thing and just have a different label on it," not true. They are a cheaper quality for a cheaper price. Using coupons allows me to by name brands for a much lower cost than the store brands. It took me a little while for me to snap out of the "buy the cheap store brand" fog. It took a bottle of Tide (that was $4.99 after sale and coupons) to wake me up.

Here is the Tide story.... My three year old socks sometimes end up in different loads of laundry (they are small and get separated). One sock was washed in Purex detergent that I usually buy because it is cheaper than the "good stuff." The other sock ended up in the load of laundry that wash washed with my new bottle of Tide. When I was folding laundry and matching up the socks, I realized one was whiter and much cleaner than the other one from the previous wash. For the money I would of spent on bleach, stain remover and Purex, I just needed to buy the Tide (that ended up cheaper in the first place). The light bulb came on in my head.

The other reason I love the coupon game is that it keeps me out of certain stores. When I first got laid off I started thinking of everything I would give up and what I could no longer buy. I thought I would have to go to Walmart **gasp**. Now, I hate Walmart - to me it is everything bad about America in one big giant ugly box of a building. I used to say that I would pay more money and go somewhere else than have to go to Walmart. The store is filled with workers who really don't want to be there, horrible meats, sickly produce, and low quality products that are usually not that much cheaper than Target. It is sad that people think they are saving so much money, when in the end it is not that much more. Why put yourself through the experience of going there? With coupons and sales, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO! I still get to shop at Publix and Kroger. I still get to go to Target (they have store coupons that are amazing!). CVS and Walgreens have their reward programs where I save more than I spend and end up with free stuff every week.
Then there are those that say, where is your produce and meats? There are not coupons for those items? Yes, there are!

• Produce - First, you need to buy in season. Now is the time to buy strawberries. You can get a pint for $1.25 at Publix. Grapes are flourishing in California (don't pay more than $.79/lb.). Imported fruits are going to be expensive due to import taxes. Secondly, there are coupons for produce, Target and FoodLion have coupons on produce online. Print them out and redeem them at Publix (they honor competitors coupons).
• Meats - Target has the best meat coupons I have seen. I bought steaks the other day for $2.16 - $2.60 a package (3-4 steaks per package) with their coupon. I stocked up and put them all in the freezer. They are good quality too - not that bloody mess you get at Walmart (you don't want to know why it is extra bloody). Think of it - unemployed and eating steak - I never would of thought it.
• Other option that I have which probably the best. If there is a Farmer Market near you, go. Not only are the products grown in your state (less of a carbon footprint) but, it helps out local farmers. It is a win-win situation - you save money while helping others. Plus, most people have memories of going to farmer's markets as kids; pass that on to your kids, it is a unique outing for them (alot of farmers see a cute kid and will give them an apple for just being cute - awh!).

So there it is, my reasoning for the coupon game. I know it is kind of geeky, but we need to do it right now, and it is kind of fun. We used to live on two incomes and wondered where all of our money went. Now we are on one income, paying all of our bills, living comfortably and have not touched our savings. When the economy does pick up and I do get a job, we are going to continue this because it works and we can really start putting away some serious money into savings.

It is not hard - that is the best part!

**And I want to thank my favorite sister-in-law for turning me on to it. It has been so much fun!

The Unemployeed need to splurge every now and then...

My OMG moment of the day....
Ok, I have known about this for several months, but for some reason just remembered it and got so excited about it!!! There is going to be a sequel for Phantom of the Opera! A new musical ...and it is opening on Broadway!! I don't have to travel to London to see a new ALW musical! This is major in the Heather world.
I don't care if I am unemployeed, I am saving up to go to NYC to see this. Sometimes, you just have to splurge. (and who needs two kidneys. right?) :-)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28426152/
Abby keeps telling me that she wants to go see Wicked when she turns four. Maybe we can squeeze that in too (if it hasn't already made it to Atlanta by then - they have started the second US tour).

Funny picture of Abby!

Here is a funny picture of Abby. She said that she was "painting" her house. Yes, that is mud. She continued and painted the interior the same shade of Georgia Clay. Nice!

Veggie Garden

To keep myself busy, I have created another pet project. Here is my LITTLE garden. I have already planted the cucumbers, lettuce, onions, okra, and carrots. Everything is so small that you cannot see them, except the tomatoes. The garden is only 4' x 10', but it has a lot of stuff in it. I am definently maximizing the space while keeping in mind the spacing requirements of the plants.

If the seed packets are correct, I should start to get the first veggies in about two months. Some things will produce until the fall.

I have also added a picture of some of my seedlings that are not ready to be planted. They are more cucumbers, hot peppers (oh yeah!), and some more okra (that I may give Julie). I have some strawberries that are not in this picture, I am not sure about those. I planted the seeds, but nothing has come up yet.

I am proud of it. I have never attempted anything like it before. It is not hard, it will just require a ton of babying. I hope it turns out ok.

Into

Good morning!
As I sit here wondering what I am going to do today, I realized that my life is completely different than it was two months ago. I am creating this blog because I just want everyone to know that there is life after the pink slip.... it is just different.

Never in my life would I thought "I" would be the one to be laid off. I am a hard worker, I meet all of the deadlines, and am very rarely late. This is much more than I can say for some people. But, in the end, a lot of people were "let go" - the majority of the company. Life sometimes is not fair, but we move on.

I am a rambler by nature. I jump from one topic to another quickly and have been told repeatedly that I have ADHD. :-) It is exceedingly difficult to sit still or to "take it easy." I am just not wired that way. So, this blog is going to be about VERY random things and odd thoughts running thru my head.