Menu Planning Monday with a Twist

It's that time again, time to lay out my meal plans to share with you all. This week there is a bit of a twist. The hubs and I have been spending a lot of time on our finances lately, and decided to try and drastically slash our grocery budget. We are going to eat everything we have, with a few exceptions, and try not to buy much of anything until we've exhausted our stores. That means we are buying produce but trying not to buy much else. Of course we'll need staples like flour, rice, milk, butter, eggs, and the like. We're aiming for $50 a week to feed two adults and supplement one baby. So, here we go!

Monday: Penne with Tuna, garlic, and mozzarella and salad

Tuesday: Pan seared Fish with rice and salad

Wednesday: Homemade veggie pizza and salad

Thursday: Beef Bolognase and salad 

Friday: Leftovers or Eggs (we both work late Fridays)

Saturday: Chicken Tacos with all the fixings and Spanish rice

Sunday: Stuffed Chicken breasts, potatoes, and salad

Lunch options: Cheesy pasta with tuna (I make that on Monday for the week), quesodillas with beans, boiled eggs and toast, salad, misc leftovers

Breakfast options: cold cereal, hot cereal, yogurt, fruit, toast, bagels, eggs

Snack options: yogurt, fruit, cereal, cheese, boiled eggs, tuna, crackers, nuts

I will be giving you weekly updates on how our grocery budget slash is going. We are also slashing our eating out budget and working to keep our electricity budget down. More on all that later on.

Peace and Love to your Littles,

Beth

Become a Savvy Thrifter

For my first installment of the Living on Less series (LOL for short) I chose one of my very favorite past times, thrift shopping!

Thrift shops, you may love them or hate, but they are going to be your new best friend! Thrift shops are seriously one of the cheapest, absolute best resources for buying pretty much anything (with a few exceptions). I am an avid thrifter with twenty years of thrifting under my belt, yes mama started me young, and I am going to share my wisdom with you all. I hope that I can help you discover the many treasures hidden in your local thrift shop.

Thrifting 101

Find all your local thrift shops. You may think that Goodwill is it, but you may just be mistaken. Check out: thethriftshopper for listings of all local thrift shops. You never know what awesome shops you've been missing. I know I found a few great ones that I never knew about.

Once you've found your favorite shops, learn their schedules. It is essential to learn the best days for good finds, when they get "donations" of new goods from local retailers, when they have sales or weekly specials, and if they have coupons or discounts for students or seniors.

Make sure you know your measurements and sizes before shopping. Since these clothes are used, they may run differently than new merchandise. You should take a list of your own measurements and those of anyone you may be shopping for. I keep them on a little post-it in my wallet. You will also need a mini measuring tape which you can get at your local hardware store for a dollar or so. This will enable you to buy some items with the "ick" factor of trying them on.

Now, I will share with you my personal 10 thrift commandments:

1. Never go on Saturday. Seriously, just don't. If you don't believe me, try it and you'll never go back.

2. Don't buy socks, underwear, bras of any sort, lingere, or sleepwear because, let's face it, that's just nasty!

3. Measure or try before you buy. Most shops do not allow returns, and some don't even allow exchanges so purchase with caution.

4. Dress comfortably and be prepared to spend lots of time looking through the racks.

5. Inspect every inch of every item. Be it clothes, toys, or housewares; ensure that you look the item over thoroughly prior to buying. Look for stains, tears, rips, missing pieces, excessive wearing, or irregularities. Not all items are the treasures they seem to be.

6. Be prepared to haggle. Some shops, though not all, will allow you to bargain with them on items that are in less than perfect condition.

7. Shop in the rich neighborhoods. Rich people=expensive junk. It's pretty simple. This principle is not perfect, but it tends to work the majority of the time.

8. Check back often. Items come in everyday.

9. Number eight lends itself to number nine, buy it if you love it. Most likely that awesome vintage leather bag will not be there tomorrow so buy it now or be sorry. I don't know how many awesome deals I've missed because I put it back.

10. Have fun! Thrifting can be serious business, so allow yourself to have a good time. Take a group of girlfriends along and be silly. You may find just what you're looking for.

There you have it, you can now thrift with ease. Pretty soon you'll be surprising yourself with all your finds! Leave your thrifting tips in the comments.

Manufactured Homes and Minivans

Yes, I feel like a hillbilly for writing this post just in case you were wondering.

The hubs and I have been talking a lot about houses lately. Our conversations have consisted mostly of "Holy Sh*t we cannot afford anything in this city!" Unfortunately for us our beloved hometown has a very high cost of living for a suburban area in Indiana, so we can't afford to buy a decent house. When I say decent house what I mean is a house that is not literally falling down. Even with the housing market the way it is, a modest ranch home with a small yard is priced in the $170,000's which may not seem like a lot to some people but it is a lot to us. Being a mostly one income family with student loans, car payments, rent, a child, and no trust funds we are in need of a cheaper option.

I stumbled across a blog about living simply, which I cannot find a link for anymore, and they talked a lot about ultra tiny manufactured homes. I am not up for the challenge of living in a super small home, but manufactured homes have come a long way since I was a kid. Check these babies out!

A classic ranch

Solar energy efficient model

They even have SMART homes (You can actually walk through one at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry)

I love all the options they offer, especially the eco friendly models. Also the fact that you get to customize everything from start to finish is a major plus! Most of these homes are around $100,000 or less which includes transportation to site, onsite construction, and even sewer and water lines. When you walk into your home it is completely done (it is even painted) and ready to live in! What more could you ask for? Most of the land outside the city limits is priced super cheaply as it is pretty rural. We have always wanted a nice patch of country to call our own. Now, we just have to buckle down and save some more money!

You may be wondering what minivans have to do with anything. Well, I've decided that with my limited trunk space (I drive a hatch-back) I can barely tote around one child's things. What happens if we decided to have another or our child has lots of friends? My answer is a mini van! I am totally going to be one of those moms. When I pay my car off in two years, I will looking into a minivan of my very own. Hopefully, I can park my minivan in the drive way of my very own manufactured home. Yup, I never thought I would ever say that. :)

Have any of your expectations changed drastically since you have children/got married? Have you surprised yourself?

Peace and Love to your Littles,

Beth

I am This Week's FFF Guest Poster!

I am proud to have my story featured on The Fearless Formula Feeder blog as their Friday guest poster! Check it out and show your FFF pride: http://fearlessformulafeeder.blogspot.com/2011/07/fff-friday-i-finally-feel-like-mother-i.html

Peace and Love to your Littles

Beth

My Breastfeeding Journey

A lot of people have asked me why I chose to formula feed my son. I hate answering this particular question because the answer is long and difficult for me to articulate. So, here is my breastfeeding story. 

For the record, I am completely supportive of both breastfeeding and formula feeding. I have friends that are on both sides of the debate, and I am happy to support all moms in their efforts to feed their children. I think all moms should choose what works for them without ridicule from others. 

Without further Ado, my breastfeeding journey.

I was going to breastfeed indefinitely. The matter was not up for discussion. I returned all the bottles bought by the less informed guests at my baby shower and stocked up on nursing pads and nipple cream. I took classes, I read books, I researched, and I waited. Unfortunately, life had other plans.

My difficult pregnancy turned into a nightmare delivery when my son’s umbilical cord completely prolapsed. His umbilical cord was crushed between his head and my pelvic bone which resulted in a traumatic emergency cesarean. Hours later, I woke up alone in recovery. I had no idea if my baby survived and breastfeeding was far from my first concern. My son was about four hours old when I was first permitted to hold him, due to excessive blood loss, and several more hours passed before I was allowed to attempt breastfeeding. I was given no help with concern to breastfeeding, and quickly realized I was in over my head. My hungry baby could not latch or suck and was quickly carried off to be bottle fed in the nursery. I was given no explanation nor was I coherent enough to ask for one.

I experienced the worst pain of my entire life while breastfeeding. I screamed in sheer agony and cried for my own mother. I begged and pleaded with the lactation consultant to help me fix this, but she said I was just being dramatic. The nurses told me that post delivery hormones were to blame and upped my pain medication.  I began to dread breastfeeding. I tensed up when they brought my already starving baby to me. The moment he tried to latch I would cry out and start shaking. Soon, I began sending the nurses away rather than suffer one more time. I began pumping with a little manual pump and cup feeding him. I was determined to give him breast milk despite all that was against me.

By the end of the week the lactation consultant told me I should give up and just pump because I was not cut out for breastfeeding. My nipples were black and bleed constantly. I was trying my hardest to get my son to latch all while attached to an IV pain drip. I cried. I bled. I gave up. I tried again. It was a vicious cycle. I was delirious most nights with pain and heavy narcotics. I began hallucinating and shaking in my sleep. I had never imagined things would end up like this. I had only been a mother for a little less than a week and already I was failing miserably.

I was released from the hospital nearly a week after I checked in. I left against medical advice because I could not stand one more day there. I wanted to sleep in my own bed without nursing coming in every half hour to wake me up. I came home with the mindset to give breastfeeding a fresh start. I pumped every two hours religiously and tried getting my son to latch every time. He always refused and screamed. I did my best to keep up with his demand, but I failed there too. He needed more milk than I could produce pumping, so we supplemented. I hated giving him formula, but I could not refuse a starving baby. And he was starving. My son began losing even more weight and starting to sleep through feedings. He became lethargic and difficult to wake. I pumped and pumped with no avail, but I did not want to give in to formula.

Our first pediatric appointment was four days after we left the hospital. I was hoping for some encouragement from our doctor and possibly some good advice on the breastfeeding front. I was nervous but excited to share my determination to breastfeed. My pediatrician told me that if I did not give him full bottles formula he would diagnose him with failure to thrive and admit him back into the hospital. He had lost so much weight that he could barely stay awake long enough to eat anything. He gobbled down his first full bottle of formula without even stopping for air. I knew then what I had to do. I continued pumping with little hope of success. Eventually my supply ran out. I was devastated and felt like an even bigger failure as a mother, but I also felt a new sense of freedom. I was no longer strapped to the pump every two to three hours. I could leave the house by myself and have others sit for my son. I felt like a human being again. It was wonderful for that first week of formula feeding. And then the guilt set in.

My failure to breastfeed coupled with the traumatic delivery sent me into a deep depression. My family was supportive, but my friends felt like I gave up too soon on breastfeeding. Though none of them experienced the problems I had. I felt ashamed of my bottles and often hid when feeding my son in public. The more I read up on breastfeeding, the more I felt like a failure. My LLL friends were no help with their anti-formula articles and blog posts. I looked everywhere for bottle feeding support, but I found none.

Those first six months were the worst of my life. I turned all my frustration inward and began obsessing over my failures. I kept telling myself that it would get better, but it never stayed that way for long. Finally, when my son was nearly eight months old I went to the doctor to talk about postpartum depression. I started on medicine the very same day and haven’t looked back since. I finally feel like I am the mother I was meant to be. 

Now I look at formula as a blessing. It turned out to be the best option for my son. He is now a healthy ten-month-old with thighs so big you’d never guess he was ever starving. Now, I shake up my bottles with pride in public and always flash a smile at other moms doing the same.

If you are struggling with FF and want to read more stories like mine, head on over to FFF: http://fearlessformulafeeder.blogspot.com/

A Bit of Catching Up to Do

I apologize for being MIA this last month. Life got hectic, but things have since calmed.

A few highlights...

Ham cut, rather loudly, a sixth tooth!

Ham completely changed his sleeping schedule.

Hubby possibly has kidney problems. We're still in the diagnosing stage and we've got no insurance.

I lost my keys, all my keys, and a complete stranger tracked me down and returned them to me! There are still good people in the world. :)

My Celexa has been increased again, but I feel like I am finally leveling out and finding my calm.

I'm being forced to get even better at living on less now that my spending budget has been decreased due to some bills. Posts to come on this topic.

We had a huge family garage sale and made out pretty good.

For the first time ever I got through an entire musical without a panic attack!!!! Therapy and meds do work!

That is pretty much it. It was an emotionally difficult month for me, but I feel like I've come through better than ever. For the first time in a long time I feel truly okay. I cannot even express in words how wonderful this is!

Just for fun...

Ham enjoying his new car, that I got a fabulous deal on at a garage sale!

Guilt

Despite a rocky start, my child is healthy and thriving. He is nine months old (as of Monday) and a chunky little entertainer. He weighs a whopping thirty pounds and stands, yes stands, just under three feet tall. However, many mamas are not as fortunate as I am. I have a difficult time looking at my healthy child knowing some of my friends and family members may never know that feeling.

Recently, a few of my family members as well as some friends and acquaintances have either lost their children in utereo, at birth, or have very sick children. I look at them in this sorrow and I wonder why I deserve to have what they can't have. I wonder why G-d gave me a healthy child and PPD/PPA so I could not enjoy or appreciate him while other mentally stable mothers grieve their lost babies. 

Now that my depression is lifting, I am left with all of this guilt. I feel guilty because I missed out on Ham's first few months. I feel guilty because I could not appreciate Ham when he was a tiny squish. I feel guilty because I cannot give Ham the kind of life I wanted to. I feel guilty because we don't have a lot of money or even a backyard. I feel guilty because I could not breastfeed. I feel guilty when I get frustrated with him and have to go into another room. I feel guilty when I am in a hurry to go somewhere else. 

I just have a lot of guilt. It seems like the waterfall of worries in my head has been replaced with a swamp of guilt. It is stagnant and thick. I feel like it is stealing my happiness like the depression and anxiety did before, but it is a slower battle. The PPD/PPA took me away like a leaf in the rapids whereas the guilt is like slowly sinking in quicksand. I don't know how to get past the guilt. I know it will take time. I just hope that I can keep my head up and focus on Ham this time around.

Weight Watchers Among Other Things

Today is my first day of Weight Watchers Points Plus. I am going strong so far. It is not as hard as I thought it would be. I am pretty much eating what I was with some minor changes and the exception of all things fast food. I am excited to see this through, and hope that it is the fresh start I am looking for. I helps that my husband is coming along for the ride.

School is finally done for the summer, and I could not be happier. I get to spend all the time I want with Ham and even enjoy some pleasure reading. I did not flunk accounting, I got a high 'C!" Who could ask for anything more?

My very first Mother's Day was nice. We visited our moms and spent the day relaxing with Ham. Hubs got me tickets to Chicago the musical.

Tomorrow is our two year anniversary. I am so excited to have made it this far with no major problems. I could not be more in love with my Hubs. I am a lucky girl. More on that tomorrow.

Later this week is my first counseling appointment. I am trying not to think about it. I have been through counseling before for another issue a long time ago, and I hated it. I am not a very open person, at least when we are meeting face to face, and talking to a stranger about my issues is not really my cup of tea. I know it is something I have to do. I just want to get through it and get better.

That's all for now dearies.

Living on Less (LOL for short)

I've decided to start a new blog series, hopefully it will run weekly, about living on less. We've been slowing adopting a leaner lifestyle, partly out of necessity and partly out of a desire to save more money. I have found myself transforming into a more responsible person, perhaps a better person even. I used to be obsessed with things, and spent hundreds of dollars every week on things I did not need. Now, I thrift, clip coupons, pantry shop, ebay, garage sale, repurpose, buy in bulk, and make my own. I cannot imagine spending $80 on a pair of jeans again. I am happy with my leaner lifestyle, and I would like to share my journey with you.

I will be sharing things like cheap and healthy recipes, how to coupon, what to buy in bulk, how to thrift, how to tackle garage sales, cost efficient household cleaning, how to sell your junk for cash, how to repurpose with style, and raising a child on less. Please join me on my journey to live on less.

Speaking of living on less, this week's pantry challenge has been going smashingly! Yesterday we had Alton Brown's Sweet Potato Waffles with a few substitutions (egg beaters and leftover mashed sweet potatoes) and Ina Garten's Baked Maple Bacon (using turkey bacon). We did not have to buy a single thing to make dinner because it was all in our pantry and fridge. Tonight, we are having America's Test Kitchen Classic Bolognese pared with some lettuce salad and French bread. We substituted ground beef instead of the mix as that is what we had on hand. It is definitely worth the time simmering; just one more hour until it's done!

The Bolognese simmering away on the stove...yummm

I will share more recipes tomorrow. Bon Appetite readers!

The Pantry Challenge

I can't remember where I first saw this, but regardless I am partaking! The pantry challenge is basically where you try and use up all the food you have in the house rather than buying a whole bunch of new groceries to suit your tastes. Some quick background, I've recently realized that we are wasting a whole lot of food by making up tasty menus every week rather than just eating what we have, so we are going to see how long we can go with just minimal shopping.

Our menu for this week:

Breakfast:

• Cream of Wheat
• Cocoa Wheats
• Oatmeal with fruit
• Bagels with fat-free cream cheese and fruit
• Cold cereal and fruit
• Yogurt with fruit and granola

These breakfast choices will all be interchangeable depending on mood and time allotted for breakfast.

Lunch:

• Grilled chicken couscous salad with chickpeas 
• Bean tacos and rice
• Leftovers from dinner

Again, lunches are not planned by day, just made for the whole week.

Dinners:

• Spaghetti Bolognese with a side of spinach
• Pork enchilada casserole with lettuce, corn, and sour cream
• BBQ chicken with broccoli and grilled mushroom kebabs 
• Skillet chicken and rice with broccoli and cheese
• Oatmeal waffles with bacon and fruit
• Omelets or mini quiches with lots of veggies
• Leftovers

Can you believe we have 90% of the ingredients in the house already? For some strange reason we have an excess of corn tortillas so we will be making another enchilada casserole for my husband's office Cinco de Mayo party! 

While we are eating high off the pantry/freezer, Ham will be dining on our stash of homemade and store bought baby food as well as finger foods too. He has a love of wheat toast with applesauce spread on it. Yummy and healthy! 

Throughout the week I will post recipes and money saving tips. Are you game for the pantry challenge? Follow along and post your recipes and creative meal ideas.