Today was the first time I actually [...]]]> Freezing. I think that was the term on everyone’s lips this morning as they streamed into work. It wasn’t actually as cold as it has been in the past few weeks, but icy sharp snow just made it seem a few degrees below what the temperature really was. Freezing.

Today was the first time I actually looked out the window and thought that it would be REALLY nice if it was spring already! I’m looking forward to planning my garden, and adding some beds along the back fence. This area is typically just overrun with creeping charlie -ugh – just the thought makes me shudder. It’s the bane of my existence in the “growing months”, for no matter how many times I pull it up, cut it up, chop it up, dig it up … it just comes back. Now, if we could get a neighborly effort going with the people surrounding my yard, where they would ALL pull up their creeping charlie, then we may stand a chance.

And now to pay the bills! (that means, the following link is an affiliate link. If you buy, I get compensated – just in case you were wondering!)
I’ve been waiting for Kenneth Cole Reaction to come back on sale. Paris had a pair of KCR shoes that she wore out, and she loves them. Hopefully I can pick up a new pair for her here this weekend:
2/6-2/7offer! Kenneth Cole Reaction Footwear- Final Clearance Select Styles $50 and under This Weekend!

And while you’re there, check out what else is on sale – you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

After finishing work, the girls and I headed over to Noodles & [...]]]>

… and the kale harvest gives way to the collard harvest. No, that’s not true – there is still kale to harvest, today was just collard day in my garden. I feel like I have accomplished something today. And the aphids were seemingly non-existent.

After finishing work, the girls and I headed over to Noodles & Company to support Retire With Coupons fundraiser – Kimberly does such a good job of engaging people – the place was buzzing! I’m just waiting for the phone call saying I’ve won a door prize.

When we got home, the girls pulled out their bikes for a while, as I split and planted the hostas my neighbor Jennifer so kindly gave me – man, that soil was tough to dig! I’m hoping to turn my front garden, south of the driveway, into some kind of an enchanted woodland scene. It is home to a huge tulip tree, and therefore very shady. I have one hosta planted there already, a couple of coral bells and some pretty, pretty pink lily of the valley.

So, there I was, digging away, chopping through roots – and not tree roots, these are some heavy duty weed roots – while the girls were riding their bikes up and down the footpath. Paris turns to me and said “Do I look like someone trying to be someone else?” She was wearing her white “Lady Gaga” shades with her jacket hood pulled up over her head. She did look very cool, but way too overdressed for 75 degree weather!

I finally got the hostas planted, pulled a barrow load of weeds, and watered the veggie gardens, before harvesting the collards. I love my garden, and I love fresh veggies, but sometimes I wish they could just magically make their way from the garden to the plate, or from the garden to the freezer, without any intervention from me. See, it’s all the water that it takes to clean those collards that bugs me, and the fact that the little caterpillars are hard to see, and they leave little silky threads, and unless you scrub those leaves, you really aren’t cleaning them at all because you can see the water ball up on them like they have some sort of water resistant barrier!

So, I have a foot high pile of collard leaves sitting on a pile of dish towels – I’d rather try to soak up all the water before I have to mop it all up, if that makes sense! Next, I’ll blanch it, and freeze it, IF I have freezer bags. (Guess who forgot to check?)

Paris finished writing her speech for the student council elections. She’s running for treasurer … what do you think?

“Hello, my name is Paris, and I’m in Mr Dobb’s 4th Grade class. I am running for student council treasurer. I want to be treasurer because:
1. I’m very good at math.
2. I want to show Bent School how responsible I can be.
3. I am good at keeping track of things – such as Bent School’s money.
4. I am trustworthy You can trust me with anything except for cupcakes.
5. If you vote for me, the future will be so bright that we will all have to wear shades to school!
6. I have some good ideas on how to make money for Bent School.

And remember, when I think I’m hanging out with the coolest people, I AM hanging out with the coolest people, and I’ll hang out with you if you vote for me, Paris, for student council treasurer.”

I need one of those voice recorders you can talk in to when you get ideas. Because all morning, I’ve been thinking of things to blog about, then when I sit down at the keyboard I can’t think of anything!

Ciel just made a video

Ciel [...]]]> no, SNL fans, not Amy Poehler! It’s just lil ol’ me ….

I need one of those voice recorders you can talk in to when you get ideas. Because all morning, I’ve been thinking of things to blog about, then when I sit down at the keyboard I can’t think of anything!

Ciel just made a video

Ciel … again from Vikki Baptiste on Vimeo.

The weather is starting to look a little more spring-like – there are some lilies starting to poke their little leaves up out of the ground. I don’t know when they first appeared, but I wonder if it was during the last warm spell, and if so – would they have been harmed when the weather turned icy again?

I think that the danger of frost is over, though the offical “last frost day”, from a gardening point of view, is around May 20. So, I have to look at some websites and seed packets to see if I can start some seeds inside and be able to transplant them out when the time is right.

We still have lots of seeds left from last year – some are appropriate for planting at the start of the season, and some are late season crops. I have to bear in mind that we need to plan for the community garden, as well as our own back yard!

I really want to expand our square foot gardens this year, but the initial outlay is fairly cost prohibitive. When I think of the overall savings in produce costs, it’s definitely worth it, but you just have to have that money for the initial outlay.

I’ve also signed up for a CSA this year, at Henry’s Farm. For a great price you get fresh, local, organic produce for 26 weeks of the year. As it says on Henry’s site – No GMOs, Pesticides, Herbicides, or Synthetic Fertilizers – you can’t beat that! I can pick up my box weekly at a local church, and there is usually extra produce for sale, either from Henry’s farm or from a neighboring farm. Either way, I know I’m getting quality, locally-grown product that is safe to eat. And that’s the bottom line!

This is another situation where the money has to be paid up front. And I was so very lucky that Henry allowed me to pay in installments because in today’s economy, it’s not easy just to come up with a chunk of change at a moment’s notice! I signed up for Henry’s CSA last year, and really forgot about it until he sent an email a couple of weeks back saying that he was starting to go through his 2008 customer list to see who was still “in”, and to be ready to be included if you were on the waiting list. I didn’t expect the “it’s your turn!” email, to be truthful! But I’m so glad I did. I can supplement what we grow ourselves with Henry’s produce – and he says on his website that he had over 630 varieties of seed this year, so I’m pretty sure that he’s not growing the same as me!

My “extreme couponing” is going well! As an example, yesterday I went to Walgreens, I spent $1.18 and came home with 1 Garnier Fructis shampoo, 1 Garnier Fructis conditioner, Sambucol (homeopathic) cold & flu remedy, 1 Oral B toothbrush and a bottle of Suave conditioner. After manufacturers coupons and in-store savings, my total out of pocket was .25c, plus .93c tax. That’s a saving of $27.20.

Jewel-Osco was almost as profitable – 2 pks Kraft Bagel-fuls, 2  Kraft Singles, 3 Kraft 2% cheese sticks and a nozzle for my hose – total cost inc. tax $30.17 – after coupons & Jewel card savings, I paid $3.42.

When people ask me “are you saving money?”, sometimes they’re surprised when I say no. And the truth is, for the first couple of months – maybe even three months – I won’t see a huge saving. This is because I have to stockpile. Where I used to spend $100 a week or more on my grocery order, I may be spending $60, and only buying a few products. That is my stockpile. If I buy 60 cans of soup, you can bet I’m not going to buy soup again for over a year!

Right now, I have a stockpile of toothpaste, deodorant, soap, paper towels, toilet paper, popcorn, hot chocolate, liquid hand soap, canned tomatoes, Healthy Choice soup, cheese (a freezer full!), Excedrin and Advil – and smaller stockpiles of a number of other goodies. Wanna come shop in my basement? LOL!

Kimberly (www.retirewithcoupons.com) has been doing this for a long time, and has the logistics down – she has an annual grocery shopping budget of $1500 for a family of 5. Right now, I’d be happy spending $50 a week ($2,600 a year) on groceries. I can work on a lower goal next year once I have all the tricks of the trade under my belt!

The girls are playing outside in the garden, I’m about to go out and see if the compost pile is defrosted yet.

Later!