tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76072806484550268812024-03-12T23:01:56.498-04:00Sparing Change{Sparing} Prudence and restraint in the use of material resources {Change} Cause a transformationSparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.comBlogger272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-29302537246904682402015-10-06T20:53:00.002-04:002015-10-06T20:53:36.638-04:00LostIt has been some time since I've written on the blog. I dont know what happened to the formatting on the past few posts explaining the last days and weeks of my life with Todd, but that's not what this post is about.<br />
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It is hard to believe that nearly 11 months ago, I was asked to leave my own home. Nearly 7 months ago, I was officially divorced from a man I was with for 9 years: married 7 1/2 years. I dont like change, and my life has been nothing but change. I am thankful that I am away from the toxic relationship (marriage) I was in; however, I see very clearly how damaged I am. I committed almost 1/3 of my life to a man who threw it away. That changes a person. I have become a cynic of love, marriage and even my own future. Everything I once believed in has been taken away. I used to believe in fairytales, happily ever afters, and now, I only see that they were not meant for me. At least at this point in my life. I am lost, bumbling through life, unsure of what my reality is or will be.<br />
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I think back to my parent's divorce, after 20+ years of marriage. Did my mother feel the same way I am feeling right now? I know she still voices her opinions about my father and his wife, but I see that she is happy. She is with a man that treats her like gold. Appreciates her, gives her everything she deserves, and adores her. Truth be told, I have a man in my life that adores me, treats me well and is patient and understanding to all of these emotions and feelings I go through. He has been through them himself a few years back. He says that it takes time to heal. And until then, I can do nothing but work on me and these feelings of defeat. <br />
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<br />SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-36758367318277487962014-12-18T04:00:00.000-05:002014-12-18T04:00:04.474-05:00Maxi vs Mini<div class="qowt-page-container" qowt-divtype="page" qowt-structural="true" style="-webkit-user-select: none; background: white; box-shadow: rgb(209, 209, 209) 0px 0px 0px 1px, rgb(204, 204, 204) 0px 0px 4px 1px; cursor: text !important; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; height: 279.365079365079mm; margin: auto auto 5mm; width: 215.873015873016mm;">
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<span id="E-26" qowt-eid="E-26" style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the past month, there have been huge changes in my life. One </span><span id="E-27" qowt-eid="E-27" style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">of the biggest changes is the fact that<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/12/two-sides-to-every-story.html" target="_blank"> I am now single.</a></span></div>
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<span id="E57" qowt-eid="E57" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I wish I could attach photos, but the monitor on my laptop was broken by an </span><span id="E58" qowt-eid="E58" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">irate</span><span id="E59" qowt-eid="E59" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> husband and until I can get it fixed or find a wo</span><span id="E60" qowt-eid="E60" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">rk around to upload my pictures, my posts will be without photos.</span></div>
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<span id="E63" qowt-eid="E63" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span id="E64" qowt-eid="E64" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Previous House:</span></div>
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<span id="E66" qowt-eid="E66" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">1890 sq. ft. with 1 acre of land</span></div>
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<span id="E68" qowt-eid="E68" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Current Home:</span></div>
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<span id="E70" qowt-eid="E70" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Approx. 500 sq. ft. with a stamp-sized yard</span></div>
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<span id="E73" qowt-eid="E73" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I was always overwhelmed with the large house. It was never clean.</span><span id="E74" qowt-eid="E74" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was never tidy. It was too much for two people to keep up with. </span><span id="E75" qowt-eid="E75" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> It drove my bonkers.</span></div>
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<span id="E78" qowt-eid="E78" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Todd and I had discussed moving into our 33 ft. RV and I looked forward for the day that we were to downsize! I was done with the “stuff” in our lives! We have also looked into tiny homes for after our RV adventures took place. Though these dreams will not come to fruition for the two of us, I have been implementing them for myself! </span></div>
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<span id="E81" qowt-eid="E81" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I am currently living in a 50’ trailer with the two dogs (Lana is 76 lbs and Buddy is 98 lbs!), and though I don’t know the exact size, I estimate that it is approximately 500 sq. ft. Let me tell you, this is the perfect size for me and the dogs. Actually, if it wasn’t for <a href="http://www.alloccasionsjewelry.com/" target="_blank">my jewelry business</a>, I could probably have done without the second bedroom. </span></div>
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<span id="E84" qowt-eid="E84" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When I moved, my mom kept asking, “Do you want to take this?” and “Do you need that?” My answer was always, “There isn’t enough room, mom.” We were able to fit all of my belongings in a 10 ft. U-Haul </span><span id="E85" qowt-eid="E85" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">tow-behind tr</span><span id="E86" qowt-eid="E86" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ailer</span><span id="E87" qowt-eid="E87" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span id="E88" qowt-eid="E88" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> To be honest, I was worried if it would all fit into my new place, but it did! The ONLY </span><span id="E89" qowt-eid="E89" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">items</span><span id="E90" qowt-eid="E90" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> that did not fit </span><span id="E91" qowt-eid="E91" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">were</span><span id="E92" qowt-eid="E92" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> two of my dining room table chairs</span><span id="E93" qowt-eid="E93" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> (my dad is storing </span><span id="E94" qowt-eid="E94" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the</span><span id="E95" qowt-eid="E95" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">m for me because I do not have space anywhere for them in the house!)</span><span id="E96" qowt-eid="E96" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. Everyone who has come to see my house immediately says, “This is cozy!” And that is exactly what it is for me too.</span></div>
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<span id="E99" qowt-eid="E99" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">At the big house, we had duplicates and sometimes triplicates of things like sets of dishes, dining room furniture, living room furniture, etc. I love having just ONE of everything. I have 6 plates, saucers, bowls and cups and even that seems excessive. It’s just me! I like the fact that when company comes over, it takes me less than an hour to clean up. </span></div>
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<span id="E102" qowt-eid="E102" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Though there are some comforts that I would prefer to have in a home (a little bit of land, quiet</span><span id="E103" qowt-eid="E103" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ness of the country</span><span id="E104" qowt-eid="E104" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a garage!) but I really do like this trailer. </span><span id="E105" qowt-eid="E105" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I find that because I cant just let the dogs out to roam th</span><span id="E106" qowt-eid="E106" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">e neighborhood (darn leash laws</span><span id="E107" qowt-eid="E107" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">,</span><span id="E108" qowt-eid="E108" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">) I am getting out more than I ever have before. I walk the dogs at LEAST 5 times a day with 3 of those walks being “around the block” so they can get their exercise</span><span id="E109" qowt-eid="E109" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and let their sniffers do some exploring</span><span id="E110" qowt-eid="E110" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span data-ow-chain="orphan" id="E111-owchain-0" qowt-eid="E111" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> If it </span><span data-ow-chain="widow" id="E111-owchain-1" qowt-eid="E111" style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">weren't for the dogs, I would probably never leave the house and meet some of the people from the neighborhood. Since moving, I have lost 10 lbs without changing my eating habits! Hmmm…maybe there is something to be said about daily exercise.</span></div>
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<span id="E116" qowt-eid="E116" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I also love the fact that I am close to everything. I work just 6 miles away from where I live which enables me to come home during lunch to let the dogs out to go potty, get a walk in, eat a quick lunch, and get back to work with time to spare! <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/05/mission-accomplished.html" target="_blank">I may never hit 250,000 miles on Bianca</a>, but the daily commute went from 2 hours a day – 90 miles total, to just 40 minutes a day – 25 miles total.</span></div>
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<span id="E119" qowt-eid="E119" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I am really enjoying my downsized (mini) life.</span></div>
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<span id="E121" qowt-eid="E121" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Life is good.</span></div>
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SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-6620685914106309682014-12-09T04:00:00.000-05:002014-12-09T18:45:25.195-05:00Two Sides to Every StoryIt has been a while since I’ve posted on this site. Life has thrown more challenges this year than I’ve ever experienced, but I am here to tell you that I am confident that everything has happened for a reason and in my best interest. This post is to set a few things straight about what has been going on in my life, my marriage, and is my side of the story. Please keep in mind there are always (at least) two sides to every story.<br />
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First things first, Todd and I have separated after 7 ½ years of marriage (nearly 9 years of being together). I have written posts every year on our anniversary about how we made it yet another year. Most years it was surprising even to me that we made it, but I was not about to give up and would try whatever I could to make things work between us. There were many issues within our marriage, some easier to move past, others not so much. <br />
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There was a post I wanted to publish on the blog for years but never got the nerve to click “publish.” The post was about my struggle living with an alcoholic to let women who also deal with this issue that they are not alone and that I am here if they want to talk about it. I have learned over the years that alcoholism in a marriage is never really discussed: it is an up and down roller-coaster that many women deal with internally (as I had) until it gets to be too much to handle on their own. I learned of many women that I knew (for years!) that struggle(d) with the same issues but never ever mentioned anything about it until I opened up about my struggles with the disease. There is nothing I could have done to help Todd’s alcoholism. Until the addict realizes they have a problem (or hit rock bottom), things would never change. <br />
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Todd has complained about pain through our entire relationship. He took dozens of pills each and every day for all of his ailments: caffeine pills to wake up, pain pills for his hands, stomach pills for his acid reflux, magnesium pills to help who knows what, pills for his depression, more pills for the pain, allergy pills, sleeping pills and alcohol because after all the pills, that was the only thing that “truly helped with the pain.” I never agreed with all of the pills and I became extremely unsympathetic when it came to all of his (supposed) ailments. To me, I felt like he was the boy who cried wolf. <br />
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I felt in our marriage that Todd always played the victim role and was never able to get past any grudges he had against others. Nothing was ever because of his choices but because of who did what to him. Though he was very close to his mother and father, he had no real relationships with any of the rest of his family (including 4 half-sisters and many nieces and nephews.) To this day, Todd is taking no responsibility to the demise of our marriage. <br />
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In no way am I stating that I was the perfect wife in this marriage and that I had nothing to do with the destruction of our marriage. There was a statement I made during counseling many years back that I wish I could take back and I know Todd never forgave me for because it was still being thrown back in my face with each disagreement we had up until the very end. In conflict, I tend to shut down and am unable to talk things through until I calm down. I have a hard time admitting fault in a disagreement but I have no problem apologizing and making amends in the end. But if nothing else, I tried to make this marriage work for many many years.<br />
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In the end, it was Todd’s decision to separate. There were many things that were texted to me while at work on a Friday: some of which would have been very difficult to forgive. I took the dogs and went to my parent’s houses that weekend until Todd calmed down. I decided to start looking for places to stay. Three days later, something really stupid set Todd off and there was rage, flying objects being thrown across the room, more verbal abuse, screaming at the top of his lungs, destruction around the house, blame that I made him do all of these things and at the very end, him stating in a round about way that he wished I were no longer alive. That was my sign from God that there was no turning this marriage around. Luckily, that morning, I had looked at a place very close to work and had a deposit down until I decided what I wanted to do. I called the very next day asking how quickly I could sign on the place and move in. Two days later, my brother and my mom came with a 10 ft. U-Haul trailer to pack my things and help me move. And when I say “help me move,” I really mean they did the moving because I was useless. I was mentally, emotionally and physically drained. <br />
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Today, nearly a month after all of this took place, I can look back and see how extremely toxic our marriage was to one another from the very beginning. The first week in my new place was extremely difficult not only emotionally, but it seemed like something happened every single day. By the second week, things started to turn around for the better.<br />
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Frankly, I am glad that Todd made the decision to end our marriage. If it wasn’t for his decision, I probably would have tried to work things out yet again for the umpteenth time. In the past, when I wanted to leave, I always wondered if there was anything else I could have done to make things better for us. Now, I know there was nothing more I could have done to save our marriage. It takes two people working together to make a marriage through the good, bad and ugly. That being said, there are more (big) changes ahead for me whether I am ready for them or not.<br />
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And I repeat, please keep in mind that this is just my side of the story. I am sure Todd would paint a very different picture of our issues.<br />
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SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-1341818878050420012014-07-23T07:01:00.002-04:002014-07-23T07:01:51.892-04:00When it Rains it Pours<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E82" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E82" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
<span id="E83" qowt-eid="E83" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A few</span><span id="E84" qowt-eid="E84" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> week</span><span id="E85" qowt-eid="E85" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">s</span><span id="E86" qowt-eid="E86" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span id="E87" qowt-eid="E87" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">back</span><span id="E88" qowt-eid="E88" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, I wrote about my </span><a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/06/unrealistic-expectations.html" target="_blank"><span id="E89" qowt-eid="E89" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">u</span><span id="E90" qowt-eid="E90" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">nrealistic </span><span id="E91" qowt-eid="E91" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">e</span></a><span id="E92" qowt-eid="E92" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/06/unrealistic-expectations.html" target="_blank">xpectations</a></span><span id="E94" qowt-eid="E94" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> when it comes to our finances and </span><span id="E95" qowt-eid="E95" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the fact that I am </span><span id="E96" qowt-eid="E96" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">striving to let </span><span id="E97" qowt-eid="E97" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">go of all of my unrealistic expectations. I wrote about finances, but it really applies to everything in our life: The RV, garden, our jobs, my new business venture, and repairs to our vehicles and home!</span></div>
<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E98" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E98" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
<span id="E99" qowt-eid="E99" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E100" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E100" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
<span id="E101" qowt-eid="E101" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A few days after posting the blog, Todd received word that his usual 12 hour shift has been cut to 8 hours. This means an even larger cut in pay tha</span><span id="E102" qowt-eid="E102" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">n what</span><span id="E103" qowt-eid="E103" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> we have taken over the past year due to my hours be</span><span id="E104" qowt-eid="E104" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ing cut and Todd changing jobs. On top of that, we have learned that Todd will need surgery for his </span><span id="E105" qowt-eid="E105" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">debilitating </span><span id="E106" qowt-eid="E106" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">carpal tunnel</span><span id="E107" qowt-eid="E107" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> in both of his hands which will result in a total of 6 weeks of recovery.</span></div>
<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E108" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E108" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
<span id="E109" qowt-eid="E109" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E110" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E110" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
<span id="E111" qowt-eid="E111" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you ever feel that you are being led a certain direction in life whether you lik</span><span id="E112" qowt-eid="E112" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">e it or not? I am being taught that </span><span id="E113" qowt-eid="E113" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not the one in control, and I am learning to </span><span id="E114" qowt-eid="E114" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">TRUST</span><span id="E115" qowt-eid="E115" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the one </span><span id="E116" qowt-eid="E116" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span id="E117" qowt-eid="E117" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"> does.</span><span id="E118" qowt-eid="E118" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E119" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E119" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
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<div class="qowt-stl0" id="E120" qowt-divtype="para" qowt-eid="E120" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Tinos, 'Baskerville Old Face', 'Bell MT', serif; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px;">
<span id="E121" qowt-eid="E121" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I have faith that we will get through the next several months and come out stronger than ever before: we always do. We are blessed to have the family and friends that we do and each other to lean upon in these times.</span><span id="E122" qowt-eid="E122" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> I am prepared to welcome whatever God gives us and embrace the changes that are coming. If there is one thing I know for certain is that the only constant thing in life is change</span><span id="E123" qowt-eid="E123" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">..</span><span id="E124" qowt-eid="E124" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span id="E125" qowt-eid="E125" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">whether I like it or not! </span></div>
<div>
<span qowt-eid="E125" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-20490018348428766662014-06-30T04:00:00.000-04:002014-06-30T04:00:07.227-04:00Stick With it Marriage Day<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday, June 27<sup>th</sup> was “Stick With it Marriage
Day.” There were articles on <st1:stockticker w:st="on">MSN</st1:stockticker> and Yahoo about famous couples (Tori &
Dean) who chose to stick with their marriage after conflict. It is ironic because Todd and I were having a
horrible argument pretty much that entire week!
After seeing that Friday was Stick with it Marriage Day, I thought about
how fitting it was.<o:p></o:p></div>
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People often say that they married their best friend. Admittedly, I am a bit jealous when I hear this
being stated because I did not marry my best friend. Not at all.
If Todd and I were not married, I don’t feel I would associate with
him. I am not saying this because I am
being mean or because we are in the middle of some rough times: I am saying it because
it’s the truth. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the past several months I have learned of several
people that I know through work and through friends or family that are getting
divorced. Their reason? “I just don’t love him like that anymore.” Are you kidding me?!? That is not grounds for divorce in my
opinion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Todd and I are going through a really rough time right now. I am COMMITTED to making this marriage work as
I have for the past 7 ½ years. It would
be so easy to walk away (and I believe that there are grounds in our marriage
for divorce), but I CHOOSE to stick it out.
Just like I CHOSE to marry this man: for better or worse, for richer or
poorer, in sickness and in health. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have been working hard on taming my biting tongue while in
conflict and trying to be more subservient in our marriage. This has pretty much gone unnoticed but I
know deep down that I am being the best wife to Todd that I can by serving him...whether or not he notices. It is difficult because I am so selfish and I
will not say that I succeed in doing this all.the.time, but I try. And really, what more can I do?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am not looking for praise or approval, I just wanted
people to see that not every marriage is a happy one, not all times are bliss. What may be portrayed online with smiling
photos of fun outings with the hubby is not how our marriage is 100% of the time. Marriage is a lot of hard work, a lot of
sacrifice, a lot of pain. But in the
good times, it can be so rewarding as well: Even if he’s not my best friend. I choose to stick with our marriage not just on Friday, but every day.</div>
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And just as a side note, I highly recommend reading <a href="http://simplemarriage.net/stick-it-out/" target="_blank">this article</a> about sticking it out even when marriage is difficult. <o:p></o:p></div>
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SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-40714622859729939132014-06-24T04:00:00.000-04:002014-06-24T04:00:05.525-04:002014 Garden: June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year, I decided to <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/03/planning-2014-garden.html" target="_blank">keep the garden simple</a>. I have been overwhelmed over the years with
too many plants, too many weeds, and not enough motivation to spend time out in
the garden giving it the care and attention it needs to thrive. My goal this year was to spend less than $50
on the garden, and to attempt to grow my garden in pallets we had picked up for
free.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will tell you that so far, I am really enjoying the pallet
garden. We had to get four times the
amount of soil we needed because the nursery did not have the type of soil we
wanted - we had to make our own. Instead
of getting just a ½ cu ft of soil, we ended up having to get 2 cu ft! The price for that alone was $31.03! I ended up using much less soil than expected
in the pallets so we decided to use the rest of the soil to fill in low spots
in our yard. Waste not – want not. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAEG2_ys5LDdsYTaHGx0EKhZNoBk9B7fM0JrOFAquBeMCkD2eLHV8Wm4iqbk9G3JHNZ3BYhrzpPrPV3UhyphenhyphenQSh9ZMpjz8RxPzWmiFXU6lK0cmBMRG3pCG4McbVe2AM_5RJrdyTOggjiN0/s1600/012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAEG2_ys5LDdsYTaHGx0EKhZNoBk9B7fM0JrOFAquBeMCkD2eLHV8Wm4iqbk9G3JHNZ3BYhrzpPrPV3UhyphenhyphenQSh9ZMpjz8RxPzWmiFXU6lK0cmBMRG3pCG4McbVe2AM_5RJrdyTOggjiN0/s1600/012.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is what the pallet garden looks like (after 3 straight
days of rain and no time to mow the lawn!)
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMxA_xmQw5E191Qs89iK7PLbwNS3CNRd8KMriSKBg6LJ7d7FysELZVhLkn0xvOkZ2llK_zh9RFYgtDiBDdaSuevexejyKHfhsJmoCykA8KsYA-XMbfU_jWXKHPNwBybyXFaloVAFvBwk/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMxA_xmQw5E191Qs89iK7PLbwNS3CNRd8KMriSKBg6LJ7d7FysELZVhLkn0xvOkZ2llK_zh9RFYgtDiBDdaSuevexejyKHfhsJmoCykA8KsYA-XMbfU_jWXKHPNwBybyXFaloVAFvBwk/s1600/007.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
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The zucchini and summer squash were planted by seed and took
off almost instantly after I planted them mid-May. I have 4 pallets of zucchini and summer
squash planted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPopta2C_R3nznn6HSqPzlvrxthZT51KNZdTTDzlZSCC_NRyZYKeWvfhdIOOzNcFEH0Zk_uujmO9Ga1xHPL8ch2wS2CAcoPLNjwzyeMQevAH6IJ2yUmcgFGfCATFVOLGijVwntnHVvbY/s1600/009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPopta2C_R3nznn6HSqPzlvrxthZT51KNZdTTDzlZSCC_NRyZYKeWvfhdIOOzNcFEH0Zk_uujmO9Ga1xHPL8ch2wS2CAcoPLNjwzyeMQevAH6IJ2yUmcgFGfCATFVOLGijVwntnHVvbY/s1600/009.jpg" height="313" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also planted yard-long green beans and cucumbers. They have taken off as well! (the are the ones closest to us in this picture.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD2r29JFGJfR9rwU6UZ5-o072UpmDux9VhbqGcL5Der_qdcRxef3ISwkgJ5Q5ddX657sZcATnBbjmItNk6N5uJCnfkJv9AoAw7IAGIyKtrdO3lCvgApI2PdOJCqX8diTamymy2VCLp-4/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD2r29JFGJfR9rwU6UZ5-o072UpmDux9VhbqGcL5Der_qdcRxef3ISwkgJ5Q5ddX657sZcATnBbjmItNk6N5uJCnfkJv9AoAw7IAGIyKtrdO3lCvgApI2PdOJCqX8diTamymy2VCLp-4/s1600/008.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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I have 1 ½ pallets full of cucumbers planted – I am going to
have to add a pallet tee-pee for the cucumbers to start climbing soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf1W8eC4L6sl6wyYRNRDwzGk3-4nWdyD4gYYMkG5blUFBY40OMs9TyGVYicUOw6m5ceQDA9i5qsYEvD6rg7FPpRLfRsg72bzZvY61Ayao4sGS3IKcPjQjMGCFFygoi0KklqIZ7IIN2PA/s1600/010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf1W8eC4L6sl6wyYRNRDwzGk3-4nWdyD4gYYMkG5blUFBY40OMs9TyGVYicUOw6m5ceQDA9i5qsYEvD6rg7FPpRLfRsg72bzZvY61Ayao4sGS3IKcPjQjMGCFFygoi0KklqIZ7IIN2PA/s1600/010.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>I gave a friend several packs of Roma tomato seeds last year
that I wasn’t going to use and this spring, she gave me several seedlings! Unfortunately, the cats decided to use the
pallets as a litter box and killed many of the seedlings before they could get
established, but I have at least 4 Roma tomato plants that are difficult to see
in this picture but believe me, they are there.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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If I were to do the pallet garden again, I would put all the
pallets together. I did not space them
to give enough room for the lawn mower to go through, so every month I have to
take hedge clippers and cut in between the pallets when the weeds get too
tall! Also, if I decide to do a pallet
garden again next year, I will be putting cardboard or weedblock under the
pallets. I still get weeds though they
nothing compared to our garden last year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Total cost of the vegetable garden in 2014: $38.88. </b></div>
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This includes the price of soil and the cost of the seeds.</div>
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Now onto the fruits around our property.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sVjRYJH70943LQgZ7s4a9Buz22J__2STE5vTxynfQZ0xR3u3S1uczNGOdpTUM_AOF-ItUAh1uPgwDz15GKw30dX4Nz8QR63IOJpxgjTrJINtNXqpMvs2AozVlCvpfAo7t5XMc7AGNaA/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sVjRYJH70943LQgZ7s4a9Buz22J__2STE5vTxynfQZ0xR3u3S1uczNGOdpTUM_AOF-ItUAh1uPgwDz15GKw30dX4Nz8QR63IOJpxgjTrJINtNXqpMvs2AozVlCvpfAo7t5XMc7AGNaA/s1600/001.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I have no idea how to take care of concord grape vines, but
I trimmed them back pretty far this spring.
Other people leave their vines as they are and new growth comes in each
year. I can see where the grapes will
start to produce on the vines, and the vines have taken off like crazy since
mid-May! I joke with Todd that I can sit
on the front porch and watch them grow.
I am hoping to propagate several of the vines to take over to the house
next door to get established before we hit the road full time in the RV. Plus, I don’t believe you can ever have too
many concord grapes– they are probably my favorite fruit!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnORSveYIPQ9vjpk4eFg7Roeq4UYhJgdnfNgAI0D8mMvPKGZZewxvx9_LxcjkToBPdfP4muF2D0kZY6GVcfW3WeeQ6HJRHbNVd97pZnp5Jg3NeewU0JoIYYNUyyD7wi2CABsMFC_Zn8vs/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnORSveYIPQ9vjpk4eFg7Roeq4UYhJgdnfNgAI0D8mMvPKGZZewxvx9_LxcjkToBPdfP4muF2D0kZY6GVcfW3WeeQ6HJRHbNVd97pZnp5Jg3NeewU0JoIYYNUyyD7wi2CABsMFC_Zn8vs/s1600/002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the first time since we purchased the pear trees (5 years ago, I think it’s
been), we finally have pears growing!
There are 5 of them! I am beyond
thrilled about this!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmj6Egh_isbmcMVhZSLxTQq1KUyIZAdWJBWEZPG60RVqdhzr-BBAXtclqAQDqWH2Ejnag5Wah0ToG7LfLFJOwLwvJyLhiaceDOUFV988kJDM5nUTkSBj8gdEHYM0qOye-7WtknDd_fWg/s1600/003.jpg" height="320" width="265" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67mnnlyGDwerAnkCl3v1yw45ninya76EyIpEgX6fD2Mn-5Vy4jXQbJyaOo7JVYxcf6niOZOzj0yUlc0CTQFB2No9JYfjQFDRGXWTjyxkSMD8oiKp0e6dZhM3uqOJ-upn_p56kkbKxtUY/s1600/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67mnnlyGDwerAnkCl3v1yw45ninya76EyIpEgX6fD2Mn-5Vy4jXQbJyaOo7JVYxcf6niOZOzj0yUlc0CTQFB2No9JYfjQFDRGXWTjyxkSMD8oiKp0e6dZhM3uqOJ-upn_p56kkbKxtUY/s1600/004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal">
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We purchased a blackberry plant last year at a flea market
and it has just taken off! We have a lot
of these beautiful white flowers and I look forward to those plump, juicy sweet
berries in the next few months! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bGVNWsUcbBgE_3eaPU8CYud3qJ5ew4kxFDa0ki5KdyHYqyumemAF2aKcEOt5A6L7ZOjFM8MqtSMEDv_gDj-YEVOCPgQw62rpTHDsN-NhvohgzXXUbiJR5t9nwONIlMZIlu8chSqZByc/s1600/005.jpg" height="320" width="240" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUYj7WbEjNEkWckP5Y8438j1HanLdH33vQrVSKjbUJkP-TkGEWqyd_mOXxY2EufFYvfp78QgvFy_GKnoKAiz7En_RoiI1twJQEFBR3hQZMteETjOEacO-u31dLc2FNC2dhqlLAOlBtCQ/s1600/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUYj7WbEjNEkWckP5Y8438j1HanLdH33vQrVSKjbUJkP-TkGEWqyd_mOXxY2EufFYvfp78QgvFy_GKnoKAiz7En_RoiI1twJQEFBR3hQZMteETjOEacO-u31dLc2FNC2dhqlLAOlBtCQ/s1600/006.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I neglect our red raspberries every single year, but without
fail, they always produce for me. I
didn’t even trim the red raspberry plants from last year and they are taking
off! It looks like we will have a bumper
crop this year from the canes I transplanted two years ago. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMw0tSiBpm_RypsQEHKvKwLTyHCmFBlcKyR8hkONZU2wSCugBCn6MmCHbsngqgMnISK3wDbjFuUuv-rSWJJ2OaAVms-Ip2_ACvs7YJL-hR4pZ71-taJRJkpV7cQyDvHGi-YtuVOEhXL4/s1600/011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMw0tSiBpm_RypsQEHKvKwLTyHCmFBlcKyR8hkONZU2wSCugBCn6MmCHbsngqgMnISK3wDbjFuUuv-rSWJJ2OaAVms-Ip2_ACvs7YJL-hR4pZ71-taJRJkpV7cQyDvHGi-YtuVOEhXL4/s1600/011.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
These are our cherry trees – we bought one along with the
blackberry bush last year and we’ve had the other in the ground for a couple of
years now. It does not appear we will be
getting cherries this year, but hopefully next year! These are rainier cherries which are yellow
and red in color and so sweet! <o:p></o:p></div>
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There you have it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is what our vegetation looks like so far this year, and
we’re just getting started! It amazes me
how things grow from seed and how quickly!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>How is your garden
doing this year?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-68618299492152884572014-06-17T04:00:00.000-04:002014-06-17T04:00:00.842-04:00Unrealistic Expectations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have said it before, and I will say it again: I am a
dreamer. I dream big. The only problem is that what I dream and
what actually happens are two different things. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RUpaeDde1-9YIj1tqfWqK2gEYCKJ7Sdm802vr-JWieKpYEzRIYjlg5-7-BCrTNVeXmI2AHCjR6lPArS8u5wX2YI-1VTiQs8SEADYPyRbttugcdT9kVk8qunwAVsZErK1Bd5jJia2KiQ/s1600/What+screws+us+up+most+in+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RUpaeDde1-9YIj1tqfWqK2gEYCKJ7Sdm802vr-JWieKpYEzRIYjlg5-7-BCrTNVeXmI2AHCjR6lPArS8u5wX2YI-1VTiQs8SEADYPyRbttugcdT9kVk8qunwAVsZErK1Bd5jJia2KiQ/s1600/What+screws+us+up+most+in+life.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Take, for example, our budget.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I like numbers. I
like planning. I have always taken on
the budget in our marriage. By doing
this, I have taken on quite a bit of stress because I am married to a
spender. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We bought an RV, and though I do not regret the purchase, I
hate that we have a loan on it. I had
all of these great plans on how to pay it off and pretty much live like paupers
until October to do it. Well guess
what? It’s not working. Again, because I am married to a spender. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, when I say that Todd is a spender, please realize that
I’m not talking big ticket items. He
buys things that we need around the house and a couple of frivolous items once
in a while (or what I think are frivolous such as an extra set of pots and pans
for the RV when I was OK with trekking the pots and pans for the house back and
forth). I call him the spender because
he spends more than I do. If it were up
to me, I would not buy anything but gasoline, groceries and dog food! I am good with “making it do.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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After a week of stressing out about finances, having a car
break down, a garage door spring pop, and a couple of medical bills to be paid,
I threw my hands up and said I was done with scrutinizing each penny that comes
into our home. I am done worry and
stressing about how we are going to pay off the RV by October. It will not be the end of the world if we
don’t get the RV paid off until December!! My marriage may actually benefit
from putting off the payoff date by a couple of months! We have had over a $12,000/year decrease in
our income this year – I cannot have the mindset that we can still put away the
SAME AMOUNT as we had in previous years based on our previous income.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I have decided that it is time to loosen up a bit when it
comes to the finances. As long as we are
accelerating our RV payments, squirreling money away into savings and not
“pissing away” (for lack of a better phrase) our incomes, I am content with lightening
up about our finances! We have worked
hard for years to pay off our debt and pay down half of our mortgage: it is
time to enjoy ourselves (within reason)!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Are you hard on
yourself when it comes to finances?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have
unrealistic expectations as I do?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-47873557219586836022014-05-29T04:00:00.000-04:002014-05-29T04:00:09.606-04:00Mission AccomplishedWhen we first purchased my cute little Bianca back in August of 2006, I made the statement that I wanted to keep her until she hit 200,000 miles. At that time, I thought the goal was unachievable seeing as my last new car had hit 85,000 miles and was nearly falling apart! A few short years later, she hit 100,000 miles with very little maintenance required. I then decided I wanted to see her hit 250,000 miles. Closer to 175,000 miles, I decided she would probably last until 500,000 miles!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSg6S7N4Bm1KZy6X6UYiaM62YwOXnBo56dWRPANIEgoNVMGq7KKb5nLW7CLLGC79c2YiBeBgmsC5Q5vEfsd0IvRBPCKhboE1lEKcmzdj6WrCvsGfqlxxcIT8ofEr6uzcdpCiGM2Lfq1Y/s1600/Bianca01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSg6S7N4Bm1KZy6X6UYiaM62YwOXnBo56dWRPANIEgoNVMGq7KKb5nLW7CLLGC79c2YiBeBgmsC5Q5vEfsd0IvRBPCKhboE1lEKcmzdj6WrCvsGfqlxxcIT8ofEr6uzcdpCiGM2Lfq1Y/s1600/Bianca01.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of Bianca<br />2007 Toyota Yaris 3D Hatchback</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMwM8i8BNrf7y_XGsLHUwUJ4pGRONxTIR0r_ULmJeeDu0hugcnRDxUNacEBvrRMdaZAhUXdzVv4ehXy9vFzCmqQa8FbeQvxAVFKpkXQv8RXbnnky9DF4uNuW1R5E1EjYi-j6icVoUCGw/s1600/Bianca04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMwM8i8BNrf7y_XGsLHUwUJ4pGRONxTIR0r_ULmJeeDu0hugcnRDxUNacEBvrRMdaZAhUXdzVv4ehXy9vFzCmqQa8FbeQvxAVFKpkXQv8RXbnnky9DF4uNuW1R5E1EjYi-j6icVoUCGw/s1600/Bianca04.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back end of the cutest car ever...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As of May 28, 2014, this adorable little car hit 200,000 miles. I have never owned a car with more than 145,000 miles on it. She has been SO reliable and has needed next to NO maintenance. Heck, she is still on her original clutch which is unheard of for a standard vehicle! She survived a suicidal deer almost 2 years ago with minimal damage (considering how big the buck was!) and consistently gives me 42-45mpg! I wish I didnt drive as much as I do, but I am glad I have the car that I've got.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2k2cGiiGY5OokgvB7sjL0qiaBfaRvTnA40F2cdH3o68R88ZPpiGvDhfOiQKtgpmhhbXWGRquK-bs5M-kgSLWCwgyCGfsR6eyZeSloGcoVhaohvZnUNdovAkbGsINA6_oglOG1v7cO5yA/s1600/Bianca02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2k2cGiiGY5OokgvB7sjL0qiaBfaRvTnA40F2cdH3o68R88ZPpiGvDhfOiQKtgpmhhbXWGRquK-bs5M-kgSLWCwgyCGfsR6eyZeSloGcoVhaohvZnUNdovAkbGsINA6_oglOG1v7cO5yA/s1600/Bianca02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dont mind the dust... :-) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-V77w7Yn8Aa0-1KNx5YhQqjgTP5PSTP11CDIrNjFslwdT8rGSwbT4ZPgkHCIxGuEiPQHnILbC4-XDiFY8arJXjCzQr-aNj0dssbOutQGBESBMLSSljeGzePPCqneeRNvYMJS5aibZwyg/s1600/Bianca03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-V77w7Yn8Aa0-1KNx5YhQqjgTP5PSTP11CDIrNjFslwdT8rGSwbT4ZPgkHCIxGuEiPQHnILbC4-XDiFY8arJXjCzQr-aNj0dssbOutQGBESBMLSSljeGzePPCqneeRNvYMJS5aibZwyg/s1600/Bianca03.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woot! Woot!<br />How many people can say they watched their car hit 200,000 miles?!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we hit the road full-time RVing, we would like to get a 4 door sedan so that the puppies can easily get in and out of it. My thought is that if Bianca is still going strong at that point, we should keep her for as long as she is a reliable source of transportation! And c'mon...you have to admit, she is so darn cute!!<br />
<br />
Here's to another 200,000+ miles, Bianca!!<br />
<br />
<br />SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-3721632366443736232014-05-08T04:00:00.000-04:002014-05-08T04:00:04.279-04:00Our First Experience BoondockingFor our 7th Anniversary, Todd and I decided to lay low and take our first camping trip in the RV without water or electric hookups. We found a place southwest of where we live that was FREE and was supposed to be gorgeous.<br />
<br />
We were supposed to leave Thursday, May 1st after Todd got off of work - but we were not even close to being ready to leave. So we pushed it back to Friday. After a rough start to Friday and pure exhaustion, we decided to push the trip off until Saturday. I wasnt happy about it, but it was the best thing for both of us as we werent rushed to get everything into the RV and to get on the road. We didnt know how the RV would drive towing a vehicle, so I took the puppies and we drove in another vehicle behind the RV the whole way. I'm glad we did!<br />
<br />
Not a mile down the road, I noticed one of the compartments of the RV flapping in the wind. I honked my horn and motioned for Todd to pull over. He secured the compartment. Phew. We stopped to get gas and to stretch our legs about an hour and a half into our drive. We got into our vehicles and I noticed another compartment door was open! So, there I go beeping my horn and motioning to Todd. We got it secured. After some very large hills, twists and turns, we finally made it to the first campsite we felt safe parking the RV. It was out in the open, and it was easy to set up camp for the evening.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs-ogCsCjsM75gF1i8F2JIOoIIlRTaJKzlfViZQgxhqH1sOJXiZv66WAK1NzUnDD_8EvWLd66Vh3PTcrGCbsHWHY787p-npyCEySUCjQd92wmHQB0Yms5RS1Ng0nhfLWL2_bSiMstvvI/s1600/Camping01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs-ogCsCjsM75gF1i8F2JIOoIIlRTaJKzlfViZQgxhqH1sOJXiZv66WAK1NzUnDD_8EvWLd66Vh3PTcrGCbsHWHY787p-npyCEySUCjQd92wmHQB0Yms5RS1Ng0nhfLWL2_bSiMstvvI/s1600/Camping01.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM66x7fY-Qxqi7INHSk9nrnORJt6GkuEIgp727dk1P3KBVKebjfu_AWDJYhHlQys9FfFFJIkndrDGnFZZl2kbtE0RyVvFl1xibBU9n2HnA6jBm48HyMxQE9xOKe8nrsq-44Qyuy6av8M/s1600/Camping02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSM66x7fY-Qxqi7INHSk9nrnORJt6GkuEIgp727dk1P3KBVKebjfu_AWDJYhHlQys9FfFFJIkndrDGnFZZl2kbtE0RyVvFl1xibBU9n2HnA6jBm48HyMxQE9xOKe8nrsq-44Qyuy6av8M/s1600/Camping02.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home Sweet Home (for a few days) </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93tT528qyUFQye4Rvst0eYImY8OvcE2OXqYkjIIcLe6x_t1g5v4BqXW85qtJoFOS5nZrN2jf65ciEZC_rlQAWswjUMNM2vrY1Ps7kRBhETO-iRKu-nVWcBpNcMYlDZnInLc-PDKM6-0E/s1600/Camping03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93tT528qyUFQye4Rvst0eYImY8OvcE2OXqYkjIIcLe6x_t1g5v4BqXW85qtJoFOS5nZrN2jf65ciEZC_rlQAWswjUMNM2vrY1Ps7kRBhETO-iRKu-nVWcBpNcMYlDZnInLc-PDKM6-0E/s1600/Camping03.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids at the next campsite loved playing with Lana and Buddy. <br />
I love this action shot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJUpq0cDcWBPny7WwHLRQRFHHqDkfmWxqub9LzlTOBO0UkoroG7HdvzOGRaka6h6tTn9fUvoTd0I_9d0LH2uxZjeks_2gCebJXFcl7wW0YGAm2Fpcs-uzvv48fXKTDEs4z8Jm0-WJvBA/s1600/Camping04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJUpq0cDcWBPny7WwHLRQRFHHqDkfmWxqub9LzlTOBO0UkoroG7HdvzOGRaka6h6tTn9fUvoTd0I_9d0LH2uxZjeks_2gCebJXFcl7wW0YGAm2Fpcs-uzvv48fXKTDEs4z8Jm0-WJvBA/s1600/Camping04.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just so you can see how much fridge and freezer space we've<br />
got in the RV - it's quite a bit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MQBVMKX53iEr_Nj7JZyUfd9chhx8GlJRDn2YlbCC1j9Z2AXx_dyuvzRYG1l-m2A3sHpyjhZ1rVxN3qB23REcJa8J0XbY5PG-l45_Ae7JhQOGlp0p9_q_WJxEXCtvsOuIny7C6CuxeJ4/s1600/Camping05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MQBVMKX53iEr_Nj7JZyUfd9chhx8GlJRDn2YlbCC1j9Z2AXx_dyuvzRYG1l-m2A3sHpyjhZ1rVxN3qB23REcJa8J0XbY5PG-l45_Ae7JhQOGlp0p9_q_WJxEXCtvsOuIny7C6CuxeJ4/s1600/Camping05.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pups insisted on following Todd to the bathroom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a loud night on Saturday with the campers next to us, we decided to go looking for another campsite to stay at for the remainder of our stay. On Sunday, we took our toad (a vehicle you tow with your RV) and drove all around the campgrounds until we found a beautiful site that would be easy to pull into. The gentleman on the site was packing up and getting ready to head out. He had stayed for 2 1/2 weeks. Todd and I learned quite a bit from this gentleman. For the past 3 weeks, it was mushroom season here in Ohio! Many of the campers have been set up hunting for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella" target="_blank">morel mushrooms</a> which sell for up to $50/lb! We were wondering why everyone seemed to be talking about mushrooms since we arrived! We asked the gentleman how you know where to find them and he said to look for the sycamores. Todd and I looked at each other and asked, "What do sycamore trees look like?" The gentleman pointed out into the distance across the lake we were overlooking and said, "The white trees!" We learned two new things on Sunday!!<br />
<br />
After helping the gentleman pack his stuff up to hit the road (he was elderly and had a hard time walking), we brought over the RV to park it on our home for the next several days. The pups just LOVED having access to water all.the.time!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUcRW1-QRLI_0voVFEna6Ode10yriUQpTzlzrc0K5QqJljR_P11AqpPsDUrWj5-JFA4oxZ4O0zdO4ZUqsBAgL6e7dVwpk5QtuX1rn34mI9n4NKff8_jX6RlPbqKetmLLDF6a9gg2L0lk/s1600/Camping001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUcRW1-QRLI_0voVFEna6Ode10yriUQpTzlzrc0K5QqJljR_P11AqpPsDUrWj5-JFA4oxZ4O0zdO4ZUqsBAgL6e7dVwpk5QtuX1rn34mI9n4NKff8_jX6RlPbqKetmLLDF6a9gg2L0lk/s1600/Camping001.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new spot we chose to camp at for several evenings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1utSOoTeKQVc542OlDpJxYCLAjpbhAuRmVLH23VsKd3MxjAkKr-yXc9THRY-z4-PdKbZkqny6lmnbwFLeweXjOqxtyMoYvpNu4VDoROgaZxMrdQGSIVCU8XvGJQclrpP_F5cKFs1Bro/s1600/Camping002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1utSOoTeKQVc542OlDpJxYCLAjpbhAuRmVLH23VsKd3MxjAkKr-yXc9THRY-z4-PdKbZkqny6lmnbwFLeweXjOqxtyMoYvpNu4VDoROgaZxMrdQGSIVCU8XvGJQclrpP_F5cKFs1Bro/s1600/Camping002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppies loved having access to the lake whenever they pleased.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvTc0VFowZRpIVOb0vAF_xijW_f6SzEUpGYrM60B1zeQu2RkUCjEQKX0-LbzPqIvzI9HoYPkVNh7OOlU0bZm2-ptKMQQr0tqo_T-EINjbJZbr9lk5fEhElPrrqVZFc2cexSY8Pj9isdM/s1600/Camping003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvTc0VFowZRpIVOb0vAF_xijW_f6SzEUpGYrM60B1zeQu2RkUCjEQKX0-LbzPqIvzI9HoYPkVNh7OOlU0bZm2-ptKMQQr0tqo_T-EINjbJZbr9lk5fEhElPrrqVZFc2cexSY8Pj9isdM/s1600/Camping003.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We decided to go into town and we could see our RV spot!<br />
Do you see the RV in between the trees?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhncIGVKKEGuSOulC1RXlGoGxvtMWe6hgAgri1UkDsBD3aWL8vCS8bibYq_nakqLANOND-me9g6RqakMWdZEKzP2VuPNAp1sX2DzsMq_t3QXdf0fTuFTkEwOxNCUIeoOq81VFuyKCrKE/s1600/Camping004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhncIGVKKEGuSOulC1RXlGoGxvtMWe6hgAgri1UkDsBD3aWL8vCS8bibYq_nakqLANOND-me9g6RqakMWdZEKzP2VuPNAp1sX2DzsMq_t3QXdf0fTuFTkEwOxNCUIeoOq81VFuyKCrKE/s1600/Camping004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adorable gingerbread house for sale in McConnellsville, OH</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq4Nn6ixdybQA_E27Zl_h_yjgUuVyC6ywsU5piaHp0xOQnxZ2rwX1dwjRRKJi07STN6ZrTmbbNMEiPdHNDLYf3C11WppHWFzDFo50PqYjTitMQOGM7WS8eeiCJ7B1pJu-4piRsg9yuCI/s1600/Camping005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq4Nn6ixdybQA_E27Zl_h_yjgUuVyC6ywsU5piaHp0xOQnxZ2rwX1dwjRRKJi07STN6ZrTmbbNMEiPdHNDLYf3C11WppHWFzDFo50PqYjTitMQOGM7WS8eeiCJ7B1pJu-4piRsg9yuCI/s1600/Camping005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cant help put enjoy these old painted barns in the country!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9-zdsnj14l7IUuQuNQ8CuQgORSJ7uMfTSTQKBeQTSa-m6xlL7dMDbcz-i0dcVW6IHyohdf3OWD1UvfoY68gKhl1a01i9Iww46fcEw-VJ9CEIoZP682ptXTzeyopfweA7q8_SWbTK5pw/s1600/Camping006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9-zdsnj14l7IUuQuNQ8CuQgORSJ7uMfTSTQKBeQTSa-m6xlL7dMDbcz-i0dcVW6IHyohdf3OWD1UvfoY68gKhl1a01i9Iww46fcEw-VJ9CEIoZP682ptXTzeyopfweA7q8_SWbTK5pw/s1600/Camping006.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped at the Miner's Memorial: this is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Muskie" target="_blank">big Muskie</a> - it was used to dig<br />
coal out of the lands we are staying on. It was enormous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphDgVMrhTbtNl0KRbytp4YQzwEUaEDmQ3R-gVWVd3tTw2GBT2jPpOsDAx98v-aIBxlLQ7FwWYmTpnEO0KtvNvZc8uCC48Ti1fJH1hBbhYrr1fqzrk2r9_GqSgcwSZHXoyiJ8DrdE3zdU/s1600/Camping007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphDgVMrhTbtNl0KRbytp4YQzwEUaEDmQ3R-gVWVd3tTw2GBT2jPpOsDAx98v-aIBxlLQ7FwWYmTpnEO0KtvNvZc8uCC48Ti1fJH1hBbhYrr1fqzrk2r9_GqSgcwSZHXoyiJ8DrdE3zdU/s1600/Camping007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miner's Memorial </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1pEWT2GkSSn8Mb7doxUXCZY8S8uWlNF5X4IaMz8glVwzh9fUl0vm7bVgqLBDqw2mwh-IJ9eRgzt-ub9MiHs6ZFyr6xJOPnNcUf_TVT1xbir8GsVkyeGXotKodxnR3FdZaTW3O55CHYU/s1600/Camping008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1pEWT2GkSSn8Mb7doxUXCZY8S8uWlNF5X4IaMz8glVwzh9fUl0vm7bVgqLBDqw2mwh-IJ9eRgzt-ub9MiHs6ZFyr6xJOPnNcUf_TVT1xbir8GsVkyeGXotKodxnR3FdZaTW3O55CHYU/s1600/Camping008.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd and I decided to go try to find some morels of our own!<br />
(with no luck whatsoever)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGD8FRzi1H46dVJv8xbKnESjX1XR8vgHbNUCUgrt7M2i3ATkzksU9FtK7AaPRwHfSB40ozJGm3m2x7Ag1W_RF7zxV4XgCxE-nSd5i5eRaBlIrIJshlorQT_GP3_IYYnX-l1Eq7Es6RY28/s1600/Camping009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGD8FRzi1H46dVJv8xbKnESjX1XR8vgHbNUCUgrt7M2i3ATkzksU9FtK7AaPRwHfSB40ozJGm3m2x7Ag1W_RF7zxV4XgCxE-nSd5i5eRaBlIrIJshlorQT_GP3_IYYnX-l1Eq7Es6RY28/s1600/Camping009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting back at the campsite.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Monday was cold and rainy. My mom came to visit and we wanted to do some things in town only to find out the historical sites were only open on Saturdays between 10-2! So, we drove around and enjoyed the scenery, and then came back to the campsite to enjoy lunch before mom headed home. Later that evening, things started to get a little weird with the RV. The generator wouldnt start no matter how hard Todd tried. Our batteries were dead all of a sudden for no apparent reason. We had a decent charge throughout our entire stay without having to run the generator. Then, we lost all power in the RV and the generator refused to start. Todd stayed up most of the night reading a repair manual by flashlight trying to fix the battery issue so we could have some heat (I know, we really were "roughing it" on this trip, werent we?) and for anything to work in the camper. He finally got it fixed at who knows what time and then the carbon monoxide detector kept going off. Talk about scary. Todd swears it was because the batteries were so low. So...first thing Tuesday morning, Todd got the generator up and running somehow and we did this while the batteries charged:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRErOIX-DIQNwoA3E-SX6hsn3ij3CqrAflvlLnb6cO_-GopI9DZ862uYlGqT-G0IIe4rSclY3_cvKfwcaswq96HfiClR2YRz8TPGL8-3QmjpREmEBqUBsOUcJCgi7dbjuBDqDo3riAWVU/s1600/Camping010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRErOIX-DIQNwoA3E-SX6hsn3ij3CqrAflvlLnb6cO_-GopI9DZ862uYlGqT-G0IIe4rSclY3_cvKfwcaswq96HfiClR2YRz8TPGL8-3QmjpREmEBqUBsOUcJCgi7dbjuBDqDo3riAWVU/s1600/Camping010.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd eating breakfast while watching The Hobbit on DVD while the generator was running.</td></tr>
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<br />
Todd mentioned wanting to go home a day early because he wanted to get the lawn mowed (which means he had to fix the lawnmower that has been out of commission for nearly 6 months!). I agreed, and we decided to try to make the most of Tuesday after the batteries were back up and running!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fuisNC_-wQqy_oCemAsI7D75jshMPJiEpObc4_B5GUYE14B1dfHf-tNIQWqkodWbAju3DfO3wNmPAHlyqe8DXcYco89A4yFhGYCOy5R6SWQE1PY7-sAt8cEqTlsgjeDqkZT9EWbegDA/s1600/Camping011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fuisNC_-wQqy_oCemAsI7D75jshMPJiEpObc4_B5GUYE14B1dfHf-tNIQWqkodWbAju3DfO3wNmPAHlyqe8DXcYco89A4yFhGYCOy5R6SWQE1PY7-sAt8cEqTlsgjeDqkZT9EWbegDA/s1600/Camping011.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hiked a part of the Buckeye Trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbHOTOB4yUYf9WL4FgRuylmFn-keHzCFq4CnDgxcfolAT6WHjpyJ9zQQISLT2Gz4WFQwKdpxGPNOgNEEaBFElJ7J8TjNngimV3DhDyAXU3WN5bypoA1Jt_B67fVBSKxm6_U3lbPJB544/s1600/Camping012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbHOTOB4yUYf9WL4FgRuylmFn-keHzCFq4CnDgxcfolAT6WHjpyJ9zQQISLT2Gz4WFQwKdpxGPNOgNEEaBFElJ7J8TjNngimV3DhDyAXU3WN5bypoA1Jt_B67fVBSKxm6_U3lbPJB544/s1600/Camping012.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the puppies enjoyed running through the creeks!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2WkX0UwNyjPP-CDmhaPD-CbHAcVDJwCpWVBViFnoWq2bLd3ukDOTPLiHoK0JQF_tDSkMMU_QOnuGqNuVnIeTIkrDsmqH8VljmAfEflipPs5GeFJE2CWdUiQkCw2zjaZ1BnzZqdvpQqI/s1600/Camping013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2WkX0UwNyjPP-CDmhaPD-CbHAcVDJwCpWVBViFnoWq2bLd3ukDOTPLiHoK0JQF_tDSkMMU_QOnuGqNuVnIeTIkrDsmqH8VljmAfEflipPs5GeFJE2CWdUiQkCw2zjaZ1BnzZqdvpQqI/s1600/Camping013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we got back to the site, the puppies dashed out to the lake for another dip in the water!<br />
While they were there, Todd was fixing a vent fan that broke while we were camping.<br />
The guy never gets to have a vacation! :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uDK2AgrlKT6TX9TYgyeAxZi6Hj8NZT-30SccAqXhl2Tu-BvoxlimnIrax4ZtCjUCdSo6mqzV86CHK3UCtbufwSkvmQI1a5mY_o2VYwwmnrR5q6OT62GT5o6Hprqmwq5kMBEnMToSDBY/s1600/Camping014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uDK2AgrlKT6TX9TYgyeAxZi6Hj8NZT-30SccAqXhl2Tu-BvoxlimnIrax4ZtCjUCdSo6mqzV86CHK3UCtbufwSkvmQI1a5mY_o2VYwwmnrR5q6OT62GT5o6Hprqmwq5kMBEnMToSDBY/s1600/Camping014.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two wet, happy pups!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk_IBiVI3unmfsX_nOlVGrmoyiJf-kuVFYtgYVAoxarz0NHC35f1tU1KE8SIbHTGcPspg16Hkx-qH_u25CxoUMpN6s3mLDOSeWt-FZ-_4WP1s3Wi9VZpLDtHwiSv5ZTByviOPC2INNoM/s1600/Camping015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk_IBiVI3unmfsX_nOlVGrmoyiJf-kuVFYtgYVAoxarz0NHC35f1tU1KE8SIbHTGcPspg16Hkx-qH_u25CxoUMpN6s3mLDOSeWt-FZ-_4WP1s3Wi9VZpLDtHwiSv5ZTByviOPC2INNoM/s1600/Camping015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like I did dishes the entire trip, but when you can only fit 2 plates and 2 bowls in the dryer,<br />
it takes a few loads to get each meal's dishes washed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had a great time relaxing outside watching the pups enjoy the water and had a huge bonfire for our last night camping.<br />
<br />
By Wednesday, we realized that we slept great while camping! We both went to bed around 10 each night and woke up around 8 each morning. Todd NEVER sleeps in until 8! I made breakfast while Todd started to tear down the site. We both got our showers (again, it's such a rough life camping) and got ready to leave. Going home was a lot less stressful, but after we stopped to fill up again (because gas was super-cheap), we left another compartment open in the RV and had to stop to close it! You would have thunk that we'd learn our lesson the first two times...<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9xg_7TCN5A1XYE-FfJBiZIbJftIS8hG6zDS4Kd2-eTJ5QxIBnL2nAzD2Vb0VBLe7beM-XIxlG2a3atQR0xAIYR1RgV7lvo2oLzYHPTY7sECGYKOBV9p0d2mqr64kJovZd3Ki7XTD1cc/s1600/Camping016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9xg_7TCN5A1XYE-FfJBiZIbJftIS8hG6zDS4Kd2-eTJ5QxIBnL2nAzD2Vb0VBLe7beM-XIxlG2a3atQR0xAIYR1RgV7lvo2oLzYHPTY7sECGYKOBV9p0d2mqr64kJovZd3Ki7XTD1cc/s1600/Camping016.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddy was pretty pooped on the drive back home!<br />I think he needs a vacation from his vacation!<br />(Me too!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We made it home safely and were talking over lunch about if we can see ourselves doing this full time.<br />
We both agreed that we had our doubts at times on this trip, but we both agreed that we can do this and we still WANT to do this. The RV needs some things done to it to make it handle better on the road (brakes, possibly shocks, etc.), extra batteries added to the generator and we would like to replace the carpet with waterproof flooring, but we could so live in the RV. We both had a great time. As Todd mentioned, this trip was more of an adventure and learning experience than any other trip we have gone on. <br />
<br />
I know this is long winded, but that was our 5 day trip dry camping for the first time. We are looking for places to stay in the next couple of weeks to try it again, but hopefully in Pennsylvania this time!<br />
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<br />SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-34986707615248023672014-05-02T04:00:00.000-04:002014-05-02T04:00:02.314-04:00Lucky Number 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5iO0VuXh-qDu4mWoBYKZmDoRPukoUNtHVbMaYAejfeIq8PunqP4QB4qqkBv2VevrIe2sdpQSPrhtVFcFrUloB0gVQ8WGLP1pfIvM38T7hBG-4gTtcjS5_A3xx3HFgg0HIOB2qqwdHUE/s1600/Kissing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5iO0VuXh-qDu4mWoBYKZmDoRPukoUNtHVbMaYAejfeIq8PunqP4QB4qqkBv2VevrIe2sdpQSPrhtVFcFrUloB0gVQ8WGLP1pfIvM38T7hBG-4gTtcjS5_A3xx3HFgg0HIOB2qqwdHUE/s1600/Kissing.jpg" /></a></div>
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It is hard to believe that as of tomorrow, Todd and I will
have been married 7 years. I wish I knew
where the photos from our wedding day are (we got a disc only – no prints), but
I don’t. It is very possible that I may
have thrown the disc away. Oops.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They say the first year of marriage is the hardest. This was not the case in our marriage. The first 6 ½ years were difficult! There has been yelling, tears, anger,
frustration, and nights slept in separate bedrooms. There were (many many) meetings with a
counselor, slammed doors, denial, blame games, flying objects, appointments to
view other living arrangements, threats and ultimatums. Our marriage has not been a picture perfect marriage by a long shot. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But we stuck it out. It has not been ALL bad. There were really great times thrown into those bad times. I think it took
us 6 ½ years to figure out each other’s (odd) personality traits. We have learned that when we start to lead
separate lives (he does his thing, I do my thing – only coming together to kiss
each other good night and fall asleep), explosions in our marriage start to
take place. When we spend time doing
things such as taking a walk with the dogs, watching a movie together, doing
yard-work and planning for the future – things are a lot smoother in our
marriage. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We have the dream of full time RVing in the next year and a
half, but I will admit, I am afraid that Todd will drive me absolutely
bonkers! We both have a tendency to be
goofy at times. Sometimes he is the
corn-ball, and sometimes, I am beyond punny (funny puns)! But we are committed to making this
work. Sometimes I don’t want to work any
more on our marriage, but we do it anyways.
We forgive even though we don’t necessarily forget. We have had too many good times to throw it
all away over the bad ones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As is tradition, we are going away for our anniversary this
year. This year will be our first
camping trip in the RV – boondocking! We
are trying to determine if we are really cut out for a life on the road without
electricity and running water. It can
barely be called “roughing it” because the RV is just gorgeous on the inside
with a kitchen, bathroom, lights and two television sets! Heck, it’s nicer than our home! <o:p></o:p></div>
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In years past, we have done the following for our anniversary
trips:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Honeymoon:</b> Alaskan Cruise (in-credible!) & Seattle, WA<o:p></o:p></div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1<sup>st</sup> Anniversary:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><st1:place style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Gatlinburg</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">TN</st1:state></st1:place><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2<sup>nd</sup> Anniversary:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><st1:place style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" w:st="on"><a href="http://www.vrbo.com/73588" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lancaster, PA</a></st1:place><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3<sup>rd</sup> Anniversary: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><st1:place style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Washington</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">DC</st1:state></st1:place><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> and </span><st1:place style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Chesapeake Beach</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">MD</st1:state></st1:place><o:p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></o:p><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">4<sup>th</sup> Anniversary:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><st1:place style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" w:st="on"><a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2011/05/saving-money-on-vacation-day-1.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><st1:city w:st="on">Beverly</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">WV</st1:state></a></st1:place><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">5th Anniversary</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 18px;">:</span><a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2012/04/were-leaving-on-jet-plane.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></a><a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2012/04/were-leaving-on-jet-plane.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Las Vegas and The Grand Cany</span></span>on</a><br style="background-color: white; 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6<sup>th</sup> Anniversary: <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/05/celebrating-6-years-of-marriage.html" target="_blank">Columbus, OH</a></div>
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I have fond memories of each of these trips as I'm sure I will have fond memories of this one. As a counselor once told us: "Plan for tomorrow, you havent screwed that up yet!" I love this quote, because that is all we can do. No matter what today may bring - we always have tomorrow to look forward to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-41149336745723334822014-04-15T04:00:00.000-04:002014-04-15T04:00:05.507-04:00The WHY behind Our Decision to Sell it All and Hit the Road<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been talking for months about <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-only-constant-thing-in-life-is.html" target="_blank">a huge lifestyle change</a> Todd and I
are planning to adopt by selling all of our possessions (including our home),<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/02/one-step-closer-to-our-dream.html" target="_blank">purchasing a Class A</a> and traveling all over the United States. Since coming out with our future goals, we have been met with several different reactions (and
many questions!). <o:p></o:p></div>
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I decided to write a post about <b><i>why</i></b> we decided on this
lifestyle change and what keeps us motivated to continue to work toward our
goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Freedom <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I would say <b><i>the number one reason for this change is freedom</i></b>.
We are tired of being tied down to the
house and the maintenance it requires as well as keeping jobs we don’t
necessarily enjoy to help pay for said home and upkeep. We want the freedom to do as we please, where,
when and how we please. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Simplicity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We have really been focusing on trying to simplify our life
as much as possible and a move into an RV would be the epitome of
simplicity. You cannot fit much into a 330
sq. ft. space and are forced to live with only what is truly needed. The amount of <i>stuff</i> that we’ve accumulated over the years has taken a toll on us
physically and mentally. Having the
realization that within a few years, we will be living in an RV has really
helped us to consume less. When I go out
shopping with my mom (she is a browser), I find items that I like and would
tend to buy. Now, I know that what we
are taking in the RV will be minimal, and there is no room (or purpose) for
such tchatzkies. We have definitely been
more mindful of our purchases to ensure that the item will fit into our lifestyle. <b><i>We are looking at quality and usability over
quantity</i></b> for the items we are purchasing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Adventure<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Todd and I enjoy adventure.
We like to see new places, experience new things, and what could be more
adventurous than traveling the United States and Canada. We honeymooned in Alaska back in 2007 and we
look forward to driving across Canada to stay in Alaska for a couple of months
before coming back to the contiguous US!
We have a long list of places we would like to visit, and by making this
commitment, we are hoping to witness all of these landmarks before we get too
old to truly enjoy them! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Savings</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Even though I am always trying to stretch a penny, this is <b>not</b> the main reason we decided to live
in an RV. Moving from a 1,890 sq. ft.
home to living in a 330 sq. ft. camper will require far fewer resources and
therefore {theoretically} cost less than owning a home. I have always had a dream of living a
self-sufficient life and though this is not 100% possible in an RV (can you say
gas guzzler?), it is one step closer to being self-sufficient. We have plans on installing a 250W solar
panel on the RV and supporting local farmers with fresh {in season} produce
while on the road. The goal is to sell
our primary residence and make a “home base” for a few months every summer on
<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2012/04/edible-landscape-la-maison-de-merde.html" target="_blank">the ½ acre property we own</a> next door. This
will allow us to grow and preserve our own vegetables and to harvest all the
fruits we have been attempting to establish since moving into the house 7 years
ago!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am sure there will be many challenging times between now
and when we hit the road (as well as when we are on the road!) Todd and I have never spent more than a week
and a half underfoot, in tight living quarters and with two 75+ lb dogs in tow! Even though we have been met with some
doubts, we are still as excited about our adventure today as we were over six
months ago when we originally talked about the possibility of selling it all
and moving into an RV. If all else
fails, we will have a paid for home and RV and we can continue doing what we’ve
been doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What are your
thoughts on this adventure? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Do you think we will
actually go through with it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Have you ever
considered living in an RV?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-36709279987646572662014-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:002014-04-02T07:00:09.364-04:00Shameless PlugLate last month, I decided to become an Independent Consultant for a company called Paparazzi Accessories. I found them by mistake online, and when I learned more about the company, I was extremely excited to jump on board with them!<br />
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Paparazzi Accessories is a jewelry and accessories company that was started in 2008 by two sisters who loved jewelry and sold it at parties. In 2011, they decided to take on consultants, and that is where I am today. Paparazzi Accessories are fun, fashionable and most importantly of all...AFFORDABLE! All jewelry is $5/each for necklace/earring sets, earrings, bracelets and headbands. They offer a children's line called Starlet Shimmer and those pieces sell for $1.00/each!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7mbtKO7U0cd7u9DptXUh9J0foyB6o15Ufk-Opcffz_YL_Jadty2vZorimmuXvakhti_B0f3eGgXtx3jUF5A3aAPGqQubIXlsf9GFyoYrJfCqtllD5la38KdfWsQnG04-XYbP4NUqMO4/s1600/PaparazziCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7mbtKO7U0cd7u9DptXUh9J0foyB6o15Ufk-Opcffz_YL_Jadty2vZorimmuXvakhti_B0f3eGgXtx3jUF5A3aAPGqQubIXlsf9GFyoYrJfCqtllD5la38KdfWsQnG04-XYbP4NUqMO4/s1600/PaparazziCollage.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decided to join the Paparazzi Accessories team because I thought this would be a great opportunity for something to do while we are on the road, not to mention to help make up for the recent decrease in my income. I like jewelry but I rarely ever buy myself anything because I am infamous for losing it! <br />
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When I received my starter kit from Paparazzi that included 100 pieces of jewelry, I was amazed at the quality of the product. Paparazzi is able to sell their product at $5/piece because there is no overhead! Similar pieces sell at Kohl's for quadruple what Paparazzi charges. I will admit, some of the jewelry is a bit big and blingy for me, but it looks great on others. <br />
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I am writing this post to inform those of you who have never heard about Paparazzi Accessories about the product, and if you are interested, please feel free to contact me about the inventory that I have available! Right now, I have over 200 pieces of jewelry and over 50 pieces of children's accessories in stock.<br />
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If you are interested in keeping up with the new product I have available, please feel free to "like" my FaceBook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllOccasionsJewelry" target="_blank">All Occasions Jewelry</a>. To view photos of the jewelry that came in my starter kit, please click on my photo albums.<br />
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Also, this Saturday, April 5th at 7:00PM EST, I am hosting my first FaceBook Party! To join the party, please <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1484543008434359" target="_blank">click her</a>e and select "join." <br />
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<br />SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-66122251890385723852014-03-26T04:00:00.000-04:002014-03-26T04:00:03.460-04:00The Downside of Debt<div class="MsoNormal">
In January, we took a loan out for<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/02/one-step-closer-to-our-dream.html" target="_blank"> the RV we purchased</a>. I justified the
purchase at the time (we always do when we really want something, don’t we?)
but when the first payment of over $1,000 was due in February, I was reminded <b>of how much I hate debt</b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The day we signed the loan papers on the RV was the day that
my husband was let go from his job of over 8 years and therefore we went
without a paycheck for nearly 3 weeks until he was on payroll with his new
position. The very next week after his
first paycheck I was informed that my hours (and therefore pay) would be<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/02/silver-linings.html" target="_blank"> cut by25%</a>! <o:p></o:p></div>
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It has been over a month, and we are still juggling our
income and expenses to get on some sort of regularity, but the budget has
really been kattywampus. Part of the
reason is that extra $1000 payment that is being sent out each and every month
on top of a decrease in income.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I mentioned in<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2014/02/one-step-closer-to-our-dream.html" target="_blank"> the post about our RV</a> that we will be
paying off the house by October. I have
changed my mind about that. I want the
RV to be paid off – AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! I do not like the uncertainty that
this $1000+ payment brings to our lives.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, debt feels like I am trapped, suffocating and out of
control with uncertainty peaking its head around every corner. Debt has made our 6 month emergency fund a 3
month emergency fund and this is unsettling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My new goal for this year is to have the RV paid off by
October and <b>I never want to be in debt
every again</b> (except for a (very small) mortgage if we choose to settle down
in one spot again in the future). <o:p></o:p></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-72385227843264536372014-03-17T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-17T00:00:14.648-04:00Review & Giveaway: Bartlett Soap Company<div class="MsoNormal">
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This time last year, I decided to try to take on a <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-poo-experiment-2-month-progress.html" target="_blank">“No ‘Poo”</a>
challenge. After a couple of months shampooing my hair
with the baking soda and water paste solely, I decided to go back to using
shampoo. Late last year, I started using
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (Lavender Hemp) and though I enjoyed the scent, it
left my hair feeling greasy even though my hair was styling just fine. I
thought maybe it was because of our well water.
I decided to stick it out because after all, I had a lot more to use
until the bottle was empty! I was
perfectly content in keeping up with using Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap until<a href="http://ginnyrecipes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> afriend of mine</a> told me about a local woman who makes her own soap, lotion and
shampoo. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I looked at the<a href="http://www.bartlettsoap.com/" target="_blank"> Bartlett Soap Company’s</a> website and loved
the scents listed. At the time, we were
trying to save some money so I didn’t place the order right away. It wasn’t until several weeks later that I
emailed Jennifer to ask her some questions and placed my first order.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jennifer, the owner of <a href="http://www.bartlettsoap.com/" target="_blank">Bartlett Soap Company</a>, is the nicest
person you will ever meet: helpful, accommodating and an inspiration. Jennifer started<a href="http://www.bartlettsoap.com/" target="_blank"> Bartlett Soap Company</a> in her
home October 2013 and was so successful she opened up a storefront in January
because she spent most of her days delivering soaps locally! As soon as I received my order, I found out
exactly why her soaps, lotions and <a href="http://www.bartlettsoap.com/soapy-clean-shampoo-bar/" target="_blank">shampoo bar</a>s were doing so well in
Tennessee. The product is amazing!<o:p></o:p></div>
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About the product:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #636363; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Each bar is organically made using plant based oils like coconut, palm, avocado, olive, caster and shea giving the bars the rich soothing and cleansing properties needed to give your skin the pleasurable experience of fluffy lather, moisturizing, and the smoothing qualities that it deserves.</span></blockquote>
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As soon as I opened the mailbox, the scent of the soaps came
pummeling out. It smelled soooo
goooood! I am sure the mail lady loved
delivering this package! I used the <a href="http://www.bartlettsoap.com/soapy-clean-shampoo-bar/" target="_blank">shampoo bar</a> a few days later and was
pleasantly surprised at how clean my hair felt after just one use! The greasy feeling from Dr. Bronner’s Soap
was gone instantly and the light scent the soap left on my hair was very
pleasant to get a whiff of throughout the day.
My hair styled no different than ever.
I was impressed from the very first time I used the shampoo!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9jsZPSSZRCu3aLtwvGpF-lWzhPQhkhdJiH2gUir5PjbPGPChNFzyTizKYGNicbjTMQ3F8Vwv_ZnCuDS5omJCWBfRU-PATEEoy3rrHOBF20WQpMJCUtHjEOwUXNnSi8mFRIWE6FJVgSg/s1600/GiveawayPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9jsZPSSZRCu3aLtwvGpF-lWzhPQhkhdJiH2gUir5PjbPGPChNFzyTizKYGNicbjTMQ3F8Vwv_ZnCuDS5omJCWBfRU-PATEEoy3rrHOBF20WQpMJCUtHjEOwUXNnSi8mFRIWE6FJVgSg/s1600/GiveawayPhoto.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first order with Bartlett Soap Company<br />
(Left to Right) Lotion Stick, Mens All-In-One and 3 Shampoo Bars<br />
The sliver on top is the shampoo bar I have been using since the beginning of January!<br />
They last a long time!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The soap is the same way.
I purchased the men’s all-in-one soap to use as shampoo, soap and
shaving…for myself! I like masculine
scents and this all-in-one definitely has a pleasant aroma. The lotion stick is really thick and lasts a
long time! I use it as chapstick as well
as on a dry patch I get behind my knees in the winter and it works wonderfully.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now to the fun part: the giveaway!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so impressed with Jennifer and her product that I
wanted to let everyone know about my new favorite soap and shampoo as well as give
away one of her shampoo bars to one lucky follower.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Please note that her <a href="http://www.bartlettsoap.com/soapy-clean-shampoo-bar/" target="_blank">shampoo bars</a> sell FAST! I have been waiting for several weeks for more to be available, and they are available this very moment - but only 5 are left!!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5b81fc1/" id="rc-5b81fc1" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
<br />
<i>Winner to be chosen March 23rd at 12:00AM EST and announced on FB and Twitter
shortly thereafter.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good luck!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
DISCLAIMER: I was in
no way compensated for this review or giveaway.
All opinions are my own.<o:p></o:p></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-1539891158031373682014-03-12T04:00:00.000-04:002014-03-12T05:39:46.840-04:00Planning the 2014 Garden<div class="MsoNormal">
Each year I say <b>I’m done
with gardening</b> but when spring rolls around, I am ready to start planning
for the year’s garden. In years past, I have gone crazy with the amount I have
tried to grow and it lead to me feeling overwhelmed and eventually<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/08/garden-status-big-hopes-no-follow.html" target="_blank"> I give upand let the weeds take over</a>. This year, we are
keeping it simple!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Todd despises spring because he knows I will have requests
for the upcoming garden. He stated that
the best part of last year’s garden was when he got to mow it down! So while having dinner in early February, I
sprung it on him that I wanted to try pallet gardening. He immediately rolled his eyes and sighed. “But wait,” I told him. “Hear me out!
I only want to grow 4 vegetables this year.” That got his attention. After thinking about it for a couple of
minutes and my promising that he wont have to do too much work to prepare for
the garden this year, he was on board.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what does pallet gardening look like?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can go to one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/pallet-gardening-101-creating-a-pallet-garden/" target="_blank">One Hundred Dollars A Month</a><span id="goog_1307133021"></span><span id="goog_1307133022"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> and
take a look for yourself. Mavis is an
awesome gardener!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvXtHPRv1oJa5ckDoAmqUgPxizMvhP07KvfzBOQkkjNuRvX2W7Bmms_aFsADDXYsiKOCo5aU2OB4rsFsPyj58q2n_7hsB0vTPDLvXD8T7wrzBeZk1V9SIYyzG1e9nCLv2-rLywblxn4M/s1600/DIY-Wood-Pallet-Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvXtHPRv1oJa5ckDoAmqUgPxizMvhP07KvfzBOQkkjNuRvX2W7Bmms_aFsADDXYsiKOCo5aU2OB4rsFsPyj58q2n_7hsB0vTPDLvXD8T7wrzBeZk1V9SIYyzG1e9nCLv2-rLywblxn4M/s1600/DIY-Wood-Pallet-Garden.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PHOTO CREDIT: <a href="http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/pallet-gardening-101-creating-a-pallet-garden/" target="_blank">One Hundred Dollars A Month</a><br />
Please check out <a href="http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/pallet-gardening-101-creating-a-pallet-garden/" target="_blank">this website</a> to learn exactly how to pallet garden!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What we are planting
this year:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are planting only 4 varieties of vegetables this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Squash
(zucchini and yellow squash) by seed<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Yard
Long Green Beans by seed<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Cucumbers
by seed<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Tomatoes
by seedling<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Supplies Needed:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Pallets</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Compost/Soil<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Seeds/Seedlings<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Trellis<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only expenses we will have this year for the garden will
be a half cubic yard of soil
(approximately 1,000 lbs) and the seeds/seedlings. <b>I
expect to pay no more than $50 for the garden this year. </b>We have pallets that we got for free last year from Todd's place of employment. We have also been composting, so
we have some great compost to add to the soil we will purchase. For our climbing vegetables (green beans and
cukes), we will be using pallets! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO64uj09ksssHdVq_fvdnQ5AnV-NWTBlBtr-Z2XcKtE4boOQcRIR3GsDMLdhAXFNdTMUL_NQuBFfwiFBc97wPUglRU4prJ4lA-qlMlvNIPNZpNhszZSUYlGXAbP2bvnrP4d3g2G0f3qG0/s1600/PalletTrellis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO64uj09ksssHdVq_fvdnQ5AnV-NWTBlBtr-Z2XcKtE4boOQcRIR3GsDMLdhAXFNdTMUL_NQuBFfwiFBc97wPUglRU4prJ4lA-qlMlvNIPNZpNhszZSUYlGXAbP2bvnrP4d3g2G0f3qG0/s1600/PalletTrellis.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://earthlytenthomestead.wordpress.com/2011/07/02/arbor-ness-and-over-the-hill-squash/" target="_blank">PHOTO CREDIT</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please note: the pallet garden is great for vegetables with
shallow root systems. For tomatoes, we
will be stacking 3 or 4 pallets on top of one another to create a taller raised
bed for their root system.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One great thing about the four items we are growing this
year is that these vegetables (yes, I know tomatoes are not considered a vegetable!)
are prolific. I have a hard time
sticking with something that I cannot see results quickly. With this produce, we will start to see
results fast and a lot of them! The
first garden Todd and I ever had was a raised garden and it was the best garden
we have ever had. I am hoping that we
can duplicate those results this year with the pallet garden while keeping the
weeds away!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Plans for the
Established Fruit<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have several fruit trees, bushes and grape vines. My goal this year is to begin transplanting
the fruit to the house next door so that when we are at our home base in the RV, we can enjoy
the fruits of our labor. This will
include transplanting blueberry bushes (right now, they are just twigs!), red
raspberries, blackberries, and cultivating concord grape vines from clippings off
our established vines. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year, I really want to focus on providing our fruits
and vegetables with the nutrients they need to grow well and provide us with an
abundance of produce!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>What are your plans for the garden this year?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>What vegetables are you going to grow? <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Are there any fruits you will add to your garden?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-836246047627364962014-02-26T04:00:00.000-05:002014-02-26T04:00:09.578-05:00Saving Money: Pet Care<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the beginning of November, Todd and I have been
scrutinizing our expenses. We realize
that our dream of <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-only-constant-thing-in-life-is.html" target="_blank">full time RVing</a> will not be possible if we are frivolous with how we spend
money. I am almost positive that my
mother is rolling her eyes right now as she’s reading this (I love you, mom!)
because she already feels that we go above and beyond frugality. For us, we believe there is always room for
improvement and we have found a way to cut down the expenses on one of our
largest expenses: the animals!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Presently, we live amongst 7 animals. Please do not report us to pet hoarders! It’s not like that at all, though sometimes
at night when we are all in bed (oh yes, we fit in a queen sized bed with two
large dogs and 5 cats) it feels like we may have taken in one or two (or 5!)
too many strays. I believe that when we
decided to take in all of these animals, we chose to take on the responsibility
of feeding and caring for these animals to the best of our ability.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, we have found ways to save money on caring for our
critters.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Spay/Neuter<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prices for spay/neutering can vary. We have paid over $250 for one of our kittens
to be spayed whereas we have paid less than that amount to have 3 kittens
spayed/neutered at a no-kill shelter.
After being unhappy with our local vet, we decided to look elsewhere and
found a place that spays/neuters cats for $35 (boys) to $45 (girls)! They have a program that if you have more
than one cat, you buy one spay/neuter and you get one free. We have had 6 of our animals spayed/neutered
at this no-kill shelter and have been very pleased with the results and how our
animals bounced back after their surgeries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5FsZSwYO1HCJvKiAPL_4zw47yX7STPXXRQzZ4idkTfhuDgnzL7r-S1CPZieZuqbhCWRH2vPRKy3Blq5NjrMFeneKJpbT-vJag3vq3dpdQcX1dBDjZTRr9ruzX3VFkx2zX-Xb5h3n7NA/s1600/KittenKaleidascope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5FsZSwYO1HCJvKiAPL_4zw47yX7STPXXRQzZ4idkTfhuDgnzL7r-S1CPZieZuqbhCWRH2vPRKy3Blq5NjrMFeneKJpbT-vJag3vq3dpdQcX1dBDjZTRr9ruzX3VFkx2zX-Xb5h3n7NA/s1600/KittenKaleidascope.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitten Kaleidoscope!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Food <o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We purchase very high-quality food for our dogs that is
formulated for their breed to help keep their joints healthy and to maintain a
healthy weight. We could buy the food at
a pet store for $55+/bag; however, Amazon carries the same brand for $44/bag! We
also found that our cat food is $8/bag less expensive at BJ’s versus the same
exact brand at WalMart. In other words:
shop around!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Vaccinations<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our vet charges an arm and a leg to vaccinate our pups;
however, there are clinics that are offered at Pet Supplies Plus that come
around every few weeks to vaccinate dogs and cats starting at $10! By doing this, you avoid the fee that the vet
charges just to see your pet, and it helps your pocketbook! Also, the no-kill shelter offers these
vaccinations for a fraction of the price as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Flea Treatments<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flea treatments for the dogs are extremely expensive at
$10/dog per month and we have been purchasing product from WalMart for the cats. I found that Fipronil has the same
ingredients as Frontline and Advantage flea and tick control. This can be used for both dogs and the
cats. We purchase this product in bulk
(30cc’s) from a seller on eBay at $52.97 delivered to our door and administer
it ourselves. The treatments last us 5
months for all 7 critters to be free of fleas and ticks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTXQ1NQRC1DYxVvyN_uBDf1DXls4SiS1vNbv5A7VtS61paEvG8siaiaMTGZ8tcbIRJ0Pmk6tiVT2AMpIElg-FiIPCbBkResoFMDjPL2lNvq2F0gWwUbrNhThu0etCz6BhC2NTWtA1HCg/s1600/PuppiesonChristmasMorning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTXQ1NQRC1DYxVvyN_uBDf1DXls4SiS1vNbv5A7VtS61paEvG8siaiaMTGZ8tcbIRJ0Pmk6tiVT2AMpIElg-FiIPCbBkResoFMDjPL2lNvq2F0gWwUbrNhThu0etCz6BhC2NTWtA1HCg/s1600/PuppiesonChristmasMorning.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddy and Lana on Christmas Morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Cat De-wormer
Treatment<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our cats are great hunters and because of this, they tend to
get worms from their prey a couple times a year. We have tried the $8/bottle over-the-counter
product from WalMart and Tractor Supply with no luck until we take the cats to
the vet to get treated. After doing some
research, I found that Praziquantel is a generic form of de-wormer that kills
tapeworm and is used in many vet clinics and shelters to help cut costs. We now purchase 20 capsules of Praziquantel a
year from a seller on eBay to keep on hand and administer to our cats when they
have worms. The cost is $19.99 and each
of our 5 cats can be treated 4 times! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Grooming<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being Labs, our dogs do not need groomed; however, they need
their nails trimmed. Lana has black
nails so it very difficult to cut her nails without having a bleeder. Buddy’s nails are easier to trim because you
can see the quick; however, he cannot stand to have them done. I wait until he is zonked out before I can
cut his nails. We didn’t purchase any
fancy schmancy nail-clippers, just regular ones that can be found at the dollar
store or WalMart. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have yet to find an alternative for the dogs for their
heartworm medication: if you know of anything, please let me know!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to make it clear that even though we save money on
flea treatments and de-wormers, we take our dogs to the vet twice a year (for
their heartworm shots and general checkup) and cats when needed. I believe that when we took these strays in,
it became our responsibility to care for them and to keep them healthy! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>DISCLOSURE:</b> These items have been provided for
informational purposes only. Please note
that <b><u>I am not a veterinarian</u></b>. Please consult your veterinarian before
administering these items to your pets. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>What do you do to save money on your pets?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-35556430924005157482014-02-17T04:00:00.000-05:002014-02-18T06:27:19.185-05:00Silver LiningsThe beginning of 2014 has been a tough one in our home. January 17th, Todd was let go from his job of over 7 years. He was fortunate enough to find a new position that same week and started his new job a few weeks later.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On Valentine's Day, I was informed that my hours at work would be cut starting the next week, therefore, my pay would be cut...by 25%. To say that I didnt see this coming would be a lie - the company has been selling less and less with each passing month with February being nearly dead. Over the past couple of months, I've witnessed a coworker lose 25% of his pay (and maintain his hours), another one let go and yet another who had his hours cut by 25% as well. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the shock of learning that my hours have been cut for a job that I have been going to for over 11 years, I quickly realized the silver lining that this provides me (and Todd). They include:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>More time in the mornings to spend with my husband and our fur-family. </li>
<li>Time to be able to get out when the sun comes up in the morning with the pups to get exercise in each day: there are no more excuses!</li>
<li>Time to get my chores done...before work!</li>
<li>Time to focus on starting the business that has been floating around in my head for the past 6 months.</li>
<li>No more alarm clocks needed in the mornings since I dont have to leave until 9:30.</li>
<li>No more rush hour traffic!</li>
<li>Less time away from home and my fur-babies.</li>
<li>The realization that we live as we do (watching/minimizing our spending and having an ample emergency fund) for times like these. </li>
</ol>
<div>
The truth of the matter is that I have not been happy where I am working for many years. This very well be the push that I need to get out there and find a position closer to home that is more in line with how I best do business (creating and maintaining strong relationships) and an employer who is willing to foster my yearning to learn and grow as a professional. Todd was able to find this in his new position and comes home every day saying, "Why didnt I do this sooner?"</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am thankful to have a husband that supports me in whatever I decide to do: stay with my current employer with the limited hours or find a new position.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>What are you grateful for today?</i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-43030684156106268752014-02-04T04:00:00.000-05:002014-02-04T04:00:05.397-05:00One Step Closer to our DreamIn mid-January, Todd and I went to take a look at an RV in
our price range over an hour away from our home. After attending the Cleveland RV show the day
before, we knew exactly what we were looking for in an RV and we were ready to
start actively searching for our (new to us) home on wheels. We looked at a couple of RV’s before the RV
show and were not impressed to say the least.
When we arrived to the dealership and saw the RV we had come to see and
I was disappointed. There were a few
things that needed fixed, the interior was outdated, the tires were dry-rotted,
the carpets were filthy, and there didn’t seem to be much room in the
RV. Defeated, I saw a large Class A
across the way that was more than what we had in the bank to purchase an RV. We stepped into the rig and were immediately
blown away. I am pretty sure my first
word was “Wow!” It.Was.Gorgeous!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After walking through the entire RV, we were still in awe of
the beautiful rig. With only 72,500
miles on it, it met all of our requirements and then some! The rig was just purchased from another
dealership and driven up from Florida {no rust!}, it had only one owner, it was
meticulously taken care of, its records and repair receipts (there were only 2
of them) kept organized in an accordion file, used unleaded gasoline, had two
bump-outs to create plenty of room for our family, large freshwater holding
tanks (important for boondocking) and it had wonderful storage space. This was the rig of our dreams that we could
live in {very} comfortably.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcOsJUaivcfeD-yF2Q17GhTiYTACuTfYuwgcF7Znk_VOl0N0O5gn9Rsnv_omK-FaF3vo5F-rKj3xP5I8dmtbu2-JGI9tjxxUsMlGHHqLr9d3TAN7aYr9_7F18VVHzAo6jFiSMZnrILuo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcOsJUaivcfeD-yF2Q17GhTiYTACuTfYuwgcF7Znk_VOl0N0O5gn9Rsnv_omK-FaF3vo5F-rKj3xP5I8dmtbu2-JGI9tjxxUsMlGHHqLr9d3TAN7aYr9_7F18VVHzAo6jFiSMZnrILuo/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After going to a local McDonald’s to use their WiFi, we did
research on the rig to see if the quality was there, to check reviews and to
see how much negotiating needed to be done to bring it down to a reasonable
price below the NADA value. We were
pleasantly surprised by what we found: the reviews on this Make/Model rig were
great and the price was well below the NADA wholesale value. After talking about it for a little while
longer, we decided to put a deposit down on the rig contingent on an
inspection.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A week later, we were informed that the inspection was done
on the entire RV and it was cleared, so we had ourselves an RV. Todd and I did something we said we were never going to do
again: we took out a loan for a portion of the RV. It
is funny how lenders (and even the dealership) wanted us to take out a 10 year
loan on the 13 year old RV. No
thanks. Instead, we opted for an 18
month loan that we are looking to have paid off as soon as possible. According to Dave Ramsey’s teachings, we
should pay off the RV before paying off the house, but we only have 9 more
months until the house is paid off. It
will take less than 4 months to pay off the rig after the house is paid off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We named the rig Tinkerbell.
Everyone I tell thinks it’s the worst name to call the beast, but the
33’ 2000 Rexhall Rexair is a small RV comparatively. Also, the rig needs a few little repairs and
Todd will be “Tinkering” with it until the weather warms up and we can get out
on the road!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of our new
home on wheels:<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7PLLGsAD8BZtHcpVU2KVWULhlu2R66z40nLQLrjd2_KQh0m4udBLuuKlR_jVZpeKdR0Ghf768GKtDHSbyhurtR-qGNMh3lvMh7WoR6JUpFuV9qHT_vtRcVQdvah_QfCzcUzy-dYSMQA/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7PLLGsAD8BZtHcpVU2KVWULhlu2R66z40nLQLrjd2_KQh0m4udBLuuKlR_jVZpeKdR0Ghf768GKtDHSbyhurtR-qGNMh3lvMh7WoR6JUpFuV9qHT_vtRcVQdvah_QfCzcUzy-dYSMQA/s1600/2.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the cockpit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDYNGLvUi2oktoJMB-CSq0Qv6V-92lYED9YssF6Rplsd_tVBhzw0MG7xdvf7ilABxNXRlEt4WQDYW1535DFZUjBy1HEVxwSaF_wKJj17929XHxMIfyByqHuBZQhPoORzClNOpf-GfbkE/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDYNGLvUi2oktoJMB-CSq0Qv6V-92lYED9YssF6Rplsd_tVBhzw0MG7xdvf7ilABxNXRlEt4WQDYW1535DFZUjBy1HEVxwSaF_wKJj17929XHxMIfyByqHuBZQhPoORzClNOpf-GfbkE/s1600/3.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second view from the cockpit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYTfZ3qk7JmlpWIuRDKLsSJf9zGsTSPnp9P8ao5gTs28eNqwpOadI5DTjdX8W3ALjeohs_iPW2WconW5vrZv84qcmcp0jzwj09vemz694jga5VoGsm4Cq8atRgzqLqBn-BKya2UJH9co/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYTfZ3qk7JmlpWIuRDKLsSJf9zGsTSPnp9P8ao5gTs28eNqwpOadI5DTjdX8W3ALjeohs_iPW2WconW5vrZv84qcmcp0jzwj09vemz694jga5VoGsm4Cq8atRgzqLqBn-BKya2UJH9co/s1600/4.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of the kitchen area <br />(taken by the dealership: not sure why there is dust particles all over this picture.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our plan this year is to take Tink out for as many 3-day
weekends as possible starting the beginning of May until the weather turns cool
in the fall with an extended excursion depending on if hubby’s new job offers
any time off. We cannot wait to get out
in the wilderness and start boondocking!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-2779873709638441342014-01-28T04:00:00.000-05:002014-01-28T04:00:03.875-05:00Saving Money: Cell Phone Plans<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>It has been over 6 months since Todd and I have<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/07/three-weeks-without-cell-phone.html" target="_blank"> switchedfrom a contracted cell phone plan to prepaid</a>. We had AT&T, and I decided to stay with
them because they had the best priced plan for how I use my phone: a lot of
texting, few minutes and no data. I also
chose to stay with AT&T because I didn’t want to have to purchase a new
phone. Todd, on the other hand, wanted
to try Straight Talk through Walmart.
Due to where we live and whatever service provider they were using, his
signal was not the best and his calls were dropped frequently. Thank goodness it was a month-by-month
plan! He then switched to T-Mobile’s
prepaid plan and experienced the same issues.
By the third month, he switched to a Verizon prepaid plan and has been
happy ever since! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our contracted cell phone plan was costing us $125.00+/month
for 3 phones (Todd’s mom had one of the phones so they could talk
mobile-to-mobile without burning minutes in our plan: we do not have a land
line). With this plan, we had a set
amount of minutes that could be rolled over each month if they went unused,
unlimited text and only Todd’s phone had internet access. Today, with have:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Plan: 250 minutes/month + unlimited text for $25.00/month<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Todd’s Plan: 500 minutes/month + unlimited text + unlimited
data use* for $35.00/month<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This works perfect for us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have yet to use all of my minutes each month though Todd
has had to conserve his minutes at the end of each month (I married a talker
and a mama’s boy!).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like that with these cell phone plans, <i>we are paying for
only what we really need and use</i>. By
doing so, we are saving over $60/month on our cell phone plans. Not only that, if for any reason we want to
eliminate a cell phone, we can do so without the large penalty! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you use your cell
phone for fun (social media, games, etc.) or just as a way to communicate with
others? </b><b>Have you considered a
prepaid phone? They sure have come a long way from the TracPhone I had in
college for emergencies!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
*In order to be part of this plan, they do not allow smart
phones.<o:p></o:p></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-18986546169744276072014-01-02T04:00:00.000-05:002014-01-02T04:00:06.973-05:00New Year Aspirations 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
This year, I am keeping my New Year Aspirations SIMPLE!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I get so discouraged when I don’t meet my goals each and
every year. <b><i>This year, I am going to accomplish
them all</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Read the <u>One Year
Bible</u> from start to finish<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have read the <u>Bible in 90 Days</u> a couple of years
back and that was tough! I want to wake
up and do my devotions every morning in 2014 before I do anything else to start
my day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Lose 40 pounds<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every year I want to lose weight, but this year it is going to happen. It HAS to happen. 40 lbs is less than a pound a week which does
not sound too far-fetched. Honestly, I
just want to feel good in my own skin and be able to lead an active life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pay Off the Mortgage<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To date, we owe $24,497.32 on our mortgage. We were able to pay off ½ of the mortgage
last year and we hope to pay off the rest this year to be mortgage-free by
October 2014!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are the aspirations I will be focusing on in 2014.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are your goals
for this year?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-68280038994762491832013-12-31T07:47:00.001-05:002013-12-31T07:48:10.864-05:002013 Year in ReviewIt is hard to believe that another year has come and gone.<br />
I decided to take a look back to see what all we have been up to here on the homestead.<br />
<br />
January:<br />
At the end of 2012, Todd and I decided to attempt to<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/01/operation-mortgage-payoff.html" target="_blank"> pay off half of our mortgage balance in 2013</a>. As of October, we succeeded! After reading through this post of what our game plan was for the year, I am happy to report that we were able to <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/02/learning-to-live-on-half-our-income.html" target="_blank">live on half of our income</a> without really cutting back our lifestyle. We still completed a home-improvement project (<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/10/updating-kitchen-for-125.html" target="_blank">updating the kitchen counters for $125</a>) and we have another one in process as I type (new floor in the living room). <br />
<br />
February:<br />
In February,<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/02/recipe-homemade-laundry-detergent-he.html" target="_blank"> I made my own laundry detergen</a>t and to this day, we are still using the product! We have another 2 1/2 gallons to go until it will be time to make another 5 gallon batch of concentrated detergent. This recipe is a keeper, and we have all of the supplies needed to whip up another batch in the next few months.<br />
<br />
March:<br />
In March, I started to feel like we have way too much "stuff" and that <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/03/reflection-bigger-isnt-always-better.html" target="_blank">our house is much more than what we need/want. </a><br />
<br />
April:<br />
The first week of April, we had a <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/04/back-to-reality.html" target="_blank">family trip to Aruba</a> with my mom and her husband to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary. I could use a trip like this <i>every </i>year.<br />
<br />
May:<br />
May is always a special month for us because it is the month we married. This year, for our 6th year of marriage, we took a short <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/05/celebrating-6-years-of-marriage.html" target="_blank">3-day trip to Columbus, OH</a> and had a blast.<br />
<br />
June:<br />
Every year around June, I wonder if I want to keep the blog going or to just let it sit. This month, there was only one post about my internal battle to decide whether we should h<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">ire a housekeeper or if I should just do the housekeeping myself</a>!<br />
<br />
July:<br />
July of this year was a busy one! A yellow lab <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-short-story-he-chose-us.html" target="_blank">adopted u</a>s, <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/07/175000-miles-in-less-than-7-years.html" target="_blank">my car turned 7</a> years old, and we started talking about <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/07/our-home-is-too-big-for-us-and-i-have.html" target="_blank">downsizing our home</a>.<br />
<br />
August:<br />
<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/08/garden-status-big-hopes-no-follow.html" target="_blank">I gave up on gardening</a> in August. I realized that as much as I love to plan the garden every year and plant the seeds, my priority is not to see the garden through and make it all it could be.<br />
<br />
September:<br />
I documented some of the<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/09/summer-fun-on-dime.html" target="_blank"> fun things Todd and I did over the summer </a>for very little (or no) money at all.<br />
<br />
October:<br />
<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-new-member-of-family.html" target="_blank">A new member of the family</a> came to join us in October and I started<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/10/cleaning-routine-friday-saturday-and.html" target="_blank"> a new cleaning routine</a> that has been easy for me to keep up with!<br />
<br />
November:<br />
The only post in November included pictures of a<a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/11/fall-fun-on-dime.html" target="_blank"> covered bridge tour</a> we did throughout October.<br />
<br />
December:<br />
In December, I now notice that we have come full circle realizing that we are not happy with the big house, all the possessions and all of the consumerism that takes place around us. In December, we let out a big secret that Todd and I want to purchase an RV and <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-only-constant-thing-in-life-is.html" target="_blank">travel the US</a>. Since deciding to do this back in early October, our plans have been evolving. It went from selling it all and living on the road full-time to downsizing our home and possibly making it a duplex so that we can be with our families and have a home-base for a few months a year. I am sure there will be a few posts on this in 2014.<br />
<br />
So, there you have the entire year on Sparing-Change. It has been a fun yet challenging year this year, as every year seems to be. This year, we are learning that it doesn't take a lot of money (or any at all!) to have fun. We have enjoyed going on many hikes with the puppies, and we really enjoy being out in nature. <br />
<br />
We look forward to taking on whatever 2014 has to offer.<br />
<br />
<br />SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-80317369466080413822013-12-10T04:00:00.000-05:002013-12-10T04:00:11.167-05:00The Only Constant Thing in Life is Change<div class="MsoNormal">
My aunt once told me that the only constant thing in life is
change. How true that statement is! Though I try to avoid change as much as
possible, Todd and I have been talking a lot lately about what is important to
us. We feel weighed down by our home and
possessions and we have come to realize that <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/03/reflection-bigger-isnt-always-better.html" target="_blank">home ownership is not that important to us.</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we were traveling one weekend talking about our dreams
and what we enjoy doing together, I thought that everything I need in life is
in the vehicle with me: my husband and our two dogs. We were traveling all over northeast Ohio to
view the <a href="http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/2013/11/fall-fun-on-dime.html" target="_blank">18 covered bridges</a> that are scattered throughout Ashtabula County.
We were doing what we loved: traveling and exploring with our
fur-babies. I mentioned to Todd how
great it would be to do this more often: enjoying great views of landscapes
around us as well as great conversation with one another. It dawned on me: we could do this all the time
if we weren’t tied to our home and jobs!
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I told Todd that we should purchase an RV and travel the
United States. Go to one location and
see all there is to see in that location for several months until we get sick
of it and decide to move on,<a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/boondock" target="_blank"> boondock</a>, use solar panels for electricity, and camp
out wherever we choose. Mind you, I have
crazy ideas all the time, and Todd thought this was just another passing crazy
idea. As the day went on and we kept
discussing it (Todd was discussing it just to pacify me) he said, “You now have
<b>me</b> wanting to do this!” As soon as we got home, we started looking at
our options for RV’s<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This may all seem far-fetched, and I will admit, it is! We decided a few years back that we want to
live life now instead of wait until the typical retirement age to explore our
surroundings. These plans to travel will
not happen overnight. It may actually
take 12-18 months to accomplish, but this is what we are working toward right
now. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Game-Plan:<o:p></o:p></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Pay
off the mortgage by October 2014<o:p></o:p></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal">Fix
up the house to prepare to sell spring 2015<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Save
up money to purchase a used Class A (a motor home that looks like a big
bus)<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sell
all of our belongings <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Start
our journey<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If all else fails, we will have a paid off house that we can
live in and continue to do what we have been doing for the past 7 years
(working and trying to keep up). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is a far-fetched
“dream” you would like to make reality?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Are you taking any
steps to make your dream a reality?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-26385691150035818552013-12-04T04:00:00.000-05:002013-12-04T04:00:15.146-05:00Thrift Store Finds<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
We purchase the majority of our clothing from a thrift store
in Akron, OH. This place is enormous and
it’s {nearly} impossible to walk out empty-handed. We like the quality, assortment and prices offered
on their clothing. They also have shoes,
household items, seasonal items and even some new clothing available; however,
we focus on the gently used clothing. I
try to make the trek twice a year to update my wardrobe (or to replace the
items that are worn out or have stains on them because I cant seem to eat
without getting food on me!) and it just so happens that we were able to get
there this past Sunday before our 3<sup>rd</sup> (and final) Thanksgiving
celebration with family.<br />
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<br /></div>
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What we walked out with:
6 shirts for me, 2 light jackets (one is a London Fog that looks brand new) and a camo shirt for Todd. The total cost: $17.88. Less than $20 and I have
new shirts for work and play!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In years past, I had to try on clothing in the corner of the
store to ensure they fit. It is hard to
tell how a piece of clothing will fit when having to try it on over another
piece of clothing which led to purchasing a couple of items on each trip that
really did not fit well and therefore went straight into the donate pile of
clothing. Now, the thrift store has
dressing rooms! Out of the 14 items I
tried on, only 6 pieces fit properly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is what I got:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuM58Dh8RxFw_CQUKoxgjwJzbN4MfJEhinoka3w7TlulDIvCsl0Dsko3Eud3VdQHejllrgAVGLjCtk_Cb78woHXjVfMBGv24P0pWg6UaxyfRGNOj9PcXumqDqJUzA6EqlwCwZ2nulbGCw/s1600/Thrift1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuM58Dh8RxFw_CQUKoxgjwJzbN4MfJEhinoka3w7TlulDIvCsl0Dsko3Eud3VdQHejllrgAVGLjCtk_Cb78woHXjVfMBGv24P0pWg6UaxyfRGNOj9PcXumqDqJUzA6EqlwCwZ2nulbGCw/s200/Thrift1.jpg" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wIW1fhvFtQwyzpV52MvdAMt3zD_Z2p_DyIek1KzDyZOILpuk80eYRRuICt9KYJUcgbNG9DHj7L_z9OrFyjcTlbyH81N__g1JXfysV1Lb_NoLLk_Dhz0p8e2ZO8i68wOeEa9i0FfSKgU/s1600/Thrift2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wIW1fhvFtQwyzpV52MvdAMt3zD_Z2p_DyIek1KzDyZOILpuk80eYRRuICt9KYJUcgbNG9DHj7L_z9OrFyjcTlbyH81N__g1JXfysV1Lb_NoLLk_Dhz0p8e2ZO8i68wOeEa9i0FfSKgU/s200/Thrift2.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMMy2WEQ-fV89-Az2qrHrDxJcjG-oV4yYqjEw2Di6vb-GJEB0KvkeqvkV1QsuMK5WonwVN4D4Xm9ysTMOBp6aKSiqV6rYjKWwJhSDy2_7NflKBqT4LYaEBkUwMOmEGL639KtcDrno7wA/s1600/Thrift3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMMy2WEQ-fV89-Az2qrHrDxJcjG-oV4yYqjEw2Di6vb-GJEB0KvkeqvkV1QsuMK5WonwVN4D4Xm9ysTMOBp6aKSiqV6rYjKWwJhSDy2_7NflKBqT4LYaEBkUwMOmEGL639KtcDrno7wA/s200/Thrift3.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvh5qHx3g0HDQYWVvMwQ24nzI1wO6JqAo-aJYiVMXZbLH_N3PvSnzdhamYebKPp-t6bHfnlZF7kB2VBN4IRiYRCUNDtKI0JESqfPsfTKG7O_wd95rDS5LSFIXw4erc-MTZ94pA8MXOTw/s1600/Thrift4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvh5qHx3g0HDQYWVvMwQ24nzI1wO6JqAo-aJYiVMXZbLH_N3PvSnzdhamYebKPp-t6bHfnlZF7kB2VBN4IRiYRCUNDtKI0JESqfPsfTKG7O_wd95rDS5LSFIXw4erc-MTZ94pA8MXOTw/s200/Thrift4.jpg" width="134" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PJ7QhROJkjuT6u9rB7LZh_qCJgWm21JNJvXMAbFXQoptNXSV96rz_GzaQxJHKggtvJj_Lriz64EUq5pZRBLzdPFKBW-mQFwwFWxfRVXsmyPgMXK0rHcYcTWXWPnTFfqlnpVfGPm5GLc/s1600/Thrift5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PJ7QhROJkjuT6u9rB7LZh_qCJgWm21JNJvXMAbFXQoptNXSV96rz_GzaQxJHKggtvJj_Lriz64EUq5pZRBLzdPFKBW-mQFwwFWxfRVXsmyPgMXK0rHcYcTWXWPnTFfqlnpVfGPm5GLc/s200/Thrift5.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrBiVeoawrSJGafbz8myF3FtluJ8MXCGOsYnkh-BXlLP8wGC0UgVjoq9ao3cDUqPe8XX9DHu4Py3py5nl6WETvu3HHH5YZyv6JUsk84jdQzfcqgYcHXinwaK8CAJA8pBtnXOGRdwn0-o/s1600/Thrift6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrBiVeoawrSJGafbz8myF3FtluJ8MXCGOsYnkh-BXlLP8wGC0UgVjoq9ao3cDUqPe8XX9DHu4Py3py5nl6WETvu3HHH5YZyv6JUsk84jdQzfcqgYcHXinwaK8CAJA8pBtnXOGRdwn0-o/s200/Thrift6.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Before washing and putting away my new clothing, I decided
to go through my closet and purge the items that I don’t like, don’t fit and I
don’t wear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xw842mGgiFl6fd2O5Fj1XD08ySYFwIZgj_C6b__15zN9I2DmjwiTYZ387Rlb0FpMuc-5ZiuE66emZfznopg5QcSRhviT2FIyLT4O__PQ150qKIsaGOGjN3yaPrS1k50mXGeNqHwymz4/s1600/Donate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xw842mGgiFl6fd2O5Fj1XD08ySYFwIZgj_C6b__15zN9I2DmjwiTYZ387Rlb0FpMuc-5ZiuE66emZfznopg5QcSRhviT2FIyLT4O__PQ150qKIsaGOGjN3yaPrS1k50mXGeNqHwymz4/s320/Donate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decided to get rid of all of my t-shirts except for 3 of
them which I will use as pajamas, to work around the house and to exercise in. It really kills me to get rid of clothing
that I’ve never worn: I’m not sure why I decided to purchase the shirts as
souvenirs in the first place because I have always looked horrible in
them. Now, someone else can enjoy
them. I was able to purge 15 items before adding
my new thrift store finds to the rotation.
The clothing I purchased is {mainly} short sleeved. I have a grey sweater, two black sweaters and
a tan sweater I can wear over them to stay warm through the winter months. I would like to invest in a couple of<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_853925610"></span>
halftees <span id="goog_853925611"></span></a>(beige and black) so that I can wear my clothing spring, winter and
fall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I wear the same clothing week in and week out. It has been a constant <strike>struggle </strike> process to
try to downsize my wardrobe. Even though
I still have more than I need this is something I am consciously working on.</div>
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<b>Do you shop at the
thrift store?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
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<b>What has been your
experience?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Are you able use the one-in, one-out rule?</b></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-1005596428504814032013-11-20T04:00:00.000-05:002013-11-20T04:00:06.410-05:00Fall Fun on a DimeEarly in October, Todd and I took the Covered Bridge Tour a county north of us. There are 18 covered bridges in the county, and we had a blast taking the pups to go explore them on two different days. The first day, we were only able to get bridges 1-13 complete, but two weeks later, we were able to see the rest of them. There are only 18 true covered bridges, but one of them that we saw was on flat land (#6) which is why we have pictures of 19 covered bridges.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybV5JgUt3RhrcUDELyGnefDS9T5syob0IgH5CjrkzDQ-lEmTqT5WVfZCeJdvnKl6tgcl-RSo_3acA5kkAVBtC624aQ3f9eB1MHrC-YDf6Zf7JU7hm_KLWK4tDhEwqJKcI961nZXKY874/s1600/1-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybV5JgUt3RhrcUDELyGnefDS9T5syob0IgH5CjrkzDQ-lEmTqT5WVfZCeJdvnKl6tgcl-RSo_3acA5kkAVBtC624aQ3f9eB1MHrC-YDf6Zf7JU7hm_KLWK4tDhEwqJKcI961nZXKY874/s320/1-9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG-R8PdeJAAyQKmD3jyebjKHrCPV-zPafzRptW5qMfZtQvfO1amsfJ_p2go-9Gj2pOeZSywlN_sPnpDqh7WDMRVgwqWKmnKPNSzaZJ_5b9AEI9IDub0t7csjEcIJ6CRFH15oAL2oD_j8/s1600/10-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG-R8PdeJAAyQKmD3jyebjKHrCPV-zPafzRptW5qMfZtQvfO1amsfJ_p2go-9Gj2pOeZSywlN_sPnpDqh7WDMRVgwqWKmnKPNSzaZJ_5b9AEI9IDub0t7csjEcIJ6CRFH15oAL2oD_j8/s320/10-18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of all the bridges, this one was my favorite...the last one of the bunch:</div>
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We have lived in this area for nearly 7 years now and we had no idea at the beauty that was surrounding us. I enjoy finding these jems and experiencing them together. We had a blast over two days of touring these covered bridges and it only cost us the price of gas. We had great conversation, many laughs and made a lot of memories. Really, that's what life is all about, isn't it?SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607280648455026881.post-46911214506422524342013-10-30T04:00:00.000-04:002013-10-30T04:00:16.812-04:00Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder<div class="MsoNormal">
A month back, Jeni at <a href="http://ponderingpastorswife.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ponderings of a Pastor’s Wife </a> wrote about how she
feels like a<a href="http://ponderingpastorswife.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/a-new-woman/" target="_blank"> new woman</a> because she has finally been <i>properly</i> fitted for a new bra!
After reading her post, I thought about my own personal experience being
properly fitted for a bra for the first time in my life at the age of 30! Why did I never share my experience? If I can help just one woman to treat herself
to a bra that fits the way it should, it is worth sharing my experience (in
my opinion).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will start out by stating that I’ve had a large chest for
as long as I can remember. I have always
wanted to be part of the itty bitty…well, you know what committee I’m referring
to, but that’s just not going to happen unless I have surgery (and <b>that’s</b> not ever going to happen). I’m not sure how my mom determined my bra
size growing up, but I know that in high school after losing some weight I was
wearing a 38C. I am not sure if this was
the correct size for me, but I refused to believe my chest was any bigger than
that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward 10 years, and I was still attempting to wear
38C’s…unsuccessfully. I had gained
weight in that time but I refused to believe my bust got any bigger. My bras dug into my shoulders to the point
that it left scars, I had a constant muffin top, the clasps rode up my back so
high it was uncomfortable and I was always tugging it back down into place
where it should have been. After years
of promising my mother I’d get properly fitted, I was invited to a bra party at
my step-mom’s workplace. The company is
called Essential Body Wear and I absolutely love their product line! It is perfect for big-busted women like me. A consultant takes you into a room and fits
you, gets you the size bra you need to try on, and you can either walk out the
door with the proper bra size or they can be ordered for you! The consultant was so happy with my results
(I actually DO have a waist! Who knew?), she let me keep the bra I had tried
on. I was amazed at how good I felt with
this bra on! When I looked down, I could
only see my cleavage because I had such boost!
Was that where my breasts were <i>supposed</i>
to be when I wore a bra? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here are a few tips that I learned from the bra lady (as she
liked to be called):<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Magic Number: 3<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You should be fitted and purchase 3 new bras each and every year
(and dispose of the old, worn out, ill-fitting bras you had been wearing).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Alternate Bras<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You should never wear the same bra two days in a row. The bra needs at least 24 hours to return
back to its normal shape and elasticity.
If you wear the bra two days in a row, it will become stretched out much
quicker than if you were to give it time to re-shape itself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Wear the Bra 2-3
Times between Washes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You should wear your bra 2-3 times between washes. Because 3 is the magic number, this means you
only need to wash your bras every week to week and a half.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When Washing: Put in
a Garment Bag</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went out and purchased an inexpensive garment bag at the
dollar store. This keeps the bras in a
small space which helps to prevent them from stretching. I generally put the garment bag in the wash
when I have a load of work clothes or a small load of towels to be washed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Never Put Bras in the
Dryer</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you wash your bras, hang them to dry. This is where the 3<sup>rd</sup> bra can save
the day while waiting for the others to dry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Jeni’s experience, she went to Dillard’s and was able to
obtain the same results with a professional bra-fitter. I’m not sure how expensive the bras are at
Dillard’s compared to Essential Body Wear, but whatever the cost, it’s worth
it! And only having to purchase 3 a year
won’t break the bank! Even me, the
<strike>cheapest</strike> most frugal person in the world, can dole out $120 for bras each year. Especially when they make me feel so good
about myself in my own clothes! It has
been a couple of years since I purchased my Essential Body Wear bras (I
purchased 8 of them); however, it’s time for me to go get re-fitted. My bras have become stretched out, one of
them has a large rip, and most of them have clasps that are misshapen and hard
to hook. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When was the last
time you purchased a new bra?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do they fit?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you get fitted
every year?</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
SparingChangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091078784546773507noreply@blogger.com2