Saving Money: Pet Care

Since the beginning of November, Todd and I have been scrutinizing our expenses.  We realize that our dream of full time RVing 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!

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.

Recently, we have found ways to save money on caring for our critters.

Spay/Neuter

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.

Kitten Kaleidoscope!

Food

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!

Vaccinations

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.

Flea Treatments

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.

Buddy and Lana on Christmas Morning

Cat De-wormer Treatment

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!

Grooming

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. 

I have yet to find an alternative for the dogs for their heartworm medication: if you know of anything, please let me know!

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!

DISCLOSURE:  These items have been provided for informational purposes only.  Please note that I am not a veterinarian.  Please consult your veterinarian before administering these items to your pets.

What do you do to save money on your pets?

2013 Year in Review

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone.
I decided to take a look back to see what all we have been up to here on the homestead.

January:
At the end of 2012, Todd and I decided to attempt to pay off half of our mortgage balance in 2013.  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 live on half of our income without really cutting back our lifestyle.  We still completed a home-improvement project (updating the kitchen counters for $125) and we have another one in process as I type (new floor in the living room).

February:
In February, I made my own laundry detergent 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.

March:
In March, I started to feel like we have way too much "stuff" and that our house is much more than what we need/want.  

April:
The first week of April, we had a family trip to Aruba with my mom and her husband to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary.  I could use a trip like this every year.

May:
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 3-day trip to Columbus, OH and had a blast.

June:
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 hire a housekeeper or if I should just do the housekeeping myself!

July:
July of this year was a busy one!  A yellow lab adopted us, my car turned 7 years old, and we started talking about downsizing our home.

August:
I gave up on gardening 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.

September:
I documented some of the fun things Todd and I did over the summer for very little (or no) money at all.

October:
A new member of the family came to join us in October and I started a new cleaning routine that has been easy for me to keep up with!

November:
The only post in November included pictures of a covered bridge tour we did throughout October.

December:
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 travel the US.  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.

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.

We look forward to taking on whatever 2014 has to offer.

Fall Fun on a Dime

Early 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.

Of all the bridges, this one was my favorite...the last one of the bunch:

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?

A New Member of the Family

I wrote a list of New Year aspirations at the end of last year as I do every year.  One of the things I did NOT want to do this year is to take in any new pets.  We were (what we thought) maxed out with one dog, four cats and chickens at the end of last year.  June came around and there was a dog that showed up at our back step and adopted us.  After trying to find his owners and a home for over a week, we fell in love with him and kept him.  I told Todd, “no more!” 

Fast forward to Monday, October 7^th when two gentlemen I work with come up to my desk in a tizzy saying I have to come to the warehouse immediately.  I was busy and I was going to miss some deadlines if I ran to the back, so I asked if it could wait. In unison, they said, “NO!”  I go to the warehouse to find a teeny tiny kitten in a box that was rescued from in between two pieces of metal on our loading dock.  Apparently, he had been crying all day but it wasn’t until the end of the day that the Shipping Manager realized it wasn’t just a bird squawking in the trees.  As soon as I picked the little fur-ball up and warmed him up under my chin, I declared that I’d take him home (after clearing it with Todd, who is a sucker for kittens.)

I took the little kitten home and warmed him up while Todd picked up kitten formula on his way home from work.  The kitten had no teeth, and I knew he was really young because he could barely walk.  It took us a week and a half to name the little guy (I think it’s a boy: we have tried to sex several kittens in the past and we have been wrong half the time!).  Originally, we called him Dock, but it didn’t really stick.  Then, we tried Smudge because he has an orange smudge on his forehead – that didn’t stick.  We started calling him Ewok because he looks like an Ewok, and that name didn’t stick.  The only name that stuck was Romeo.  Why would we call this cat Romeo?   Because he is a little lover boy.

We still have no idea how old Romeo is.  He may have been less than a week old when he was rescued from the loading dock at work.  Kittens are supposed to start using the litter box at 20 days old; however, Romeo just finally started to walk without toppling over a few days ago.  We have had to use cotton swabs on his bum to make him go to the bathroom 3-4 times a day.  He now has most of his teeth, so we are trying kitten food along with his bottle, but so far, he hasn’t eaten any of it.  We are also working on litter box training.

It is definitely fun to have a little kitten around, but oh my goodness, the laundry!  I was doing a load of towels every other day because he was soiling them when he slept!  It is so much fun now that he is starting to explore and he is growing out of his sea legs.  He will be neutered and up to date on his shots by the New Year, and he is definitely a keeper. 

I have a weakness for animals, especially cute fuzzy ones (they are all cute and fuzzy to me by the way.)

I believe we are completely maxed out on animals now with 2 dogs, 5 cats and some chickens.  However, if there is a helpless animal that cannot fend for itself, I’m sure we’d take him in a heartbeat.  I am so thankful my husband understands my need to help these critters. 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Todd and I wanted to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

The Gift-Less Christmas 2012

I have read about people not giving gifts on Christmas but it never really happened in our family…until this year. 

I enjoy thinking about and purchasing gifts for people.  I am known to purchase a gift for Christmas on January 5^th and stash it away to give 11 ¾ months later.  This year has been quite the opposite.

I have a hard enough time wrapping my head around the fact that it is cold outside let alone that Christmas is right around the corner.  Originally, I had planned to do more gifts of experience with family, which we will still do; however, it will not be in the form of a gift for Christmas this year but something that we carry out throughout the year together.

I think it all started back in May when hubby and I went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon for our 5 year wedding anniversary. I was completely astonished by the amount of consumption that went on by vacationers and then again in October when I went to Disney with my mom, brother and niece.  These two trips really changed the way Todd and I look at consumerism.

According to the Merriman-Webster Dictionary, Consumerism is defined as:

 

the theory that an increasing consumpion of goods is economically desirable; also: a preoccupation with and an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods

We have been advising friends and family since June that we are not going to buy into the consumerism mentality of Christmas.  To date, we have done pretty well with it.  I will admit that we do have gifts for my two niece’s who are 4 and 6, but they are simple and practical (which is the only gift they ever get from Auntie M anyway). 

There are people who feel that we are doing this because we are cheap and don’t want to spend money; however, that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Yes, we are frugal, but I love nothing more than thinking about and giving gifts to others. We have decided that instead of giving once or twice a year, we will be giving to our family and friends throughout the entire year and committing to spending quality time together as the year progresses.  In my opinion (and that is only what this is,) I don’t feel Christmas is (or should be) about the gifts.

I want to leave a lasting memory on my friends and family of love, loyalty, laughter, experiences and collective time with one another.  These are the memories that last a lifetime. 

Frugal Babe wrote an article last year (and another just last week) entitled Christmas Our Way where she explains what they do for Christmas each year. 

What are your thoughts on a giftless Christmas?

Have you cut down on your gift-giving this year?  I would like to hear about it!

DISCLAIMER:  This is something my husband and I have discussed extensively over the past several months.  Each family is different and we do not oppose other’s beliefs in gift-giving.  As I always say, “To each his own.”  

Keep Up With ‘em? I Don’t Even LIKE ‘em!

…the Joneses, that is.

While driving 5 hours round-trip to my grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving day, I thought a lot about the Joneses and how much I do not look up to them.  There are so many people who do. 

There are people in my life that desperately want to keep up with the Joneses.  It is always about appearances and who has what.  Even though they have a beautiful family and more posessions than they know what to do with, they always want more.  I’m sure you know a few people like this too.

It may be my stubborn nature or my resistence to being like everyone else, but I don’t look up to material possesions.  I was thinking aloud while we were on our road trip about what I look up to* and who I am striving to become. 

This is what my (ideal) Jones family would look like!

• A happy, healthy, hands-on family (spends quality time together)
• Does not care about the latest and greatest kchotchke (fashion, gadgets, toys, vehicles, vacations, etc.)
• Lives well below their means
• Has paid off their mortgage
• Has a cushion in the bank
• Has the freedom to do what they love as a career and not have to worry about how much they make doing it
• Want what they have (contentment)

I am fortunate enough to know a couple who meet most of the points above…and they are not Warren Buffet.   It is nice knowing them because it proves to me the possibility to accomplish these goals in life and getting rid of the rat-race.

 What does your “Jones Family” look like?

 *This is what I want in my life.  Everyone is different and if you don’t want the same things I do, I wouldnt hold it against you. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo Credit

Today we are spending the day at my grandma’s house with family for a wonderful home cooked meal and great conversation.   

I love this time of year with what is remaining of the fall colors and a little bit of a chill in the air.  It is a reminder of all of the things I have to be thankful for in my life.

I am thankful for...

• My husband - who agrees to help me with all of the crazy ideas I come up with 
• My family - who has been there for me through everything
• Our homestead - though it's not picture perfect, it's ours
• Our animals - who make us laugh on a daily basis and provide free-entertainment without having to turn on the tube 

What are you thankful for today?

What are your plans for this beautiful day?
Whatever they are, I pray that you are safe and have a wonderful time.

Fall Foliage

This weekend, Todd and I went out to see if the leaves were changing.  It was a gorgeous day on Saturday, and we found a new hiking trail about 15 minutes away from the house.  We absolutely loved this trail, and look forward to going back again.

This is what we experienced:

Giving the Gift of Time and Memories

My (goofy) niece on Fathers Day 2012. 
We had a bonfire and cooked camper pies.
Alot of great conversation and quality time was had.

I enjoy planning for the holidays throughout the entire year.  I love trying to figure out practical, cost-effective gifts that others would enjoy.  Last year, I made a lot of gifts for our family and friends. This year, I plan on doing the same thing along with the gift of time together and memories.

My 6 year old niece lives with my father, his wife, and my sister.  I decided early on this year that I wanted to do something with them as an entire family for Christmas this year.  I plan on making a booklet with things for the entire family to do every few months off the year.  It will have:

·         Ice skating or roller skating

·         Making a snow-family together

·         Zoo

·         Children’s Museum

·         Kid’s Show (of some sort)

Of course, all of these events would be paid for by Todd and I, because it is our gift to them. 

I am a photo-fanatic as it is, so I plan on taking lots of photos on our excursions out as a family.  For Christmas 2013, I will give my niece a little scrapbook of our outings. 

We have always done things together as a family, but a lot of times it is at their house and it includes a lot of laughter, good food and great company.  This gift will include making memories to that list, which I feel is most important for a family.

Have you considered giving a gift of your time and making memories for Christmas this year?  I would like to hear all about your ideas!

Simple Living: Meals

Several weeks ago, I noticed that my meals have been lacking in a big way.  I have had no creativity, and I’m lucky if we get a meat, potato and vegetables with dinner.  I have been making the same thing over and over again, and it’s been very dull.  I am very fortunate to have a husband who loves to cook.  With his rotating schedule, I get several days throughout the week of not having to worry about what’s for dinner! 

I have found a few ways to resolve my recent lack of cooking inspiration all while keeping it simple and saving time.   This is what I’ve found:

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)

I have big dreams of making these extravagant meals for my husband with ingredients I’ve never heard of and have never tasted before in my life.  I can picture it in my mind: a nice salad, a great meal, some biscuits or rolls on the table and a glass of wine with dessert afterwards.  The truth of the matter is that this is not going to happen!  Yes, sometimes it does when I have all day to prepare it, but on days I work, it’s not!

I am the queen of 5 (or 6) ingredient dishes.  We have our usual favorites, but it is time to add to that list of meals.  I can somewhat achieve my dream of having a really nice meal by making these types of meals in the morning before work, heating them up before hubby gets home and whipping together a small salad. 

There are a lot of resources online that will give you hundreds of recipes with five ingredients or less.  This link shows how many websites have 5 ingredient recipes listed on them.  But I must admit, this one is my favorite for the simplicity.  Many of these recipes require items that are staples in our house, which is why I love them!  No extra (unnecessary) trips to the grocery store to pick anything up!

Don’t forget to check out your local library to see if they have any simple recipe books that you can take out and experiment with the recipes. 

Also, in the line of simple meals, I love to buy roaster chickens.  Not only are they inexpensive per pound, you can you get a meal out of the meat (you can cook it in a crock pot and it falls off the bones!) and afterwards boil the bones to make your own chicken broth.  Add some onion, carrots, celery, left over meat from the chicken carcass and at the end, some egg noodles, and you’ve got yourself a great bowl of chicken noodle soup!  Or chicken and rice soup, whatever you prefer. If you don’t want to make chicken noodle soup, still boil the bones and freeze the chicken stock for recipes calling for it in the future (without having to buy it in the store!)

Use a crock pot

Really, there is nothing easier than throwing dinner in the crock pot and leaving it until dinner time.  I found a great book called Six Ingredient or Less Slow Cookers by Carlean Johnson.  Now this is my type of cooking!  6 ingredients and in a crock pot!  It’s kind of like that commercial, “Fix it, and forget it!” 

I think I’ve used the crock pot more in the past two weeks than I have in the last year.  It is a great way to create something different and not have to stand over the stove all day to make it. 

Crockpot meal at 7:30 AM

Dinner is ready at 6:35 after I get home from work!

Make a double batch & freeze it

After deciding that a recipe is a “keeper,” make a double batch the next go-around.  Immediately freeze the extra portion and thaw it out in a few weeks when it is time to make a meal.  There is nothing better than having a delicious, homemade meal even if it was made a few weeks or a few months ago!

If you only have pieces parts…

There are times that I put off going to the grocery store until we literally have nothing in the fridge but mayo and orange juice!  When the pantry and fridge is looking sparse, try SuperCook and put in the ingredients you have in the cupboards.  It will come up with new recipes using the items you have in your home! I have used it many times to come up with a new recipe with the very little we may have in the cupboards.

 

Have fun with it

I love to cook, but at times, I dread it.  I like to cook when I want to cook, not when I have to.  It seems after making a few simple yet delicious meals, I become more adventurous.  Remember to set aside a portion of each meal for future use.  There is nothing better than opening up the freezer to decide “What’s for dinner?”

I have taken out the following books from the library and they have already provided several meal ideas for me.  They include:

• Fix-It and Forget-it 5 Ingredient by Phyllis Pellman Good
• Once-a-Month Cooking Family Favorites by Mimi Wilson

Happy cooking!

This post is linked up with Mom's Best Nest Flock Together Blog Hop!

It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Dreams

There was a major event in our family this past Saturday that I feel is noteworthy.   My father, at the age of 55, graduated from my alma mater, Kent State University, with his Bachelor’s Degree!  Not only did he get his degree, but he graduated magna cum laud!!

My dad with his fellow graduates

To give you a little bit of background, my father graduated with his Associates Degree many many years ago.  He has always excelled in his position at a large nation-wide retail establishment, which is why we moved so much while I was growing up.  My father would whip a store into tip-top shape and then be transferred to work on another.  After 25+ years with said retail establishment, they let him go after giving him unreasonable numbers to hit.  It was pretty much a sham to get him out.  After all, they could pay someone 30 years old a fraction of what this long-timer was making (even if the results were dismal.) 

Many people talk about how bad the economy is and how it is “impossible” to find a job.  My father took this opportunity to do something he’s always wanted to do – get a degree in Accounting.  With the support from his wife, he did just that.  My father took two years to get his degree.  In that time, he was invited to several dinners to meet very notable speakers (for instance, Jerry from Ben & Jerry’s ice cream,) received several awards and scholarships due to his excellent grades, walked around a campus with the majority of the students 8 years younger than his youngest child, tutored students in need of help, and interned for a large accounting firm in Cleveland, OH, ultimately being offered the position to begin work just two weeks after graduation.

When the final graduation date was set, my father asked if I’d like to go.  He stated that if he were me, he wouldn’t want to waste a few hours of my Saturday to sit in a graduation ceremony.  Todd and I both attended the ceremony, not even thinking that it was a waste of time.  This man has made such a huge sacrifice and put in so much hard work to be able to accomplish his dream of becoming an Accountant.  We are both so very proud of him and what he has been able to achieve.

It was pretty incredible to watch my father walk across the same stage I walked across 9 years ago.  Todd and I wouldn’t have missed this opportunity for the world. 

Congratulations, dad, on all that you have done!  I am so very proud of you!!!

My dad with his mother (my grandma) on graduation day

2012 Goals

With every New Year, I feel like I have a fresh start, and this year is no different.  This year, I am posting my goals for everyone to hold me accountable!  I will be posting updates every month as to how the goals are coming along.  This is what my personal goals look like for 2012:


Spiritual

• Daily Devotional: Read The One Year Bible (I enjoyed reading the Bible in 90 Days, but I would like to slow it down this year!)
• Find a church that is a fit for our family

Marriage

• Read one marriage book a month and put it’s teachings into practice

Health / Personal

• Eat healthfully (more fruits and vegetables, less meat, carbs and sugars)
• Create and maintain a cleaning routine
• Lose 50 lbs (that’s only a pound a week – achievable!)
• Decrease the amount of “stuff” in our home (Purge-A-Palooza 2012! - will talk about that next week)
• Volunteer at the Happy Trails Animal Sanctuary (a monthly commitment) 

Financial

• Sponsor a child in need
• When I started making my list of goals in October, as soon as I had this goal listed, a fellow blogger wrote about how she and her family sponsor a child through Compassion.  After a lot of research about the ministry, we sponsored a child 11/11/11!  It is amazing how God put everything into place!!
• It is our goal to sponsor another child, but this time, through another organization called Amazima.
• Save $5,000 toward a replacement vehicle/maintenance
• Invest 5% of our take-home income into a Roth IRA
• Sponsor a pot bellied pig at Happy Trails Animal Sanctuary

Environmental 

• Less pre-packaged food / more cooking from scratch
• Reduce use of paper towels and paper napkins replacing them with cloth
• Lower resource consumption (electric / propane / water)
• Electric use of primary residence over past 12 months=15,298 kWh
• Electric use of the house we own next door over past 12 months=6,876 kWh
• We expect this number to be drastically lower due to the fact that we are no longer heating the shed, which was our pot bellied pig and puppy’s abode last winter
• Install energy-saving power strips throughout home

Gardening & Preserving

• Grow enough tomatoes, green beans, snow peas, squash and green peppers to be used through the fall and winter 2012 and spring 2013
• Can at least 24 quarts of tomatoes (sauces, stewed tomatoes, etc)
• Freeze at least 50 pint-sized bags of vegetables
• Plant at least 3 concord grape vines

 What are your goals / aspirations / resolutions for 2012?

We're On A Podcast!

This week, our story was featured on JW's Financial Coaching podcast.  If you'd like to learn a little bit about us, you can go to this website and hear our story.

Jon White has a great podcast on how to become (and stay) debt free.  If you havent subscribed, I'd highly recommend it!

 Enjoy!

Christmas is Around the Corner!

Christmas is just around the corner, and the little elves have been working quite a bit around here to prepare for the upcoming holiday.  This is what they have completed:

62 bottles of homemade wine (2 different flavors)

13 large bottles of homemade strawberry margaritas

52 bottles of homemade microbrew beer

Jars of applesauce & applie pie in a jar

Coming up in production:

Jam

Apple Butter
Crafts

How are you preparing for the Holidays?

So Thankful!

There is a chill in the air, and this is the time of year that I tend to reflect on the blessings in my life.  With it being Thanksgiving today, I wanted to list a few things I am thankful for.  They include:

• Renewed faith
• Incredible husband
• Awesome family
• Amusing animals
• Cozy home
• Stable employment

We dont deserve all that God has given us, but are so thankful to have our faith and each other.

I pray that you are having a great day with friends and family reflecting on some of the things you are thankful for.

Thanksgiving 2011

Before Todd and I met, he would host Thanksgiving every year for his family. This year, for the first time since we’ve been together (5+ years,) we are having Thanksgiving at our house for his parents and my mom!

I enjoy having people over, but I tend to go overboard with the food. We have decided to keep things simple this year for Thanksgiving. This is what our menu will consist of:

• Turkey
• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Stuffing
• Green bean casserole
• Corn
• Cranberry sauce (I don’t like – but his parents do)
• Deviled eggs (my mom is bringing)
• Relish tray (my mom is bringing)
• Biscuits
• Apple Pie using apple filling I made
• Pumpkin Pie (the in-laws are bringing)

There may be a couple of hors d’oeuvres, but not much more than that. Pretty simple! I am looking forward to spending time with family!!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year?

Finding Frugal (and Fun) Things to Do

My husband and I love to explore and learn.  I am quite fortunate that I found someone to share my life with that enjoys an adventure just as much as I do (if not more!) 

Todd was not scheduled to work last weekend and we had no prior plans with either of our families (for the first time in a while!)  I am perfectly content with sitting at home in my pajamas and relaxing for the entire weekend, but Todd always has to be doing something.  I decided to see what I could find for us to do (locally) to change up our frugal dates together. 

Whenever Todd and I are traveling or even when we are looking for something to do close to home, I Google “Things To Do” and then the City we will be close to.  Nearly every single time I do this search, I can find something for us to do within a 5-20 mile radius of where we will be located.  The great thing about doing a search like this is that it pulls up a lot of museums, parks, and landmarks among other places that are either free or very inexpensive!

Two other website I like to use to find activities to do for our frugal dates are:

• www.thingstodo.com
• www.tripadvisor.com

This weekend, I ended up finding a house tour to go through in Youngstown which is about 25 minutes away from where we live.  Todd and I went to lunch and then headed over to the Arms Family Museum.  We had no idea that such a beautiful piece of architecture was in Youngstown or even the history behind the mansion.  We spent over 2 hours with our tour guide and it cost us a total of $4 total for the two of us to tour this beautiful home.

A brief history of the Arms family is that the home we toured was built by Olive Arms and her husband who also had the Arms last name (he was a first cousin.)  The home was built next to an enormous stone castle which is where Olive grew up with her family.  The castle has since been purchased and used as a church.

The Arms family was generally wealthy from coal and other material.  They did not create anything, but it was an inherited wealth among the generations.  To read more about the family, you can visit this link.  

What I think is incredible is that Olive Arms left the house to the Historical Society under a couple of conditions: 

• The first floor would remain unchanged
• She decorated the home exactly how she wanted it to be for people to tour

This is so awesome because she planned every tea cup and book on the bookshelves, every setting on the dining room table and where every chair would sit.  Nothing has been changed since Olive Arms lived in this home, and I love that!  She was a very detail-oriented woman and it reflected with the intricacies throughout her beautiful home.  Another awesome thing about this home is that Olive Arms had a trust fund for the home so that people would never forget the Arms name.  Olive and her husband never had children, and it was extremely important to her for their name to be carried on, and she did this by deeding the home to the Historical Society.  The tour guides are paid tour guides and the upkeep of the grounds is done through the trust that she provided.

Todd and I had never heard of the Arms name, but now, we do.  We are actually looking forward to going back sometime in the next year when the second floor will have the original furnishings and layout as the house had while Olive inhabited the home. 

We were the only people on the tour with the tour guide, who was extremely knowledgeable.  We talked to our guide for two hours about places we’ve been and where we’d like to go.  I never realized how many places we’ve been (and how inexpensive our adventures) in our short 4 year marriage together until we were talking with our tour guide last weekend.  We can thank the internet for affording us the possibility to experience so many great places for very little money!

Amish Country

Todd and I have always enjoyed going to Amish country.  We are fortunate enough to live about 20 minutes from a large Amish community and about an hour and a half from one of the largest Amish populated counties in Ohio, Holmes County, OH.

Last weekend, we decided to make the trek down to Holmes County to see what may have changed and to enjoy the Amish surroundings and simplicity. Here are a few pictures from our journey:

On the road at 6:30 in the morning.

I love this picture of a farm.

Amish School

Heini's Cheese : You get to taste all of their cheeses! They are so good!!

Beautiful stained glass window inside Heini's Cheese.

I like this brochure picture and saying.

This is where Todd & I got married 05/03/2007

A picture of the B&B we got married at.  We visit every time we go to Amish Country.

When we go to Amish country, I am revived and want to build our homestead to be as self sufficient as possible.  I enjoy driving around Amish country and seeing the solar panels on the roof, the farm animals, people working and tending the fields and setting up produce stands at the side of the road.  I kick myself for not keeping up with my garden and reaping it's harvest as the Amish and our ancestors have done so long ago.  Next year I will attempt the garden and harvesting again and will hopefully be motivated enough to keep up with it.

We are striving for a more simple, self-sufficient life: we have alot to learn from these wonderful people. 

This post is linked with Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop,Homestead Revival's Preparedness Challenge, HomeMaker By Choice's Week Long Blog Hop, Give A Hoot Blog Hop and So Followed Blog Hop.