Money Smart Moms

Walking Wounded

Pulled my hamstring, so I’m having all sorts of fun with the pain. I’m trying to keep a sense of humor about me, the best that I’m able. What’s frustrating is realizing how many things you do that uses the muscle. It’s not even just the movement of it, but because it’s at the top where it connects to my rear, sitting is no fun either.

Simple tasks become difficult, and what that does is really make you look at your body. We take so many of the little chores we do for granted. A simple two step stairway becomes a challenge. Sitting and standing another challenge, and bending to put our pants on!

A Comfortable Bed Makes a Difference

Let me start off by saying, thank goodness I have a comfortable mattress, because I picked up an injury this weekend that’s getting the better of me. A good night’s rest is always helpful when recovering from an injury, and with the pain meds they’ve put me on, I’ve just taken a long nap, two hours after waking up this morning. I’m guessing there will be more naps for me this week, since the meds make me groggy.

One thing that’s worth spending money on is a great bed. You’ll use it 8 hours a night, every night. Don’t try and scrimp and save when it comes to something that important, get something comfortable.

As for me, I’ll survive and luckily, when I’m curling up in bed, I know I’ll be comfortable.

Do It While You Can

I’m a big believer in doing something when you can. Money comes and goes, and this past year, I had the opportunity to do a lot of fun and cool things. This year it will probably be tighter. That means I’ll have to cut back on what I do. That’s not an issue. If I didn’t take advantage of my good luck this past year, I would have missed so many wonderful experiences.

You never know where life will take you, but if you have the opportunity to do something you really want to do, do it! There’s no guarantee you’ll have that same opportunity tomorrow.

Christmas Lights

We were out looking at Christmas lights last night. We make sure to do this each year, take a night and drive around the neighborhoods and look at the lights. We love it, and it adds to the magic of Christmas. If you didn’t get a chance to do that this year, you can go here and see videos of Christmas lights set to music!

Christmas Light Displays
Here’s a preview of what you’ll find on the page!

Watching My Mom’s New Life

My mom and her boyfriend are thinking of moving in together in the next year or two. It’s a funny thing, when you hear something like that. I don’t know why, but I guess I’m used to hearing about the children of parents doing that. I love my mom, and am thrilled she has someone in her life that makes her feel happy and wonderful. They currently live about 30 minutes away from each other, but they see each other almost every day.

They’ll be looking for condos for sale, since they don’t want the maintenance of things like yard work and snow removal. They’ve both lived in their own homes, and both lost their spouses. My dad passed almost 5 years ago, so to see my mom happy is awesome. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m thrilled to see her connecting with someone else. Her guy is really super, so I’m thrilled. He treats her very well, and that’s what’s important to me.

I’m not sure where they’ll end up buying a condo, but I think they want to stay pretty local.

Dessert Time!

Today is the biggest shopping day of the year. Our goal is to avoid all malls and shopping centers! We do have to venture to the store to pick up makings for a dessert on Monday night. Each year, we bring dessert, my mom brings shrimp or appetizers, and my sister makes dinner.

We also picked up this fab dip called “Loaded Baked Potato” that we’ll be bringing along for Chips and Dip. We found it at a craft fair, and you can buy the packet of seasonings! It was so good!

I used to make cheesecakes for holidays when it was my turn to bring dessert. I’d make a plain one, one with cherry and one with blueberry. Some how, over the last few years, my husband has gotten into making the desserts. I think he likes having “the purpose” of it. He gets really into the deal, and he’s taken it over!

Today we’re on the way to pick up some ingredients, so he can do “his” dessert thing now! I’m glad he enjoys it, and I love to watch him get all excited deciding what he’ll make.

Stopping Caffeine Hasn’t Helped Yet

I swear, sometimes I think I need adult pads or something! It takes me one hour to get home from my sisters. I had to stop to pee half way home! I went before I left. I’m always running to the bathroom, and I thought when I gave up the caffeine, I wouldn’t go as often. Sometimes, I’m in a damn near panic. I’m praying I don’t end up having an incontinence problem or need a catheter when I get a little older. Hoping kicking the caffeine which is supposed to affect your bladder muscles helps me.

I guess time will tell. Maybe I’m still regulating my water. I think in the past, when I drank lots of water, it took about a week to regulate the extra fluid. It’s been 10 days, so I hope it takes care of itself sooner than later!

Check Engine Light Came On

My husband’s check engine light came on the other day. He decided to get it checked out, and he needed to get his Jeep inspected anyway, so he figured he’d do them both at one time.

Do you know what it was that triggered his engine light? It was his gas cap! How crazy is that. His gas cap caused his engine light to go on. He says it’s quite common, and I’m grateful it didn’t turn into some expensive thing, I think it’s funny that a car’s computer sets off an engine light over a gas cap!

Have You Used Hoodia?

Has anyone tried using the hoodia patch yet. I saw a piece on 60 Minutes with Lesley Stahl about a year ago. She went to Africa and learned more about it. It really fascinated me, but I haven’t gotten around to using Hoodia yet. Does anyone have an opinion on it that has used it?

Over at HoodiaPatchTrial.com I saw the different things that have publicized it, and you can see a clip of the interview I saw on 60 Minutes, only this is in print. It was interesting, and I just about went out to get it, but somehow I got distracted and never picked it up. Now I guess enough time has gone by, that knowing me, I’ll need to research it all over again. What do you think of it? Have you tried using Hoodia and did it help curb your appetite?

What’s for Dinner?

Tonight I’m making a pot roast in the crock pot. Last night we had filet, and it was butter soft!

I’ll probably do chicken one night, go out one night, pork chops the other, and on Thursday I have a smoothie after my workout, so I’m not usually hungry. Hubby has something like a sandwich, frozen dinner, leftovers or picks up something on the way home on that day.

I’m always trying to figure out what to have for dinner. If I don’t plan in advance, I’m left staring into the freezer wondering what I feel like. The problem is when I’m standing there, I don’t feel like anything. If I plan the week in advance, it makes it so much easier. I simply know I planned pot roast tonight, so I get up and know to start the crock pot. Left to my own vices, I hem and haw too much if I don’t have a plan!