Learning to Penny Pinch for The Greater Good...

I've been doing a lot of coupon clipping lately. Did you know there are so many $1.00 off coupons out there? I've been learning this lately.

Also, to go more Green in the home we joined The Soda Club to make our own sodas at home. You know all the sodas taste just like the name brand ones as well which is GREAT!

Another trick to saving I learned is that the Library has great movies that can be checked out for 48 hours. Also redbox is great for new releases that I cannot maybe find at the library and the great part is I always seem to get free rental codes.

So I've done these little things to save money and I'm trying to find other ways as well. Another thing I've done is made it that we are eating at home more. We don't need to eat out all the time. That was a big part of what we did on a weekly basis and that is very costly.

Finally, I know that learning to save is a process, I can't be hard on myself and I know that with practice it will (a) get easier and (b) will pay off in the end. There are goals over the next year for our growing family and if we waste money well then it delays those goals and we are ready to meet them and not delay them.

Five Days...

With five days left yesterday was a different type of day. My bosses mother died and we lost our pet hamster. I have to let an eight year old know this morning that Josh is no longer with us.

My boss seemed ok though but I'm not there with her all the time. I was able to be present for her and take care of things she needed to have done and it was nice. I brought her flowers in the am before I knew she had passed to brighten her day. I'm glad too that her mother went quickly. Ruth was a spit fire of a women. She was so independent. I don't know of many women in their 80's who still drive themselves around and take charge of their life. When she had the mild heart attack the family even felt to a point she'd be ok but within six weeks everything changed. It showed me again how quickly life can be taken away. I'm not sure if I've been around so much death lately to help with the practice I am doing or if it's just life but God it seems like a lot of people are passing even if not as direct as my bosses mom who I saw often and spoke with often. I mean for Kaila's class to have two deaths in two weeks within the past three weeks with a mother and a brother of her classmates dying. How sad but how real to see how it happens. I mean again, it really makes me cherish the life that I have.

We stayed in yesterday instead of going out. I made Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and rice, and we all watched House. I even took some time to visit with Eric's grandmother. I really like Ellen and feel bad that she seems so lonely at times. She had me try her Chicken/Veggie soup for Passover and it was great!

Yesterday was a day of sadness. Today I will have a sad little girl and I think we will all be a bit sad for Josh (yes he's just a hamster) who has been with us since kindergarten. He was a trooper. I've never seen a hamster live this long.

Finally it's off to a walk with the family, my last breakfast at Factors Deli where we ate so often, and school and I love Tuesdays because it means my dance class. This is growth as well because I've found being happy and content going outside my comfort zone. I used to only know about Tuesdays in the valley and I was afraid to try new things but now I get excited for trying new things. I know I will find what I need anywhere "I" am.

More tomorrow...

Sunday....

It's finally down to my final week. I can't believe a year has almost passed. My goal for this final week is to just be. Just be ok with who I am so there would be no regrets...period. I want to do something even more with my family so they know how much they meant to me and really be present for them this week.

There has been a lot of death around me lately but not with my family or directly connected to me. My bosses mom is dying at her home and I work there, my daughters class mates mother died, her class mates brother was killed. It seems death does happen and whenever it happens we really have no choice. Be right sized.

Today we celebrate Eric. We will be celebrating the last 12 years of his life and will also be going to lunch with some of our close friends and with Miss Kaila and little Charlie. It's supposed to be beautiful today! I'm looking forward to this day with my family and friends. This will be the last time for the practices purposes that I will see some of these friends and I'm trying to figure out my good-bye (for now) but I know the words will come to me when the time is right.

Mercer House, NASA, and More!

I'm super excited that summer is coming. There is so much I want to do this summer and I'm glad I finally have the opportunity to have some fun and work.

I booked K and I are flights today for Georgia. We'll be there the beginning of July to visit my father. We'll also be going to Texas in July with my boss. Again, another trip of fun because I'm there to help my boss with diabetes if her sensor goes off in the middle of the night. I plan on taking a tour at NASA with K while we're there.

I got tired researching B&B's in Savannah and since I'm not sure if I'll spend 1 or 2 nights there I will re-visit it in the beginning of May.

One thing I'm a bit bummed about is I'm missing my YTL session for July :( but I know that one missed is ok since I can follow up with one of the facilitators and seeing I'm keeping up with everything and practicing taking care of me I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

Next month is my favorite retreat, Catalina, and then June starts a summer of work (and fun).

Any ideas with a place to take the hubby for our 6 year anniversary in June? I'm thinking of a B&B in Big Bear but any ideas are welcomed.

Walking through it....

So, yes no post for a while but life gets busy.

I've been doing a lot of work on me and it feels great. I've learned recently that to take care of myself isn't a chore but can be rewarding with little daily perks.

For instance, I'm currently reading "A Year to Live" and I read a chapter a day. I have about an hour before the house awakens in the morning and daily I'm reading a chapter while I do some and read some meditation type books. I then do my morning journal writing and you know I'm ready for the day. My point is it used to be a chore to read so when I'm done with this book I will find other books I want to read and day by day I will finish those books instead of struggling to find time to read.

I'm learning as well, with the help of this book and myself to walk through fear. To walk through it makes it so much better. It's odd to do something that scares me but to feel great after is so rewarding.

I'm learning more about life and how great life really can be with the good and the bad.