by

Egg Incubation – Day 17.5

I still have 10 eggs, but there are 2 more that are questionable.  I’m pretty sure that they’ve stopped.  I checked the eggs day 17 due to 4 more temp spikes (anywhere between 101* to 103.5*).  I marked the 2 that I’m not sure about and I’ll check them again in a couple of days.  You’re actually not supposed to candle any more but I figure since the damage has already been done, it’s not going to hurt anything else.  My “hatch” date is Monday, but they could start hatching any time this weekend.  With all the temp spikes, they could hatch early.  
My new chicks that I ordered should be here tomorrow, so keep watching for a pic of my those new babies chicks.  I’ll also be posting pics of my babies after they’ve hatched!  I’m hoping that I’ll still have at least 8!

by

Personal Grocery Challenge – Weeks 2 & 3 Update

Last week ended up being a bit crazy. I ended up not feeling well for a couple of days, so that always throws things for a loop. We also found out that we were going to be hosting our small group from church this Sunday evening so I had to plan for that. I did not go shopping for that until Sunday afternoon, which was a good thing since they were tossing the idea around of not even bring food, which would not have been a good thing since the kids would have been starving! LOL

Anyway, I did my shopping on Sunday and, since we were unsure of the number of people that would be there this time around, I bought a little more than normal. But, I was still under budget. I also bought some cereal last week which my local store was having a very good deal on. After it was all said and done, my total stood at $249.66.

This week, all we need is milk. So total spent this week is $16.20. I bought 3 gallons of milk, 3 lb bananas, and 32 oz. container of yogurt. My monthly total stands at $265.86 for the month. This leaves me $34.14 for the remainder of the month. I’ll have one gone to AWANA camp which will make a big difference in the amount of food and milk consumed this next week.

I will continue to try and improve my spending and my grocery purchases, but I feel that feeding a family of 5 for $300 or less will be a great start!

by

WFM Wednesday: Family Command Center

I love the Works For Me Wednesdays! Everyone has so many great ideas. Since I’ve not been reading too long, I’m sure that someone else has already covered this, but I wanted to share ours.

IMG_0004

We have a small hallway that runs beside our refrigerator, and this is where I keep my magnetic white board, and the kid’s responsibility clipboards and my oversized calendar.

IMG_0007

During the summer months, there’s not a whole lot on either one, but during the school year, I usually have at least 3 to 4 papers on my magnetic board (at least 1 per child per week – i.e. spelling lists, class news, etc.), copies of forms that have been signed and turned back in for field trips, in school activities, etc., several notes on the board and calendar, and lots of activities penciled (no pen used) in on the calendar. With one child in elementary, one in middle school, and one in high school this coming school year, this area will come in handy more than ever. I know that there were several times, especially at the end of the year, that if was not for my command center, there is no way that I could have kept up with everything. I fear that this next year will be even worse, LOL.

The Responsibility Clipboard idea came from Laura. Thanks for such a great idea! We had the kids helping around the house, but sometimes it was hard to remember who I had told to do what when we were all going so many different directions. This is great, and if they do well all week, they get a commission (no allowance here). I do still have to attach pencils, but I’m working on it! Brian finally got them hung for me the other day. Before that, they were on my white board.

Another item that I use my white board for is to keep a running grocery list. As I run out of something or think of something that I’m going to need to pick up next time I go to the store, it gets written on the right side of the board. Below that, I will write down the name of anyone that I know I need to bring eggs to next time I go to church. Our Sunday School class breakfast schedule is also kept in the upper right hand corner.

So, if you’re having trouble keeping up with everyone and everything, I strong recommend the use of a magnetic white board. I think I paid about $15 for mine, and it has paid for itself many times over! I only wish I’d bought mine a long time ago.

Don’t forget to check out We Are THAT Family for more great tips!