Purses and the Sabbath

As I promised, a post about Sabbath reflections.

Last week at work we had some down-time (a very rare occurrence!) and I got to talking about religion with one of my coworkers who is Jewish.  She was talking about going to temple and having to tuck her tube of lipstick in the waistband of her skirt since you aren't suppose to take your purse into temple.

Not take your purse to church?  What are you suppose to do with your cell-phone, checkbook, credit cards and cash?  Or your lipstick, lotion, hairbrush...or whatever else you happen to NEED with you at all times?  I asked her why purses were not allowed in the temple and she said that you aren't suppose to deal with money or finances on the Sabbath.  She said that the church members still tithe, but they don't bring their money to the temple on the Sabbath, instead they send their tithes in the mail or drop them off on another day.

Hmmm....

I got to thinking about this.  I am not Jewish, but I am intrigued by the idea of not bringing my purse to church on Sunday.

Why?

What does a purse represent?  It represents what it holds: wordly belongings.  My valuables.

Coach is just a name.

Wallet: full of credit cards, debit cards, banking information, and cash (<--not as much as I'd like though!).

Checkbook: though I hardly use it anymore because debit cards are so handy!

Black filing folio: with coupons for stores that I go to often


Planner: which has EVERYTHING in it-- my many "to do" lists (In fact, I have a whole moleskin book dedicated to my many "to do" lists...crazy I know) and my work schedule.  Without it I would be lost.

Photo album with pictures of my precious little boy...all of which you've probably already seen since I post so many pictures of him!

Personal care items: perfume, hairbrush, mirror and some other "female things" that don't deserve to be photographed.  :)

The contents of my purse.  Where's the Bible in all that stuff?  Just sayin'.

What do all these things represent: my wealth, my time, my vanity... Not to mention my purse itself, which is a designer purse (although I did buy it at the outlet store for 70% off, it still represents wealth and vanity.  That's not to say that I think that owning a coach purse -- or any other designer purse for that matter -- is a bad thing, but I know that my desire to buy this purse came out of a desire to "have" a "status symbol". Our society places value on certain things, and at the time I felt that because people value expensive purses that if I had one I would be viewed as more successful, put-together, and more deserving of respect from those around me.  I mean, I could afford a coach purse.

...at 70% off.  ;)

(And I worked extra incentive hours at work to pay for it).  I do like the purse now (perhaps mostly for the comments I get on it...), but I wouldn't have normally made a purchase like this.

So, I think that this Sunday I will attend church SANS coach purse.  Or any other purse for that matter.  The purse carries the worldly things I have decided are valuable to me and I want to make sure that I keep those things in their proper place.  Money has a purpose and is necessary, however we need to be diligent in being good stewards of God's blessings and not worshiping money.  Planners are important to keep us on schedule, but we need to make sure that we are allowing room for God's plans for our day.  Lip gloss and bobby pins and mirrors and brushes are good to have around, but it's important not to let our looks become more important than the inner beauty God wants us to cultivate.  So this Sunday, instead of bringing my purse and all it's contents, I will bring the diaper bag.  The ever-stylish tote filled to the brim with diapers (both clean and dirty), wipes and butt cream.


Sounds chic!

The diaper bag isn't that bad, is it?

Disclaimer: I am in no way suggesting that a girl can't have nice things (I think that a girl should have a few nice, classic pieces in their wardrobe, but it's important to make sure that those things aren't bought as idols or as status symbols.  If you've worked hard and decided to treat yourself with a new purse.  Go for it!  Just make sure it's because you like it, not because our society values it)

Thrifty Thursday

I had such great plans for today.  

It was gorgeous outside.  Definitely not your typical Iowa winter weather.  But then again, Iowa is anything but typical.  Tomorrow may be below freezing, who knows!  (Although it sounds like it is suppose to stay fairly mild this week).  I was excited to get outside for another run (I am hoping to run a half-marathon this May, so I need to get serious about training...) and I had projects that I wanted to start on during Nate's nap time.  But then came the phone call. 

When your house is on the market, it's kind of like it's not your house.  It's your realtor's house.  When they call requesting a showing-even if it's only an hour before the desired showing time-you kind of have to "go with the flow."  So, Austin and I power-cleaned the house in an hour-and-a-half.  It was intense.  We hadn't really picked up the house much since having all of our family over, so it wasn't a light cleaning.  It was an all-out, get-your-booty-in-gear, don't-stop, let-Nate-cry, clean-fest.  But we got it done and our realtor said "it showed great."  Now, if only that meant, "the buyers would like to make an offer," or even better, "the buyers would like to pay more than your asking price because they love the house so much and because your house is so clean..."

But at least now my house is clean.

On to the topic of today's post: "Thirfty Thursday."  At the beginning of the New Year, Austin and I reviewed our budget.  If you don't have one, definitely create one.  Reviewing the way you spend your money is a very useful-and sometimes painful-exercise.  It's painful because it's helped me realize that I spend way more money on "wants" than I thought I did. 

Here's a link to the Monthly Family Budget Worksheet that I use.  There are many out their on the web.  Find one that works for you and your family and give it a try!

After reviewing and making changes to our budget, I printed off these cash envelopes.  

Austin and I have always tried to withdraw cash each week and use it for all of our gas, household, grocery and "fun money."  I've found that this helps me spend less because I don't want to part with my cash and because I can see how much money I have left for the week.  It really cuts down on impulse buys at the grocery store because it's really embarrassing when you don't have enough cash to pay for your bill.  (Ok, I'm not that intense.  If I happen to go over a little, I debit it and make sure to note it and withdraw less cash the following week). 

Well, if you want to know, I am already over budget...and it's only 5 days into the New Year.  But that's okay.  I'd rather know that I am over budget so that I can make some changes for the next week than to continue making the same choices.  If you make the same choices you will continue to see the same results.

So make a change, it's not too late: it's only 5 days into the New Year!

Thrifty Tuesday

I know that although thrify starts with a "T," it doesn't rhyme with "Tuesday" and the phrase isn't an alliteration.  But I like it anyway.

Since I have been home on maternity leave I have been trying to find ways to save money, however towing a newborn to various grocery stores in the cold with a handful of coupons has not been working.  In fact, I find myself making several trips to HyVee each week, even though I know I am paying quite a bit more at HyVee than I would at Walmart or Aldi's.  But Hy-Vee is just right around the corner from our house and I don't have to fight quite as many people for a parking spot or a grocery cart as I do at Walmart. My desire to find ways to save on our money grocery bill has been renewed by two things: my return to work on a part-time basis, and one of my friends' blog posts.

I remember when I was in college standing in line at the grocery store behind a young family whose grocery bill exceeded $100.  I thought, that will never happen to me...I will never spend that much money on food.   And look at me now!  Austin and I have always had a budget, but lately we haven't really been sticking to it.  We have $400/monthly budgeted towards groceries (not including household items and diapers), but I know we are spending more than that with all my quick grocery runs.  So yesterday I planned meals for the next week (maybe I can stretch it to two weeks) and then today I went grocery shopping.

I have a book with all of my frequently used recipes, so I looked through those and picked a few that I wanted to make this week and this is what I came up with:

Chili
Chicken and Dumplings
Cheesy Rigatoni
Quesadillas
Lasagna
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Pizza

I went to Aldi's and bought the majority of my groceries and then drove across the road to Walmart to pick up household items.  And I only spent $60.99.  Woohoo!  That's great improvement for me!

A picture of my receipts from my grocery adventure today and the recipe I used to make lunch: Cheesy Rigatoni

While dinner was in the oven, I calculated both the calories and the price of the meal.  The meal cost $4.74 and the cost per serving (it could serve 8, but in the Oates household it will only make 6 servings...) is $0.79.  The whole dish has 1310 calories (plus the pasta noodles...they vary depending on brand and ingredients), which comes to 218 calories (plus the 100+/- calories in the pasta noodles) per serving.  Again, if you can stretch it for 8 servings, you save even more calories!

All my notes

Throw in a loaf of bread with butter and garlic salt (yumm!) and a quick dessert (I didn't make one!  Oops!) and you have a cheap, semi-healthy meal.  Ready in 45 minutes.  15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes in the oven.  Perfect.

Not too bad for a quick lunch-time meal.  

Quick meals leave me with more time to spend with this dude:

He is always drooling.  But even so, isn't he cute?

Of course I took 30 pictures of him sitting in his bumbo.  Just be glad you only have to see two of them! :) 

How do you do it?

Eight days until I return to work.

Yes, I know I should not be complaining.  I will have had over 14 weeks of maternity leave...that's amazing and I am so thankful for that, but I am still not ready to go back.  Thank goodness I am not going back full-time.  It's hard enough thinking about spending 16 hours a week away from little Nate.  What I will miss the most are our mornings cuddling and watching "Good morning America."  That is probably my favorite part of the day, even though it is at 6am!

Looking forward to returning to work has made me wonder how I am going to do it all.  I mean I already feel like I am not doing a good enough job being Nate's mom, Austin's wife and a friend to those I care about.  I feel that there are just not enough hours in the day to do all the things I feel I need to and be the woman I think I should be. I've had to stop reading Proverbs 31 because it is so darn depressing!  I've always wanted to be the Proverbs 31 woman, but I am not and trying to be drives me crazy!  (Although someone pointed Prov 31:15 out to me: "...she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls" So she must have had a little help.  I guess that makes me feel a little better).

I feel so inadequate because at the end of the day I look back on all the things that I didn't accomplish.  I feel like I didn't spend enough time with Nate, I didn't make lunch for Austin, I didn't make any Christmas gifts, I didn't go for a run...I didn't even shower!  What makes the feelings of inadequacy worse is the tendency I have to compare myself with others or with an unrealistic standard that I set for myself.  

I compare myself with the women out there who are taking their 3 month old to the library and reading to them, teaching them Latin and sign language (...you know, they say the sooner the better!).  I look at all the ladies that have blogs that I enjoy following (the blogs about living frugally and being a creative, loving, adventurous, homeschooling, bread-baking and Christmas-gift making, freshly showered and good-lookin', strong Christian mother and wife) and feel at once encouraged to try new things and discouraged at how I am not quite measuring up. 

I know it's not beneficial for me to be striving so hard to become the woman--the wife and mother--that I think I should be.  I want to be more focused on becoming the woman God wants me to be for my family and friends.  

And I think that starts with a shower (and maybe some make-up too!).

In other news, the house remains on the market and we are continuing to do open houses (this weekend will make 4 weekends of open houses in a row.  Our house has never been cleaner!).  Before the open house last weekend Austin and I (and little Nate too) spent a day decorating the house for Christmas.  Here are a few pictures of the final product:

...and the stockings are hung... (notice my craft project from last week--the window pane?  Not too bad if I do say so myself!)

Cozy Christmas Corner.  I can't leave my plants out to die, so I have to find room for them (and holiday them up) inside.

And the living room has more of a formal feel with navy blue, burgandy and silver and gold.

Now no post would be complete without a picture of Nate.  This is one that Austin took this morning. 

Showing off his muscles...

Modge Podge and craft night with Nate

With the holidays here, it's really hard to stick to a budget so I am trying my hand at some home-made decorations and gifts.  I did some research and picked out a few things that I would like to make.  Most of the items I decided on making are made with re-purposed items.  So with my "list" of junk I needed to find, I made a trip to Stuff Etc.

I was surprised by how much STUFF Stuff Etc has.  It was hard to navigate the aisles because it was so full.  And busy. I picked up my junk (or as much as I could find) and got home to get crafty.  Here are my frugal finds:

4 pane window frame with mirror

This one also had a mirror in it. 

And these gorgeous coasters for $0.99

Disclaimer: I am not a naturally crafty person. In fact I didn't even know modge podge was until a few days ago.  Now, I want to use modge podge on everything!  

This may change your life!

Disclaimer number 2: This is not a tutorial.  It's a before and after.  (If you want to know how to make these, let me know...I'll give you the details).  

The old coasters with a cute picture of my cute little Nate.  Adorable.  P.S. If this is your Christmas present, pretend to be surprised...

Not the best caption and I may be changing it a little.  I think I may change the ornaments a little and maybe add a few more embelishments...

Disclaimer number 3: I have to admit that I didn't make these all by myself.  I had help.  Please see below:

I can't figure out how to rotate it, but isn't he so cute?

Nate getting ready to help me paint the window pane frame.  He was an animal.  Going for it with two brushes!

But he got tired and Jag had to babysit:

Keepin' the Nater in line.

So the moral of this story is that Modge Podge is great! (But not near as great as my buddy and craft partner, Nate). 

Extreme couponing and a new family member?

Who knew couponing could be fun?

Really.

I've never watched "extreme couponing," and to be quite honest, in the past I have gotten annoyed when the lady in front of me at the check-out line has some forty coupons and requests "price matches" from ads from other stores. (By the way, Walmart in Marion does that).  I get especially annoyed when the cashier and lady in front of me get into an argument about prices or the fact that she can only use a certain number of the same coupons in one visit.  It's even worse when I'm crunched for time, or when my sweet, precious Nater starts to get fussy.  <--Yes, that does happen.  My baby is just like yours; he cries.

But today I may have to join the couponers; I have experienced the "thrill" of saving money with coupons.  I saved a whole $2.40 with coupons on my weekly grocery budget, and probably about $20.00 more by grocery shopping at my least favorite store--Walmart.  I've found that when I go shopping with Nate I spend more money.  Partly because he's strapped to my body with the Baby Bjorn and I loose some range of motion necessary for strategic grocery shopping and partly because I am afraid if I take too long I will face the stares of all the other shoppers when Nate starts to cry.

To be honest, since Nate has been born I have not been very good at sticking to a budget.  There's cute clothes to get (he is almost out of his 6 month onesies, and he isn't even 3 months yet!) not to mention diapers, wipes and all the other baby necessities.  Also, I have been spending money on thing to make our house look cute for the open houses and then there is my desire to buy stylish clothes since I have not looked cute for the past 9 months.  (Who am I kidding...I wouldn't wear stylish clothes even if I had them.  I live in jeans and sweatshirts!)  But now that I am only going back to work part-time--16 hours a week--I need to do better about sticking to a budget.  So I am going to focus my next few posts on my journey to frugality.  We will see how this experiment goes.

But in other news, there is another male living in our house...our garage actually. (Although he is well-behaved enough that he gets supervised house privileges).  Here is Jag, our "trial dog:"

Jag, 5 months, looking at Austin (who is standing in the corner).  Jag has really taken a liking to Austin!

Jag and Austin.  Austin says it's strange being around a dog that doesn't need to be "tazed" in order to behave.  Just in case anyone is going to call the humane society on us, the tazer is an e-collar and it's not harmful. 

And just for fun, here is a picture of Nate from this morning while I was doing my quiet time.  Isn't he a cutie?