Sept 20th - 5 on Friday

The Good Life Blog 5 on Friday

I decided since I'm lacking inspiration for a good post I would do the 5 on Friday for the first time. My 5 on Friday will be 5 things from my week:

1. No School.......Due to storms my son had no school today. It threw me for a loop but he was able to stay at daycare all day. I'm grateful that he doesn't go to before/after care at school because they weren't open either due to power outage at the school. Now I need to take this as motivation to stock supplies in case this happens at our house!

2. Feeling congested.....Since I went on a field trip last Thursday at a State Park I have had a stuffy/runny nose and a cough. I am so ready to be done with it! I've tried sinus medicine, hot tea, running it off, and taking it easy but it doesn't seem to go away.

3. Boys Scouts..... My son joined as a Tiger and it is 6 times more expensive then the Girl Scouts. I hope he enjoys this for all the money we are spending. I'm looking forward to being part of this group but I still feel like an outsider at this point.

4.Favorite Pin of the week:

source: ZippyCart

I hate all the candy that can come with holidays, kicking it off is Halloween so why not reinvent healthy foods.

5.  Mother Daughter 5K

 

My daughter and I finish our first 5k together and it was my best time yet. We didn't win any age awards but my daughter was awesome for doing her first race and only having about 3-4 weeks to train.

Christmas Savings Club- Open a Savings Account

familybalancesheet.org

I was kinda nervous to open an online account. I'm a visual person, I like to drive by my bank and be able to go in to see a vault door, where I'm pretty sure they keep my money safe and sound until I'm ready to withdrawal   An online account seems like I'm pretending, or the money is floating like a holograph never in my grasp. But, alas, I did open a SmartPig account. You save for a goal and then at the end you can withdrawal and even can get a bonus percent if you put it on a gift card. I thought this was a good way to save for Christmas,  it will just take some fore thought and organizing to make sure I get the cards and money in time. So I have put $163 in the account for Feb and will have $63 put in every month on the 25th until I reach my goal of $629. I also think I'm going to put the tax refund that we received in a Sallie Mae online account. The SmartPig account is getting 1% APY and Sallie Mae is at .95% APY.

Here are some links I used to help make my decision:
Savings Account.com
Kiplinger
Money Talk News

Thanks to Family Balance Sheet for creating the monthly link up!

St. Patrick's Day

It was a sea of green today, as people packed the streets for the approximately 7 block parade.  In the middle of the route was a side street full of vendors to provide green beer, etc.  It was a low key Mardi Gras, with no boobs, but lots of beads.

I'm not sure about this guy, but I think he has been waiting for the perfect time to bust out this necklace to wear.

I couldn't believe how curly this girl got her hair.  I'm still not totally convinced it wasn't a wig.

There was real and fake leprechauns alike in the parade.

Some things were relevant to St. Patrick's Day, others I'm not so sure.

Of course there was beer represented.

Beards were dyed, as were some animal's fur.  I think I was in shock when I saw the green tinted dog, I wasn't able to take the picture to show.

And what would be St. Patrick's Day without a Uncle Sam in a green kilt.

Here are some links to St. Patrick's day fun:

St. Patrick's Day Rainbows

printables

recipes

17 fun things to do

Silhouette T-shirt project

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
~Irish Blessing 

Halloween

www.picnik.com

Earl May had a pumpkin festival today, which is always a good time.  They also had pumpkins for 3/$9 & 3/$7.  Then you could use the pant and paintbrushes they had on had to decorate.  It was fun to see the associates dressed up in costumes, as seen above.  They also had a guy in a banana suit watering the plants which was hilarious.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of that but I didn't want to seem creepy.  My plans for costumes this year is to buy since fabric is getting so expensive.  My daughter and I are going as Cleopatra and my son is going to be Green Lantern.  Never again will I buy him a costume early.  He keeps seeing more things he wants to be.  I can't wait to buy some on clearance after Halloween, because he does really love to dress up, but I can't afford to buy every costume.  So far today I spent $12 on a wig and $6 on pumpkins.  I still need to buy grocery for next week but I'm going to keep it more simple.

Sunday we also plan on going to the apple orchard, which will be a great time, since we have yet to go to one.  We always go to pumpkin patches but never an apple orchard.  Fall is a great time to just get out and enjoy the beauty of the changing of the leaves.  Have a great weekend!

Too Much Dust!

As I was starting to clean for company yesterday, I realized I had a lot more to clean then I first thought.  Once I started thinking about people coming over, some I don't know so well, I started to see my house through another view.  I have dust everywhere, and my fridge was dirty.  It took me a couple more hours but I think I had everything in decent condition.  We were outside most of the time, but I'm glad I cleaned the house. I have today off and I will be able to concentrate on whatever I what.  Not sure what I'll do, but it will be so relaxing.  After staying out late to watch a fireworks show with the kids, I feel like I have a hang over even though I didn't have any alcohol.

There is also a good deal in USA Weekend, found in the newspaper, with a decent deal on Oprah Magazine
.
12 issues for $1, plus a free tote.  Order online at: mytote.theoprahmag.com.

Happy 4th of July!

Fourth of July To Do List

I just had to take this picture!

So 4th of July has always been a special holiday for me.  When I was a kid, my grandparents lived in South Dakota, where fireworks are legal.  They also lived out in the country.  They had a split level house and the upper level had a balcony off of the living room looking out the front yard.  One year the family bought a bunch of fireworks and we had a spectacular personal show.  I wish I lived closer since I still have family in South Dakota, but we have started to form new 4th of July memories.  The city parade goes right by my house, which is great because we don't even have to go anywhere.  I have always had pictures in my head of inviting people over to BBQ and to have fun before the parade, but I have a fear of being a host.  This year my daughter will be in the parade so I have told people that they could always come by to get a good spot.  Being that we are early in the parade route you are guaranteed candy.  My sister is also coming over, with her neighbors, and then I also told my friend she could come over.  Now I'm getting a little nervous.  I really don't know how to pull this off.  So I am going to have hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, lemonaide, watermelon, fruit, and maybe potato salad (scroll down the link) if I can pull it off.

So today I need to:
finish putting clothes away
clean kitchen
30min pick up
wash the floors
go to Joanne Fabric's for a good scrapbook sale
price match at Target
Hy-Vee for 2 day 4th Sale
return pop cans
move containers to the basement from garage that were in the rummage sale

I'm sure there is more I need to do and the parade is on Sunday so I still have Saturday too.