laughing at life

Perspective and a Bug’s Life

May 2, 2012

Twenty years from now, when my children are grown and I am consistently getting a full night’s sleep, I’m sure I’ll laugh to look back and see how often sleep (or lack of sleep!) seemed worthy of a blog post.

But, my kids aren’t grown and sleep still seems blog-worthy. Which means sleep will, once again, be the springboard for today’s post.

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Will skipped his nap most of last week but yesterday morning, he woke up bright and early. And tired. It was clear he would need (and take) a nap.

I greatly looked forward to a bit of quiet while the children napped.

But, just as I laid Will down for his nap, Meg (who shares a room with the big kids now) woke up extra early. I spent the next hour fruitlessly trying to get her back to sleep. Finally, I gave up.

I was frustrated. Really frustrated. My well-laid plans had been spoiled by events that really weren’t in my hands. My expectations were not filled. Now I didn’t get to enjoy that much-anticipated quiet that I thought I needed.

Though I knew it was silly (and sinful) to be upset over something so trivial, I kept struggling with anger.

Then I walked into the kitchen. Earlier, I had captured a bee-like insect in the bottom of a glass. Now it was on its back, struggling for air.

As the insect fought for life, I stood and watched him for a minute.

And it struck me just how small I am. The world does not revolve around me and my little needs and wants. Though a human’s lifespan is (thankfully) longer than an insects, it is still “like a vapor.” In the vast view of things, my life makes up about as much of the story as that little bug.

But, the glorious part is that, despite our smallness, we are not “like flies to wanton boys.” God Himself, in human flesh, laid down His life to save us!

With those thoughts in mind, it was hard to be upset about not getting a nap.

[Oh, and as a "thank you" to the bug for my attitude adjustment, he is now at loose in the great outdoors.]

Linked up at Encourage One Another, Homemaking Linkup, Women Living Well, Hearts 4 Home Thursdays, Proverbs 31 Thursday & Finer Things Friday

9 Energy-Saving Kitchen Tips

April 12, 2012

Do you ever have “duh” moments in the kitchen? I do.

My latest involved a should-be-obvious kitchen tip: Keep the lid on while your food is cooking.

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Earth-shattering, huh? For over a decade, I’ve happily cooked away while letting all that steam escape into the kitchen.

Now I’m scratching my head wondering why it took so long to grasp this simple time & money-saving tip! [Especially since Joshua has several times asked, "Don't you want the lid on that, babe?"]

No wonder my kitchen got so hot before!

Summer is right around the corner. Avoiding unnecessary heat in the kitchen is a big money (and comfort) saver. Here are a few other ideas:

Fill the grill. Grill dinner, but also grill the meats you’ll need for the coming week. (See Amy’s example here!)
Maximize the oven heat. If the oven has to be on, don’t just bake one item. Slip potatoes in while your bread is baking. Slide a couple loaves of quick bread for the freezer next to dinner, etc.
Leave the oven door shut until you need to open it. Once you’ve made a recipe and know how long it takes to cook in your oven, jot down exactly how many minutes it takes. That way next time you don’t have to check it multiple times (and spill hot air into the kitchen!)
Turn off the oven and let things finish baking while the oven cools. (Easy way to cook granola. Another brilliant idea from Amy! It must be hot in Texas, or something.)
Do the same thing with the stove.
Use the crockpot. If you can safely plug it in on the porch or in the garage, all the better!
Use the freezer: fry up a big batch of hamburger, double/triple dinner, etc. Freeze the extras
Plan ahead. Frozen food heats up much faster when it’s thawed…. especially if you don’t have a microwave.
….and don’t forget to put the lid on when you’re cooking!

What about you? How do you keep your kitchen a little less hot during the summer?

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(Grab code for the button from the sidebar)And now, join Jenn (from The Purposeful Mom) and me for our weekly Thrifty Thursday Blog Hop!

Posts about living frugally, thrifty tips and tricks, money-saving DIY projects and gardening, frugal recipes, and encouraging posts on financial stewardship are all welcome. Link up to either of our blogs–your post will be displayed in both places.

We’d be very grateful if you’d share only thrifty-themed posts. (Read full guidelines here)

Linked up at Homemaker by Choice, Consider the Lilies & Delight Thyself

Tagged with: laughing at life • thriftiness

How I Almost Let $5 Blot a Perfect Weekend

March 21, 2012

I am a penny-pincher. I like saving.

When I was little and was given candy, I chose a few morsels to enjoy and stashed the rest away for a later day.Years later my Omma told me that after we left her home for a holiday, she would find bags of candy hidden in “secret places” … that I had forgotten about.

While the dentist may approve that approach to candy, I failed to realize that sometimes being too much of a saver can keep you from enjoying and sharing what you do have.

When I grew older and money started to replace candy, I kept to my saving ways (though found forgotten stashes much less frequently!) Joshua is also frugal, but has helped me put frugality into its proper place. Thriftiness should be a tool, not an idol.

Now, for the story…

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How $5 nearly spoiled a perfect weekend

Last week was a busy one for Joshua. He put in long hours at work, leaving home early and getting back late. About halfway through the week he showed me a picture and asked, “Do you want to make these St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes together on Saturday?”

The kids overheard and couldn’t have been more enthusiastic in their response. Every day they asked, “Is it Saturday yet?”

Saturday finally arrived. Joshua had to work a few hours that morning and then it was cupcake-time. Before he left work, Joshua messaged me asking if we needed anything for the recipe.

“We don’t have any sour cream,” I said, “but we can substitue yogurt for it. And we have semi-sweet instead of bitter chocolate.”

“Want me to pick some up?”

“I don’t think we need it. What we have should work great,” I answered. “Up to you though.” [What I really meant was, I don't want you to get any.]

“I’ll pick some up,” he said.

While I waited for him to get home, I started to stew. Stopping by the store was delaying our afternoon. I’d already spent the grocery money for this week and these cupcakes were turning out to be much more expensive than I’d planned! Did Joshua not trust me that the substitutes would work?

Then Reason (“God’s viceroy”) slammed me in the head. “After Joshua put in long hours all week long to provide for you, are you really going to let a sour cream purchase make you upset? Are you going to ruin the fun family time by having a bad attitude over $5? If you really didn’t want him to pick it up, you should have said so! Is this the proper attitude of a godly wife?”

[Are you laughing? Me too!]

Thankfully, by the time Joshua arrived home, I’d realized the answer to all those questions was a resounding “NO!”

Instead of starting off our weekend together with a sulky wife, bewildered husband and disappointed children, we had a lovely time making cupcakes.* Then we spent the rest of the weekend together, reading, watching a movie, playing outside, worshipping and going horseback riding at a friend’s farm.

Maybe throwing a fit over $5 wouldn’t have ruined the entire weekend. I’m glad we didn’t have to find out.

While wisely stewarding your resources is wonderful, sometimes we can take thriftiness too far. God has “given us all things richly to enjoy.” Even a tub of sour cream.

*Joshua even told me “Just wanted to let you know that I was given unexpected cash. The money for this purchase isn’t coming out of your grocery budget.” Isn’t he wonderful? He knows his wife well!

Linked up at Encourage One Another, Homemaking Linkup, Women Living Well, Let’s be Honest, What We’re Learning, Hearts 4 Home Thursdays, Proverbs 31 Thursday, Finer Things Friday & Frugal Friday

Tagged with: laughing at life • marriage • our story • thriftiness

“Here Piggy! Here’s Mud.”

January 21, 2012

What is it about boys and mud? Mud seems to draw my little guy like a magnet.

It all start innocently enough. Will found a stick and a large puddle and started stirring. Knowing how much pigs love mud, he called them. “Here piggy! Here’s mud. Come play.”

I turned my back.