Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Shelby. Celebrating her first Thanksgiving.

Learn to Say No

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge – Day 1: Learn to Say No

If we want to say goodbye to survival mode, we need to make time for what really matters. This means we have to clear out the nonessential commitments. The fastest way to do this? Learn to say no.

Today’s Challenge
Sit down somewhere quiet and compose a to-do list for tomorrow. Include everything on your plate, from the moment you wake up until you go to bed. When you’re finished, force yourself to immediately eliminate three items from your list. Just cross them out.

This is not a mind trick to make you feel more productive than you really are. Instead, it’s a way to help you start learning to evaluate your activities and commitments. Choose three items and get rid of them.



You can sign up for the Challenge at the link in the picture.

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Ok, so I'm starting the Challenge, just like I told you I would on Monday. But I am modifying it a bit. I'm going to work on an item a week, instead of an item a day.

I've started two lists for the next few days: one for work and one for home. Some of the home list is on my weekly 5 For Five post.  I will make another home list for the weekend and then two more lists for early next week. I will keep you updated on how I do.

5 for Five - Nov 24

So what is 5 For Five? In the short form, it is 5 goals you want to achieve this week. Next week, I will report on my success (or failure). Jenn does a better job of explaining it here.

Here were last week's goals:
1. Read 10 newspapers. Nope.
2. Get Shelby's Christmas list together for the family. Yes! And I've provided them with the online links too!
3. Read some of the new book I am reviewing.  This has been most of my week, so I didn't get the newspapers read.  The book is Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine.  I wrote about it here.
4. Do something fun for me. I don't think I did this either.
5. Keep up with the paper clutter. I really didn't see any, so I must have kept up with it.

So this was not a good week at all!  Here's to next week and using some of the ideas from Crystal's book to help.


So what are the plans for next week?
1. Do Crystal's 7-Day Challenge
2. Finish reading the preview copy of the book.
3. Read 2 newspapers a day.
4. Finish decorating Shelby's room.
5. Write at least 3 more blog posts this week.


Anyone want to join me in making some goals? How did everyone do with their goals from last week? So what are you planning for this week? Feel free to post them below if you want.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

I am previewing a new book: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine



The book will be available to buy on January 21, but you can pre-order it now at the above link.  In addition, there is a 7-day Challenge to help start you start getting out of "Survival Mode"


I can tell you that the items in the 7-day challenge are in the book and are simple things to do.  Sign up for the 7-day challenge and you will get an email every day with that particular day's challenge.  Even if you don't want to do the challenge this week, save the emails are start them after Thanksgiving.

Dan's Photos

I made another book of photos of Dan.  This is from 18-24 months.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

Fundraiser Results

During the month of October, which is National Niemann-Pick Disease Awareness Month, I held two fundraisers.  I want to say a big Thank You to everyone who helped contribute to these.

The first was an online monetary donation at Dedicating Dollars.

The second was an Origami Owl fundraiser.

I had a wonderful turnout for the actual fundraiser and a bunch of people ordered items from the website. I think many people will be getting some wonderful Christmas presents! And from all the ordering, we had over $190 go for research.

I know there were others who sent donations directly to the NNPDF, either through checks in the mail or through online donations. For you, thank you too!

Remember at any time anyone can do a fundraiser - it doesn't just have to be in October.

Another good grocery trip

We all need to eat and we all need to get groceries.  There are a couple of stores that deliver, but I actually enjoy going grocery shopping.  Kind of weird, I know.

But I've had a few good weeks of grocery shopping.  I usually don't go shopping on Sunday because it is usually really, really crowded, but there were a few items on sale this week that I thought may be out of stock by the time I got there later in the week.

So off I went, with Shelby tucked into her Boba/Sleepy wrap and perfectly content to wander the store with me.  It wasn't as crowded as I expected, but it wasn't as empty as I'm used to.  In the end I saved about 50%.  Here is how I did it.

Whole chicken, cut up - $6.52 but had a $3 meat sale coupon on it because it had to be sold by tomorrow (straight into the freezer)
London Broil steak - $6.79 with a $3 meat sale coupon
Bottom Round stead - $10.96 with a $3 meat sale coupon
Hatfield Precooked Ham (3 lbs) - $9.99 on sale (dinner for that night)
Chicken thighs - $4.03 with a $2 meat sale coupon
Chicken drumsticks - $4.46 with a $2 meat sale coupon
Butterball turkey - $14.36 (on sale for $0.99/lb) used $3 coupon with crescent roll and mashed potato purchases
     3 Pillsbury crescent rolls - $2 each on sale with a coupon for $0.50/3 (doubled)
     2 Betty Crocker mashed potatoes - $0.97 each on sale with a coupon for $0.40/2 (doubled)
Pop up turkey timers $1.99 (great to have in the house and this time of year is the only time I can find them)
Yogi Woman's Nursing Tea $4.99 (impulse purchase)
Idahoan Mashed Potatoes - $2.69 with coupon for $1.69 = $1
6 Coffee-mate 32 oz coffee creamers - $2.50 each. Used $1.50/3 and $1/3 coupons
4 store brand 4oz can of mushroom pieces - $0.69 each
3 store brand 8oz can of mushroom pieces - $1.59 each
Kraft Recipe Makers (a meal starter) - $2.99 on sale. Used a digital store coupon for $1 off
Deli ham -$7.20 ($6.99/pound)
Deli American cheese - $5.19 ($4.99/pound)
     (This store allows you to make your deli "order" at a kiosk and then pick it up when it is ready.  It is amazing how many people I saw standing by the deli counter wondering who was next.  I ordered my ham and cheese and then went and did my shopping.  A text message told me it was done and I could pick it up.  So much easier!!!)
Friendly's French Vanilla ice cream - $1.99 on sale (used a store coupon for $1 off ice cream and pie)
    2 Mrs. Smith's Apple Pies - $1.99 each on sale. Used $1/1 and $0.75/1 (doubled)
3 Dole Salad Kits at $2.99 each - used $1 store salad coupon
Store brand potato chips - $2 used a $1.75 digital store coupon (yes chips for $0.25!)
Yams - $0.89 per pound - with coupon became $0.39 per pound
Orange tic tacs (impulse purchase) $3.19
Single bag of M&Ms (needed my chocolate fix) - on sale for $1.25

I used the $10.50 from my last shopping trip and a $6.00 coupon if the order was over $100.  When all was done, I paid $94.27 and saved $89.94!  I don't think this was too bad considering I got a bunch of meat (for which there are almost no coupons!)

I will also get $4.00 from SavingStar ($3.00 for the turkey, $0.50 for the crescent rolls and $0.50 for the mashed potatoes).