 Cindy's DO-Log (Our Daily Adventures of DOing and Finances)
Our Cindy's Porch slogan for 2007 was so successful for our members (and myself) that we have decided to use the same one again for 2008.
DO away with debt in 2008!
Discovering the power of "DO instead of BUY" is going to make the biggest changes in your finances (and lifestyle). We all have so many wonderful things in our homes and lives - this is the year to use them, to enjoy them, to DO them. Think of the sports equipment, the crafting supplies, the games, the cooking tools, the stuff in your closets, the stuff in the garage, the stuff hidden away and stashed out of sight. You have paid for this stuff, you may as well use it!
To have a little fun with this, I have decided to start a 2008 "DO-LOG." I can't promise that I will write in it everyday, but I will keep you updated with some of the DO's our family has been DOing. Along the way, we plan on wiping out more of our debt! Feel free to send us your daily DO's (and don't be surprised if I post some of them on our DO-LOG.
Have a great, DO-ing kind of day!
Cindy
April 28, 2008 (Late at night) - It's Update Time!
I am live on the porch for the next few hours - check back for updates as we get Cindy's Porch ready for May!
Cindy
Update #1: Menu Plan For May is Live!!
Saving money at the grocery store starts with SHOPPING at home FIRST. Once you know what food is already in the fridge, freezer, and pantry then use your menu calendar to plan which meals to cook for the month (start with just a week if planning for an entire month feels a little daunting). All the printable forms are available in "Treasure on the Kitchen." Happy meal planning!
April 28, 2008 It's Done!
Here it is - my very finished weekend project. Yes, after a couple years of "planning" to stain the fence, I finally just went to the paint store, picked up some stain, and did it! DONE!
The honeysuckle bush is tucked into the garden along the fence behind the tulips. Once the tulips are done, this space is filled with petunias, chile peppers (my husband sneaks those in), onions (he sneaks those in too), lilies, and raspberries (one of my favorite summer fruits!).
And as a side note - something very special happened during the eight years since our fence was first stained.... My kids got bigger - and were able to help (they even wanted to LOL). So the staining went twice as fast as the first time. Happy puppy dance!
Cindy
April 17, 2008 Finally!
They finally put that little house out of its misery.
Occasionally I would walk by to see how it looked.
Over the years it had been falling apart.
The windows were broken, trash filled the lawn, and weeds now grew where flowers once stood.
I listened for family, but heard only the noise.
Of old scratchy commercials playing again and again.
The house, once filled with trust, love, and respect, looked empty instead.
I came back each spring to watch the magnolia bloom.
But someone had cut it, and it no longer grew.
I came back each fall to watch the harvest of autumn.
But the garden was bare, no fruit in the trees.
You see, I helped build this house many years back.
And it broke my heart to see how sad and awful it looked.
And finally, oh happy day, they put that little house out of its misery.
It is totally wiped out, bulldozed to the ground.
Not a thing remains from when I lived inside.
Looks like a new business - a shopping mall will be built there instead.
And yet in the distance in a far pasture I spy, the old big hog lie-ing alone in the heap.
I feel sorry for those committed to feed her - it is too hard on the soul.
But to the little house, bonsoir dear old friend - and thank-you! I no longer need to drop by.
April 14, 2008 We're Live on the Porch
After reading a report that says the average family of four spends over $900 per month on groceries, I decided to see if we could do it for less. So I am building a mini-online grocery store.... Check back in a bit and I will post a link....
Cindy
April 10, 2008 Murphy Came By - But Sophie was already here! Whew! (sort of)
It's just not a good idea to procrastinate on certain things - BUYing YES, but get stuff done, NO! I am sooooo glad that I tackled that pile of papers yesterday. Hidden amongst the pile was a large invoice that I needed to complete. It took longer than it should have because a lot of the data I needed to finish it was hidden inside several emails. Well yesterday, I took the time to find those emails, print them out, and DO the invoice. Whew!
This morning, Murphy dropped into my home! I turned on my email computer (I use an old laptop for emails - to keep emails away from my "working" files on my newer laptop) only to discover that my emails have been completely wiped out. In fact, it looks like the entire computer has been "reset" - lots of stuff has gone missing.... C'est la vie!
Here's hoping that my husband can restore the computer from the backup when he returns from his business trip tonight... (He's going to be thrilled LOL).
On the bright side - Sophie (Murphy's twin sister who brings in a little sunshine behind her brother) has already been here! Fortunately I finished what I needed yesterday - so the missing emails are not too much of a bother - mostly an inconvenience. At least I don't have to worry about cleaning out old email messages - LOL - it's been done already.
So, if you have been putting something off - then learn a lesson from me - DO it now, because you never know when Murphy will drop in.
Cindy
April 9, 2008 A Pile of Papers.....
There is nothing quite as intimidating as a neglected pile of papers. I have a stack about one inch thick sitting on my work table just begging me to DO something with it. I know there are a couple "problem" papers in there that need a little more attention than normal, plus some filing, probably some trash, and a couple invoices to process (I really don't like doing invoices - sheesk!). These piles are notorious! They grow, they party with the dust bunnies, they multiply, and they weigh us down with their "not-taken-care-of-ness". And these piles cost us money. Missing bills, hidden forms, lost checks, and who knows what else. So if you have an "inbox" that is more like a storage box, or an "outbox" that hasn't been "outed" in ages, or a simple pile like mine - threatening to move onto the floor.... then you are not alone!
Today is the day - I am giving myself ONE hour - by the end of the hour - only a shadow will remain where the papers once stood. Catch you later.
Cindy
April 2, 2008 "Walking In Wonder" Photos Have Returned
Now that spring has arrived and most of the snow has disappeared, I can start walking again. Yes, I've been snow shoeing several times over the winter, but walking is my favorite. My feet can take me up, down, and into the most incredible places. When I bring my camera, I can bring those places to you.
My apologies for neglecting Walking in Wonder for so many weeks, but I am thrilled to announce - we are back. Just click on the photo of me walking on the home page for a new photo. You never know what my camera "eye" will capture.
I've read that a 30 minute walk everyday does wonders for a person's health. It doesn't matter whether one walks in their own neighborhood, in the hills, or along the beach. Just walk. Grab the dog, your spouse, a neighbor, or the kids. We're "Walking in Wonder" at Cindy's Porch. It doesn't cost a dime.
Have a great Wednesday!
Cindy
April 1, 2008 We're Updating the Porch Today!
When you look - right at home - what nature has planted in your own backyard - you will be amazed. These little yellow beauties (Sagebrush buttercup) are sunning themselves throughout the hills in our area. They will only be here for a few more days and then it is onto the next wildflowers.
Good morning. It is 6:00 am at my house right now. I'm sitting here in my pajamas getting ready for a full day's contact on Cindy's Porch. We have MANY new exciting things to add to our website for the month of April. So keep looking. I will add the links to the new pages right here (I always update the home page last).
Shhhhh - catch you in a bit.
Cindy
Update #1: Plan Your Meals for April!
If you have never planned your meals before - you are going to be pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it is. Just start with one week at a time. Remember, SHOP at home FIRST - use up the foods that you have already paid for!
Breakfast is done, the kitchen is cleaned up and we have updated the meal planning calendar for April on Cindy's Porch. You can find it and all the Inventory Pages (plus our printable shopping list) in Treasures in the Kitchen.
And now, I need to get out of my pajamas so I look like I am ready for the day. Be back in a few minutes!
Cindy
Update #2: April's Goals
There is something messy about updating the home page while people are watching. You are going to have to be patient with me - I tackle this one step at a time. I've wiped out March's Goals - and will be adding April's soon. I hope you are ready for a challenge.... Big Smile!
Cindy
Update #3: Whew! Two Goals are Posted - and Now it is time for Lunch!
There is nothing like a day of programming to work up an appetite! I have a choice - hop into the van and spend $6.00 on a quick burger and soda (plus the gas), or go SHOPPING at home FIRST. Answer - let's see what's in the fridge. Hmmmm - leftover turkey, some fresh veggies from last night, a green onion, and mayonaise - everything I need for an instant WRAP! Chop the veggies and turkey - add a spoon of mayonaise, a dash of pepper and one whole wheat wrap. Delicious! On the side, a quick fruit salad (I saved some from the kid's school lunches this morning), a piece of banana bread (made by my daughter) and a glass of milk and I am set for the afternoon. Total cost - hmmmmm - about 75 cents (already paid for).
Here's a hint - if your kids don't like wraps because of all the stuffing falling out of both ends, cut the wrap into a few rolls, call them "pin wheels" and it is like a brand new meal! My kids even said their friends at school have been "eyeing" up their pinwheels LOL.
In case you haven't guessed it, we are tackling lunches this weekend. No more fast food drive through tummy stash clutter! Blech! We've all got good foods in our homes, we just have to eat it. Now, off to lunch. Be back later for the last two goals of the month!
Cindy
Many hours later... and I think I am almost ready....
April Savings Bring May Dollars! We've brought back our infamous April - "How Low Can You Go" challenge. This is a blast! There are treasures in your spending habits just waiting to be discovered - and THIS is the month to discover it.
We officially start tomorrow - watch your inbox!
And now, after many hours hunkered in front of the computer - I have a couple errands to run. Have a great day!
Cindy
March 18, 2008 Spring is in the Air!
I am such a huge fan of being outside. Occasionally I get into the BAD habit of slothing about the home. I can always find things to DO around the house, but after a couple days, I can honestly say I start to get a little owly (just a little LOL) and I need to get back outside. To nurse a new cold that I seem to be catching (what is with these colds this year!!??) I decided to forgo a snow shoe stomp yesterday. BIG MISTAKE!! After the warm weather we had today, I wish I would have gone. However, all was not lost. Last night, my neighborhood stomping partner called me up for an evening walk. I was off the couch in two seconds!! What an awesome walk. It was the first neighborhood stomp of the season (we wear safety vests so the cars can see us at night). The weather was perfect. We walked, walked, and then walked some more. It felt fantastic. I came home feeling better than I had all day long!
Today was another day outside. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots of the crocuses blooming at my parent's home. Yup, spring is almost here!
March 15, 2008 We're Live on the Porch Today!
We've got lots to share and lots to DO. Check back during the day to see what we are up to.
Cindy
Update #1: Tackling a Teenager's Bedroom - YIKES!
This morning, my daughter lost something she's been working very hard on. She needed it this morning. She had it this morning. We all saw it this morning. And then, in her haste to get ready to leave for school, she "put is someplace." We searched for nearly half an hour and couldn't find it. I promised her I would keep looking for it while she was at school. That meant going into her bedroom. (Insert the theme from Jaws here - du da - du da....)
Our kids clean their own rooms. And I am not too picky about it. So long as laundry gets washed before it begins to do a jig in the corner, paper piles are not relocating out into the hallway, there are no dirty dishes, and I can walk safely to the bed to tuck them in at night, I am happy. But every once in a while, a bedroom needs a deep clean (espcially when something is lost).
A few tricks to helping your kids maintain their rooms:
- KEEP THE CLUTTER OUT!! There isn't much in our children's bedrooms. A bed (with nothing under it - that keeps the monsters away at night - or so we told them when they were really small), a desk for homework, a chair for the desk, a compfy-curl-up-in- and-read-a great-book chair, a rabbit hutch (in one room) - the hamster cage is gone now - whew!, and a few favorite toys and/or hobbies that the kids love AND USE! There are no TV's, computers, piles of stuffies, piles of old toys, piles of outgrown clothes, or piles of anything that takes away their space to be creative and to rest.
- Teach the kids about the NOT-ME FIVE. We always start by hauling out the laundry (and with three girls - laundry is a key issue LOL). Then comes the dirty dishes (they aren't supposed to eat in their rooms, but somehow, our dishes always grow legs and find their way into their desks!). After that, we clear out the trash. By now the room is starting to look a lot better.
- Don't allow your kids to accumulate papers in their bedrooms. Kids, school, and paperwork all go hand in hand. We have a file for special creations - stories, artwork, grades, etc that we want to keep. We also have an envelope which we load up with "grandma pictures or letters" to send to grandma once it gets full. Almost everything else is put into the recycle bag.
- The last NOT-ME FIVE is a biggie. "Other Stuff" This is where a parent can wreck a child's bedroom - by BUYing too much "OTHER STUFF." Keep the toys and other clutter to a minumum. If a child has outgrown something or lost interest in something - out it goes. Often I will pack older activities into a container - to be rediscovered several months later during one of those, "Mom, I'm bored" moments.
- Everyonce in a while - be a supermom (this happens a couple times a year for me LOL) and shovel out their rooms and help them discover a place they love.
So my oldest daughter's room looks stunning, but unfortunately - no project. Onto the next room!
Cindy
Update #2: What We DID for Four Hours on Sunday....
Snowshoeing - where we have never snow-shoed before.... Fortunately, our guide (in much better shape than I) led us through the trees, the meadows, the marshes, the hills, and finally back to the parking lot - safe and sound. We were the only "big-foots" in the forest that day LOL!
One of the best DO's a person can DO is get out there and meet new people. Getting outside to enjoy the company is even better! (and it doesn't cost a dime).
And here was a bonus - tucked way up high in a meadow near a marsh, a true sign of spring - pussy willows! Gorgeous!
Hee hee, break over - back to the tar pit. I have three bathrooms to pamper for the weekend. Where's the scrub brush?
Cindy
March 3, 2008 (late): Whew! It's Done!
Ever felt like you were so far behind that there was no point in even trying to catch up? For the past few weeks, through a haze of blurred vision, lost voice, and massive cold-infested body, I have watched piles of paperwork multiply on my desk. In these piles were checks, bills, invoices to be written, and other correspondance. Finally, last week - my cold went onto greener pastures (that would be my husband LOL), and I was able to start catching up. YIKES!!
I was so far behind that I was considering the "ostrich syndrome" - sticking my head so far in the sand that hopefully those piles would disappear all on their own. Yeah right. These piles are very fertile! They kept multiplying. Kids' signup sheets, junk mail, newsletters, and my husband's work correspondance somehow found their way onto my desk. It was time to nip this thing in the bud - no matter how EMBARRASSING it was going to be to admit to clients how far behind I was.
I started with the piles - sorting them into some kind of a meaningfull mess. Two huge leaning towers of papers - were reformated into six piles of DO!
- Recycle - toss the papers that are not important
- Bills - pay the bills first - other people are counting on their money to pay their own employees - we have no right to keep businesses waiting for payments. (Whew! Fortunately, none of my bills were overdue!)
- School newsletters - READ, mark up the calendar, sign the forms, and then file away (I have learned my lesson NOT to ignore the school newsletters - there is nothing worse than sending your child to school - only to discover THAT'S the day they need lunch for an all day school trip!)
- Important Looking Papers and Forms - deal with the government's requests, forms, etc - again BEFORE you miss an important deadline - those late fees can be very expensive! I have payments/forms due March 11 and 15th - both are marked on my calendar in BIG LETTERS!
- Invoices - If I don't get paid, then my staff won't get paid. How embarrassing it is to reach March 3 and be sending out January's invoices. Fortunately, most of my clients know I have been sick, so they are expecting their invoices to be late. Those invoices were today's project. And I am DOING the PUPPY DANCE - after six hours at my desk, they are done and IN the MAIL!! (Complete with an apology note).
- Least important Papers - I haven't looked at them yet. Now that I have done all the rest of my list - I have the last pile of papers on my To DO List for Tuesday. Then I am caught up again! WAHOO! (and probably more than you wanted to know LOL).
The point is, "life" happens to all of us. Occasionally we fall behind. The worst thing a person can do is let "being behind" STOP them from "finishing off". Make your DO List and start DOING one step at a time. And then celebrate!
Totally off-topic: I had to share a couple photos of my new neice and nephew. Yes, my brother and his wife are the proud owners of eight new legs, two waggly tails, and a couple hundred, razor-sharp puppy teeth in their home. This is the gal - Siren.
This is both of them - spending their first day together curled up (no they are not brother and sister - they just met last Friday). The guy - with the brown spots - is Turbo (I love that name LOL). My brother reports that they are currently living in "controlled mayhem." He has already sacrificed the letter "w" from his keyboard to one of the pups (he saved the letter from the pup - but it sticks nowwwwwwww on his computer - hee hee). How much fun are new puppies!
And on a last note - on a very late Monday night: There is nothing like being sick and out of the loop for so long to really make a person value their health. I just had a cold (or two or three right after each other - sheesk!) - but this week, now that I am better again - I am truly appreciating my dry nose, the ability to take a deep breath, and my rediscovered energy! One's health is definately not something to take advantage of!
Take care of you,
Cindy
Looking for the Previous DO-LOG Entries? Click Here.
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