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I told Drama last night that we would go shopping to day, she has been ready since about 9:00. Some of my grandchildren love to window shop as much as their great grand mother, my mom; for me if I can’t buy, I do not care to shop BUT a promise is a promise.
Sometimes even when I could buy, shopping was a chore, if I was looking for a specific item.
My mom and SIL would shop all day and never buy anything but lunch—that trait is not in my blood.
I am not a good coupon shopper!! I either forget my coupons at home or use coupons on things that I really do not normally buy because I think it is a good deal. In my present situation, I need to learn to discipline myself and only use coupons that I need and when I clip them, put them in the coupon folder then put it in my wallet.
Home everything coupons would be a great place for me to start. I would not be tempted to clip every coupon just those that I really need for products that I do use.
As far as material items, my Christmas will be very poor. I am scrimping and trying to figure out how I can get the grandchildren a very small worthwhile gift. If I do find a way to buy them a gift, I want it to last longer than the time it will take them to open it.
During the very early summer, I did buy an item for each of them, less than $5., but it is an item of clothing (which we all need). I am hoping to buy them something that they say they want. Only time will tell.
All but the 2 youngest are very understanding and can give me a low priced item that they would like to have. Low price being around $10. Three of them have already said they understand that I may not get them anything.
We have almost finished the Christmas shopping. I am thinking that we will spend no more than $150.00, maybe less, and we will be finished.
A couple of Christmases in the past, DH has given me diamonds. There will be no diamonds this year and that is definitely OK!
Saturday night was a good shopping experience. I did not even want to go to town, thinking it would be bumper to bumper and elbow to elbow. We were shopping between 6:30 and 8, with very few people in the stores. I was happily surprised that I could walk without bumping into someone. The crowd was not even as many as are usually out on Saturday night.
I wanted to get DH a new recliner for Christmas but he said he needed something else, not knowing what I had in mind. Maybe I should save to get him a new recliner for his birthday. Time will tell.
DH and I made a run to Myrtle Beach today and did a little Christmas shopping. I got the rest of his gift. Ha! no surprise for him on this one. Also got gifts for our daughters, son-in-law, and one of the grandchildren. Also, got his mom’s gift. It is so nice to have that behind us.
I am expecting some disappointment this year. Usually we have gift after gift after gift for the children and grandchildren, it will not be like that this year. The children will not be disappointed but the younger grandchildren may be. Three of the grandchildren are always so appreciative of what we get for them. Their eyes tell the story.
I asked one of the little ones what they wanted for Christmas and he told me something that cost $2.50. I will not have a problem getting that but will also get him something else.
Glad that much is behind us, only have 8 more big gifts to buy before Christmas! I always pick up little things, this year maybe just 1 or 2 things, depending on the cost of the big item. Big item for the grandchildren about 25.00 or 30.00 or a combination to be about $40.00. Sounds cheap but when the facts are considered, it is not.
The main thing is to know WHY we celebrate Christmas and to know that we love them.
For no known reason, we take off for Myrtle Beach mid morning yesterday. With no particular plans for what we will do, off we go. Spidey Man is with us, so DH wants to take him to Broadway at the Beach for a few rides. While they do this, I shoe shop with no luck.
We then go back to Tanger Outlet and I finally hit pay dirt. I find myself 2 pairs of shoes retail value $120., I pay $50. Also at another store, I find the Spidey Man a pair of shoes. DH and I never know when the grandchildren are with us if we will decide to go places so those shoes are to stay here. The baby girls also have shoes here. Now I need to get Bat Man shoes. Those children are so rough on their play shoes. Stunt Man voiced the other day, when it was mentioned, he no longer cared to spend the night with us. Not those exact words but same meaning.
While we were out and about Spidey Man and I looked at wooden laminate flooring. Some of that stuff is so pretty to me. I like the medium to light shades. While we were looking at home repair items and fixtures, I did not see any glass tile. I do not think we will be using any of that as we remodel and redecorate.
OK, now I will just wait for the next outing!!
I have been good and bad in about a 3 hour time frame.
Good—took my MIL out to one of favorite places for lunch, that would be the Golden Corral. I had planned to take her to Lowes to get her some perennial purple verbena. I forgot all about going to Lowes until we were almost to Wal-mart. As good fortune would have it, we found the verbena at Wal-mart. I got her 2 containers of verbena and some potting soil. She said she did not need a pot. MIL has very little yard space for flowers, so she just puts them in pots and they thrive very well.
While at Wal-mart, I also got a few groceries, including ice cream and smoked pork chops for her. I will have several of the grandchildren this week-end (really not sure how many) so I got stew beef for one of our evening meals. I think we will have chicken and noodles one night and maybe rice and tomatoes on Sunday night. I also got the ingredients for monkey bread, some of it I already had on hand. I think I will make it in a few minutes or later tonight after we finish our supper of spare ribs and rice with cabbage.
Bad—bought 6 flowers for my yard. I have no idea where I am going to plant them DH will plant them for me.
I really do not know what the ones in the back are, they bloom all summer. That is what I need, more that bloom in the summer. The two on the left are partial sun, the others are full sun.
I have partial sun areas in the front yard but very little in the back yard. I like for all the flowers to be in the back. I spend very little time in the front.
I really hope that I am not in too much trouble when DH sees the flowers. I won’t be, he will just say where are you going to put those???
Today was pretty here, great temperatures, nice wind flow, a very nice day to be out. The children played outside almost all day, even the Diva was outside some.
Grandaddy took the 3 boys with him to town shortly after lunch and the 2 little girls had quiet time. During this time I was on the puter, worked some in the freezer room and Diva watched TV. When they came back the girls were just getting up, so we (all the females) went to Wal-mart.
After we got home from the Wal-mart trip, Spiderman wanted me to go outside and play games with him. I had previously bought a ball and paddle game. Weird–one side of the paddle is a regular paddle and the other side is filled with little suction cups that grab the ball. We played this about 30 minutes. Yay for me—a little exercise. During this time, the only other child that wanted my attention was Prissy and she was easily appeased. I did enjoy being out with them.
As always when I go shopping, I spend too much money. I did get 2 pairs of home shoes for only $10. That is much better than the one pair I was tempted to get for $25. I probably would have gotten those but the size that fit me was not comfortable on my left arch. I also bought jelly beans–Love me some jelly beans! Got other stuff too.
I kinda rambled in this post, didn’t I?
I am beginning to see more progress in the changing and re-decorating.
DH put together the desk for me yesterday and it is now in its permanent spot. Today, he moved the white pantry into the kitchen for me. We went shopping for odds and ends and I finally found a paper towel holder. It is not what I wanted but it will work and he put that up for me, after I put apple decals on the ends of it.
This pic shows we need to do some touch up painting. Molding will go over the white line at the back of the cabinet.
The old microwave stand is in place and an unassembled pantry is in DH,s truck. I can’t get 2 like I had planned because one would be about 2 inches over the heat duct. Maybe I can find one that only has one door instead of two, fitting into the available space. I have too much stuff!!!! I have filled the bottom of the old microwave stand with items that are rarely used. The white pantry has an area for the microwave. The bottom of the white pantry has staples and items often used, as well as the lids to my corning cookware.
Hopefully, I can soon say I am thru in the freezer room and the dungeon.
I am tired. I need to get up in the am and go to church.
Talked with Terminix yesterday and because the pest control contract at Mother’s is now in my name, I must be present for the first new contract visit. I tried to get permission to allow the tenant to sign the paperwork, but ‘no’, I have to be there in person when the actual work is done. I do not know how long it will take them to do whatever, it will be 2 hours travel time for me but will not necessite any additional travel insurance. This will really mess up a good day.
To make a not good situation into a better one, I will just travel over to the nearby town and get more apple “stuff” for my kitchen. I may even visit a classmate or a cousin.