Thrifty Thursday: A Day Late, but Not a Dollar Short

Forgive me for my lack of Thrifty reporting on Thursday. This week has flown by. We have been blessed to have three showings of our home this week, and that, coupled with either George or myself being out every night this week, left me with less time to write.

But, however jammed packed the schedule seemed to be, I was still able to pull out my Thifty hat and wear it proudly.

One thing I will sorely miss about Chicago are the FREE MUSEUM DAYS!

Last Spring Break, I took the kids to several Chicago museums on the days where they welcomed the public for FREE. We visited the Chicago Historical Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. You can read further about our adventures, here.

On President's Day this year, I took the kids back to the Chicago Historical Museum, so they could meet President Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd, George Washington, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt. The day was wonderful, complete with an hour long discussion with President Lincoln and his wife who even fielded questions about current Illinois politics. I enjoyed how Abe showed confusion over any questions from the audience regarding his death. After all, he was still sitting there, wasn't he? It was great. Harper, especially, enjoyed the performance.

Yesterday, I took Zane on a date to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - one of our favorite spots. Thursday is free day. And if you get there right at 9:00 - you won't have to contend with parking. If you get there at 9:30, you WILL contend with parking and the place becomes strollerville. If you arrive around 10:30, once again parking because a dream, and the strollerville crowd begins to clear out a bit.

Zane enjoyed being "the scientist" and even had a special scientist walk. He showed me, the student, around the place. We had a small bite in the cafe, which serves organic food, and I was able to walk the museum with a cup of coffee - yes, that is important! Don't you know me?

Surprisingly, he showed absolutely NO interest in watching the water snakes during feeding time, but was quite interested in listening to frog and toad sounds (they have a GREAT exhibit on frogs and toads right now).

So, here is a list of a few FREE MUSEUM DAYS in Chicago.

Note: If you can't handle crowds, or children, you may not want to take advantage of the free days - you'll just end up complaining. No judgement here, I'm merely trying to save you from having a bad experience.

(This list is subject to change, and is just an offering. It is not a comprehensive list).

Monday

• The Chicago History Museum
• Chicago Children's Museum: Free admission on the first Monday of every month for kids 15 and younger (adults are not free). This will change to Sundays in May.
  

Tuesday

• Museum of Contemporary Art
• The Art Institute of Chicago has free days in February. Considering that it is now February 27 there is only one more day to take advantage of this. The schedule then returns to FREE evenings, after 5:00 pm on Thursdays.

Wednesday

• The Field Museum

Thursday

• Chicago Children's Museum: Free from5-8 on Thursday evenings.
• DuSable Museum of African American History
• Museum of Science and Industry

There are many others - some being free every day.

For a more comprehensive list, check out this site, but be sure to doublecheck with the actual museum.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Pittsburgh has to offer in terms of free museum days!!!

Blissfully Content

My personal contributions to Blissfully Domestic for the week can be found here, with a piece about teaching children respect for personal belongings, and here, a reflection on reading chapter books to young children.

This makes 5 posts in the month of February.

I am praying for a space in my new home that is all my own. A quiet, little room, (seriously, it could be a hole in the wall for all I care), where Mom can retreat to pray, write, keep my MK inventory/supplies, read, and even spread out my scrap booking gear. I've already visited Etsy to shop for terrific art work for the walls. I found the coolest print that says, "Write", and some fabulous small pieces of art that are pink (appropriate) and have to do with coffee (all the more appropriate).

Harper is praying for a front porch with a swing.

George wants space to garden.

Zane just wants to make sure that all his toys follow us to Beaver.

Me?

I want my own office. It can be tiny. But it needs a door. I figure, Harper and Zane get their own rooms, and George has an office at church, but Mommy? Mommy is never alone - except for Friday mornings. Friday mornings - when I try to cram an entire list of "must do's" and "just want to do's because I simply want to do them" into a span of an hour and a half.

Pray with me, ok?

And until we find it, keep reading.

Applause

Just had to give some props to my friend Jenn's brother, Jason Naumann, who just released the film, Jesus People: The Movie, an upcoming mockumentary, in which Hollywood believers spoof the evangelical subculture—and thus themselves.

I'm all for spoofing the evangelical subculture. No, no, no, I'm not being mean. Every culture leaves itself wide open for spoofing.

Jason happens to do spoof very well.

You can read up on Jesus People: The Movie at the official website here. Be sure to visit and watch the original webisodes which led to the feature film.

Also check out this article at ChristianityToday.com.

I am ALWAYS up for a good mockumentary. My favorite being Waiting for Guffman. Plus, I must admit that it has always been my dream to have a small role in a mocumentary. Both actors and writers refer to finding one's "voice". I think I could find my acting voice in mocumentary film. I think this is why I enjoy them so very much.

I've got a SAG membership just waiting to be reactivated, Jason . . .

No, really, this post is about YOU and YOUR film . . . not me.

Applause, applause, applause to the cast and crew. Looking forward to seeing the feature.

Thrifty Thursday: Counting the Cost

Well, it's been a month since our family ventured onto Timbercreek Farms for our weekly fill of organic vegetables and fruits.

So, I guess it's time to put my money where my mouth is. I've been shooting it off every Thursday, by sharing my creative ways for saving a buck in order in order to experience an industrious and prosperous life. Remember, I'm not at this to get rich. I do, however, want to experience freedom from the binds of financial stress.

I went back in time on good 'ole Quicken to see what we spent on groceries between 1-23-08 to 2-20-08. The total: $857. ARE YOU FREAKIN' SERIOUS???

Flash forward to 2009. From 1-23-08 to 2-20-08, I spent, drum roll please . . . $490!

Still, rather high, but at just around $114 a week, I'm certainly happier about it, than the $857 - for which I should have been eating steak. Good steak. Somehow, I don't remember purchasing any.

Now, too much gloating isn't good for the soul, so let me be honest and share that the $857 price tag probably included some diapers and household goods, that I failed to itemize. Zane isn't wearing diapers any longer, and I actually make a lot of household cleaners now, (baking soda and white vinegar can go a long way), so it makes sense that this number is ridiculously high.

I'm challenging myself to get that number under $400. That is my goal over these next 3o days. I'm not that person to buy canned veggie's and eat tons of rice and pasta, so I'm not expecting we'll be that family who can survive on $50 a week for groceries - but I do think that $80 a week is doable.

As for the waste I used to experience upon purchasing too much produce? Well, I must be honest, it has been difficult to get through all the leafy green goodness that comes to our door. We've had to get creative. And yet, unlike the past, I haven't found myself chucking an entire head of anything. Parts of a big leafy head which get all wilty (that's my own word) and sad? Yes. However, I am certainly not throwing away the amount of food that I used to.

Dare me to get that grocery bill even lower?
Where have you decreased costs over the last year?

Photo by Darren Hester

Full of Bliss

One post down.

Second post down.

Third post coming out tomorrow.

Fourth post pending review by my editor.

I could, or rather, AM, getting very used to this.

I try to submit at least two posts every week, which means I've gotten into the daily habit of writing. Writing. Every day. Plus, I currently have a list of ideas for future submissions which should keep me busy for a while.

I am mindful of saving each post on my backup drive, as these are the articles I will ultimately use to snag other writing gigs.

Anybody have a laptop they need to sell. Cheap?

Seriously, seeing my name in print (in lights) and seeing my work published makes me giddy. Give me this and some age-fighting skin care any day.

Once again, for those of you who are slow with math, I'll review the equation one more time:

Writing + Mary Kay = Joyful woman, wife, mother, and friend.

Sounds like bliss.

A Few Weekend Adventures

Watership Down.

The Shire.

Lonely Mountain.

Yep. We visited all of them this weekend.

No, I didn't actually read Watership Down to the kids.

Yes, I realize that goes against my rule. It's a long read. Sadly, I owned a first American edition of the book year's ago, but sold it upon finding out that I was pregnant and that children cost money.

So, last night, choosing to rebel against the rule, I checked out the animated feature documenting those rabbits and their search for a new warren.

Tonight, we hit The Shire. 10 points if you can sing the theme song to the animated feature of The Hobbit. Unlike our trip to Watership Down, this visit to Middle Earth came after finishing our journey through the book. Yes, tonight, we finished reading The Hobbit.

As we watched the film, Harper expressed her frustration over sections being left out. It was the perfect time to ask her,

"Harper, so which was better? The book or the movie?"

"The book."

"Ah! You are my child after all. Prince Caspian. Which was better? Book or movie?"

"The book, Mom."

"Yes! Despereux? Well, we know the answer to this one."

"Book."

We are reading/listening to The Indian in the Cupboard. I can't remember the film all that well, other than there being a "sh*&" in the dialogue. But, after watching The Goonies, a "sh*&" is nothing.

Zane adored The Hobbit. And now, after reading and watching the story, I think I have a better understanding of where he picked up the phrase "ancient writing". But a weekend of even the finest literature can freak out a 4 year old. For Watership Down's bunnies drew some serious animated blood, and who wants to sleep alone after meeting Golem, Goblins, and Smog?

"Daddy, will you snuggle with me? Sometimes I have bad dreams. But, I'm ok because Jesus is in the room with me."

George began to pray for him.

"Daddy, could you also ask Jesus to help me say the word I can't say very well?"

"What word is that, Zane?"

"I can't say it. I need help saying it."

So, he prayed.

The biggest laugh of the night came when George did a dead on impersonation of the singer of theme song to The Hobbit.

10 points. And just what song is that? (No googling allowed!)

Sacrifice

I wrote, quite recently, how my children, four year's apart, actually get along.

Sure, they have their daily tugs, pulls, pushes, and kicks. And there is the occasional bite. It happens.

And yet, truly, there is a deep love between the two of them.

Zane genuinely worries about Harper. He even expresses it. If we are in a store or a public place, and Harper lags behind, he demands, demands, that we stop and wait for her. He has a fear that she will somehow be left behind and that "we will lose her." Harper, in turn, knows that she really can not even tease him by hiding while we are out and about, for he'll break down into sobs if he thinks she has gone missing.

Harper feels her brother's physical pain and is brought to tears when he is hurt. There have been several instances when he has fallen, or cut himself, or bumped his head, where she is right there, by his side, wanting to help and console.

Today, however, she should have been awarded a medal.

They both had their annual pediatric check-ups today. During the appointment, Harper was given the option of getting her additional Chicken Pox booster right then, or making an additional appointment to do so. She opted to wait.

Zane, on the other hand, was due for two vaccinations. He wasn't given a choice. Today was the day. He was not happy.

Let me preface this next part by first describing our experience at Harper's check up last year. Last year, when overtaken with anxiety, she refused to remove her clothes and change into a gown or even have the Dr. or nurse check her. Last year, when she was so "glum and vacant", (the words we use to describe her disposition leading up to diagnosis), that she sat comatose during the entire appointment - other than during that anxiety-fueled freak-out moment over the gown and exam. Last year, when the Dr. communicated her concern, as this wasn't the Harper she had known since birth. Last year, before therapy and medication.

Contrast last year with today, when upon realizing how scared Zane was about getting his shots, Harper willingly chose to receive her booster, before him, so that her little brother wouldn't be the only one with a sore arm.

Dr. Goodman's face was in joyful shock over the radical change she saw in Harper from last year to today: the smiling, the joking, how she had returned to her old conversational self - and, most especially, this specific moment where she put her pain aside in order to help her brother cope with his. Even now, I am fighting back tears as I write. Not real successfully.

There was no hesitation on Harper's part when Dr. Goodman asked if she wouldn't mind getting her shot today so that her brother could see her bravery and courage.

There was no hesitation as she sat strong, anticipating the prick. She didn't make a sound other than to thank the nurse for the lollipop.

Zane went next. She was there, standing right in front of him saying, "Zane, you can do this. Don't look at your arm. Look at me. Focus on me and your lollipop."

Focus on me and your lollipop.

Zane said he never wants to return to "that place". Even the visit Dunkin' Donuts on the way home can't take away his sore arm.

But maybe, just maybe, his big sister can.

Photo by christian svanes