1. I managed to get the house cleaned, the floors scrubbed, the laundry caught up and I started to implement a cleaning schedule. It works and I'm super happy with it so far!
2. I continued to take inventory of the pantry and have that much better of an idea of what I have in it.
3. I did not get any of my sewing goals done this last week, but have found that I didn't need to make some dish towels even with having to get rid of ratty ones due to the fact that keeping on top of laundry has made it so we always have clean dish towels. Definitely a secondary bonus to getting a cleaning schedule in place. The rest of the goals will hopefully get implemented this week, but the kids came down with colds, so we'll see how it goes.
4. I did make chocolate chip muffins, but still haven't gotten the granola made (this is HOPEFULLY on the list for tomorrow if the kids go to school). Instead of beignets I decided to make lemon poppyseed muffins instead using The Prudent Homemaker's recipe.The muffins are yummy, but I didn't grease my muffin tins well enough so some of them stuck on the bottom. Ah well, they still taste good (seen above).
5. I started to go through my cookbooks and started pulling the ones that I don't use, but I haven't finished that task.
And now onto this week's goals:
1. Accomplish some of the sewing goals from last week.I'm calling that good on the goal front for this week as the rest of the goals for the week are revolving around the "Bare Essentials Challenge" (finalizing lists and the like) I'm starting soon. I'll get more into that later in the week.
2. Finish pantry inventory. Take inventory of freezers to get a good idea of what I'm going to be living on for the next bit.
3. Make granola.
4. Finish going through cookbooks. Put aside ones I'm not using.
5. Go through son's clothing and pull any that are too small for him. Place aside to donate.
6. Clean up china cabinet and get it reorganized. Do the same with children's closets (some things fell in the earthquake last night. So tomorrow is clean up day).
7. Pray that my dentist appointment on Tuesday goes well (I have a cap that is coming loose and they want to do x-rays. I haven't been to the dentist in four years so I'm more than a little bit nervous about this since I can't afford to do much of anything).
How about you? Up to anything this week?
Chocolate chip muffins and lemon poppy seed muffins sound like good breakfast and lunch options. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteSounds like the cleaning regime is working well so far. That's always good. Hope the sick kids don't put a wrench in these plans and discourage your efforts. It will take a while for the new plan to become habit, so keeping motivated right now will pay off in the long run.
As for your dental appointment, I have my fingers and toes crossed that it is not too expensive to fix. I haven't had consistent dental care either, so I know what you mean. Good luck!
Hi, I found your blog thru Prudent Homemaker (who's blog I love btw) & I'm am amazed at all you accomplished last year on the money front when it sounds like you had a really rough year money wise. Do you by any chance have dental schools near by you? I know the nearest big city (under an hr away from me) will give either free cleanings or charge a small fee. They also sometimes do some other kinds of limited work too. I know they do this so the students can get lots of practice in before graduating. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteAlso (this is for curiosity sake only & if you do not wish to answer I understand) did your husband ever think about getting dentures instead of all the other work he had done? I ask only because it would of saved you thousands of dollars which I'm sure you already know :) I know my mother in law went that route years ago because the medicine she was on at that time ruined her teeth. She went that route because she had (and still does to this day) a very limited income.
I'm loving your blog & enjoy reading it. I actually went back & read everything you wrote to the very beginning lol I hope everything goes well at your dental app't & there are no surprises.
I don't mind answering. The husband and dentures was a sore spot with me for quite a while. When he went into his dental appointment to get his teeth fixed, I assumed we were on the same page about him getting dentures. Well, he heard $25,000 compared to the 41 to 50 thousand he'd been previously quoted and between that and his mom determinedly saying that dentures were evil, he out and out decided to get caps instead of dentures despite my opinions. It doesn't matter to me now, really. What's done is done. But, yeah, it was a lot more money.
DeleteAs for the dental school route, they do have cleanings around here cheap. My problem is that I was born with weak enamel on my teeth and started having to get massive fillings when I was about 12 years old. Those fillings are still there, getting loose on top of not having great enamel on my teeth. I take good care of what is left of my teeth (actually I haven't had to go in for a cleaning in years as the dentist was amazed that he couldn't scrape anything off my teeth they were so clean), but it's a losing battle.
I have had a couple of teeth that have been hurting me over the last year, but knew that I didn't have the money to fix them, so I'm worried I'm going to be hearing "multiple root canals" from the dentist. At which point I'm going to have to draw a hard line and tell him to remove the teeth as I don't have the money to spend 3000.00 dollars per tooth for root canals. And since the teeth that are bothering me are canines and more front teeth, I'm not looking forward to how the holes are going to look once it is done, but I don't see a lot of options :(.
How do you clean your teeth? I scrupulously brush and floss, yet always there's plenty to do at teeth cleanings. I would love any tips.
DeleteAlso, sometimes there are creative alternatives to root canals, depending. It sounds like maybe they could just take off the caps, clean well (and grind slightly if necessary), and then replace. I had a very sensitive tooth issue, and it turns out my gum had receded slightly but they could just seal the tooth (covered by insurance for kids, but not for adults...but since I don't have dental insurance, everything is out-of-pocket for me, so I always ask about ALL options, and sometimes they get a little creative). Wish you luck!
I think the reason my teeth are so clean, honestly, is that I just don't have tooth enamel for plaque to hold onto *laugh*. I brush twice a day and floss after meals, use a fluoride rinse and use hydrogen peroxide before I brush to help break up the plaque better. It seems to really work well and actually seems to help with the tooth sensitivity too.
DeleteHI Erika,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you all were effected by the earthquake - glad it wasn't anything major. Cleaning up is a pain but much preferred to actual damage!
As for teeth, ugh! My mom just had an implant done - they don't have dental insurance but over the long run it was the cheapest option for her. I don't really have much advice but talk to you dentist frankly about your money situation and they may be able to come up with a solution that is helpful. Do you have a health saving account? We found we could use our HSA for things like oral surgery, crownwork, etc. It depends on the HSA but if you have one it might be worth looking at either for your dental work or your husband's work.
We'll be praying for you this week!
Lea
We don't have a Health Savings Account, no. Wish we did, but it hasn't been in the cards for us. My husband's dentist in Anchorage can do dentures for about five thousand, which includes the cost of extracting the teeth, but that's not in the cards for a few years for me. So, I'm just trying to figure out how to get by with as little money paid out as possible, while still being able to chew food :).
DeleteI second that about telling the dentist flat outb you cant afford it. Most dentists have some sort of financial hardship work that they do for people for free. Whether is one day out of the year, stand in line, or, selected by the office as need. Talk to them, or call around other places and see what can be done. you might find a place wi)ing to do at least no interest and just pay whatever you can. I dont like the idea of you feeling unhappy with missing front teeth after spending that much on your family's teeth. Doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on doing just that. I'm actually still paying on a couple of caps I had to get four years ago through them. They have been wonderful about taking small payments every month the last three years interest free. What worries me at this point is that I've heard that they've gone completely Care Credit when you pay and I don't have much available on said Care Credit to use since we had to put the daughter's braces on it.
DeleteNow mind you, I came to the conclusion a LOOONNNNNGGG time ago that dentures were in my future. My teeth are just terrible like that. I'm just trying to figure out how to do it without not being able to chew food. Frustrating to say the least.