Houston Handyman Refferal

Handyman Hill

If you need odd jobs around the house, I have a handyman referral.  If you need a fence built or anything else, please give Troy Hill a call. 832-585-4434.

I know his family personally, vouch for his high ethics and would trust him in my home.

Also, please note I get no compensation, free work or reduced rate work for this referral.  I am passing this info b/c I really like this family and want to share his name to help them and you.

Return of the daughters

While I was recovering from surgery last Friday, I watched several videos.  One was Return of the Daughters. I highly recommend this video.   My friend told me it might challenge me because it gives a path for our young adult daughters that is counter cultural.  Since I spent 16 plus years in the workforce, many would think I would be shocked by this video.  But the reverse it true.  I think, especially now, we are in an age where daughters need to be protected from the world and prepared for the world.  I am questioning the wisdom of sending our daughters away to college at age 18.  I’ve been thinking this for a while, but this video pretty much summarized my position.

The key is preparing our daughters for the world while they are at home – not making them weak naive young women who haven’t a clue of the world.  I have a doctorate degree, so ‘degrees’ are important to me.  However, we’ve become a society that loves ‘degrees’ but not necessarily education.  What does education really mean?   I am a lawyer, but am learning much more about our constitution and country’s founding in homeschooling than I did in law school.  So degrees do not equal education.  Degrees do not teach you to think.  They do, however, open doors and are still important.

We are trying to balance life learning with formal education.  We push the girls with academics, but want to push only to their capabilities.  And at home I want to push them to think about life.  For example, if you asked my two older girls for a decent price for fresh corn on the cob at the grocery store, they could tell you.  Recently they went to a nursing home with my mom’s church group and they were able to interact with the elderly.  Bethany even played the piano for the group.    Children having the ability to socialize with generations away from theirs is a needed skill in our day and age.   I want them to see the value in serving others and having good manners.

The hard part is not sheltering them so much that they become naive.  We have chosen to allow Bethany to read books that many in our circle would disapprove.  If she asks me a question about life, I give her a very real answer.  For example, she has noticed some of the Houston billboards for the clubs.   Since she asked, I explained exactly what goes on in these establishments.   Finding a balance with protection and preparation is a fine line and one that each family must determine.   If you’ve read my blog for long, you know I have extremely conservative tendencies.  However, we are surprisingly liberal in several areas in which I think religious society has set taboos not set by God.

We are far far far from perfect.  But this is the age to be counter cultural.  When you go down the road less traveled, you make mistakes.  But you don’t have to be perfect to change the world.  Just willing.

Family of 6 lives off $4 a week for food

This is an inspiring video on couponing.  It does not mention, however, how she gets her coupons.  I spend at least $5 a week on papers in order to get the coupon inserts.  In addition I subscribe to the grocery game.  If she has these added costs, I think the $4 per week is deceiving.  But even if she does have additional costs, she is a remarkable couponer.

surgery done

it went well.  thanks for all the notes.  short blog b/c only one hand will type

Carpal Tunnel Surgery Tomorrow

Tomorrow I have carpal tunnel surgery on my right wrist.  It has been bugging me for years.   I’m getting it done now b/c it will improve my life.  And as a side note, I don’t want to ask the govt for permission in a few years.  So might as well take care of it now.  It is expensive, but pay now or pay later.  And later it might be worse.

Next I go to the eye doctor and finally get new glasses.  I drive Dave crazy with all the lights on b/c my glasses are too weak.  When you’re a mom, you get everyone else to the doctor but just patch over your stuff and move on.

I’m getting a post ready for Frugal Friday.  I experimented with homemade frozen cookie dough and am excited about the results.  I’m also really considering you tube cooking videos.   Maybe I can give Foodnetwork a run for their money!  That would be fun.

Why I’m no longer addicted to Food Network

I used to be a food network junkie.  I recorded several shows and really enjoyed watching wonderful meals be prepared.  The last couple of years, however, I’ve almost stopped.  Looking back it was not a conscious decision but an evolution.  Either they changed or I changed.  I’m not sure and will let you be the judge.

I think a few years ago, I came away with more practical ideas.  Now it seems many of the shows have ingredients that are not in the frugal kitchen.  And they seem to constantly stress using quality ingredients.  How many times did I hear, use

• high quality extra extra extra virgin oil (real life – only evo if you can taste it)
• imported such / in / such cheese (real life:  kraft cheese you got with a coupon.)
• a rustic bread from your baker (real life:  If you get bread with oats on top, you splurged)
• organic meats (real life:  you shop at 9:30 when the clearance meat is out in abundance)
• wild salmon – not farm raised (real life:  you rarely buy Salmon b/c it is over $2 a pound – catfish is the fish of choice)
• fancy greens (like arugula) – (real life – your grocery store only sells romaine, butter, green & red leaf and iceburg)
• creme fresh instead of sour cream (real life – even I have never purchased creme fresh)
• fresh herbs (real life – only if you get them from your back yard)
• special salt from such / such sea (real life – special salt is mortons over the generic brand)
• real organic butter – (real life – a box 79 cent imperial margarine for baking and real butter saved for spreading on bread)
• eggs that you picked up from an organic farm (real life:  what ever is cheapest at the grocery store)
• chocolate imported from mars (real life:  getting nestle choc chips instead of the store brand )

If you’ve watched this network for long, then you know what I”m talking about.  One time I watched one of the guy chefs (not bobby flay but the one that looks like him)  make chicken broth.  He roasted an organic chicken, then boiled it.  After he was finished, he tossed the chicken.   I was yelling at the TV like guys do when watching a football game.   I do not know anyone who uses a whole chicken to make broth and then tosses the meat.  We roast a chicken, eat the chicken and then boil the bones for broth.

I’ve also noticed a political theme starting to run in their shows.  I have not enjoyed a Paula Deen show after she had on Jimmy Carter.  I have no problem watching a cooking show with a past President.  I’d even watch one with Michele and Obamma.  I respect the office.  But when Paula started drooling and expressing what a great man and how he had done wonderful things… again I’m yelling at the TV.  If I want to watch political spin, I’ll turn to CNN.

Then we have the social agenda.  I don’t mind watching non-traditonal family folks celebrating life together.  Some of my favorite neighbors choose lifestyles that don’t line up with mine.  That doesn’t mean I don’t love hanging out with them.   What I do hate is when it is put in a TV show with a social agenda.  When I watch Barefoot Contessa, it doesn’t bother me because she has a couple of guys over.  If my kids are in the room, it is not something that draws their attention.  However, their cake decorating show did a wedding cake.  The girls love making cakes so we were watching this.  And wouldn’t you know, it was two girls getting married.

Another reason I watched was for the quick fix and make ahead shows.  I really like Robin Miller.  But them more I watched, the more I saw how expensive it was to make these dishes.  For example, when she makes shrimp – it is jumbo shrimp prepared by the fish shop.  When I make shrimp, I got it at a rock bottom price which means it is smaller, with shell and frozen.  I have to defrost and prepare the shrimp.  So it is not a quick fix without the extra cost.  Quick fix can be really easy when you have no budget.

And let’s talk about cleavage for a minute.  I don’t watch a cooking show to see Giada’s breasts.  It grosses me out.  When ever she turns on a blender they zoom right into where she flips on the blender switch, which is about right around her chest area.  Yes, I know this is an accident.  I love her recipes, but am over the skimpy shirts that go down to her naval.

And I used to love Nagela Lawson.  This past weekend I watched her making chocolate dishes.  With all my bags of chocolate from the Kroger Mega Sale, I curled up ready to be educated on wonderful chocolate dishes.  The whole show was sexual innuendos.  It was over the top.  It was so distracting from what I was there to learn.  I love her accent and her cooking, but I don’t know if I can watch her again.

I wish there was a really good show that used frugal ingredients and stuck with cooking.  Food can be entertaining on its own – we don’t need the extra stuff.  But what they’re doing must drive up ratings.  Maybe I’ll start youtube videos one day.  Cooking with Kris.  We’d have to learn how to use our video camera first – now that is a whole store in itself.

Generations who do not know how to make do and cook

I read a good and interesting article about obesity increasing as people hit hard economic times.  You’d think that lower-income would be a loss in weight, but not in America.  We have so many high calories unhealthy food options that are actually less expensive than the good stuff.  Look at the price of a high sugar cereal and then look at a nice box of granola.  But I think this story goes deeper than short article the writer gave – granted had to be short for news publication.  So I’ll help the writer and elaborate on her thoughts.  And I’m sure many of you will help me in the comment section:)

“As the unemployment rate inches toward 10% and U.S. consumers continue to find themselves strapped for cash, many are turning to cheaper fare to better balance their budgets. That often means fast food and canned and frozen processed foods that are higher in fat and calories and are made with refined grains and sugars.  The result: More Americans are getting fatter and becoming more at risk of getting illnesses such as diabetes.”

The article listed several reasons:

• A Nation of Snackers – me:  yes we all know this
• Not from Scratch  -  me:  more on this below
• Better options:  article said to look for better options.  Think ahead, make a shopping list, buy in bulk, make it yourself, pack a lunch, and cut down on sugary drinks.

This is all common sense.  But it does not come second nature to a generation whose parents have taken them to McDonald’s, fed them fruit loops with a coke to wash it down and a frozen pizza for dinner with chips ahoy for dessert.  I feel sorry for this lost generation.  I’m guessing many, if not most, people in their 20s and 30s grew up in homes that did not practice the list in the “better option” category above.   Their parents had jobs and it Mom’s time was more valuable at the office making $100 / hour than cooking at home from scratch.  That may have been true for that family at that time, but what was not factored into the equation was the future fruit of homemaking skills.

Now this generation is facing an economic downturn like they’ve never experienced in their lifetime.  For many the seniors, they remember hard times and have better coping skills.  I’m theorizing that a larger segment of this population knows how to make do and cook from scratch.  For the most part, the younger generation has never been taught and never seen it in action.

So what can we do to help them?  I’ve mulled that over in my head and thought:  churches could offer cooking, sewing and life skills classes.  The seniors in the church could teach the younger generations how to get by on less.  It is one way to start bridging the generation gap within churches.  But I’m thinking those who need these skills would not show up in mass.  Maybe a few, but it is harder to get people excited about this stuff when they have not seen it lived out.  I didn’t start doing this until my late thirties, but I remember watching my Aunt Lelia (when I married she, age 80 plus, gave me a wedding gift – a bride’s magazine she had found in a dumpster), my grandparents and parents as a child.  That example has stayed with me as an adult and I was able to pull back on those experiences and transfer them into modern-day practices.

I think another thing we could do as a society is bring back home economics classes in our schools for GIRLS only and FHA or similar classes for boys.  I read a story from the original lady (Mrs Maggie) at hillbillyhousewife that stayed with me.  When she was a girl, she was really really poor.  She learned how to cook in home economics classes.  They were allowed to eat what they cooked at school, which was her only healthy meal of the day.  She learned to develop a taste for home cooked meals.  As a mother and wife she again experience tremendous financial hardship.  But she had the skills from her home economic classes to shop, meal plan and cook from scratch.  She put her ideas together on a web site that has been read by millions of readers.  Just a homemaking lady in the hills living in a small cabin has impacted many.  That changed my view of home economic classes.  Not all girls see this at home.  Since they are at school 8 plus hours a day – let them at least see it there.

Another thing we can do now for our children to prevent this once they are on their own is to help them to develop a taste for home cooked meals.  It is really hard to love a meat loaf and green beans after you’ve lived on chicken nuggets and queso / chips.  For those of us with the time and finances, we have that obligation and do our children a disservice when we neglect this area.

I could go on and on about this subject.  But gotta run today.  Enjoy your day and go cook from scratch!

 

Spiritual Preparedness for Bad Times

Disclaimer: I get into my Christian views in this blog post.  To my atheist and non-Christian friends – thanks for stopping by.  If you’re not interested in reading these views – please come again tomorrow.  And have a great day!

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Do you ever take a break from the news?  Or just hit delete to the political blogs you’ve signed up to receive?

I recently cut back my news intake about 75% for a short period.  Sometimes it gets to be too much.  There is so much bad news.  I just read that the cash for clunkers cost the taxpayer $24,000 per car.  Stuff like that really gets my blood boiling.  I think many American’s want to take the country back, but we’ll rolled so far down the hill it is very difficult, if not humanly impossible, to try to pull those on the roll back up the hill.  Gravity is going against us.   Healthcare is another example.  I think it is coming.  Then we have peak oil, water shortages, terrorism, war with Iran coming, wheat rust and the list goes on.  Why bother doing anything?  Because it is not in our nature to sit back and let our country be overtaken.  Even if it looks grim, we have a segment of society that still understands the consequences to socialism and too much government control.  We are not a roll over people.   I believe we’re headed for rough waters.

The problem is so big that I cannot solve it on my own strength.  Believe me, I’ve tried.  Taking steps to prepare for bad times is prudent and wise.  Being politically active it important.  Being an informed citizen is crucial.  But there are limits and there comes a point when it is out of our hands.  That is why it is important to fill my mind with things of God.  God created this world.  He is in control.  That does not mean I have easy sailing, promises of health or wealth.  It does mean that He is in control of anything that happens and events are moving to His ultimate plan.  We can either cheer Him or curse Him.

I just finished reading the biography of Corrie ten Boom to the girls.   She is a woman who lived in Holland during WWII and experienced the depravity of Nazis.  She was not prepared with beans, wheat berries, ammo, water barrels, band aids, etc. when the Germans took control of Holland.  She was prepared spiritually and God used her in a great way.    She lived in a concentration camp and shared the Gospel of Christ with many who had never heard.  She bloomed where planted and God kept her alive.  Her sister, however, died in the camp – but only after she had shared the Gospel with many as well.  There are no guarantees except Salvation to those who are called by the Lord.

I’ve also been studying Hezekiah – found in the Bible:  II Kings chapters 18 – 20. and II Chronicles chapters 29 – 32.  Hezekiah was a king that worshipped God and removed idols from his land.  He was a man who feared and worshiped God before the going got rough.  During his rule, Jerusalem was under seige by the Assyrians.   Hezekiah prayed to God and asked for protection.  God told Hezekiah, through a prophet, that he would save the city.  So Hezekiah did not surrender despite the insurmountable odds of losing a war with the Assyrians.   God was in control, Hezekiah was obedient and Jerusalem won without a fight through a miracle.  One night, 185,000 Assyrians unexpectedly died.  The next morning, bodies were everywhere and the remaining army left.   This is the same God we have today.  He is powerful and will do His will.

I’m not saying that America will have this same protection.  As a country we are not following God.  But as families and individuals we can follow Hezekiah’s example and remove idols from our lives and turn back to God.  Hezekiah prepared his people in a practical way also, which we can follow by modern-day prudent preparations for rough times.  There is a lot in this story that resonates with today.

Now I’m ready for the news and commentary again.  I might even try to fight City Hall again.  But if I take my eyes off Who is in control, it is very depressing.   We are in an exciting time to be alive.  It can be scary with all the bad news, but we know Who wins.

Family Integrated Church Conference

If you’re in the Houston area this weekend, my church is hosting a Family Integrated Church Conference.   Details here:

Topics include

• Writing a Mission/Vision Statement,
• What Do You Do With Singles?,
• FIC Principles in Traditional Structures,
• How to Plant Family Integrated Churches,
• Building Unity Through the Membership Process,
• Restoring Biblical Hospitality,
• Deacon Ministry,
• Worship in the FIC,
• Role of Elders in Church Reformation, and
• How to do Family Worship

Grocery Store loot – what a day

I’m one of those ladies who posts pictures of a good grocery store trip on the internet.  For those of you not into the couponing blogs, this may seem strange.  It is strange when I think about it.  When I first started coupon shopping and pantry stocking, I loved seeing these pictures.  It showed me what other women were doing.  It is also a competitive game.  My husband runs long distances and the sports blogs post about where they ran, their time and how they did it.  They post pics of them with their medal.  This is really no different.  Just in a weird kind of way.  So here it goes… drum roll please.

I spent $38.62.  Saved $127.31 or 70%.   I got 80 items averaging about 48 cents an items.  Here’s the loot:

Purchased:

• 25 cans of del monte tomatoes
• 6 cans of hormel chili
• 3 large bottles of heinz ketcup
• 1 16 oz daisy sour cream
• 6 tombstone pizzas
• 5 tuna packs
• 7 colgate toothpastes
• 2 boxes of quaker bars
• kleenex tissue
• 2 kotex
• 5 large bottles of Pace salsa
• 5 nestle white choc bits
• 3 smart boxes of butter
• 2 land o lakes spreadable butter
• 4 cans of carnation evap milk

To see other great shopping trips see:  http://www.southernsavers.com/ www.moneysavingmom.com.