Day 3

$ Spent today: 0.00

1 Frugal thing I did today:  Made biscotti as a host gift  

1 Minimalist thing I did today: Cancelled a ton of catalogs I get in the mail

Well, I was going to make my turkey today, since I was not home yesterday. I like to have my own turkey dinner leftovers. But I been busy baking all morning making 2 kinds of biscotti! It is going to be my hostess gift for Ursula when I go visit today. I am so excited because they turned out very nice. I made chocolate and regular biscotti and will fill up the glass container I minimized out of the house on Day 1.

Remember my poor planning? Well, I had just enough butter to make the biscotti and to make my stuffing. I have decided to make my turkey tomorrow (Saturday) when I am home all day to do nothing. So I have just a touch of butter left until my next shopping day. I think I will be good. Oh, I just thought of mashed potatoes. Well, live and learn. I will remember this for when I make my Christmas dinner. I don’t know if I will do turkey again. Ham. I think I would like to do a ham. Then I can do split pea soup! Now that is frugal!

Every day I get tons of catalogs. Some and I would say ¼ of them I requested myself. And the catalog mailing lists in the sky got my name and address and said, oh she might like this catalog TOO, lets send it. Some where similar and some were out right insulting. BIG WOMEN catalogs. Come on! So I started looking each one up on the internet and on the website I found a spot to tell them to stop sending me the catalog. I had to call Pottery Barn and ask. OH that hurt. So now, every time I get some odd catalog, I find them on the internet and request they stop sending me their stuff. I don’t need it. It wastes paper. I don’t need to look and want to shop or feel inadequate because I don’t own a faux fur rug in front of the fireplace, or turquoise jewelry to wear while sitting on a rock in Sedona.

I don’t have much to say today. I had a most wonderful time with my brother’s family yesterday. He really did it right. He has a beautiful family with kids that really love each other. He has so many years of memories and traditions. It hurts my heart that I did not do the same. I don’t know what is wrong with me that I could not do that. I mean heavy hurt. But there is nothing I can do about that now. I was wrong. I did not do it right. I cannot be negative and I must keep going on and do the best I can with what I have left of my life now. God has certainly spoiled me in many ways. If I listen to some of my spiritual books and podcasts, they say I chose this life before I was even born. I am sorry but I don’t really think I would have chose this. But it is what I have and I must live my best life.

I am so proud of my biscotti’s!!!!!  

Day 2

$ Spent today: 0.00

1 Frugal thing I did today:  BYOB

1 Minimalist thing I did today: Downsized my make up jar

Happy Thanksgiving! The day of giving thanks. I am thankful that God Spoils me every day! So for my frugal thing today, remember my poor planning? Well that will be a theme for the next few days, as I have things planned for this long weekend. I just didn’t plan my shopping list very well. But It is a holiday weekend so I will let it slide. I am going to my niece’s home for dinner to be with my brother’s family. I was almost going to spend some money to buy Perrier’s for me to drink. BYOB, bring your own beverage. But instead, my SECOND most favorite thing besides coffee is herbal teas! I collect them! That’s just a fancy word for saying I buy too many boxes of herbal tea because they look different, cool and interesting. So I have my purse packed with a ton o tea bags for today and tomorrow when I visit! I only buy the organic good stuff. I found a list years ago of the healthiest good teas to buy. The bag is also important. So I buy Yogi, Stash, Traditional Medicinals and Numi.  I have a couple that are not on the list like Constant Comment and Sleepy Time and Bigelow Spearmint because I just love them. So I think that was a pretty good Frugal.

So I woke up this morning and during my coffee time, I immediately re-tweaked my budget 2 week menu and Budget shopping list. I felt last night that I needed to be more healthy. So I substituted a big salad and greens instead of pasta’s and breads. A few other items as well, but I think the tweaking will not be a big change in dollars. Maybe up a tad but hey I need to be healthy. And that is where the herbal tea also ties in. I am allowed to buy 1 new box a shopping trip. As compared to my 2 or three. Because herbal tea is going to be my GO TO when I want to munch on unhealthy snacks. No more caramel corn or Fritos. Swiss Rolls are my downfall, my coworker Mike and I would buy them by the box on Amazon. I have forgone my Milk duds and Swedish fish fetish a year ago. Yes I used to eat all that crap. Baby steps.

My minimalist thing I did today. I was getting ready to head out and putting on my make up. I did downsize my make up a ton ages ago. Threw out so much stuff I bought on a whim at TJ MAXX. Since I work from home I don’t wear a lot of make up any more. Now that I am 60, even less, when I leave the house its just a few things. So I have 3 places where I store make up right now. The stuff I downsized but not ready to part with are in a big make up bag in the cupboard. New eyeshadows and mascaras that I can use once the ones I have run out. Then I have a bag of makeup I used to use every day lets say when I went into the office, a lot of Bare Minerals stuff, eye shadows etc. That is in the medicine cabinet. And then out on my bathroom counter I have the basic stuff I would wear every day just to look normal. A base that I barely put on. Just sponge a hair of it on to make my skin even, mascara, eye shadow, eyebrow stuff, lipstick that I use as blush too. Well, I just noticed I told you ALL that just to tell you  what I did downsize – was a little glass I have where I put my eyebrow pencils, brushes, lip liners. Well THAT is what I downsized to 1 eye brow pencil, 1 lip liner. I had too many make up brushes in there that I never used. And now as I write this it looks like I have more makeup to minimize. But hey that’s all part of the game!

Happy Thanksgiving and don't you DARE go Black Friday shopping today. You don't need it!!!

Day 1

$ Spent today: 0.00

1 Frugal thing I did today:   Using powdered creamer

1 Minimalist thing I did today: Cleaned out a glass cannister for a hostess gift

So here I am on day 1 and I found out I am a terrible planner. Or forgetful. It’s the first day of my fabulous 5 day weekend! What is my most favorite thing to do? Drink coffee in the mornings at my  kitchen nook and watch the sunrise. Coffee makes me get out of bed. Well, as I went to get my creamer out of the fridge, I realized; I forgot to buy my usual  2 organic half and half creamers! Although, creamer is on my budget list. I am going to stick to my guns and try not to spend a cent. I have powdered creamer just for these types of emergencies and for camping. So its powdered creamer until next budget shop.

This morning my cousin Ursula invited me over to her house on Friday. Old anti-social Cyndie would not have gone. But I am ecstatic to go and spend time with ----- MY FAMILY! Its what I want, Its what I asked God for. So its not on my terms and they did not show up on my doorstep how I always wish.  I cant always having things on MY terms. I love my family and I am going.

So of course I do not want to go empty handed. I thought of a lovely idea. So to minimize my home I have really cleaned and washed out a beautiful glass cannister to use as a hostess gift. I no longer need it and its just taking up space. What I do with it will be part of my Day 3. More to come.

The next 2 days are crucial. 1. I will be leaving the house and that always gives me the urge to drink for some reason. 2. I will be with family and what is our main hobby? Drinking. My niece already spoke of mimosas at 11. I did let Ursula know I don’t drink. I know both my brother’s and Ursula’s family will certainly not pressure me once I state I do not drink. It is me. I am not worried I will. Not at all. I  will just have to “be” with my family and “sit” will all the feelings. With no alcohol buzz to numb the “whatever”. That will be interesting. I just never been around my family sober before. Especially Ursula, she is like my sister. My drinking sister. We are like 2 peas in a pod. I have some of the best cherished memories with her, unfortunately we were extremely inebriated for them all. And I am not saying being with my family is an issue. Or unhealthy. It is me. I have an issue being close to anyone. If I get too close I put up walls or sabotage it any way I can.  I don’t think God is testing me. I think he is just showing me, I can do this. And he is throwing the hard stuff at me right away so  that the rest is cake. When I am uncomfortable my flight or flight kicks in, no that’s not a typo. To be good to myself I will have to sit with the uncomfortable feelings if there are any as a Sober Cyndie. At 60 I am going to have to grow up. 

Or I can be making a big deal out of nothing and I will probly have the most wonderful time with my family. I am thankful to God for these opportunities.