5 Things Friday

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Sheila

The weather is always or maybe just the Spring weather is crazy. For the first time that I can remember, I caved and turn the air on for a couple of weeks in April. The temps were in the 80s and the house was miserable. Much to my surprise last Sunday, it was cooler outside than inside so I turned the air back off. I am watching the temperature like a hawk. It appears we have switched two weeks in April for two weeks in May. I will likely be turning the air back on again this Thursday. Middle of May is usual for the air. Uggh but at least I saved some money.
The weather also effects how the garden is growing. I did not think there was a chance of getting a Spring harvest due to how quickly it turned and stayed warm. But with the cooler temperatures for the past couple of weeks, We managed a decent harvest of radishes and the broccoli plants out front are huge. I am doubtful we will get a broccoli head but I am willing to give it another couple of weeks before pulling and feeding them to the chickens.
When the kids were younger, before a Disney trip we would start walking a mile a day as a family. This was usually at least 2 or 3 months before going so that no one would complain about walking. Last year, we did this with Braxton as he was too big for a stroller. Matt and I have started walking because we don’t want to be so sore and tired from our short trip. We don’t even have a month but my goal is to get 10 miles in as prep. So far we have managed 2 but at least it is consistent and something to prepare for.
Summer count down is on, Lily is finished with college and the graduation ceremony is this weekend. Kendall is finished with her Spring semester which means she has finished an entire year of community college. Kendall and Zach have 4 weeks of school left and I have 5 weeks left!
Zach has switched from baseball to football and this past week was our slowest week until Summer. He and Kendall both have meetings and Life Guard training for the next couple of weekends as well.

Savings Challenge

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Sheila

This has been a much harder task than I anticipated to begin with. I am also struggling with being completely honest with my spending. I know in the end it will be a good thing to have and to be able to track for at least a month will give me the raw data that I need. I am including the category that spending is from and a category total at the end for my references as well. This makes more sense than total spending as even this week was actually in two separate months.

Wednesday 4/30
Ballgame $12 – Family
Strawberries $40 – Grocery
Lunch $15.63- my spending

Thursday 5/1
Dinner $32.90- Family (Lily and I)

Friday 5/2
Breakfast $5.98-my spending
Strawberries $67.29 (Groceries)
$43- Lily Graduation announcements (family)
$42- Kendall Gas (gas)

Saturday 5/3
$133 Tahoe oil change (gas)
$60 Tahoe gas

Sunday 5/4
$107 Lunch (family)
$55 nails (hair)
$30 gas

Monday 5/5
$27 Dinner (Zach and I) family
$10.70 plants (Groceries)
$36.40 Walmart (groceries)

Tuesday 5/6
$12 ballgame (family)

Totals: Family $233.90 for this week and $318 for 2 weeks (budget is 250). So that is my savings from last week as well.

Gas $265 (this is a month budget $500 , but April total was $369)

Groceries $154.39 (also monthly I was WAY over in April)

My spending $21.61 (this pay period was $40)

Total for week $675

So in reality I am down to $10 in savings….. I am hopeful that we can spend less next week for sure!

Monday Menu Planning

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Sheila

In theory this is the slowest week between now and the end of the school year. I am hoping to finish up some planting, keep things on an even ground and plan for summer!

Breakfast- Saturday-Left over French toast or pancakes.. Sunday-Pioneer Woman breakfast casserole. Monday- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday– find it (breakfast burritos, oatmeal, omelets, cereal and milk, sausage, pop-tarts, and eggs.

Lunch- Saturday-sandwiches Sunday-Applebee’s Monday, Tuesday,- I made myself salads Wednesday, Thursday- left-overs. Friday- eat out.

Dinner- Saturday- Pork fried rice Sunday- left-overs or sandwiches Monday- Zach and I had a dinner date at Mexican. Tuesday-Frozen pizza Wednesday- Cheeseburger and French fries. Thursday- Fish sticks Friday- Chicken enchilada.

Sunday Garden Update

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Sheila

The most exciting news is that we are harvesting spinach and snap peas! I also finished harvesting the radishes so that we can purchase some banana peppers to plant in the next week or so. Things are growing!

We are filled the potato’s containers to the brink so we will just let them grow from this point on!

These are the German Johnson tomato’s that are for slicing. You can see some very small cantaloupe staring in front of this bed.

This bed is Amish paste tomatoes; they are also doing well but this bed is a bit deeper so they should be visible in the next week. The front of this bed is cosmos with sunflowers in the back.

This bed is in front of the house. You can see all the snap peas along the back. The broccoli in the second picture does not have head developing however we have cooler (70) temps in the next week so I am hopefully to get some broccoli if not the chickens can enjoy. The every end is a gum drop tomato. It is small but has a long time to develop.

The zucchini smells like squash which is exciting and the garlic appears to be thriving.

3 HUGE squash plants that are taking up a whole bed! We decided to plant mint under this bed in two containers in an attempt to keep the squash bugs away! I have planted 2 additional seeds in this bed but no germination yet.

The marigold is huge! I transplanted the dill on the left yesterday as well. I think that we have 4 orka plants in still alive out of the 11 that we planted. I am truely not upset but thankful for the poor survival rate of these.

Asparagus plants that are only a year old, one onion plant and 4 wax man pepper plants have survived.