Good Deals

While I didn't escape the day without spending, what I did buy was a really good deal. A friend and I went to Border's to sit and talk today and I found a copy of a cookbook that I have been coveting for a long time that was in the bargain section for $7.99. It is normally a $40 book and the recipes are ones that I will REALLY use, so I'm feeling pretty positive about that. The down side is that I actually splurged and bought lunch there. That was $7 I could have done without spending. I am going to have to plan a little better so I don't find myself out somewhere and hungry.

After that we went to the Goodwill store and found a nice wood chair that I intend to refinish and paint for $3. I will strip it and use it to sit on when I am spinning at my spinning wheel. I've been lugging a chair from the dining room each time I want to spin and this will make things easier.

I also found a copy of "The Nanny Diaries" for .99. I have been wanting to read the book ever since I saw the movie. The movie disappointed me immensely but a friend told me the book was MUCH better. So now I have a copy to read. I'll pass it along or give it back to Goodwill after I'm finished with it. I am trying to make more of an effort to actually start reading a lot more books this year. I have a large amount of books that I had put on the shelf to "read someday" but haven't been able to get to it. I am finally making myself read through the shelf and then donating or passing along the book that I don't really love enough to add to the permanent collection in my library.

I have a mittens class at the yarn shop tomorrow, so I am hoping that I will be able to refrain from buying anything. In reality I am behind the rest of the class since I missed the first class meeting due to illness (darn kidney stones!!), but I intend to go to the class anyway so I can see where everyone is at and at least hear the discussion and tips about the pattern. They are a Norwegian style mitten and they look really warm. I am hoping to get the pattern and the techniques figured out so I can make quite a few of these for gifts this Christmas season. With the number of skeins we needed for the class, I will have enough yarn to make at least three pairs in different color combinations. I might have to buy yarn for the linings, but I'll cross that bridge when I actually have the outside of three pairs completed. I am hoping to get them completed by September. The girl that teaches the class says she can make a complete set in less than a week, but with the schedule I keep, I am going to set the end of September as a goal.

The next week is going to be pretty expensive since school related expenses for the kids are coming out of this paycheck. We have school fees for 2 boys at $100-120 each. I miss living in Oklahoma where you don't have to pay registration and other fees for public school!! They are both in football, so we have to get sports physicals done at $60 each....That is not going to do wonders for the budget, but they are not things we can avoid, so no use bitching about it..

So the goals for the upcoming week are:

1. Work on -and make significant progress on-- Norwegian mittens.

2. Empty boxes in the master bedroom and pitch what is not really needed.

3. Organize the master bedroom and the library. We still have boxes from when me moved in-A YEAR AGO!

4. Get the family room in order and arranged. Empty boxes and clean up.

I am going to just focus on those 4 things instead of adding more. If I get them done early, then I add other goals.

Well, considering it is after midnight, I probably should sign off and go to bed. Have a great morning!