Surprise, Surprise!

I almost fainted last weekend when my soon-to-be fifteen year-old not only washed his clothes, but did more than pile them on his bed. He actually neatly folded them in piles. I told him I had to take a picture.

Newest Treasure

My friend Monica over at thehomespunheart.blogspot.com is such a crafty person. I picked this up from her today. She will be having a sale on Monday, so go to her blog to check it out at noon.

It is perfect in my bathroom.

Blog Swap!

Monica over at The Homespun Heart and her sister Carrie at With All I've Been Given have hosted another swap; this time it was The Clean Sweep Swap. I paired with Lisa from Australia. We had so much in common; I had a great time picking things for her. Here is what I sent. I hope she enjoys them.

Meet...The Newest Additions

Meet Minnie and Snowflake, our newest additions. The day after I lost Baby, I decided the best way to honor her memory was to go back to her roots, the local animal shelter, and give 2 other cats a home. I fostered them for the last week, and yesterday they officially became mine. Minnie, in the top picture, is about 1-1.5 years old and it shows. She is full of energy. Snowflake is about 4 or 5 and partially deaf. She also has one green eye and one blue eye. They are both cuddlers.

Menu for Week of February 23

Here is what I have planned this week:

Monday: Hamburgers and fries (homemade)

Tuesday: Tacos

Wednesday: Shrimp from the local dockside fish market with baked potatoes

Thursday: Spaghetti

Friday: Sushi out

Farewell My Friend

My precious twenty-year-old friend of 17.5 years is gone. Baby had been declining in the last week. I could tell it would not be long since she had signs of kidney failure. She, along with her sissy Snowy, got me through chemo. They both became very loving, and in the last 7 mos. since her sissy passed of the same disease, she had become my shadow. If I was at the computer, she was in my lap; if I was on the couch, she was either in my lap or across my neck. She slept with me every night, usually on the pillow above my head whereby in the morning when she thought I should be up, she would often lick my eyelids. She will be so greatly missed.

Menu for Week of February 16

Here's what's in store for dinner this week:

• Monday: Spaghetti
• Tuesday: Homemade chicken tenders and either Mexican rice or Chicken Fried Rice leftovers
• Wednesday: T-bone steak and potatoes
• Thursday: Thawed out chili for Matthew; I have a Weight Watchers meeting

CVS Deals

Today I had ECBs expiring from CVS: $27 worth to be exact. I also used a $3.00 coupon and a $1.00 coupon. I paid $2.05 out of pocket for this:

• Two Nexus styling products, which I never would have bought normally, but they had a $10 ECB attached to buying two
• Two Herbal Essence Shampoos
• One Head and Shoulders Shampoo

I earned $15 in ECBs, so that's not too bad. When possible, I "roll them over" into other products with ECBs.

Menu for week of February 9

Here is what I have planned for dinner this week:

Monday: Homemade turkey pepperoni pizza made with Pillsbury pizza crust
Tuesday: Ribeye steak and loaded baked mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Leftover spaghetti
Thursday: Chicken with pasta or rice

I know we are supposed to stay out of the middle of the grocery store where the packaged food is; however, as a working single mom who often gets home after 5 p.m., I often have to go for convenience. This week Publix has some great BUY 1 GET 1 FREE deals. I stocked up on the pouches of pasta or rice. I had a few coupons, so they were REALLY good deals.

Weekly Menu

My menu plan for this week is as follows:

Monday: Tombstone pizza
Tuesday: Steak and baked potatoes
Wednesday: Leftover chili from Sunday night
Thursday: Chicken and rice with veggie
Friday: On my own; Matthew will be at my parents'.