Every day is an adventure

If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know I have minuscule experience with homeschooling my now 14 year old son.  I did this for maybe a year or so.  Kindergarten was a great success.  

Homeschool is now the normal.  It is not a success for me using the public education system, and apps.  My nine year old does not have computer skills, she is not tech savvy, not a gamer, and I do not know how to use the apps she has to use, and I did not realize children in our area, do not get physical text books.

This makes it even more difficult for me to understand and help her learn whatever subject we are working in.  I was surprised to find that Internet Safety is considered Language Arts.   I know it is important, but I feel like it needs a session or class all on it's own.  My teenager is doing pretty well with doing his school on his own.  He needs help creating resume's and filling out job applications for a business class.  That is the only class I could ever attempt to help him with, unless I further my own education. The difficulty is that my child has no work experience etc to put on the resume, and the teacher is requiring it be based on each individuals in real life personal history.

We have all kind of gotten to work together to become a team in this home.  My husband taught my daughter, and neat counting trick that is apparently how the schools are teaching my daughter math.  It was amazing that he could understand the technique when I could not.  He and my son, are more tech savvy then I and can find/or access things when I cannot.  

We share one device to do school on between the two kids, as I use my laptop for personal work/writing/making money.  We do not deliver any food right now in our attempt to help flatten the curve.  

I am sitting here today relishing in the fact today that we are blessed.  We have electricity.  I am learning ways to use it more effectively.  My husband and I can later play a game together on his system, I can sit here and write, I can do online surveys, read other blogs to learn new things, and ways of  making money while staying home.  Each day sometimes holds it own unexpected ways, and adversities, but I am blessed that in this home, I have a wonderful husband who's heart is united with mine.  And mine with yours, as we are all doing the best we can living in unprecedented times!

In case you are stuck inside, I thought I would share a view with you from the back of our neighborhood!  Enjoy the view!!!

While everything else is cancelled, walking outside in the neighborhood with my dog and husband is not!  Our public parks are reopening Friday with limited hours, and essential activities for exercise and bike riding only!

Signed
MJ

Let's have some coffee talk.

Bam what?

It is Easter 2020 and social distancing is the new norm.  A most favorite part of my day, is having coffee, with my (new) husband.  I remarried August 2018 to my new favorite 6 ft 3 red head.  He is 7 to 8 years my junior.

As you may or may not recall I am a diabetic.  I have recently made a small transition with my coffee.  Instead of sugar I use Stevia.  For now it is just a small change with my coffee, I tried to do unsweetened creamer with coconut water....so far that is a big no go!  The healthier you eat the more expensive it can be.....so small changes and the great value brand it is for now.

I enjoy having coffee usually at the table, sometimes at the coffee table with my husband, and we play a a couple of mobile games on our phone together.  I love, love, flavored creamers, today it is Chocolate Caramel.  again Great Value edition!  The coffee is cuban....(thanks to that red head I mentioned, he loves cuban coffee.  I am unsure of the brand as we cut it out of the package and store it in a sugar container.

I personally like the taste of coffee, the caffeine is just an added bonus, it is a signal to my body, that we are up and it is time to get going for the day.  In the past if we couldn't have it at the table because of work, we took it on the go.  I don't really have a favorite coffee cup, this is my son's.  Do you have a favorite cup?  Show me in the comments.  I plan to make coffee talk a regular thing, so what would you like to talk about over coffee?  Or what do you and your family talk about over it?  I realize not everyone has a spouse, and sometimes multiple family generations live together.  Lets get together, at this safe social distance and talk!!!!

Love to you....MJ!

ACTIVE

This post is written to participate in the Five Minute Friday writing prompts.  https://fiveminutefriday.com

Today's prompt is the word ACTIVE.

Which is what she wanted to be.  The wave of un-diagnosed chronic fatigue threatened to keep her from being active.  The only thing she had been diagnosed with was type two diabetes, and of course at 5 ft 4 and 253 pounds she was super morbidly obese.

Active is what she was being staying off the couch.  Six weeks ago she spent 18 hours in a county jail facility where you are unable to be active, and this made her reflect on how much time she spent on the couch.  How much time she was wasting not being active.  Thinking of all the things she didn't have access to in that cell made her stay active despite fatigue and pain.  Watching the other women in there sleep their day away motivated her to stay active since her release. 

Active is what she wanted to be in her home and her life.  Actively taking charge in her relationship with Christ, and the way she kept herself instead of letting life idly pass her by.  Active is what she wanted to be with her children, but she could not find a way to relate to them as of recently.

She was active in her relationship with her husband, repenting and attempting to right the wrongs God had shown her in her heart when she had those 18 hours of confined time to reflect.  Be angry and do not sin, ran over and over in her mind.  She was being active and constantly applying that to her life these last six weeks.

She had learned that sometimes it is ok not be active.  Sometimes she needed to listen to her body.  The times she was so emotional, or so drained she could't drive properly causing her to hit something in the highway median, damaging her front end.  When the pain in her legs was to much to walk, she decided it is ok to rest and not be active.

She was also learning to be an active listener with her husband, and she had seen him open up in ways she hadn't before.  She was learning so much about him, and learning that she liked some of the same things that he did, things she thought she had detested. 

Be active.  I encourage you to, in your relationship with Christ, with others.  Actively encourage others, you may be the only one who does. 

Thanks for reading,

MJ

Sharing Ways We Save

It has been such a long time since I have posted, but I have longed to deep in my heart, so here I am.  I am working on becoming a better writer and beginning to properly focus on a relationship with the Lord.

I haven't always been pinching my pennies, but it is the season and time of year for me to need to.

We decided to carve pumpkins this year.  I love the idea of a pumpkin patch, and I love supporting local small businesses, or churches.  That being said, at Walmart I paid 13.00 for 4 pumpkins.  I would have been lucky to get one at the pumpkin patch for that price.  We spent 1.00 per pumpkin carving kit.  We pulled out my grandmother's fall wreath which needs some tlc but I don't care you can't tell if you don't look close, and that will be next years project should we be granted another year.  It was my partner's idea to do the fireplace, I wouldn't have thought to place them there.  I also had a whole string of purple lights, but only half work, which was perfect for accenting the fire place.

I used CVS rewards to get Dawn dish detergent and toilet paper.

My daughter received an abundance of blessings, clothes, jewelry.  She used a duplicate piece of jewelry to make a gift for a friend to attend her birthday party.  Zero out of pocket expense for me and free dinner at the party!!!

My son was invited by and paid for by a friend to go to Epcot.  No cost to me...lifetime memories for him. 

We made a pumpkin pie from scratch.

We were blessed with boxes of clothes, and some food...pumpkin pie galore lately :)

My laptop had been malfunctioning, I finally noticed an error code. I looked it up on a Window's website and was able to troubleshoot and repair the laptop!  (SO PROUD OF MYSELF NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE IT WITHOUT HELP!)

We bathe the animals in Dawn.

One of our dogs has to wear a belly band to avoid peeing everywhere, I was putting maxi pads in it almost daily or every other day.  That is expensive, so we learned we could roll up and old t shirt to put inside of it to be absorbent.

I used my kids insurance OTC benefit to get a high quality thermometer.  Our dollar store ones were constantly breaking.

That sums up everything I can think of at the moment.  We are doing our best, because life is always transitioning for us for one reason or another.   I pray blessings upon you and your family.  Thanks for reading,

MJ

What does today find you doing?

It finds me doing a budget.  Have you checked yours lately.  I will be honest, because I was an independent contractor for a bit, I have been flying by the seat of my pants, and I know better.  Currently I am delivering pizza at night.  I never know how much I might make.  Starting today though, I have my good old budget binder out.  I am literally writing down each expense and every dime that comes in.

I got remarried almost a year ago and my son is turning 14.  It is also my new husband's birthday.  The new to me car I added to the family a while back has needed unexpected not covered by warranty repairs, and in the Florida heat despite 300 in repairs I have no air conditioning in the car. I tried making one of those portable ones out of a cooler.  Despite what the you tube videos show, it did not work for me at all.

Currently I am also sharing my space with a family of 4 that is experiencing some difficult times of their own.  It's not a big deal or burden for me because we already have the space we live in and have to pay for it.  The electric bill went up 100.00 which could be due to more people or this crazy heat wave that comes and goes here.

I refuse to go to the beach with all the reports about the flesh eating bacteria ( there may be one rare very clean one family discovered that we may visit for hub's bday)  Finding activities for 5 kids can be difficult.  I am not paying to swim at the public pools.  That cash could be used some place else.  A couple months ago I  purchased a trampoline and a slip and slide, but it's been too hot to use them until evening.

I have lost my touch for frugal living, my new partner has never had to live that way despite his limited income for years he was single and only had to care for himself.  Living with a family has been difficult for him to say the least.  (Like borderline divorce difficult but that is a story for a different day.)

I will prayerfully be revamping the blog over the next few weeks.  It is time I start doing something that I love.  Depression has over taken me, I no longer desire to be overweight, and most days I am really forcing myself out of bed.  Maybe I can add a section on self improvement and the things I learn during the process.  I need to find a way to earn money from home that is my heart's desire.  Will you pray with me.  There are 4 adults in this house there must be some creative way we can all improve our situation.

Cutting the Corporate Ties!

Wow it has been so long since I even wrote, I wasn't sure if the blog would still be up...LOL. 

Life has been the roller coaster ride it always was.  I worked a regular job the last 16 months from 9 am to 730 pm nightly  (hours varied daily.)  There were lots of adjustments and sometimes hardships for everyone.

I experienced some personal financial set backs and even working that job and giving it my all, I was still on the brink of losing everything.  I was so worried how I would provide Christmas for the kids, and if I would be able to keep our rental and some nights what we would eat.  I decided as the new year began there would be no more nights like that.

I started looking for a job that offered better pay and possibly better hours.  I didn't find anything but I had started driving for Uber, and delivering for Door Dash and a company called Post Mates.  I was only doing these things on my days off or hours before I had to be at my regular job.  I found that I am close to matching my hourly pay at my corporate job.

After enough drama and what I feel was unfair treatment occurred at my regular job, there was no future, or even acknowledgement there.   Yesterday I cut the "corporate .tie"  I will focus on being self employed with these delivery companies for a bit, and maybe keep an eye out for something I really want to do that will have hours prayerfully conducive to having a family.  I love my family, and I want to be home for a regular meal, not rushing to eat do homework and then go to bed.  I want time to play, make memories, and remember what my hobbies are.  Here is to working for myself for a bit and seeing where this path leads.  I have spent so much time laying awake and being afraid, I am happy I took the leap.  Stay tuned to see where it leads, I hope to post more.  I have a wedding post to share, and birthday post to share, to still give a few money saving tips!

Love to you all, be Blessed,

MJ

It is Spring!!!!

Or so they say, I have heard across the nation that the weather has been temperamental.  I guess I have not written much because I really do not know what to write about much lately.  I have saved a little money I suppose.

I salvaged a trash can in my yard and washed it out and brought it back in to use in the house.

I purchased tickets and armbands for the Clay County Fair in advance saving 30.00 overall.

Accepted hand me down bodywashes and perfumes from a friend who is allergic.

The father daughter dance at my daughter's school is next Friday and she had no dress shoes that fit....so on Sears.com a pair we saw a few weeks ago for over 30.00 were on sale for just 12.00 so I purchased those, and she can use those for a bit.  I also purchased a multicolored flower bracelet from a friend who sells Paparazzi jewelry that her father can give her that will last longer than real flowers.

I still sell Senegence Skin Care on the side, and I am working my full time job. If you are on Facebook and would like to join my group you can search up Lady J's Luscious Lip Lounge.  My hours have been reduced, but I am learning to live within what I make, and praying to be sensitive to God's leading and direction in my life should there be opportunities I am not seeing.  A good friend is staying with me helping with the bills and with the kids....this whole situation is a work in progress.

My kids for the first time in a long time wanted to go to the park, so we purchased tennis rackets at the Goodwill for 1.99 each.

My daughter got an award for Perfect attendance the last nine weeks of school.  I cannot believe that school is almost over.  Only one semester left already.

We also participated in a school sponsored Skate night...and though the school receives proceeds from the event, my kids get to do more activities for less money.

It is not money saving but I went on my son's field trip with him to Medieval Times.  It was alot of fun and a bonding experience with him.  My best friend thankfully kept my daughter overnight and got her to school the next day!!!!!

I hope everyone else is working to find joy and making room to enjoy life.  I know we must work and care for other's along the way....but make some memories!  Here is some encouragement if you are feeling defeated like I often do.