Black Friday / Cyber Monday

Did you do any shopping on Black Friday/ Cyber Monday?  We have friends who used to buy one major household appliance each year on BF, just whichever one was the oldest in their house and most likely to break in the next year.  That way they got it for a fraction of the normal price. 

I did a lot of shopping the sales for others leading up to BF/CM.  I think there were early sales this year to encourage people to shop early & not have shipping delays. 

But I did do some shopping during the official BF/ CM sales.  What did I purchase?

I renewed my supply of dark brown hand towels.  Jim washes up (from the farm) in our daintily-wallpapered (by the previous owners) half-bath on our first floor.  I learned early on that I need to keep a separate hand towel for him, and the darker it is to start with, the better. ;) 

I already mentioned that I used my Kohl's Cash (Kohl's department store has one day - although they kept extending it - where you get $15 Kohl's Cash for every $50 you spend, so we try to stock up on things like Jim's shoes he goes through in a year, etc. on that day) to purchase a snowflake designed shower curtain. 

After 11 years, our waffle iron which was a wedding gift was smoking something awful.  So, I replaced it on a BF sale and stacked four coupons (30% off, free shipping, $10 off a purchase over $25, and a $10 off coupon), making it very reasonable!  (And also a reminder that one shouldn't pay more than 50% of the suggested price if possible!) 

My other appliance purchase was a blender that can handle making smoothies from frozen fruits.  I sought info in a FB post, received two suggestions, and then quickly chose the Ninja with two single serve cups vs the NutriBullet for $10 less.  I'm hoping to add iron into two children's diet through spinach added into smoothies.  Please pray! :)

I have my eye out for electric kettles.  Mine still works ... except for the auto-shutoff function, which I feel is a safety hazard in my constantly-interrupted life.  

I also went online Thanksgiving morning to buy fliplock containers I had been eyeing in the Sam's Club ad (similar to the OXO Good Grips Pop Container - plastic canisters for pantry items).  

Every year on BF or CM I purchase a pound of my favorite loose leaf tea that I drink at my favorite coffee shop in Wisconsin.  This year the price went up, the discount wasn't as good, and I didn't see a free shipping offer.  Signs of the times.  

What was the best deal you found this year?

1000 Gifts, Vol. 6, #47

461.  a relaxing Thanksgiving break

462.  two children back to school on Monday morning :)

463.  starting to decorate for Christmas

464.  Christmas tree lights

465.  rearranging the living room to fit it in & creating a new cozy corner (the round ornaments have been hung from the top of a doorway, and the basket is ready to hold Christmas cards)

466.   relishing in the fact that the lamp, the plaid cloth, the ceramic gift box, and the decorated round candle (shaped like an ornament) are all thrifted! 

467.  the start of a new week

468.  a great sermon on struggling well without fear

469.  a warm house - especially thankful after a weekend of sporadic heat

470.  plenty of blankets to stay warm when the house wasn't

Coming up for air

Little Guy was in quarantine recently because he was a close contact with a confirmed positive covid case. 

We enjoyed extra time together.  We enjoyed one-on-one time, which I had just recently been praying we would find a way to do.  We spent a week without going to extracurriculars.  We were home. 

And at the same time, our family schedule & dynamics were turned upside down.  Little Miss came home from school at 10.45, but her brother was here, so she didn't get her wind-down time after school.  Instead of a few hours a day together, they had almost all day together, egging each other on.  

And Mom got no introvert time.

7 days of quarantine after a weekend = 9 days of almost no time alone.  By the end of it, I was not a nice person.  This introvert needs some alone time.  

As I explained it to the children, LM said, "It's okay, Mom. You can sleep all night tonight."  :) While I appreciate the sentiment, this introvert needs more than sleep to recharge.  

LG's PCR test was at 9 AM Saturday, and one official told me I would receive results by email in 24-36 hours.  The tester told me 48 hours.  I was hopeful we would have results before school Monday morning.  

I kept checking email all day Sunday between the 24-36 hour marks.  No email.  I woke up shortly before 6 AM Monday, and the email was there!!  Negative!! 

LG & LM left on the school bus at 7.25 AM.  By 7.55 I had tidied the living room, reshelved the children's books, found a pile of books that belong in our room, & a pile of books that belong in the basement.  I had filled a box with scattered toys that are headed to "toy jail."  Then I noticed a few rarely-used items sitting around that really belong in the basement.  

I had time to sit down and eat a bowl of fruit, yogurt and nuts with my second cup of tea, while listening to some uplifting hymns, before vacuuming the living room, sweeping the kitchen floor, unloading & loading the dishwasher, and generally preparing our main living area for my infusion nurse's arrival at 3 pm. 

And I continue on my lifelong quest of finding the right balance of alone time in this busy season of parenting so that I am filled up to do the parenting!  Any & all tips welcome! :)

Searching things out

 It is the glory of God to conceal things,

but the glory of kings is to search things out.

                                                 ~ Proverbs 25.2

Our pastor has a son who is a professor and works in a research lab at his university.  This verse is his motto and boldly proclaimed on his twitter page.  

Our pastor encouraged me that God has determined the time & the place where I live.  I live now, not in the 1800s or 1920s even.  Medical procedures that were unthinkable 10 years ago (and the absence of which led to the death of one of our pastor's relatives just 10 years ago) are possible and common enough now.  (A frail elderly man in our church had a similar but *easier* procedure done this year.) 

Who knows what things God will allow scientists to search out about my disease in the coming years?  That is an exciting thought!

What makes you happy?

 ::From the archives:: November 2016::

Raising Father Tim

In each of the Mitford books, Father Tim asks Cynthia, "What do you love?" or occasionally, "What don't you love, Cavanaugh?" Apparently I'm raising a Father Tim, which is fine by me!! 

Today while eating lunch I heard:

"Peanut butter and jelly makes me happy!" 

In the past I've heard, "Applesauce makes me happy," and "Candy makes me cry."  (That last one is a commentary on our attempts to use candy as a potty training incentive. It really did produce tantrums and general unhappiness.)

I can't remember how Little Guy tried to wrap his mind around how to ask me what makes me happy.  The question came out a little switched around, but he eventually got it. 

I said, "Hot tea.  Beautiful hymns.  Hugs from Daddy.  God's Word, the Bible."

Then, "Do you want to ask me what makes me happy?"

Why, yes, Little Guy, I do! :)  "What makes you happy?"

"[I forgot to write the first few answers down.]  Songs. Bibles. YOU!"

Melt. my. heart.

Thankful ~ curbside pickup & drive-thru

On a recent Saturday morning, the children & I pulled out of our garage at 8.20 AM.  Less than 3 hours later we returned home, having driven 30 minutes to town & 30 minutes back and run 5 errands.  

First up was the drive-through Covid test site, where my goal was to be first in line when it opened.  We were # 3 in a line of 5 minivans waiting for it to open. :) Good enough! Operation: Get my son out of quarantine (for close contact with a confirmed positive case) was successful!

Then, the carrot at the end of the stick: chicken minis at Chick-fil-a drive-through.  The children were shocked when I called it breakfast at 9.30 (since they had been up for hours).  We decided it was brunch. :) 

Curbside pickup at Office Depot means I now have color copies of Sally Lloyd-Jones's advent ornaments which I hope to apply with Modge-podge to wooden circle ornaments. 

Curbside pickup at Walmart is old hat, and didn't take long.  

Curbside pickup at Sam's is something new for me, but easy-peasy!  I may be adding that to my repertoire.  

I do not know a mom of young children who is not exceedingly thankful for this good thing that has come from the pandemic - curbside pickup!  As Little Miss is wont to say, "Thank you, Lord!"

1000 Gifts, Vol. 6, #46 ~ The Thanksgiving Edition

451.  the spiritual blessings that are mine in Christ Jesus ~ the righteousness of Christ, access to the thrice holy God, hope of heaven, power to fight sin now, the indwelling Holy Spirit, an intercessor 

452.  family that I was born into & that I married into

453.  Jim's wise, patient leading & forbearance with me

454.  another harvest 

455.  a warm, sufficient house that is our home

456.  two adorable, precious, growing children & getting to see the world through their eyes

457.  school (in-person, close-by, with a Moms in Prayer group)

458.  our church & how God uses it in our lives

459.  meaningful work & health to do it

460.  seasons & for now the anticipation of Christmas