Busy week

There is a lot going on this week, and wouldn't you know it, I came down with a nasty cold of the cough cough hack hack green phlegm variety. (TMI? Sorry!) I spent yesterday in bed instead of at church, and today I cancelled a couple of lessons. Also had to cancel on the dress rehearsal for the volunteer choir I'm involved in. It's a 2-and-a-half hour rehearsal, with an hour-and-a-half drive there, and since I can only sing Tenor, I figured my time tonight was better spent drowning myself in fluids and catching some Zzzz's in between coughs and potty breaks...

On a more perky note, some fun things have happened lately. :) Last week we received our first baby gift. It was a blue bib that says "Millionaire in Training!" I love it...soft and fuzzy and plenty big to contain messes! While we don't want to install a materialistic, get-as-rich-as-you-can mentality in our kid, we do want him to learn how to handle money, how to save and invest, and all the great stuff we've begun to learn from Dave Ramsey.

Speaking of money, while convalescing yesterday, I read a book by Ellie Kay called "1/2 Price Living: Secrets to Living Well on One Income." (I'm not planning to leave off teaching, but neither are we really living on what you'd call a "two-salary income." My teaching is a pleasant outlet for me and generates a little extra income which we put right in savings, so this book is a good fit for us too.) There's a great "working mom worksheet" which allows you to crunch numbers and see how much you're REALLY making as a working mom. There's also a good chapter on cutting grocery costs, along with a handy chart for what you "should" be spending for a 1) thrifty, 2) low-cost, 3) moderate cost, or 3) liberal grocery budget. I love seeing real numbers so this was helpful for me. If you're curious I'll send you the figures! And, if you're a SAHM and looking for a cottage-industry type thing to earn a little spending cash, read chapter 10, which lists some ideas to get you started. A good read overall though I wished she had fleshed out some ideas a little more. (It's a short book, 168 pages, large print).

Hmm....somehow I got sidetracked to a book review. :) Other fun stuff...I bought some lovely, red silk material for my music room curtains, Jeff bought a curtain rod for the same. Also found a weird shade of gray green that actually matched the guest room comforter. I'll cover a pillow with it and try to get some color into that room.

I wish I could do more right now. I have a million little unstarted projects in mind. However, after dropping the vaccuum cleaner down the stairs yesterday (in a moment of "sure I feel fine, I can do it" delirium), I am not allowed to attempt anything besides staying safely in bed...my reflexes are nonexistent and energy is very low....and now there's a hole the size of my fist in the lower part of the wall...thankfully Fixit Man Jeffrey says it's repairable... :D

Another good thing that's gotten done (by Jeff, not me) was digging up the beds & enriching the soil on two sides of the house. I planted zinnia seeds early last week, and they're already sticking their perky little heads up! By the end of the month, we should have flowers. Jeff bought a tomato plant and put that in yesterday. Also the potted rosemary and oregano plants can now grow freely in the ground.

And...Friday, when I was sniffly but still mobile, we went to Ikea to get the adjustable desk Jeff's been wanting. His legs honestly do not fit under normal desks, and this one is on an adjustable sawhorse. We got that as well as a huge bookcase for an amazing Ikea price. He assembled that and it's ready to receive a PORTION at least of his plethora of books. :)

The nursery is still completely bare except for a yellow, sealed trash can I got for dealing with stinky diapers. :) We have the paint color picked out, and are just waiting until next month & the funds & time to get it done.

The place looks more homey already with pictures on the walls. We're working on acquiring a living room couch. Jeff is selling a lot of his beautiful, leather-bound Easton Press books to help with that expense. He figured he'd rather have something for guests to sit on than a beautiful library of books that he could read in paperback if he really wanted to... Thankfully he's keeping a few of both our favorites. They do look great on a shelf!

Well...it's back to bed for this chickie...those of you in transition are in my thoughts & prayers! Take care all.