My Fuzzy Thoughts

I just had to say that I’ve got the best inlaws around - and no I’m not trying to gain points, as they don’t even know about this blog.

They love our kids and they love us. They aren’t ones to manipulate us or try to control our lives. And if they do criticize us, at least it’s not to our face.

Just wanted to go on record and say how grateful I am to them for 1) raising an awesome son who is now my much-loved husband and 2) being a loving, supportive influence in all of our lives.

Do we give gifts because we want to give or because we want to be thanked? This is a question I’ve asked myself as I’ve struggled whether or not it’s OK to write an email thanking someone or even give a telephone “thank you”.

I even searched online for the etiquette on this one, just knowing that I wasn’t alone. I figured that in this day and age of technology, surely we’ve moved past having to send a card through snail-mail and onto more modern ways of expressing appreciation. However, the one(s) who believe that the hand-written thank you is unnecessary, are a very small percentage. The vast majority of respondents felt that a thank you note is the only way to truly express thankfulness. WHY?? I really want to know!

~sigh~

I’ll now lay out my “arguments” in favor of allowing other venues of acknowledging a gift. By the way, I just want to go on the record saying that I’m not *against* thank you notes, I’d just like there to be other acceptable ways of recognizing the gift and its giver.

Telephone - What could be more personal than a telephone call? In this modern day, we’re all more than busy. So, how special would we all feel to get a personal call from the receiver of our gift? Not a long call, just simply a quick, “Hi. How’re you doing?” and “Boy did I appreciate that ____________________.” Then tell why you appreciated it. What a fun way to reconnect and be thankful at the same time.

E-Mail - We ALL feel completely OK with emailing about anything else, why not for giving thanks? Do the words written on paper mean that I’m more genuinely thankful than if I’d sent an email? I don’t think so! Whether I speak it, type it or write it - I still mean those words . . . I’m still thankful.

And what about the money-saving aspect of these alternatives? Many of us now have long-distance bundled into our regular telephone, so it does not cost a per-minute charge to talk on the phone. Emails cost nothing to send. So for each “thank you” we can save 42 cents. That’s not small peanuts these days.

I think this is enough of an “argument” for my case. I personally think it’s better to send an e-thank you rather than none at all. But I’d like to see how others feel about it.

Paper or plastic?  Cash or credit?  PayPal or who??

Choice is a good thing.  We were never created to be a part of a dictatorial world.  So why shouldn’t we have a choice when it comes to sending and receiving money?  Enter Revolution Money Exchange.  It appears that they are “taking on” PayPal’s dominion in the payment arena.  This is a good thing, because they are offering us a choice.  Read USA Today’s news story about this new company.

They are offering a sign-up bonus of $25 until May 15, 2008.  Also, when referring others, they get the $25 and you get $10!  (Hey, is this sounding like ING Direct, anyone??)  People I know have received and spent their bonuses.  Will you get yours??  Click the box below to learn more.

Below is some information from their website:

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Clearance racks (shelves) can be a good thing and they can be a bad thing. They are a good thing when you find something that you really need or will use. They are a bad thing when it’s for something that you really don’t need or possibly will never use.

Lately when I find this “really great” item on clearance, I ask myself the following -

1. Do I really LOVE it? Not just like it, I must love it. Otherwise, it just doesn’t deserve a place in my home (or anyone else’s - think gift-giving).

2. Is it really a great price? If not, I may be able to find it at a resale shop or a garage sale at a later date (with a little patience).

3. Will I REALLY use it (or give it as a gift)? So many times we have good intentions, but then that great deal sits in our closet with the tags still on it - almost taunting us. Also, so many times I’ve purchased something with the intention of giving it as a gift. If I can’t pinpoint then and there who the item will be given to, then it stays at the store.

All that said, I’ve recently found some awesome deals on the clearance racks.

First, I found some gift packs with body wash, bath salts and a puff sponge for only $2 per pack. You really can’t get much cheaper than that! What a perfect gift for any lady.

I also found a really cute, classy-looking winter jacket for my daughter who will be 4 in August. Regular price - $31.82. Clearance price - $3.00! I’ll be using it as a birthday gift for her, in addition to the warm Dora pajamas that were $3.00. What a good feeling to have her birthday gifts almost all shopped for, and only to spend $6.00 so far.

Be sure to check out your favorite store’s health and beauty section. I’ve found that sometimes manufacturers will put bonus items with a product and stores don’t have room for these items (they’ve already sized their shelves for just the product, not the bonus item). So, often times they’ll have a clearance section for items like this, in addition to items that they are no longer carrying or items that have been updated. You can really get some great deals on items you WILL use, especially if you have a coupon, too.

All this to say, clearance shopping can really be a good thing (even a great thing) for a person who doesn’t have an unlimited income. Just make sure that what is purchased will be appreciated and used.

OK, here’s my little bit of controversy for the week: I’m encouraging everyone to see a movie that none of us wouldn’t normally pay to see. It’s not action-packed, or a chick-flick or even a really good drama. It happens to involve the discussion of our freedoms and if we value them or not.

It also happens to discuss a topic that usually isn’t up for discussion. The mainstream scientific community wants us to believe in evolution, *without question*. The right-wing, fundamentalist community wants to be angry and upset with the mainstream scientific community.

I’d like to see everyone who expresses an opinion on a topic, fully research that topic before coming to a conclusion as to what they truly believe. We’ve heard the argument FOR evolution our whole lives. Are we willing to see an argument for the “other side”?

Actually, the saying goes something like this - “You can have *anything* you want, you just can’t have *everything* you want.” Do you get it? That is such a powerful statement! And it applies to EVERY area of life.

Finances

Time Management

Relationships

Job/Career

Homes/Cars/Wish List

We really can have anything we want. It (whatever “it” happens to be) must be the most important thing we want. Because, in addition to “it”, we cannot have “everything” else that we want.

For my husband and I, we’ve decided that we’ll have as many children as the Lord will give to us. Also, we’ve decided that I will stay home and educate these children. So, we forego the 2nd income and spend more on food and other essentials than many families that happen to be smaller than ours. That means there’s less for other “wants” in our lives. No newer cars, bigger homes, cable TV, memberships to gyms, eating out and going to movies frequently, . . . you get the picture.

The above are all things that I enjoy. Do I begrudge not being able to have/do them? No way! I’ve decided what is the bigger priority for me and I gladly give them up to have the “anything” of a house full of beautiful gifts of children.

What is the “anything” that you really want? And have you given up all the other “everythings” in order to have the very important “anything” that you want above all?

Today I was running errands when I remembed the Anja (22 months) had outgrown her clog shoes (like Crocs or Airwalks). She LOVES these shoes, so I wanted to buy her another pair. I was driving past a Joann’s store - which is where we found the pair she’d outgrown - so I decided to pull in and see if they had her size in stock.

I was looking at the available sizes and colors, and mentally kicking myself for not having my Joann’s flyer along with 40-50% off coupons to use on any item. I noticed a cute, blue pair in Anja’s size that had a handwritten UPC and a simple plastic loop connecting the two shoes. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the bottoms of the shoes had a little dirt on them, as if they’d been worn.

I took this pair (and another in a different color) to the register. I explained to the cashier that these shoes had previously been worn and asked if they would be willing to give a discount on them. She spoke with a woman who appeared to be a manager and they seemed to agree on an amount to take off the price. It turns out, they took 50% off the price of the shoes! I saved $10 just by asking.

It truly doesn’t hurt to ask. Well, it may hurt our pride a bit, but that’s about all. Also, do keep your eyes open. Had I not noticed the dirt on the bottom of the shoes, I would not have had that “bargaining chip” to use in getting the price down.

Editorial Comment - Ya know, in the past I hated to ask someone if they’d take less for an item (i.e. at garage sales, when buying a used car from someone, etc). Why? I think it was because I thought they’d be offended and upset. Really, what do I care if they’re angry? They should just be able to say either “yes” or “no”. No need to take it personally.

I was in the bathroom a few days ago getting ready for the new day, when I saw some dirt on the baseboards. Dirty anything in my house is usually very overwhelming to me, because I feel like I have to clean perfectly: go for the cleaner, bucket and rags before even getting to the job at hand.

This particular day I decided enough is enough! I grabbed a baby wipe that someone had used on their hands and quickly wiped ALL of the baseboards in the bathroom. A 10-minute job reduced to 10 seconds! Wow!! This could revolutionize my world!

The FlyLady says, “Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family.” So, here begins my list of tips for saving time and/or money the “unconventional” way:

1. A baby wipe is useful for cleaning ANYTHING - no exceptions. Slightly used ones are allowed, *only* if they have not been slightly used on baby (or other) bottoms.

2. If out of bathroom spray, use a match. (Gramma even approves and endorses this one.) It’ll save money (especially if you use matches that are give to you by businesses). It’ll also save your health - as the chemicals in bathroom sprays are NOT good for your lungs!

3. If out of bathroom spray (2) and you have essential oils, put a few drops in the toilet (AFTER flushing). You’ll have a pretty scent, for pennies, and no noxious fumes.

4. If you notice something that needs to be dusted, your sock, the underside of your shirt, or any clothing item you happen to be wearing or holding is fair game for dusting said item. As long as the dust is gone, who cares what was used to remove it??

That’s it (for now). I’ll be adding to the list as I think of more tips.

I’m not very good at drinking the 8 glasses of water that is recommended by health professionals. However, when I received my free samples from True Lemon, all that changed. They sent me 3 flavors to try: lemon, lime and orange. Orange happens to be my favorite, but I really like them all. They are little packets of flavor that really add a natural *zing* to water!

In addition to the great flavor, True Lemon has 0 calories, 0 carbs and 0 fat. They contain no sweeteners, no preservatives and no sodium. They truly are a healthy addition to water!

Click here for your free samples and taste for yourself!

When we first started talking about moving to China (over a year ago), my daughter and I were both thinking about learning how to cut our own hair. The reasons for this would be because we didn’t know how available hair stylists would be in the area of China we’d be living and also to save money. Now, I have cut my dh’s and sons’ hair for the past 17+ years, but hadn’t really done much with the girls’ hair.

My daughter and I didn’t mentioned this to anyone (not even each other), yet a lady at our church fellowship (who trains stylists at Cost Cutters), came up to us and offered to teach us haircutting techniques. WOW! Over the past year, we planned many times to do the “class“, but it just finally happened two days ago.

What a blessing that was! Eight of us received haircuts and dd and I learned some wonderful tips to make what we did know even better and we were also taught many new things. Talk about a way to save money!

There are many websites and books that can provide information about how to start cutting your family’s hair. Here’s a place to get you started cutting hair. Otherwise, ask a friend who cuts hair to let you observe them in action. It’s amazing what you can learn just by watching.

Happy cutting and happy money-saving!