Two years ago when we did 30 Days of Nothing, we spent $318 the whole month on food. Of course besides that we had our regular bills for utilities, gas, housing, etc. But we cut out all non-essentials. No clothes, books, eating out, or other extras. I felt good about what we saved that month, especially considering that at that time we usually spent $600-$700 a month on groceries, and another $100 or more on books.

These days I usually spend $900 a month on groceries. I’ve been hoping that in September I could get by on $400 for the month. Only problem is, I just tallied up our groceries for August. I spent $1100, $200 more than usual. It’s the stock-up urge: grab more of this, get another one of that — I don’t want to spend money in September. Problem is, the challenge is meaningless if I just shift all our expenses to August or October.

I decided I’ll just consider $200 already spent for September. That’ll leave us $200 to spend in the month. Yeah. $200 for the whole month. Fifty measly bucks a week. I usually spend that much before I walk 50 feet in WalMart, let alone all the way to the back of the store to grab eggs. I may be insane.

But here’s the thing: even though I spent a bit more than usual in August, I bought with economy in mind. I bought good, healthy, versatile, long-lasting items. Our cupboards are bulging with food — it’ll be at least 2 weeks before we run out of much of anything. (Oops, except I already ran out of powdered sugar making cocoa mix today to take camping, and my son just informed me we’re also out of plastic wrap. Eeek). But the point is, we have a ton of food and a huge garden. Even if we only spend $200, we won’t be starving anyone. And — don’t worry — if we truly need to spend more, I will. I may go waaaaaay over my measly little budget.

But I’m gonna aim for $200, and I’m stoked. I’ve got the start of a meal plan for the month-I am planning a bunch of new recipes to try to keep things interesting. (Frugal food does NOT have to be boring, after all.) I am excited that so many of you have mentioned that you’ll be playing along too. feel free to grab the button to mention on your blog. First thing Monday morning I’ll be putting Mr. Linky up at the top of my blog so that everyone who is playing along can link up. And of course everyone can visit around and see what other people are doing with the challenge. Remember, the rules are up to you. You decide what’s ‘essential’ to your family. Decide what to give up. Decide what to keep. You can even decide to do the challenge for a shorter or longer period of time if you’d like. It’s up to you. So come on– take the challenge!

Shannon is back with Works for Me Wednesday.   My tip for the week is simple.   I love to cook with fresh ginger– it’s so much better than dried.  But it doesn’t last forever, and can get moldy in the fridge.  Problem solved if you just keep your ginger in the freezer.  I keep mine in a ziplock, and whenever I need some, I just grate as much as I need with a regular cheese grater, then stick the rest back in the freezer.  It will keep in the freezer for months.  Works for me!

I’ve given us all the grace of not starting homeschool until next Monday, so this week I’m trying to fit in all the ’summer’ projects that I didn’t get around to. At the moment I am sitting here like a limp noodle, because today I:

–(kids and I) blanched, chopped and froze about 200 ears of corn

–cleaned out and moved two dressers

–cleaned under my bed

–installed 2 shelves as new nightstands in my bedroom

–got my closet halfway organized (more tomorrow)

–defrosted, cleaned and refilled the freezer

–sorted some hand-me-downs

–gave hubby a much-needed haircut

–made a great new Thai recipe for dinner (Curry Coconut Chicken)

–Facebooked with my 2 college girls for a long time to hear about their first day of school

Maybe I’ll have a recipe tomorrow if I don’t get sucked into the whirlwind again…but we’ll see…

I had no idea that pairing a brown shoe with black shorts was so very wrong. It is obvious to me that I am not as stylish as I like to imagine. I am still undecided about the heels/shorts dilemma…the vote was 21-15 in favor of the heels, which is not definitive enough to inspire me with confidence… In case any of you were waiting for my shoe choice with bated breath, I have now decided to wear silver and black flat sandals with the black shorts. Until someone tells me that choice stinks too.

Sigh.

I am so not a fashion maven.

This afternoon my 3 year old came inside, whimpering over a hurt toe. “I need a bandaid!” she wailed dramatically. She is currently at the stage where every owie warrants a bandaid request.

But as a mom of ten kids I am hard-nosed — the rule around here is, no blood, no bandaid. I scooped her close for a hug and leaned in to examine the toe. Closer I leaned. Closer. The toe showed not a mark.

“There’s no blood!” I said lightly. “I think you’ll be okay.”

She turned away, her body language showing she was a little peeved, though not surprised by my answer.

“Wait,” I said as she started to walk away. “Do you want me to kiss it for you?”

And for a moment as I waited for her reply, I didn’t breathe. She was sporting a bit of a ‘tude. Would she turn me down and walk away pouting? Or did my mommy-kiss still have power?

After a moment of hesitation, her face lost its pout and dissolved into sweetness. “Yes!” she said. And she came to me eagerly and held up her toe with a beaming face. And I kissed that little toe all better.

Mommy magic. I’ve still got it.

John 8:35-36

I’ve got some cute black shorts that are almost knee length. My shoe choices include simple flat brown sandals and super-comfy black slides with a heel of about an inch and a half. The black shoes are cuter– the brown sandals are just kinda blah. But I’m hesitant about pairing heels with shorts. Is it stylish or tacky? (esp for someone who is normal sized, not model-thin.) I’m soooo clueless– help!

While preparing to bring Second Daughter to college bright and early tomorrow morning, I have been scurrying around making her a couple of ‘dorm essentials’ kits. I’m sure there are tons of different things you could include. But here’s what I came up with.

HEALTHY SNACK KIT

First is the dorm snack kit. The object of this kit is to give my daughter a few healthy foods she can eat in her dorm room on those days/nights when she is too busy studying to head out to the cafeteria. I used a shoebox-sized storage bin. In it I packed:

–gum
–energy bars
–raisins
–small jar of peanut butter
–ready-to-eat soup with a pop-off top
–tea bags
–Homemade granola
–a coffee mug
–fork, spoon, and napkins
–two plastic food containers that can be used to warm soup or store leftovers. I’ll also be sending along yogurt, cheese sticks, and juice boxes for the fridge.

Medical Kit

The other kit that I put together is a medical kit, so that my daughter won’t have to run to the store when she is not feeling well. In a small makeup bag I packed:

–bandaids in several sizes
–antibiotic ointment
–betadine
–nail clipper
–Robitussin
–cough drops
–Immodium
–Advil
–Tums

We’re planning to dump everything off in her dorm room, then run to Target for a few other odds and ends she still needs. Hopefully these goodies will help our girl feel just a little more at home and settled in her new digs. Anyone else done kits like these before. What kinds of things did you pack?

(And here’s another fun tidbit. After we get Second Daughter all settled in, John and I are taking a day for ourselves to celebrate our anniversary while the kids hang out with my folks. Heavenly!!)

Last night it was after 11 when I finally chased my teenage boys (14 and 16) off to bed. Like most other Americans, we’ve been staying up rather late to watch the Olympics. My older girls (20 and 18) were already up in their room, not quite to bed yet, but aiming to head that way soon. The boys stopped at the girls’ doorway at the top of the stairs for a chat. Within minutes the voices and the laughter got loud. I listened with a smile on my lips, despite the fact that the decibel level was well beyond bedtime levels, and my ‘moderator’ instincts were wishing for silence.

Siblings who are friends. It is a goal of every mother, I suppose. My younger ones are still a work in progress in that department. About 75% of the time they do pretty well. The rest of the time they alternate between scowling grimly across the room at each other, giving each other the cold shoulder, running to me screaming for justice, and pelting each other with dirty tube socks. Yeah, still some growing up to do…

But these big kids. Of course their relationships aren’t perfect either, but it is obvious that they already have a deep appreciation for each other. They find each other amusing and smart and interesting. They are true friends. I’m not sure if I really appreciated my siblings til my 20’s. I am so happy my kids didn’t have to wait until adulthood to begin to appreciate each other.

Talk continues loudly. Laughter belts out frequently. My husband has already gone to bed since he rises at 4:30 for work, but thankfully our bedroom is at the opposite end of the house and my husband has the fan turned on. Still, I feel a tension to speak. They’re 20 feet from the 10 year old boys’ doorway, and I don’t know how sleep could be happening that close to the ruckus.

But still I sit smiling. A few more minutes. Time slipping by. The moments are short. Eldest was planning to move out, into an apartment with a friend this fall. Plans didn’t quite materialize, and she’s home after all. But Friday morning John and I will head to the dorms with Second Daughter, getting her settled in with 3 roommates, ready to begin her college adventure. Time is short.

And so they laugh, and joke and tell stories.

And I bite my tongue for moment after moment. Until finally the referee overrides the sentimental in me. I zing a message upstairs via Eldest’s Facebook page. “Shhh.”

I’m not sure if my daughter’s even watching her computer, such is the fun they’re having. A minute goes by, then two. There’s a group chuckle and then the noise quiets and the big boys trail off to their bedroom. And I’m left with a smile and a regret at cutting off the fun and a deep abiding joy in the friendships my children are building.

As moms we all do things that make us cringe afterwards. if you’re in the confessing mood, or if you just want to know that there are other moms out there just like you, check out the True Mom Confessions at Capessa this week. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, they’re giving away a $500 shopping spree from Zappos.com to one lucky commenter.

I’m still trying to decide what I’m going to break down and confess….