Search Results for: blog try to just do today

Snowing in Spring…Adjusting Our Frugal Plans

It is a few days past the official start of spring, and I am looking at a wintry wonderland just outside my window. The salt trucks and plows have been by, but they have to be diligent. Already the driveway and roads are covered with white. Despite about three inches of snow on the ground already and more to come, schools are not closed today. There is no excessive wind, and we are used to snow. The weather has been wrecking some havoc with our spring frugal plans. We can’t get started on our garden, and may lose out on … Continue reading →

Why I Don’t Hate Caillou

Since we have been indoors much more than we have wanted to be for a few months now, I have become more acquainted with what’s on TV. While we don’t watch a whole lot of television, most days we do watch a show or two on PBS. Sometimes, it’s This Old House or a cooking show, other times it’s Sesame Street, Sid The Science Kid, or Caillou. Yes, Caillou. My three year old absolutely adores that show, and I really don’t mind it either. For some reason, though, it seems as if a whole slew of other parents absolutely despise it. … Continue reading →

Organize the Pantry for Savings

I try to do a couple of money-saving projects each week around the house. Today, my project is to clean out and organize the pantry. Having a well-organized pantry reduces the amount of food waste, plus it sets me up to take advantage of any good sales and coupons, so I know what I should stock and how much of it to stock. Our store just had an amazing deal on pasta, which is why you can see so much of it on the bottom shelf. Yes, this is an actual photo of one of my two pantries, after it has … Continue reading →

College Students Try to End Slavery

College football is on a lot of minds tonight.  I myself am sitting here watching the BCS Championship out of the corner of my eye (my other eye is crying for the plight of the Fighting Irish) while writing this blog. But, some college students have something other than the national championship football game on their minds. Last Friday, the Passion 2014 conference wrapped up at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  Attending were about 60,000 young Christians from 56 different countries and 2,300 universities.  The four day conference consisted of community group learning sessions. What was on their mind?  Primarily, … Continue reading →

Not Wasting Food Today

During the holidays, our food waste was a little high. We shopped a lot, cooked a lot and packed the refrigerator with all sorts of ingredients and good things to eat. The environment was just right for food waste, since we hardly knew what we had. Having another person in our home didn’t help, either, since we all tending to save things for each other to the point where some items went bad (a crying shame in the case of the over-the-top chocolate bread). Since one of my New Year Resolutions is to find an extra $5,000 toward my mortgage … Continue reading →

5 Free Family Activities You Can Do Today

Forget buying the latest video game or springing for a couple of hours at one of those indoor kids activity places. Instead, try one of the following free family activities that you can do today. Zero cost but lots of fun. 1. Go for a Hike…Literally Being outdoors in nature instantly calms you and raises your spirits. Studies have proven it over and over again. Plus kids really do thrive on fresh air and exercise. A hike, or even just a walk in the park, can be an activity that the whole family can enjoy. Plus, it is free. Bonus … Continue reading →

The Five Dollar Doctor

There is a lot of controversy about Obamacare and socialized medicine, but one thing is true (at least to me) – everyone deserves medical care.  How can you say that someone doesn’t deserve medical care just because they can’t afford insurance or aren’t lucky enough to work at a place that provides affordable insurance for them? All of this might not be a problem if more doctors were like Russell Dohner.  Granted, at age 87, Dr. Dohner is in his twilight years, but he still sees patients seven times a week at his practice in Rushville, IL, not far from … Continue reading →

Justin Bieber, Ryan Gosling, and Avril Lavigne

Can you guess what Justin Bieber, Ryan Gosling, and Avril Lavigne all have in common with each other? Each of them also has the same thing in common with Celine Dion. Ancestry.com has figured out that all of these Canadian celebrities are actually related to each other. Not too long ago, Justin Bieber said he thought he was “part inuit or something”. While that particular genealogical claim has yet to be verified, Ancestry.com has discovered a few people that he truly is related to. Justin Bieber’s family tree connects with those of Ryan Gosling, Avril Lavigne, and Celine Dion. All … Continue reading →

Ancestry.com Connects Facebook to Your Family Tree

Ancestry.com just announced a brand new feature. It is one that can only be used if you have a Facebook account. Use the feature and it will sort through Facebook and look for relatives that you can add to your family tree. The family tree exists on Facebook and links to your Ancestry.com account. Does anyone else see the problems with this? Ancestry.com has a post on their blog that gives many details about a brand new feature. It’s a rather exclusive feature. To use it, you must have an Ancestry.com membership and a Facebook account. If you have both … Continue reading →

Ancestry.com Has Acquired 1000memories

Ancestry.com has announced on their blog that they have acquired 1000memories, Inc., makers of the ShoeBox app. The entire 1000memories team will join Ancestry.com. Another announcement states that there will be a new version of ShoeBox for iOS that connects to Ancestry.com. One of the most popular names in genealogy is Ancestry.com. People who have absolutely no interest whatsoever in genealogy will still recognize the name, (mostly due to their connection to the “Who Do You Think You Are?” television show). Ancestry.com has been in the news lately regarding the potential sale of the company. 1000memories Inc., is the company … Continue reading →