Pollyanna

When I got up this morning I really hoped one of these would have shown up,

or maybe this guy.

But no luck, just me. There is laundry to do, bathrooms to clean, party preparations to be made, bills to pay...The list goes on and just about the time I think I'm caught up, there is more.

I believe where your mind goes your behind follow. What I focus on I see, the good and the bad. This isn't new I heard a speaker talk about the same thing. His example was to have the audience close their eyes and asked them how much red was in the room. They said not much. When they opened their eyes and looked around there was a lot of red. They saw it because they were looking for it. When I remember where I heard that I'll pass it along. I think it was a Getting Things Done seminar Honey and I listened to.

I know many people poo-poo positive thinking, but some days I have to do whatever it takes! Today is one of those days. It snowed again yesterday, it's gray and dreary today. I'm ready for sunshine and warm days, sadly mother nature is not co-operating with my plan. So, I'm thinking positive! I know my attitude will change for the better!

How this works for me is putting a positive spin on every thing I can. Instead of groaning about the chores, I'm thankful we have clothes to wear, a home to clean and that I have a family to dirty it again. It sounds silly but it works for me! I focus on the finished chore and not the "fun" of doing the laundry.

What do you do to get motivated? What tips or tricks do you have?

Fave Five and Coffee 3.25

It's Friday, time for Fave Five and Company Girl Coffee! (I missed all of last week due to the flu, we were all sick.) Time to list some favorite things from the past week and catch up with the Company Girls. Visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for the Fave Five details.

Here are my favorite things from the past two week. The snow falling outside my window is not one of my favorite things.

• We got a surprise package in the mail! My sister made us St. Patrick's Day goodie bags! The kids were excited about their stickers and gold coins. I got coffee!
• Warm sunny days! We've had a taste of what is to come and I can't wait! I love sunshine!
  
• Everyone is healthy again! It was a very long week with everyone sick, but we are better now, the house has been aired out and disinfected. This is also the reason for my very short SRT list. My TBR list is growing daily!
  
• Coffee! I was coffee free for seven days! Only partly by choice, I just couldn't stomach it with the flu. Coffee is back, happy dance!
• A trip to the craft store! I found some clearance yarn for a scarf. It's a very easy scarf that spirals; I started a purple one and thought it would be pretty in this yarn too. I may even have them done by the time it's cold enough to wear them.
• Baskets. I replaced basket A with B it was hidden in the closet. Basket A is now a collection point for things that need to be carried to the basement. It looks so much better than a pile of stuff sitting by the steps. The best part…$0!

Please visit Rachel at Home Sanctuary and check out what other Company Girls are up to!

Spring Reading Thing 2011

Happy Spring! That means warm breezes, sunshine, flowers, and muddy children and…

I'm looking forward to the challenge this year for all the new books I'll find out about. My "to be read" list is pretty empty. I only have 3 books on my list, so far. I am reading two new authors and one old favorite.

Lady in Waiting: A Novel by Susan Meissner

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity by Debbie Macomber

For all the details and to link up visit Katrina at Callapidder Days! Thank you Katrina for hosting! Happy Reading!

Money (Saving) Monday

Today's money saving idea, have a child come down with the stomach flu on the scheduled Stuff Mart day. Add to that snow (yes, snow) and that makes for a stay home day for me! I'm sending Honey! How does this save me money? Well, Honey doesn't have to take the children (the children choose not to go, Dad says "no"), he's better at sticking to the list, and he doesn't "remember" what I forgot to put on the list.

Bean had this on Friday, Punkin started today, wonder who is next? It's all good as long as Honey doesn't get it. He has a BIG, HUGH project at work starting Friday, he can't get sick! So, with Lysol in hand, I'll be couponing, reading, maybe a little knitting and waiting to see what else this first day of Spring Break will bring.

Allowance update, I'm leaning to giving Punkin allowance. Giving her a few "must" do chores tied to privileges not money. That was she has money and we can start to learn some money management skills. I have very low expectations for this project to be successful but I hope to get the skills in there so she can draw on them when she gets older. A big Thank You goes out to Karen at Over the Back Yard Fence for sharing her ideas and kind words of encouragement!

Fave Five and Company Girl Coffee

It's finally Friday! The sun is shining and the temp is suppose to go up a little today! Woo hoo!

It's time to link with Suzanne at Living to Tell the Story and have coffee with the Company Girls.

My favorite things this week were...

Today's sunshine! It does this body good!

I got 2 hand lotions and a can of ravioli free with coupons this week! Completely free, no additional purchase required!

Katrina at Callapidder Days is planing to host Spring Reading Thing 2011!

Time to be creative. I finished two shopping bags and have a third cut and ready to sew.

Quilt night. We did a little quilting, a little knitting and had brownies!

What were your favorite things this week?

Stop and have coffee with some other Company Girls! Hosted by Rachel Anne at Home Sanctuary!

Money Monday

Allowance, to pay or not to pay? Cash for chores or entitlement? We are currently giving allowance based on chores. I'm question this because my teen is doing just enough chores to get the amount of money she wants in the moment. If she want $3 she'll do just enough chores to earn $3. She has to pay for her texting. When that bill is due she asks if she can do extra chores to pay the bill but often that's all she earns and has no cash for the rest of the week. I know she understands you have to work to earn money. I wonder if that is the lesson I need to be teaching her at 16 or if teaching her budgeting is where my focus should be?

On Friday she had money, by Sunday night she didn't have enough cash to buy a soda. I'm suppose to be preparing her for adulthood. When it comes to money management I'm failing. I know if I give her allowance she won't do chores, she complains about simple chores when she does get paid for them. Do I give up her helping around the house to be able to teacher her how to manage her money?

How do you handle spending money for kids? Do you micro manage how they handle money or let them learn by fire? Is it ever too late to teach money management? I would love to hear how you teach or were taught money management!

February Project Wrap-up

I've survived my second month of not making daily trips to Stuff Mart. I've also learned a few more things this month.

It is possible to run out of Stuff Mart plastic bags.

We can get what we want/need without running out to the store every time we have a need. Bean and I learned this lesson because he can wear sunglasses to school tomorrow. He asked if we could go to the store to get a pair, I told him we could go on Wednesday. Having a plan seemed to defuse the urgency for him, and frustration for me, he didn't ask every day if we could go. Wednesday came, we went to the store got the shades, it's all good!

Using a calculator helps me re-think my need for those extras that run up my total.

Where my butt goes, so does my mind and my money. At home I make the shopping list of what we need and some of our wants. Then when I'm walking around the store, things I didn't know I needed at home end up in the cart. Sometimes I do remember something we need, most of the extras are just that extras.

The total trips to Stuff Mart for February are 4! Honey 1, Me 3! We eliminated 10 trips this month. The store didn't have to close it's doors and I don't feel the pressure to go just because some one wants something.