Monthly Menu Plan

 It's a special month for menu planning, thanks to Thanksgiving. Holiday time is my favorite time of the year; hurricane season ends, cooler weather begins (though in South Florida that means going from 90+ degree temps all the way down to the 80's), decorating is in full swing, and of course all the yummy food that's part of the season. I add our Thanksgiving dinner to the menu plan and to the budget. This means I have to be diligent with the rest of the month's meals so that I stay within budget. Here's what November's meal plan looks like:

Some of the meals are monthly staples, like baked mac and cheese and sausage gravy with biscuits (our favorite breakfast for dinner). Some are on regular rotation, sometimes once a month, other times every other month. Bourbon chicken, spaghetti carbonara, and burgers with fries fall into this category. I like trying new recipes every so often, but on a month like November where we have a large costly dinner I try to shop my pantry to keep my spending in check. I have all the ingredients to make lentil soup and teriyaki chicken, plus most of the ingredients to make slow cooker cubed steaks, beef stew and bourbon chicken. Adding these items to the menu plan means I don't have to buy as much and we can still eat healthy, tasty meals everyday. 

Menu planning is essential to me. I no longer throw out tons of food because I over-bought, nor do I stand in front of the fridge wondering what I'm going to make because I'm missing all sorts of ingredients. It saves me money, time, and anxiety. I have recommended it time and time again, and everyone I know who has tried it agrees: it is the best and smartest way to prepare and stock the kitchen. Happy planning!

Recipe Time: Beef and Black Bean Chili

It's time for another recipe! This is a beef and black bean chili recipe that I "stole" from Rachael Ray; actually, it's pretty similar but I modified it for my family. Here we go!

The ingredients are:

1.25 lbs. ground beef

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 heaping tbsp. sofrito *

 1.5 tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tbsp. ground cumin

1 cup beef stock or beef broth

1 can chili diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)

1 can black beans, drained (15 oz.)

1 tbsp. dried cilantro or 1 handful fresh, chopped

*Sofrito is a base used in Puerto Rican cooking. While everyone has their own version (handed down from generation to generation), the main ingredients are: onions; green bell peppers; petite red, yellow and orange bell peppers; garlic; cilantro; salt. Whenever I can find it I also like to add culantro - which is not the same as cilantro. The leaves are very different, and culantro has a stronger smell and taste. I would say, if you don't like cilantro you definitely will not like culantro. I also prefer to use aji dulce (or sweet chili peppers) in my sofrito but they are hard to come by in Florida, so I substitute petite bell peppers instead. I chop up all the ingredients and put them in the blender. Some people will make it in a food processor but my family has always done it in the blender. I then store it in a jar or plastic container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen. 

Start by browning the ground beef in a stock pot. 

Drain, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Next, add the Worcestershire sauce (I don't measure this. Use your judgment).

I add my sofrito (it kinda looks like green mush but will disappear in the meat).

Next come the spices. Chili powder...

...and cumin.

I use much less spices than Rachael Ray does in her recipe, but that's up to each individual. We all know what our families prefer.

I let this cook for about 5 minutes, then add in the beef broth and scrape up all the yummy stuff at the bottom of the pot.

I like the Aldi's brand but any broth or stock will do. Then come the diced tomatoes.

My favorite are the fire roasted diced tomatoes from Aldi's but they haven't had them in stock for awhile. These Zesty Chili diced tomatoes from Del Monte work nicely too, though they aren't as spicy.

Next is a can of tomato sauce

and a can of black beans that have been drained (you can rinse them as well if you want).

I've made this with chili beans, pinto beans, red beans, but my family likes the black beans best. Stir everything together and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

The last ingredient is optional: dried or fresh cilantro.

You can use as much or as little as you want, but if you're using dried err on the side of caution. Dried herbs have stronger flavor than fresh.

And that's it! I serve mine over white rice or with a side of cornbread. If you like a spicier version, add jalapeno peppers. Top it with cheese, sour cream, whatever makes your taste buds happy. Buen Provecho!

When Life Isn't Perfect

There is so much I love about my new home. The size, the layout, the view...location, community, and most of my neighbors. But nothing is ever perfect, is it? Except that what was at one time slightly annoying has become harassment and unpleasant.

From the first month after we moved into our new home, I noticed that one of my neighbors would play music pretty loudly. Not overly obnoxious, but loud enough that I could hear it throughout the day. At first I thought it was a teenager, because it was one rap song playing all day on repeat. It was just the kind of thing young kids do whenever they really like a song. In time, however, I realized there was one person  living there: a gentleman, in his 50's in my estimation. It seemed odd that a grown man would be playing one rap song over and over, even when he wasn't home. I attributed it to him wanting it to sound like someone was home whenever he went out, though it continued to play even whenever he was home.

One of my neighbors saw me one day and asked how I was liking my new home. I told her I was getting used to living in a townhouse, since I'd lived in a single family home for over 19 years. I mentioned not being accustomed to the sounds and music, and she immediately stopped me. Turns out the lady who sold the house to me had problems with this same gentleman because of all his noise. Apparently the problems escalated to the point that she decided it was better to leave her home of 23 years than to put up with a troublesome neighbor. She had thought his problem was mainly with her. I wanted to believe the same thing. I don't like judging people based on their experiences with others. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

As time progressed the music became louder and would go on longer. Other neighbors also asked if I'd met or had problems with this gentleman like the prior owner had. I resisted any gossip and simply said I had not met him. Even the air conditioning technician who came to clean the lines for my air conditioner asked if I was having issues with this neighbor. I couldn't believe how many people knew about this situation! Still, I didn't want to take his behavior personally.

In January our church did a 21 day prayer and fasting. We were asked to give up something and use the time to pray for different things. We had a list of options but of course we could pray for anything we felt called to. I decided to pray for this neighbor. I put aside all social media and began praying earnestly that God would give this man peace and heal him from any hurts. He seemed to me to be very angry and bitter, and I prayed that God would take his pain away from him. Whenever he played his  music loud I would play worship songs. It was an ordeal; I felt like the more I prayed the more agitated he became. Then during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the music stopped completely. I figured he had gone away for the long weekend, but even when he came back he didn't play his music all day long, and when he did it was for a short amount of time. I praised God for this breakthrough and continued to pray for him. Life started to calm down and I was enjoying my home more and more. Then the pandemic hit.

My neighbor is a school teacher, so whenever our state issued the stay at home orders he stopped working. Since he is a physical education teacher he doesn't have a classroom per se, so he wasn't teaching from home like many other teachers. It wasn't too bad at first; the music became more frequent but not as frequent as it had been whenever we first moved in. As time went on, however, things began to worsen.

One Sunday in August I was in my kitchen preparing breakfast when I began hearing pounding on the walls. My first thought was that my neighbor was fixing something in his home, though why he would choose Sunday at 9:00 in the morning was beyond me. The pounding was not consistent with hammering, though. It was just a strong, rhythmic pounding that went on and off for about an hour. At 10:00 I sat down to listen to my old church's service. At 11:00 am there was a loud knock at my door; actually, it wasn't a knock, it was pounding as loud as what had been going on earlier on the walls. I jumped and ran to the door, thinking there was an emergency, or maybe the house was on fire. No, it was my neighbor, telling me to stop making noise. I looked at him in total confusion. I answered, "That wasn't me, I thought it was you!" But he'd already turned around and stormed away before I was finished speaking. I called out to him that it wasn't me but he ignored me completely. I was so shaken after that, it took almost an hour before my nerves calmed down. I sat in my office playing solitaire to try and relax; then at noon the pounding at my door returned. He told me he'd heard it again. I tried to nicely explain that, while I was sorry he was upset, whatever he was hearing wasn't coming from my home. I was sitting in my office and not even walking around. He tried to blame my son, who was sleeping. It was like he didn't listen to a word I said. Instead he threatened to call the police and report me to the HOA if he heard the noise again. I told him to go right ahead because I knew I wasn't making the noise.

I began to pray even more for this man because I was convinced there was something wrong with him. He proved this to us about a month later. Again on a Sunday morning, this time at 7:30 am, he came pounding at my front door demanding that we stop "banging". My son came to the door with me and I told him we were sleeping and no one was banging on anything. Just as before, I hadn't finished my sentence when he turned and stormed off. At that moment my son E and I both said, "He is disturbed."

Never in my life had I been in such a situation with a neighbor. I talked to my daughter and son-in-law and said I was going to talk to the management company. My son-in-law told me they wouldn't do anything because this is a civil matter; if he showed up at my door again I should call the police. I took his advise and said nothing. I wish I'd spoken up then.

Last week I received an email from the management company stating that it had come to their attention that I was making loud noises after 10:00 pm and I was to stop. I was absolutely furious. Not only was this a bold faced lie, this neighbor was the one that would bang on the walls at all hours of the day and night, play loud music, turn his television on at 6:00 am and leave it on after he left for work, and I had not complained. Yet here he was making false accusations about me! I immediately answered the management office back and told them the whole situation. Since it was later in the day I decided I'd call in the morning, which I did twice but got no answer. I left messages, sent an additional email, but I heard nothing. I was determined, though; I would not let this man malign me with his lies.

Sunday morning I got up at 8:00 am. My son and new daughter-in-law were coming down to visit and I was so excited! At around 8:30 I hopped into the shower to wash my hair and get ready. I began to hear what sounded like very loud music, which surprised me because not only was the shower running but I had the exhaust fan on which makes noise. At first I figured it must be outside, but as soon as I shut the water off I realized that it was coming from my neighbor's house! I got out the shower to brush my teeth and the pounding began in full force. At this point I was done. I called 911 and reported the harassment, asking that an officer be sent over immediately. The 911 operator told me they would send the officer to my house first, then they'd go over to the neighbor's house. As I waited, I heard the volume go down on the music. I was a bit upset because I thought the police wouldn't hear how loud the music was. When the officer came to my door I found out he'd gone directly to the neighbor's house because the music was so loud it could be heard in the street. He was told to stop blaring his music. What was his response? He told the police officer that he was playing his music that loudly because I'd been making noise at 6:00 am. Another big fat lie! I said so much to the officer and told him we were asleep at 6:00. I also told him that this had happened before and that I believed the gentleman to be disturbed. The police officer was sympathetic and told me to call anytime if it happened again.

I emailed the management office a third time. Then I found out from another neighbor who had also heard all the noise that the association managers were working from home. So I called Tuesday morning and left a message. I received an email (finally!) from two different managers stating what my son-in-law had already told me: that this was a civil and not an association matter, and that while they were looking at what could be done, it would be necessary for me to call the authorities if it continued to be a problem. The senior manager did say to document everything and keep them informed.

Monday was quieter and calmer; I had strong hopes that this episode would be the last. No such luck. Tuesday he turned his television on very loudly, then left for work. He turned it off when he got home at 2:50 in the afternoon. He was quiet for the most part after that, and I was thankful for it. However, I was awakened today at 4:08 am to pounding on the wall. It happened once that I recall so I said nothing. Then at 6:00 am the television turned on. I thought about calling the police at this time but decided to wait. At 7:10 I could hear the music start. I got up and could hear two different kinds of music coming from different areas of the house, along with the television set blaring. I called the police, but he was very sneaky. He bolted out the door, so that when the police officer arrived he was gone. The officer told me he could hear the music playing and that yes, it was loud, but no one answered the door. I informed him that the gentleman had left for work and the officer was surprised that he had left the music on. All he could tell me to do was wait until the neighbor got home, then I could call the police again if the music continued.

Sure enough, my neighbor got home at around 3:30 pm, turned off one stereo but raised the volume on the television set. I called the police again. The wonderful officer that came spoke to him and quickly realized where the problem lies. He could tell that my neighbor was being childish and spiteful, and he did not believe the lies that were told to him about me or about my son. Then he checked his records, and was appalled to see that they've been receiving complaints about this gentleman since 2017. He has been warned, and if there are any further complaints he will receive citations for each one.

Does this make me feel better? Not at all. My desire is for this man to find peace, and freedom from his anger and bitterness that can only be found in Jesus Christ. If you are reading this and you believe in the power of prayer, would you please add this man to your prayer list? Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) I believe this promise is for anyone and everyone who will believe. 

The Week In Review

This has been a rough week. I intended several times to sit down and post, but I couldn't think of anything to write about. Or rather, I could think of plenty to write about but nothing I wanted to write about.

My ex-brother-in-law passed away on Thursday. He would have turned 49 next month. It was not a surprise; he was diagnosed with brain cancer last December and had been given 3-6 months to live. They tried surgery, chemo, and radiation, but none of these stopped the growth from coming back. The last month and a half he spent in bed, unable to walk, talk, eat, or move. Everyone knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking. He died two weeks after the first anniversary of his father's death. His mother, my children's grandmother, is absolutely devastated. He leaves behind a wife, a 5 year old son, and a 22 year old son from a previous relationship, along with 5 siblings and a multitude of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. 

It was a reminder to me that our days are counted. Everyday we are closer to the day when Jesus returns, or when we meet Him in heaven. We've been studying Jesus' parables in our ladies Bible study group. We've done the parable of the two builders (Matthew 7:24-27), the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and last night we studied the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). Each of these parables point to the fact that Jesus' return is imminent, but no one knows when He will return. Therefore it is important to be ready. Our hearts need to be fully dedicated to the Lord and His Kingdom, even in the smallest details of our lives. 

Last Sunday I began painting my daughter's bathroom vanity, and Monday I completed it, sealing it with Polycrylic. It turned out so well, and my daughter was pleased with it which is what matters most.

It's a dark greige, which works beautifully with the tile floors that resemble wood. The vanity was in good condition but the finish didn't match all their new fixtures. Paint is a great option whenever you want something new but it's out of the budget.

My son completed his astronomy class in 8 weeks and got an A in the class. I'm very proud of him, because this class was not an easy one. He worked hard and was rewarded well for his effort.

 I put gas in my car this week. Not a big deal, except that I hadn't put gas in my car since August. With this pandemic still hovering over us (though much of Florida has been reopened) I don't get out a whole lot, which saves on gas. What's even nicer is that I spent $28.10 to fill up my tank. That's because gas is $1.97/gallon. Looks like the pandemic has been good in that respect.

Another bit of good news is that my son and new daughter-in-law will be in town tomorrow night. We'll be taking them out for a celebratory dinner, though I haven't decided where yet. I'm so happy that we'll be able to spend some time with them since we couldn't be with them for the wedding. God is so generous to allow this time together.

There is more to this week's happenings, but I'm going to leave that for another post. Till then, God bless y'all and keep y'all safe.

The Week In Review

I thought I'd update y'all today on everything that got done - and everything that didn't.

I say what didn't get done because I had scheduled an electrician to come this week and change out the light fixture in my entryway, the one that is too high up for me to reach. We agreed on Thursday at 9:30 am, so I got up bright and early to be ready. Just as I was about to brush my teeth I got a text message: the electrician's daughter was sick, had been taken to the doctor, and was given a Covid test. Although the electrician had no symptoms, since they didn't have results yet he wisely decided to cancel all his appointments until they knew for sure. I haven't heard back from him, so I don't know if he'll be available this coming week. It's a reminder that, while I make plans, God decides what gets done and what doesn't.

A lot of studying was done this week. I was serving in children's ministry on Saturday so I had to study the lesson. This was week 3 of our ladies bible study so I had to prepare for that as well. We studied Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the 10 virgins. And my son had his Astronomy final plus a research paper he had to turn in, and he asked me to help him study for that. He's done very well in the class thus far, but the final was a disappointment. The professor directed the class to a study guide which my son worked on, only to find out none of what was on the study guide was on the actual final. He ended up with a 68%, much lower than any of the quiz grades he's had. However, since all his other grades have been good, I think he will end up with either an A or at least a high B. Since this is just a gen-ed class I'm not concerned. It's still a good grade for what was a pretty difficult class, and he did it in 8 weeks so I'm proud of him.

Thursday was a day of unexpected stuff. Around 8:30 at night I got a call from my son-in-law. He was at a local gas station whenever his car battery died. Thankfully I have charger cables - though at first I couldn't remember where I'd put them (they were in my toolbox) - so E and I were able to get his battery jumped so he could get home. My daughter had been using his car to go to work because she needed new tires, and my son-in-law is currently working from home. Now this little predicament meant she couldn't take his car until he got a new battery, and she'd have to get her tires changed right away. I teasingly told them it's a good thing I live nearby. I was able to pick them up and/or drop them off at Pep Boys so they could get their vehicles taken care of.   

When my daughter's car was ready she asked if I'd go with her to TJ Maxx to look for some bathroom decor. She and my son-in-law are remodeling their master bath and she wanted to look for some new towels and organizers. I can't say no to TJ Maxx; it's my favorite home decor store because I always find great decor at even greater prices. I'd mentioned before on my blog that I was thinking of upgrading my bedding, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I'd looked at Costco since they usually have some high quality affordable bedding, but I hadn't seen anything lately. Then I saw this at TJ Maxx:

And this is why I love this store! Y'all, this comforter is so soft and luxurious! It came with 2 standard sized pillow shams and the cost is $39.99. I could not believe it was so inexpensive! I couldn't wait to put it on my bed and see how it looked.

While I was at it I picked up some new pillows. The pillows I had were very soft, a little too soft for my liking. I picked up these extra firm pillows for $16.99 for a set of two. 

I tried several different options on my bed. This was the first idea I had.

I folded the current bedding, which is a mint green bedspread, and put it over the new comforter. I also used all the pillows I had on the bed previously and added pillows in the new pillow shams.

I then put the fall pumpkin pillow in front of it. I love that pillow so much, and it ties in all the fall colors that I've added to my bedroom, so I knew I wanted to incorporate it.

I liked the idea of keeping the bedspread folded onto the comforter, but I felt like it covered too much of it, so I folded the bedspread further. Now the comforter showed up more, and it looked like a fancy hotel. This was much better, but there was still something I wasn't feeling that I couldn't put my finger on. Yesterday I tried something else, and I think this is my favorite.

I took off the throw pillows with the teal design and left just the plain teal pillows along with the fall pillow, and I think it's just enough. I figured out that it was too many pillows and that was throwing me off. I feel like now it's just the right amount, and all the fall colors make me smile.

As my daughter looked at bathroom decor, I spotted something that was perfect for my own bathroom.

I knew I wanted to change my shower curtain. Not because I didn't like it; it's a very pretty and simple design, just what I like. But I had a bit of a mishap with the shower curtain and some Clorox cleaner.

I cannot even express how upset I was whenever I saw that I'd gotten Clorox cleaner on my new shower curtain! Thankfully it was at the bottom and it stayed covered by the bathroom vanity. Still, I knew it was there and I wanted to get a new shower curtain; I just didn't want to spend $25+. That's what this one had cost at Target (I had a gift card so it was free to me). The curtain I found at TJ Maxx had all the colors I love and it was only $14.99 - $10 cheaper than the one I already had but much nicer quality in my opinion.

The bathroom went from this:

To this:

It may not seem like a huge change, but to me it makes the bathroom seem brighter and more cheerful. I am so happy I found this shower curtain!

This week was also bittersweet for me personally. My oldest son R got married yesterday. In California. That's where his fiance has been living with her family. I wanted to be at his side on his special day. That had been the plan since they got engaged last year. Then coronavirus hit, and California has so many restrictions that it would have been a waste of time to travel all the way there and not be able to celebrate with him. So we stayed, and I cried. We love his new bride, my new daughter-in-law, and my one comfort is knowing she never wanted a big wedding to begin with, so she got her wish. But oh, how I wanted to be there! Still, I know God is in control, and He has gifted me another daughter, so I will rejoice in that. Welcome to the family AB!

That's my week's highlights. Looking forward to what God has in store for me next.

Recipe Time: Sweet and Sour Chicken

It's been a hot minute since I last shared a recipe on my blog. This is one I modified from a YouTuber I like to watch, Kimmie from She's In Her Apron. Kimmie made a sweet and sour chicken recipe, and as I watched it made me want to give it a try. I did change it slightly to fit our tastes, and everyone loves it. I always try to make enough to have leftovers :-).

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1-2 eggs, beaten

4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup canola oil (you can also use corn or vegetable oil)

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can pineapple chunks, reserving juice (8 oz. or 15 oz., depending on your personal taste)

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. all purpose seasoning of your choice

1-2 tbsp. corn starch

Reserved pineapple juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken into bite-size chunks (or slightly larger) and add salt & pepper to taste. Dredge the chicken first in flour, then in beaten egg. Fry chicken in canola oil until golden. Meanwhile, chop onion and bell peppers, and add to a 13x9 casserole dish along with the pineapple chunks. Do NOT discard pineapple juice. Remove chicken from pan to a paper towel or paper bag, then add to the casserole dish.

Mix all the sauce ingredients except the corn starch in a saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Liquify 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch in about 1/4 cup of pineapple juice and slowly add to sauce mixture. (If you want a thicker sauce add more corn starch, less if you want a slightly thinner sauce.) Lower heat to thicken slightly. Once the sauce is thickened to your liking, pour over the chicken and vegetables. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Serve over white rice.

Enjoy! 

The Week In Review

 I wasn't sure if I'd post today. My body is in pain (I'll explain shortly). I decided I'd go ahead and post because a) I'm sitting down so I can type as long as I'm comfortable, and b) I want to be consistent. I slacked for too long; it's time I get on track.

My week has actually been quiet for the most part. It consisted of cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry. Pretty standard stuff. I studied for my Friday night Bible study on Wednesday and Thursday. We are working through Jesus' parables and this week we looked at the parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24-27. We looked at the entire Sermon on the Mount and broke down the conclusion. It was a powerful study.

In my entryway I have a light fixture that I've wanted to change out since we moved in. It's the original fixture from whenever this house was built, and it's not only ugly, it's nasty.

It's a builder grade light fixture from the 80's that is plastic. It's up high so cleaning it is very difficult unless you get on a high ladder. This apparently was never done, and it's grimy at this point.

I don't know if this picture does it justice. The dirt does not come off. It's been baked on with the heat from the light. 

There were two of these whenever we moved in, this one at the front entry and one at the top of the stairs. I was able to change out the latter.

I got this light fixture off of Amazon. Not only is the size perfect for the space, the rustic farmhouse style fits my decor. Changing this fixture was simple. I could reach it from the living room; I didn't even get the ladder out to take down the old fixture, but I did have to whenever I was ready to put in the new one because it's metal and it was too heavy. 

The problem I ran into whenever I was ready to switch out the second fixture was reaching it. I have an extension ladder, but even with that I just don't reach. It also makes me very nervous to try and balance on an extension ladder while holding a heavy light fixture and attaching all the wires and such. I have friends that are electricians, but they live in our old area which is kinda far from where we live now. So I contacted the children's ministry director at my new church and asked for a recommendation. I figured, if I'm going to pay someone to put up this light fixture, I'd much rather give the job to someone in the church. So, after months of having the light fixture sitting in my office, hopefully it will get installed either this Wednesday or Thursday. I'm so excited, I can't wait!

This week I went to Publix to do my groceries. I needed some thin steaks and chicken wings, and while Aldi has really good meats, they don't have much variety. Publix has excellent products but the price is higher; Walmart has better prices but the quality of their meats is lacking in my opinion. So Publix wins whenever I need meats. Since I had to go there anyway, I got everything else I needed as well.

I found steaks and chicken wings, and while I was at it I picked up Luigi's Italian Ices for my son. They're his favorites.

One thing I always like to get whenever I go to Publix is their sweet tea. It is by far the best sweet tea out there. 

I really didn't need much from the store - or so I thought. When my son saw what I'd picked up, he asked if the store was out of his water. I totally forgot his Clear American flavored waters! It's a Walmart brand so I wasn't going to find them at Publix. It's the only water he likes to drink, so Saturday morning I headed out and picked him up some water and snacks.

The other thing I did on Saturday was plumbing work. My daughter and son-in-law are remodeling their master bathroom, and they're trying to save wherever they can. They have a contractor doing all the major stuff like tiling, installing the new toilet, wall repair, and putting in a frameless shower door. They decided not to change out the vanity because it's newer and in excellent condition. All it needs is a coat of paint and new handles, so I offered to paint it. The other thing it needed was new faucets. My daughter asked if I could change them out, since I've done it before and they didn't want to have to pay the contractor to do it. I have to be honest, changing out faucets is one of my least favorite things to do. It's not difficult; as long as you follow the instructions it's pretty straight forward. The hard part is removing the old fixtures, and these were in pretty bad shape. It's also really hard to get under the bathroom sink to pull out/install the faucets. It's the reason why my body is in such pain today.

It took me forever to get this old handle out, and then I didn't think I'd be able to get the water supply line off, but eventually I managed to get it off. 

I think the faucets turned out beautifully (there's two sinks in this vanity and I changed out both) but y'all, it took me four hours to get this job done, and I feel like three hours were spent in just getting the old faucets out. I'm so glad I was able to do this for my kids, but I'm paying for it today. Even my fingernails hurt! I've been sitting on my couch with a heating pad on my back for most of the day. I'm finally feeling better, and I thank the Lord for that.

And that's been my week! Hope y'all had a productive week as well. God bless.

The Queen Of Clearance - Part 2

Last month (aka two days ago) I began posting about all the great clearance deals I've gotten over the years, and there were so many I didn't want to put them in one overwhelming post. I began thinking that maybe I have a problem. The more I thought about it the more items came to mind. Is there a CA (Clearance Anonymous) out there?! I may have to join!

The biggest clearance item in my living room is, of course, my sectional sofa that I got at Costco and paid $650 for after my rebate check. But I do have a few odds and ends in my living room that were once residents of the clearance racks.

This sweet jar is actually a candleholder with a flameless candle inside. The cutout is a flower. It's very rustic and sweet, and was only $7.99. I don't recall what the original price was; I bought it at Kohl's many years ago. It's still a favorite, and has found itself somewhere on my bookshelf ever since it entered my home.

This little cutie is a recent find from Hobby Lobby. The original price was $13.99 but I found it in the clearance section for a mere $3.49. I have several white animal figurines, but this one is the most unique.

I never pay a lot for pillows. I've seen throw pillows upwards of $80; that's not for me. Even pillows that are $25 and $30 are too much for my wallet. I think the most I have ever paid for a single throw pillow is $10. That's why, whenever I find throw pillows on clearance, I do a happy dance! I have several clearance pillows, but this one is a favorite. It's 24"x24", and y'all, I found it at Target for $8.00! I found another pillow at Target, this size and the same price, in pink. But the reason this one is my favorite is...

It's reversible! It's like getting two pillows for $8.00 instead of one! I love that the colors go with spring as well as fall. I can even leave it for late winter, since spring in South Florida typically begins in February or early March. We don't get much of a winter here.

This lumbar pillow would have cost me $24.99, but I found it at Target for $8.50. This is why I won't pay full price for pillows. If you look for them, you can find them. Patience is key; they don't always have them but whenever they do, it's a good deal. Flexibility is also necessary; you might not always find exactly what you want, but I don't feel like I've settled for less on either. In both cases I got brand new pillows for what a pillow cover might have cost.

I can't forget my olive tree that I found at Hobby Lobby shortly after the stores began opening up this year. Whenever I first saw it, it was on clearance for $29.99, but I was already at the checkout and I didn't want to hold up the line while I went to look at it. I decided to pass it up, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went back the following week to buy an arch for above my front door, and I figured if they had any trees left I'd make a decision whether I wanted it or not. They were at the entrance whenever I got to Hobby Lobby; there were only two left, and they'd been marked down to $24.99 from the original price of $99.99. There was no thinking about it - this baby was coming home with me! It's been in my kitchen, and now it's in my living room. The white basket it's in came from the Target dollar spot.

Trays are another thing I like to get on clearance because they can get pricey. I like having things corralled in a tray; it makes it easy to move things whenever I'm cleaning. This one in my living room is from Target; I got it for half price, $12.00. 

This tray is in my kitchen. It's the same size as the Target tray but this one is mostly metal with wood sides where the handles are. I picked this up at Kirkland's for $7.78, reduced from $19.99.

I found some Pioneer Woman goodies in the clearance section of Walmart a few years ago and I was so happy because they are so beautiful and classy. They can go with all different types of decor. The salt and pepper shakers were $2.00 each, and the soup tureen was $19.99 (down from $30).

Another great clearance deal I got from Walmart is my Keurig. I actually had this on my Christmas list whenever I saw it in the clearance aisle for $50.00 - it was $99.99 regular price everywhere else! I've had it for four years and it still works like a charm. It's a One Cup Wonder, but even the newer "cheaper" one cup Keurig machines go for over $70 so this was definitely a great deal. It was brand new in the box too. I think this particular color was not available in store, only online, so they had to sell it for less. It had been reduced previously to $75 but it hadn't sold. I guess it was meant for me!

Whenever I'm at Target I check the Hearth and Hand section for clearance items too. I've found several really good deals, but none beats this one. These ceramic jars can hold pretty much anything. The original price was $9.99, but I got them for $2.50 each. I ended up paying less for all three of them than what one would have cost at the regular price!

And how about this gorgeousness?! Hobby Lobby put this on sale after spring. It was originally $49.99, but it was 75% off! I was able to get it for $12.50, and it is perfect in my bathroom.

I recently found this adorable little birdhouse at TJ Maxx for just $6.00, less my 10% senior discount for shopping on Monday. I believe the original price was $20 but I'm not certain. Anyway, the color is so cute and it's a nice addition to my patio.

I don't remember what the original price was for this ceramic lantern, but whenever I found it at Target I picked up two of them for $4.50 each and asked my daughter if she wanted them for her new house. She declined, so I kept one for outside and gave one away as a gift. It was greatly appreciated - no one would think it was so affordable!

I love a bargain y'all, not gonna lie. It's thrilling to me whenever I go in a store and I find really great deals like this. I've had to train myself, though. It was getting out of control. I was buying stuff not because I needed the items, but because the deal was too good to pass up. Problem is, it's not a good deal if you don't use it. Thankfully I've used much of my clearance purchases as gifts if I don't use them myself, but I'm learning to be more intentional with what I bring inside my house. If I don't have a place to put it, or someone specific to give it to, I walk away. And that there is another way to save!