Undignified Deaths
A 25-year-old woman jumped to her death from a department store roof in Tokyo in November and, as sometimes happens with such suicides, she landed on a pedestrian (who was hospitalized in serious condition). [Mainichi Daily News, 11-6-07]
At least five people choked to death in Japan over New Year's, as usual, from eating the extremely sticky "mochi" rice cakes that are a staple of the holiday. [Mainichi Daily News, 1-3-08]
In Ogden, Utah, in December, a 73-year-old woman was accidentally fatally run over by a motor home. It was unclear whether the first pass over her was fatal, but the driver behaved as others have: After feeling a thumping sound, he said, he stopped and backed up to see what he had hit, thus driving over the body a second time. [Deseret Morning News, 12-3-07]
Reader's Choice
In Chaparral, N.M., in December, a loaded .357 Magnum was being traced by two men onto a pattern to create a custom tattoo design, but somehow, the gun went off. Both men were hit by the same bullet, one in the hand and the other in the arm. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer-AP, 12-31-07]
A 77-year-old man in Des Moines, Iowa, who was trying a unclog his septic tank in the afternoon of Christmas Eve, lost his balance and fell in, head first with his legs sticking up. He remained in that position for about an hour until his wife saw him and called for help. [Star Tribune (Minneapolis)-AP, 12-26-07]
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tasty Tuesday - Funnel Cakes!
My husband and I occasionally suffer from GHAFC disorder. (For any of you who may be unaware of this disease, it's full name is Gotta Have A Funnel Cake). We LOVE funnel cakes but can hardly stomach the $6 they charge at the local fair and amusement parks. A few years ago, we decided to try out a few recipes and see if we could find one that worked at home. Today I am posting our favorite funnel cake recipe. (We use a deep fryer, so I'm not sure exactly what setting you would use if you were to do this on the stovetop).
Funnel Cakes
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
oil for frying
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heat oil in fryer to 360 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together (except oil). Pour or spoon batter into a large ziploc bag. Seal out as much air as possible. Snip about 1/2 inch off the end of one of the corners. "Pipe" batter into hot oil in a swirling manner until desired full cake size is formed. Allow batter to fry for 3 mins. Flip over and fry 1 more minute. Carefully remove from oil and place of paper towel to drain. Dust (or as we prefer, COVER) with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Money Monday - Budget, Part 4
Today we will begin answering a question that the average American will (sadly) probably never need to ask:
What do I do with my money when I'm debt free (minus the mortgage)?
We are eagerly awaiting this day in our family and we anticipate it arriving by the end of 2008. We have been aggressively attacking our debt for 10 months now and have paid off over $14,000. We have $8,700 to go and are fairly confident that we can cover this amount by the end of this year. When we have paid off our van, what will we do with our money?
Well, our situation is a bit different than some of yours, I'm sure. Right now, my husband is working two jobs. One job is necessary for our day to day living expenses. The other is necessary to pay off our debt. When our debt is paid off, he will no longer be working his second job, so our income with decrease quite a bit.
But let's assume that you have not picked up any extra jobs while paying off your debt and that your income will remain the same. And let's say that your debt snowball amount was $500 when you paid off your last debt. So now you have an extra $500 each month. What do you do with it?
You need a (FFEF) fully funded emergency fund. This amount of money should be at the very minimum 3 months of living expenses. I personally recommend 6 months or more. Use your debt snowball amount to fund your FFEF. Unlike the baby emergency fund you had before, this emergency fund is good for gaining interest. This isn't investment money, but go ahead and put it in an account that yields more than your average savings account. Try a money market account with no penalties and checkwriting privileges. This emergency fund is NOT for wealth building. It is simply in place for when it rains...and it will rain.
Next week, we will begin talking about investing and saving for your children's college educations.
Also, before you leave, please vote in the "How much consumer debt do you have?" poll on the left side of the screen!
Links to other parts of this series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
What do I do with my money when I'm debt free (minus the mortgage)?
We are eagerly awaiting this day in our family and we anticipate it arriving by the end of 2008. We have been aggressively attacking our debt for 10 months now and have paid off over $14,000. We have $8,700 to go and are fairly confident that we can cover this amount by the end of this year. When we have paid off our van, what will we do with our money?
Well, our situation is a bit different than some of yours, I'm sure. Right now, my husband is working two jobs. One job is necessary for our day to day living expenses. The other is necessary to pay off our debt. When our debt is paid off, he will no longer be working his second job, so our income with decrease quite a bit.
But let's assume that you have not picked up any extra jobs while paying off your debt and that your income will remain the same. And let's say that your debt snowball amount was $500 when you paid off your last debt. So now you have an extra $500 each month. What do you do with it?
You need a (FFEF) fully funded emergency fund. This amount of money should be at the very minimum 3 months of living expenses. I personally recommend 6 months or more. Use your debt snowball amount to fund your FFEF. Unlike the baby emergency fund you had before, this emergency fund is good for gaining interest. This isn't investment money, but go ahead and put it in an account that yields more than your average savings account. Try a money market account with no penalties and checkwriting privileges. This emergency fund is NOT for wealth building. It is simply in place for when it rains...and it will rain.
Next week, we will begin talking about investing and saving for your children's college educations.
Also, before you leave, please vote in the "How much consumer debt do you have?" poll on the left side of the screen!
Links to other parts of this series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Money Monday - Cash Back On Diapers!!
As you all know, I am all about saving money. To aid in my money-saving endeavors, I just found out about something called the caregiver's rebate.For every package of Huggies or Goodnights diapers and every package of Pull-Ups (see the site for specific size requirements), you can receive $1 cash back from The Caregivers Marketplace. You can enroll online and they will email you with details on how to receive your cash back. It looks like you send in your original receipts (minimum of 5) and your check will take 4-6 weeks to arrive.
I just enrolled so I have not received the email yet, but if there is no time limit, I will be looking through all of my receipts from the past!
I hope those of you with children find this as helpful as I did!
Money Monday - Another Successful CVS Shop
I have to say, I am totally in love with CVS right now.
I posted a few weeks ago about my first attempt at "the CVS game". I think this week was MUCH more successful - partly due to the fact that I have a better idea of what I'm doing and partly due to the fact that they are running some GREAT deals this week!
Here is what I got:
I posted a few weeks ago about my first attempt at "the CVS game". I think this week was MUCH more successful - partly due to the fact that I have a better idea of what I'm doing and partly due to the fact that they are running some GREAT deals this week!
Here is what I got:
2 bags of Dove chocolates
1 Fusion razor
6 tubes of Colgate toothpaste
2 pkgs Pull-Ups
1 pkg Huggies diapers
1 refill pkg baby wipes
Total before sales/coupons: $94.63
Total ECB used: $26
Total out of pocket: $15.60
Total ECB earned: $15.00
So it's like I paid 60 cents for all that! I'm so excited! :)
Weekend Worship - Juuuust Junk It!
Last week, I talked about how the "stuff" of this life makes us so busy that we cannot concentrate on worshipping the Lord, spending quality time with our family, etc. I mentioned that my goal for the week was to start simplifying my life by getting rid of all the junk in our bedroom. It seemed like a manageable goal, but with all of the craziness of life, apparently it wasn't.
I am again declaring de-junking our bedroom as my project of the week. I encourage you to de-junk part of your home this week as well. Start small - under the bathroom sink, your bedroom closet, THE CAR, or the pantry. Don't make a goal of doing your entire basement in one week. There's a good chance you'll burn out and accomplish nothing.
Let me know how your de-junking goes and I'll keep you posted on mine!
Fitness Friday - Out of Shape
Ok, so I realize it's no longer Friday. In fact, it's not even Saturday or Sunday. It's Monday. My Friday was a little crazy and I did not get around to writing. (See my Friday blog here).
Needless to say, I'm failing miserably at attaining my walking goal. But if I'm allowed any excuses....it has been FREEZING cold here lately. My kids aren't too fond on whipping winds and sleet. And, well - it's a little tough to walk without them.
On the upside of things, I finally got around to picking up the library hold I had for an exercise video. I love the name: BLT - Butt, Legs, and Tummy. Ah ha ha!
If this week proves to be a bit less exciting than last week, perhaps I'll get some exercising done....
Needless to say, I'm failing miserably at attaining my walking goal. But if I'm allowed any excuses....it has been FREEZING cold here lately. My kids aren't too fond on whipping winds and sleet. And, well - it's a little tough to walk without them.
On the upside of things, I finally got around to picking up the library hold I had for an exercise video. I love the name: BLT - Butt, Legs, and Tummy. Ah ha ha!
If this week proves to be a bit less exciting than last week, perhaps I'll get some exercising done....
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Throwback Thursday - Not About Valentine's Day
That's right. It would be suitable for me to blog about the origins of Valentine's Day or something to that effect today, but I'm not going to do that. Today is a Praise the Lord day! So let's "throw back" to Monday's blog....
I had written about how I thought I had gotten my wallet stolen at Meijer. Well, let me give you today's story as an update:
This morning the kids were picking up their toys. I asked my son to get a toy that I could see what halfway under the bedskirt. He picked it up and then apparently began digging under the bed. I was typing at the computer and he walked up with - you guessed it - my wallet! I was SO ecstatic! I gave him a huge hug as he explained to me that he found it under the bed. Of course, he had no idea why it was such a big deal but at least he was gracious enough to hug me in return.
I have no idea how my wallet got under the bed (although I have some suspicions - two little walking suspicions to be exact). :) But it doesn't matter how it got there. It is now found. And I could not be happier!
My apologies to the lady standing behind me in line at Meijer.
I thankfully did not file a police report yet nor did I get a new driver's license yet. I did cancel my debit card, order a new one, put a fraud alert on my credit, and frustrate myself for no reason. But all in all, I am definitely happy that it was found! (And that it was found with my $80 inside!) In fact, I almost felt the need to look inside and see what was there since I had it engrained in my head that someone had stolen it.
Thank you all for your prayers and concerns for me. God is good!
I had written about how I thought I had gotten my wallet stolen at Meijer. Well, let me give you today's story as an update:
This morning the kids were picking up their toys. I asked my son to get a toy that I could see what halfway under the bedskirt. He picked it up and then apparently began digging under the bed. I was typing at the computer and he walked up with - you guessed it - my wallet! I was SO ecstatic! I gave him a huge hug as he explained to me that he found it under the bed. Of course, he had no idea why it was such a big deal but at least he was gracious enough to hug me in return.
I have no idea how my wallet got under the bed (although I have some suspicions - two little walking suspicions to be exact). :) But it doesn't matter how it got there. It is now found. And I could not be happier!
My apologies to the lady standing behind me in line at Meijer.
I thankfully did not file a police report yet nor did I get a new driver's license yet. I did cancel my debit card, order a new one, put a fraud alert on my credit, and frustrate myself for no reason. But all in all, I am definitely happy that it was found! (And that it was found with my $80 inside!) In fact, I almost felt the need to look inside and see what was there since I had it engrained in my head that someone had stolen it.
Thank you all for your prayers and concerns for me. God is good!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Wacky Wednesday - Husband Vs. Wife
Ok, Katrina - I stole this from you. :)
WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument andneither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."
WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men."
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"
CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time. "
The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says "HEBREWS".
THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,"Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.
WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument andneither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."
WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men."
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"
CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time. "
The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says "HEBREWS".
THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,"Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Tasty Tuesday - Meatloaf!
I used to think I didn't like meatloaf. But when I got old enough to make it myself, I realized that it wasn't the meatloaf I didn't like - it was the pieces of cracker in the meatloaf. When I decided to try my own meatloaf, I went with bread crumbs instead. I now love meatloaf and probably make it too regularly.
A few people have asked me for my meatball/meatloaf recipe. I happen to think it's the best one ever, but then again...I'm probably a bit partial. Anyway, I'm killing two birds with one stone by posting it here because I'm all about saving time. :)
I have to admit I don't really measure the things I put in my meatloaf, so I will try to give the best estimates possible. All in all, meatloaf is pretty hard to mess up, so just throw in what you have and it will probably turn out great!
Meatballs/Meatloaf
1 1/2 lb ground beef (extra lean)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 large egg OR 2 large egg whites
1 T. mustard
1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1-2 t. worcestershire sauce
For meatloaf: Shape meat into a 9" x 5" loaf. Place on broiler pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 mins or until thermometer read 160 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.
For meatballs: Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes approximately 30-40 meatballs.
Both the meatloaf and the meatballs also freeze well. I usually make several loaves and meatballs and freeze them at the beginning of the month. Pull meatloaf out and place in fridge two days before use. Meatballs may go directly from the freezer to the oven - just add a few more minutes to the bake time.
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