IT "MAKES CENTS TO ME" FRIDAY.

Hi everyone,
So I really struggled with what to call this post. I've been noticing on a few blogs, people are keeping track of their spending, some just on food, others on anything they spend money on. So that got me to thinking. Maybe I can keep track of what I spend my money on for the next three months...no strings attached...and then after that, I'll see where I can start saving money.
OH, and I had a hard time coming up with a catchy title...but I came up with "Makes Cents To Me".  My aunt (my dad's sister) helps pay most of the bills, since we're living in her house. She's been so good to us during this really tough time for my little family.  Once certain bills are paid, my father and I have a really limited budget to work with. This budget has to cover food, gas and maybe other incidentals for the entire month.  My "month" started today on February 3rd and will end around March 2nd. Although that might be subject to change. Also, my dad and I are both "in between" jobs, so that adds an element of excitement to the mix. Hey, being out of work is no fun, but it is vitally important not to lose our sense of humor :) :) :)

Here are a few of the items that I purchased this morning at Whole Foods market.  There was quite a bit MORE in today's purchase, but I'd put most of it away, before I realized that a photo would be needed for today's post:

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My father and I are on a real food journey. We're committed to eating organic food, as much as possible and staying within budget.  We believe that you can't put a price tag on healthy eating/living, especially since the alternative (hospital bills) can be exhorbitant.  If you can't afford organic food, don't worry.  The primary goal is to shop the perimeter of your supermarket, buy fresh produce and meat. Make all of your meals at home.  It will automatically be healthier and save you money.

I know that I'm forgetting to write down some stuff here, because I'm really excited and really nervous about this post. Excited, because I know that it's possible to live healthy on a really limited budget.  Nervous because I am putting myself out there. However, I hope to encourage you because I'm just your everyday person trying to make it work in a recession.  That and I also want to prove that it's possible to live within your means and still be happy :) :) :)

Budget for the month of February: $Not sure if I want to reveal that just yet.  Once the bills are paid, there isn't much left over for food or other incidentals, like the phone ;) :) Maybe later...

Monday spent so far this week: $146.50 (for food and non-food items)

This is what my purchase included today:

--- 3 dozen organic brown eggs

---3, 8 oz packages of Kerrygold Irish butter (for making ghee, which is clarified butter)

---12 oz of organic, cherry tomatoes

---**Martha Stewart Living magazine (a want/not a need)

---**20 oz. organic drip coffee, French roast (a want/not a need)

---2, 32 oz bottles of ultra-purified drinking water with bottle desposits included

---1 jar of Himalayan pink salt

---1 container of Trail  Mix from the trail mix bar

---1 pound of organic, grass fed ground beef

---1 pound of bulk dry rub applewood smoked bacon

---2 Dagoba, organic dark chocolate bars

---1 botle of leave-in conditioner from 2Chic by Giovanni

---1 bottle of Aubrey Organics "rosa mosqueta" shampoo

---1 tube of natural whitening toothpaste

---1 small tub of organic cottage cheese

---organic, salted butter (Whole Foods brand) for Dad

---2 packages of frozen, organic blueberries (really overpriced, but I didn't have a chance to buy the 10 lb. organic bags of frozen blueberries at Costco)

---1.28 pounds of organic carrots

---1.54 pounds of organic broccoli crowns

---1 bottle of Earthworm family-safe drain cleaner (more on this stuff in another post...fantastic product, great price and safe around pets and children)

---2 cans of canned wild salmon

---2 cans of wild albacore tuna

---7.56 pounds of organic, navel oranges

---**2 fresh croissant breakfast sandwiches from the hot deli bar(a want/not a need...but so tasty good when you don't want to make breakfast in the morning)

---Organic silk, dental floss

THIS HIMALAYAN PINK SEA SALT IS REALLY NICE. I LOVE THAT IT IS PINK. HOWEVER, SEA SALT HAS A LOT OF HEALTHY MINERALS THAT ARE SOMETIMES REMOVED FROM TYPICAL TABLE SALT. FOR A LINK TO SOME OF THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THIS TYPE OF SALT, CLICK HERE.

I bought the Himalayan pink salt for my father. It came recommended from our naturopath, as a healthy salt that my dad can consume.  Last month he was in the hospital because he had an arrythmia fibrillation of the heart. The hospital put him on a low-salt diet.  It's not so much about low-salt as it is about "healthy" sources of sodium. So we decided on this for my father.  It is really flavorful, and because of that you use much less of this type of sea salt, than you do with regular table salt. When I make my organic chicken/vegetable soup, I always add a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt. It's fabulous....and provides wonderful flavor.

What else? Well, let's see...the non-food items were a total of $38.34. That is $38 dollars and 34 cents...Blogger fonts make it hard to see the "dot" seperating the dollars from the cents :) :) :)

So I actually only spent $108.16 on food itself. So divided between my father and I for the week, that's $54.08...that's not too bad for the week.  Also keep in mind, that we still have a lot of food in our refrigerators and pantry, so that's going to help cut down on our food expenditures for the month.

Remember, I am new at this...so be kind to me, especially if you have advice/words of encouragement :) :)

These are some Whole Foods market freebies. They have a monthly health magazine, FREE to customers, whether you make a purchase or not. They also have a bi-monthly coupon booklet as well. So look for those two things, when you go to your local Whole Foods store (or any store, look for the store's sale ads).  Whole Foods also has a weekly sales sheet, that I grab as well.  Although today ,there weren't any available.

I am learning how to carefully study the sales ads. Even at stores like Whole Foods, it is possible to eat healthy and stay within a budget. So that's what I'm setting out to do.  Oh, Whole Foods also has a really cool booklet that comes out that includes a few meals/recipes. They each can feed four people for under $20.

Why am I shopping at Whole Foods today? Well, I'm studying to get my California driver's license. I'm in my 30s and never learned to drive...Shocking, I know...but I'm just a late bloomer and that's the simple, plain truth when it comes to my driving. My dad cannot drive for another three months. That is a mandated CAlifornia state law for people who experience a heart problem (like my father did)..so I'm relying on the generosity/loving kindness of my neighbors and church family. So I'm really careful to limit where I shop to save gas.  Whole Foods has everything I needed for this week, so I didn't need to go to the produce market in Pacific Grove, like I normally would. Does that make sense?

In any case, that's my "It Makes Cents to Me" post for this Friday.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and your ideas. I realize that eating organic is not for everyone, whether it be personal choice or because of finances. However, I know we all like to save money. So I'd welcome any thoughts and comments. Just keep it kind towards me and the others who comment here :) :) Also, I'm just a young lady trying to make it work in a recession. You can have "champagne" tastes and still live well-within a soda pop can budget :) :) :)

I'm participating in the following blog-hops this week:

Living Well Blog Hop over at Common Sense Homesteading.

Your Thriving Family. Click here to visit. Or check out the the blog button on my right sidebar :) :) :)

Raising Homemakers. Click here to visit or check out the blog button on my right sidebar :) :) :)

Thriving on Thursdays at Domesblissity. Click here to visit or check out the blog button on my right sidebar :) :) :)

Lil' Suburban Homestead. Click here to visit.

The Homestead Barn Hop over at The Prairie Homestead. Click here to visit. Or click on the blog button on my right sidebar.

There are lots of really cool blog posts. If you have some time, check out some of the other people participating in this link-up :)

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

MY FATHER AND YARD SALE TREASURES

Hi everyone,

My dad returned home from the VA last Thursday. I was really happy to see him. Here is a pic of my father and I together. A friend of the family picked him up at the VA and brought him home :) :) She kindly took the photo for us. Here it is:

THIS IS MY FATHER AND I JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER HE CAME HOME.  NOTICE THE SMIRK ON  HIS FACE? I THINK MY DADDY WILL BE JUST FINE.


When I saw my father pull into the parking lot with our family friend, I started jumping up and down and clapping. I was so happy to have my father back home. Even the dog could tell something was different about that day, because she kept sniffing around the house looking for him. When my dad walked through the door, the dog's tail started wagging so fast, you could have used it as a fan :) Isn't my daddy handsome? 

Oh, just a sidenote, in this photo I have lost a total of 60 pounds. You can't tell very much, because I've had that faux suede blouse since BEFORE I started my healthy living/weight loss journey.

I was having a bit of cabin fever and wanted to get out of the house this weekend. My friend P. told me that she had some errands to run. I asked if I could come along. She said yes.  Then we were coming back to the house to watch Downton Abbey on Netflix.  So we found a yard sale on the way home, and yes, I bought two things. Here's a look at what I found...all for $2.25.

The first item was a super cute satin pink pajama set for $2. It actually fits me. I washed it and now I feel really pretty and feminine when I go to bed :) Here is a glimpse of the fabric:

THE PAJAMA BLOUSE IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PINK DAMASK STRIPED TOP. THE PAJAMA PANTS ARE JUST PLAIN PINK SATIN. I REALLY LIKE THIS SET BECAUSE IT'S PINK. WHEN I WEAR IT, I FEEL REALLY FRILLY AND FEMININE.

The next item was just a small Christmas item that I spotted. This was only $0.25.  It's actually a dark green pillow with an embroidered center that was hand-stitched. It says "Christ is Born!" I gave this to my father, because I knew he would LOVE IT...and he does. It's sitting on his desk, in front of some books.

I'm working on a pair of socks for my aunt's really, really , really late Christmas present. I started them back in November. So when I actually finished them, I'll post a photo for you and maybe a tutorial, too, in case you want to make a pair for yourself :) 

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today...speaking of which, the weather has been a really interesting mix of sunshine/rainy clouds today.  I really like it a lot. Love and hugs, Heather :)

DAD IS HOME !!!!!!

Hi everyone,
Dad came HOME yesterday afternoon. I'm so excited :) :) He looks really good. He's out and about and moving around, albeit a little slowly...but he looks wonderful :) :) I'll post a pic this weekend :) :) :) That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

p.s. I'll have more vintage, crafts and other stuff up next week :) :) Thanks for visiting me. I LOVe visitors. You are always welcome here :)

HEATHER'S BLOG DESIGN ADVENTURE UPDATE

Hi everyone,

Wow, I finally managed to use up all my image storage space on Blogger. So I had to go back to my Picasa web album (which I forgot I even had still) and delete a bunch of unused photos. Plus, I deleted all my blog posts from my first month of blogging, to create space without having to pay for extra storage. I just can't afford to purchase more space, even though it's really cheap.

Have any of you ever experienced this?  Well, the one good thing is I've figured out how to create my own header ;) :)  So that is a step in the right direction :) :)

I did finally figure out how to add my own background image to  Blogger. Now I have to figure out how to make it fit the whole screen instead of repeating itself over and over. Uggg..I hope you don't mind my experimenting with my blog layout and design :)

If you want to read the update on my father, you can click here.

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

DADDY UPDATE - ALIVE AND WELL

I'm working on changing the look of my blog. I'm trying to upload a personal photo to the background template, but for some reason it's not working. Can any of you help me? Until then, I'm going to have a really plain blog :) :) :)

Hi everyone,
It has been awhile since I posted anything, let along give an update on how my dad is doing. The good news is that my dad is alive and doing very, very well. He is recovering nicely.

THIS IS MY FATHER, "BIG POPPA", ON  HIS WAY TO THE VA REHAB FACILITY.


I wanted to start with that photo first, because, my daddy is so handsome :) :) That and the fact, that I was so happy to see him doing so well after all that he's been through.  This photo was taken last Wednesday.  My father is a veteran of the Army...and because of that the VA payed for his entire hospital stay. However, the doctors determined that my dad would need intensive speech, physical and occupational therapy and that could only be found at the VA facility about 1.5 hours north of where we live.

At first Dad didn't want to go, and I didn't want him to go, either. There were so many unknowns. However, everyone that has had any experience with this particular VA has had nothing but high praise. It's the most modern facility in the entire VA system AND more modern than most hospitals in the private sector.  So the free medical transport came to take my dad up to the VA rehab facility.  The hospital was really sweet and brought my daddy a bagged lunch for the ride up there.

He "graciously" let me take this photo of him with his lunch in his lap, and the driver taking him up north.  That driver is rather good-looking. As he was wheeling my dad out to the van, I started singing the "Leave It To Beaver" theme song. My dad rolled his eyes and started laughing. I say he "graciously" let me take his photo. In truth, I told my father he owed me one, because I saved his life :) :) Yeah...so I got a really nice photo. My dad is shy with the camera. Isn't he handsome and looks so healthy :) :) :)  His anticipated release date is sometime this coming Friday. I'm praying so hard for his safe return home.


Here are a few pictures from when he was still in the hospital, that I wanted to share with you.

Our next door neighbor brought these jumper cables as a "get well" gift for my dad. He said that "For the man who has everything, I brought you these.  If your heart gives out on you again, I'll hook one end to your chest and the other end to my car engine. Then I'll give you a boost" My dad started laughing so hard...and that made me laugh. Laughter is really good medicine :) :)

These are my daddy's precious hands...more like the size of bear paws...but stil precious, all the same :) :)  He was using my aunt's computer laptop.  He was still having some trouble with hand coordination and getting his fingers on the homerow of the keyboard.  He's gotten so much better since this photo was taken. He LOVES doing Bible studies on the computer. Having this computer with him in the hospital was really good for brain stimulation.

This is literally my dad's favorite Bible. He made the leather cover himself years ago.  He likes to insert his own notes inside, between the verses and extra page inserts...sort of like his own personal Bible commentary. It's really sweet. This was one of the first things he asked for when he woke up out of the medically-induced coma.

This is one of the pages inside my dad's Bible. He made this page insert himself.  That tiny photo at the bottom, is a photo of me and some friends at a Christian retreat when I was in college (in Germany).  This is the same Bible that my dad carries everywhere with him, even to the grocery store. His reason is "You never know when you'll need a Bible...even at the grocery store" :) :)

My father's anticipated release date is this coming Friday.  He's getting a minimum of 4 hours  day of combined physical, speech and occupation therapies. That's so awesome.  He's got his own personal flat-screen computer...like a giant iPad, that hovers above the bed in his room.  He's so occupied now, that he hardly ever calls. Now in our family "no news is good news" I'm so happy that they're keeping him busy. I'm so thankful for the VA, because they are covering the entire bill for my father. Without that, we would have been in a world of financial hurt. God really provided for my tiny family in so many different ways.

There's so much to say, that I have forgotten. Feel free to ask questions. If you need prayer, for anything, feel free to email me. 

It rained so hard last night. So much so, that I was afraid the water would come through the ceiling.  Now it's wet outside, but sunny :) :) My next door neighbor, Lisa, has been so good to give me rides when I need them, till my dad gets home.

Thanks so MUCH for all of your prayers and good thoughts coming our way. My dad and I have appreciated all of them :) :)  That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

DADDY UPDATE FOR THURSDAY - JANUARY 12.

Hi everyone,

if everything went according to schedule, the doctors should have started my dad's procedure this morning at 7:50 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. They are putting in a new pacemaker/defibrillator. The procedure will take anywhere from 2.5-3 hours.  Please pray that the doctor/nurses working on my dad will have clear minds and skilled hands.

Oh, my dad has been saying some really funny things in the hospital.  He's also been saying some really profound things, too.  I'll see about sharing some of those stories soon.

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

DADDY UPDATE

Hi everyone,

I'll try and write some more later today, but I wanted to give you all a short update on my father.  He is getting better a little bit every day. Yesterday the nurses removed the tube in his mouth. That was great, because my dad didn't like the tube at all.  He can follow basic commands and he knows who I am. He now knows where he is and what happened to him, although in a really basic form.  I think when he is more alert, if he asks me details, I'll tell him what happened, since I was there.  I'm going to go visit him again today, to see how he is doing.  Thanks so much for your prayers !!!! They mean a lot to me :) :) That's the news from the ocean shores of California this morning. Love and hugs, Heather :)