Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The story of Thanksgiving and the empty Wallet...

Once upon a time, your wallet was full and life was a joyful thing! 

Then next thing you know, the trees sure did show, it's Fall again. 

Well joyous that is, pretty colors everywhere, yards are haunted by ghouls. 

But god help us now, November has hit and our pantries must be stocked!  Or less the guest will complain...

So a-shopping you go, spuds and birds do flow into your cart again. 

But oh and behold your bill is in the hundreds for just ONE MEAL!

And now the wallet does scream, at this light feeling and your eyes start to water...

Because the Holidays are here and your broke again, how will you afford this again?




Hehe, I hope yall liked that, its actually a free hand poem I did on the spot last year... After the my tragic wallets demise...  I can assure you, my wallet and bank accounts weep as my credit company parties every holiday...!  Im sure a lot of you have the SAME issue!  So, how about I share a few tips and tricks I googled and brainstormed to help lighten that nasty blow?

1.  Go out to eat!

No, really.  Go to a buffet!  Theres plenty open.  It'll be 10-15 a person but its less expensive then $200 to feed 3-5 people!  Have you seen the price of a ham?  Easily 10-20 bucks a pound!  The turkeys aren't much better then that either! 

So if your looking to entertain multiple people, why not consider a buffet?  Each person can chip in abit for the tip atleast, theres no clean up for you, the food is endless and theres options for MORE then just Thanksgiving, free refills, and PLENTY of room unlike in your 5 by 5 apt "dining room/kitchen/bedroom/living room/hall way"! 

So if you don't mind a big bill at once, why not hit this route?  It can be just as traditional and is a lot better then reheating a "Meal" from a local store!


2.  Start Saving.

This goes 2 ways.  One, you save money.  Two, you save Food!

Lets start with Money.

We all know its expensive to celebrate and be human.  But is it better to put away 5 dollars here and there then to put back 500 in one month?  Ya, I thought so.

So I suggest you first start by Making a few "jars."  These should include but not be limited to:  Thanksgiving, Swear, and Pick-Me-Up Jars!  Im serious on that last one, by the way.

First the Thanksgiving jar.  Plan to put 5-10 dollars a week in it.  Its not much now but it'll add up FAST!

Next the swear jar.  Set a "Small" amount for this one and don't exclude the kids or crabby parents from it!  Every swear you say, put a dime or something in the jar!  This will teach not on you but everyone else that its not a cool thing to swear, but instead its REALLY costly!

Last jar (I suggested anyway!), The Pick-Me-Up jar!  Every week empty your pockets and drop those few bucks, pennies and dimes right in!  This will help you learn to save your left over cash instead of thinking "Hey, I got 5 bucks.  Imma go get a Milkshake!" 

Now, you DO NOT TOUCH these jars or the cash in them.  Instead you save it. 

So, saying you've been doing it for a year straight, lets do the math!

Thanksgiving jar, averaging a GRAND total of $40.00 a month by 12 months you've made around the bouts of $480.00!  Did that few bucks a week hurt you?  Not too bad.  Did it help you?  HELL YA! 

Next, swear jar.  Lets say your hitting atleast 5 biggies a day at .10 cents each in 365 days.  Canceling out the big math and averaging, your $180.00 a year, now aren't you?  See how much that swearing is costing you and the family?  Well now you've learned abit of a lesson and its time to spend it on your holiday prepping! 

LASTLY!  Pick-Me-Up Jar!  This is my favorite, tehe.  Assuming you've got about 10 bucks a month in change from the pennies you've found, extra cash you find in the cushions, or just cash you take out to keep yourself from spending it.  Your pushing the 120 range about now!  That's over 100 smackers!  Ain't the idea of buying yourself something real nice for $100.00 better then getting a extra shake each week?  Personally, I say yes!  That's a few console games, nearly a years worth of my sub payments on WoW (world of Warcraft), or a new pair of boots and some nice jeans!  Now in that stressful part of the year, aint that a nice Pick-Me-Up? Ha!




Okay, okay, im ranting on the money!  But option two is effective too!

Now, you know those people that buy in bulk and like the sales?  They aint crazy!  You see canned foods and boxed goods have a VERY long shelf life.  But they really stay just as fresh 5 years down the road from that too!  But you don't need it to last that long.

Now, after the holidays you'll see all the holiday stuff on sale.  This is the BEST time to go buy your canned yams, canned cranberry sauce, extra gravy packets, dressing, boxed potatoes, the works!  Pretty much everything but milk, the bird, oinker, and anything you make from scratch. 

True the bird and oinker are the more costly part of the meal and half the bill but with freezer burn, I wouldn't wanna chance ruining a huge turkey and wasting 30 bucks to save 10 dollars next thanksgiving.  But hey, that's a personal choice, but I didn't recommend it!

A side note:  You can wait for a lot of this to go on sale.  Unless its only common on the holidays (pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and yams especially) then you can hold off and stretch that bill over the course of several months! 

Heres the kicker:  No matter how clean you are no one can escape the bugs.  So make sure you keep your boxed goods somewhere safe, dry, and away from any rodents.  Don't forget about, but don't dip into it either!  Try and check on it once a month.

Canned goods... Hide them with a note in your pantry reminding you what you got and where it is for next year.  Trust me, its fiiiinnneee!



Lastly...

3.  Don't celebrate (humbug!)

Really, you want to save money?  Then just skip it!  Sure you'll be a Grinch and your life will be abit duller, but hey?  Your saving money!




And with that, I call this season OVER!  For this year atleast!  ;3

Until next time, darlings!

~Wolf

Friday, May 22, 2015

Site Goals! page added!

 
As you see, I added a new page!  Feel free to go poke it or keep waiting for the next post!  Next one coming on the 29th!  Enjoy!
 
 
(So far, only applied to Weebly!  Looking to add one here too!)

Monday, May 18, 2015

We interrupt your usually scheduled program to bring you... SPLINTERS?!

 
Cheesy?  Maybe?  Ya, it is.  But we all get splinters!  Especially if you have kids or young siblings, you might find this to be a issue!


Well, I keep getting them so I've been digging for GREAT way to get them out! 


Way 1:

Cut it out. 


Effective, yes.  Painful... At times... Especially if its deep or in a tender place... 

Needless to say, make sure to only use sterile equipment and disinfect the area before attempting.

Way 2: 

Baking Soda. 

Really, Baking Soda.  You make a thick paste with a spoon full and abit of water and just set it on the area.  Suppose to pull the splinter right out.  I haven't attempted this one yet, but a friend has.  He claims it works great but took like a hour.

Way 3:

Glue. 

Simply place a dot of elmers glue over the area, wait 10 minutes and then peal it off.

This SHOULD be effective.  The glue pulls a few layers of skin off which should include the splinter itself.  Pain meter though... Your pulling glue off what could be a tender area, so try to only use a dot worth and not a bottles worth!


Way 4:

Soak in Hot water.

By soaking the skin swells helping to push it out as well as disinfect the area.  Probably the safest and least painful method. 

Other then...

Way 5:

Wait it out.

Just wait, over the course of 2-5 days it'll be gone (depending on how deep it is).  Just put a bandaid over it and keep a eye to insure you don't get it infected.



You should NEVER do what I do... And try to yoink it out... Or claw it out... Or bite it out...  Would you believe I've never got a infection from self inflicted wounds, just ones I had no part in?  Off topic though.

So, theres my tips.  Got any tricks yourself?  Post them below and share in our horror!


I'll return you to your usually weekly post!  ;3

~Wolf

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Thanksgiving is here! Now RUN AWAY!

Or not!  Thanks for stickin' around for the show my friends!


Now, down to business.


First off, ever noticed that thanksgiving is a PAIN for seating?  No really, WHERE DO I SIT?!  Most of us have our close knit dinner then we have 2-3 BIG dinners out there in the insane world with co-workers, friends, other family, and then MORE family! 


Now, that's great and all but most houses (atleast for those of us not in a mansion!) aren't meant to hold 10+ people, especially not in one room!  So if your tradition is pile up at the TV and watch a game or pile at the table and eat... Well, HOW?!


Again, most tables aren't meant for that.  Unless your gnome sized that table meant for a max of 6 ain't going to work!

So heres some ideas to help you maximize your space and make everything alittle more comfy!


1.  Consider a "Kids Table" to help free room at your main table.  Seriously, at a family gathering you have a nice ratio of atleast 1 kid per 2 adults on average! 

My family for example, theres The grandparents (2), their 3 kids and spouses (4), and then the kids of those 3 kids (5, including me!).  That makes 11 at EVERY event if no extras show up (distant family, boyfriend/girlfriends, cousins and uncles/aunts).  Now at my grandparents have a HUGE, open kitchen, dinning room, and living room with kitchen isles to separate.  BUT again.  Table size.  Its meant for a max of 8 people.  And that takes squeezing to achieve!  Now, if we had a kids table you could take atleast 4 warm bodies out of the way.  Leaving a more comfortable 7!  At the same time the kids (in my case ranging 4-13 years old) get their own space with plenty of elbow room.  If you haven't noticed, kids aren't as quiet about their moving needs.  If your packing around tables then your packing squirming worms in too.  And those worms will squeal after they finish eating.

2.  If eating infront of the TV then consider setting out some foldable lawn chairs or other types of easily moved furniture for any adults who might need something off the ground!  --Please quietly remind children that the elders get first dibs!-- Next, again with the idea that you have 10+ people and a space meant for 6 max, you've added maybe 2-3 seats.  So now you can let 3 people take the couch rather then 4-5!  Now to create room for the remaining...Um.. More..."spry" bunch, I suggest something extra!  Set out fluffy body pillows on a spread out sleeping bag in the floor for the kids.  Kids love to do things that are different from the norm so giving them their own spots is perfect for the full belly after dinner naps and letting them squirm, and bounce without upsetting your 80 year old grandma or Pa! 


3.  You want to EAT at the Table, you want the KIDS at the table (shudder!), and you DONT want to give a inch!  Well its more work, but you asked for it! 


First off, you'll need to rearrange the biggest room ya got.  Set out 2-3 card tables or other larger tables at roughly the same size.  Cover with a long table cloth if you want it to look prettier!  If big enough you can set the food in the center of the tables or you can set it on the counters in the kitchen and have everyone fill a plate! 
If the room is tight (like any apt would be) and ya just cant move the furniture out, then try and use it to your advantage.  Set the couch, chair, and the like around the table. 
Benches!  Yes, Benches!  Their perfect for making more room.  Why?  Because even a small chair takes up a lot of extra room.  2 chairs will take the room of 3 people on a bench!  So these benches are smaller and can be easily filled.


4.  Try outside!  Yes, the outdoors.  BOUNDLESS ROOM!  Most people do have a back or front yard (private or no, sometimes comfort matters more!) so ifs its a nice day, why not set out some tables and enjoy the outdoors and the food?  Best part?  Plenty of elbow room for all, no sucking it in to slide past people, no feeling suffocated by all the people, walls and ceiling, just air!


5.  Lazy idea:  Rent a place or go to a Buffet!  BOOM!  DONE!!
Lazy, yes.  Effective, YES!  If you have 20+ people, then dear god please just do this... Save yourself and them the pain!!


Well that's long enough for one day!  I hope these ideas help some of you, others... hope ya laughed?

See the next part in a few days!

God Bless ya, have a good day!

Wolf

Friday, May 8, 2015

Im Back, Darlings!

Evenin' Yall!


Im sorry to have been gone so long, im afraid I got taken up in all the holiday "Spirit!"

Oh, and I don't just mean the Spiritual part OR the, ahem, spirits...  Maybe alittle of the latter, but hey I only get eggnog ONCE a year!

Thank you to everyone who has been messaging me through the holidays with ideas, best wishes, and other lovins!  <3  It was a nice pick-me-up during the traditional holiday sickness!



NOW!  I hope yall had a Merry Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years!


So let me get to the point of this:

` Im back!  Looking to do Weekly updates again!  Honestly, imma try to stock pile a few so I have some in the wings during a dry spell like the holidays gave!


`I've got a few ideas from some of you and i'll be looking to deliver! 


`Due to my lack of posting the last few weeks i'll be making the next few post about Christmas Savings, New Years and sticking to the goals, and ways to get the MOST out of Thanksgiving!


Thank you and gooooood night!  I look forward to seeing you again later this week!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Happy Halloween! Lets Celebrate with Witches Brew!

Edit:

Wow... My whole update... It didn't even go through!  I had linked a bunch of funny Halloween videos and a let you know for a upcoming recipe for my Witches Brew Pie...

Well...  That's gone...  Boo.  >>


Weebly.  You suck tonight!




(And this is a minus with Weebly too.  In 2014 this was what happened.  I now schedule all my post for a day ahead.)