Crafty Mama = Frugal Mama???

Frugal......

A word I don't particularly like, and am not particularly good at.....

That being said, let me describe my night/morning in a nutshell.  We put the kiddos to be last night, and settled in for a little relaxation and adult conversation (a.k.a. TV and computer time ;), when my sweet boy (4 1/2) starts calling incessantly for me.  This is sort of typical.  He doesn't like to go to bed, and always needs another snack, drink of water, hug, kiss, etc., etc.! ;)  Last night, however, was different.  This time, he was really upset.  He cried, wanted me to lay with him, and pleaded for me to stay with him.  So, I was not too surprised when he ventured into our room around midnight, burning with fever and begging for water.  Poor baby!

After a long night of curling up next to a little body that was firey as a furnace one minute, then shivering from head to toe the next, I definitely was not too rested this morning.  I hate it when my kiddos are sick, and my little man, especially, tends to get everything that comes down the pike!  This was one of my mornings to teach, and even though my awesome husband is at home today, (meaning I wasn't even leaving the kids with grandparents, or taking them out of the house for that matter), I could still sense my little guy's apprehension as I gave him a dose of motrin and kissed his warm cheek.  He tried to be stoic, fighting back tears, but when I asked him what was wrong he sobbed, "I don't want you to leeee-ave, mommy.."  So then of course, I was fighting back the tears, explaining to him that it would just be for the morning, and that daddy would take wonderful care of him.  Sometimes though, ya just need your mom...I still feel that way!

As I drove home from my classes today, I happened to catch a broadcast on Focus on the Family about frugality, and practical tips for families who might need to scale down, or adjust to living on one income.  You can listen online, here.  It may only be good for today, so if you need to find it in the future, look up "Frugal Living in a Tough Economy, Parts I and II."  Wow!  This was so inspiring!  The broadcast offered so many tips on cutting back--especially at the grocery store (which I swear is where 50% of our monthly income goes to!), and talked directly to moms who may want to be able to stay at home full-time with their children.

I'm inspired!  I think I can be crafty and frugal at the same time, and I am going to see HOW MUCH I CAN SAVE at the store each week!  As I told you before, my heart is in my home with my kiddos and husband.  As much as I adore my job (and I do adore it), I really dislike the fact that I have to leave my babies when they are sick, or sometimes miss field trips at school, or have to get them out of the house some mornings when they'd be much happier to hang in their pj's!  I know I am blessed in the fact that I have a job that I love, and that we are able to survive on me working very part-time....but, I'm going to start this new frugal living thing....and I'm going to see how much I can cut out of our budget, in hopes that I can find a way to spend even more time with my kiddos, and not miss a single moment!  Let's see if I can be crafty AND frugal! ;)

Blessings!!!!!!!!!

Liz