SpoonFullofJelly

I have received countless amounts of advice for handling money in my marriage. Some advice was for both of us and other pieces of advice were solely for me. Some has worked and others we haven't even tried yet. The best piece of advice I received was to stick to something and refine it along the way. But money brings so much stress to families. When there is a change such as moving, new baby, new home or even job lost, many don't take the time to reanalyze the household finances. There are many stats that state how quickly a marriage can fall apart due to finances. Your marriage does not have to be doomed to failure because of money. I repeat- NOT doomed. Make sure you are aware of the following situations in your marriage: Spending habits Like many couples, Mr. Mind and I have different spending habits. I have trouble buying expensive items no matter how much we need them. I'm getting better as we figure out how much we need/want something, set a price expectatio...

Don't you love trying something new? I do! My heart flutters and my hands shake, but I give it a try. I will taste anything new, just don't tell me what's in it. Pink Pearl Apples was in my local co-op store. Hubby and I grabbed two and were excited to give them a try. They were sweet and a tad tart. The pink flesh seem like they will make an excellent apple sauce. I will try to grab a few to make some home made apple sauce. I paired half of this wonderful fruit with feta cheese in a salad and ate the other half cut up. Children might be fascinated by the pink fleshed apple. Let me know if you have ever stumbled across this or any other unique fruit or veggie . Post your opinions about the fruit and veggie. I would love to give it a try.

#7 Host a Themed Party #1  A good friend has been struggling in her marriage. I wanted to invite her over to chit chat about what concerns ladies rather than dwell on the problems in her home. This small 'party' was Asian themed. We made hand-rolled spring rolls, and ate yummy French inspired desserts. The table was adorned with bamboo place mats, wooden chopsticks and pretty square plates. The centerpiece was a Japanese bowl filled with fruit. #2  A new friend I met is pregnant with her first child. She is new to this state so I figure it would be nice to throw her a baby shower. A total of 6 ladies were invited to a Sunday brunch at a wonderful restaurant that featured local food. This non-traditional shower included flowers, gifts and no games (her request). We just talked about her, her new changes, and other fun matters of the heart. It was great to have thrown such a delightful event. No matter if it's for one person or for many, throwing a party is a wonderfu...

Trying for a family is a trying and hard process. I have seen women nearly kill themselves and their spouses just to complete this heavy hearted, daunting task. I refuse to burn myself out. I refuse to kill the romance and joy in my marriage. I will not let starting a family trample over the energy and chemistry Mr. Mind and I have. Our marriage needs to be strong in order to have a strong family. I have seen loving husbands turn on their heels because their wives turned to pain in the you-know-what. I am longing to see those baby steps in the sand, but my marriage comes first! Last week my doctor prescribed Clomid. Typical first step no matter what, I see. I have yet to fill that prescription and I probably won't. I don't feel it's the right time. Fall is my husband and I's favorite season. (I love summer more though) We will be enjoying this Autumn together, without pills, fights and pain. We will experience picking apples, running through corn mazes, and carv...

PLU stands for Price Look Code. It is a window into what type of foods you are consuming. PLU codes have fthree to five digits and here is the break down: Three Digit Code that starts with a 4: Conventionally produce grown with pesticides and weed killers Five Digit Code that starts with a 8: GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). Man manipulated the genes of the fruit to make it larger, bug resistant, bright colored etc. Five Digit Code that starts with a 9: Grown organically, without pesticides How long have these codes been in use? Since 1990! Shocking to many, but please be mindful the next time you shop for produce. What's next? I just want to scream! Companies have gone absolutely mad with labels. The American population has been taken advantage of by manipulation of words. Some labels have a meaning and others don't mean a thing. Natural- No meaning unless it contains to meat. It's a marketing term used to convey that it's "organic" when it...

#4 Read/Watch 5 Classical Films/Books The majority of my readings in high school and college, outside of textbooks was classical literature. I even loved dramas written with settings in countries and centuries. I loved the way people viewed others throughout time, how simple life use to be and what families did to get by. It was like a road map for me. I could get off any stop and peek into the past. It provides an excellent example of how I can change my own life to reflect our ancestors. I spent weeks reading books and watching movies. I wanted to expand upon my knowledge of Classical books and novels. The following is what I drove: Books: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Films: The Great Gatsby (1974 and 2013)       I read the book in high school, but never saw a movie based on the book. It was fun watching the 1974 version as well as the 2013 version. The 1974 version doe...