$322

Edit: I fixed the format of the blog. Thanks for the heads up, J.

Gizmo Has Been Sick

My Pomeranian has an auto-immune disease. He's a member of the family so we spared no expense and are now $775 poorer than we were a few days ago. That's absolutely fine...although it certainly presents a challenge for me at the supermarket. So I'm going to be stringent about our budget and posting my totals and receipts here. Let's hope I can keep it up.

The good news is, of course, that Gizmo is doing much much better and we're hoping he pulls through this a happy pup. Send good vibes.


<3 Jess

$311

And all I could do was sign and sigh.

Grocery Shopping - 04/03/2008

Meats and Fish – $44.77

Chicken Leg Quarters (20lbs) - $9.56

Ground Beef, Lean (3lb) – $5.24

Salted Cod (1lb) - $2.76

Boneless Pork Chops – $6.25

Wild Salmon, 2.5lbs – $6.98

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (6lbs) – $13.98

Deli and Bakery – $26.59

Provolone (1lb) - $3.44

Swiss (1lb) - $2.28

Oven Roasted Turkey (1/2 lb) - $2.98

Smoked Turkey (1lb) - $2.98

Beef Salami (1lb) – $3.63

American Cheese (1lb) - $2.34

Shredded Cheddar (1lb) - $3.98

Sourdough Loaf - $2.78

Cuban Loaf - $1.00

Bagels (6) - $1.18

Dairy and Eggs – $7.64

Milk, 2% (1 gallon) - $3.68

Cream Cheese (1lb) - $1.18

Eggs (18) - $2.78

Produce - $18.41

Tomatoes (3) - $1.00

Garlic (4 heads) - $1.19

Oranges (8lbs) - $6.78

Lemons (3) – $1.74

Express Bake Potatoes (4) – $3.12

Cucumber (1) $0.50

Bananas (3 ½ lbs) - $2.17

Hass Avocado - $0.78

Cilantro – $0.76

Jalapenos (1/4 lb) $0.37

Rice, Grains, Dry Goods – $26.42

Rice, long grain (20lbs) - $8.56

Rice, short grain (3lbs) - $2.24

Spaghetti (3lb) - $1.74

Cereal - $2.82

Sugar (5lbs) - $2.06

Coffee (10 oz) - $3.12

Pancake mix – $2.04

Lipton Noodle Soup (3 boxes) - $3.84

Canned Goods – $11.34

Tomato sauce (4 cans) - $1.00

Black beans (4 cans) - $1.96

Pinto beans (2 cans) - $0.98

Dark kidney beans (4 cans) - $2.00

Canned Salmon (2) - $4.28

Tuna, in water (2 cans) - $1.12

Frozen – $33.68

Sancocho Vegetables (3lbs) - $2.28

Tostones (3lbs) - $4.48

Sofrito (1lb) $3.15

Yucca (10 lbs) - $5.91

Edy’s Coconut Bars (6) - $2.98

Minute Maid Orange Juice Concentrate (6) – $14.88

Oils and Condiments – $7.90

Chicken bouillon - $0.68

Garlic Powder - $1.18

Salt - $0.33

Pesto - $2.14

Mayonnaise - $3.57

Soda, Chips Etc - $18

Aquafina 24 bottles – $4.98

Capri Sun (24 pouches) - $3.14

Tostitos – $2.50

Fritos - $2.50

SoBe Green Tea (4) - $4.00

Kool Aid (5 packets) - $0.88

Household -$16.73

Flowers (3 bouquets) - $13.76

Fabuloso All Purpose Cleaner - $2.97

Total – $211.28

No Good, Very Tiring Day

It feels as if I haven't been around for a while. I'm here, I swear, just exhausted. I think my body is still recovering from a month ago; all I want to do is sleep and drink a ton of water. Perhaps I'm fighting off a cold or a virus.

I went to Macy*s this past weekend. Sure, the economy sucks but that means the stores were throwing massive sales to get people to shop. Sure I don't have any money but I have something better than cash: A Macy*s Premier Gold Card. I rationalized that if I could pay off whatever I bought in two months, it was okay. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was handing over my card and a sales assistant was handing me a Nine West bag in Java.

Isn't it lovely? Even better, it only cost $35. This is my first Grown-Up Bag and I'm excited to have something I can feel sophisticated wearing. I'll probably always use Spongebob wallets and Hello Kitty makeup cases but at least I have something in my closet I can go to a serious function with. Effin' A.

I have a turkey in the oven. Gravy, green beans, and mashed potatoes will be the sides. I'm sure the leftover turkey will appear for dinner tomorrow as well. Mmm turkey soup.

Until next time,
<3>

Grocery Shopping - 03/13/2008

Meats and Fish - $66.27

Tilapia (3lbs) $5.82

Top round, thin sliced (forgot the weight) $13.75

Pork Shoulder (8lbs) 10.25

Whole Turkey (12lbs) $14.17

Sliced chicken breast filets (3 lb) $6.00

Chicken leg quarters (10lbs) $4.78

Ground chuck (3lbs) $5.98

Salted Cod, (2lb) $5.52

Deli and Bakery - $22.35

Baby Swiss (deli, ½ lb) $4.58

Smoked Turkey Breast (deli, 1.2 lbs) $6.34

Honey Maple Ham (deli, 1lb) $6.86

Provolone Cheese (deli, 1/2lb) $3.24

Bread $1.33

Dairy and Eggs - $8.44

18 Large Eggs $2.78

Milk 2% (gallon) $3.68

Shredded Mozzarella (1lb) $1.98

Produce - $19.39

Extra firm tofu (1lb) $1.78

Won Ton wrappers $1.97

Edamame, 1lb $1.88

Nori (20 sheets, for sushi) $1.98

Mixed organic salad, $3.38

Nectarines (4) $1.38

Green plantains (6) $2.28

Organic baby spinach $3.38

Mango $1.36

Grains, Beans, Dry Goods - $27.71

Long Grain White rice, 20lbs $7.98 (ouch)

Pancake mix $2.04

Cake mix (yellow cake) $ .88

Cake mix (carrot) $ .88

Brown Sugar oatmeal $2.98

Hot cereal (farina, 1lb) $3.13

Dry chickpeas $.98

Dry lentils $1.16

Cereal $2.92

Rotini (1lb) $1.04

Sugar (5lbs) $3.72

Canned Goods - $10.39

Tomato sauce (4 8oz cans) $1.00

Tomato paste (2 cans) $.66

Diced tomatoes (28 oz) $0.97

Marinara sauce $2.00

Tuna, in water (2 cans) $1.12

Dark kidney beans (2 cans) $1.00

Black beans (2 cans) $1.00

Pinto beans (2 cans) $1.00

Salmon (1lb) $1.64

Frozen - $23.45

Green Beans (2 bags) $2.00

Broccoli (2 bags) $2.00

Mixed Vegetables (1 bag) $1.00

Stir-fry (1 bag) $1.44

Coconut Fruit Bars (6) $2.98

Tamarind pulp (makes 1 gallon of juice) $1.88

Orange Juice Concentrate (makes 5 gallons) $12.15

Oils and Condiments - $15.29

Vegetable oil, gallon $5.88

Pancake syrup $2.38

Honey mustard $2.33

Salsa $1.86

Cake frosting (2 containers) $2.84

Soda, Chips, Etc - $5.00

Pepsi (24 cans) $5.00

Household - $9.04

Paper towels (3 rolls) $1.68

Fabuloso All Purpose Cleaner $1.97

Pledge Wipes $2.92

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid $2.47

Pet Goods - $20.63

Tidy Cat Cat Litter $5.36

Whiskers Cat Treats $1.07

Fancy Feast Cat Food (24 cans) $10.88

Cat Pan Liners, (10) $3.32

Total - 227.96

That list, plus a few things I already have in stock, will cover two weeks worth of food for six people, three times a day (and three cats, of course). The dogs are all stocked up on food and treats and we have enough toilet paper to cover a mansion. Plus I already had a few things in the pantry and enough spices to buy a small country. Since those items aren't on this list, it's not a complete look at what we go through. I estimate the household runs efficiently on about $500 a month (that means grocery, household items, pet food, pet supplies, toiletries, etc). I don't think that's too bad but don't have too much to compare it to.

I actually bought a few splurge items during this shopping trip. My mom was craving soda (which I usually do NOT buy) and cake. I'm too tired to make a cake from scratch so I bought her two cake mixes and their respective frostings. The pancake mix, syrup, and cold cuts were also a request from Kyle and I've been spoiling the brat lately.

So there you have it: What I spend, more or less, to keep my house going.

Until next time,
<3 Jess

A $20 Vegetable

At least, that's what my list seems to say. I did end up going food shopping and bought much more than this. I don't understand why I try to write my list down by hand. Ultimately I end up with a long printed one that is still short 5-10 items. I almost wish I could run to the store to pick up one or two things like most but one usually turns into ten. The plight of having a huge household, I suppose. I'm exhausted though; three hours in Walmart will drive anyone insane. So I'm off to bed with promise of pictures and a recipe tomorrow.

Until next time,
<3 Jess

The January Budget and Other Things

I spent the weekend not feeling so well so i took a break from blogging and cooking and laid low. Now that I'm feeling better, almost done with Christmas shopping, and about to get through the down and dirty parts of cooking, I'm thinking about January.

January is usually the most frugal month for my family; It's after Christmas and we've spent (too much) money on all the festivities and gifts. So I've devised a shopping list to keep us eating cheap. I think I'll track the experience on my blog by posting frugal recipes made with only the things on my shopping list. I don't know how well this will work but let's have fun with it, shall we?

My Shopping List:


Margarine $1.18
Eggs (36) $3.00
Milk (6 gallons) $23.89


Rice $14
Vienna sausages (4 cans) $2
Tuna (2 cans) $1

20lb chicken quarters $10
1lb chicken feet ($1.50 (to make broth)
Pork (one boneless roast) $8
Beef (6lbs) $9
Tilapia $5.50

Cream of wheat $1.50
Oatmeal 2.00

10 lbs beans ($10)
Lentils $0.69
Split peas $0.69
Egg noodles $1

Juices- OJ ($10)
Cranberry ($5)
Capri Sun (4 boxes of 12) $5

Yeast $1.12
Flour (10lbs) $2
Brown sugar $2
Sugar 10lbs $4.14
Coffee (4 packs) $10
Salt (3) $1
Pepper $1
Oregano $1.20
Basil $1.20
Adobo $1.12
Sazon (36) $4.10
Parsley $0.76
Cilantro $0.76
Chili powder $1.10
Cayenne pepper $.50

Garlic (2lbs) $2.40
Broccoli $5
Green beans $5
Carrots (2) - $1
Celery (2) $2
Lettuce $1.12

Tomato sauce (20 cans) $5.00
Tomatoes (3) $3.00
Mangoes (2) - $1
Oranges (free from tree)
Potatoes 20lbs - $6.00
Bell peppers (6) $3.00
Onions (5lbs) $2
Avocado $1
Pears (2lbs) - $2
Bananas (4lbs) $2
Apples (2lbs) $3
Plantains (9) $3
Unsweetened Apple Sauce (2) $2.50
Ham, (1lb) 3.38
American Cheese (16 slices) 1.98
Turkey, (1lb) 3.40
Provolone (1lb) 3.30

209.03


Until next time,
<3 style="font-weight: bold;">

"A Material Reflection" or "OMG I WANT THIS!"

I love surfing the net on my free time and I especially love looking at handmade, personal wares that someone clearly put a lot of passion into. Although there's nothing wrong with getting all your gifts at Target or worshiping big name brands (I happen to worship Nintendo, fyi). Here's a bunch of items and stores I'm fond of drooling over. I'm not actually asking for these things but sometimes taking a moment (or half an hour) to think of things you'd like (and posting them to your wishlist) is healthy . Besides, they make great gifts for anyone so keep these awesome places and their items in mind.

The Intuitive Garden

I adore the little pendants at this shop. They are photos or paintings printed on plastic and sealed for truly unique necklaces. My favourite is Almost Night [pictured at left]. Gorgeous.









Anapaulaoli

Cute crocheted stuffed toys! These toys are made with original patterns by Ana Paula herself. Her creations caught the eyes of amigurumi enthusiasts everywhere and now you can pre-order her book, Amigurumi World, at Amazon.com and Borders. It's high on my wishlist, for sure.








Belle and Boo

These prints are adorable and for some reason always remind me of my grandmother. I'd love one or two of these hanging in my kitchen or bedroom. This one is called "Under the Mistletoe" and it's one of my favourites.







Not so handmade: Items that are mass-produced (some more than others). I still think are cool enough to give someone for the holidays.


Fred Flare

I remember shopping at Fred Flare online when it was a small shop with only five categories. A few years later and this site has grown, big time. It's still my favourite place to score funky accessories and home decor, including some old things I thought I'd never see again. I had a snow cone machine just like this one when I was a kid.








Illustory Make Your Own Story Kit

Now this is exciting! I've gotten this kit for a few kids and never been disappointed. Children ages 5 to 8 create this own story on the pages of the kit; they can draw, paint, and write whatever their little hearts dreams up. Stick the pages into the pre-paid envelope provided, send it off, and in three weeks you'll get a professionally printed version of the book. You can only write twenty words per page and it's a short book but that's okay; the kids can write their 500pg thesis when they're older.



Kozik Anarchy Tofu Robot

Isn't he adorable? Animal friendly AND liberal, how can you get any better than this? I'm dying to have one of these little guys on my desk. He's made by Spicy Brown toys and is a limited edition. You can also buy him from My Plastic Heart.









Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Every single person I know who owns this book raves about it. The recipes are tasty, easy to make, and look beautiful. But really, what more can I ask for from the people behind The Post Punk Kitchen?







And that's the list of really cool things I want. To see other cool items you can drop by Etsy which is essentially an internet shopping universe just for handmade, one of a kind items. Now that I'm done, it's your turn.

What would you like?

Until next time
<3 Jess

Being Organized for Everything Except Christmas

My planner open to this week

I pride myself on being a very organized person. As you can see from my agenda, I like to keep on top of everything whether it's sales, school activities, weekly menus, whatever. Embarrassingly enough I use a "Go Mom!" planner; aimed at the stay-at-home mother it has a daily planning section with a space to put meals on the bottom, to-do/to-call lists, medical, grocery, and school information sections, a place to put pets' vet records, a place to put household info (mortgage company, insurance company, etc), and a very large address book section for contacts.

To be honest, I was quite embarrassed when I first started using this type of planner two years ago. While I am essentially a "housewife", I have no children, I'm not married, and I'm in my early 20's*. Using this planner, even though I loved it, felt like I was one step away from spandex leggings and a teal minivan with too many bumper stickers on it. But I digress...

My point was that I love being organized to a point of embarrassment. By this time of year most of the presents have been bought, the last few are being made, many have been wrapped, and my neat little checklist dwindles down until the week before Christmas when I am done with everything and begin work on a menu fit for kings.

Not this year.

Yeah, that's right. I'm nowhere near done with gifts, I haven't even picked out what I want, nothing has been wrapped, and I haven't given a thought to Christmas menu other than the fact I'd like to cook pernil again. In fact, the most Christmas-y thing I've done is set up the tree and take the Christmas burro out of it's box.

Our Christmas Burro. Why do we have one? I have no idea.

At a time when Christmas is finally coming at me as fast as I can take it, I've slowed to a snail's pace and am taking it easy. I didn't even plan out Black Friday or stake out a shopping line spot for a sweet deal. Instead I wandered into Target at 5pm and walked out with Donnie Darko, Patch Adams, Say Anything's "In Defense of the Genre", Othello (boardgame) , two My Littlest Pet Shop toys, Baby Einstein toys, and a few other small goodies; in other words, pretty low-key stocking stuffers. Target was not as packed nor as chaotic as I thought it'd be but that's probably because I was there so late. The best part of the shopping trip was that the small cafe inside was completely empty; I bought myself a regular coffee and sipped away contemplating what to get the special people in my life before and then went back to ponder about NYC afterward. Christmas always makes me miss the city...but I digress.

I'd list everything I bought and who it's for but I think a few of my giftees read this blog (although they never comment...AHEM!) and I hate spoiling surprises.

I have a few ideas of what I would like for Christmas but everything I can think of, I find a reason I don't need it. I'm working on a blog post of gifts and stores I find cool but I don't think I'll ask for anything on that list. Times are a bit tough since no one is the household works* at the moment so I've taken to spoiling the kids. And let's face it, I'm not a kid anymore. My "Go Mommy" planner says so.

Until next time
<3 Jess

PS: *At some point I'll probably give a quick rundown about myself and where I come from, why I'm here, who I live with, what I do, etc etc. My insanely boring life story; coming soon to a blog near you!

Fuck Yeah! (Or Comics Are Love)

See that? That's Claudio Sanchez's signature. Fuck. Yes.

I had a beautiful day. If you live in the Tampa Bay area go check out Emerald City Comics and Collectibles. They have two locations, one in Clearwater and one in Seminole (addresses and maps located on website). I trekked to the one in Seminole today.


It wasn't too long of a drive on paper but traffic made it icky and it was a muggy day and I really should have taken more water.


Anyway, the whole point was to track down some copies of The Amory Wars so I could give away to some fans; see, I want to support this comic as much as possible and supporting it means buying as many copies as I can. I don't really need three sets of the series but you do what you can, right? Anyway, the staff is Emerald City is boss. They know their comics, they're friendly, they have free subscriber services, and I never felt like a total n00b, even though I am. They even listened to my suggestions on what to bring in (Deathnote, here we go!). Did I mention the stores have an amazing selection? This is just Iron Man and the beginning of the 'J' section.
Imagine my surprise when the guy at the front register said "Oh hey, Claudio shops here from time to time. We have autographed copies." I melted and told him to ring one up without a second thought. It's the variant cover too (see the very first picture). I'm peachy-motherfucking-keen right now, people.

I wish I could have stopped with one (or three comics) but I ended up buying a whole lot more.



Yes, that's JTHM and Ranma 1/2. Hey, it's not everyday a girl drives two towns over to buy comics; I stocked up. The really really cool part is that they have a bargain box next to the register and you get free comics for every X amount of money you spend. I'm not going to even mention how much money I dropped on these comics, I'll just say I got the bottom twelve (12) free. This is the part I hide my head in shame over. I definitely need more shelving in my room.

Oh before I forget, I saw this and I just had to stop the car to take a picture. It's a replica of a statue right next to a sewing store and a no parking sign. Brilliant.

Until next time <3 Jess

Shopping, Writing, And The Reason Cutting Ties Is So Goddamn Freeing

Today was such a pleasant day. One of those days I remembered there is more to life than finishing the pot roast by six pee-em sharp and making sure the silverware is shiny. I went for a ride today in a really crappy Ford and found pieces of myself scattered along HWY 19: I got my bedroom set from that store, I got lost at the next exit once, I used to take that bus, there's that crappy mexican place and the dumpster I once threw up in...Ah, so that's where I've been.

I went to Borders. Who knew salvation could be found in an overpriced chain bookstore? I found it in the glossy map section; laminated oversized illustrated maps that were cleary thought up to overstimulate the mind and cause children to have seizures right in the middle of social studies class. No matter, I picked the NYC one up anyway and found myself staring. The setting of the story of my life captured in a tacky 2D placemat complete with outdated drawings of the World trade Center towering over the streets. Underneath a caption, "As of September 10th 2001. See editor's note."

"Well, that should be fixed." I didn't turn around to greet the stranger, just nodded and pointed next to Yankee Stadium. "I used to live there," I said. He made a clicking sound with his tongue. "The Bronx. huh. Well, what are you doing?"
This time I turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here, I meant." "Oh," I said, putting the map back on it's rack. "I don't know." He nodded and walked away. I went to the writing section and grabbed a dictionary and a book on common grammar mistakes. I almost grabbed a book on fleshing on characters but I'll save that for the library.

All in all I bought more books than I care to mention, more books than I honestly can afford but that's okay. What could be better than losing yourself in fiction after finding yourself in a bookstore?

Dinner was taken in at a good Mexican restaurant. Mmm jalapenos and some serious hot sauce. Three cheers for the inevitable 2am tummy cramps!

As for cutting ties...well, I did. It wasn't to be bitchy or make some kind of point, I just needed to get away from a constant source of negativity and whining. It hasn't been very long but the effects on my psyche are beginning to show themselves and I'm pleased. Sometimes when people act like children you have to pick your battles; this time I chose to just walk away. It was not worth it in any shape or form. Maybe I just need a breather but I'm not going to focus on it other than to write this blip. I do intend to keep in touch with people, though. Somehow...*strokes chin*

Anyhoo, I'm off to spend more plastic money and buy some supplies for SAL's enclosure. I'll be posting about that again soon. I'm also considering turning half of my bedroom into a mural. Yes? No? Maybe so? While searching for artistic inspiration maybe I'll get a story idea for the newest Edit Red challenge. I hope so.

Until next time <3

Building an Enclosure for SAL, Part I

Sal, love of my life, is my Eastern Box Turtle. She was found by my father in the streets of NYC apparently abandoned by some dipshit and possibly attacked by a dog. She was injured, hungry, and sick. Tons of reading, veterinarian visits, and money (aye) later, my little girl is walking fine, eating like a hog, and a beloved member of the family.

SAL used to be kept in a large enclosure inside the house. That didn't work for my little escape artist. After months of fighting her about it, we finally decided to just let the little brat be free and roam the house like she owns it. Hence why in the picture above she is chillin' on the kitchen floor.

However, I think it's time to try the whole enclosure thing again. Now, I don't want to necessarily keep her confined; I think she enjoys the exercise and stimulation she receives from wondering around But I also think she needs some hidey-holes, something to burrow in and a much wider dish of shallow water than she has now. So this is where my craftiness (and insanity) come in. Using highly advanced graphic tools (MS paint) I've sketched out how to turn a large Rubbermaid tote into a nice get away spot for SAL.



So the picture itself is not that great but here's my quick explanation: On the floor of the habitat will be reptile carpet cut and fitted to size. Attached on the left hand side of the container will be a UV light with a sunning rock placed several inches underneath. Right near the middle I want a large shallow pool so SAL can bathe herself; she's not a swimmer whatsoever so it only needs to be deep enough that she can waddle in and out of. Because stagnant water is home to all sorts of insects and bacteria I'm looking into something to keep the water moving. A small fountain, bubbler or something here would work. If not, I guess I'll change the water twice daily (I do that already). Directly opposite of that will be a food plate. This needs to be large enough to accommodate the fresh fruits and veggies as well as the canned food and supplements she receives.

On the other side of the habitat I'll lay down a shallow pan filled with substrate. I think I wrote "mulch" in the picture; don't worry, I'm not going to run to home depot and buy bark that's been spray painted red. This is more of what I had in mind. The pan underneath will be to ease changing the moss often. Over part of the moss will be a cover SAL can hide under when she doesn't wish to address her adoring fans.

I think that's pretty much it. Of course I'll regulate the humidity and temperature and drill a few holes in the container to promote some airflow. Hopefully SAL will give her new a home a thumbs up and not sniff in disappointment.

Once I get all this stuff, I'll make another post showing the process and finished product.

I'm excited. :)