7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol 31)

1
I’ve spent a bit of time this week updating links for Faith Filled Days. I was only a few months behind. (wince) My intention is to try to do better over the next few months, particularly with Advent and Christmas rushing towards us.

2
Talking about Faith Filled Days, I have discovered Veronica’s Paper Dali site. Lots of doll history figures and lots of Saint dollies too. Veronica assures me that there will be more to come over Advent/Christmas.

3
More on links; I’ve stumbled across My Audio School
Each book on My Audio School is broken down, chapter by chapter, so that children can listen to their daily assignments in manageable chunks….Classic books, old-time radio theater, historical radio and television broadcasts and more… For a very low annual fee of just $14.99 for an individual/family subscription, you can unlock immediate access to 100% of My Audio School. and if you head over to Ties That Bind you have a chance to win a free yrs subscription!

4
Council have assured me that our DA application should be approved by early next week. We’re gearing into high mode here. My three youngest brothers are coming to give a hand over the Christmas beak. So with four grown men and three teenage boys/girl to work we should get a fair bit done in six days. Princess and I will be chained to the stove I think. I’m menu planning already, fortunately I think these bachelors will gratefully eat anything I offer.

5
Halt’s Peril, the 9th Ranger’s Apprentice book was purchased on Monday! Big excitement, Carpenter had finished it by Monday evening, of course Koala finished it before bed, and by Tuesday lunch Einstein had finished it. So now PC and I have it sitting on our bedside table. I haven’t yet picked it up, but I will.
Stoneholding arrived on Wednesday. The first in the Stone Harp fantasy series. Carpenter read and read for hours. Every few hours he would stagger out for a drink of water, I would ask how it was; “Heavy, it’s heavy” he’d exclaim, rather like LOTR’s apparently.

6
I’ve so many balls juggling in my head with; building schedules, the boys coming (planning that they’re fed), Christmas present lists, that it’s with a shock I realise Advent is only around the corner. Sarah’s Advent/Christmas notebook post is so timely, it actually makes organising a folder do-able. I read her post and thought, “I can do that!” This might just be the year I get organised for Advent. Thank you Sarah:)

7
In my last post I mentioned I shaved $200 dollars off the monthly bill. Angela wants to know just how.
A few general tips that have worked for us; have a menu, shop to the menu only, shop once a month (cuts out the extras)
This time with PC’s challenge I got more specific, I looked at just what we were buying that we really didn’t need. One of the biggest price hikers is processed food. So we cut biscuits and frozen fish. We also bought homebrand labels. Instead of Dairy Soft we purchased butter which was half the price. I didn’t buy any disposable nappies to ‘top up’. So we cut the supermarket bill by just over $100.
Then we looked at consistently reducing the green grocers bill by $20 a week. This I’ve done by cutting back a little on milk and taking a good look at my menu for the week and only buying fruit and vegies needed. We’ve saved over $80 there.
Do you remember in Belles on Their Toes when Martha has the family eating beans all summer? Well let’s just say that the boys are very thankful that Koala’s price cut suggestions were not all adapted. We are still eating well.

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