Frugal Friday- Home Haircuts!

I passed a sign today for Great Clips and it made me smile. 

They are having their Great Haircut Event right now where you can get a cut for $7.99.

Once when Keith and I were dating, he mentioned that I could cut his hair.

Um, no.

The first, last, and only time I had ever been entrusted with cutting someone's hair I got halfway through and cut a big nick out of his ear. (Still sorry Aaren.) 

So, not surprisingly, Keith continued to get his hair cut at the local barber through the years of our dating and engagement in Eugene. The guy was great, he was located right off of campus, he'd been cutting young student's hair for decades, and he was cheap. 

Then we got married.  Up in Portland, Keith started going to the local Great Clips. 

 It wasn't a "great" cut,  but it was cheap and as a plus, he always came out with both ears in tack.

 

Then the lady he liked left.  

So he tried the new girl.  

And another new girl.  

And a different Great Clips. 

It was bad.

Remember as a kid when you thought it would be fun to cut the hair off of your dolls?  So you started cutting.  But then it wasn't quite straight, so you kept cutting.  And cutting.  And eventually your dolly Sally was now dolly Bob with a bad haircut?  

Okay, so his hair didn't look that bad, but when he asked again if I'd be up for cutting is hair, this time I thought twice.  

I kept looking at the back of his head with his new diagonally sloping hairline and thinking, "I couldn't do worse than that."

So we bought the little buzzing hair cut kit and one night we tried it out.  

Poor Keith.

I was a smidge paranoid about messing it up, so I decided to make up for my lack of skill by making it into a marathon long event where I would cut 1/100 of an inch off at a time.  It took so long that the thing actually got so hot we had to turn it off and take a break to let it cool down so I didn't leave burn marks on his head.

Fast forward two years.  I still cut upside down (apparently) but I get the job done in about 10 minutes and so far have only had about 2 bad haircuts. Considering that we spent about $15 for the whole haircutting kit, this also saves us a lot of money over the year.  And if I can do it, well, seriously, ANYONE can do it. (A patient husband helps.)

Great Clips, Sh'mate Clips.

Time capsule Tuesday (a day late!)

Those cute things she does now...that I never want to forget!

Loves playing in puddles!

Puts lotion on Daddy's chin and cheeks because he is always scratchy...especially at night!

Says "neow" instead of "meow"

Calls socks "haaas."  Apparently it's a mix of hot and socks.  Socks do keep your feet warm- brilliant baby at work.

"Hides" under our glass table.

Is obsessed with RaRa (Cierra) and looks for her EVERYWHERE.

Platypus lips kisses

Open mouth kisses

Tells her own first joke.  This is how is goes:

Natalie: Points at the butterflies in her room.

Me: What's that?

Natalie: Quack, quack!

Me: That's not a duck silly!

Natalie: (Big goofy smile) Quack, Quack!

Me: (Tickling) That's not a duck you silly girl!

Loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Says "deeeeyurs" for "Cheers" and says "Dah" for Mickey (we think she's saying hot dog because of the hot dog dance, which is probably her favorite part of the whole show. She watches and kicks her little feet along with the characters.

Recognizes every color as "buuu!" (Blue), every letter as "tuh" for T and anything with a quantity as "two!"

Being that lady

Today I was that lady.

The one with the overflowing grocery cart, the handful of coupons, and the squirmy toddler.
The one who turns around and tells the next person in line, "Sorry, but you might just want to try another line."
The one who had it all planned out, but couldn't quite explain it to the cashier clearly enough.
The one who thought a giant sealed bag of M&Ms was a harmless distraction to give a toddler...and the culprit behind "Clean up on Isle 8 please."

All for this...

Yes, that is 30 boxes of cereal and 10 9 1/2 bags of M&Ms (remember clean up on isle 8?.) I also got 3 milks, but I draw the weirdness line at pulling them out of the fridge so I can take a picture of them. (Because taking a picture of your 30 boxes of cereal and 9 1/2 bags of M&Ms is totally normal...)

Why did I buy this much cereal, M&Ms and milk you ask?
Because it was a GREAT deal of course!

I got:
30 boxes of cereal (20 Rice Krispies, 10 Corn Flakes)
10 gallons of free milk coupons (used 3 right away, have 7 left to use later)
10 bags of M&Ms (all free)
With some coupons (and after I get my rebate) I'll have paid: $14.10
You can read more about the deal here.
Thanks Frugal Living NW
(The M&Ms won't be listed.  The boxes of Rice Krispies I bought happened to have coupons on the front of them for one free bag of M&Ms with every two Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies you bought. Also, my total price is higher than her examples because I only had a couple Kellogg's coupons. The free milk is for any brand of milk up to $3.99 and can be used at any store that will take them.  I plan on using some of them for the Organic milk we buy for Natalie and paying the difference.)


Okay, so even if it was a great deal, what am I going to do with all this cereal, milk, and candy?

Glad y'asked.
Well, for one, eat it.  Keith and I eat cereal for breakfast every day except on the exceptional Saturday when I get domestic and make a proper breakfast for us.
Milk is kinda like water around here.  We will easily drink 10 gallons in the next 3 weeks.
And as for the candy, well, we'll just call that cheap therapy. =)

But, as I imagine we'll get a little sick of Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes and having large quantities of my biggest unhealthy temptation around is probably not great for the waistline, I also plan to donate much of it to our local Food Bank.

A frugal living blog I follow is doing a great event called Couponing for Community May 8-14.

May is National Stamp Out Hunger Month and it's super easy to donate.  You should be getting a paper bag in the mail at the end of this month from the Post Office to fill with food and leave for your postman.  (Or you can load it all up and take it to a drop-off location.) 

The good price on the cereal ends tomorrow, so if you want this deal (for yourself or your community!) head to Albertson's soon!

Yep, today I was that lady.

Gladly.

Just a few...

1.Trees in bloom and a rainbow stretched across the East Portland skyline.
2. An American flag standing tall atop a building, glowing in the sunlight.
3. Natalie saying "pee-uuuu!" and pointing at a mud-covered jeep.
4. Linen napkins folded nicely.
5. Smells of Spring
6. Heavy sleep-breathing on little lips
7. Rainbow colored candies scattering across hard, dull store isle floors
8. The saucer eyed little girl who surprised us both by opening the M&M bag.
9. Chocolate lip kisses
10. Tiny hands on my cheeks, directing my eyes
11. Handsome husband, all dressed up
12. Tall buildings
13. Twirling dizzy with Natalie
14. Unpacking a great deal

The after moments

Every once in a while, something happens in my life that shapes my life profoundly.  While I realize that every moment has great significance (something I'm discovering more and more of recently!) there are a few that seem to change my life so much that the rest of my life is now characterized by being the after that moment. 

Everyone has them.

The moment I peered into his eyes, his soul, and promised forever.

The moment I saw the two pink lines.

The moment they layed her on my chest.

You know, those moments.

I think God speaks to everyone in their own native language. Their own heart-language.  Mine has always been literature.  Funny thing is, I didn't even know it until this year.  

I was talking with a friend, a new developing friendship, and was asked about my testimony- how I came to ask Christ into my life.  I explained about my sporadic childhood Sunday school attendance and how my parents introduced me to God and His Story. I talked about how my mom had continued to pour influence into my life by giving me Christian music and books.  And how at 13, in the middle of my parent's marriage crumbling, in the beginning of my growing out of childhood and into that scary teenage world, He called me through a story.

It was about a girl. Fourteen.  Who loved to daydream and thought boys were cute and really didn't know much about God and Jesus and all of that.  Who longed for something deep, real.  It was filled with Scripture quotes, and it breathed new life and hope into my life.  The main character's name was Christy.  

And it was not a coincidence.  

God used that story penned with ink and paper to open my eyes to the Love story he was writing on each moment of my life.  To woo me to Him through good and bad.  

And while I have turned away, even ran away, He's pulled me right back. 

The last few years I've felt the tug.  Slow. Steady.

I've heard the whispers.  Soft. Faint. Strong.

Look. See. Open your eyes.  It's all for you daughter. It's from Me.

I live a very blessed life.  The last few years have hardly even been rippled with anything hard, anything difficult.  And yet still I wait.  For that phone call or the word from a loved one, a friend even. I wait for the siren to wail or the glass to shatter.  Something to tear my blessed, happy life apart.  

In the smack dab middle of a beautiful season of goodness and Light, I wait in paralyzing fear of the Dark seasons.  

Experience tells me they will come.  Even Scriptures reinforce the reality.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." James 1:2
Notice it doesn't say if you meet trials.  

I wasn't even aware that I was allowing it to happen, but one little word was haunting me, consuming me and throwing a big, looming shadow into the light of my joy. 

When.

It's not like I haven't been enjoying this good life.  But there was this little voice always creeping in. 

Better enjoy it now...before the "when" happens and all this goodness, blessing comes crashing down.

What a terrible, horrible lie to believe.  How could I have missed the rest of that beautiful, gut-wrenchingly real verse?

Count. It. All. Joy.

Why?

Look daughter.  See.  Look what I've given you.  Just wait.  There's more.

The whispers were getting louder.  My prayers slowly consisted of more "thank you fors" than "please help me withs."  I didn't even notice.

Teachings on Sundays, talks with husband, family, friends; they all started the pointing, the directing. I knew my heart was being directed, on a quest for something more, something bigger. But it was like getting directions in a foreign land in a language that I don't speak.

"We don't yet see things clearly.  We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.  But is won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!" 1 Corinthians 13:12 The Message

The fog was heavy, but the search was on.  I still didn't even notice. Fortunately for me, God's good at getting my attention...even when I'm wasting it away.  It happened slow.

I was looking for coupons.  Happened upon a  link.  Which took me to a completely unrelated but wonderful blog written by a woman who had lost her baby.  Who also helps lead a book club online.  I kept coming back.  Kept peering into her life, gaining some encouragement, wisdom, and laughs through her words.  She introduced the next book they would study.  The enthusiasm for the book's author seemed to nearly ooze out of every word.  I followed the link to the author's blog.

And started to read.  And started to change.  And started to see.  

I put her book on my "to do" list.

Months went by. My husband encouraged me to dive into His Word daily.

And He kept pulling.  

I saw it at my friend's house.  Mentioned that I really want to get that book.  She loaned it to me. 

And God Spoke.

One Thousand Gifts A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.
To live now.  To live thanks.  To live yes.  To live Grace.  

Count. It All. Joy.

The fog was lifting...

Through words spoke into darkness. Through carved tablets of stone. Through dreams to a young virgin.  Through a voice loud and clear.  A descending dove. Through a humble Teacher. Through drops of blood. Through living, pulsing, nail scarred hands.  

Through young adult fiction.  Through a mom's whisper.  A dad's tears.  Through a husband's embrace.  Through bouncing blond curls and laughing blue eyes. Through an internet search.  Through a dare to count the ways.

I'm taking the dare.  I'm counting.

Why?

Because it's good.

Because it's easy.

Because it's changing me and I love it.

Because how could I not?

Because I can hear Him now.

Because today is an after day.

Join me?

Love,

Krissi 

A Legacy Worth Leaving

Hello.

Welcome.

If you're wondering what this blog is going to be about, you're in good company.

I guess it's about being heard.

And listening.

And preserving memories.

And preserving sanity.

It might be about saving money.

And a few souls.

It's about my loving husband.

And my adorable daughter.

And my Gracious Savior.

And this little life of mine.

More than that, it's my feeble attempt at passing something on. Something grand. Something beautiful. Something captivating.

Something, well, worth leaving.