Random Bits and Bobs

Lots of stuff to talk about but mostly no common thread and nothing worth an entire post so let's get crackin' with it! ;-)

*   First off an unexpected package arrived last week.  It was from one of the folks I sent a Xmas card to in Anne's card swap, "Treaders" who blogs at Random Thoughts.

Anyway the package was addressed to me but the back said it was for Hubs.
I had mentioned in my card to "Treaders" that Hubs' father's family was from Sicily and we hoped to travel there during out retirement.

Imagine the surprise when Hubs unwrapped a 2019 calendar from Sicily!  I think it made his holiday........  8-)))
Hubs is a big one for calendars. So thank you "Treaders" for your kind gift.  It is now hanging in a place of honor in the kitchen and Hubs has transferred all his important dates onto it.

*  Here is all the WAM(aka Walking Around Money)I ended the year with.....

Just short of $600.  At $100 per month that almost half of my WAM for the year.

*  And speaking of spending money(or not), I did buy myself a couple of things during the after Xmas sales.........

Rite-Aid had these two different Vera Wang fragrance sets.  I got a couple for real cheap during the Black Friday sale.  I figured I'd have one to give if I needed a last mintue "Oh crap! Someone's coming over and I didn't buy them anything gift".  I opened the other one and man, do I LOVE these scents!
So I decided to keep both for myself since they were practically free after sale/rebate/BC.
My R-A had 2 more left when they went to 75% off so I scooped those up too at $5.49 each.  There's where $11 of my leftover WAM went before 2018 ended.

*   Loved this fortune cookie..........

So true that!

*  Hubs and I have been taking advantage of no snow so far in January and just going out to stores to walk around and poke around in the clearance stuff.
Walmart was a boon for fun crap to check out...........

I have threatened all my family/friends on Facebook with these fuzzy/long john pajamas.  They are tacky cats and Xmas themed pjs.  That green panel is the back flap so you can do your bathroom business w/out disrobing.
Hy-sterical!

*  My daughter loves a good ugly sweater.

I got her this one in 2017 for her December birthday......

Got that one because I couldn't find the one with the unicorn vomiting glitter..........

Anyway, Walmart has been a treasure trove of ugly Xmas sweaters this month.......

Mooory Christmas!

And who wouldn't want a Santa riding a Unicorn, ALL DONE IN SEQUINS!lolz

Or this one that lights up in case you get lost in a snowstorm.......

Or this one with tinsel and half a stuffed unicorn sewn onto the front.
Yes, I believe, I believe this sweater is butt ugly!!!

Hey, I even found a matching fuzzy hat for this sweater....

Though I did like THIS HAT much, much better.......

A different Walmart had these lovelies...........

Beer Mug Hats

And this one where I looked like a demented Christmastime Mad Hatter.........

And then there was this Star Wars hat, there was........

Why do I always screw my face up like that for photos??

*  I had some salad bits and pieces to use up, some almost expired grilled chicken strips and frozen cranberries to get out of the freezer so I tried my hand at making the Bob Evans Cranberry Pecan Salad.  Except I didn't use pecans and we had feta not blue cheese.
I found a copycat Colonial Dressing recipe(though they LIED obviously because it called for ACV and not white vinegar and celery seeds instead of poppy seeds)and made a batch.

Though not quite on point it was tasty and used up some stuff lying around the fridge/freezer.

*   I saw this unusual word on FB and am embracing the concept.

My whole life seems to be a coddiwomple.

*  Speaking of traveling I went to the Weis(PMITA)Markets in the town West of here.  They are a much larger store than mine and sometimes they have better meat sticker deals.
As I got back in the car I noticed all the trash lying around my car in the parking lot.  Usually at this time of year there is a permanent layer of snow covering the ground so it doesn't look at run down and nasty as the parking lot looked that day.

Lots of the usual sort of litter......cigarette butts, food wrappers, bits of plastic....

Is it me does anyone else see dental floss picks all over the place!?!  Everywhere I go I spy them on the ground...bleck!

And the worst thing......

Do you see what's in the center of this photo???
A condom.
A "used" condom.
I guess I should be happy someone is practicing safe sex but really?  Who has sex in a grocery store parking lot???  Such a romantic place to park and do the nasty with your honey, yes?

*  They are predicting we are going to get hit with two snowstorms this weekend.  Oh goody.  I can't wait! hahaha
At least it shouldn't be anywhere near like this one from the '90s....

Ok, that's about it from me.
Hubs and I have our 2019 financial meeting soon.  We'll wrap up 2018 and see how it went and plan out a few things going into 2019.
I'll report in on that after we have it.

What's everyone else up to lately?


Sluggy

January Giveaway #3 Something Decadent!

Moving forward.........
Let's make this month all about my readers and not me by holding THREE COUNT 'EM THREE GIVEAWAYS this Month!!!

These will be a little different(just like me lolz)and will NOT be an awesome collection of toiletries and such.

Third giveaway for January--

I think this is a decadent box of sinful stuff......ok, so maybe my sinful doesn't look like your sinful(and really, it's against the postal service to send you "SINFUL" things in the mail)but I wouldn't knock somebody down for wanting to send me almost 4 lbs. of CHOCOLATE CANDY!

Yep, that's what will be in this prize box.........

You'll receive all the chocolate pictured above.........

* 1 bag of Dove dark chocolate w/almonds
* 1 bag of Peanut M&Ms
* 3 large chocolate bars(Lindt white chocolate/peppermeint, Cadbury milk chocolate w/almonds, Lindt 90% Cocoa dark chocolate)
* 2 Russell Stover Xmas singles-1 peanut butter/1 marshmallow peppermint
* 14 single Hershey Gold bars
* 10 single Hershey Layer Crunch(5 mint/5 vanilla)
* 8 Lindor Gingerbread Truffles
* 6 Lindor milk chocolate/peppermint Truffles

And you get to choose which one of these bags of chocolate squares you want as well......

Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark w/milk Chocolate or Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark w/dark Chocolate.

And if the winner can't eat nuts/doesn't like dark or milk or peppermint/etc, we can change up what I put into the box(up to 4 lbs. worth)to something they like better. If you are dieting or predisposed to diabetes but still like a treat now and again, I also have Russell Stover sugar-free and Werther's candies in both reg. and sugar-free.  Believe me, I have LOTS of chocolate options right now. 8-)))

Now doesn't a big box of chocolate sound like a GREAT WAY to SURVIVE JANUARY/WINTER!?!?
It does to me..........


There is a limit of ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER DAY for this Giveaway.  Come back every day and enter though!
Please tell me what brand or  type of chocolate is your favorite, what was the best chocolate you ever had(where/the occasion), what chocolate maker you'd like to visit, stuff like that, in your comments/entries.

You can also earn 1 additional Entry(one per giveaway)by blogging about this Giveaway on your own blog or on Facebook.  I need a link to that mention to check it, to make that entry valid.


I'll leave this giveaway open until Thursday, January 24th at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. On January 25th I'll mark all valid entries and use Random dotorg to pick a number and that corresponding person's entry wins.

*Please note the rules*
I'll post the name/ID of the winner on this blog on January 25th and that person has 48 hours from the time stamp on that post to contact me privately via email(my email addy is listed on my "About Me" page, as well as on my side bar).

If I am not contacted via email, I'll attempt to contact the winner via the email they supplied with their entry(or gave me to add to the Giveaway Data Base)and if that email is not responded to within another 48 hours I'll pick another winner.

Disclaimer--This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses within the US only.  As the cost of postage to foreign countries has gotten too high I am sorry to say I can no longer afford to mail boxes outside the US.  These giveaways are not sponsored by any companies.  I pay for it all(the cost of items given away and the postage to mail it all)out of my own pocket.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you in your comment.

If you're not a registered Blogger User with your contact information on your User page, please put your email addy in your comment or email me your email addy privately when you leave a comment so I can get a hold of you. If your Blogger associated user profile is a GOOGLE one with those Google Circles nonsense I CAN NOT CONTACT YOU as Google Circles doesn't show your contact info.

If I can't contact you then you can't win.  I am still having to disqualify entries due to this issue and I sure don't like doing that.  Thanks!

So let's get the Birthday Giveaways started.  Good Luck to all!

Sluggy

January Giveaway #2-Plan Your Retirement

Here's the second of my three Giveaways for January.

Moving forward.........
Let's make this month all about my readers and not me by holding THREE COUNT 'EM THREE GIVEAWAYS this Month!!!

These will be a little different(just like me lolz)and will NOT be an awesome collection of toiletries and such.

Second giveaway is for those "women of a certain age"--

The retirement guide "The 5 Years Before You Retire" by Emily Guy Birken

I was able to find another copy of this book at Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)so I picked it up to offer readers who are nearing their retirement years.
Though the author thinks this book is helpful 5 years out from retirement for your planning needs I think needs to be delved into a good TEN years before collecting your golden watch and setting out into the sunset. ;-)

While some of the info may be dated(it was published in 2013)it is still worth picking up.  It sure opened my eyes on a few points I hadn't considered when I first read this one.
It's not "THE" book you need before retiring but it's certainly one worth having in your retirement planning arsenal.

While it's never too early to read up on retirement stuff someone in their 40's or 50's(not counting you FIRE folks out there-you'll need it earlier in life)will probably relate to and get the most out of this book.


There is a limit of ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER DAY for this Giveaway.  Come back every day and enter though!
Please tell me when you hope to retire(if you are going to retire), what you want to do in retirement, if you are on target financially to retire when you hope to, etc.

You can also earn 1 additional Entry(one per giveaway)by blogging about this Giveaway on your own blog or on Facebook.  I need a link to that mention to check it, to make that entry valid.


I'll leave this giveaway open until Thursday, January 24th at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. On January 25th I'll mark all valid entries and use Random dotorg to pick a number and that corresponding person's entry wins.

*Please note the rules*
I'll post the name/ID of the winner on this blog on January 25th and that person has 48 hours from the time stamp on that post to contact me privately via email(my email addy is listed on my "About Me" page, as well as on my side bar).

If I am not contacted via email, I'll attempt to contact the winner via the email they supplied with their entry(or gave me to add to the Giveaway Data Base)and if that email is not responded to within another 48 hours I'll pick another winner.

Disclaimer--This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses within the US only.  As the cost of postage to foreign countries has gotten too high I am sorry to say I can no longer afford to mail boxes outside the US.  These giveaways are not sponsored by any companies.  I pay for it all(the cost of items given away and the postage to mail it all)out of my own pocket.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you in your comment.

If you're not a registered Blogger User with your contact information on your User page, please put your email addy in your comment or email me your email addy privately when you leave a comment so I can get a hold of you. If your Blogger associated user profile is a GOOGLE one with those Google Circles nonsense I CAN NOT CONTACT YOU as Google Circles doesn't show your contact info.

If I can't contact you then you can't win.  I am still having to disqualify entries due to this issue and I sure don't like doing that.  Thanks!

So let's get the Birthday Giveaways started.  Good Luck to all!

One more giveaways coming up later today.......

Sluggy

January Is My Birthday Month! Giveaway #1

January is when I celebrate another trip around the Sun here on planet Earth.

This year is a big dreaded Birthday.
The big 6-0.
But seriously, I can't believe I am this old?!?!?!

Tell me, does this look like the face of someone turning 60?

Ok, maybe the crazed expression makes me appear old AND nuts, but still.........

How did I ever go from this.........

To this..........

In just 60 years?

If you have an answer please let me know.  ;-)


Moving forward.........
Let's make this month all about my readers and not me by holding THREE COUNT 'EM THREE GIVEAWAYS this Month!!!

These will be a little different(just like me lolz)and will NOT be an awesome collection of toiletries and such.

First giveaway--a set of bags, a duffle/tote bag and a purse.

These were part of a clothing order I made in 2018 but the last thing I need is more luggage/tote bags so they are up for grabs.

I will also throw in one of these sets of earrings and necklaces from Paparazzi Jewelry, winners choice.........

If you are selected as the winner, I'll send you a better photo of the 4 sets so you can choose which one you want.  All are lead and nickel free for those who have jewelry metal sensitivities.



Close up shots of the goodies..........

Both bags are made of a monotone patterned leaf print in a heavy canvas-like fabric.  The pink flowers are embroidered onto the bags.

The tote has longish handles, the purse has a long strap and an outside pocket on the back.
Both bags have zippered closures at the top.

There is a limit of ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER DAY for this Giveaway.  Come back every day and enter though!
Please tell me what you love or hate about the month of January, how old you will turn in 2019(if you dare!), your best birthday memory, your favorite kind of birthday cake, the best gift you received for a birthday and how old were you, stuff like that in your comments.

You can also earn 1 additional Entry(one per giveaway)by blogging about this Giveaway on your own blog or on Facebook.  I need a link to that mention to check it, to make that entry valid.


I'll leave this giveaway open until Thursday, January 24th at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. On January 25th I'll mark all valid entries and use Random dotorg to pick a number and that corresponding person's entry wins.

*Please note the rules*
I'll post the name/ID of the winner on this blog on January 25th and that person has 48 hours from the time stamp on that post to contact me privately via email(my email addy is listed on my "About Me" page, as well as on my side bar).

If I am not contacted via email, I'll attempt to contact the winner via the email they supplied with their entry(or gave me to add to the Giveaway Data Base)and if that email is not responded to within another 48 hours I'll pick another winner.

Disclaimer--This giveaway is open to those with mailing addresses within the US only.  As the cost of postage to foreign countries has gotten too high I am sorry to say I can no longer afford to mail boxes outside the US.  These giveaways are not sponsored by any companies.  I pay for it all(the cost of items given away and the postage to mail it all)out of my own pocket.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you in your comment.

If you're not a registered Blogger User with your contact information on your User page, please put your email addy in your comment or email me your email addy privately when you leave a comment so I can get a hold of you. If your Blogger associated user profile is a GOOGLE one with those Google Circles nonsense I CAN NOT CONTACT YOU as Google Circles doesn't show your contact info.

If I can't contact you then you can't win.  I am still having to disqualify entries due to this issue and I sure don't like doing that.  Thanks!

So let's get the Birthday Giveaways started.  Good Luck to all!

Two more giveaways coming up later today.......

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "It Ain't Emptying Very Fast" Edition.........

I did make some progress emptying out the chest freezer....heck I made enough room in there to put that $2.49 Stollen I got for half price at Aldi's after Xmas to keep until next Xmas.

But then.......a huge styrofoam container landed on my front porch.  Our belated Xmas present from my brother--an Omaha Steaks cooler of meats.
Sigh.
While we appreciate the gift, I now had to find room to put all this frozen goodness which meant there is no discernible difference in the amount of food in the freezer this week.  ;-)
So there isn't much progress eating down the freezer to report. 8-(

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Roasted Rainbow Carrots

2. Monday--Large Salads w/Grilled Chicken 

3. Tuesday--Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, Saute Cabbage

4. Wednesday--Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zucchini, Rice

5. Thursday--Chicken and Dumplings

6. Friday--Ham and Bean Soup, Cornbread
7. Saturday--Leftovers or FFY

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Roasted Rainbow Carrots

2. Monday--Large Salads w/Grilled Chicken 

3. Tuesday--Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, Roasted Carrots, Creamed Spinach

4. Wednesday--Lemon Pepper Chicken w/Zucchini, Rice

5. Thursday--Chili, Cornbread

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Chicken Apple Sausages, Saute Cabbage and Onions, Au Gratin Taters 

Last week saw 6 nights of home cooked dinners, 1 night of leftovers/fend for yourself, 0 nights of Eating Out/Take-Out.  
The 2 soups didn't happen and Sausages did plus a night of leftovers

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.......
* 1 London Broil
* 2 bags of grilled chicken strips
* 2.65 lbs. of ground beef
* 2 packs of boneless chicken thighs
* 1.35 lbs. of ground beef
* 1 lb. ground turkey
* 2 packs of chicken sausage

What got put into the freezer last week.....
* 2 packs of chicken sausage
* 2 bags of roast beef slices(lunchmeat)
* 2 packs of breakfast pork sausage

* And a cooler full of a Xmas present of meats 8-)))


 A couple of grocery trips.....2 smallish trips to Weis($20.85)and Walmart($7.67) and a trip to Maines for produce($30.08)brought the weekly food spending to $58.60 and brought the January monthly total to $145.30 so far.

I have 17 days left in my shopping month for January.

My savings percentage last week was 52.23%(without Rite-Aid trips)and January's monthly savings total so far comes to 50.38%(w/out R-A).  

Leftovers going into this week....some breaded shrimp and clam strips, meatloaf, lemon pepper chicken, zuke and rice, chili, cabbage and onions, sausages, some crab dip and au gratin taters.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, leftover veggies

2. Monday--Leftover Buffet

3. Tuesday--Chicken and Dumplings

4. Wednesday--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad

5. Thursday--Catfish Fillets, Cole Slaw, Veggie TBD

6. Friday--Lemon Chicken w/Couscous, Spinach and Carrots
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 5 new meals cooked, 2 nights of leftovers/FFY, 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu? Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumber

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy