In spite of the weather outside (It just started sleeting!), I feel better today than I have in weeks. 🙂 I had enough motivation to visit Laura and her adorable bunch. It’s been a while since I felt like getting out of my jammies long enough to drive out there. Today Ysabela and I decided there was gas in the car, and we had the time and energy. We called ahead, gathered movies, dolls and hair pretties for the girls and went out. Laura is always full of cool ideas, so it was nice to be in good company. We discussed kids, school, homeschooling and life in general. She commented that I seemed happy. Honestly, I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. In the last few weeks I have made some tough decisions, but I am at peace about them all. Changes are coming!

Bela took this of me with “my” two babies. Laura did all the work!

I feel that the changes for my tiny family will be positive. I’ll be busy at work while Bela will be busy at home. We are both quite excited. With that happening, I need to keep the household running efficiently. If you have been keeping up with the blog, you know I have been cooking more lately, but now I would like to take our kitchen to the next level.

I am already thinking about how to cook meals in advance to keep things running smoothly. My friends post links on Facebook all the time about making meals and freezing extra portions. Maybe I could combine forces (and resources) with a friend or two and have a baking day so we could swap some meals for variety. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time brainstorming other ways to make and save more money. My dear friend, Lisa, sends coupons on a regular basis, and I am thrilled to use them! If you have other great ideas, please feel free to leave a comment!