Frugal Find Friday--Entertainment Edition

This is a quick post for Frugal Find Friday! My family is coming to visit, I have to work and life is going to be hectic for the next 36 hours or so. But I thought these were worth mentioning.

Mike and I have become very good at finding frugal ways to enjoy ourselves. It is great to get out and do fun things without breaking the budget. Or even breaking into the budget! In the last two weeks we've had the chance to do a few things that cost us next to nothing.

First, we got the chance to do an evening cruise through Milwaukee and out into Lake Michigan. It was billed as a martini cruise, but really we just looked at it as a way to have some yummy snacks, see the city from the water and spend some time together. We got this opportunity through our financial planner. He has had a few activities from time to time and we try and make an effort to go if possible. He is a great guy and doesn't use these as a way to pressure people to do more investing. He also always lets us know if we can bring friends, but we've never felt like he was doing this to just get to meet more people. In fact, we've never brought anyone with us and we've enjoyed some nice evenings out thanks to him. This cruise would have probably cost us about $30 each if we had to pay for it, but it was free to us through him. I had a drink, Mike had a soda, the food was awesome and the view was spectacular. We left the little one at home (2nd time ever) and had our first real date in over a year. It was great. And it was free, other than $1.30 we paid to park on the street.

Second, we went on the Sprecher Brewery tour for Mike's birthday. Typically the tour costs $4 for an adult. Not too bad considering you get the tour, an 8oz. etched tasting glass, 4 beer samples, and unlimited soda samples. However we were even able to lower the price of that! When we went to state fair they had a wall of Sprecher coupons and one was for a free tour with the purchase of a tour. So we went to Sprecher for just $4 for the two of us. We both got the glasses. I tried a bit of two beers, Mike drank a lot of their yummy soda, I drank some soda too and we took home two glasses on top of it. A pretty great way to enjoy his birthday and not spend much!

Sometimes great frugal finds are things, sometimes they are experiences. Just keep your eyes open and you never know what you'll come across. Happy Hunting!

Heather

Solly's--Oh How We Love Thee

And how our hearts do not.

Solly's should make you sign a waiver before you order. Seriously, they offer more fat and calories on a bun than any restuarant I think I've ever been to. But, it is seriously great. I mean in the 'this is real food and it tastes AWFULLY good' seriously good way. It isn't in the 'this is junk and my body is crying inside' way.

Mike discovered Solly's long before we met. And he fell in love. And he always order the Super Cheeseburger Special. Which is 1/3 pound of ground sirloin, cheese, mayo, tomato, lettuce and a serious amount of butter. Typically it also comes with grilled onions, but Mike skipped those. Then we met and on his birthday he introduced me to Solly's. And I ordered the regular cheeseburger. This comes with a 1/6 pound of ground sirloin, cheese, grilled onions and a serious amount of butter.

I had been warned that Solly's was the originator of the butter burger. I figured it was like other butter burger places that put it on the buns or put a patty on the burger as it is cooking. I mean really, how much butter can one burger hold? Solly's pushes the limit and then some. When the burger is done the put the cheese on and cover. When the cheese is melted the cook transfers the burger onto the waiting toasted bun. The onions go on top of the cheese and the butter tops it all off. And they do not use patties. They use a spatula. A rather large spatula that dips into a vat of real Wisconsin butter. The portion of butter follows the size of the spatula. It is large. They serve it right up to you and the butter is oozing and melting all over the place. The test is to see if you can eat the burger fast enough that the butter hasn't all dripped to the bottom of the plate soaking into the bottom bun and making holding your burger super difficult. If you can get your burger done before that happens you are a true Solly's diner. This practice also ensures that their stools open up very quickly for the next set of diners.

This picture gives you an idea of the race. The yellow is butter that has melted in the short distance from the grill to our spot at the counter. Did I mention that this is a big wrap around counter that everyone sits at. The waitresses (all 2 of them) work the two sides. You have view of everything on your side and you sit cozied up to complete strangers who are also testing their bodies ability to handle large quantites of butter. This is Mike's burger this year. He did away with the lettuce, tomato and mayo (special part) because who really needs to pretend there is anything healthy about this burger? Not him, that's who.

I couldn't get a great shot of the butter portioning, but this gives you an idea of how the grill works. There were 4 people working while we were there at the heart of dinner rush hour. There are the two waitresses (ours was AWESOME!) and the cook and one guy in the back doing dishes. They were serving people like crazy and we were loving it. While we were there a girl ordered a burger with light butter. Mike said it was a good thing we don't live in NYC as she would have been boo-ed right out of the place. You don't come to Solly's to order 'light butter' or 'no butter' or 'healthy' anything. You come to Solly's to enjoy the craziness that is a true Wisconsin butter burger!

It might not be frugal, it might not be healthy, but we LOVE Solly's. For our arteries we've decided that a visit every two to three years is about right.

Have a great day,

Heather

My Other Baby Turns 30 Today!

Not the best picture, but it shows Mike with two of his loves!

When I met Mike one of my concerns was that he was 3 3/4 years younger than me. I didn't know if I was okay with that---odd thing to care about I realize, but it was on my mind.





I turned 30 about 2 months after we met. He turns 30 TODAY. As in, we have met, dated, been engaged, been married, had a baby, baby turned one and NOW he is finally getting around to turning 30. Wild, huh? Can't wait until this happens at 50. Oh, wait, yes I can.





Could you do me a favor? Would you send an e-mail to my accordion playing, amazing dad, great husband, Pint Size Polka pioneering, root beer drinking, dark chocolate loving husband?





His e-mail address is Mike@mikeschneiderband.com and I'm hoping he gets LOTS of e-mails from people he knows and people he doesn't know. He'll be so tickled!





And he already opened his gift and LOVES it. I went out on a limb and splurged a lot for it. I bought him a GPS unit that he can use as he travels to schools and libraries and gigs. He's traveled to many states this summer performing his Pint Size Polka program and I know that the Garmin would have helped. He lit up like a Christmas tree when he opened it! It is fun to spoil him a little from time to time. And I figured a 30th birthday was a great reason to do it.





Now I'm baking his cake and later we're going to Sprecher to do the Brewery tour. Dinner will be at Solly's restaurant. They have burgers that are amazing (and amazingly bad for you, I'm sure) and we only go every couple of years. I'll get some pictures (hopefully) to show you how crazy they are with the butter. It is actually the birth place of the butter burger and they are NOT shy with the butter.





Have a great Wednesday!


Heather





P.S. Please e-mail my hubby :)

Worth every penny!

Recently I spotted a group of utensils at a rummage sale. There were about 5 things in the group and 3 of them looked useful to me so I inquired as to price. They told me fifty cents and I was happy to take them home for that. I was especially happy because of this...

I have a scoop type ice cream scoop from Pampered Chef. It is great because it has the liquid in the handle that makes scooping really hard ice cream a little easier. And as my wrists seem to be developing issues I am happy with anything that makes using them a bit easier!









However, I have heard about using an ice cream scoop for measuring out batter when making muffins or cupcakes. I have always struggled with the drips of making muffins. And I never seem to be able to get the same amount of batter in each muffin tin. Now I had a shot at making it a bit easier and a bit less messy.



Let me tell you, it works! I have used it for corn bread muffins, chocolate cupcakes and assorted other batters. It doesn't take a full scoop to get the right amount into the tin, probably more like 3/4 of a scoop. I've made these goodies without having burned on batter around the cups on the tin! I've been able to go back and add a bit more without any issues too. This is something that really works for me!



This little puppy was worth every penny. Now I just want to find a smaller one to use for mini muffins and parceling out cookie dough. Calling all rummage sale hosters....sell me your mini scoops! :)



Heather



This is posted at Tammy's Recipes Kitchen Tips and Works for Me Wednesday.

Frugal Find Friday

This is a fun one to share! It is my first Frugal Find Friday featuring something I found in another state.




When visiting my family and attending a cousin's wedding in Kentucky my mom and I took a few hours to do a little rummaging. My mom is always on the go and never takes time to do this so for her it was a real treat to see what was out there. And she enjoyed it! She bought lots of things for her grandkids and a few things for herself. In the end I had to drag her home. Little guy was so tired and hungry and I was worn out, but she wanted to keep going! You get that lady started and she won't quit. As she pointed out, she never does this and she wanted to get as much in as she could. I was never so excited to stop rummaging as I was that day. We were just tuckered out!





So, the fun and frugal finds. At the best sale there were two ladies with about three tables of things set up. There didn't seem to be much, but you just never know. We were able to park right by the sale so I ran up and mom stayed with the little one. I found a handful of wooden utensils and spoons that she told me were $.10. Not each, for all of them. No problem! Then I found a cute little purse for just $.50! I love purses, but have not let myself buy any for a long time. I had decided about a month ago that if I could find a tote/purse that I could use as a diaper bag when needed that I'd get it. This one is adorable, will work when needed and was the right price! It does need a little stitching on one side, but that shouldn't be too hard. And it is in the same colors as little one's birthday party.

There were 3 pitchers on another table and I asked how much they were. I have quite a few pitchers and I love them lots. They are another item I have not let myself purchase for quite a while, but I just couldn't resist asking. The two were only $.25 each and another lady near the table snatched up the cuter of the two while I was asking. (Note to self: Always hold the item you are interested in as someone may overhear and take item before you can get back to it!) The third one she wanted more for. As she pointed out it is a Longaberger and they are more valuable. Her price was fair, but I just really don't need anymore pitchers!

So I paid for my spoons and purse and went back to the car. I told her about the pitchers and she couldn't believe I didn't buy any of them! Mom headed over to see what she could find and came back with some UK things and other odds and ends. And when she came back to the car she handed me the Longaberger pitcher! She laughed and said Happy Birthday. What a deal for her and what a fun thing for me. Mike just smiled when I showed him. He really doesn't understand the love for the cutie pies! This one is a one quart pitcher and is in a pattern that they don't do anymore.

The next day I told my aunt about this pitcher. She collects lots and lots of Longaberger and knows their value. She was really surprised at what a good deal we got and I almost feel like we should give it to her. But I think it is going to stay at my house!

This find was free for me, but in the interest of full disclosure I should tell you that the nice KY woman charged $2.50 for this. You can buy them at Replacements.com for $21.99 (+ shipping I'm sure) and new they were probably about $30-$40.

The other great find for me was a little 6 drawer all wood dresser for $5. Thank goodness we had the minivan and could haul it home. It is in pretty good shape and I'm debating keeping it as is or painting it. Either way it will be a welcome addition for some storage in this no decent closet house!

What fun Frugal Finds, don't you think? So, what frugal things have y'all found? Anything from KY? Or any state other than your own? Let me hear about them! And for lots more frugal findings please visit Southern Hospitality Blog.

Heather

A Sad Day in the Blog World

I realize that she announced this on Monday, but I couldn't even write about it until today. My heart has been saddened by her decision, even as I completely appreciate why she would make it.

Meredith from Like Merchant Ships has decided to stop blogging (for the most part). Her post says that she'll back for "the occasional update" and I can only hope that she will. Like Merchant Ships has long been one of my very favorite blogs to visit. I realize I may sound a little like a stalker throughout this post, but I will really miss having Meredith's viewpoint in the blog world.

Why do I love visiting her blog so much? Well, she has an amazing ability to see beauty in simple, thrifty things. She has an amazing eye and picks out deals on the second hand market. I love seeing her little spatulas for $.10 and her platters and furniture and linens. I like knowing how she found them and how she redid them. She has been an inspiration to take the time to really find what I love and to not spend much money while doing it.

The woman can really host a gathering! I've seen her do amazing breakfasts for a bridal parties, picnics for her family, birthday parties, breakfasts for 100 people and many other events. They've all been done in such a way that makes the reciever feel special (or at least I know I would). They've been done on a small budget and with mostly reloved things. She proves over and over (and over again) that you can live a very beautiful life on a budget. The way she shows hospitality is wonderful.

She also sees beauty where others would pass by. She has used found wildflowers and "weeds" to decorate an adorable birthday cake for her daughter. She figures out ways to use a simple basket of ferns that blow me away. She can take an Aldi bouquet of roses and make multiple arrangements that would brighten anyone's day. She takes huge, rather ugly paintings and helps her children turn them into beautiful artwork to grace their home.

Meredith has inspired me from before I was even married. I e-mailed her before we went on our honeymoon (to ask about Menonite stores!) and she was nice enough to answer my questions. Now that I am a wife and mother I love her ideas and look up to her even more! I am constantly impressed by her ability to help her husband, raise creative children and still do it on a budget. So many people in todays world feel that living frugal means doing without or living with less. She has shown me (and many others) how to make it be better than! There isn't a question of what is lacking when you see glimpses of her life. There is 'more' in the small pictures we see than most families I know. More beauty, more creativity, more hospitality, more family focus...more.

I sincerely hope that Meredith will keep her blog active even as she steps back. Her posts are something I often refer to and I would hate to lose them as a resource. I've never met Meredith, but consider her a bit of a mentor. If you've never read her blog please take the time to do so. It is worth going back through her archives. You will not be disappointed! The links I've included are just a tiny smidgen of all that she has written.

Thanks for all your hard work Meredith! You have touched many of us. As you take the time to raise your family please know that you have influenced how many of us raise ours. And I promise, I'm not a stalker! :)

Heather
--now go read Like Merchant Ships!

*Edit*

Thank you Meredith for the "Aw, shucks" on your Tumblr. If you are here via that I encourage you to leave a comment about what LMS has meant to you. I've e-mailed Meredith asking her to come and read these comments as the 7 left so far have been so touching to me. She really has done a lot for so many of us, hasn't she? Let's make sure she knows it!

It Happened

The day that I've wondered about, thought about and hoped would never happened has occurred. I figured it was probably a matter of time, but had dreams that maybe I could go through life without it happening. It did anyway.

I got really upset and lost my temper with the little guy.

Growing up my mom was someone who I always loved, always talked to, and always looked up to. I also knew she had a wicked temper at times and that sometimes it was best to just avoid her. Usually we knew that what we were doing was going to set her off, but there were times when something just happened or she was just having a bad day and it would show up unannounced. I always hated those days.

I've inherited a lot of good traits from my mom (being passionate about things I care about, being hardworking, and my thriftiness to name just a few), but I've also gotten her temper. I do not like that part of myself and am constantly trying to work towards being more even keeled and not taking my frustrations out on those I love. Sometimes it goes well, but sometimes I still get upset in a pretty big way. It is not something I am proud of.

Friday the little one didn't take his afternoon nap. He went down like normal, but two hours later he was just fussing and playing and messing around. It eventually got to the point that we just got him up so he could eat dinner figuring he would go down for bed at his normal time. Mike had a band job so he had to leave about 6 and I put the little one down at 7 like normal. He fell asleep and it seemed all was well.

Oh, was it about to change.

I headed to bed about 10 pm, later than I had intended. I open our Starbucks on Saturdays and have to be up by about 3:45 at the latest to make it there on time. On weekends that Mike has this particular job in Madison he gets home about 2:30-3am and has to get up with the baby. It isn't a really fun thing, but we make it work the one weekend a month that it happens.

When I went past the little one's crib he woke up. Usually he'll make a noise and then go back to sleep. This time he jumped up and stood in his crib and started crying. I hoped he'd just go back to sleep as it was obviously not time to get up. It didn't happen. He was so needy and clingy and crying and screaming all. night. long. By the time Mike got home I'd gotten less than an hour of sleep and had spent most of the night rocking, walking, giving additional bottles, changing and just trying to comfort our very angry son.

It was not fun. I was frustrated. I was upset. I told the little one things I wish I could take back. I needed sleep.

Mike volunteered to take him, but I knew he was also exhausted and he would have to take over in about an hour anyway so I sent him to bed. He got up one other time just to make sure that he shouldn't take over because he could tell I was at the end of my rope. I sent him to bed again. Eventually the little guy did pass out on me while we sat on the couch and I got about 30 more minutes of sleep. I got him into his crib without him waking up and headed to work. He stayed asleep until 7 so Mike got about 4 hours of sleep which is better than we were figuring it was going to be that night.

I headed to work and made it through. Thank goodness I got a nap that afternoon as I was pretty delirious with exhaustion. I do not do well without sleep now that I've been used to getting it again.

When I had the little one I really was amazed at how patient I felt with him. I was getting sleep in tiny little blocks (he didn't sleep through the night until 7 months) and it didn't bother me. I have often had the feeling that 'if this was anyone else's kid I would be upset', but I never really felt like I was close to losing it. Friday night I feel like the day came when it didn't matter that he was my son I was just really upset. I didn't hurt him and never would, but I can absolutely-without-a-doubt-for-sure see how easy it could be to cross that line.

The good thing is that I reached a point where I just surrendered it all. I realized I just had to give up the hope of sleep and just accept that it was going to be that way for the night. I did shed a few tears and said many a prayer, but I think that the humbling was really good for me. If only it didn't take being up until 3 am to get there. And if only I didn't have to deal with it before I headed to work.

The kicker is we don't know what was going on. He wasn't getting a tooth, no fever, no obvious issues. He ate a huge breakfast the next morning, but he'd eaten well that night and had extra milk overnight in my attempts to soothe him. Maybe he's growing and was having growing pains? Who knows? I'm just glad that Saturday night he slept all night long and I'm praying that it happens again tonight. It probably will as I don't work tomorrow :)

One of the gifts of having a child is learning how imperfect I am. I have a feeling that there will be many nights (and days) of learning to surrender and take things where they are and not where I want them to be. My hope is that my little guy will have memories of a mom who was relaxed and even keeled even when things were out of control. I'll keep working towards that!

Any input is more than welcome. Have you ever been there?

Heather