You are here: Home / Archives for Fiscal

Channukah Fun!

11 December 2009 By Leave a Comment

My brisket defrosted last night, so I am going to season and wrap it today and put it in to slow cook.

I picked up the slicer/shredder attachment for my Kitchenaid last night to replace my busted cheap ass food processor (I had a great ancient Cuisinart, but the bowl broke and I couldn’t get a replacement, so I picked up a cheap ass Hamilton Beach one years ago) that I had to Mcgyver to make work (I was missing that square oblong thing that makes the slices/shredder disk work). I got smart. I was gonna spend 50$ anyway, so I figured I’ll save counter space with an attachment instead of a whole new appliance. Yay me! Yay Gram for giving me money for it ;) So I can now easily shred my potatoes and onions for my latkes. I am using a recipe from the Vegenomicon this year and the ones I made last night were amazing! I want to add some spinach and feta to them – anyone think I can still deep fry them, or will I be better off in a pan?

Eshiva is home puke-y today, so I’ll be able to clean and cook in between making sure she is ok.

Everything is wrapped. Gram & Zaide gave me a check to go buy for all the kids so I went to Target last night and didn’t spend half the money and I think they now officially have WayTooFuckingMuchTM. It’s all good – we got new wooden play food for Eshiva for the kitchen set, Dorian got some Star Wars stuff that Michael picked out for him, so I’m sure he’ll love it, and we got Malachai FunKeys on clearance. He is way into anything involving online right now, and these you plug into the USB and they unlock games and stuff online. I think the rest of their money will go to clothes. They are growing way too fast.

They each have about 12 things to unwrap, but at least 4 of those things are for all of them, and I wrapped everything individually (like Dad got Mal two Goosebumps DVDs – they got wrapped individually instead of together). I am trying not to feel guilty over being so commercial, but… I bet this is the last, or one of the last Channukahs with the great grandparents, and I want them to enjoy it. I know “stuff” doesn’t make the holiday, and it wont. We’re lighting everyone’s menorah this year (so we’ll have at least four going lol) and having people over most of the week. I’m pretty excited about it actually.

I hope Eshiva is feeling better by Sunday – the kids are supposed to sing at Chabad on Sunday, and they wanted to go the the Channukah festival too.

Filed Under: Food, Mishpucha Tagged With: , , , ,

Actual news…

6 December 2009 By Leave a Comment

I don’t have much. Which is why you’ve been getting late Twitter updates and nothing else. I’ve even been avoiding the news and other blogs.

Channukah is almost here! First of all, my yearly link ;) Anyone else celebrating it? It’s early this year, Dec 11! My dad is going out of town the next day, for the weekend, so we’ll be doing it up big the first night I think.

Sara wants to make sufgoniyot (jelly doughnuts) this year, because you know we have to get fat to celebrate the miracle of finding oil

I need to make latkes – last year my uncle made some with spinach and feta and I think I might get his recipe this year. They sounded delish.

We’ll celebrate Yule this year as well, but I haven’t really thought about what we’re going to do just yet. Channukah looms large on the horizon :-) Brisket, latkes, sufgonyot, latkes, latkes, latkes…. mmmm latkes.

Speaking of Channukah, we had adult Hebrew school this morning (the Rabbi runs it once a month while the kids are in) and today was… Channukah! Quelle Suprise! I always feel so smart when we leave, because I know what he is talking about :-) We also spoke with another Rabbi and took care of HS tuition (which we can’t afford right now) and I was going to pull the kids out, but they will remain, and I will let them know when we have our feet back under us. I know I bitch about Chabad… I don’t feel like I belong there, like we are Jew-y “enough” to be there, and that we have to cover up (which I would do anyway, it’s the proper thing to do – I jsut resent *having* to do it) but those are *my* issues and they have never, never turned anyone away and I can get behind that. Recently a homeless Jewish man died in the community and they took up collection to bury him in the Jewish part of the local cemetary – his family wanted nothing to do with him. Things like that make me feel good about being connected to them. I might not be Jew enough in my own eyes, when compared to the ultra Orthodox there, but good people are good people regardless of faith. They are good people. I offered my graphic design skills in barter, but I know they have someone who does that already. I don’t really have any other skills to offer, so… I offered what I could.

If you are looking for someplace to donate to this season, and don’t care if it doesn’t match your faith, please consider donating to Chabad of Coral Springs (and please make your donation in memory of Phyllis Johnpoll). If your faith does matter, please consider Delrey School (please make it in Erin Johnpoll’s name) or UCP directly (this does not directly benefit Delrey school, again, please make your donation in Erin’s name). None of those make you feel good about yourself? Please pick any charity you desire and send them at least a few dollars. If you give back to the Universe, the Universe gives back to you.

In other news, I lost my shit with the kids yesterday. Their room is still a mess, as is the living room. They will be cleaning today before we do anything fun. Oh yes, they will. The dogs have fleas. I got Program tabs and Capstar tabs and once they arrive they will be administered, the house will be flea bombed and hopefully they will stay uninfested for a long while.

Today is a laundry day, joy! Not so much. I wish the mail came today. I am expecting a check. I need to give dad back 155$ (for the flea pills), set some aside for our dinner, buy Dorian some shirts, buy two new bike seats and two water bottle holders. I think it should stretch far enough to do that :-)

I need to get back into writing every day.

Filed Under: Education, Food, Fun Stuffs, Mishpucha Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Oh my, it has been a while

19 November 2009 By 1 Comment

This weekend Michael and I went away, without the kids, for the first time ever for more than a day trip (which we’ve only done once, last year). It was much needed and much enjoyed and much appreciated. We drove up to Orlando Sunday morning, checked into the hotel, stashed our stuff and headed for Epcot. Monday we went to Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom. Tuesday we went to MGM Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney and then came home.

Michael and Sara turn 18 in a couple of months. I need to find something to do for them.

Our van is paid off (the Ford) and for less than I thought, so instead of being responsible and paying off debt or sitting on it for other bills, we went to Target and went holiday shopping. I have almost everything I need. I need a couple more small things, something large for Malachai, and I need to order my brothers stuff. Dad told us what he wanted, and I need to get money from the twins to pitch in for it. I also need to order for my husband, but I know what he wants at least. I just need to scrounge up money for it. Sara’s stuff is already purchased.

We spoke with Olivia at Kids in Motion, and we worked out for summer camp. They are going to waive the registration fee and knocked us down to 20$ per child instead of 27$/24$/24$. We only send them three days a week, but we’re sending all three this year so… every little bit helps.

I keep playing Powerball and I keep not winning… here’s hoping. I have a long list of people and places I’d give money to/donate to and with everything that’s left over I’d handle what we nee handled. This is, of course, assuming we’d win the BIG jackpot.

Filed Under: Fun Stuffs, Mishpucha Tagged With: , , ,

Such good news!

19 August 2009 By Leave a Comment

Dorian made the G&T class this year! Mal got approved for his aide this year! (same 1 hr a day) Eshiva starts VPK this year! Good news all around :-)

Had Eshiva meet & greet this evening. Did not take her. She gets 10 swim lessons before October, and 10 after October, and gets to swim every Monday (they have an indoor heated pool on the property). She will learn in English & Spanish (too bad I don’t speak Spanish) and is a minority in the class – being both white and Jewish ;)

Dor is in his friends class this year and is in the gifted & talented class. This is not based on testing, but based on his test performance last year. Still awesome! My boy is a smarty. I told him and he told me isn’t so good with subtraction. He’s funny, too.

Malachai got his aide, and I don’t know who his teacher is yet. I know who it isn’t though. Update on that later I guess.

I made a… it’s not a budget so much as a “this is what we spend” in Excel (thanks Jesika – I used yours as a template and edited it to my needs) and while we are ahead of our “out-go” there isn’t much wiggle room. On the bright side, almost 1500$/mo of it is debt in one form or another. 450$ of that will be done the end of this year (the van payment). 150$ of it will be done in the next few months as I pay off some smaller cards. Then the larger ones roll off. 160$ of it is student loans and 200$ is another small loan that needs to be paid off. The rest will roll off quickly once the van is paid off as I can roll that 450$ into that other debt. The rest of our monthly expenses… well, I am going to trim what I can, but I don’t think it will amount to much. Most of the rest of it is insurance (life, auto), NetFlix (which saves us multiple hundreds a month), internet, phone, cable (which is already at it’s basic – for us), school (Hebrew & Pre-K)…. we’re not doing so bad though! I thought it was worse.

Filed Under: Education, Mishpucha Tagged With: , , ,

Good Thursday

16 July 2009 By Leave a Comment

Good Afternoon! What is everyone up to today?

So far I’ve been to the AT&T store and stuck a data plan on the twins phones (which they are paying for themselves, thank god – my mobile bill is massively out of control), to the pet store to get a flea collar for the cat, flea spray for my dads room (which I don’t understand and the dogs are never in there) and carpet cleaner because my yorkie decided right in front of my bathroom is the place to bego instead of her damn pad downstairs. Laziest dog ever. We had lunch at Baja Fresh and deposited some cash into the bank. Now I can rest?

We saw Harry Potter last night – I dozed off in a couple of places. It wasn’t bad, just not… engrossing, I guess. We’re going to let the boys see it with camp tomorrow, but we warned them about the dead in the cave and few spots after. Dorian said as long as there is magic he is ok, because magic is good and always wins. Of course, there are no killer robots, so he should be OK anyway ;) (Dor is petrified of Terminator and thinks one will come kill us all) Malachai digs horror flicks, so I think he’ll be ok. I’ll be shocked if he sits still through it anyway.

Dad and I are going to swing by the bank at some point, as we need to find out what we need to do to put my name on the deed to the house. Does anyone know? I mentioned it to him again, because my auto insurance will come down if I am a homeowner (short term benefit) and when he dies, if I am on the deed, our property tax stays locked in at the current rate (which was assessed in 1997) instead of at whatever the current rate is when he dies (long term benefit).

I think Eshiva and I need to make something today, but I’m not sure what just yet.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts