I don't like the end of summer...but August 31 is Moey's birthday, so that's a happy thing.
I'm planning to count my days here. If I falter, I will start over at Day 1. At least that's my plan for now.
TCOY
I'm planning to count my days here. If I falter, I will start over at Day 1. At least that's my plan for now.
TCOY
- I actually rose to my early alarm and got to Joe's 8 a.m. yoga class. So grateful for that. It was hard, since I haven't been to yoga for more than a month, easy.
- Iced coffee, no pastry.
- Support group. Very helpful to see my friends there.
- Mango, kiwi and blueberry bowl at Joyist. Worked on job search on my laptop.
- Walked back from town, 20 minutes.
- Taking Care of Garden counts toward Taking Care of Yourself. Doused rose bushes with Safer spray because something [mites?] has been eating some leaves and leaving them lacy.
- Warm bath, then rose body oil.
- Out to dinner with Dan and Figgy [Punch is visiting her birth mom this weekend.] I did not touch the bread basket. My meal included good vegs, not pasta. And cappuccino, not cannoli.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
- Parking meter, $1.50.
- The new Marcel location on Walnut Street, iced coffee--and baguette to bring family, about $7.
- Joyist, The Mariel fruit bowl, divided in half for me and Fig, and small iced coffee to bring to her at work across the street, $18.
- Saunders Hardware, Safer plant spray, wasp nest spray, pack of 12 mosquito-chasing Yankee tea lights and set of 4 large blue mason jars, one of which Dan used right away for his peach jam, $51.14.
- Ditto, 2 packs of coconut energy bites, one for Fig and one for me, $10. No refined sugar.
- Williams-Sonoma, pretty blue/white/yellow Aerin dinner plate, originally $16.95, now $6.99 plus tax, so $7.45.
- Kings, chopped pecans, new Picnik coffee creamer with 0 grams sugar, good rye bread, vegan coffee creamer [both creamers were on sale], Irish oats, Hu dark chocolate bar with no refined sugar, $32.73.
TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $127.82.
TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF AUGUST: $2,895.06. ⬆️
AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39. ⬆️
COMPARISON SHOPPING. That long Cape Cod vacay in August really drove up the numbers. Details below, on my bread 🥖 list. Now I'm going to highlight in yellow all the big expenses on Cape Cod. They add up to: $1,282 for 10-day trip. That included lobster tails, fried clam bellies, pizza dinner with Punch after the pond, bike rental, ice cream, Audubon annual membership and other sea-coast things. That is a lot. But what sent it over the top was the $338 at T.J. Maxx, which did include 4 work/interview dresses. 👗👗👗👗 Also, TBH, I track expenses from my purse because I have a tendency to overspend; Dan generally does not, though he is generous. So that $1,282 doesn't count things like the dinner he paid for with his debit card in Provincetown, the times he filled the gas tank, etc. etc.
TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF JULY [STARTING JULY 5; I LOST A FEW DAYS THERE]: $1,610.81. 👛 🎯 ⬇️
JULY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $59.66! 👛 🎯 ⬇️
COMPARISON SHOPPING. That long Cape Cod vacay in August really drove up the numbers. Details below, on my bread 🥖 list. Now I'm going to highlight in yellow all the big expenses on Cape Cod. They add up to: $1,282 for 10-day trip. That included lobster tails, fried clam bellies, pizza dinner with Punch after the pond, bike rental, ice cream, Audubon annual membership and other sea-coast things. That is a lot. But what sent it over the top was the $338 at T.J. Maxx, which did include 4 work/interview dresses. 👗👗👗👗 Also, TBH, I track expenses from my purse because I have a tendency to overspend; Dan generally does not, though he is generous. So that $1,282 doesn't count things like the dinner he paid for with his debit card in Provincetown, the times he filled the gas tank, etc. etc.
TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF JULY [STARTING JULY 5; I LOST A FEW DAYS THERE]: $1,610.81. 👛 🎯 ⬇️
JULY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $59.66! 👛 🎯 ⬇️
TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF MAY: $2,348.24.
MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75.
TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF APRIL: $3,634.28.
APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.
Hot, big-money spends in August, or how I spent our bread:
🥖Hardware store, garden pest spray, wasp nest spray, candles, blue mason jars, $51.
🥖Kings, groceries, $33.
🥖Joyist for Fig and me on a Saturday, $28.
🥖CVS, groceries and Rxs, $71.
🥖Whole Foods, vegan chocolate bday cake, regular and vegan pizza ingredients etc., $82.
🥖Whole Foods, vegan chocolate bday cake, regular and vegan pizza ingredients etc., $82.
🥖Grand Central Dining Concourse, fast food Chinese lunch for two, $24.
🥖Round trip train fare from Grand Central to Stamford for Punch and me, $25.
🥖Round trip DeCamp bus fare for Punch and me, $31.
🥖Fairway, CT., flowers for Sis, cereal, milk, bday chocolate and gift bag from P to Fig, $28.
🥖Dinosaur Bar-b-Que, CT. for me, Sis and Punch, w tip,$50.
🥖Salon blowout, tip and Aveda brow pencil, $68.
🥖 Whole Foods, groceries, $71.
🥖 Health food store in Southampton, Dr. H. lip balm and Hu coffee beans, $31.
🥖 La Couronne, Montclair, dinner to go for Dan and me while watching Saturday night movie, $66.
🥖 Cafe Giotto, Montclair, dinner w Elaine, my part with tip, $53.
🥖Fill gas tank twice on Cape Cod, $46 x 2= $92.
🥖Idle Times bike shop rental for Punch from noon Saturday until 5 p.m. Sunday, $31.
🥖T.J. Maxx, four designer dresses, Adidas sneakers, knock-off lightweight Burberry scarf, Olga bra, Lauren pillow, shorts, etc. etc., $338.
🥖Idle Times bike shop rental for Punch from noon Saturday until 5 p.m. Sunday, $31.
🥖T.J. Maxx, four designer dresses, Adidas sneakers, knock-off lightweight Burberry scarf, Olga bra, Lauren pillow, shorts, etc. etc., $338.
🥖Pizza+/fancyish restaurant dinner with Punch after swimming in pond in Brewster until after 7 p.m., $77.
🥖Mac's Market & Kitchen, lobster, clams, kale salad, mango salsa and other Sunday dinner ingredients, $53.
🥖Brewster bakery, including cookbook I somehow lost, maybe a message from God because it was packed with recipes for sweets, $25.
🥖2 Massachusetts mugs, one for Cape and one for home, $28.
🥖Commando.com, black half-slip, $65.
🥖Arnold's Lobster & Clam Bar, fried clam belly basket plus tip, $30.
🥖Pure Vita, the new CBD [not for me] and natural home care store with essential-oil bar and pretty pineapple throw pillow case for Cape house, votive candles, seaweed/lavender bath sachets, $52.
🥖Stop & Shop, Cape groceries, $29 + $40 + $52=$121.
🥖Lobster roll supper with P. at Adams Lodge in Wellfleet, $32.
🥖Eastham info booth, pink sweatshirt, $30.
🥖Mass Audubon annual family membership, $65.
🥖Sunbird breakfast sandwich w citrus mayonnaise on grilled ciabatta plus expensive coffee beans from, of all places, Portland, Maine, plus tip, $27.
🥖2 Massachusetts mugs, one for Cape and one for home, $28.
🥖Commando.com, black half-slip, $65.
🥖Arnold's Lobster & Clam Bar, fried clam belly basket plus tip, $30.
🥖Pure Vita, the new CBD [not for me] and natural home care store with essential-oil bar and pretty pineapple throw pillow case for Cape house, votive candles, seaweed/lavender bath sachets, $52.
🥖Stop & Shop, Cape groceries, $29 + $40 + $52=$121.
🥖Lobster roll supper with P. at Adams Lodge in Wellfleet, $32.
🥖Eastham info booth, pink sweatshirt, $30.
🥖Mass Audubon annual family membership, $65.
🥖Sunbird breakfast sandwich w citrus mayonnaise on grilled ciabatta plus expensive coffee beans from, of all places, Portland, Maine, plus tip, $27.
🥖Audubon gift shop, small turtle rug for home; bird gift for Figgy; goat milk body wash; Bee Boss Body Balm, which I love for lips, too; small owl wall calendar for family, with member discount, $88.
🥖Vineyard Vines, candy-pink gingham skort, orig $98, now on sale for $68.99, plus shipping, $79.
🥖Mac’s Market & Kitchen, lobster, scallops, salmon, lemon, cornbread square, crackers, $49.
🥖Vineyard Vines, candy-pink gingham skort, orig $98, now on sale for $68.99, plus shipping, $79.
🥖Mac’s Market & Kitchen, lobster, scallops, salmon, lemon, cornbread square, crackers, $49.
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Hi Alice,
ReplyDeleteFrom anticipating the start of middle school to mending the wounds from separation at fifteen months to navigating legal guardianship, I am with you on the journey.
Miguel, age 8, bounced on my bed tonight, peered over my shoulder and inquired, "Mommy, what is her story tonight?" He recognized your photo!
I hope you see the difference you are making in Punchy's life and recognize that you are impacting the lives of other parents and legal guardians as well.
God bless,
Chris Mc
Oh, Chris, that is so sweet and encouraging. Thank you. Miguel sounds adorable. It's nice that he calls you Mommy. Have you legally adopted the children? We can't adopt Punchy and it can be a hard road. Love, Alice
DeleteWhat I meant is, It seems it would be a much smoother road if Punch could call us Mommy and Daddy.....
DeleteHi Alice,
ReplyDeleteMiguel calls me Mommy, but Jessica, his sister, calls me Christina. They both call my husband Kurt, Kirby, a nickname. It was their choice. Sometimes I wonder how it sounds to their classmates if they refer to us by our names.
We didn't set out to be a modern family, but we are one. The four of us have different last names.
We wish we could have adopted them but the state wanted to close the case after five years, and granted us legal guardianship. Their mother has eight children in all, the youngest three live with her. The oldest three boys live with their dad about thirty minutes away. We visit their brothers several times a year. The children have different fathers, and they are not involved in their lives.
While I think it is great that Punchy visits her birth mom I also know how it can be when she returns. It can be costly emotionally for all of you.
Thank God Punchy has you, Dan, Figgy, and Sis.
Prayers for Sis for her surgery.
Love,
Chris
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ReplyDelete