A Co-oP

I'm so excited to say that a friend and I have agreed to have a child care co-op. Basically that just means I'm going to watch her little girl 1 day a week so she can get work done/do errands/have some alone time, etc. and she will watch my boys once a week so I can either work a 8 hour shift or just get stuff done. I remember Becky asking me about this months ago, and me not being that excited about it. I'm not sure why. I guess I just thought I didn't need it. But when she mentioned it today, I was so into it. Even if it just means I can get my grocery shopping done and clean my house - thats awesome!
I have been really looking at my life from a different outlook these days. I'm trying to change my outlook on many things...one of these HUGE things is how I spend money. And what I spend money on. I used to spend A LOT of money on groceries, but not have enough ingredients to make the dinners for the week. So, I was buying all these groceries, and also we were eating out. Even if its only pizza or 99 cent tacos, thats still money spent. So my recent goal in this arena has been to not only cut my shopping bill, but be very intentional in planning out meals and having those during the week. I also look in my cupboard and see tons of food just sitting there that I have bought several months ago and not used. That is wasteful and doesn't make sense. Just because its on sale doesn't mean its a good bargain for ME! If I never use Japanese Bread Crumbs, why do I have them in my pantry?? Good question. I'll use them soon. In some sort of recipe.
Another item that I have purposefully ignored in my conscience is my hair. I love getting my hair done. I love going to a nice salon and paying the medium-big-bucks. I also know that right now, that is not right for me. Its not right for my family and my financial situation. And its not right for me...on a few other levels. I always spend over $100 when I get my hair done. That money could be used many other places. And for many other purposes than making my hair look good. SO...I'm trying to figure out a plan...I'm stuck with dark hair now that I like, but I am also wishing it was blonde again, as is a certian spouse of mine...I might go to the Vietnemese place that charges $30-40 for highlights and hope they don't burn my hair this time... :-)
I guess thats enough for tonight.
The peace of night has fallen on this house. Amen and Amen.