Moment of Genius, Moments of Ignorance

Noe uses an FM receiver at school. Basically, it's a microphone her teachers wear which transmits the voice directly into Noe's hearing aids. It makes a world of difference in how much she is able to hear, and how clearly she can hear it.
So. In a moment of brilliance, we realized we could put this FM receiver up to the television, and it would have the same effect. We even found we have a cable to plug it directly into the tv. So yes, I am now plugging my child in, literally. But just look at those pictures above. The first time we did it, she got the hugest smile on her face and she yelled "I CAN HEAR IT!" It was priceless. It made me a little teary eyed.

The weather has been gorgeous. We've been outside doing all kinds of outside stuff. Well, the kids have. I've been taking pictures of them doing their outside stuff. I've stagnated once again in my photography skills, and I am frustrated by it. (Yes, Christie, I read "Understanding Exposure" and I'm still stumped). Anyway. I've been practicing, and snatching up new people to practice on, but I think I really just need some one on one instruction. That's how I learn best. Any willing tutors out there???

"It's a Wrap... Just in Time For Christmas." i crack myself up.

In the immortal words of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince...
"DRUMS PLEASE!"

I'm done. Well, sort of done. I absolutely cannot find time to go to the commissary. I did, however, compare Costco and Winco (the local supermarket). Winco is in green, Costco in blue. Because I'm a nerd.
Here's the skinny. You can usually shop for cheaper at the local supermarket if you buy the store brand. I am not above buying the store brand on some things, but there are others on which I simply cannot compromise. Everyone's different, so while generic green beans are a good deal for me, "Toasted Oat Rings" cannot take the place of Cheerios in my bowl. That said, it absolutely comes down to the items you want, and where you are willing to cut corners. I could have saved money buying syrup at Costco, but I can only buy the 45 gallon bottle there. Seriously... have you seen their syrup? Who uses that much? If you do, Costco is where you need to buy.
I bought about half of what I needed at Costco, and spent $126. I anticipate I can buy the remainder of what I need at Winco for about the same amount. That will give me three months' worth of meals for about $300. That's $100 a month... pretty cheap insurance.

*For some reason, Spagetti noodles got cut off. They were $1.78 for a 2 lb bag at Winco. Pretty good. Anything left blank means they didn't carry it at Costco, or I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. We have sensitive skin here, so the soap will be a special buy.

If I make it to the commissary ever, I'll post my findings. But for now, consider my tutorial finalized. I have shown you how to pick what your family eats, break it down into ingredients, and comparison shop for the best deal. I have shown you how you can feed your family (and wash their hair, brush their teeth and clean their bodies) in a time of crisis for a three month period. I've also accomplished it all for around $300. It really isn't as overwhelming and complicated as it's often portrayed to be. No sprouting wheat germ to obtain vitamin c. And at the rate our government is bailing out failing companies, when you or your spouse become unemployed, don't expect Uncle Sam to have any money left to help you out. You'll be wishing there was any such thing as government cheese.

Thank Goodness for the Summer Visit...

*For those actually interested in my food storage series, I've been to the supermarket, I'm going to Costco on Friday, and then I'll post my results. I mean, for those of you who are interested.
In the meantime...
Can you see any resemblance between the paper doll in the green dress, and my attractive friend in the black tshirt? Come on... they're one and the same. It's Shally! Or at least, so says Noe. She came home from school today and said "Mommy. It's our friend Shally. Can we go tee her and play with Terae?" (Still working on the S sound... sorry Serae)
If we hadn't gone and stayed with Shal this summer, I would be highly concerned about the amount of time I spend blogging. I mean come on... if your daughter starts making paper dolls of your blog friends, you know it's time to cut down. But since we did shack up for the night... I feel fine. And Shal, as you can see, you have an owie on your left leg. Apparently you cut yourself shaving. Sorry to hear about that.

I've Heard Some People Are Turned On By This Sort Of Thing...

I know everyone has eagerly been awaiting the next installment of my food storage tutorial. My desktop is in the repair shop, and the downside of living in a densely populated rural community is that there are lots of people but not lots of service options. My desktop was 40th in line for repair a week after I brought it in. I only have the laptop, which has none of my pictures on it. So I've been stalling, but a pictureless post will have to do. Sorry.

COSTCO, THE COMMISSARY, OR THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET?
I do not have a Costco membership. But I know people who do. That should work just fine for me when I do my price comparisons. The closest Costco is something like 30-45 minutes away from me, so I don’t see membership as a wise move for our family.
One of the perks of the military life is shopping in a commissary. Unfortunately with ROTC, we are remote, and the closest one is at an Air Force Base an hour away. I know I can get good deals there, but I don’t know how good they’ll be compared to my other two options.
There are 3 supermarkets in our town. Two are recently remodeled, have all kinds of nice amenities and free samples. One is old, sells food in bulk bins, is freezing cold, and looks like a converted warehouse. Guess which one I shop at? If you like the amenities, be prepared to pay for them. I refuse to.
*A little point of order: We have made the choice to take a set amount of money and get our food storage together right now. You don’t have to do it all at once like this. Working from your master list, plan to throw in several of the items each time you shop over the next several months.

So I’m off… I will take a copy of this list to all three stores for price comparisons:

Yes, I really am this nerdy. Love me or leave me. (If you leave me, be sure to go to Paige's blog for a FASCINATING series of posts and threats regarding Kindermusik. Girl, those maracas won't keep your table full during the upcoming depression...)

I'm hitting the local Supermarket first. Then, I'll check out Costco. My last step will be to take the lists from both stores up to the commissary, and see how I fare. I'm sure you're all dying to find out.

Get Up Offa That Thang

Touchy subject, this food storage thing. Frankly, I'm slightly appalled at the apathy creeping into the comments here. Let's get it together people!!
Now. Where do you begin?

Here’s my plan of action:
1. Decide what we eat.
You don’t want to store stuff you won’t eat. So figure out what you DO eat. We had a Family Home Evening where we came up with this meal planner:

Everyone was to list their favorite meals. I was disappointed with the results. Breakfast and lunch were okay; in a time of difficulty, we could eat cereal or pancakes every day, and a PBJ or tuna sandwich for lunch would cut it. But dinner is a lot harder. I found it amusing that someone penciled in "cotin candy" and "pumpkin pie". Especially impressive is the tidy D'Nealian lettering.

2. Narrow it down.
Six or seven meals are easy enough to shop for, and can be rotated throughout the course of a few months. It may sound painfully tedious to eat the same 6 things over and over, but consider this:
a. It’s better than government cheese.
b. You are self-reliant and don’t overburden your church and government.
c. You’re guaranteed it’s stuff your family likes and eats.
d. Theoretically, it’s only temporary.
Here’s what ours looked like AFTER Mom did a little revising:

BREAKFAST
Oatmeal
Pancakes
Syrup
Cereal

LUNCH
Tuna
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Crackers

SUPPER
Soup
Chicken and Rice
Chili
Shepherd’s Pie
Enchiladas
Spaghetti

MISCELLANEOUS
Toilet Paper
Soap
Shampoo
Toothpaste
Popcorn
Canned Fruit/Veggies
Flour
Sugar
Salt
Oil

I will probably still need to make some changes to it; add on a few things. It's a work in progress. Much like my entire life.

3. Make your grocery list.
a. Figure out what ingredients you need for the dishes you’ve chosen. Make a master list. If, during this process, you find you’ve chosen recipes that require a lot of fresh ingredients, you need to rethink your choices. For example: Lasagne. Love it. But it requires a lot of fresh cheese. Not something you can easily store. Spaghetti, on the other hand, requires pasta and canned sauce. Easy to store. Yes, you will miss the fabulous taste of your homemade meatsauce, but we’re thinking emergency essentials here.
b. If you have planned seven meals, you will need enough ingredients to make those meals four times a month for three months. So multiply your ingredients by 12.

Next stop: "ANDREA B, COME ON DOWN! YOU'RE THE NEXT CONTESTANT ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!" Shopping for the best deal...