Clay has answered some more of your questions, click the image to go read!

Several years ago I wrote a series of post on how to live without a bunch of crap clogging up your life and how it can save you a lot of money.  I had no idea how much traffic those posts would get day after day, year after year, but these are some of my most read posts.  They are not well written nor do they contain any kind of brilliance.  They are just posts that state some basic strategies for living with less.

Since I’ve been working this year a lot of my previous time spent in the kitchen has been sacrificed and I find myself purchasing more and more convenience food items for my kids to pack in their lunch boxes.  But one thing that has not changed is my ability to skip the mixes.  We don’t use mixes.  I say we, because by some miracle my children have been able to learn a thing or two about baking and they are not afraid to open a cookbook and follow instructions for pancakes, waffles, cookies, biscuits, cakes etc.  Really, it’s just so basic.

I know my boys are not going to call home and ask me how to make biscuits or pancakes or cookies or any other kind of baked good.  I also know my youngest will probably be 6′7″ tall and still want to sit on the counter to help and that’s okay because he’s my little tiny biscuit eater forever and ever and ever no matter how gigantic he gets.

So, they know how to cut butter into flour, but they do NOT know how to clean the friggin’ kitchen.  I’m just sayin’, they find baking easy.

Now share with me a simple money saving tip that you have used over the years that most folks don’t consider easy or convenient.

When Clay and I went to our daughter’s formal last week, we had a wee bit of fun.  It is impossible for us to act too serious in situations where a moon and satin fabric are involved.  This photo is the most normal of the bunch.  Get this…I’m too embarrassed to post the others, I know!  So rare for me.  Can I also mention that it only took two dances for us to get all sweaty?  So yes, this is a photo of us all hot and sweaty with satin sheets and a sparkly moon.  This blog is now rated R.

Anyway, let’s talk about that moon.  When Clay went to sit down for our little sweaty/satin sheet photo session, he planted his leg squarely on the tip of that moon which must have been made out of titanium.  He calmly mentioned something about thinking he tore his pants, but never mentioned that on the inside he was screaming in pain.  The next morning as he came wandering in our room from his shower I saw the nastiest black bruise the size of a grapefruit on the back of his leg, “OH MY GOSH!  What the heck did you do to your leg?!”  And that’s when he looked back at his leg for the first time and stated, “Oh, yeah…that’s where the moon bit me.  It hurt pretty bad.”

Okay, Okay,  because I love you all so much and because I have no idea how or why this blog was nominated for Best Kept Secret in the 2010 Bloggies…I’ll share just a peek of one more photo…

Yeah…I promise the punch was not spiked, but my heels were.  And one more thing,  if Clay is in pain here, with that face, what do you think he looks like when he’s trying to make a really happy face?  I’m wondering if the school will allow us to come to another dance?

Seriously, thank you all for the sweet comments over the years.  I love hearing from all of you.  I love your opinions and questions and comments and concerns and well wishes and scorns and giggles and praises and finger shakes and sighs and, and, and well….I just love all of it.  You all keep this site going.  Thank you friends.  Thank you for nominating Coal Creek Farm, my little home away from home.  The door is always open for all of you.

You can click the button up there on the right and it will lead you to the 2010 Weblog Awards site where you can view all the nominations and vote for your favorites.  There are so many familiar faces there this year, it’s fun to see.  Voting closes January 31st.