From a Dave Ramsey Fan to You

Five Cheap Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day

from daveramsey.com on 26 Jan 2010

Valentine’s Day is almost here.

Across the nation, men everywhere are scrambling for ideas. Will it be flowers and chocolate or dinner and a movie?

Let’s face it, fellas. If you’ve been in a relationship for any amount of time, creative and cheap date ideas can be hard to come by. And with January now in the rearview mirror, it may seem easy to forget about that New Year’s resolution to tighten up the budget.



But this Valentine’s Day, you don’t have to break the bank to create memories and have a good time. Here are five ideas to get your wheels turning:





Dinner and a Movie … The Remix


Okay, we know, dinner and a movie is so cliché. But what about a candlelit home-cooked meal and a romantic rental movie? You don’t have to buy filet mignon and lobster. You can get great deals on chicken, pork and certain types of fish. Pair it up with a little pasta, and you’re ready to treat your significant other to an unforgettable evening!

The Open Road


Just get in the car with your special lady friend and drive! You might spend a little on gas, but you’ll create some lasting memories as you travel to a town you have never visited or a famous landmark. You could also revisit the special places around town where you’ve created fun memories and take pictures together.


Game Night


Who doesn’t love a good board game? Find a few classic board games, invite some friends over, and make a night of it. Or, if you have a Wii, then you have even more options—bowling, Rock Band and Mario Kart to name a few. Having some Valentine’s-themed food on hand will add to the fun—red-velvet cupcakes and heart-shaped candy are always crowd pleasers.



Night at the Museum


Two tickets to a local museum usually aren’t too expensive. Learn a little about art or history—and each other! Combine this idea with your home-cooked dinner and a movie or game night, and you’ll have a full day of fun.



Take A Hike


Pack a lunch, grab a few water bottles, and hit the trail. You’ll be amazed at the quality of conversation you can have with someone while you are hiking up a mountain or through a trail in the woods. After all, it is Valentine’s Day, so why not get your heart in shape?




You can come up with plenty of cheap date ideas on your own. Just follow your passions (don’t do something just because it’s cheap), and think outside the box (of chocolates).




And, remember, the memories will last a lot longer than the gourmet chocolate and expensive roses. Keep that in mind as you are planning your Valentine’s Day date and other dates throughout the year!

Organizational Ideas Needed

Okay all you creative people!  I am needing some easy organizational ideas for the paper clutter in my home.  As you can imagine, I have a lot of paper coming into my house.  With three little students plus all my medical correspondence, I am surrounded by papers!  What do you do in your home/office to keep these things organized?  They are in piles here...mostly in my bedroom b/c I can close the door on it when we have company!  Please share your fantastic ideas!

Me and KTTS

As a mother, it becomes necessary at times to voice my opinion. (I know...big shocker!) Anyway, if you listen to KTTS, you are certainly aware of their commercial spots running promoting laser hair removal and the benefits thereof. I rolled my eyes at first, thinking certainly this would be a short lived campaign. I was wrong. Below is my email that I sent them this morning...thought you might like to read it! Have a great day.

Blessings,

Leslie


Okay people...seriously...is NOTHING sacred? I emailed Andy when Curly tried to convince the world to proudly proclaim her name upon entering the world of laser hair removal. "Absurd", I thought. "Nobody in their right mind would say, 'Curly sent me' when requesting the removal of unwanted body hair."

 NOW..as the mother of 3 young, impressionable boys, I am bombarded with Farmer sharing the numerous benefits of laser hair removal as we try to eat our breakfast before school each morning. REALLY? REALLY? THIS will help me be more organized in the new year? This will "shave" minutes off of my morning routine? REALLY!?



I am begging you...PLEADING with your sense of all that is proper and decent...PLEASE stop these excessively ridiculous commercials. I can assure you, as a mom, as a lady, even as a cancer survivor...there is not a soul in the Ozarks thinking, "You know, that Farmer chick is right on! I COULD save seconds off my morning routine if that pesky, unwanted hair wasn't taunting me each day! I am sooo glad I heard this as I try to consume my morning cup of coffee. AND...so glad that my children, ages 10, 7, and 5 now know what to do if their bikini area is giving them fits later in life!"



SERIOUSLY!!!! Love you...love your show...kept me laughin' during cancer treatment...but this has to come to an end (excuse the pun). FOR THE LOVE!!!!!!!



Consider becoming the spokeswoman for Dove chocolate...now that'd speak to me. Or perhaps McAlister's tea...there ya go! Or even pay at the pump fuel....now THAT can help a mother out. But PLEASE quit talking about body hair...it truly is repulsive. Really...it is!

Snow Days and Deep Thoughts

Well, I was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a text message informing me that our local schools were cancelled due to the weather. We didn't get a lot of snow, but the little we did get piled on top of what we already had, and then...the wind blew! Evidently, in places other than my yard, the snow really drifted. And then...the temperature dropped (or maybe that was what happened first, or during...it's all a blur). We had below zero temperatures today...much too cold for our school buses in the drifting snow. Anyhoo...that's how I came about being home today with my 3 boys and our favorite 11 year old neighbor, Ross.



The boys had a blast. After eating pancakes, sausage, and eggs, they finished their "chores" (as best I can come up with in town), and began a long day of fun, fighting, and experiments. They played video games, Tech Deck skateboards, Legos, Nerf gun wars (the "fighting"), and Nerf sword fighting. Then, they challenged their creative side by making individual pizzas for lunch followed by a serious streak of paper airplane development and testing. They continued their creative/scientific explorations by making a clay volcano, and then causing it to erupt with baking soda and vinegar! Big stuff! Finally, they made a large platter of green slime from cornstarch and water, and enjoyed grossing one another out with that for awhile.



Isaac continued his home education in the fine art of tying shoes. He has it down, he is just working on perfecting the maneuver, and getting a tight knot.



Meanwhile, I attacked a huge medical bill that has been in limbo between a provider, an insurance company, a collection agency, and myself. These things bother me, but not like they used to. In the whole scheme of things, it's way down on my list of things to panic about. (I realize that sentence is a grammar teacher's worst nightmare...and I apologize to my sister Suzan, and all others that groan at grammatical errors!) At any rate...I finally talked to all parties...on the same day...and got the thing hammered out. No big deal! It's only money...right?!



I also fixed a delicious pot of Mexican Chicken Soup, and by the time Jeff arrived home at 7ish, the boys were in their jammies, soup was on, and the BCS championship game had begun!



We are thankful tonight for a warm house to live in, tummies that are full, and healthy little heads that are resting in warm beds.

My friend, Sherry, and I discussed peace over the phone today. She shared with me a sermon she heard on the radio the other day. The pastor concluded with the teaching that "peace" is something that is given to us. It is not something we can get ourselves, or a place we can determine to be. It is a gift, given to us by the Holy Spirit, and ours for the asking, through prayer. She and I both agreed that this wasn't something we had ever before considered, and ended our conversation agreeing that this was a subject we were going to study further. That simplifies things, though, doesn't it? God gives it...and that settles it. I can quit striving for it on my own...it isn't attainable...alone. Now that's something to chew on for awhile...


If you'll excuse me, I will now go steal my Snuggie blanket from my oldest son, and retire to my own bed. Tomorrow...yet another snow day...and four active boys await!



Blessings,



Leslie

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have had an enjoyable Christmas season, and are now enjoying the slower pace that temporarily follows the holidays. I, my friend, am a bit overwhelmed with the upcoming months.

Just tonight, as I filled in our already scheduled evenings on our January calendar, I said to Jeff, "Would you look at this? We only have Monday and Wednesday nights without anything! This is nuts!" And it is totally brought on by ourselves. We have two young boys that are playing rec league basketball, and my husband is coaching one of their teams. This translates into 4 days of busy-ness that should be enjoyable...after all...we chose to participate. Every fiber of my being wants to be home, though. I'm not kidding! I love basketball, and I love watching our boys play, but seriously...I think I'll have my plate full of this when they are 13 and older, so why are we subjecting our family to this craziness now? I can't tell ya, friend.

Winter beckons me inside my home. I love baking/cooking and drinking coffee/tea in front of the fire. I love having friends over, and being with my family. Playing games, watching movies, reading books...all the things you'd feel guilty about were the weather nice and inviting outside. Everything about winter makes me want to slooooooow down. Yet I don't. This, sister, puzzles me. I guess I'll cherish the small, late night moments of tranquility...such as now. It is 11:30 p.m. The house is quiet (with the exception of the white noise I hear whirring in the boys hallway). My hubby just moved his nap on the couch into the bedroom. I was typing in there, but I traded him spaces, and am now sitting...alone and quiet...in the living room.

The boys are home from school for only a few more days. I need to enjoy some downtime with them. We've been on the run with them from one holiday event to another for 2 weeks. They've asked to go bowling, to go back to Bass Pro, to go to a basketball game, to take in a movie, and to go hunting. We'll see what happens. For now, we are enjoying no scheduled events. We even managed 2 games of "WAR" and 2 games of "chicken track dominoes" tonight. It was lovely. Ahhhhhhh....

I hope your weeks ahead are enjoyable. I think of you all often, and just have the hardest time finding time to put my thoughts into words. Maybe 11:30 at night, alone in the living room, is the time for me to post! Who knows?!

Blessings,

Leslie