Kmart

It goes without saying, everybody has their ups & downs in life. I was just talking to a good friend of mine the other day about us being in our 40s. If you have not gotten to your 40s yet, let me just say IT’S NO WALK IN THE PARK PEOPLE. Things that you never really dream of or understand starts happening to you. You start to be more conscious of your over all well-being, because to be honest, it clearly becomes more of an issue.

For example, I used to could live with my contacts or live without them. I didn’t have to wear them if I didn’t want to. Now, it is a real problem if I don’t have them in. When I’m driving, luggage racks on top of vehicles start looking like a set of lights like the state troopers have. If I meet a car on the road with one of those, let me tell you how much I obey all the traffic laws. All in the name of poor vision. Could this be from being in your 40s?

Then, there is my memory. I don’t know where it goes. The other day my daughter & I were shopping. I kept saying I was going to wait to buy shampoo at Kmart because it was probably cheaper there. Miss Neenee exasperatedly reminded me several times,

“Mama, we ARE in Kmart.”

“You know I mean Kroger.” I said. Repeatedly .(May I insert here Mamaw referred to these stores as Kmarts & the Kroger. I will never forget that.)

Later on that day, we were talking & I said,

“Riddle me that, Batman.”

She said, “What does that even mean?”

I commenced to relive the torturous Riddler in Batman & how he always spoke in riddles to Batman. Then, it hit me. I could quote dialogue from movies upwards of 25 years ago, but just a short time ago that day, I didn’t know if I was in Kmart or Kroger. It’s being in your 40s.

And don’t even get me started on the time change. I don’t know why it’s so hard, but the struggle is real, ya’ll. I have a morning disorder, anyway. It’s all I can do to get up & get around. This ain’t helpin’ me none. Make the time & leave it. Seriously, enough with the time change. This must be from being in your 40s.

Digestive woes. Do you remember the Andy Griffith episode where Andy & Helen were broke up & Barney had fixed him up with another girl? They were going with Barney & Thelma Lou to Mt. Pilot to eat. They kept naming off places & Andy’s date couldn’t eat at any of them. She couldn’t eat Chinese because “Cabbage laid on her chest.” That was like the funniest thing to me. Until I got my own list of foods that have less than desirable effects. We just have a mutual understanding (me & these kinds of food that is) If I eat this, then that happens. Why? Just why? I have always had a stomach of cast iron steel up until a couple of years ago. Yup, it’s being in your 40s.

But there are some good things that come from being in your 40s. Here’s a little list (I love a list):

You don’t put up with a lot. You make a decision on what you want to take & what you don’t. Then, you plan accordingly.
You come to the reality that life is short. You begin to appreciate the loved ones you have, even more. James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (NKJV)
After a stressful day, one begins to realize the power a Samoa (or Caramel Delight, just depends on where you are) can have over you. It just purely changes your whole demeanor. Those Girl Scouts just have my heart.
Pajama time becomes a real thing. Pajama time can start when I get home from work & given it is a weekend, can last until I go to church on Sunday. After church, back to pajama time.
You begin to have more understanding & empathy for others. Biggest reason is because you need more understanding & empathy from others. Times come when you clearly are confident enough to step back & say, “I am being ridiculous.” This is where other people’s grace comes in, for us. BOY, DO I NEED THAT! Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.(NKJV)
You know who you are, who your friends are, & know you do not have to deal with toxic relationships. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
It occurs to you, what you have is just plenty. Worldly possessions are not all they are cracked up to be.

(Matthew 6:19-20) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (NKJV)

And there ain’t no way I am sending my soul to torment over greed & jealousy of what someone else has. I’m not sacrificing my family time nor my ethics to gain more either. You become just plain thankful for what you have. Which takes me to my last one

8. You know what’s important. You take care of that & everything else just falls into place.

On other note, my Miss Neenee had Flu B (just in time for Spring Break). She had RSV about 3 weeks ago. She’s not really gotten past all of that, until this happened. She has been around several people who have had the flu. She was just patiently waiting her turn. She’s a sweetie like that. My grandson, Mr. Sweetie Pants, had it, too.

Speaking of which, we made our very own laundry detergent, this weekend. Here he is being a big ol’ helper.

While I was snapping a couple of pictures of him, He said, “Grand, take my picture doing this.”

Such a good boy to help his Grand.

And by the way, if you want the recipe for the detergent it is below.

2 bars of soap (We used Olay Sensitive Skin, since we have some folks at home that require special attention. Like not having dry skin & recurring skin related rashes)

2 cups of Borax

2 cups washing soda

1 canister Purex Crystals or Downy Unstoppables (which I just now saw on the internet you are supposed to put the Purex Crystals directly in the drum of the washer. I don’t think it will hurt anything. I guess the smell will last longer putting it right into the washer instead of the soap dispenser. But we just mixed it in with everything else)

Grate the soap in a bowl. Measure & add all the other ingredients. Mix together. You only need ¼ cup of this for each load. It smelled so good!

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me today & read through my randomness. You make my day brighter!! Hope you are having a good week. Always remember wherever you are God it there to take care of you. Until next time, I should be going because I should be washing clothes.

It was the summer of 2009 & I had had it. Every time I turned around, I was running to Walmart for something. My husband had been laid off from his job. We were turning off lights, taking shorter showers, limiting our cell phone usage, and basically only going to church & to & from work. We cut way down on eating out. Lots of things we learned quickly we thought we had to have, we didn’t.

One day, after coming out of Walmart, I was studying my receipt. Now, I know Walmart is the place you have to watch out for falling prices. They also price match anyone’s ad that’s a lower price than theirs. So why, pray tell, could I not come out of there under $150? Hmmm….I got to investigating more on this mystery. I went down the list & low & behold I found the answer.

Walmart was sucking my bank account dry.

I was going in & making my price slashed purchases. However, I was coming out with stuff I could very easily do without. I made up my mind right then & there, I was not going to take it anymore. So, I did what any full-blooded Southern, penny pinching consumer would do.

I broke up with Walmart.

There were others there to comfort me through this life changing decision. K-mart stepped right in & gave me a card, that when you buy your wares, you start racking up points. In return, you can cash those boogers in & get money off. Right off your total purchase! I thought they were just flirting with me, until I bought a nice birthday present for nearly nothing out of pocket.

Next, Dollar General became my new love. Do you know you can get $5 off coupons that make $25 worth of necessary things only cost you $20? I’ll take $5 free dollars. The Dollar Tree got on my list of favorites, as well. Do you know how many things you can get in Dollar Tree for $50? (Yup, 50, that’s how many.) They even have food now. As I happily started seeing my money being put to better use, I realized Walmart had too many distractions. Yes, I can get soap cheaper at Walmart than Dollar General. However, I am not bombarded with stuff, as soon as I walk in the door. Stuff that I & lots of other well meaning, moneysaving shoppers think they have to have. (But honestly do not.)

Sometimes my spiritual life seems to get spent the same way. Temptations & enticements easily lead me away. There are times I have so many things that try to get in the way of me reading my Bible. Often enough, I don’t take the time to stop & encourage someone. Or I let other things get in the way of me stopping to send a card to someone sick. I don’t take the opportunity to acknowledge someone’s problems because I’m too busy doing things that really aren’t helping me at all.

Such as reading all the wonderful, uplifting posts on my Facebook news feed.

(Ha. Haha. Hahahaha.)

Or perhaps I might find a wee bit of time to help someone if I weren’t on Pinterest pinning funny sayings to my board. Or looking for new hair styles, or pinning lots of lovely things to my crafty project boards – that I will probably never get time to do anyway.

James 1: 22 says But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

That means I have got to be a doer. A doer for good. Then, maybe my temptations won’t seem so big.

John said in

I John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (NKJV)

This means all the stuff I was seeing that I just HAD to have, was not only not necessary, it’s not of the Father. SO, I had no business with it anyway.

The apostle Paul cautioned Timothy in

I Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.(NKJV)

Buying more things than I needed was foolish & harmful. It just wasn’t doing anything but leaving me with less money. At the time, I just didn’t need to be doing that. While things are more on track now, I still don’t need to throw our money away.

Now that we are in 2014 & we have been back to a 2 job home for a while, I still do not go in Walmart very often. My break up with Walmart taught me a few things.

I have to hold myself to my shopping list. If I go in to buy notebooks for $.10, but still wind up with $103.17 worth of stuff in my buggy, those $.10 notebooks weren’t really that cheap, were they?
I can survive without Walmart.
Change may not be as bad as you think.
I am not willingly subjecting myself to a store’s ploy to take my money. Because, hey I admit it. I am a sucker for a bargain & Walmart is FULL of them, plus lots of other stuff I don’t need.
I can do without a lot of things I thought I could not.
Even if I have money to purchase things, I need to ask myself if it’s a need or a want.

Just so the elephant in the room can move on out, this is not a paid endorsement from Kmart, Dollar General, nor The Dollar Tree. These are my own personal opinions, in which have been perfectly approved by the president & CEO of I should be washing clothes (Which is me.) I’m not bitter with Walmart. I think they taught me some valuable lessons. Some that I would have never experienced, if not for them & their stuff.

Thank you for coming by to visit with me today. I have enjoyed our time together. I hope you are able to provide for your family’s needs and wants. Just remember, too, God will provide. He provided for us while we were a one job household & He will provide for you, too. I hope you enjoy this beautiful holiday weekend. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.