Comments by "Kimberly C" (@kimberlyc84) on "Glorious Life On Wheels"
channel.
-
2
-
2
-
You asked for it...
I started journaling in 5th grade. It was an assignment given to us by a woman who would become my absolute FAVORITE teacher, Mrs. Glenda Good.
I LOVED reading, but writing...not so much, until that assignment.
That was the year I saw Marsha Brady (from the Brady Bunch) get a diary. So I asked my mom for one and got it for Christmas! I've been journaling ever since. (I'm 54)
Throughout the years, I've written short stories, essays that have been published & helped me earn scholarships, poems that have won contests, petitioned administrators and advocated for my children, contacted omnibusmen/state representatives to help & advocate for elder care recipients, and most recently, addressed board commissioners to reconsider and address rezoning decisions (not completely successfully, but as they say, if ya don't vote, don't complain. At least my thoughts were considered and a compromise was reached).
But I have to also share the overwhelming sense of gratitude I have for being able to still LOVE the release it gives me. I get to look back at some of the toughest times and see how things did (or didn't) work either as I thought but went in another direction completely.
Words are my love (if you couldn't already tell🥰).
I was an official court reporter for 1 year right out of court reporting college in New York. A month after my wedding, all non-salaried positions were frozen. I was let go, I parlayed all of the typing skills and clerical procedures into working as a human resources assistant in a bank.
We relocated a year later with a baby in tow to GA. Two more babies, 2 houses, 12 cars, lots of transition, & 21 yrs later, and I made my Exodus from an increasingly tumultuous marriage to start over. I had started working for my children's school system once all of them were in public school. This is my 20th yr.
11 years from that, the two oldest are military, one SpecOps, the other, medically retired working as a corrections officer and just earned a welding certification.
The last little birdie graduated Magna Cum Laude last May from the local college that everybody teased her about for going to, less than $3,000 in student loans, earn that bachelor's degree and signed on with an international company, she just bought a home on an acre and a half 2 hours south.
I just think back to when we were in an ant infested mold riddled rental and how my school clerk once a month salary left $19.85 a week after every thing was paid. If it weren't for the food co-op, I can't imagine.
I made $1.02 too much a month to qualify for food stamps.
Through bc, bankruptcy, repos, foreclosure, I am so grateful to be here.
I remember getting up pre-dawn on Saturday mornings & driving into neighborhoods where I would see work trucks (painters, plumbers, etc.) parked. I knew the homes were affordable and lots had long term families. I drove around for months, days & hours until I finally found something I could afford. Some days I was so defeated. The approval, funding, & rate were ready...now If only I could find the right one. I'd fired two realtors and was at my wit's end.
Then it happened. I found it, called the inspector, made my bid, got it inspected, and three days until next month's rent would have been due, I closed on it! Called up the youth group & family, rented the 26' Uhaul & cleared that rental in one day! Called the sheriff to return his keys and I was outta there!!
Now, I'm in a peaceful sticks & bricks. Although it's 50 yrs old and eminent domain is a looming threat, I am grateful to be termite & bug free (except for the ladybugs that seem to love my light blue painted walls🤷♀️) and the only mold is growing out back with the moss & mushrooms😁).
I returned to school online to relearn my court reporting skill and I recently earned my National Certification.
Learning all the new technology is truly Wilma Flintstone meeting Jane Jetson. But it is great to know that I have another technologically challenged trial by fire person in Carol! Thank you!☺️
I've heard it said, and I try not to forget: remember when what you prayed for was what you now have ❤
2
-
2
-
2
-
2
-
2
-
2
-
1
-
Yes!
G.L.O.W. found me about 2 weeks ago as my last little birdie flew the nest and I started looking at options for my lone lifestyle.
My OCD would not let me watch the videos out of order, so I started back at the oldest and now, April 9th 2024, I'm here😊
Call me weird, call me nuts, but one of my most favorite parts is finding out all of the options for indoor restrooms!
It's not like it's put out on display, and there are "sample results" to comment on, just plain, simple, what everybody does and takes for granted. I'm also following a single nomad vanlifer who actually videoed no less than 4 restrooms to show why a portable option was more appealing than the public options.
I especially like the no build builds for vans & cars.
Carol is kind, intelligent, not condescending in any way whatsoever, peaceful and relevant! As a mid-50s single, looking for options as I reach retirement so that I will have some sort of retirement, I look forward to her interviews.
As we've traveled throughout the past few years, we have also been highly disappointed with the hotels that we have stayed in.
Even the "immaculate" Airbnb options had me cleaning up what they missed.
My stick vac should not pick up crumbs and pet hair if they had just vacuumed before we got there 🙄
Anyway, I look forward to putting the videos on as I take my daily walk around my school between classes.
I'm doing the best I can to make my health incentive dollars stretch and to keep these bones in working order.
Welcome fellow G.L.O.W.bie!🎉🚗☁️
1
-
Welcome to my neck o' the woods!
(I transplanted from LI, NY in '94.
Just when I thought I was considered a little bitty bit Southern after so long, someone asked me today where I'm from...he was from Brooklyn, moved here about 9 months ago and is a substitute teacher at my school.
I went to give him a class roster and he said he heard it in my voice when I said my, "Hey. Howarya!"🤣)
I found a tiny home community in Clarkston, GA (when I say found, I mean FOUND! I think I made Google mad because it had me doing u-turns about four times before I finally got it right and finally didn't pass right by it again.🤣
They are built by a non profit called the Microlife Institute. There are tours as well. But I'm looking for more of a community that's geared around older people. When I checked the sold price, all of them were well over $200,000. 😕
And I didn't notice any as single levels.
I'm not quite sure if they were intended for specific groups of people, such as homeless, veterans etc. but they are aesthetically pleasing. There are 8 on a half acre. (Which is what I'm on) There's a common mail box like PO boxes as well as parking area and then you walk to your home, past a communal fire pit and Adirondack chairs. All homes had covered porches. I personally think the surrounding area is a bit busy, but to put the houses the way they are situated on that acreage is beautiful.
But there are upcoming TOURS where we can speak to the homeowners! They are 492+ sq ft.
We rented a 500 sq ft cabin in Ellijay last October and I was instantly hooked! I deliberately rented a single level without a loft because I didn't want to climb anything.
But I digress. Back to the tiny homes:
It is on a bus line, it is not far from a major hospital, and health departments, that particular county does have lower taxes than mine one county over, and it does lead to the farmers market that's been there since 1977 where it started as a produce stand. Now, it's enclosed and offers more than 1000 sq ft of items. It represents over 40 countries and is in the most ethnically diverse county in the southeast with more than 64 spoken languages and (I'm sure) more dialects.
I live about 20 minutes away in the next County over and a 2 and 1/2 acre lot 400 ft from us that is on our corner is being bulldozed for more townhouses.
We went to ALL commissioner meetings for 2+ years trying to ask them to reconsider the petition the investor had of rezoning the lot from single family to townhomes.
We asked them would they consider 8-12 bungalow type smaller homes on the lot since our County allows 8 townhomes per acre and they originally wanted to put up 16. All starting at $400k+ back then. Now, they're more.
The bungalow, single level would be inviting to seniors and small families, perhaps those getting back on their feet & would provide a nice mix of age ranges. We were told "nobody wants to mow a lawn"😕 (funny...there are 11 houses on our little street all on 1/2 acre lots. Our lawn person is $125 A MONTH and we NEVER have to call him. He comes every other week.
I'm watching the baby birds nesting in my oaks right now...but if I go to the mailbox at the end of the driveway, and look the other direction , I can see the gridlock traffic through the bare acreage they just bulldozed😞
He who had the big bucks basically won.
The Board of commissioners did reduce the allowable amount of town homes from 18 to 16...which will add to the 216 units already across the street within a 1.5 miles radius.
ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE has 13 steps leading up. Garage is underneath, but you still have stairs inside to get to the living areas.
The walking trails and passive park that was promised 5 years ago when the first 200 townhomes went up has never materialized. We asked several times at the meetings and got silence.
Teens are commonly seen just sitting on the electrical boxes. When the pool is open, there is NO lifeguard & it's not shaded and if dues aren't paid, they can't get the code to get into the area so they just hang out until it gets too hot. Then who knows what happens since none seem to have jobs in the manymanymany fast food places or carwashes (4 within a mile of each other).
I've planted extra muscadine vines on my side for the deer that have migrated to my back woods for shelter.
I'm less than 10 years away from full retirement from the school system I work for.
My last little birdie just flew the nest to make her own home 2 hours south in Georgia on a 2-acre pecan orchard that has orange and apple trees.
Who knows... I might just be moving into a camper and renting out a spot on her land 🤔
Our two oldest are military. So, in a sense, nomads themselves 😎
I'm de-cluttering this 1700 sq ft blessing to prepare for the encroachment.
I've also found a location in Jackson, GA for 55+ yr olds to possibly rent a lot for an RV or camper.
I can see the writing on the wall....... And every time I leave for work and I come back and there are more logging trucks I can hear Phil Collins lyric, "I can feel it coming in the air tonight.."🎵🎶
I can't thank you enough for this channel finding me.
I've already bought my tickets to a tiny home/RV/travel festival at the end of the month about an hour from me. Who knows, maybe we'll boondock and see how things go since the ticket is good for both weekend days🎉
Alternatives to sticks & bricks is a very real concern for me and I refuse to be caught off guard.
Stay hydrated and safe travels to you😊
~Thank you for such relevant content!
🚗☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
This is where one of those bumper stickers that says, "I'm with Bob" would sure come in handy!!
My parents were raised in Chattanooga, TN, so we've been sent back from New York every summer since we were about 2 to all the way through our mid-teens to the Lookout Mtn area. I absolutely loathe the incline, but when you're a kid, it's fun (I guess)🙄
As an adult, I've driven up the side of Lookout Mountain, a few times. I've only gone to Point Park to watch a sunset.
I did treat my daughter to a visit to Rock City and Ruby Falls for her 15th bday. But the twists and turns are definitely not for the faint of heart. I don't remember ever seeing anything larger than a passenger van so maybe there's a height restriction. I have no idea... I was too busy trying to keep my heart from coming through my chest!
Caveat for those who've never been to Rock City/Ruby Falls and the Incline:
First: the Incline is about a 75° grade. It is a PULLEY system. There is NO bathroom unless you're at the bottom or the top. You will have NO transportation at the top unless you intend to walk. Point park is a park with monuments, plaques, a few cannons, and overlooking the TN River.
The gift shop is ok.
2nd& 3rd: Rock City and Ruby falls are a nine minute drive (if you don't miss the signs🤦♀️), but it's about an HOUR+ walk. There are few if any sidewalks and keep in mind this is a city. Generations of people live up there. It is a very private area. Other than the gift shops & Point Park (which closes as sunset & no overnight parking), it's (in my opinion) a fun day trip coupled with a walk downtown)
You do NOT want to think you can just walk around up there.
We went on the 95th anniversary of the discovery of Ruby Falls (which is still somewhat of an issue w the Native Americans my grandmother is descended from...)
If you are claustrophobic, be aware. It is inside the mountain and the tour route is narrow and uneven. Be prepared w sturdy, comfortable sneakers & a jacket if you get cold easily.
Rock City is fun in the summer, but again, lots lots lots of walking.
I enjoyed it w my daughter.
You can purchase combo tickets, but do NOT buy the incline unless you're ok with not having transportation when you get up there.
(Plus it might be closed).
So glad you made it safely and are humble enough to share😊
🚗☁️☁️
1
-
I also keep/carry snacks w me, including a drink (mostly water). But for those who like to have flavored water, they have little squirt enhancers that you could squirt into your bottle of water.
I'll buy my big bag of chips, or nacho flavored faux Doritos, or trail mix at the grocery store and put them in little small containers that I get from Dollar tree. That way I have a variety of things to munch on if I'm not going straight home. But whenever I go to a gas station, there's always that temptation to buy something extra if you go inside even to use the restroom. Now, I have it in my little cooler already in my car. We all know the price of "convenience" when you can easily get $30 worth of gas and come out having paid $10 extra for two bags of chips, a sweet treat, and a drink.
My little Coleman cooler is about the size of 2 6packs so it's little. I use reusable ice packs (just two from home). I keep a couple of bottles of water, a container of air popped popcorn, some pretzels, maybe an apple or small oranges. Most of the time, I still have snacks left over for snacking at home.
I also map out all my errands and start w the furthest one first (unless there's a store along the way that I think may run out of something, like Ollie's.) I start with the farthest place I'm going to visit first. I tried to make the farmers market or grocery store the last place so my insulated bags really work how they're intended to work and I don't come home with lukewarm items.
I also have informed delivery to check to see if there's any mail for me at my PO box. I use my PO box to eliminate porch pirates from helping themselves or to have any significant cash back from credit card rewards I might get.
Usually, if there is any type of cash rewards, if it's less than a few dollars I have it credited back to the card.
But my daughter recently purchased a lot of designer stuff off eBay with the intention of reselling it when the sale price of the items ended. But the sale price is still going on. So she would not have made a profit. (Capitalism is what it is)
So she decided to return all the items to get a refund. eBay refunded it all back to the credit card. Since it was a zero balance on the credit card, it was a significant amount showing as a credit.
If you have a zero balance (I don't carry a balance. Contrary to what they tell you, your credit will significantly improve and show "paid as agreed" when you do NOT carry a balance. I've proved it for 18 years.)
When something gets refunded to your credit card and your balance is at zero, call the credit card company IMMEDIATELY and ask them to issue you a check for the overage. Do this BEFORE charging anything else so you get the full amount back. They can't direct deposit but they will issue a check which I had sent to my PO box. Our mailboxes are at the curb, and lot of people just walk their dogs along my street. I know that it's a federal offense to mess with the US mail and people's mailboxes, but thieves really don't care, now do they?🤦♀️
It was over a few hundred dollars so it really made a difference, especially since she's out on her own now.
I save gas, time, and energy if nothing is showing on my informed delivery app. And if the image that is showing is junk mail, I just ignore it and don't go until I'm closer to the location.
I also get gas when it's cooler (remember, gas is gas so it can evaporate) & at the Quick trip, the pastries are less than .50 after 3p.m. I sometimes catch their muffins and will buy what's left and refrigerate or freeze them for breakfast and I make my own cocomochalatte (I buy my own mix from $$ store) and have a stainless steel thermos that keeps hot drinks hot for about 5 hours. I just can't see paying $4+ for sugared up coco in a not big enough cup that goes cold within an hour😞
I also have a small clip on fan to circulate air when it's not cold enough for the heat but not warm enough for the ac and the pollen is too horrendous to crack my window. I got a clip on fan the size of my cell phone at 5 Below.
It feels GREAT knowing I'll still have something in my pocket at the end of the week😊
1
-
Indeed! She could have taken him to the independent bathroom, which is usually a single restroom reserved for people who may be in a wheelchair.
Or, how about this, telling dad to hold his game for one hot second to be responsible and take his son to the restroom.
I remember going to our local rec center with a friend at the age of 12. We had gone swimming, and had finally come out to the locker room to get changed.
There was an older woman who had had a mastectomy. (I had no idea at the time of course) I had no idea of why she looked like that and my friend actually started giggling at it. I just felt like she must be in such pain.
Keep in mind, I was a very underdeveloped 13 year old so to me it just looked strange not that she was flat on one side, but that she wasn't flat on both sides. Because I was very undeveloped and flat at 13.
Anyway I moved on with life but when I was diagnosed at the age of 42 and subsequent reconstruction, I know exactly what that woman was feeling.
I had always been very self-conscious about my looks all through my marriage. And then when I finally made my exodus, and was diagnosed a year after, I felt even worse. I felt like I couldn't look at myself and that nothing would ever make me feel better.
I really had to dig within to finally come to terms with who I was, and how I looked and with my subsequent reconstruction. I chose to stop at a certain point so I may not appear 'normal' to others.
I am hyper modest now. And that's not to say that I won't put on a swimsuit, but I am very aware of how I feel about my body. No one has a right to see me unless I give them that right.
I would have been extremely upset at seeing this child going through the locker room, and I would have reported it to management.
The second one: me...out loud: What's WRONG with you?
Me: in my head: punch in the throat.
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
My last little one just flew the nest. I celebrated 54 yrs Last week and 11 yrs of survivorship as well.
Our 11 half acre to acre & a half lot neighborhood is being encroached upon by townhomes. The anchor 2.5 acre lot was just bought and bulldozed to add to the already 250+ 13 step units less than 100 feet away.
Builders paid $709k for one lot...but only want to offer us less than half. Foundations have shifted, hardwoods have been demolished, air &, water quality and traffic ,& noise are horrendous in our suburb 50 miles east of Atlanta.
We've deliberately planted more muscadine vines for the deer to munch on as many of their native food is no longer available. The foxes are also fewer and fewer.
We've fought for the past five years, attended manymanymany meetings (sometimes, I was the only one to show up 😞), requested from the commissioners that they would reconsider not rezoning the single family lot to townhomes and bungalow type homes (which would be VERY appealing to independent seniors or small families.) We were laughed at and were told, "Nobody wants to mow a lawn."😮
Oh...and let's not forget the 20% raise they gave themselves...funny... I don't remember seeing THAT on the ballot🤔
So I've been considering some major moves and G.L.O.W. found me!😊
I'm less than 10 yrs from full retirement @ the school system. But I don't want to be caught off guard. If they come for us, and our homes and lots, I'm going to have to make a major decision and the last thing I want to be is caught off guard.
I have taken so many things to the goodwill, value village, giving things away etc
I occupy a small bedroom downstairs which houses my small office space, my bathroom, my den, and my kitchen. Sounds like it's time for a downsize!
I may not do vanlife full-time, but I have been blessed to find a tiny home community within 30 minutes of my current home here in Georgia.
In searching, I also found a 55+ campground for those who choose to live in a more mobile situation.
I love that you have given us so many options to look at and consider.
I love that you put the hard questions for us to ask ourselves.
This is not something to be done on a whim, especially if it's a necessity.
I appreciate the respect you give.
There's no shaming if someone's situation is a tent or the Taj Mahal on wheels.
I don't think I'd truly be considering this lifestyle as an alternative if it weren't for G.L.O.W.
Simply put ...thank you🎉
🚗☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
@ 9:12 my principal just hired a brand new first grade teacher who grew up and was homeschooled one block away from our school. I have worked there 19 years. She would come in and participate in 5th grade when we had the 4-H presentations, and she was also able to receive community-based speech services.
She holds her bachelor's in Early childhood education k-12, has both a Gifted and ELL endorsement as well as a reading endorsement. She is a first responder and is also bilingual. She turned 22 this year.
Yet I work w 22+ yr veteran teachers who refuse to even look at doing anything more (and does it SHOW!) than their bare minimum of just showing up 😤.
As the data management person who has to enter all info, I see reports of 5th grade "team" teaching where they release their kids to wander the halls at least 15 minutes ahead of the class change, yet admin doesn't realize that most of the discipline referrals that happen are when the students are released into the hall at that time and the cameras have caught vandalism, inappropriate activities, or wandering the campus unescorted...what could possibly go wrong🙄. That's just one example where the negative is outweighing the positive.
I strongly believe that parents are and always will be their child's first teacher. They ought to be their best teacher as well.
My nephew is a first-generation fully homeschooled young man. My brother, his dad, a Marine, and my sister-in-law decided from the beginning that they would homeschool him. Especially with the onslaught of having to switch every few tours and move around all over the place. This became the very best constant that could ever have happened. He is now in intelligence for the military, living his dream.
You have a right and indeed an obligation to ensure you give the best foundation possible. And, speaking from 1st hand experience, it's beautiful to see what you've put into your child that will enrich her and give her the best of foundations: nature and hope!
~best to you always!
🚐☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
@ 3:59 I completely understand.
I called it following "The Formula"...do well in school, graduate, either go to college, the military, or apply into the work sector, get married, have 2.5 kids (maybe the .5 is the dog 🤷♀️), put down roots, KNOW your neighbors, pot lucks at the community center, raking leaves and shoveling snow for pocket money, retire, get a gold watch, then spend those retirement years watching glorious sunsets....
Yeahhh...not so much...😕
1
-
My mother was raised in the projects of Alton Park, Chattanooga.
It was a meager existence, at best.
She gave up a full nursing scholarship to Tuskegee to marry my dad. They moved to New York in '64 right after graduating HS.
My mom went into banking and my dad worked on the Long Island RailRoad.
They saved their money and purchased a 1932 Cape Cod fixer upper in 1975.
Every last stick of furniture, appliances, cars, and clothing was either re re gifted, dumpster doven, or handed down.
When I got out on my own, everything was no less than 3rd hand.
For 21 yrs, I raised our children on thrifted, consigned and lost & found items.
As my mom had taught me: Just because times are bad doesn't mean you have to look hopeless.
When I left an increasingly abusive situation with just my business clothes and a few jeans, the kids, their suitcases & a car, you bet your last buck I made sure haircuts were gotten (via barter), hair was done (via students at the beauty college), clothes were mended and clean. I was gifted everything to get us back on our feet. Beds still in plastic, a TV that clearly needed to be put out of its misery but that still fired up to watch VHS tapes, cable wasn't an option for my wallet), well-worn couch & chair, part of a table. My crockpot worked overtime creating unique creations to keep the free potatoes from the bottom of the food pantry bin from going to waste.
My little Toyota didn't hold a candle to the principal and teachers' Lexuses, Hummers, Infinitis & and Mercedes, but you can bet your bottom buck, I kept those door dings to a minimum. Just because I couldn't afford their payments didn't give me an excuse to treat my little humble bootscooter like nothing. No one knew we were homeless for a month until I finally found an affordable rental.
As much as "Name brand" hasn't meant anything to me since I was a teen (Ooh la la...Sasoon!), I remember the desire to be accepted by my teenager peers. I remember mom scraping together enough to get me a pair of cowgirl boots when the craze came around. Dad had found a very outdated Walkman turned in at a station and unclaimed for a month.
It didn't matter that I still ate lunch alone, but for at least one semester, I wasn't teased for wearing the same shoes every day and I felt like I belonged.
I've been at my elementary school for 19 yrs. I know who the students are that are registered as homeless. I have called more than one or two parents at a time throughout the years to give them very nice items that my (now grown) kids have outgrown but still have somewhat of an 'it' factor to a kid.
Every parent wants their kid to have good friends and just not be picked on. As adults, we've lived through it. We know (or at least we should) what's really important.
I've heard my school nurse comment, "Aren't they supposed to be homeless? She's driving a BMW"😮
It's like these people never had better times.
Every Christmas, on YouTube, I watch a movie with Tess Harper called "A Christmas Wish."
There are about a dozen and a half movies w the same title, so I always have to put in "Tess Harper" (who is one of my most favorite actresses anyway).
It focuses on an out-of-work mother who was abandoned by her husband who packs up her daughter, stepson (abandoned by the husband) and toddler they head out to look for work (I take it to avoid being evicted from the trailer they were living in).
The car she's in is a Cadillac. It's the only thing they have. The kids are clean and well behaved. Being able to finally find a motel in a little town where she's able to find a job as a waitress. I know, it's one of those feel good movies (there is a sad part, an "I knew it moment" and a "Wow! Didn't see that coming moment, too."
But I was just thinking how someone could easily say, "how is she homeless? She's in a Caddy?"
As fictitious as the storyline is, it's reflective of the thought pattern.
I could just imagine somebody saying, "They should have put her in a beat-up Yugo... that's more believable."
But, no, actually, it's not.
If I still had the Chrysler Pacifica that blew up on us when I made my Exodus, I might have had a better vehicle & people may not have believed me, but we would have still been homeless.
You never know someone's story. Just because someone doesn't look like what they've gone through or what they're going through doesn't dismiss the fact that they may still be going "through it."
That's my 2 cents about that
Thanks for the opportunity to voice my thoughts.
P.S. You've got the RIGHT hat on for this one!! Tell it like it T. I. Izzzz!!😎
🚗☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
@gloriouslifeonwheels3621
(EDIT: I just read the @ line for that response...if you put a 't' before the 'ch' I bet you'll get a chuckle... that's exactly what they're being 😉)
Keep in mind, some comments are 'bot' generated.
Some are just trolls w nothing better to do.
Some are posted to see how many responses then put the names of those who responded into search engines to generate all types of things.
This happens especially with "sponsored" videos. I clicked on another van life just to see content and "everything was great" & "nothing breaks because we have the super duper road blaster and we'd like to thank superduper wheels that we haven't had to change in 5 years!" I was like 'can this get any more sappy than it is?? Where are the REAL channels??🙄
But, because I had clicked and commented, I was bombarded with emails and ads for items that could only be bought in Europe! I have NO idea how, but I figured it was the bot or a troll since I started getting all these ads for tires!😂
I've unsubscribed from many that I didn't even subscribe to.
Don't give your energy to the silly comments. If, after you've responded, they never respond back, or, as we can see, the language is way off, just ignore it.
Decluttering and paring down. Prepping for weekend boondocking!
Woot! Woot!
🚗☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
I do Curion surveys. They give a Visa card with the $$ you earn.
Most of them are taste tests. But when they do a product test, you can take the remainder home. I participated in a paper plate test. They gave us honey glazed chicken and lo mein noodles. You walk in a square then sit and follow the prompts on a screen (does the plate slide, is it sturdy, does the plasticware cut through, does the food seep through, etc). Then you put your uneaten portion into an aluminum pan (each person got their own).
It was a two day survey, about 20 minutes from me. I was able to get a time slot after I got off from work.
You can opt for a virtual card, but I wanted the physical one..
It was $150 and we had dinner and lunch for about 4 more days.
Sometimes they have a survey where you will come and pick up a product and take it home and just answer questions daily online about the product.
I did one for a week. Just a moisturizer. I put a little it on a place where if I had a reaction it wouldn't show (feet). I use the product for 15 days, answer the questions daily (about 5 minutes), returned the unused portion and that one got me (or the utility company rather😉) $200.
Sometimes there may be a 1 hour taste test in a couple of weeks. 40 and 50 bucks.
When my daughter did them (surveys) in college, she had made enough in gift cards that when she took a trip to Hawaii, that's all she used.
I recently did one that tastes tested a chocolate bar. That one gave $40.
CURION. Hopefully it helps someone 😊
1
-
I've always been a "waste not want not" type of person. I also am of the mindset of, "that chicken's not dead until I say so!"🤣 After I've boiled any leftovers (usually with scallions, bell peppers, whatever veggies are in the mark down bin @ the farmer's mkt along w fresh herbs from my window container garden) and strained the broth, I dry the bones out in my toaster oven and crush them with my mortar & pestle for fertilizer in my bucket garden. I grow a vine of tomatoes, cukes or squash and a "mystery" bucket to see what will "catch"
One year I tried a pineapple, but the heat got to it😕
I freeze almost everything.
I was always a variably healthy eater, but cut out beef over 20 yrs ago (mainly due to the recalls from the Mad cow stuff & taking it back to the grocery store to turn in the meat).
Scraps from salmon at the farmers market and I put Italian seasoning n lemon juice on them in and air fry them.
The bone down the middle still has quite a bit of meat around it.
I make my own fresh pressed fruit smoothie in my juicer and strained (I don't prefer the pulp, so I scoop it from the strainer & use it to make a jam or compote & refrigerate it), add chopped up ginger, grapes, oranges, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.)
I incorporated daily salads when I started having children because that was really the only way I could get them to eat vegetables. (The 2 oldest nomads are soldiers and my youngest just bought an acre 2 hrs south so it looks like I might have a spot to boondock sooner than later due to rising taxes 🤔)
Now, salad is a main meal for all of us at times. I love the idea that for less than a dollar per serving, I can make a huge salad w chicken (from the boil), or some other protien, grapes, orange slices, cheese shreds, chopped ginger, my own dressing and usually can't finish it in one sitting. I can couple that w a little bowl of homemade soup and I'm more than full. 😊
My little 20 oz blender is my BEST friend.
I also look at other cultures for heart healthy ideas.
I implemented walking the halls of my elementary school between classes so that I am not doing an obstacle course between little bodies and legs. One time around up and down each Hall takes me about 7 minutes and it comes out to a little under a mile. I do that three times a day. I also keep a gallon jug of purified water in my little office and I steep green tea on top of my stove at home to bring and drink throughout the day. I like to get the fruit flavored kind from the farmers market. As long as I can look up the ingredients to ensure no adverse side effects, I'm good.
I've been a once a month paycheck for 20 years now. My mom was a banker from the mid-60s until the mid-90s and she was also a once a month paycheck person.
Set I learned to budget pretty early.
I really appreciate everybody sharing different tips and suggestions.
This is indeed what a YouTube channel should be about.
P.S. for those who may be in a guardianship or foster position caring for a toddler, just want to suggest if you receive SNAP/food stamps, inquire about WIC benefits as well. Stands for Women, infant & children.
It's a supplemental food program specifically geared to pre-birth (if you also know of or are assisting a low income pregnant woman, they may get certain specific food listed on a voucher to target healthier food choices. Once the baby is born, they can get formula assistance. If they nurse, they get different options (to assist w mom getting healthier food (I remember getting things like tuna and canned chicken choices when I nursed, but when my son would not nurse, I received extra formula).
Every little bit helps!
Best wishes to everyone!
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
Someone once said:
Remember when what you HAVE (present tense) is what you USED TO wish for?🤔
My sweet shelter turns 50 this year. It's a tri level split built in 1974 by the man who's son and widow live two houses over. He also built three of the 11 (including his) on our block back in the '70s.
Mine has had bathrooms installed and removed, been a college house, a bachelor pad, a starter home, has hosted slumber parties (care of yours truly😊), rented out rooms, has survived at last count FIVE hurricanes with NO FLOODING!🙏🏾
The 1970s 2 car garage (and you KNOW how big those cars were!) was enclosed, carpeted, & vented about 20 yrs ago. My first Christmas here, I seated 21 people comfortably & still had room for the desserts table, the Christmas tree, and the coffee and punch table & 2 long tables & chairs.
It was wonderful!
The master bedroom closet (about the size of a portable wardrobe) really helps me keep my wardrobe minimal and I consider what things I can wear with a sweater or what types of things can be worn as a multi purpose so it's not so cluttered. All my clothes are thrift or consignment finds or hand overs 🥰
The previous owner painted everything neutral tans and gray, updated the original windows & voila! This home was IMMACULATE from nook to cranny! Sure it's not as shnazzy as the 8-9 bedroom 5 bathroom mansions around the corner (literally in walking distance), but who wants that many commodes to clean, right?🤣
A friend used to ask me why I don't get an alarm (I have a sign. 😉).
I told her because everything in the house is either what the burglar has already pawned or something they've probably donated to the thrift store.😆
Burglar #1: Hey! Grab that VCR!
Burglar#2: VCR?? Man!! I thought we'd get at least a flat screen! The latest thing this lady's got is 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' on video! Look! It's got a Blockbuster label still on it!
Burglar#1: let's check the toolshed!
Burglar #2: WHAT IS THIS??!! A push mower, shovel, broom, and a hacksaw! Where's the ride on lawnmower?? (I pay a teenager $25 a week to cut my lawn..he rides his father's mower two houses up from me & takes him 15 minutes to cut the whole 1/2 acre!)
Burglar#1: Okay! Nevermind that! Let's check the jewelry box!
Burglar #2: It's all costume!! Where's the good stuff??
(Here's a kicker: I pawned it to move in🤣
I have one sterling silver band and my father's Cuban link bracelet he always wore. I wear them daily. Everything else is coral, shells, plastic, or handmade using semi precious stones from the yard😊
~Thankful for my.little BigLots boom box and record player. ☺️
P. S. I was gifted an echo dot about 5 yrs ago. I use it for weather, positive affirmations, trivia, and stories (ask her to tell you a Thanksgiving or a Christmas story. (Alexa , tell me a ______ story). She also tells Halloween ones (not too scary, but fun) The Thanksgiving ones are my favorite, about 5 minutes each.
~Have a beautiful week everyone!🚐☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
Wow! My natural clock has me down at 9 & it's 4 am as I read this. I celebrated 54 sol rotations this past Thursday 😊🎉
This brings back memories of my (then) hubs discovering his cousin sleeping in his Astro van back in '91.
He had been medically discharged from the Army only to find his identity stolen and credit shot when he got out.
Hubs disclosed the van living issue to my FIL and he moved into an upstairs bedroom across from ours in their house.
I remember him seemingly bitter, but 20/20 is truly hindsight.
He was now over an hour from the VA and other resources (American Legion (for medical liaison), legal aid (for the identity theft issue), tolls, gridlock traffic, etc.
No one understood why he seemed more angry than thankful. Over the years, I came to understand that he wasn't necessarily angry at the handout of the permanent shelter, but more upset that people refused to see living in his outfitted van was the better solution for him.
It isn't our lot to 'make' someone understand. It is our responsibility to accept (not necessarily agree), and we can always do this with respect.
I'm grateful to have raised a nomad who has taught me so much.
Now, as I contemplate my upcoming choices and decisions, I feel less intimidated and more empowered. As long as I keep learning and open my mind to alternative solutions, I know I'll be good.
Great content!
🚗☁️☁️
1
-
1
-
1