Freaky Frugalite

If you recall, I did a review on the Febreze Flameless Luminary a few weeks ago. I have a very sensitive nose, and hate pet odors, old cooking odors, and just about everything except a sweet breeze or an Asian Lily! We got a free packet of the Green Tea Citrus fragrance, which is terrible. Febreze was giving away a free sample of their Cranberry Pear shade, which I just received in the mail.

It’s really nice! It’s not pungent and doesn’t sting the nose hairs like the Green Tea shade. The Cranberry Pear shade is actually very nice for this time of year, too. It makes the house seem festive.

Still, the luminary is pricey ($16 or so) and requires batteries to operate. But if you don’t like candles burning around the house (my cat Livvy got a little too close as a kitten and her whiskers are still shriveled!), this might do. There’s also a Vanilla Frost and some cinnamon shade I’d like to try yet. Shades are usually $5 a packet (two shades per packet). Febreze has a special promotion going on, too– send them 6 used luminary shades and get a coupon for a package of 2 free shades. See the details and form here.

Other options are wickless candles and stuff like Glade plugins. But the Glade plugins are WAY too strong and the wickless candles are a tad pricey for me. Still, they are options. And you can always bake bread all day– that’s probably the best scent, EVER! :D

It was only 21 years ago now that I got my engagement ring. Actually, I think I got it 21 years ago today, or maybe a few days ago! I cannot believe how quickly time flies.

I can’t wear my engagement ring anymore, because one of the small brackets holding the diamond broke off. It would have helped if we had the Internet back then- I could have done a little research into a better design for the ring, plus found some MUCH better deals than what we shelled out for our rings.

With that said, if you are looking into engagement rings, especially custom engagement rings, why don’t you look up Engage Diamond Studio. The website is nice. It doesn’t pummel you with ads and “Want to Chat” pop ups (boy, I hate those). It’s readable, and it presents you with ideas, information, and ways to get good prices and beautiful custom designs. It’s low-key, which is very nice. They have a whole section of the website devoted to “Education” about rings and diamonds and the beautiful options and properties of gems. And EDS has a staff of expert consultants who can help you through any decision. It’s a nice site, definitely one to bookmark of you want to learn more.

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. :D You can read more about my blog policy on my My Pledge page.

This is from my friend, Jean’s, blog. I almost fell onto the floor in laughter when I saw it. Read her post for all the details. JUST too cute!

I’ve tried quite a number of financial and budgeting software– MS Money, Quicken, and some free stuff online. Whoa, whoa! Waaaay too complicated. I just want to BUDGET, not plan my retirement, trade my stocks, cash in silver or gold, and chat with Bernanke! I *just* want to budget. How about you?

There’s some new envelope budgeting software in town, folks. You know that reliable envelope budgeting system? Where you tuck your paycheck cash in envelopes? That’s become more difficult, now that banking, bill paying, and direct deposit are done electronically. NeoBudget can help with it all. It manages your budget money with virtual envelopes, calculating expenses, and more. There’s a very informative video at the website. I like it. I think I may just try this. It’s free for 7 days, and after that it’s $2.50 a month (or less expensive if you pay per year). This could solve a lot of budgeting woes and it’s a very simple and straightforward program!

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. :D You can read more about my blog policy on my My Pledge page.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

This is our favorite holiday. It is America’s very first holiday, when the Separatists (who had come from England to escape religious persecution) had a great feast and gave thanks to God for providing for them: for the abundant and beautiful new land of America; for the Wampanoag Indians who had helped the Separatists survive that first awful winter; for the freedom they all now had to practice the Christian religion according to their conscience. That’s a LOT to be thankful for!!

This is what William Bradford, the governor of the colony wrote:

Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.

Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.

William Bradford
Ye Governor of Ye Colony

Of this day, President George Washington proclaimed:

It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor…Both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness..”

You can read a very good summary of the “Why Do We?…” about Thanksgiving here and the Pilgrim Hall Museum website is here.

I have the great honor of descending from one of those men who signed the Mayflower Compact and survived that first terrible winter in Massachusetts. I am grateful to God for His marvelous work. God bless us all! Happy Thanksgiving!