New York on a Budget-It CAN be done!

Tomorrow, a couple of my older boys and I embark on a journey to The Big Apple. We are SO excited about this, especially because we will be sharing our time with their aunt, my sister-in-law, and she is FUN. I love to research travel bargains and New York City provided many opportunities. Known as one of the most expensive cities to visit, it is also known to be rich in culture and learning opportunities that I really just HAD to have my children experience. After talking to a few friends about their experiences, I knew that my excitement was justified. Let me just end the mystery by letting you know that I was able to find bargains for airline tickets, 2 shows (1 on Broadway, 1 off), hotel (actually, Hostel), and sight-seeing for the unbelievably lost cost of $450.00/person-TOTAL! The extras will be Metro cards, food, and souvenirs, but WOW. Let me share my recommendations, then upon my return, I will write and let you know how we fared and if my bargain buys were really worth it.

1. I am not loyal to just one single airline, but I do have frequent flyer miles with 2 in particular. I must say that I fly the most frequently with Airtran Airways. I like that they have many nonstop flights (important with children) and many locations they fly in/out of. Our tickets were snagged for about $175/person.
2. Hotels can be pricey, but I found a well-rated Hostel in the upper West side of Manhattan close to the Museum of Natural History for get this-$92/night. That includes tax. Their are no frills with this, of course, just 2 double beds in a private room with linens, towels, and soap provided, and a shared bath, but how long do you actually plan to spend in your room? The shared bath was the hardest perk to give up, but the reviews stated the baths were kept VERY clean and were often available.
3. Tickets for the sight-seeing were snagged at one location: CityPass. Six top locations can be visited for one price-about $78/adult. The boys I purchased separately online at the various websites for a lower price.
4. Broadway shows. My friend recommends TKTS and I do, too, but I was also able to scour the Internet for tickets to Mary Poppins that totalled around $32/person (mezzanine) and an off-Broadway show called Altar Boyz for about the same. Total for shows: $64/person.
5. Through an organization known as Big Apple Greeters, I was assigned an excited volunteer who loves New York, to give us a FREE 4-hour tour around lower Manhattan.

This is all SO exciting. Now lets see if the bargain hunting was worth it. Tune in next week for the results and pictures.

The Bedroom- A Private Oasis

Recently, I decided to redecorate the master bedroom. Prior, my husband would tell you that it reminded him of the scene from The Wizard of Oz where they are all running through the field of poppies to get to the Emerald City. Yes, it was yellow and yes, there were flowers-lots of flowers. I felt a need for a little estrogen in my house where there was so much testosterone. Needless to say, not an oasis for my man. As I felt the need for a change in the decor, I found myself asking-What do I want the room to say to us? How do I want it to feel? (this is what I would ask my clients for redecorating their spaces) The answer: French Sex

NOW, before you click off this blog, thinking how inappropriate I am being, let me explain. My husband and I love each other, have been together 14 years, married 12, and have 5 children-4 of them still at home. Done with explanation. We need a place that speaks to our private lives and provides comfort. My thoughts realized, I started the makeover with zeal and a tight budget. I LOVE shopping for a bargain, especially when decorating. Above, you will see the almost finished product (I still want a faux fur rug for the floor). I was pleased with the overall effect, as was my husband, although he was getting discouraged with all the packages arriving in the mail and wondering about the cost and whether I held a fancy for the UPS man. Including the paint, I managed to repurpose items, buy new, and get it all for under $300. That's a deal. Looking at it, I am not sure how truly "French" it is, but it was just an idea anyway. I knew I had accomplished what I set out to do when my husband said "enough, it is starting to look like a brothel" (he has such man-taste) and one boy who was visiting for a playdate looked in and said "COOL!"

(now, that kid has good taste)

Finding the joy: It's nice when we can please those we love.

P.S. I would like to give credit where credit is due: Holly, if you're reading, thank you for your help. I hope you like the end product that you gave ideas on.

Restaurant Review-Rudy's Redeye Grill, Stevens Point, WI

O.k. now it is going to look like we dine out all the time. Not so, but I am going away for a few days so my husband and I needed a date. Read my review next week on the time we spent in New York City with kids!

Rudy's-We have eaten here before and it was great the first time around and we were not disappointed this time. If you have not been here, it is right off HWY 10, attached to the Holiday Inn. While the lounge area looks nice, the dining area is the true ambiance gem. Private leather booths, beautiful huge chandeliers, and mood lighting, all contribute to a wonderful atmosphere for eating. We like to eat early, and Rudy's offers a wonderful selection on their early bird special from 4-5:30 p.m. Included, is your beverage,, warm roll, salad or soup, main dish, vegetable, and potato. We were able to order an appetizer and still come out ahead of our expected dining expenditure. The Caesar salad was very plain, but my husbands soup looked lovely. The food was hot and tasty, the service impeccable, and we left needing to unbutton our pants on the way home. We have decided this is our new favorite place and due to the early bird specials, affordable. Price range for early bird: $7-$10-AWESOME

Finding the Joy: Food can be SO good and so worth the price, at times. We love you Rudy's!

Church Etiquette and My Children

Since it is Sunday, I thought I would write a little about my children's church etiquette. Over the years, this has varied like the personalities of each one of my 5 boys. I've had the sleeper, the color book kid, the kid who loved the daycare/school program, and now, the kid who just won't go to church. Well, that's not entirely true. This last child has now been attending the service for about 2 months, due to being armed with a bag of crackers, bottle of water, and an army of guys. But prior, I don't think I went to church for about 8 months because frankly, it was just too distracting. Not only did I feel a little sorry for anybody who was unfortunate enough to be sitting within the same 30 seat radius, but I felt sorry for myself. It would start about 2 blocks away from the church when he would notice the roof of the building. The crying and screaming "NO!" would commence. He would cling to his booster chair as I would be pulling on his legs and trying to be cordial and greet others as they walked by, smiling all the while. My husband or I would then hoist him over our shoulder and carry him in. Amongst crying, grabbing, latching on, and screaming at the daycare workers, we would try to soothe him and encourage happy participation in his age-appropriate program. He didn't buy it. The other boys caught on soon enough and all were asking if they could skip out of their classes. I decided home church would be in order till they graduated from high school. Well, we have once again ventured out to worship in public. I hope everyone can take pity on us and be understanding when my child wails out during a meaningful prayer or passes gas during the sermon. After all, at least we got him in there.

Finding the Joy: It always feels good to get an understanding look from someone who's been there.

Men Can Blog Here, Too

Today, I went into church and was pleased to find that a few people had noticed the email I sent about this blog and had checked on it. I was then teased by a couple of guys whom I consider handsome and intelligent (brownie points) that they didn't think they could subscribe to this blog. I am writing to inform any of you in the Y chromosome group that you are VERY welcome to visit the blog and add your opinions. Your wives will certainly like the blog, but we will be touching on topics such as raising children, submission in a marriage (what's that?), and being real in relationships while living in today's world. You might have an opinion, I know my husband always gives his even if its unsolicited. A matter of fact, he just stated he wants to be an author on this site. Stallion (my husband Heath) likes to pretend we live in the era of Little House on the Prairie and he is Charles offering all this sound advice to the rest of us, the Ingals minions. That must make me Carol in this scenario and I am not sure I fit that part. I'm probably closer to Mrs. Olsen. Anyway, consider this a formal invitation. You can now belong to an elite group of people striving to live a blessed and joyful life. RSVP

Dining Out: Experience in Appleton with Mexican Food

For my husband and I, dining out is a treat. I assume that in this economy most people share this sentiment. We have the added pleasure of trying to enjoy the experience while in the company of at least one of our 5 boys. If we are fortunate enough that the child has brought enough diversionary activities and is busy dunking one of his action figures in the salsa or water that's provided, my husband and I can enjoy stimulating conversation revolving around what we are going to do about the children's' issues. Yesterday was such an outing.

Entering Sergio's, we realize that we are one of maybe 4 other small groups that are there to enjoy lunch. It smells good and we are hopeful that the meal will satisfy. I order a taco plate, my husband orders the burrito plate. Close to 45 minutes later, our food finally arrives and I wish I had filled up on the Diet Pepsi and chips/salsa that were provided. I didn't realize how much refried beans could resemble a pile of cooled lava (or dog poop). They were unappetizing, needless to say. The taco was swimming in a pool of its own oil and the meat overcooked and dry. My husband was given the generic line, "don't touch your plate as it is very hot." (I always feel like saying-"you mean like this?" and grabbing it and freaking out.) Our waitress made a hasty exit and we took a bite. My husband said "Amazing. I didn't think the plate could be so hot and my burrito still be cold." I was still looking for my taco amongst the oil and attempting to excavate my black beans. Life is too short and this was SO not worth the calories, so I ate more chips and salsa. In the end, our waitress and checkout service was very nice, but the cook needed to go back to school. Dining out shouldn't be this disappointing. Money back, please.

Finding the joy: At least I didn't eat a lot of calories during this meal

It's All In the Name

Welcome to this blog. Now, you may wonder what the content will consist of and how this will be relevant to you. I want to let you know that I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how entertaining our lives can be. I feel that most people live the life that I do, but fail to find the humor in their surroundings because they get caught up in all the mundane tasks that their schedules revolve around. Just so you know, joy can be found and blessings can be realized. Humor can also be attained by comparing our lives to that of others, and realizing how very normal we are. Ladies Lessons on Living will be just that; A blog offering tips on surviving within a budget, how to make your house into a home that you and your family love to be in, suggestions for travel and dining out (even with children), and funny stories about what goes on in between. Tina and I feel we have great ideas to offer and in turn, please share your lives with us, too. We want to hear about how you live and the funny things your family does. Welcome to Ladies Lessons on Living and visit often. Tell your friends and lets become a network of friends who find the blessings in life and live with true joy.