Budget-friendly Living

Being a poor college student and a mom of 10 fur-kids, I am always trying to come up with creative ways to save money. At my age, living in a studio apartment eating ramen noodles off of a table made of pallets, nestled on a couch made of FedEx boxes, is not exactly my idea of home. I live in a 2,000 square-foot house with a dream kitchen. My ideas of home décor and fine cuisine demand a little more than that. 

After posting a picture of my living room on Facebook, one of my friends commented that it looks like a picture out of a magazine. That got me thinking since I hadn’t really put much planning into the room. Decorating is definitely NOT one of my talents. As a result, I thought I’d share a super-easy, budget-friendly project with you. (See picture below.) I bought a collage picture frame set from Tuesday Morning a few years ago for under $30. You can easily find similar frames at any discount big-box retail store or at your local thrift stores and yard sales. Look for something simple that can go with any décor or style. The frame should not overpower what is in it. My frames have seven openings. Next, fill the frames with images that you love. When I first bought my frames, I put black and white pictures of my family in them. Once I moved in with my partner, we had a completely different décor than I had in my apartment. So, I changed out the pictures in the frames to match. I simply went online to Google Images and put “mint green” in the search bar. Up popped pages of images with mint green in them. I just picked out seven that I liked, even though they were completely unrelated. One was of a fire hydrant, another of a Vespa, yet another of a skirt made of men’s neck ties. What they all had in common was the color mint green. What the image is of doesn’t matter. Next, print them. I just printed mine on regular old paper, nothing fancy. When you put them all together, you get a piece of art that goes with your room, cost next to nothing, and is uniquely you! 

Today, I decided to change it up and update my art to coincide with my new living room décor. This time, I didn’t go for color, but for mood. I Googled images of hippie-type things that make me feel relaxed and open-minded like mandalas, patchouli, goddesses, incense, chakras, runes, and meditation. When you see the picture below, you will surely be able to smell the Nag Champa. 

All this creativity made me hungry. It’s a good thing I had some leftovers from last night, which was a kind of collage dinner that I thought I’d share as well. With the weather turning cooler and my classes getting increasingly demanding, I needed a quick, easy, cheap, comforting dish. Here’s what I did. I grabbed a can of Minestrone soup out of the cabinet. I make this often, by the way, especially in the colder months. Every time I make it, it is different, but always yummy! Next, I scour the cabinets for any of the ingredients that already come in Minestrone: beans, veggies, pasta, etc. It’s the kind of dish that is better with whatever you have on hand – a sort of “clean out the cabinets” kind of meal. The great thing is that you can make it to feed two people or you can make it to feed a crowd and anything in between.  You can also make it meatless or with meat. 

I usually make mine for two people by browning ½ pound of ground beef with some diced onion and pressed garlic cloves in a big pot. Once the meat is brown, I add a the can of soup, a can of broth (whatever kind I have on hand), a squeeze of tomato paste (from the tube), and throw in whatever can of veggies I have hanging around -- NOT drained since I need the liquid. Sometimes, I throw in a can of beans. I like a little kick in mine, so I add whatever hot stuff I have on hand, whether it is crushed red pepper or a few drops of tobasco sauce, it adds to the warmth of the dish. After I bring all of this to a boil, I add in some pasta. I like to use the smallest pasta I have in the cabinet, or you could break up some angel hair pasta or even broken up spaghetti will work. I look at the concoction, see if I need more liquid to cook the pasta, and add water as needed. When the pasta is al dente, it’s done! Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve with bread. I like to eat my Minestrone with Jimmy John’s day old bread, which costs 50 cents and is better and fresher than any bread you can find in a store. If I happen to forget to grab some JJ’s day old, I will sometimes make cornbread, which is also great with this dish. Like anything Italian, the leftovers are always even more delicious than the fresh dish and is one of the FEW leftover dishes I will even eat! 

My love of divine food and desire for my home to be my sanctuary could prove to be expensive. As a student, I would be living above my means to afford me the lifestyle I enjoy. With a little creativity, I manage to live on shoestring budget with little sacrifice and still enjoy the finer things in life. 

What are some creative ways that you save money with little sacrifice? 

A Lucky Girl With a Life-Threatening Condition

Yesterday was a big day. I got diagnosed with Addison’s disease – a life-threatening condition. I have an array of feelings about my diagnosis including relief, victory, and hope. I’m not going to lie, I do have a dash of self-pity thrown in there, but it only creeps up once in a while. It’s been a long battle to get to this day. One filled with countless visits to the emergency room, getting brushed off by doctors, and skeptical friends who have said, “You don’t look sick”. It’s been exhausting and frustrating, but I kept at it. I believe that, when it comes to my health, I am my own best advocate. If I get a door slammed in my face, I just go knock on another one. I keep going until I get an answer. Yesterday, I finally got an answer. 

Throughout this ordeal, my partner has been my rock. She has believed me. She has supported me. She understands me. She knows I don’t feel good even before I do. She’s been my cheerleader, my caretaker, and my motivation to keep fighting. She’s had my back. She has taken me to the ER. She has talked to the doctors. She has remembered to tell them the things that I don’t necessarily forget, but symptoms that have become such a part of MY “normal” that I didn’t realize that everyone else doesn’t experience these things on a regular basis. I have been sick and increasingly getting worse, for so long that I don’t even remember what it feels like to be well. She has made certain that I have done what I need to do to feel better. Even when she’s been tired and stressed out, she has still taken care of me. I am blessed.

Another person who has been invaluable through all of this is my manager. Working in a restaurant, it is common practice and company policy to find someone to cover a scheduled shift if you cannot. Unfortunately, Addison’s disease rears its ugly head without notice. My manger has never been anything but accommodating and sympathetic. If I am having a “bad day” as I call them, all I’ve had to do is text him and tell him I’m sick. He has worked it out, been short-handed, or covered my shift himself every time. Mornings are often the worst time of day for me. Visiting the bathroom with nausea and upset stomach takes time. Getting ready in the mornings takes twice as long as it used to and, it seems, no matter how early I wake up, I can’t seem to get out of the house on time. I went from being a dependable employee, always 15 minutes early for my shift, to one who can’t remember the last time I actually arrived at work at my scheduled time. My manger has been completely supportive with his sense of humor and I have joked with him that my schedule should say “ish” after the time. I am truly grateful that he is my manager and I know, without a doubt, that if I worked for anyone else I would have been fired long ago. I am one lucky girl.

I have been fortunate to have a few people in my life who have not given up on me. They have encouraged me to keep fighting. Two years ago, a doctor told me that I probably have an autoimmune disease. He also said that testing to figure out precisely which autoimmune disease I have would take at least a year, would be expensive, and, without insurance, would be especially expensive. Even through the “bad days”, I have persisted. I have read and researched my unique combination of symptoms and brought that information to my doctors and loved ones. I searched for doctors who would work with me, an uninsured, low-income patient. I’ve been through a lot of doctors, but one of them finally sat down, looked in my eyes, listened, and wrote down everything I told him. He was humble enough to admit, “I don’t know, but give me a few minutes to do some research”. He did his research and returned to tell me that I have Addison’s disease. He wrote me a stack of prescriptions and then ordered lab work. He called me today (a day earlier than he said he would) with the results. He asked me how I am doing. He told me to keep checking in and keep him posted on how I’m doing.  He changed my mind about doctors. 

Finally having a name for why I am sick is so incredibly relieving. Having the proper medication gives me hope. The past few years have been a chapter in my life that has been full of “bad days”, stress, and unimaginable fear. My focus has been on advocating for my own well-being and health. Getting a diagnosis is truly a victory. Now that my health is going to improve, I can get back to the things that make life worth living.

Creativity Binges

A lot has changed in my life since I was a teenager, but one thing that has not changed is my late-night creativity binges. I can still remember, back when I was in high school, at the end of the day, after homework and dinner time, when I had gone to my room to settle into bed, I would get the itch to make something. I recall staying up until the wee hours of the morning, hand-sewing an outfit to wear to school the next day. Twenty years later, I still get bitten by that bug at the end of the evening, when I have settled into bed to unwind. Something about the still of the evening allows me to relax and have a quiet moment in which I am open to listening to that little voice of creativity that had probably been nagging at me all day. My favorite time of day is the evening. I look forward to hearing what my creative voice has to share with me. 

What is your favorite time of day to be creative? When do you get your best ideas?

Free Time

To do list:

Homework for four classes

Honors projects for three classes

Go to five classes

Go to work

Go to Phi Theta Kappa meeting

Take care of five dogs and five cats

Do volunteer work for CASA

Straighten up the house

Cook dinner

Take medicine for Addison’s disease

Gas up the car

Take a shower

Get some sleep

Do something creative

What? Do something creative? But I don’t have time! This is what my typical week looks like. My creative outlet is writing and I aspire to publish my first book within the next year. With all of the deadlines placed on me by others, why would I put an additional deadline on myself? Because everyone should make time to pursue their dreams and this is mine. This book is a story that needs to be told and I am inspired to tell it.

Some simple solutions I’ve found to this problem of having enough time for my writing involve some careful planning, preparing, and a little bit of luck. The cool thing about the art of writing is that you don’t need a lot of materials. In fact, the only thing I need is my little laptop. I take it to class anyway, so it’s with me when I’m on campus and when I’m at home. It’s inevitable that, at some point, a professor cancels class at the last minute, which, at a moment’s notice, frees up an hour and forty-five minutes until my next class starts. School is twenty minutes from my house and gas is nearly four dollars a gallon, so going home and then back to campus is not an option. But, since I have my laptop with me, I can find a quiet place on campus, get out my laptop, and visit my manuscript or my blog. 

I’ve made a habit of taking my laptop with me anywhere I go where I will probably have to wait, like my doctor’s office. With doctor’s appointments alone, I’m guaranteed at least an hour a month of free time. Free time…..everything’s better when it’s free, right? And free time to pursue my dream – fabulous!

So, what's your dream? I'd love to hear how you find time to pursue it! Leave your comments below...

http://creativeeveryday.com/creative-every-day-challenge

Let me introduce myself

For nearly twenty years, I made a career of enhancing the beauty in others; bringing my clients’ inner selves to the surface through their appearance. Being a Hair Stylist was a career that I absolutely adored and it served me well for many years. I met, and formed lasting relationships, with interesting, inspiring, and supportive people – many of whom I call friends, and some, I consider family.

In my late thirties, I decided to take a huge risk, quit my job, and pursue some of my other passions like law and politics. I am now a full-time student majoring in Political Science and plan to get a law degree. I aspire to practice in the areas of civil rights and animal law. I am also obsessed with political speeches and dream of being a speech writer as well. Partisanship aside, I love campaigning. The research, polls, and demographical data are fascinating to me. The behind-the-scenes aspects of a political campaign are like “death by chocolate” to my sweet tooth.

I am truly blessed to have the support of the love of my life and together, we have ten kids and one foster kid. Nine of our children happen to have fur and four legs and the other one has scales and no legs. I realize that some don’t consider dogs, cats, and snakes to be children, but the love and devotion we have is no different than parents of human children have for their kids.

Four of our “fur-kids” happen to be Pit Bulls or Pit Bull mixes. I was not prepared, when I adopted them, for the discrimination I would endure due to their breed. I did not know that society would force me to become an advocate for the breed. But, like everything else I have ever tackled in my life, I approach my role as advocate whole-heartedly, with as much passion as I am capable of mustering. I compare it to stories of parents who adopt a child of a different race. The dirty looks, stares, and insensitive questions from strangers that those parents are subjected to are similar to the reactions I get when I take any of my Pit Bulls out in public. I am committed to changing the negative image of this amazing breed through awareness and education.

My role as advocate extends beyond the realm of protecting my own children. It extends to others’ children as well – human ones. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, I have the unique privilege of representing the best interest of victims of abuse and neglect in the court system and making recommendations to the judge as to what is needed for these children. It’s an honor I take extremely seriously and probably the hardest yet most rewarding role I have played in my life thus far. I invest my very soul in my work as a CASA and, as much as I enjoy my sleep, I will happily lose hours of it in order to make a tiny difference in the lives of the children I advocate for. I often confuse my friends when I talk about my “kids”. You just never can tell if I am referring to my “CASA kids” or my “fur-kids”.

My partner and I arrange our schedules around sports. We both bleed crimson and cream and our neighbors surely tire of hearing BOOMER yelled throughout our house on Saturdays. It’s a good thing I am a spoiled Sooner fan because on Sundays, I am a hopeless Dolphins fan. Talk about devotion. I have also been a lifelong Braves fan, which makes me seem like a schizophrenic sports fan, but I’ll explain. You see, my father is from Oklahoma and he raised me right where college football is concerned. I spent a good portion of my childhood in Little Rock, Arkansas, which does not have a Major League baseball team. As a lover of the sport, I watched the only team that was on television and we happened to get the Atlanta channel. In my early teens, I moved to south Florida which also didn’t have a Major League baseball team at the time, but also got the Atlanta channel. So, the Braves were the closest thing I ever had to a “home” team. Once the Florida Marlins were founded, I didn’t miss an opening day for their first eight seasons. In season nine, I moved to Oklahoma City, OK, where I still reside. When it comes to sports, my guilty pleasure is NASCAR. I don’t have a favorite driver – I am just a true fan of the sport.

If you asked me, when I was a little kid, what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would answer, “a race car driver”. I suppose my current employment is appropriate while I’m in college since I am one of “America’s Favorite Sandwich Delivery Guys”, employed by a corporation whose slogan is “Subs So Fast You’ll Freak” and specializes in “Extremely Fast Delivery”. Not only do I love the food and get a sweet discount, but it says right on the menu “increases students’ GPA” so it’s a win-win all the way around for me! When I open my private law practice, I will definitely have to find an office within the Jimmy John’s delivery area – and I’ll tip my drivers very well!

So, who is this T.J. Ervin? She seems a little crazy. A Hair Stylist and wanna-be Lawyer who likes politics (of all things), has Pit Bulls, cats, and a snake. Sports fan extraordinaire: The Sooners, Dolphins, Braves, and NASCAR? Random. CASA volunteer and delivery driver. These things are all over the map! What do they have in common?

Service. Loyalty. Humility. Determination. Passion.

Although I claim Unitarian Universalist as my religion, my favorite quote is from the Bible and best expresses my philosophy in life. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 30: 8-9).