I am a horrible menu planner. Could explain the recent increase in our credit card bills due to eating out a bit too much this past month… I am trying to do better. If I make a plan I tend to stick with it. My friend Alison is a fantastic cook and plans her meals in a neat planner she made. She also posts her weekly menu on her blog- and I thought maybe I could at least do that to keep me in line. (See the bottom of the blog for my menu this week.) I have been better about grocery bills- clipping major coupons and saving from $25 to $50 each visit. Making a list and sticking to it has been helping. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

On a sad note, our little Choo Choo Train (Max’s hamster) died last night of a mysterious illness I couldn’t cure (and didn’t want to spend $300 at the vet for.) He had tumors that came up all over his body. The first time it happened I managed to keep him living awhile by spraying him with a medicated spray daily and wiping them with tea tree oil. He got his fur back and was doing well, then last week he got the tumors and lesions again and went blind overnight. I tried my previous remedies to no avail. So long, Choo Choo. We will miss you little furry one.

****Okay, I told Max about the hamster when I picked him up from school. He was sad and we came home to bury him. I started to pick him up and he moved! Crazy! He was BARELY alive and I bathed him again with hot water and tea tree oil, made a hot pack for him to sit on (he was so cold) and now he’s even opening his eyes! Call him the miracle hamster. I’m so glad I didn’t bury him!