What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Monday, January 07, 2008

Cheap Thrills

Sunday morning I was trolling my boards seeing what people were finding at Target. "Hidden deals" we call them. Things that are ringing up at Clearance prices, but a) are not priced and/or b) or do not look like items that should be clearanced. I had sworn that I wouldn't return for more! But, I casually mentined to DH and The Bean that there were deals and they said in unision, "Let's go!" So, off we went with my list in hand. We struck out on a few items, but hit paydirt with others.

The Christmas scrapbooking items on the regular Christmas ailse were scanning at 90% off. Not all items, but many of them. I got four sets of the Jolee's stickers that look like little Santa Suits. I could never use them on a card or in scrapboking - I just love to look at them. And, at the normal prices, I would never buy them. But, they were 39¢ yesterday.

The packs of paper on the right were $9.99 each, only 99¢ yesterday - 100 sheets of patterend paper in each pack. The items at the bottom are $19.99 Shadow Box Kits. I won't use them "as is", but will make something with the shadow box and use the scrapbook-y items in other projects. They were $1.99 each. I put one int hecart and DH picked it up, looked at it and made a "huh" sound. Then he said, "That's a good deal - you should get two." I told him that he was an enabler. He should say, "Do not buy anything else!!!!" But, he was right. It was a good deal!
Lots and lots of scrapbooking and paper items at prices ranging from 9¢ to 59¢. Ignore the cat. I do.

I also found two glass and wooden candle boxes in the garden center. I had bought one for myself last week at $4.99 and I thought that was a good deal. But, yesterday they scanned at $1.99, so I bought the last two for gifts. I also found tow nice amyrillis in beautiful copper urns for 89¢ each. They are both beginning to grow, so it will be interesting to watch them.

Today I heard that very large $29.99 willow baskets were ringing up at $2.99 and it is taking every fiber of my being to not go and find some of those. I actually saw them in a stack last week, but didn't know they were considered "Christmasy". Eye-yi-yi.

We went to Walgreen's since we were passing by, but the manager was boxing up the Christmas items and giving dirty looks to anyone that dared cross his box strewn path. I'm used to dirty looks, so I went on in. I really only wanted a new power stake for the yard - one with a timer on it. I grabbed it and left him to his dirty look boxing.

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Today was back to the books around here. I am having trouble with the homeschooling thing. We are doing it and spending time with it, but I feel like he should learn something every day in every subject. He says, "We didn't even do that in real school!" So, I am trying to follow the books and fill in with my creativity. But, let's just say the crativity wasn't flowing today. We bought a book on orangutans and read that today as part of our Science lesson. Did you know that orangutans watch people and copy what they do? They have been known to watch the villagers row their canoes to land, tie them up and walk inland. So, the orangutans go down, untie the canoes and row off into the river. That is too FUNNY!

We've also decided to get a lawyer and take all this to a higher level. We were done wrong, the Bean in particular. He deserves to be heard and for someone to know what happened - from the drug interaction to the school giving him the old heave ho. His life will be forever changed due to what happened to him this year. And, mine too, for that matter. Our savings are nearly depleted and the credit card is maxed out - all due to medical bills that were completely unnecessary and not needed. So, we need someone to do what is right for The Bean.

Because of this, I haven't mentioned it lately and I most likely won't be talking about it at all in the future. Mostly because I don't want to add anything that someone might find and read. But, also because I need something to do to take my mind off everything that is happening and that has already happened. So, blogging will be free of legal and other school related talk. I will still talk about our homeschooling studies and ask my dear readers for ideas. (I'm considering a Social Studies project based on "Where my Blog Buddies Live".) Oh yes and he still gets to be a part of the unified Volleyball Team since it is an after school sport. I am very anxious to get him back involved in that and with his friends. He needs it! (Me too - I "coach"!)

Have a happy week!

3 comments:

  1. Good luck with EVERYTHING. And if you do something with blog buddies let me know! I know all sorts of things about both New York and Baltimore (two of the oldest cities in the country.)

    Also, do you know Jane at the Crayon Box? She's a teacher and may have some pointers. :)

    hugs to you and The Bean!

    PS - I'M SO JEALOUS OF ALL THE CHEAP SCRAPBOOK STUFF ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Me, too.....jealous at all your bargain prowess!! I wish there was a Target closer, I'd be there in a heart beat!

    As far as the blog buddies go, if you need something about NC or Western NY(my hometown) let me know!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:10 PM

    I was going to also say that if you need any information from NC let me know, but I see that Lucy already said that. Wonder if we live near each other. I am in the middle part of the state.

    Good luck with everything. If a group of us needs to show up...just let us know!

    Libby

    ReplyDelete

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