The Golden Birthday

Today would have been our youngest child's "golden" birthday. Jack Reed would have turned 24 today on the 24th of August, 2014. Even though Jack only celebrated one birthday with us, it is important to take note of the many blessings that have come from his short life. Today, so many years later, his older brother texted everyone in the family as a reminder that it was ,in fact, Jack's "golden" birthday. This special birthday was also celebrated recently by my two eldest children who turned 28 and 30 respectively on those dates in May. We also enjoyed our grandson's first birthday which was a "golden" as he turned one on August 1st. The touching part of all this was, that my daughter, who just turned 28, was the one to have noticed that there was such a thing as a "golden" birthday in the first place, and now her older brother was embracing and celebrating the idea as well. This all warmed my mother's heart, since I could see connections being made over seemingly simple things that would not be mentioned at all, unless we were family and cared deeply for one another. So this Miss Penny Saver entry is an obvious one; the most valuable things in life are those that cannot be bought. TIP: Take note of those things in life that are of immeasurable worth and appreciate them!

It Never Hurts to Ask...

I recently convinced my husband to stop at the outlet center that was on the way home from our last summer get away. While he ate chicken wings and watched pre-season football at the conveniently located Applebees, I was able to power shop through some of my favorite stores finishing up some school shopping.  I had been using my teacher discount at JCrew for years, but I noticed a lot of other "teacher types" in Banana Republic and they seemed to be showing the cashier something on their phones. When I got to the front of the line, I dubiously asked if they gave a teacher discount…to my surprise and pleasure the young man replied "why yes we do, we just started giving that a month ago!" Everything in the store was already on sale, so with the additional discount, I couldn't believe my good fortune. I was so happy with the total of my bill, that I just had to brave the line once more and buy that additional cardi I had been eyeing. Miss Penny Saver Tip: Always have a budget of what to spend, but when the price unexpectedly goes down…all bets are off!

Pup Power

I made these two little pups for my grandsons. I saw the kit on one of my favorite craft blogs, The Purl Bee, but the fabric was a bit pricey. I decided to research buying my own wool material and bought it when it went on sale.   So, instead of paying $62 for one canine, I was able to order the pattern for $12 and buy enough fabric for 2 puppies for just under $25. I also repurposed fabric for the ears and the top of the head from some vintage hats that belonged to my dad. I loved how they turned out and so did my two grandboys! Miss Penny Saver Tip : Be sure to consider all possibilities, do some cost analysis, be creative, and you might just end up with a family heirloom!