I just counted my jar change (otherwise known as the $20 challenge) and I have $40.19. This is good because the last time I checked I had $37 in it and that was before I stole from myself. ;o) So I'm starting over with $40.19 and no more robbing of the change jar...until I decide what it is for, that is. Maybe vacation.

And I've finally decided to start blogging about my weight loss. No one needs to know just how much weight needs to come off, but I'll log a loss of 14 lbs.

I received my rewards checks from Kroger today so I headed over to Kroger and purchased Christmas gifts! I got a couple games for my kids and some foods you can only get in Ohio for my dad who moved to Florida recently. I came in under the amount I had in rewards, so I received $3.00 and change to add to my challenge jar.

I stole from my jar last weekend because I had some needs to purchase at Sam's club and they only accept cash or my debit card. I didn't want to go any lower in my checking account, so I used jar money. I'm a little peeved at myself for doing so because I've been in the challenge for a whopping week and my own personal conviction was that I would not dip into that money under any circumstances. But, like any good idea, you just get back on the wagon and move on. I'll have to count my jar money to see where I really am.

We went to a festival last night and I took along $40 in cash. When we were emptying our pockets last night I told my husband I'd like to start putting $1 bills into the coin jar as well as loose change. I had a ten dollar bill and several ones. I asked him to please give me the $3 I knew he had in his pocket and I'd give him the ten dollar bill from the festival. He argued and argued with me that we could put the $10 in the jar because he didn't understand what I was trying to say about saving $1 from now on. Finally I decided it was the silliest argument so I tucked the $10 into the jar and figured I worked for that $10 in words alone and it should count! LOL! So I added $13.66 to the jar last night.

We also got to see New Moon last night. I can't believe we saw it on opening night! The only reason we did so was because we didn't have the kids! I'm a little phobic about crowds. I come close to panic attacks in certain situations, including traffic. We caught the matinee and there were only maybe 50 people in the theater. But after our movie was an enormous line! I clammed up on the way out and hid behind husband, there were so many people!

My feelings about this series amuse me. I loved the books! (except book 4...I hated that one) I am a big Edward fan and I did not enjoy Jacob's character in the books. Now generally speaking, 99% of the time in fact, I do not enjoy the movies that follow my favorite books. Twilight is no exception. I don't really like the movies at all. But in the movies, I actually root for Jacob! LOL! I do not like the actor for Edward. I just can't past the pastiness of him or the whining and the melodrama. But Jacob is so sweet! Quite the opposite in the book.

I enjoyed the movie. To be fair, it follows the book fairly closely and doesn't leave a whole lot out. I thought that which was left out was just fine.

I don't know what possessed me to do it, but as soon as my feet hit the floor this morning I started scrounging for money. I scrounged in my husband's sock drawer, pants pockets, coat pockets and car. I found...


THIRTY SEVEN DOLLARS AND THIRTY SEVEN CENTS!!!

I can't believe I found that much pocket change. Only $8 of that was dollar bills. I ran out to the store and spent $2.75 on coin rolls and rolled it all.

So I begin my $20 challenge with pocket change and am very pleased.