The attitude of my heart, before your eyes

From the Same Nest

2011-04-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

Come visit From the Same Nest where my sister and I blog together! Our blog covers many topics including: cooking, crafting, frugal living, homemaking, and even a little home schooling. We'd love for you to "follow" our blog, find us on Facebook and/or Twitter, and especially comment!

Change of Attitude

2010-06-23T10:44:00.001-05:00

I have not been feeling a huge love for blogging here for quite a while now. Maybe it's because I have another blog or two (or more) to keep my entertained...

Not that I've really been blogging anywhere much lately.

Anyhow, this blog is now becoming my official site for keeping track of the millions of blogs I read and projects that inspire me. I know there may be better ways: an RSS feed, Google Reader, etc. However, this is a way that I have found to work well for me. I come here frequently and check for updates on some of my favorite blogs, hopefully you will find it useful for that too! I plan to save links to various recipes, crafts, giveaways, and ideas that inspire me on the various pages of this blog.

For now however, all future blogging will take place over at From The Same Nest, where I hope to begin contributing a little more frequently, at the delight of my sister.

If we are friends and you would like to have access to my childrens' blogs, please email me and I'd be glad to add you to their accounts.

Ultimate Blog Party 2010

2010-04-16T11:35:00.004-05:00

I know I’m running a little more than fashionably late for the party, but I thought I’d join in and say hello to all of the other fellow party goers. This past year has been a great one and I thought I’d do some simple tweaking to my 2009 party post to catch everyone up!

So without further ado, another round of Top 10 facts about me…

Interesting a few of them remain the same ;)

1. I am and always will belong to my Father

2. Married to my best friend for 7.5 years, our Little Miss is almost 3, and our Little Lady just turned one!

3. I am a SAHM in my heart, but work 2 days/nights a week to support our family

4. I have found a desire for decorating my home and love decorating blogs!

5. I love to craft, in many different mediums, so I love crafting blogs!

6. I am soon going to be starting my first garden, so blogs on the subject are encouraging!

7. We are on a journey to get out of debt, so frugal living blogs are fabulous!

8. I am trying to learn how to cook and also love cooking blogs!

9. Educating my daughters is important to me, so blogs on toddler education inspire me!

10. You can find the links to many of my favorite blogs on these subjects along my sidebar. I hope you find some you enjoy as much as I do!

A few of the great prizes I’d love to win are: US35, US39, US41, US69, US101, USC3, USC15, USC17, USC60… Ok, I know that’s more than a few! They are all so great, it’s hard to choose!

Cooking Ideas

2010-03-24T12:51:00.000-05:00

It's no surprise that I'm not a cook. I truly wish that I was, but I have much to learn about cooking before I can ever achieve the title of "cook". I can definitely follow any recipe though.

Anyways, I'm discovering that I often cook recipes which take on more of a casserole style. Not really casseroles, but foods in which multiple ingredients are touching. For example: enchiladas, lasagna, chicken pot pie...

Does that make sense?

To get to my point. I think my kids would eat much better if I had separate items on their plates. I'm wanting to start offering a meat, a vegetable or two, a fruit, and a grain at each meal. Of course I know this is not something that I can do each and every day, but I want to start including more meals like this into our diet.

My problem comes with how to do this. Seriously, I realize it can't be hard. Take a chicken breast, add a little seasoning, and bake it. However, the idea overwhelms me. Not knowing what type of flavors go well together, making sure my meat is moist enough that I don't ruin it.

I'd really love any ideas on inexpensive ways to start cooking in this format. I have a pantry FULL of every seasoning imaginable and want to start putting them to use. Tell me a few basic ways that you cook chicken breasts, steak, pork chops, fish, etc. And the more detail, the better. Really. I'm not sure about this whole cooking thing, going on 8 years of marriage!

Basically, I'm so tired of cooking dinner to find my children won't eat. They prefer more simple food combination's is all I can assume at this point. Thanks everyone!

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-23T08:56:00.000-05:00

Now that our birthday celebration has wound down, it's time to start a bit of Spring cleaning around these parts... I long more than anything to have a well organized home. I just can't seem to get there.

We have plenty of space for storage.

Problem is we have plenty of stuff too.

I've often thought that I wish I could just toss everything. However, there is this side to me that thinks, "What if I need that someday? I sure would hate to spend money on another pedometer, or protractor, or gumball machine."

Do you see my point?

I have a bunch of random, not so used items, that take up space. And even though we are lucky enough to have plenty of space for said items, I don't have the correct storage for them. Looking around my house, there are random piles of clutter in each room. Miscellaneous boxes of "junk" that need to be sorted. So, with the change of season I am ready to take on my task.

One room at a time. One pile at a time.

I'm going to learn to let go of some things. I'm going to figure out how to better store others.

It will be a process, but one that I long to accomplish with time. It will be better for my whole family this way.

I'll take a well organized closet any day

2010-03-14T09:14:00.000-05:00

A fabulous thing has taken place in my home. I went consignment sale shopping and bought some great bargains and came home and put them away in my kids closets. The process of transitioning our closets from one season to the next is usually one of my most dreaded activities. Washing all of the clothes, putting them away for future use, or storing them away. It's a tedious, seemingly never-ending job. Especially now with two little girls, whose sizes can somewhat overlap, and whose sizes don't match up at the same age. I feel like my organization system can be utter chaos at times.

Any who.

No pictures of my great clothing buys. Sorry for that. I'd be happy to show you how beauuuuuutiful their closets are though! I love me some good organization.

I must say that I found some great things though. My Little Lady is basically set for the warm weather, until she jumps ahead to the next size in later summer. Why is it that kids can't stay one size an entire season? Seriously. And my Little Miss has a ways to go in stocking her wardrobe, but we're definitely set by the majority of the world's standards. I'm going to look for a few more pieces here and there and we'll call it good for her too. It's so nice to have a handle on their closets!

As far as how I've been organizing our outgrown clothing, I think I'm reevaluating. I have a number of 55 gallon tubs, that have been sorted by size and season up until this point. Not anymore. It seems that with these little girls, one size may fit one during a different season than the other. So, I'm needing to reorganize specifically by size. I think that should work out a bit better, as I can just dig thru it as we approach the next size and see if there will be anything for that particular season or not. I have a feeling I'm not going to get to pass down as many clothes as I had once hoped between my girls... at least thru these early toddler years.

I'd love to know how others store and organize their kids clothing. Maybe there is some way that I'm missing that will open my eyes.

For how I fared as a consigner this year, I'm a little disappointed. I probably sold about 1/4 of my clothing that I took. Of what I brought home I am amazed that nobody purchased them, as I felt I underpriced my things compared to many people. I am also stunned by some of the things that I did sell, as there were a few outfits that I almost didn't put into the sale, because I thought they looked too outdated, or my kids never wore them because they were... let's just say... plain ugly. I did part with a couple sweet little dresses that my Little Miss wore to a family wedding, and her first Easter dress. Some things are a bit sentimental, but I don't need to keep them, and I'm glad to realize that now instead of in 25 years.

Of course what I did bring home, will be stored away in case the future allows us to use them again. Otherwise, they will hopefully bless another family in the years ahead.

Tagging Away

2010-03-01T08:09:00.001-06:00

I have known since last summer that I have a ton of kids clothes that I'm planning to consign this week. I have sorted them, washed them, made tags for them, but the work stopped there. I have only a few hours today, and a couple tomorrow to get them all pinned to their hangers and tagged. I might have another stain or two to treat as well. There are also a number of toys that I'm thinking about attempting to sell as my kids aren't playing with them, so I'll need to search those down and get them ready.

I'm not quite sure why I have procrastinated this so badly, but I do hope that I can get it all accomplished today.

I do love consignment sales though. I love being able to buy my kids clothes for such a discount, and then the next year sell the ones I don't need to keep in order to buy more clothing as they grow. I feel like I've definitely saved our family so much money by using this process for buying. It fits our budget well, and makes me feel like a good steward of our money. It's very rare that I have bought an item for full price in the past few years, in fact I can only think of a handful of things. Even my store purchases (mostly Walmart/ Target/ Carter's/ Children's Place) are all clearance purchases. I don't even shop at premium or designer stores. However, my kids get to wear those brands since that is what I buy at consignment sales!

This year when I buy, I have a plan of action that I'm going to try and follow. I intend to have a list of certain clothes, or outfits, that I want for each daughter. In the past I often feel I buy a large amount of clothing, many of which we don't end up wearing for one reason or another. I also feel like my closets are overflowing, as well as my laundry piles. So, this spring/summer season I'm going to work off of the rule of moderation. I'm going to purchase a certain number of going out clothes, a certain number of running around the house/ out in the backyard clothes, a certain number of dresses, and any other small things that we need. Why is it that each year I think my kids need more clothes than I have?

I also intend to start working on preparing my fall/winter clothes a bit earlier in the season rather than waiting until the last minute again. I'll let you know how that works out for me...

And I also hope to show you all of my great finds that I get this week at the first sale of the season! There are many more sales in the weeks ahead, so I need to force myself to remember that I don't have to buy everything at once, at this one sale. I need to be picky, I need to consider carefully, and I need to stick to my budget and shopping list. Wish me luck.

M.I.A.

2010-02-27T21:59:00.000-06:00

I have been missing for the past year. I think I am going to step out of hibernation and return to this blog. I have a lot on my mind, on my plate, and a lot to chat about. I have a bazillion goals and things I want to accomplish, so I think keeping myself accountable by writing it all down sounds like a good plan of action. Be back soon!

Flowered Pillows

2010-02-17T11:10:00.000-06:00

http://www.youcanmakethis.com/blog/948/a-sneak-peek-thediydish-making-chic-pillows-on-studio5.html

Leg Warmers

2010-02-16T13:54:00.000-06:00

http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/2010/02/tutorial-10-minute-toddler-leg-warmers.html

Remake Kids Clothes

2010-02-16T12:36:00.000-06:00

http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2010/02/making-her-clothes-last-part-one.html

Giveaways Galore!

2009-06-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

There are some great giveaways out there in blogland right now!

One I'd absolutely love to win would be this Oreck vacuum cleaner! Remember... the fleas...
To enter, go here.

Also, here is a great giveaway of Rubbermaid storage containers!

And if you win, I know you'll thank me kindly :) Good luck!

WFMW - Reusing Cards

2009-05-13T16:04:00.000-05:00

I used to be crafty and hand stamped many of my own cards that I would give with gifts. However, two kids later and not near as much time in a day as I need... I no longer seem to do that. Also, if you look at the price on many of the cards, I find it crazy to spend $3,4,5 on a card that oftentimes will end up in the trash can of the recipient.

So, my solution.

On cards that I receive, I simply cut off the front half of the card at the fold. Then I store it away for future use of my own. When it's time to give a gift, I simply look through my stash and find the perfect "new baby" card, or "congratulations" card, or "wedding" card, etc. Then I write a message on the blank back of the card, punch a hole in the top left corner, and tie it onto the gift bag with some pretty ribbon.

Voila!

It's an easy way to send the very best!

Check out other WFMW tips at We are THAT Family.

Playroom Design

2009-05-09T08:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2009/04/playroom-turned-game-roomlounge.html

Footboard Bench

2009-05-09T08:39:00.000-05:00

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/search/label/Spray%20Paint%3A%20My%20BFF

Kitchen Walls and Cabinets

2009-05-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

http://lotsofloveformine.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-03-04T13%3A40%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=7

Playroom Toy Storage

2009-05-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

http://frillsfluffandtrucks.blogspot.com/2008/07/family-room-toy-storage.html

Furniture Ideas

2009-05-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

http://frillsfluffandtrucks.blogspot.com/2009/01/finally-garage-sale-dresser.html

WFMW - The first garage sale of the season

2009-04-15T11:37:00.001-05:00

Lo and behold it's finally a sunny day in April. And what does that bring?

Garage sales.

I'm a fan of garage sales, though I often wonder if I'm buying items that I wouldn't normally, or that I'm wasting money... though it's not near as much as I'd be spending if I purchased new!

Today I decided to check out Craigslist and see if there were any garage sales in my area this week. Was I excited to see there was a sale just down the street from me, and they had kids items!

Woo hoo!

Jackpot!

I could walk, take the girls outside on such a nice day, get a little exercise, and hopefully find a bargain or two! Sounds like the day is off to a great start.

So once my Little Miss woke up, I was ready to go. I'd been waiting patiently for her, she decided to sleep in this morning, which I know her tired little body needed. It was worth the wait, though I was worried what great bargains I'd be missing out on. Thankfully the day is gorgeous, and the sales were good.

I snagged a couple of educational games for her. One being a Discovery Toys jigsaw puzzle, and the other a Usborne books Alphabet game. Both in perfect, like new condition and each for a few bucks each. Much better than the original price tags! The other item, a Speedo brand swimsuit for Little Miss, for a dollar. Not the colors I would buy off the store shelf (neon orange and yellow), but it will do the job and the pricetag sealed the deal.

There were a couple of other items I had in hand, but put them back as I tried not to overbuy another person's "junk". I am very happy with what I came home with and plan to make garage sale shopping a part of our every week. You never know what bargains you may find and I'm excited to have already saved at least $15 on a swimsuit for my Little Miss today!

Garage sale shopping works for me! Have you found any great deals this year?

For my WFMW posts, check out We Are That Family.

WFMW - Easter Story Cookies

2009-04-08T12:57:00.000-05:00

I received an email from a friend for these incredible sounding cookies. Incredible in the sense that it will invite the story of Jesus into your home on Easter morning. Amidst the excitement of Easter baskets and egg hunts, this may be another great tradition to include in your home year after year. Let me first say, I have not yet tried these, but plan to this coming Easter Sunday.

I invite you to share the story of Jesus Christ with your little ones this Easter too!

Easter Story Cookies

To be made the evening before Easter (right before bed)

1cup whole pecans
1tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important, don't wait till you're half done with the recipe!)

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was Beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9

For other great WFMW posts visit We Are That Family.

ARGH!!!

2009-04-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

So my Little Miss threw a fit last night because we had to take her away from "Elmo" in order to eat dinner. When she came home from school, I was busy with a project and Daddy was cooking dinner so I put a DVD in for her to watch. If she hadn't been at school all day and used up tons of energy there, it wouldn't have been an option for our evening together. But I figured she could lounge around, sing and dance with Elmo and life would be fine.

I was wrong!

I have created a TV addict and have to get her out of this cycle.

Barney and Elmo are two of her most infamous words that she uses consistently throughout each and every day. We're even to the point that I am taking TV away as punishment... ugh, she's only 22 months and shouldn't have such an attachment to TV.

Unfortunately with a new baby in the house it's become an easy babysitter while mommy breastfeeds and finds spare moments to get housework accomplished. I've got to break the cycle now!

We have an entire playroom of toys, away from the television and within eyesight of me if I can keep her attention focused in there. She colors, she plays with her toys, she reads books, but then she finds her way to the TV - where she knows what buttons to push to turn it on!

Any "new" project ideas I can do to capture her attention? I would prefer to stay away from messy activities since she can't always be under my supervision if I'm up and about. Or any suggestions for this Momma on how you make TV time work in your house...

I'd love to hear them!!!

Backwards WFMW - Toddler hitting

2009-04-01T11:02:00.000-05:00

Well, we're just over a week into bringing a new baby into our family. Overall, it's been a smooth transition and everybody is doing well with the change. Big sister (22 months old) loves on her little sister every time she sees her, whether she's sleeping, or eating, or sleeping. She's a big fan already and wants to give her kisses and hugs constantly.

Last night, however, we encountered a small problem.

In the midst of me nursing the baby, big sister was giving kisses and I was talking to her... telling her how nice she was being, that she's such a good big sister, etc. etc. Then she goes and bonks the baby on her head. My first reaction was to bonk her back - obviously the baby couldn't defend herself the way I could defend her, right? This reaction brought me to tears, and left me feeling awful. I know you can't teach a child not to hit by hitting - one reason I'm not a fan of spanking. My second reaction was to yell NO and let daddy take over the discipline from there.

She has had past history of hitting and biting on occasion, but these instances are few and far between and have only been directed toward her daddy or I. We have been fortunate enough to not have to discipline too often. On the occasion that we do, we use time out. Daddy set her into time out last night and she cried and wailed and screamed and cried some more. Daddy repeated to her that we do not hit and she eventually was released from time out coming back to see me and the baby. I too reiterated that we do not hit and we must be gentle with the baby...

All just in time for her to bonk her on the head again after a few more kisses (a tad more gently this time, but still!)

So daddy fetched her up and took her straight to bed. She screamed in bed and she wailed and when she finally settled down we went in and told her that hitting was not nice, we do not hit. And basically turned out the light for her to fall asleep in her clothes and without a bedtime routine. Thankfully she was tired and doesn't need a routine on a consistent basis to sleep well. She slept all night.

So, after all of that... I need suggestions. I need help! How do I keep my toddler from hitting, especially her baby sister. Thanks in advance for your knowledge!!!

More backwards WFMW posts can be found at We are that Family

Cheers!!!

2009-03-20T12:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my personal 2009 blog party!

I'd like to share a little bit about myself with all of you and hope to meet some interesting people along the way! Sit back, enjoy a nice hot cup of tea and let me know you've stopped by for a visit along your journey. Here are the top 10 facts about me:

1. First and foremost I am a Christian

2. Me and my other half, married 6.5 years

3. My Little Miss, 22 months old

4. Countdown to baby: currently 3 days!!!

5. My part-time job

6. Kansas girl, born and raised

7. My favorite hobby, though not enough time to ever do it

8. I wish I was better at tending to my home. I'm learning!!!

9. My dream vacation: Italy and the Mediterranean, land of my forefathers

10. My favorite blogs are all about frugal living, pinching pennies and the like

To meet other bloggers or to join the party visit the gals over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Oh, and don't forget there are so many cool prizes to be won at this year’s Ultimate Blog Party, but my top three picks would be:

1. Ergo Baby Carrier by: A Giveaway Addicted Mommy
2. Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer by: Moms Who Think
3. $100 gift card to HomeGoods by: HG Openhouse

And if my top three picks are already chosen, I’d love any of the following (in order of preference): 41, 45, 19, 21, 22

WFMW - Digital photo organization

2009-03-18T15:14:00.001-05:00

So a VERY unorganized area of my life is sadly our family photos. I can remember growing up and my mom having boxes and boxes of printed photos, some in albums and most were not. She used to fuss and complain about not having them organized and she still has yet to complete this lifelong project of getting her photos in order.

I've become my mother.

But, I'm working to stop heredity in it's tracks.

With digital photos you would think that it would be much easier to organize photos. It really can be, though there are many reasons why it's not. Let me count the ways... or at least a number of reasons that, for me, it isn't.

1) I take hundreds upon hundreds of photos. Often of the same event. How many pictures do I need of my daughter splashing in the bathtub on the same night? Apparently 32.

2) Sometimes I will download my photos the same day that I took them, sometimes I don't download them onto my computer for weeks at a time - or until the memory card is full.

3) I have gazillions of folders on my computer that contain said photos. These folders are not organized. They have many different names and dates that don't always tell me what is in that folder.

4) Sometimes if I download photos onto my computer, and I don't delete them off of my camera's memory card, the next time I go to download the next batch of photos the first ones get put onto my computer for a second time... or third.

Okay, that's it for now. I could keep going however, but I have many more points to make in this WFMW post, so I'll stop.

Now another big trouble that I have gotten into using digital photography rather than film is that I never, ever, ever print my photos out. In fact, the last photos I printed were 21 months ago after by Little Miss turned a month old. I printed out her one month photos and started her a nice album... but now it sits screaming for more photos to be added to it's emptiness. How sad is that?

I know that I'm not the only one. It's a sad fact that our family photos are not getting displayed, we're not able to sit down and look at them together - at least not unless we're sitting in front of the laptop. In fact, as I took the weekend to organize and determine the best plan of action for this photo solution I looked back at so many photos, so many moments, so many memories I had in fact forgotten - because I don't have those wonderful family photo albums I so desperately want.

So my solution. Let me spill.

Before baby number two arrives I figured a couple of things.

One. I wanted the past many years organized and easily accessible.

Two. I wanted to get them ready to print, so I can have those albums I desperately want.

And three. Most importantly I wanted to ensure our photos are SAFE. What in the world would I do if something happened that I lost all of those thousands and thousands of pictures? I would cry. It would devastate me for the rest of my life.

So, with the help of an external hard drive I moved all of our photos off of our computer. I then basically made a folder for each and every month of every year I have photos dating back to. And then I started sorting, and sorting, and sorting. This was a tedious and a time consuming task. But to sit and enjoy so many pictures which I haven't seen since I took them, it was so much fun! The many duplicates I had, I carefully deleted. The pointless pictures I no longer needed, I carefully deleted. And I spent much of my weekend at this task.

Fortunately, they are now all in order and ready to be printed. Unfortunately I can not afford to print all of the pictures because there are just too many of them. So my next step will be to determine what I can afford for photos each and every month and watch for good discount codes and ever so slowly print my photos and IMMEDIATELY place them into my family photo albums.

I'm hoping that with the birth of baby number two I will start in the present with one set of albums and hop back to work up from Little Miss's first month at the same time. I think this plan will make it fun to compare what each child was doing at the same age and also what they looked like in comparison to one another.

Oh and another SUPER IMPORTANT tip! I'm also saving all of these photos to CD's as another means of backup. I'm hoping I can get a few months on a CD and keep them in a nice CD folder together, labeled well. And I'm going to send them to live somewhere other than our house - maybe my husband's office desk, or our safety deposit box.

So there you have it, this is working for me at the moment and hopefully will continue to work for years to come. I feel one HUGE area of my disorganized life coming together and it's a relief. Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to keep your photos organized in today's digital world? I'd love to hear them!

More Works For Me Wednesday posts can be tracked at We Are THAT Family.

And for more ideas on photo organization check out Organizing Junkie!

Tackle It Tuesday - Baby on the way

2009-03-03T09:06:00.000-06:00

Now that I am to a countdown of less than a month, I'm really feeling the stress of not being prepared for a new baby in the house. I hit the soda fountain this morning and have a 44 oz Pepsi in one hand, and my to do list in the other. Hopefully I can push through my tiredness and get at least a good majority of the things on my list accomplished. Here are my main goals for the day:

- Clean Pack N Play and set up (almost completed)

- Wash receiving blankets and boppy cover (completed)

- Wash nursing bras and pads (completed)

- Wash bottles, nipples, pump parts, pacifiers (completed)

- Clean out baby bathtub (almost completed)

- Disinfect diaper pail (completed)

- Wash covers, set up swing and bouncy seat (completed)

- Pack hospital bag (I've got a list made...)

- Finish packing diaper bag (completed)

It may sound like a lot to tackle in one day, but there are many, many other things on my list and these sound like the easiest tackles at the moment. We'll see where I have gotten by the end of the day! Check out more tackles at http://www.5minutesformom.com.

Gardening

2009-02-27T08:17:00.000-06:00

I have had in mind the last couple of Springs that I wanted to create and plant a vegetable garden in our backyard each year. For one reason or another it hasn't happened yet, but I'm feeling the urge once again as Spring is drawing closer. Having a new baby in the house may seem like a deterrent, but to me it's motivation. I worry that I may have a more difficult time getting my older toddler out of the house as often as I should with a new baby to tote along. My solution: a garden in the backyard to get us out there playing, working, and having outdoor fun.

My problem: I do not know the slightest bit about planting a garden. I take that back, I've read and researched quite a bit online. Unfortunately it seems there is just so much to know that it boggles my mind and scares me slightly. However, I hope to face those fears this year and see if I'm able to reap any rewards.

The previous owners of our home seem to have had something that resembles a garden along our fence. There are a few posts laid out to make a small 3 ft x 8 ft looking plot. This gives me some hope that it may be possible to actually grow something along there as I've wished. However, I believe we'll need to start from scratch.

I'm hoping to create a raised bed. Nothing huge. Maybe a 4 ft x 12 ft plot or something of similar size that I can expand in future years if I get comfortable enough with my gardening skills. Unfortunately being 9 months pregnant during a time that we should be starting to work the soil, build the bed, and bring in topsoil isn't in my favor. Hopefully my husband will have the same motivation as me once I show him my plans I've been working on.

The idea of having fresh grown produce is very enticing. I'm hoping to try out only some basic vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cucumbers this year. I may mix in a couple of other things, but I figure if I don't keep it simple I won't succeed. Plus, I'm hoping to leave some room for additional growth next year, right?

Has anybody else recently started their first garden? I'd love any advice. Especially timing wise - when to start my seeds, when to plant, etc. etc. It really seems overwhelming for a project that I know so many people love and enjoy. I want to be one of those people!

Nesting

2009-02-12T12:11:00.000-06:00

I can tell that I have started nesting. At least a little bit.

With less than 7 weeks to go, I think that should give me a nice head start on getting a few things done that need to be. I have cleared out and organized my bedroom and closet, my bathroom is in the works. I was originally planning to redecorate my bedroom, but my husband is putting a bit of a brake on that plan... I guess his logic is that the money we'd be spending is what I need to survive my 8+ weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Glad his mind works that way. Mine does not.

Our laundry is officially caught up and under control. That gives me such a sigh of relief. How is it possible to have so much dirty laundry when it seems most of the clothes were never worn? I guess I need to get better about completing the laundry cycle from start to finish. Leaving it in a pile in our bedroom to be put away doesn't work with a toddler in the house... she'll play dress-up with anything and does.

This afternoon I'm hoping to get the infant car seat washed and ready to go. And probably do a bit more organization in the nursery as Little Miss has turned it into a second playroom!

I still have a long ways to go, but just a couple of productive days has sure lifted my spirits!

I'm an AUNT!!!

2009-02-02T05:57:00.000-06:00

Since Momma and Baby will be in the hospital for a few days, I figured I was allowed to comment on the arrival of my very first neice, Ella. She entered the world just over a month early, a little groundhog baby - in the cutest sense of the phrase, of course! Hopefully I'll have some photos to share soon enough as I've got a few hours of sleep to get in before I hit the road and drive down to see the new family.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-28T16:03:00.001-06:00

This meme has been floating all over the place and I've had a number of people invite me to participate. The guilt is starting to sink in and I've decided I may as well. So here we go, 25 probably not so interesting, random facts, about me!

1. I have a problem with getting rid of things... trash no, but a program from a high school musical I attended some 12 years ago, yes.

2. I love to save money. Basically I won't buy anything unless it is on sale, on clearance, or I have a coupon for it. Why pay full price when I shouldn't have to? I believe I'm a good steward of the money God has blessed me with, or I'm at least walking along on the path.

3. I have never had any sort of major surgery, broken bone, or medical condition. I've been pregnant, twice now, but that has been mostly low-key. Thank goodness! I hope my lucky streak continues.

4. I do not paint my fingernails hardly ever. I think this is because I am a nurse and I would have to keep them very well kept... and well, I just don't take the time for things such as that. I paint my toenails probably 3 or 4 times a year, usually when it's high sandal season.

5. There are many things in my life that I have said "never" to. I cringe now when I think back to those times when I was being so egotistical. I also have a hard time biting my tongue when others make such comments... especially when it comes to parenting.

6. My daughter is walking around with a pair of Elmo panties on her head right now.

7. I have had braces twice, because I never wore my retainer. I need them again.

8. I am working to become a better cook, to actually cook. In my 6.5 years of marriage I can admit to probably cooking only about 2 dozen meals. Sad I know. Thankfully my husband can cook and we've made it this far without me being very skilled in this area.

9. I have a deep down desire to be an outdoorsy girl. I love the idea of camping, hiking, biking, etc. I have yet to participate in this sort of lifestyle however and may fail miserably. My dream family vacations would be to go camping every year in a different national park. Ok, maybe we'll be staying in a lodge or an RV rather than a tent, but still... I think it would be a fun tradition.

10. My first major in college and the one I wish I had stuck with was graphic design. I love layout and crafty, artsy type things and think I'd have loved a career in that field. Thankfully there are many blessings to being a nurse too.

11. I love things that smell good. Candles, fabric softener, perfume. Unfortunately, my allergies can be overly sensitive at times and I sneeze up a storm if I'm around any smell that is too strong.

12. I am not sure how many children I want. I used to want four, now I'm torn between two and three. It's a much harder decision than I once thought.

13. If I thought I could be disciplined enough myself I would consider homeschooling my children. I worry about all of the outside influences they will encounter and wish to protect them from as much as I can, while I can. I used to think this made a parent naive, now I think it makes a parent wise.

14. I do not like sweetened cereal. If I'm going to eat cereal with milk it has to be something plain and boring like cheerios, raisin bran, or basic 4 (my favorite). I can however it dry fruit loops or corn pops as a snack.

15. Growing up I used to be embarrassed when my mom would take me shopping at Aldi. I thought it was a store only for "poor" people. However little did I know how proud I would be to someday be an Aldi shopper myself.

16. I wish I could get rid of a lot of my "things" and start over. I don't know what I was thinking when I started buying decorations to decorate my home, or even plates and glasses for my kitchen. My taste is completely different now, but I'm just too frugal to do anything about it.

17. I could use a few new bras, mine are pretty sad looking... but then again, my girls aren't to pretty anymore themselves. It's a mommy thing :)

18. When I'm pregnant my legs hairs grow much more slowly and my hair doesn't look dirty for a couple of days longer than normal. This really works out well when I'm in a lazy mood and don't plan on leaving the house for a few days.

19. I am horrible at drinking, especially water. I can go most of the day without getting thirsty, so if I'm not thinking about it, often won't drink much of anything in a given day, maybe a glass or two of something if that much.

20. This may seem like TMI, but before I had my daughter I could never loudly fart... never much in the way of sound, or even smell, honest to goodness. Now that I've gone through childbirth I can give my husband a run for his money.

21. We do not have cable, we ditched it to save money and to find a more useful outlet for our time. It's been over 4 years now and I miss it... alot. And I still watch a lot of tv, only it's whatever I can pick up on the 5-6 channels we actually do get, usually even less productive tv viewing than before.

22. I wish that my sister and I lived closer together and that our children could grow up being closer than they probably will be living so far apart.

23. I used to play the clarinet in middle school. However, I never really "played". Oftentimes I just pretended to be blowing and learned to key the instrument to make it look like I was doing so. I wish I would have been in orchestra.

24. My cats used to be my babies until I had a real baby. I never thought I would get annoyed by their quirks and needs, but goodness. Right now I can't imagine have a more needy animal like a dog, but one day I'm sure we will have one when our kids are older.

25. I rarely read books but wish I did more often. If I start a book and enjoy it I'll finish it in a few sittings, because I just can't put it down. But it's hard for me to ever just pick up a book and start. I want to work on that.

WFMW - Toy Storage

2009-01-28T07:26:00.000-06:00

We are lucky enough to have an entire room in our house dedicated to being our central playroom. Little Miss loves to go in there and spend her time, playing with many of her favorite toys. Momma and Daddy love that she is able to go in there and entertain herself while we are busy with other tasks. Unfortunately it does not take much time, or effort on her part to turn the room upside down. In fact, I often think she enjoys pulling out every single toy and scattering them from one end of the room to the next, it's all a part of her fun!

But not part of Momma or Daddy's! Oy!

When we set up the room we even included an armoire with bins to house some of the toys she would play with often, and placed inside the cabinets books and educational materials mostly to keep them organized. Since the introduction of our playroom however, it seems the number of toys in our house has doubled and things are constantly out of control in a once uncluttered space.

Also, Little Miss has gotten to an age that many of her toys have multiple parts and pieces, and I know it's only going to become more so in the years to come - with smaller, and smaller parts. So I decided it was time to take many of those toys and put them out of her reach unless she's being supervised, or at least only playing with a few at any giving time... instead of... All.Of.Them.

So I recently purchased some 12 gallon bins at Walmart and started sorting. Currently I have two bins that are housing some of her Little People. I sorted the people, animals, and parts to each set and placed them into individual plastic bags along with the main toy itself. It not only makes it easy for us to pull out one set at a time, but will help her in keeping some order to the madness that will ensue anyways.

Another bin will house some of her other toys that I find to be major clutter culprits. Puzzles, pegboards, her Mr and Mrs Potato set, etc. It's all about keeping the toys themselves together and allowing her to play with one at a time. We'll then pick them up together, place them back into their bags and bins and get out another toy. In the meantime we will store the bins themselves out of reach in the hall closet which has plenty of floor space.

I know that this won't keep our playroom in constant order, and we'll still be stubbing our toes on something as we pass through, but it's a start. It'll be a nice benefit to have some extra control over the chaos and not feel so overwhelmed each and every time we "Clean up, clean up. Everybody, everywhere. Clean up, Clean up. Everybody do your share".

Alphabet Soup - K, L, & M

2009-01-22T10:40:00.000-06:00

It's been quite a while since I last did this meme. I figured I'd start it up again and see where it takes me. I'm planning to kick out a few letters at a time, otherwise it seems I may never get to the end of the alphabet.

Kids - This is true in part, I like MY kids. I've never really been a kid person, but she's opened my eyes to just how amazing they really are. I'm not yet a fan of kids over the age of two, since we haven't experienced that stage, but as she gets older I'm sure I'll enjoy them too.

Kitchenaid Mixers - Not that I have one... yet, but I think that they are incredible and I've got just the perfect spot for one on my kitchen counter... I prefer black if anybody, like my husband, ever reads this.

Kisses - The chocolate ones are nice, but my Little Miss is starting to give kisses on her own free will and they are so precious. Though we're working on keeping the tongue in her mouth, it's kinda gross when those kisses come at you when you're not expecting them.

Kohls - Although I don't ever have money to spend there, I love this store. It has great sales, and a variety of things from clothing to home goods. I definitely enjoy hitting up their clearance racks!

Lemon Meringue Pie - Yummy! The cold, lemony flavor is making my mouth water as I sit and think about it and the fluffy and light top layer. Delicious!

Labor & Delivery - It's my area of nursing and I enjoy it immensely. Taking care of other Mommas during a time that is so precious and special, I love being a small part of it.

LOST - This show is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I can't even begin to explain it or even really understand it, but it's the one show I will not miss.

Laughter - Giggling with my girl, priceless.

Motherhood - I always knew that I wanted to be a mother, and now that I am one it's just awesome! I definitely am not the mother I thought I would be, but so far I think I'm doing pretty well. Little Miss is proof positive that I'm getting something right.

Marriage - Another big part of my life. Having someone that you love to spend the rest of your life with is great. It's nice to have someone to comfort you and listen to you when you need them, and also nice to have someone else around to change a dirty diaper when you've already had your fill for the day.

Mondays - Unlike the rest of the world, this marks the beginning of what I call my weekend. Monday and Tuesday are my two days of the week to catch up on sleep and accomplish the tasks that I can while Little Miss is at daycare.

Minivans - Okay, I'm seriously getting old, but they are practical. More on this topic in the coming weeks...

So much to do...

2009-01-15T07:10:00.000-06:00

Most people assume that bringing a second baby into your home is going to be an easier experience than the first. That there is less to prepare for. You have done it before, you have had another baby and all the things that baby's require... how much more different and difficult can it be?

I have to admit, I thought this way.

In discussing having a second baby with my husband these were many of my key points. It won't be too expensive, we already have everything we need, we'll keep them close together in age and they can share everything...

As my due date is drawing closer and closer I am beginning to see that those words do not necessarily ring true for all aspects of a second child. Sure, my kiddos will be close in age - 22 months apart if all goes according to plan. This is definitely a plus, in my eyes, in the years ahead. However, I'm realizing that my baby, my toddler, is still using many of the things that her little brother or sister will be needing in just a couple of months. Oy!

I've been organizing and rearranging in order to be most frugal when it comes to almost everything. We bought secondhand furniture for Little Miss and we're going to share those items between the two bedrooms. Really, do either of them need two dressers at this point anyways? And thankfully we purchased a second changing table that will double as storage in our new nursery.

What about the crib, the rocking chair... we still are using those with Little Miss and now we need then for baby number two. Sigh.

We're going to make the transition to a toddler bed in the next week. It's being delivered soon and we'll break down the crib and move it into the new nursery in anticipation of our newest Little Tike. It's definitely a transition I'm more than nervous about. Along with the freedom of getting up at any hour, I've discovered Little Miss can definitely open her bedroom door and make a break for it if we're not prepared. Time to finally invest in a baby gate to keep her from tumbling down the staircase at 3 in the morning. Darn those things are expensive! And perhaps a toilet lock... wouldn't want to find her playing in there either... oh my, what if she opens the door into the nursery and wakes the baby! Lots to think through...

I also moved the rocking chair into the nursery just the other day. We still are using it on a daily basis with our oldest because we read to her all of the time. Fortunately her room was outgrowing it, but it's really hard to lose that piece of furniture that we've come to use more than regularly. We're going to have to figure out another alternative... the floor isn't the best option when you're 7.5 months pregnant.

And then there are the little things... the things I really dislike the idea of buying a second one... but we do still sort of need at this point for both kiddos. A diaper champ (having two in diapers is becoming more and more daunting when I think about this from every point of view), a baby monitor (couldn't hear Little Miss downstairs without it - and if she's going to be up playing in the middle of the night... I guess I'd like to know about it)... just to name a couple.

Oh, and how about the things I realize after having one kid would be nice when I have two to wrangle every day... an infant sling, a breastfeeding cover, a second baby bouncer for upstairs, a bigger diaper bag, a double stroller, a leash... okay, maybe not necessarily the last one.

It's just becoming more and more daunting as the weeks pass to realize that my list is not getting any shorter and I'm finding more and more things to add. Fortunately though I know it will all work out. We will make it through this change that is about to hit our doorstep. We will thrive and our family will grow no matter how prepared or unprepared we truly are. I'm looking forward to it more than I can say!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-12T22:45:00.001-06:00

I have to say that although last week I did not follow my menu exactly as planned, I was still VERY successful at providing homemade meals for my family instead of resorting to last minute, fast food options. It seems I actually, almost enjoyed the time I spent in the kitchen, so that's new to me. I did learn that our weekend meals need to be revamped because that is where we failed to keep with the menu plan. My backwards weekend schedule definitely makes it difficult and we still have a couple of meal items I'll need to cook this week.

Tuesday
Dinner - Tilapia Parmesan w/ Mixed Vegetables and Rice

Wednesday
Breakfast - Waffles and Apple slices
Lunch - Corn Dog Muffins
Snack - Grapes
Dinner - Chicken Marsala w/ Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Salad

Thursday
Breakfast - Muffins and Bananas

Lunch - Goulash
Snack - Cheese and Crackers

Dinner - Tacos w/ Beans and Rice

Friday
Breakfast - Oatmeal Bake

Lunch - Mac & Cheese
Snack - Blueberry Muffins

Dinner - Mock Lasagna w/ Salad and Garlic Bread

Saturday
Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, and Fruit

Lunch - Leftovers
Snack - Graham Crackers
Dinner - Tater Tot Casserole

Sunday
Breakfast - Oatmeal Bake

Lunch - Leftovers

Snack - Muffins

Dinner - Enchilada Casserole

Monday
Dinner - Different Chicken Cordon Bleu w/ Broccoli

Round Two - CVS

2009-01-12T16:05:00.000-06:00

I can definitely say that this week was much easier and required much less time on my part to accomplish. I was able to spend a solid hour searching blogs and websites for CVS deal ideas and rummaging through my coupons to make a few great money saving matches. My time spent in the store remained at about an hour again this week, but basically I'm getting blind-sighted when I realize that the deals I think I've found really are not legit, or a product I'm planning to buy is out of stock. It takes me a few moments to regroup, determine if I can make a successful deal on my own and reorganize my transaction plan.

I know it'll get easier with time, and I can already tell I'm catching on after just my second try.

Here's the money shot for the week...

A quick recap of my receipts shows that my total before coupons, sale prices, and ECB's was $105 for all of the products in the picture above.

After coupons, sales, and ECB's it seems that I spent $25, with $12 in ECB's to rollover on my trip next week. Not bad at all. I look at that as though I spent $13 on all of the products in the picture above since the $12 is really equal to free.

Here is a rundown of most of the deals I used.

Colgate Toothpaste, BOGO (2.99 each)
$0.75/1 Toothpaste (SS #2 1/4/09 - used 2)
$1.50 TOTAL

Revlon Nail Polish B1G1Free (4.39 each)
Use 2 coupons (SS 1/11/09 - $1/1, $2/1)
$1.39 TOTAL

Glade Air Fresheners 9 oz. 99¢
(SS $1/2)
49¢/each TOTAL

Fantastik All Purpose Cleaner 2/$5
(SS $1/2)
$4 TOTAL - not the best deal, but we were out of cleaner

Cheez-It Twin pk 20 oz total $6 get $3 ECB

Cheerios Cereal Twin pk 24.5-28 oz $7.99 get $4 ECB

Febreeze Apple Spice & Delight and Vanilla & Refresh Candles.
They should be ringing up for .79, instead of the displayed $7.99!
Check the air freshener aisle, but they are technically 90% off Christmas Stock!

Nasogel $7.99 get back $7.99 ECB
Use $2/1 printable
Final Price after Extra Bucks & Coupon: FREE + $2 profit

CVS Eye Makeup Remover $4.49
Used $3.00 off any CVS product coupon
$1.49 TOTAL

CVS Body Wash $2.99
Used $3.00 off and CVS product coupon
FREE

CVS Water $3.97, earn $2.00 ECB
$1.00 CVS water coupon
$0.97 TOTAL

Gold Emblem Smarties $0.99 each
Used $1/2 Gold Emblem Candies
$1.00 TOTAL

Preparation H Wipes $4.19 earn $1.00 ECB
$2/1 printable coupon
$1.19 TOTAL

WFMW - A new try at coupon organization

2009-01-07T07:52:00.000-06:00

Last year I began my attempt to become a coupon shopper.

I spent endless hours collecting, clipping, sorting, storing, and so on. In the end I used only a handful of coupons because I was so worn out by the task. I found it tedious and I found it impossible to really know what I had clipped, and where exactly I had stored it.

I originally started out with a cute little coupon file folder. I sorted my coupons by basic categories: breads/grains, canned goods, etc. This worked just fine except again, I never really knew what I had without shuffling through the little accordion booklet and I didn't have much patience as I stood in the aisles with my then 7 month old child who demanded constant interaction. Though looking back I must say a 7 month old strapped in a carrier as opposed to an active and mobile toddler seems like a luxury.

So I researched a new plan.

I had found that a number of women keep coupon binders. These binders are sorted out similar to the categories mentioned above, but using clear plastic baseball card holder sleeves. So, instead of thumbing through my little file, I'd have every single coupon in clear sight as I turned through my pages. This approach was nice in that I could see what I have, but the time it took was even more daunting. Not only was I now clipping all of my coupons (and yes, all, because you never know when there will be a great sale on something you may otherwise never buy), but I was also having to fold them and store them into little pockets making sure I was able to see the product description and expiration date. Ugh! More time I seemed to be wasting. Especially considering how few coupons I was really using in perspective.

After all of that work, and all of that time spent, I gave up on couponing for awhile. It didn't seem worth the effort. Why spend so much time every week clipping and sorting to not get the reward? My coupon binder was retired and put up on a shelf until I pulled it out just this past weekend with a new game plan.

On to attempt #3 at coupon organization. And let me say now, I think I've found a system that can work for me and I'm excited about it!

With the exact same binder I already had, I tossed out all of the categorized tabs and coupon sleeves. Still mostly full of coupons which expired in 4/08. It was time for a fresh start, but how was I going to do any better? I had read about the idea of not clipping coupons at all, not even sorting through a coupon circular, just storing it away for when I would actually need a specific coupon out of it. There you have it, hours of time I would spend clipping were saved. Instead of clipping one single coupon I instead dated the outside of the circular and slipped it down into a full page protector and organized my circulars by week. Voila!

So, how will I know what coupons I really have and what coupons I should be using when the time comes? Here is where I give another big shout out to the many women who help find great coupon deals and post them on their blogs for those of us who are new to this bargain hunting world.

I posted a list of blogs earlier this week that have helped me, and there are more out there! I have found that most bloggers who post a great deal will direct you to the exact circular you need, to find the coupon you need, to score said great deal. Shuffle through a few pages and make a couple of snips and I'm done clipping. It's that easy!

BUT, I didn't stop there. I wanted to know more about the coupons I had on hand and not rely fully on others to find those deals for me. I wanted to be on top of my coupon stash and not miss out on any product coupons before they expired, whether it was to get a great deal or merely save myself 75 cents on a product that I will plan to buy either way.

That was when I stumbled back upon...
http://www.taylortownpreview.com/

What a great website!

You will see if you go to this website that it has listed all of the coupons in any given insert. It tells for any given week which coupon inserts you should have and the coupons included inside, along with expiration dates. What a handy service! I printed these out for the inserts that I have and keep them in the back of my coupon binder for easy access. I also have a list of anticipated 2009 coupon circulars by week!

Here are the many ways I plan to use this list in the coming months:

- I'm able to flip through them at any given time and scan through to see if I may by chance have a coupon for a product I may be planning to buy.

- I'm able to skim through the expiration dates to quickly determine if my insert is outdated, or if there is a coupon that I will want to use soon before it expires.

- I'm able to cross out coupons I have clipped and have used so I'll know at first glance if I still have it or not if additional sales on the product arise.

- I'm able to feel organized and better know the coupons that I have in each circular without having to flip through and make notes on coupons I don't want to forget to use.

I've also added additional vinyl page protectors to store my deal lists for the week, envelopes to store the coupons I'm planning to use, envelopes to keep my ecb's, receipts, etc. It's nice having it all neatly stored in one place!

In addition the binder I am using has many various pockets and places to store everything from my scissors, to extra pockets for restaurant coupons/ kid coupons/ Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons... I'm really excited about this system and have enjoyed using it so far.

It's working for me, maybe it will work for you!

I've been hitting up Wally World too

2009-01-06T15:01:00.000-06:00

No photos of today's shopping trips.

I went to Aldi this morning for groceries and was pleasantly surprised that they had just about everything on my list. I decided to splurge on a few more snacky type items so we'd have them around if needed, so my bill was slightly higher than I anticipated. I'm considering starting a pricebook, something simple enough that I can keep track of what I pay for items and where... at least the things that I plan to buy on a more regular basis.

Most definitely because there were a few things that I found which were quite a bit lower in price at W*lmart. One item for instance was french fried onions, since I'm planning to make green bean casserole later this week. I happened to notice the generic brand was about 75 cents less than what I'd paid for at Aldi. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Another area of learning I've experienced today is my need to keep my pantry clean and well organized. I did look through what I had last night and also discarded items that were postdates or spoiled (sure hate throwing away wasted food like that). However, I didn't really have a super organized pantry to start with and discovered that I re-bought a few things I already had on hand... paprika, tomato sauce, baked beans, chicken broth. I'll definitely being doing a closer inventory before I head out next week for my grocery shopping.

So, on to Wally World... I had a decent amount of luck there today, as I had hoped. Thankfully this shopping trip went a bit faster since I know the layout of the store and had a better idea of where I was going and what I was looking for. Last night before bed I quickly matched up coupons and deals that I had found on sites of fellow bloggers and made myself a shopping list. I really must say that I appreciate the work that others are doing to help women like myself find deals, it's so helpful and I'm sure otherwise a task I would find impossible.

Overall I had about $25 worth of groceries and goods ranging from Johnson and Johnson soap to Progresso soup. After all of my coupons I paid just around $5 for all of these products many in which I received for free or close to. It feels so good to watch that subtotal drop such a significant amount and makes me excited again for next week.

Now back to my pantry, another tackle for today. It looks like my kitchen exploded.

Tackling the CVS "game"

2009-01-05T19:27:00.000-06:00

Along with better menu planning I've decided to join the bandwagon (again) and try my best at playing the CVS "game". At the beginning of 2008 I tried my hand at CVS'ing and didn't keep up the pace and decided to quit after only one attempt. While reading blogs over the past year I was continually amazed at the many women who were able to score such great deals at CVS and decided I'd try once again and see where it got me. I've been collecting coupon inserts for the past couple of months in anticipation for the new year and a fresh start.

My first attempt of this year has been very time consuming.

I have spent many hours organizing my coupon binder (check back Wednesday for an inside look), researched various websites reading firsthand experiences of how to make CVS work for me, and also searched and searched their weekly ad and multiple blogs for the best deals to make it worth my time and money. Not to mention that I spent well over an hour and a half in the store today.

Here are some of the great sites I used:
Deal Seeking Mom
Money Saving Mom
Couponing 101
Bargain Briana
Centsible Sawyer

Thank you so much for the time and work you put into sharing with us the great deals you find!

With all of that said, I feel really great about the outcome I had today! The store employees were more than helpful and were so patient despite the fact that I accidentally purchased non-sale items instead of the ones I meant to and had to return them. They took the time to look in the back of the store and find what I really needed, they helped me in reading my receipts and were very supportive of my new "hobby". I was nervous that they would be annoyed with my utter confusion and my multiple coupons, but I didn't have that problem at all.

Because I made multiple transactions, had to return some items, and was reimbursed in the form of a CVS giftcard which I used for the remainder of my transactions... I'm slightly confused as I look over my receipts, but I can basically tell you what I accomplished on my first CVS shopping trip of 2009.

Just take a look at the picture and see for yourself.

Retail price of these items before using coupons and ECB's came to a little over $95. After using a number of manufacturer's coupons, store coupons, and rolling over ECB's from one transaction to the next... it seems I spent just around $20 for all of these products. BUT!!! I still have $11 in ECB's to use next week when I go shopping again. So the way I look at it is that I really spent close to $10 for all of this - the cost of one L'Oreal lipstick!

I'd say that's pretty impressive and worth trying for again next week.

For more Tackle it Tuesday inspiration (yes, I know it's only Monday at this point) check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-05T18:38:00.000-06:00

My New Year's resolution this year is simple enough - to save my family as much money as possible. One area of our budget that needs a huge overhaul is our grocery/food spending. We have fallen into the rut again that we don't plan for our meals, and often resort to last minute decisions like running to the store each night, or grabbing fast food. Neither are very budget-friendly options, nor the healthiest options many times.

So to start off the first full week of the New Year I am once again participating in Menu Plan Monday. My weeks will run from Tuesday thru Monday since my weekend work schedule effects my grocery shopping day and the time I have to prepare a meal. Also, Mondays and Tuesdays will not include breakfast or lunch items since Little Miss is at school and I am sleeping much of those days. I'm hoping to make Tuesdays my consistent grocery shopping day and will do the majority of my shopping at Aldi and Walmart. I'll try my best to keep my food budget under $60 per week.

Tuesday

Dinner - Baked Potato Soup and Broiled Tomato Sandwiches

Wednesday

Breakfast - Muffins and Bananas

Lunch - Goulash

Snack - Cheese and Crackers

Dinner - Sticky Chicken w/ Salad and Baked Sweet Potatoes

Thursday

Breakfast - Oatmeal Bake
Lunch - Corn Dog Muffins

Snack - Grapes
Dinner - Mushroom Pork Chops w/ Green Bean Casserole

Friday

Breakfast - Waffles and Apple slices
Lunch - Teriyaki Noodles and Veggies

Snack - Banana Bread
Dinner - Chicken Enchiladas w/ Spanish Rice

Saturday

Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, and Fruit
Lunch - Pigs 'n a Blanket

Snack - Yogurt

Dinner - Tilapia Parmesan w/ Mixed Vegetables and Rice

Sunday

Breakfast - Oatmeal Bake
Lunch - Mac & Cheese

Snack - Graham Crackers
Dinner - Chicken Marsala w/ Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Salad

Monday

Dinner - BBQ Pork Sandwiches w/ Baked Potato Fries

Twas the day before Christmas...

2008-12-23T07:53:00.000-06:00

Life is chaotic around here. Thankfully my Little Miss is off at school today, so I am able to handle the chaos alone, and without having to keep a watchful eye on my toddler. You see in our home, Santa Claus is coming tonight. It's Christmas Eve in our world and I'm sure not ready for Christmas yet! Presents still need to be bought, most everything still needs to be wrapped, and I've got a small amount of baking that I'd really like to do. Thankfully however, most everything is going to be low-key in the celebration department, and Little Miss is just too little to know the difference anyways.

A couple of days ago while I was sleeping after work, Daddy must of have gotten a little too excited for the big day and went ahead and put together one of the biggest toys we got our Little Miss... and gave it to her. I woke up to see her playroom had a new addition and her Step 2 Kangaroo Climber slide was the center of attention. What!?!?!? I about lost it, but then decided it wasn't worth it and oh well for that oops. I will say however that Daddy will probably never make that mistake again. Part of his "punishment" (though he doesn't technically know that's what I'm considering it) is that he is responsible for putting together her play kitchen. Hahaha. It's a complicated mess of plastic parts and pieces that will have him up into all hours of the night tonight. It's a good thing he decided to spend a couple of hours getting a jumpstart last night!

I can hear the snow/sleet mix starting to fall on my windows. It's time to get this day into gear and pull out the wrapping paper and bows. Falalalala lala la la.

Christmas shopping with a toddler...

2008-12-18T09:52:00.000-06:00

... pregnant, in the slushy snow... not an easy task.

Attempting to avoid shopping carts, because carrying your shopping cart cover is just one more thing to lug around... yet having a toddler running free inside a store, doesn't keep your sanity in tact for too long.

Attempting to let a toddler walk through the snowy parking lot, because it would be so much easier on your aching back... yet the said toddler decides it's fun to run and stomp through the slush, tempting fate to make her fall into the wet nastiness.

Attempting to distract your toddler with an item in the store so she'll be entertained while you are shopping... yet when you arrive to the check out line you are forced to buy said object to avoid a major meltdown. (Thankfully we'd replaced the glittered pear ornament with a plastic penguin bucket just in time).

Attempting to keep your toddler warm and buckling them into their carseat time and time again wearing their winter coat... yet that requires an extra two arms and is not so easy on the pregnant belly bending over that extra minute or two it takes to buckle said child in.

Attempting to get any shopping done when the time you allotted yourself in each store is cut in half because of the time you spent in the parking lot... and then cut in half again because of the distraction that occurs keeping your toddler entertained... and then cut in half again because, let's face it you're wiped out and just want to go home and go to bed.

Holiday Traditions

2008-11-19T09:55:00.000-06:00

For WFMW, I decided to pull out the mistletoe and nativity scene and start thinking about the holiday traditions we'll create in our home over the years. I'd love to hear about any of your special traditions as well - so leave a comment if you please!

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I am starting to feel the Christmas Spirit wafting in and out of my heart. My days are starting to be spent thinking up traditions and plans for my family, and doing a bit of online gift shopping.

Traditions are an important part of the holiday season to me, as I remember having a number of them during my own childhood. We had many common traditions that many families follow, but we also had a few that became our own over the years (it will never be Christmas without Elvis and the Chipmunks). I find traditions a fun way to help remember such a special time of year and make them even more special to a family.

For my growing family I have plans in my head for MANY, MANY traditions. They range from quite small in nature, to bigger and more important ones that I hope my children will pass on to their own. Most importantly I want our traditions to include the different facets of Christmastime: Jesus, Family, and Santa (in that particular order of importance).

In today's culture it is so difficult to notice the role Christianity has to Christmas. With all of the media advertisements, emphasis on gift giving and receiving, Christmas decor, and of course Old St. Nick, it's an easy part to overlook. However, I hope to make that the central part of the Christmas holiday for my family.

So, how do I plan to accomplish such a task?

Really, it will be simple enough with a bit of work on my part, and some creativity. Primarily, many secular traditions have a Christian story that fit them and I plan to showcase those and their importance. Santa Claus, in all of his splendor, will be God's helper - they'll talk, discuss which children have been good or bad, etc. I have no intention to dismiss Santa Claus in any nature as he is such a visible aspect of the season. Christmas gifts will remain few in number in my house, though this is a much more difficult task I am learning each year. My original intention was that each child would receive three gifts from Santa Claus, just as Jesus received three gifts from the wise men. I still plan to follow through with this tradition, but I have, for Christmas #2, decided to include three additional gifts from Momma and Daddy instead of only one more. That will be our limit. Especially considering the many gifts they are bound to receive from family and loved ones. And our goal will be to teach giving, not receiving.

Another tradition I plan to implement into our home is to decorate a Jesus Tree (aka Jesse Tree) each year. This is an advent tree in which you place one ornament each day until Christmas Day, each symbolizing a story from the beginning of the Bible through the birth of Jesus. Our tradition will be to place the ornament on each night at bedtime and we'll discuss that story and say our prayers. This is a tradition that I am most excited about and plan to make my own ornaments for. Thankfully Little Miss is still young enough that this doesn't have to be just perfect yet this year.

Family, being the second most important part of the season, will be emphasized by time spent together. Everything from a special day putting up the Christmas tree with a traditional meal each year, Christmas music, and hot chocolate - to driving around looking at Christmas lights while singing Christmas Carols, to family movie nights watching favorite holiday movies. We'll also celebrate Christmas in our home as a family, and then with our extended families each year. I want to place emphasis on giving as well, though we will do so frugally and being good stewards of the money God has blessed us with. I want our children to be involved with gift giving throughout the season to family, friends, and those who are in need. These are just a few of the things that come to mind for family time, however I know in the scheme of things there will be many more.

And finally, the secular Santa Claus oriented aspect of Christmas will also be observed. We of course will visit Santa each year and take the traditional photo. We will leave out cookies with milk and a note the night before his arrival. And we will also have a few of Santa's elves who will live with us each December. These elves will be our guests, but will also be in our home watching the children behave and misbehave, all the while reporting back to Santa Claus himself. They will cause mischief and bring gifts, as well as, take Christmas wish lists back to Santa at the North Pole. This is a cute tradition that a friend of mine does with her own children and that I fell in love with the moment she told me about it. I've been waiting many Christmas seasons to start this tradition myself!

So as you can see, Christmas will definitely be multifaceted in our home, often many of the parts overlap in nature showcasing the importance and fun of the season all in one. Hopefully though, more than anything, my children will observe the true reason for the season shine through it all.

Getting my groove back

2008-11-14T12:33:00.000-06:00

I finally am beginning to feel that the "hard" part of pregnancy is over for me. So I've been celebrating. Well, not really, but I've been working hard at making up for the lack of motherly activities these past few months.

Here's a short recap of the last two days. Note: these activities involved the kitchen now that I'm enjoying being in there a bit more and the sight and smell of food doesn't make me need to vomit.

I have actually cooked dinner the past two nights.
Chicken with Noodles
Chicken Tortilla Soup

The fabulous part about this is that they were both new recipes and my husband enjoyed both of them so much he ate enough for two grown men. That is saying a great deal considering my cooking skills.

I've also enjoyed making Pumpkin Spice muffins and bread, as well as a fruit salad for nibbling on. Nothing too fancy, but it beats packaged and processed snacks.

I'm hoping this weekend to actually work on a menu for next week. It's been a long time!

Hi Ho the Dairy-O the Flea ate the Mouse

2008-11-11T17:05:00.000-06:00

Seriously?

Seriously???

We have been fighting an infestation of fleas in our home. Nothing too extreme, but they are here and our cats had them, and they may still despite the Frontline - grrrreat. It's totally grossing me out. I know it's part of being a pet owner. But they are in my space and they are bugs.

And I just don't. do. well. with. bugs. period.

My husband refuses to "bomb" the house because of my pregnancy and having a child. Though I assure him they say it's safe, he knows there is residual chemical left on everything. Probably a very smart man, but I'm disgusted.

So we vacuum, and we vacuum, and we vacuum. We've even opened the windows to a couple of rooms in the freezing temperatures in an effort to freeze them out. Maybe that has worked, maybe not. We will watch, and wait, and see.

Truthfully, I do not believe there really are many fleas left. I was seeing them on occasion and I haven't for a while now. It's their eggs that they have left behind that I am worried about. 100 eggs a day, per flea. Or something insane like that. What to do. What to do.

And to top it off...

We have mice trying to warm their fuzzy little feet inside our home as well. Now that totally grosses me out! Seriously.

The first one was scary and deadly looking, I was jumping on my tiptoes and babbling incoherently to my husband. If he would have let me, I would have packed up Little Miss and we'd have moved in an instant. Leaving the mouse and it's house behind. Instead we bought traps and my husband disposed of it.

Since then, I would estimate we've probably had a few more mice visit and leave. Some more promptly than others. My husband assures me that they are more scared of me, than I of them. In fact, they are starting to look sorta cute... almost like the mice in the pet store... behind the thick glass.

We have another visitor today. It won't leave and it won't go for any of the variety of traps sitting around the room. My cats have taken notice to "something" but won't wait it out. Not that I want them to dispose of the little mouse, it probably has some deadly virus and although my cats are still scratching at themselves, it would probably kill the cat and not those pesky, immortal, little fleas.

Piles, Piles Everywhere

2008-10-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

I am such a clutterbug.

I do not understand how my home can consistently stay such a disaster from one day to the next. I feel as though I have been spending quite a bit of my time lately straightening, purging, organizing, and cleaning - only to end up with a home looking about the same way it started.

There are piles and piles everywhere that I turn.

Piles of things that do not have a home inside of my home and so they sit. They sit wherever we find room for them and then they migrate throughout our home based on our needs. Seriously, any horizontal surface is a target for these piles and we are great about using the space.

Just sitting here typing I can see that our entertainment center, our bookshelves, a desk, the top of the microwave, our hall tree, the floor... they have all been cluttered with piles.

We have mostly paper piles, a pile of photo frames and albums, a pile of random homeless items, boxes of more random stuff, and bags for the Goodwill. Move upstairs and it's more of the same, only with an assortment of clothes and laundry items thrown in the mix.

I feel helpless.

How do you women with organized homes keep it that way? Maybe I should be asking how do I get it that way...

I'm shaking with excitement

2008-09-19T14:34:00.000-05:00

I know there are hundreds of scrapbooker/bloggers who are drooling over this wonderful prize giveaway that I've stumbled upon, I am definitely wiping off the keyboard at the moment in awe! Vanilla Joy is giving away The Minibox to one extremely lucky reader and I can only hope and pray that I may just be that one. For me I haven't even scrapbooked since the birth of Little Miss. For the time involved to sort through my things and fight her little fingers off of my goodies is just too exhausting to fathom. I can almost feel the creativity returning to my fingertips as I think about the fun I would have! For your chance at the prize, head on over there before Sunday as the contest will be wrapping up then.

In addition to this great prize giveaway, I'm discovering that Vanilla Joy also is a great blog and now a favorite of mine! Kelsey has some great crafts, family fun activities, and parenting advice to share through her blog. Some cool links I want to share are: childrens face painting, obaji products, original date ideas, and positive discipline for children. Check them out!

Wanting to sleep

2008-09-19T14:20:00.001-05:00

Night shift is really getting harder and harder each week. I am so tired and exhausted at the moment and each weekend that rolls around brings me down further. I feel like I spend all week trying to catch back up only to do it all over again. I'm also having such a hard time with insomnia right now and will spend over half of each night awake in bed. It's been taking anywhere from an hour to four hours for me to fall asleep at night and then I wake up constantly. The time I am actually sleeping doesn't really feel like sleep, it's sort of a half dazed sleep. I think most of it is pregnancy related, I know I had insomnia often during my last pregnancy, so I'm trying to patiently wait for this stage to pass... soon I pray.

Fall Cleaning Bug

2008-09-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

I am getting the itch to get my house organized and cleaned up. It's been weeks, seriously months, since I've really worked on many areas in my home. Pregnancy really drains the energy and motivation from a woman. It's time to push through though and I'm trying hardcore today. I've been working on bedroom and it's nice to be able to walk in there and not feel weighed down by the chaos. I've cleaned off dressers and the floor is swept. I've made the bed and the window are opening allowing a nice breeze to blow through the room. I really feel accomplished today. Then I walk through the rest of my house and feel the weight of disorganization crush me again. One day at a time, one room at a time.

In Memory Of

2008-09-11T21:40:00.000-05:00

In the hustle and bustle of my day, I'm embarrassed to even admit, that the thought of September 11th and the significance behind this day only momentarily entered my mind. Fortunately this evening I came across a website that has had me in tears and taking the time to remember and honor the fallen of our country. Project 2,996.

Denise E. Crant (Hackensack, N.J.)

Denise Crant was 46 years old when she lost her life in the terrorist attack on the north tower of the World Trade Center. She worked on the 93rd floor in the facilities department of Marsh U.S.A. She left behind a number of family and friends whose lives will never be the same from having held her in their hearts.

"Denise, who I called Dee Dee, was a walking angel. She gave so much to so many people. Those that she touched shall never forget her, the glow that flowed from her was kindness and generosity. I miss and love you, Dee. Thanks for being my guardian angel." - Katherine W.

"Dee Dee: you achieved an amazing success in life by how deeply you touched so many lives, including mine. I miss and think of you always. I can laugh and smile just thinking of what fun we had being in NY together. It has been so diminished without your light." - Brother John

"I came across a note from Denise tonight and thought about what a fun, warm, generous person she was to everyone she met. I remember nothing but an exceptional person who worked very hard and was deserving of every good thing in life. She loved her family, golf, New York City and especially her brother. She will be missed by all whose lives she touched. " - Dale H.

"She was a bright, shining star in the universe and her light will never leave us." - Aunt Pat

"Her girlish giggle is still in my ears, giving me grief over my "Out of Towners" nervousness about New York. She told me to come see her (with my husband) and she would show us the city and we would have a blast. I will never forget that last conversation. She loved New York and was extremely happy to be back." - Debbie A.

"We will always admire you because you followed your dreams. You have inspired us. You are close to our hearts and in our prayers. We love you." - Cousin Sharon

"You were a wonderful friend with a beautiful spirit. I miss you." - Melissa L.

Having read the many, many tributes and notes left to Denise since that day 7 years ago, I can only assume that she was a person of great character and her light is still shining on.

I'm back, get excited

2008-09-05T15:02:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the break, I'm back. It was a much needed one as it seems I retreat into the abyss during the first couple months of pregnancy. My bed was calling my name so I obliged and hibernated away as long as possible. So that's my secret. Little Miss is going to be a big sister and it's now time to move on with my life, unless I feel like poo again tomorrow.

After 6 long weeks without any shopping or cleaning, I could tell that I was starting to get my gumption back when I decided I needed to go to Walmart the other evening. I went for gummy bears, but I came back with much more. Along with the Mike & Ikes, Sweet Tarts, Skittles, Peppermints, and multiple bags of Gummy Bears, I hit an organization jackpot. I just happened to be strolling along, sort of taking my time, and ended up in the school supply aisle. The red clearance stickers on just about every item caught my curiosity and I stepped inside. Basically I am most excited about these great zippable bags that I scored for only 25 cents each. I bought 6 of them, but feel the need to go back for a few more.

You know, being a girl myself, and now that I'm a momma to a little girl, I know these bags are going to come in handy for SO many little parts and pieces. Hair accessories, toy parts, crayons, etc. They will be great to pull out as we get new things and need to give them a home. The best part is that they have a clear plastic strip around the outside so you can just peak in an see what's inside. I'm so excited about these goody bags, I just needed to share!

We also bought a couple of pretty pencil pouches and a vinyl lunch box all for 50 cents or $1 each. You should have seen my Little Miss carry her lunchbox down the street last night with daddy to get the mail. She didn't want to let go of it, so he put the mail inside and she carried back home to me. So precious!

Hiatus

2008-08-06T09:53:00.001-05:00

Taking a break from this blog for a while. Life is busy and I have other things that need to get accomplished other than blogging for a bit. I will keep updating my other blog as time allows though!

OAMC Update

2008-07-31T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well my beef prep day went really well. I cooked and froze 10 meals and browned and seasoned enough meat for a few mexican dishes, and another few italian dishes. The whole process took about 3.5 hours, maybe less. I have yet to cook my chicken recipes, and think I'll probably prepare about half a dozen meals tonight when I make dinner. It's really not too hard to double or triple a recipe to store another away for later. Today however, I think will be baking day for Little Miss and I. We usually have one day a week that we spend some time in the kitchen baking and making muffins or bread. I let Little Miss watch, and even help with some stirring a bit. I have some muffins I've been wanting to try, so that will be our plan for the day. I've even read that muffins freeze well, so we'll probably make a few more than I would normally and give it a try.

Once a month cooking

2008-07-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

I blogged last week about attending a session at a meal prep store where I prepared about a dozen meals for my husband and I. Actually, since the meals are 4-6 servings a piece it was more like I prepared about two dozen meals that I now have stored nicely away in our deep freezer.

Spending the morning preparing meals got my brain spinning at the possibility of once a month cooking and what that would do for our home. Have all of our meals ready to cook and serve already prepared for the month would be such a time saver... not to mention a money saver, since we wouldn't have to resort to fast food as we do on plenty of occasions now. So I have been working on a menu and diligently working on finding foods that we like that will make for good freezeable meals.

So today I have been grocery shopping and I have purchased just about everything that I need to cook both today and tomorrow in order to fully stock our freezer. Most meals should be good for 2-3 months so I don't feel that this is overkill by any means. I am doubling up on all of the recipes, and many of the casseroles and dishes are already enough for us to eat one meal and then a night of leftovers. So in fact we should have about 4 nights worth of meals for each recipe I am using. Can we say "Hasta La Vista Taco Bell"?

Here is a rundown of the meals I have chosen to prepare:

BEEF RECIPES...
Lasagna Casserole
Cheeseburger Casserole
Pizza Casserole
Taco/Burrito Filling

CHICKEN RECIPES...
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Touch of the Orient Chicken
Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Poppyseed Chicken
South of the Border Chicken Bake

Today I preparing all of the beef recipes and so far things are going smoothly with this process. I may get to start some of the chicken recipes today as well, but if not I will work on them Wednesday and Thursday during nap time. I'm feeling like I've tackled a mountain today!

For more inspiration check out this blog.

We all survived

2008-07-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

It was absolutely the longest, shortest two days of my life having Little Miss away at my parents house. I missed her so very much and thoughts of her consumed most of our time apart, making the days drag on and on. However, those two days went by so quickly in retrospect knowing that very little on my to-do list actually was accomplished. The hubby and I did spend a little bit of time together enjoying life just the two of us, going out to dinner and a movie for my birthday... and then out to eat for every other single meal just because we could.

It was a nice two days, but seeing my baby girl again was the best moment of it all. I didn't want to let her go, and she didn't want to let me out of her sight either. We will probably do this again someday in the future, but maybe not until my birthday rolls around again next year.

What am I doing?

2008-07-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

I had been thinking it would be a nice way to celebrate my birthday. Little Miss is going to Nana and Papa's house tonight for a two day visit, her first overnight-away-from-me-I-think-I'm-going-to-cry visit. Actually, I have cried. Last night as I was laying in bed I was thinking about the entire carseat escapade that is going to take place as my dad and I (two novices mind you) attempt to secure her childseat into his car. Then it occured to me, once the childseat is in place, she goes in there and then they drive away. Me waving bye-bye and trying to hold back the tears. Again, it sounded like a great way to spend my birthday, but really it may have just been an awful, horrible idea.

The evening should follow with my husband and I getting to go out for a nice dinner and a movie, which we haven't been to since last August for our anniversary. I can't believe it's been so long since we've enjoyed something as simple as a movie theater experience. We sure used to take those type of evenings for granted. Then we have the next two days to spend together with Little Miss off enjoying her days with her Nana. Unfortunately our days are going to be filled with much labor and hardwork around our house. We both have to-do lists a mile long and have found it more than difficult to get anything accomplished with our opposite work schedules and 24/7 Little Miss duty. So we will be getting busy with that and missing our sweet girl to pieces!

Nasty, Nasty, Nasty

2008-07-22T14:15:00.001-05:00

So my day has been quite eventful to say the least. To get straight to the point we have two refrigerators and a deep freeze. I discovered this morning thanks to the rotten stink in the garage that our second fridge was not working and full of rotten food. That is by far the most awful smell I have ever experienced in my life so far. Mostly it is the rotten chicken and beef, but also my now rotten breastmilk smells pretty rank too. Not sure why it was still in there, but hey, it's in the trash now. We blew a breaker, so thankfully the fridge still works. I'd guess it's been off for close to a week.

So this afternoon I have been attempting to dispose of the rotten food little by little, as my stomach and nose can handle it. Fighting off the most gigantic flies I have ever seen in my efforts to rid the smell from my garage. It's horrible.

We had been planning to clean this fridge and sell it soon, so this is just the means to getting that done I guess. Hopefully the smell will dissolve with a good bleach scrubbing and a baking soda bath. I'll be saying my prayers and could use yours too!

As for the deep freezer I mentioned, I spent a good portion of the morning at a meal prep store preparing meals to fill our new deep freeze. It was quite a bit of fun, but not neccesarily worth all of the time involved. I may choose next time to have them prepare the meals for me to pick up and take home. It also gave me a good understanding of how I can easy create ready-to-go meals here at home and how to store them. I did purchase quite a few meals, so I'm excited to see how they all turn out. For the cost, I think it was a good choice for our family, and it saved me tons of time meal planning and cooking each evening.

So basically now I have one appliance that's feeling rotten, and another with a happy belly. I think my stomach is siding with the rotten one at this point.

Requesting Help

2008-07-18T09:03:00.000-05:00

I am needing suggestions for meals that can be prepared and then frozen. Any ideas? I'm wanting to spend an entire day or two next week fixing meals just to put into our deep freezer to pull out and cook as we go. Have you done this before, any words of advice?

Children's Place Outlet, moving fast

2008-07-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

Friends, in my quest to clothe my Little Miss next summer without spending tons of money I headed online to the Children's Place Outlet. They are having great sales and you can use the promo code FA78 to get an additional 15% off of your order. In the time I filled my shopping cart and checked out a few of my items had been sold out, so things are flying off the shelves. But for less than $50 (including tax & shipping) I was able to buy Little Miss 7 shirts, 2 skirts, 2 pairs of jeans, and some tennis shoes. Not bad at all! Check it out soon!

Things I Love Thursday - Site to Store Shipping

2008-07-17T08:58:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of Walmart. I realize that many people may not be nodding their heads in agreement when they read that last statement, but that's okay by me. There is just something about a store that can offer everything I need in one single trip. It saves me time and money, and that I like. As for it's effect on the global market, I'm not an economist so I have no understanding. Please don't try to help me out in that area either. Thank you.

But my newest joy that I have found from Walmart is Site to Store shipping. It's a fabulous creation allowing items that I order online to be sent directly to the store instead of my home. Why would this be such a grand invention you ask? Because, if it's sent to the store, there is no shipping charge. Voila! More saved money in my pocket. And since I shop at Walmart at least once a week, I'll be going there anyhow and can easily pick up my package. It's amazing! And if I want to return the item, well, it's as easy as returning it to the customer service desk. Really it's another great way to save money.

Now I'm just hoping other stores, ahem Target, catch on to this fabulous feature soon too.

Go here to read about more things people love!

A day in the life

2008-07-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

My friend Stephanie always has the greatest meme's and I'm glad I'm able to tag myself thanks to her exclusive tagging system...

Outside My Window... the sun is shining and Little Miss's toys are scattered around the backyard. To be a child again...

***

I am thinking... I think I hear babbling on the other side of the baby monitor, and she didn't sleep very long.

***

I am thankful for... being able to stay home with my daughter during the week and have a routine for her. I love the time we spend together and being a momma is such a blessing!

***

From the kitchen... I have been tackling it all day, we have ants! They are slowly fading away though because Windex kills all. I learned that one from Meet the Fockers :)

***

I am wearing... dark brown shorts and a brown and cream fitted tee.

***

I am creating... a loving home and life for my daughter to grow up and look back at with fond memories of her childhood.

***

I am going... to finish getting the dining room table cleared off and then start tackling the bathroom. First it was ants, next it's mildew!

***

I am reading... blogs, magazines, and baby books. I started "Wicked" a couple of months back and need to pull it out to finish. I'm in a reading rut right now.

***

I am hoping... for continued happiness.

***

I am hearing... definitely Little Miss over the monitor. She's cooing, my little morning dove.

***

Around the house... trying to purge as much as possible. I don't need so much stuff. I'm hoping to do a major style overhaul on our house as well. We're going to be doing A LOT of painting, I hope.

***

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... play, clean, and Nana is coming for a visit this week, so we'll do even more playing then!

As Stephanie put it, Tag you're it!

WFMW - Kitchen Towels

2008-07-16T13:35:00.000-05:00

We waste paper towels at our house. I bet we could go through an entire roll in a day, between my husband and I. They are such handy dandy little things. We use them mostly for wiping up small spills on the counter, wiping off Little Miss after she eats, cleaning off the highchair, and drying our hands. All of this and they are used up and in the trash before we realize it.

A couple of months ago I decided I'd start using plain white dishcloths as much as possible instead of succumbing to our need to use paper. White so that I could bleach them and keep them looking new. So I went and bought a few dozen of the cheapest dishcloths I could find and tossed them into a kitchen drawer. They have been so handy and I feel like I keep my kitchen a bit tidier because of them, just grab, wipe and toss into the laundry. I have been making every effort to have a hand towel set aside for drying our hands on too.

But, where do I toss my dirty cloths as they begin to pile up?

I have placed a 10 qt handled bucket underneath my kitchen sink to store these dirty little guys. That seemed to be working well, until a few extra days would pass that I didn't take them upstairs to throw in the washing machine and we starting having issues with mildew. Yuck! I throw all of the dirty cloths in this bucket, wet or dry.

So I now start out with my bucket half full of hot water and oxyclean and just add dirty dishcloths as I go. Once full, I carry the bucket to the washing machine and pour it in, water and all. I may have to wash a mini-sized load of dishcloths every few days, but I'm sure it's saving us some cash not wasting all of those paper towels. Not to mention, it's doing our planet some good too.

For more WFMW posts, go here.

Ugh, Updated

2008-07-15T12:21:00.000-05:00

I was surprised to discover that the rug I had ordered for our playroom arrived today, earlier than expected by a couple of days. Unfortunately however the cute rug pictured in a previous post isn't quite as cute in person. Well, actually it's cute, but it's nearly neon in color and doesn't quite fit my theme of a primary colored playroom. So needless to say, I will most likely be sending it back and continuing my efforts to find a different rug. A cute rug at an amazing price, I should have known it was too good to be true. Oh well, let the search resume....

EDIT: So I searched and searched some more and found a rug that not only appears to be primary color-oriented, but will be educational as well. The playroom I am creating for my Little Miss is partially a playroom, partially a classroom. So this should fit the space well, I hope. I can't wait for it to arrive early next week!

Minimizing my life: Step 1

2008-07-15T07:32:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I spent an entire day purging and organizing me and my husband's large walk-in closet. We have had such an issue with laundry and not being able to keep the clothing we have washed and put away that I decided that it was time for a major overhaul. So, I sorted and I put away, and I sorted and I stored away, and I sorted and I gave away so many clothes - it's absolutely incredible how many articles of clothing we had and still have.

Unfortunately all of that work, and being able to see my floor, did not last. Our laundry has taken over again. I really need help, I need a system. I am planning today to continue with a second round of purging. I have quite a few laundry baskets of clean clothes that need to be fluffed and hung up, and I have quite a few piles of dirty clothes that I need to tackle.

The ladies over at Handprints on the Wall, had a great post yesterday about their desire to become minimalists and they have started with their closets. It's oh too true that many of us have too many items of clothing and many that never get worn. I admit I'm a little ashamed at how much "stuff" I have and want to weed down to what I feel is a more moderate amount. I'm mentally and emotionally not quite at the same level as these girls, and am sure to keep my closet a little more cozy with clothing, but I'm going to work on minimizing my life.

So today is round two, I'm going up against my laundry giant and I'm hoping to win. Do you have any good tips for keeping your laundry and clothing at bay? A laundry schedule, or are you a clothing minimalist? I'd love to hear! I'm needing all of the help I can get!

Clearance Racks

2008-07-08T14:31:00.001-05:00

I was out today looking for an alternative to the super cute storage bins that are pictured below in my post about my playroom. That's another post in itself, and I'll update on all of that another time. Anyways, while I was out today I came across some really great deals on a number of things and wanted to post about them for those of you who may be interested.

K-Mart has a large majority of their kid's summer clothes on clearance racks, and their other clothes are marked down as well. I bought Little Miss 6 outfits, a few shirts, and a pair of pants for next Summer all for about $35. Not bad considering they're brand new. I guess it's that time of year to start watching the sales and clearance racks once again. Unfortunately, and I'm kicking myself, I didn't "stock up" on clothing for this coming Fall. So my baby girl will be wearing a lot of consignment sale clothing, which is absolutely okay, but I do like her to have a few things that were new just for her. I am having a more difficult time this go around trying to determine what size she will be wearing next summer. I bought a combination of both 18 and 24 month items just based on the width of the waistbands. I'm assuming she'll still have her petite waist, but we shall wait and see.

I also found some great buys on books at Dollar General and the Dollar Tree. I was able to get 8 biblical board books for $10. I found 4 large OT books, and 4 smaller NT books and I'm super excited about them all. The Dollar Tree also has some great educational materials for little ones that I'm planning to go back and stock up on later. The materials are a bit advanced for my Little Miss, but they will be great to have stored away for another year or two. They also had some bulletin board items that will be perfect for our "school" section of the playroom. Good stuff.

Playroom Rug

2008-07-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

I searched and I searched until this most perfect rug appeared before me. It's absolutely perfect for the space! I had found a couple of others that I would have been thrilled about if I would have been willing to shell out the money. But seriously, $250-$500 for a playroom rug, that's just not in our family budget! So this one will work, it's fabulous, and will be fun adding a bit of excitement to the space!

I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks, to be able to share a picture of this room in progress. I just need to get some painting done and wait for the UPS man to arrive at my doorstep. I'm loving this project!

The process has begun

2008-07-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

Quite a while back I blogged about my desire to transform our not-so-formal second dining room into a playroom for my Little Miss and future children. You can catch up on that here. It took quite a bit of convincing to get my husband to go along with the plan. He just didn't like the idea of getting rid of our other dinner table on the rare occasion we have enough people over for dinner that we need it. The table we use regularly only seats 4, so we may be in the process of searching for a larger table now for our eat in kitchen, but we will see.

The second table was always cluttered with junk mail, papers from work, newspapers, random junk, and much more. It was chaos at it's very worst. The room also was home to our desktop computer and other electronic equipment that needed a better storage place. In connection with that dining room is what I refer to as our "front room". It's an additional space in our home that we've chose to put a sofa and loveseat and don't use very frequently, but it's available space when we need it. Overall, the room was not being used to it's potential and needed to be made into an effecient space that our whole family can use.

Organizing Junkie focuses monthly on a specific room of the home to organize and transform, helping readers to regain some control over their lives. The playroom was the focus of the month of June, and I realize it's now July, but like I mentioned it's taken me a while to get my husband on board. Just yesterday we disassembled the table and removed nearly everything from the rooms and I've been slowly bringing in all of Little Misses toys to the space. She's been contently playing in here since and doesn't mind the change one bit.

Now that this transformation is set to take place, I'll be slowly updating as things fall into place. I know this room will be a work in progress for many years to come, as I'm already envisioning toy areas that will be great to have, but she's still just to young for a play kitchen and dress-up area. So for now I'm focusing on the organization and wanted to show you a glimpse into what I've ordered so far and plan to make for the room.

Here is the table and chair set we bought that Little Miss just loves. We do our art projects here and she sits and plays with blocks and play dough on occasion. It's just the perfect size for now.

I've just placed my order for this bookcase and can't wait for it to arrive. She loves reading and looking at books.

And finally here is the toy storage shelf I've been wanting for quite a while now, and it should arrive at my home in the next week or so. It's so cute and I think it will be very functional, giving us a place to store everything away when it's not being used. Above it I'm hoping to have my husband make a couple of wall mounted bookshelves for more book and toy storage.

I'm also hoping to get a coat of light green paint up on the walls soon and I'm looking for an area rug that will be fun and whimsical. There are a number of other things I would love to get for the room, but will just have to do so one at a time and save my pennies. I am so excited though that this room is finally beginning it's transformation!

About me

2008-07-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

10 Years Ago: During my summer vacation between my junior and senior year of high school, I was applying for my first job. It was during that interview that I met my husband... he hired me on the spot :)

Things on my to do list today: Since the day is almost over, not much. I think we may stick a movie in and just hang out tonight. We've also thrown around the idea of working on our budget or doing some things around the house like tape off a room or two for painting. Not sure what sounds like the most fun at 9 o'clock at night.

If I suddenly became a billionaire: I would pay off our student loans and debt, as well as that of our family. I'd probably take a couple fabulous vacations around the globe and definitely have another baby or two, or three. Hopefully we'd move someplace a little more interesting too since we'd have the money to fly home and visit more often. And lastly, I'd probably enjoy being a rich person who hands out $100 bills to random strangers on the street. That would be priceless.

Three of my bad habits: 1. Wasting too much time on the computer, 2. Not picking up after myself and letting my house become chaotic before having a mass cleaning day, 3. Not watching what I eat and being a lazy bum that doesn't exercise - not a good habit at all!

Five jobs I have had: a Wendy's employee, a newspaper ad designer, a waitress, a telemarketer, and currently a labor & delivery RN.

Five things people don't know about me: 1. I used to be embarrassed to sing in my car thinking other people were watching me. Now I could care less, especially since it often looks like I'm talking to myself since Little Miss is nestled in the back seat, 2. I swam competitively for 8 years, l-o-v-e-d backstroke and was pretty good at it, 3. I think I'd enjoy homeschooling my Little Miss but probably won't, 4. I'm really itching to pack up and move somewhere else like either the East or West coast, 5. Most of my hair became curly after my pregnancy, except for the front/top layers. So, I got that area permed to even it all out and I've now got curly wash and go hair. I'm loving it!

Now it's your turn, consider yourself tagged! Tell me about yourself and leave a comment so I'll know to come check out your blog post.

Getting my life back

2008-07-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

I feel such an ease this week. My schedule at work is finally changing this weekend and I feel such a huge relief knowing that I will have an evening each and every week with my husband and Little Miss. An evening that won't be interrupted by the need to go to sleep or the need for either my husband or I to leave for work that evening or early the next morning. We can start having date nights, we can start having people over to our home, we can go out to dinner with friends, and make quick trips to visit family on occassion. I am so excited about this new transition in our lives and feel it's been such a long time coming. Three and a half months later it's finally here. The best part is that it's a holiday weekend making the switch an even sweeter deal since we'll have two entire days to get to spend together as a family instead of just one. I'm so happy and so thankful the day has finally come!

Menu Planning Monday

2008-06-30T07:25:00.000-05:00

Monday - Sloppy Joes w/ Tator Tots and Salad

Tuesday - Fajitas w/ Tortilla Chips and Beans

Wednesday - Cheesy Beef & Rice w/ Steamed Veggies

Thursday - Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Friday the 4th of July - BBQ Ribs, Potatoes, and Coleslaw

More Menu Plans here.

It's simple and to the point, but hey I blogged.

My world today

2008-06-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

The clothing piles are no longer winning. Our house had been long overrun by piles and piles of clothes. Many clothes which we don't even wear but we don't have a place for so they land on the floor. Then they have gotten mixed with piles of clothes we do wear, dirty and clean piles. So we have had a cycle of laundry that does not ever go away, and many clothes we don't even wear that are getting cycled through the wash time and time again. It's been a chaotic mess that I don't even know how we've existed through it for so long. Today though... today I have been working like the dickens to get it under control. We sorted through my husband's clothes last night and came up with a pile he no longer wears to take to Goodwill and my donation to the pile has made it enormous. It feels fabulous to purge like this. We can now officially walk into our walk-in closet and I've made a visible dent in the chaos. But, there is still many hours left of work to do and many loads of actual laundry still to complete before I can call it all good.

On another front, I went on a "run" last night. I use parenthesis because it was a walk with occasional bursts of running throughout. We took Little Miss out in her jogging stroller and went on a two mile "run" on a nearby trail. I feel good today, definitely feel sore throughout my butt and thighs, but in a good sort of way. Hopefully tonight I can summon up the energy and perseverance to go further.

Clearing the air

2008-06-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

I figured I'd better set the record straight before the rumor mills start flying. June has been a busy month... a sick baby one week, I was sick the next, a couple of weekends that I worked three nights in a row, and now I'm out of town. So there you all know. I'm fine, I'm not pregnant, and we're all healthy and happy at the moment. I'll probably get a chance for a real update early next week... but no promises, life has just been super busy!

The world of Labor & Delivery

2008-06-02T18:36:00.001-05:00

Life isn't fair sometimes. Poor baby.

It's not easy being green

2008-05-30T12:07:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how much we waste in our our home. We're only a family of three and many weeks our garbage bin is overflowing at the curb. It's sad. Not only are we guilty of wasting resources, alot of what we waste adds up in cost too. That's my hard earned money I'm throwing away, and that makes me angry.

In my thinking I've been trying to research ways that we can be more frugal in our consumption and spending. I want to be a steward of the money God has blessed us with. There are many ways in which we've been trying to "do our part" and some days we are better than others, but we've been trying. For a small fee each month we participate in our cities recycling program. Of course I'm guilty at times of tossing out an aluminum can or two, and I also don't always recycle the junk mail, but shred it and toss it into our regular trash can. But, I want to get better at this. We have also started carrying reusable, cloth bags with us when we grocery shop. Again, I don't do it every time, mostly because I forget in hast, but I'm wanting to use these bags nearly every time we shop. I will admit though that having a few plastic bags around the house can be very handy and I put them to use when we have them.

We have begun the transition to all energy efficient light bulbs and would estimate we've replaced about 50% of the lights in our home, definitely the lights we use most often. When I cook, I'm trying to either estimate how much we need at that meal so we don't have waste or at least try and eat our leftovers so they don't spoil and get thrown out. I'm not a fan of leftovers so I'm working on this area of our lives, especially because food prices are still increasing. I hate to waste food and have been trying to keep my meals to recipes that call for fewer ingredients, usually 5-6. I've noticed when I try and get "fancy" with my cooking I often buy extra things that never get used. I'd love to be better at meal planning that uses a number of same ingredients throughout the week. Say I buy a package of green peppers and only need one, often those other two won't get used up before spoiling. To help with this, I've purchased some Green Bags, as seen on tv, but haven't pulled one out yet though. Since then I've seen Green Containers which I think would be a better option, but I need to use what I have first.

I'm also very good about reusing other people's old things and prefer to buy things used for a number of reasons. It definitely saves money to buy things used at a reduced rate and there are many things that just don't need to be bought brand new. Why let something of decent quality go to waste, just because you'd rather have the same thing brand new? I guess it's definitely a matter of preference. I do draw the line at personal things however: mattresses, hygiene products, underwear... I'd rather have my own, thank you.

On that subject, I've ran across references more and more frequently to some interesting products. I have not purchased any of these following items, but find them rather... intriguing for a number of reasons. I'm just not sold on them yet however, they're still a little out there for me.

You can check out what I mean here and here. I'm also considering the world of cloth diapers in the near future and of homemade baby wipes. There are definite advantages to these changes, but many disadvantages too. Plus, cloth diapers can have a pricey up front price tag. But, in the end it's good for the environment and they've made huge strides in the quality of cloth diapers in more recent years.

This past week I've taken action to stop our waste in the area of paper towel use. It seems we're always needing to go to the store and buy another humongous pack of paper towels. We're always using them, to wipe a food covered face, or highchair tray, or highchair itself. And I've seen just how many paper towels my DH thinks he needs to dry his hands, 4. Are you kidding me? And then they get piled up on the counters and I'm constantly throwing them (excuse me... money) into the trash can. So I simply went to a local store and bought a package of 18 simple, white washcloths for less than $3 or so. It probably isn't enough to solve our problem since I don't intend to do this laundry every day or two, but it's a nice start in transitioning from paper to cloth hand towels. I'm just trying to figure out the perfect place to store them, within easy reach and spacious enough that I can just toss them in there without wasting the time to fold them. A cupboard, a drawer or two, a basket? Anyways, I'm weeding out the wasteful paper towel from our home. And once they're dirty I have a plastic bin with a handle under the sink that they are tossed into and once full I have a small load of laundry to carry to the machine. Easy enough.

This leads me to my final "green" topic of the day. I've mixed emotions. I've many thoughts and questions. But it's interesting in the least. Again I'm not sold, but I'm intrigued. So what am I talking about? Check this out.

Alphabet Soup - I&J

2008-05-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Man on man, I'm getting more and more behind as the weeks go. Now that I'm trying to re-enter blog world, I need to get caught up and move on. So here we go, my favorite I & J words...

Ice cream - I absolutely adore ice cream. Unfortunately I have a condition that prevents me from eating it as often and in as large of quantities as I would like. I could eat this every day and have been known to have it for breakfast. No favorite flavor, I love them all.

Internet - I'm addicted to it. I have been doing much better recently and have been trying to have the philosophy that I don't want my Little Miss watching me spend too much time on the computer.

Icicles - I think these are a must on a Christmas tree. My grandma always has had the silver stringy type of icicles, but I've chosen some pretty plastic glittery icicles to adorn our tree.

I am Legend - Whoa. I know of a few people who didn't care for this movie, but I loved it. I'm drawn more toward Science Fiction type movies and books and this movie was fabulous in my eyes. I was seeing those zombies around my house for weeks!

Infants - I've never been a baby person, in fact I'm still not. But, my baby has changed my outlook slightly and I'm definitely goo-goo over her. It definitely doesn't help that I'm having baby fever at the moment either. Bring on them babies!

Italian Food - I love Italian food, it's in my blood. My favorite dish is stuffed chicken marsala from Olive Garden, and my husband can make a great one too!

Jas - My husband of course tops my list. He is wonderful and would do anything for my daughter and I. He's amazing as a father and my love for him has grown so much as I've watched him take on that new role.

Jayhawk Basketball - I'm by no means a die hard fan, but I sure love them and watching them play gets my blood pumping. Rock Chalk!

J-E-L-L-O - It's kind of disgusting if you think about it too hard, but it's a pretty tasty treat. I prefer Jello Pudding over the gelatin and my favorite flavor is "Fluff". It's excellent!

Jimmy Johns - My favorite sandwich shop of all time. They have a mean Italian Sub!

July - My birth month. It's a great month, summertime activities, 4th of July, my birthday! Overall it's one of the most fun (and hottest) times of the year.

Jewelry - With a little one hanging off of me it's rare to get to wear much these days, but I love how it makes me feel grown up and pulled together. Even a simple pair of earrings can make me feel good.

Yummy Fried Rice

2008-05-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

I attempted a couple of weeks back to make fried rice for lunch and failed miserably. It just didn't have what I was looking for. I have perfected my recipe since and thought you may enjoy another simple meal idea.

Heat 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil in a skillet/wok on medium-hi heat.
Add a diced onion, cook until brown.
Add a clove or two of garlic per your taste.
Then add your meat. Diced ham, shrimp, chicken or a combination of these. Cook.

Next over medium heat, add 2 diced carrots, 2 diced stalks of celery, 1/2 cup of peas. Cook until veggies are a tender crisp.

Next stir in 2 beaten eggs until scrambled.

Finally add a couple of cups of leftover rice from the previous day and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of soy sauce depending on your taste. You may like some salt and pepper too.

Simple, quick, easy.

Fiesta Chicken, Crockpot Style

2008-05-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

This was a super quick recipe that I will be making quite often from now on. We both loved it and it was so easy!

In the crockpot toss:

4 Chicken breasts
A rinsed can of black beans
2 cups of frozen corn
2 cups of salsa
1 teaspoon cumin (if desired)
1 teaspoon chili pepper (if desired)

Cook however long. I cooked this on high for 6 hours, of you could put it on low for 8-10 hours.

Serve over hot rice and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Now that's my kind of cooking!

A day to myself

2008-05-28T07:15:00.001-05:00

My Little Miss has started preschool. She is scheduled to go two days a week. One so that I can sleep after working the nightshift before, and one so that I can take care of our home without sacrificing the time that I spend with her every other day of the week. It really is a win-win situation for us both.

I was beginning to notice that much of the time that I spend with my daughter is spent in the kitchen doing dishes, cleaning, vacuuming, or doing laundry. I am often more focused on taking care of the home than nurturing my relationship with her. I was sacrificing our time together for other things, things that are definitely still important and that she needs to know are important, but not more important than her. So I figured out a solution to fit both of our needs.

I believe that preschool has a lot to offer children, in many aspects. She is getting to interact with other children and other adults to develop social skills, she is attending a Christian preschool which has a great curriculum, she is getting to have new and different experiences that she would not have being home with me every day. I'll just be so excited once she is able to talk and tell me about her day and everything she did! I also believe that being around other little ones will help her with her developmental tasks such as walking and talking sooner.

For me I now will have one day a week that I can get done what I don't feel I ever have enough time to do. I can focus on areas of my home that need my attention and not have to worry about a soon-to-be toddler underfoot. We've lived in this house over a year now and there are still many things that need unpacked, or at least put away. Moving at the end of a pregnancy, having modified bedrest restriction for two weeks, and then having a new baby in the house really zaps any motivation and extra energy to get a house in order.

So yesterday, on the first day of school, I spent the entire day sorting laundry and clothes that have been piling up forever. I am attempting to organize the closet in our guest bedroom with all of the baby items Little Miss has outgrown, as this will be the nursery for our second child when we are blessed with one. I had a dinner prepared when my husband came home, which I've been slacking on for the past couple of weeks or more. I did cheat and use the crockpot, but it was convenient and still delivered a hot and very yummy meal that we both gave 2 thumbs up. I went shopping without having to entertain a child the entire time which made my trip so much faster and efficient. Overall it was a successful day.

Now today I get to focus on my family. Little Miss and I will spend the day playing and laughing. This momma has less on her plate the rest of the week and more time to devote to her daughter. I feel so lucky that this is what I have found that works for my family!

For more WFMW posts, check this out!

Nothing much at all

2008-05-23T10:52:00.001-05:00

I love this time of year being able to have the windows open around our home. The cool breeze and the smell of nature is fabulous. Unfortunately I suffer from seasonal allergies though, but in between the sniffles and sneezes and itchy nose I just can't get enough of this weather.

This morning we're hanging out in the kitchen and my Little Miss is underfoot playing in her drawer mixing with spoons and cups and just having a fun time. I've been doing a little bit of baking, banana bran muffins, and the house has quite a yummy smell. Though now I have a kitchen of dirty dishes to put away, it will be worth it with the first bite, and the look on the face of Little Miss as she wants another and another.

This afternoon will be a great day for a nap as I work tonight and the weather is so peaceful. Daddy gets to come home early too since it's a holiday weekend, so I'm very excited about that. It will be wonderful to have Memorial Day to spend together as a family. Since my new schedule we have been doing our best to get in quality family time, and usually that means we sacrifice sleep on my part or bedtime gets pushed back further which isn't always the best solution. We're hoping to attend a couple of family focused activities this weekend, so we're praying the weather cooperates. I'd really like to take a trip to the zoo and attend a music festival this weekend since we have so much time to share together. Otherwise we'll find some activities to do together here at home, which would be great too.

What I'll be up to the next few days

2008-05-14T01:24:00.000-05:00

Life is crazy, here's an abbreviated version of my to do list:

1. CLEAN my house
2. Finishing shopping for an important birthday party, and make a shopping list first
3. CLEAN MY house
4. Do a gazillion loads of laundry, honestly there may be two gazillion
5. CLEAN MY HOUSE
6. Get 1 year photos taken before Friday
7. AGAIN, CLEAN MY HOUSE
8. Learn to make a valance for our bay window by Saturday
9. ONCE AGAIN, CLEAN MY HOUSE
10. Grocery shop for an important birthday brunch, a menu would be my first step
11. ALL TOGETHER NOW, CLEAN MY HOUSE

Doesn't it all just get old after awhile?

WFMW - Mr. Sandman

2008-05-14T00:55:00.000-05:00

Let me start off by saying that I know my tip may not work for everyone. In fact, without a daughter who sleeps through the night 99% of the time and a husband who is willing and able to get up with her on rare occasions it need be done, it wouldn't work for me. However, I work a crazy schedule nowadays, a schedule that has me going from working night shift to being a mommy during the day, and back and forth, back and forth. It's weary and it's tiring sometimes and my body doesn't always know when it's supposed to sleep. In fact, it is 1:00 am right now and I woke up after a couple of hours of sleep really thirsty and now feel like I have my second wind for the day. Not bad as I can get things done around the house without interruption but by daytime and with an almost one-year-old underfoot I'll be dragging if I don't go back to sleep soon.

My solution, a little pill Mr. Sandman likes to refer to as Ambien. It really is a wonderful little drug. I'm not a sales rep and I'm not a doctor, so I don't want to insinuate it will be so wonderful for you, but for me, well... it is.

I currently take it only 2 or 3 times a week and get some of the best sleep I've had since my pregnancy and the nights of tossing and turning with constant bladder fullness were so disturbing. It is an absolute necessity for me when I'm needing to sleep between my two night shifts. No matter how nice my fancy sleep mask, no matter how silent the world becomes with my earplugs, I need something to help me relax and fall asleep. Especially in helping me to stay asleep. Imagine waking up mid-day knowing how beautiful it is outside, knowing you could be spending it with your hubby and Little Miss, and you won't fall back to sleep no matter how tired you may feel. And then imagine staying up another full night running on only maybe say 4 hours of sleep. Oh no, it's not good.

Unfortunately plain ole Ambien never has quite cut it for me and I've averaged about 6 hours of sleep under it's care. Not bad on say a random super-early Wednesday morning when I just need to fall asleep so that I can function in the morning, but to make up for staying up all night... well, I've now discovered Ambien CR. Woohoo! This stuff is amazing. This past Saturday I slept an entire 8.5 hours during the daytime, I was refreshed and so energetic for my second night shift of the week. This little pill is made to help you fall asleep AND stay asleep just as the commercial guarantees. I now truly can participate in "Coma Sleep" as my fellow night shift comrade Stephanie calls it.

Again, I want to mention that this may not work for you, but it sure does work for me Wednesday... and Thursday... and Friday... and whatever night or day of the week my body just decides to retaliate against my craziness of a work schedule. And as always check out Shannon's place for more great tips, and always, always, always check with your Doctor to see if Ambien may be right for you.

Alphabet Soup G & H

2008-05-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm being a little overly ambitious today with this game. Here are my favorite G's and H's - I know you're excited!

God - He's definitely my number one, though it often wouldn't seem that way unfortunately. But that's what I strive for and hope to instill in my Little Miss.

Grocery shopping - Strange, I know. But I'm loving going with an organized list and a goal of saving money. I've made it into a game and I heart Aldi! It makes shopping as frugal as possible. I unfortunately am realizing just how expensive it can be to feed a soon-to-be toddler however and her weekly grocery tab nearly doubles ours as I want her eating the healthiest or organic version of everything.

Grandparents - They are fabulous when you need help, always offering or willing to watch Little Miss when you need them. They have made the past 5 months a lot easier for us. Thank you!

Garage sales - This may be a little redneck, but you can't beat the prices and truly "One persons junk can be another persons treasure".

Gardening - I don't yet have the slightest clue about gardening, but I hope to some day. I want a yard full of beautiful flowers and plants, a garden where I can pick fresh produce and an herb garden! I just have to figure out where to begin.

Girlie stuff - I enjoy all things girlie. An afternoon at the spa, a new purse, cute shoes, putting on makeup. All of these things make me feel fabulous, unfortunately it seems that they are less of an occurance these days as well.

Home Cooking - My grandma always makes the best meals to make you feel good. A hot roast, or fried chicken, it's all delish!

Hot Cocoa - Not this time of year, but in the winter it's the best snack ever. Especially with a handful or two of marshmallows.

Hairem - The Hairem, my hair salon, that is. I loved my last haircut and it's time for another trim. As long as my stylist stays there, I'll be going there for a long time. I have never gotten as many compliments and they lasted for weeks.

Home Decorators Collection - This is my favorite furniture store. They have great pieces and the prices are very affordable, especially if you hunt through their outlet store!

Holidays - I love the traditions that they bring and the time spent with family. The food is usually another large attraction of the holidays as well, I have to admit it.

2008-05-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

Wow. I just realized it is May. Goodness. So much to do! My Little Miss turns ONE in just a couple of weeks!

Alphabet Soup - F

2008-05-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

I guess it's time to finally catch up...

Family Time - When my husband, Little Miss, and myself get to spend quality time together each week. I so look forward to Sunday afternoons and select evenings each week that we can share, just the three of us.

Flowers - I love fresh flowers! Whether in a garden or a vase on my table, they are beautiful and they smell so good. The just brighten my day, and they are everywhere this time of year!

Friends - Having good friends to share your concerns with and also just to chat about the silly things in life. Becoming a mommy has helped me to realize that friendships are essential and bring balance to a hectic world.

Funnel Cake - Just one bite is all I need, but it's a tasty treat that brings back memories.

Farkel - A fabulous dice game that can keep you occupied for hours at a time. It's a game that allows for conversation and enjoying the company of those your with. Laid back.

Family Camp - Though I'm not quite a part of that circle anymore, I was reminded of camp this morning. I loved those weekends with friends and the focus on God that it brought to my life.

Faith - Having faith in God is such a foundation for my world. Though I struggle so much to make this a focus and a part of my everyday, it's something that has made me who I am and is helping me to have faith in greater things to come.

TAG - Budget Busters

2008-04-22T20:46:00.000-05:00

Kendra over at one of my favorite blogs, Handprints on the Wall, tagged me with an interesting meme. Let's see what we can all discover about me today... Here are my 5 biggest Budget Busters.

1. Without a doubt... Craigslist. I am addicted. There is no other way to put it. I am currently searching for a patio's worth of play things for my Little Miss and have hit the jackpot...

2. FORMULA is another huge budget buster. If I'd have only known I would have fought to keep up my milk supply a little bit harder than I did. This breaks down to a cost of about $5 per day or $130+ a month. Not to mention the pricey bottle liners. Wowzers!

3. GAS. I can't do this meme without mentioning it. Though it hasn't been the greatest strain on us it's making a difference in our budget since Daddy drives so far to work. It's also putting a limit on the amount of traveling we're able to do.

4. FAST FOOD. We're doing much better about cooking and eating at home, but there are still weeks that the majority of our meals come from the drive thru. It pays to take the time to menu plan and stick to a grocery list.

5. Drumroll please... DEBT. It's an awful burden, but we're working on it and boy will our shoulders feel so much lighter when the day comes we're finished worrying about this biggest budget buster of all!

Now, who to tag... If you read this post, your tagged!!!

Work, work, work

2008-04-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to update a moment on my new, crazy work schedule. It has had it's highs and lows so far and I'm not quite at a point to say either way if it's working for me. There have been nights I could keep running like the Energizer bunny and nights that my eyes are tired and burning by 2 am. However, this is a schedule that for our family is the best option and I'm not about to give up yet. I have noticed however that as the week winds down for everyone else I'm thinking "Man, can it be Friday again already?" and I'm averaging about 5-6 less hours of sleep a week which is a little wearing on my nerves. But my husband has been very helpful in taking on the duties of our home and watching the Little Miss so that I can sleep as much as possible and cope with the new schedule. Switching back over to a daytime person during the week has been easy some weeks, and rough others. I think I just need a bit more time overall to adjust. I am just super thankful that I have such a flexible career and we're able to have this option right now.

WFMW - Sealing Envelopes

2008-04-09T16:02:00.001-05:00

This is a simple tidbit that I forgot to include in my WFMW post about my card organization drawer a couple of weeks back. Brought on by my husband's refusal to lick an envelope and the death of George's fiance on "Seinfeld", I found an inexpensive alternative to the human tounge.

The foam brush! They cost pennies and will last forever. Just dip the very, very tip into water, and you may even want to blot it on a paper towel to get out the extra water. Then, just wipe it along the glue strip on your envelope. Voila! It's like magic, and no more nasty taste that haunts you for days!

Check out other WFMW tips over at Shannon's!

Just following along

2008-04-07T21:04:00.001-05:00

I'm going to play follow the leader for awhile. My friend Bek is putting blogging aside for a bit to accomplish some things in her life and she has helped me to make the same decision. I love blogging and love being able to just share my thoughts and release some tension through this means. I do however feel that I have some other more important things to focus my energy on each and every day, namely my Little Miss. I'll be around, I'll be reading other blogs, and I'll be back every so often. Until then though, I'll be playing chase around the living room floor and outside enjoying some fresh air, enjoying life with my baby girl.

Tackle it Tuesday - Clothes Pile

2008-04-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

Being an infant, Little Miss goes from one clothing size to the next in the blink of an eye. I am barely able to remain on top of this phenomenon for long before she's done it to me again. Her closet and her wardrobe are constantly needing refreshing and it's not a small task in the least. A couple of weeks ago I decided to begin the purge as she is somewhere between a 9 month and 12 month clothing size, and well, the weather is supposedly going to change soon to.

So, what did this momma do? I started pulling clothes off of their hangers left and right. I pulled clothes out of their storage containers and I bought a seasons worth of clothes all within a matter of a few days. This became one massive pile in her bedroom floor, a pile that is destined for the washer and dryer, but just has not made it quite yet. Laundry is a topic for another post, but while I'm on it... Who was the man (not pointing any fingers here) that thought it would be wise to put a washer and dryer in the middle of a hallway, behind folding closet doors? I'm sure I'm not the only woman who needs her space for sorting and folding, and I feel a little ripped off to not have gotten this space. I vow my next home will have a laundry room, whether that be in the basement or the second floor. Heaven knows I could use the workout of carrying a tub of folded laundry up two flights of stairs!

Okay, back to the here and now. So, this massive pile of clothing, some too big, some too small, grew into a mountain that was not quite conducive to Little Miss playing on her bedroom floor. So this wise momma scooped the whole pile up and threw it into the abyss which is her closet. So that is my Tackle it Tuesday project for this week. I'll be sorting, and washing, and folding, and hanging, and storing away so that my Little Miss will no longer be wearing wrinkled clothes that I've salvaged off of her closet floor.

Embarassing. I know. Check back later today though for my completed project. You'll have never seen anything as Be-U-tiful! For more Tackle it Tuesday posts check out what other's are up to at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Friend, you will be missed

2008-04-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

Andrea "Annie" Irsik 1981-2008

Fly, fly little wing
Fly beyond imagining
The softest cloud, the whitest dove
Upon the wind of heaven's love
Past the planets and the stars
Leave this lonely world of ours
Escape the sorrow and the pain
And fly again

Fly, fly precious one
Your endless journey has begun
Take your gentle happiness
Far too beautiful for this
Cross over to the other shore
There is peace forevermore
But hold this mem'ry bittersweet
Until we meet

Fly, fly do not fear
Don't waste a breath, don't shed a tear
Your heart is pure, your soul is free
Be on your way, don't wait for me
Above the universe you'll climb
On beyond the hands of time
The moon will rise, the sun will set
But I won't forget

Fly, fly little wing
Fly where only angels sing
Fly away, the time is right
Go now, find the light

Celine Dion ~ Fly

Weekend Recap

2008-03-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

My first round of weekend option worked out for us beautifully. It was not near as difficult to stay awake all night as I had suspected. I credit that to my role as a mommy. It is amazing what my body is capable of and how little sleep I now need to function effectively. Friday I was able to lie down for about an hour and a half, which turned out to be enough to make it through an entire night of work. Saturday I was able to get a very restful 6 hours of sleep with some help from a doctor prescribed sleep aid. This was the deepest and most restful sleep I've had in a long time. Then after a second night of staying awake I was even able to attend church before going home for a quick few hours of shut eye. I spent the afternoon with my family and turned in super early for nearly 12 hours of rest. It was not a deep, uninterrupted 12 hours of sleep, but it was useful and I'm alert and feeling myself this morning as much as ever. Hopefully this new schedule will always work out so well. Now it's time to focus on Little Miss and my role as a weekday SAHM.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-31T07:10:00.000-05:00

Cooking last week started off great, but as the week progressed our plans changed and my new schedule shift put us into a meal funk. I realize that I need to be better prepared for weekends now with an easy meal Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night so that we don't succumb to grabbing an easy meal outside of the home. Since I didn't get a chance to prepare a few of the meals I had planned for last week, I have incorporated them into this week's meal plan.

Check back in later today, or tomorrow, as I'm planning to add meal costs to each meal to keep track of for my future reference. I'm also hoping to once again do the majority of my shopping at Aldi, so the costs will remain low. If you are interested, here is a great blog I have found about shopping at Aldi, complete with a meal planner!

Monday - Layered Fiesta Casserole

Tuesday - Aloha Pork Chop Skillet

Wednesday - Chicken Lo Mein

Thursday - Skillet Chicken & Vegetable Parmesean

Friday - BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Saturday - Shepherd's Pie

Sunday - Quesadilla's

Head over the OrgJunkie's place to see what others are cooking up this week!

Is it bedtime yet?

2008-03-28T07:56:00.000-05:00

Today is a changing day for us and our lifestyle. It's the first of my new weekends only night shift schedule. I wholeheartedly believe that I can survive this, but I can not tell you how tired I was last night by 10:30 and ready to crash. Hopefully I can catch a nap today with my Little Miss and feel somewhat rested up for tonight, and get a really good, uninterrupted day of sleep tomorrow. Say a little prayer for us, and especially daddy as he is taking over all baby duties for a couple of days, and a few nights, all in a row.

Alphabet Soup - E

2008-03-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

My most absolute favorite thing begins with this weeks letter!

Emberley - The name of my Little Miss! She is fabulous and amazes me more and more each day that we share together!

Earrings - For many years I never put them in, ever. I think I look so much more pulled together wearing them though and love having a cute pair dangling from my lobes.

Ebay - Though I'm not as addicted to it as I used to be, I've found some great deals on there! And I've sold quite a bit too!

Education - Specifically I love teaching my childbirth, breastfeeding, and baby classes to moms and dads to be. I love helping to ease the unknown for them!

Email - I check mine quite often during the day.

Exercise Highs - Not neccesarily the exercise, but the high that comes afterwards when you feel like you could do it over again and again... it's just a great energy!

Electricity - I can not fathom how different my life would be without this luxury. I'd have frizzy hair, no ice cream, and imagine no blogging... no thanks!

Again... I am blessed.

WFMW - Sending Cards

2008-03-26T07:36:00.000-05:00

One of my New Years resolutions year after year has been to improve myself in the area of sending cards. Birthday cards, anniversary cards, thank you's, get well, just thinking of you - the whole array. I love receiving cards in the mail and have wanted to be better about doing the same for others. It seems anymore that it is becoming less common to send written mail and cards to people through the mail system. With the internet, cellphones, and other forms of technology at our fingertips, the art of sending cards and letters is becoming lost.

I am not the best about taking the time to do this quite yet, but it is a work in progress. With any desire I have, I have to get a system in place, plan, and prepare before implementing it. It's just a quirk I have. So I give you my card system...

Initially I had to designate a space in my home that would be easily accessible to organize and store my cards and such. In our eat-in kitchen there is a drawer on the opposite side of the counter, away from the hubbub of the kitchen itself. It's accessible, but out of the way. In there I store my cards. I have a wide assortment of boxed sets, encouragement cards, birthday cards, get well, sympathy, all for the times that I just need to pull out a card without having the chance to go to the store. I also have a stack of thank you cards to pull at a moments notice to send. I have also included in this drawer preprinted address labels, both for my dearest family and friends and return labels, stamps, a pen, and our address book. Everything I need, all in one spot. What a concept.

Another great item I have that resides in this drawer is my birthday/anniversary calendar. This thing is fabulous. It's about 8x10 in size and works like a flip chart, one page for each month. On each page is listed the number of days in the month and allows you room to write birthdays and anniversaries for those you know. It's a great item to have, keeps all of your important dates in one place, and it's whimsical and fun!

The third key to my card system is my 13 pocket binder system. In here I have labeled the tabs by month of the year. Ahead of time I make sure to have purchased any birthday or anniversary cards that I will need for an upcoming month to have stored away until I need it. Sometimes you just can't run to the store for a card 5 or 6 times in one month, so it's best to stock up on your first trip. If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll even address them ahead of time. And for technicality's sake... I store my birthday/anniversary calendar in the 13th pocket of this organizer.

There you have it. It's my system. It's a work in progress, and I still am not that great about getting cards sent out to all those I care about. It has helped me definitely however to be better organized and I'm improving in this area. I want my Little Miss to see this as something that we do for others and for it to encourage her as well.

You can head over to Shannon's place @ Rocks in my Dryer for some other great tips!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-24T11:03:00.001-05:00

Monday - Spaghetti Bolognese

Tuesday - Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Wednesday - Parmesean Baked Salmon w/ Asparagus

Thursday - Chicken Lo Mein

Friday - Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ w/ mashed potatoes

Saturday - Shrimp Stir-Fry

Sunday - Quesadillas

For a rock hard body...

2008-03-20T14:50:00.000-05:00

Dare I admit this? I'm not sure if I want to give my secret away or not, but I guess with being forthright I may have a person or two help hold me accountable. I caved to an infomercial. Since we cancelled our cable service a couple of years ago, I have started watching significantly less television, however, the quality of the programs I do watch are less than ideal. For quite a while I was on a "Malcolm in the Middle" kick, and watching reruns of "Bernie Mac" is almost embarrasing to admit. Thankfully after the birth of Little Miss I have cut the few hours of television watching I did a week to almost nil.

This past weekend however I found myself drawn into the world of infomercials. I flipped through the six channels that we get, endlessly, and kept resorting back to the prepaid programming of Beach Body fitness. It drew me in. Possibly it's the time of year and knowing that I'll be unpacking my summer clothes soon, and having to buy a few more pieces for my wardrobe - which I despise, since I almost always increase a size each season. To my point. I bought a DVD fitness program, Turbo Jam.

It was possibly watching the fitness gurus dancing and moving their flat abs all over my screen that did me in. Only 30 minutes a day will give me that body or my money back. Sure. However, it does look fun. The DVD's which are included are of various lengths which should help me fit one or two in to my day during Little Miss's naptime. Plus it came with turbo sculpting gloves and they cut the price down to only three payments instead of the usual four, since I called within that next 17 minute period.

So if you notice I'm blogging less it's because I'm in front of the television "jamming" the pounds away, or I'm passed out on the sofa with a pint of ice cream thinking I'll try again tomorrow.

Alphabet Soup - D

2008-03-19T16:43:00.000-05:00

In listing out so many of my favorites, even at just the letter D, I realize how blessed I am. What are your favorite D things?

Deals - I know I buy plenty of items I don't neccesarily need, but when you can get something for 75% off or more, it's just worth it!

Dimples - Baby Girl has a set of dimples, though one is more dominant. The smile that accompanies it just lights up my life.

Dandelions - The white ones. Yes, I realize that they are weeds and that blowing them apart just spreads the seeds so that your yard will be covered in those pesky yellow flowers, um, weeds. It's just so much fun, and it reminds me of being a child.

Date nights - When my husband and I are able to get out and spend some quality time together, just the two of us. These nights are few and far between, but so worth the wait!

Dipping Sauce - I do love all types of sauce. Ketchup, BBQ, Honey Mustard, Sweet & Sour, Ranch. They will make anything taste good.

Disney - There is magic in that word! I enjoy all things Disney and hope to experience the magic with my children as they grow older.

Dumplings - Apple in particular. They just taste so great. Warm... with vanilla ice cream.

WFMW - Control Journal Part 1

2008-03-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned in the past how I am working on a control journal for nothing more but to get my life under control. This journal is going to hold some great stuff that I will be able to use throughout my day to keep my world in order. Flylady is the source of inspiration for my control journal and deserves much of the credit for this process I am undertaking. My WFMW posts for the next few weeks will take you through my journal and the great stuff I have decided to include inside.

First off I had to purchase the perfect "journal". Seeing as how I am trying to remain frugal and not go overboard on my spending I hit up Wal-Mart and found the perfect binder. This is a 1.5" three-ring binder that cost just under $10. It has pockets throughout and zips up around the outside, all nice and secure to keep everything safe and sound. Most importantly it is a wonderfully, eye-catching red color. I chose red over the more subtle colors for a few reasons. First, it is less likely to be misplaced. Second, it will catch my attention as I attend to business throughout my home, it will not be as easy to ignore. And third, red tells me to have fun, I don't want the business of running my home to be just that, a business. I want to bring joy and excitement as I tend to my daily chores and duties such as grocery shopping.

As part of my control journal I decided to use this as a means to organize my coupon collection. I have had such issues with missing out on some great deals because I can't keep all of my coupons straight and organized in the accordian type files which many people choose to use. I have stumbled upon this coupon binder system a few times this year and decided to put it to the test and see if it will work for me. So far, I'm more than impressed, though it had been a process at getting it set up.

The basics of this system are that you use baseball card pocket pages to store and sort your coupons. I have dividers in place to separate by category as you would in an accordian coupon system. I have sorted in categories such as: canned goods, household items, beauty items, meat, cereal/grains, etc.

I still have a handful of coupons to sort and put in their place, but I'm enjoying being able to view each coupon and tell in an instant what I have. The pages I purchased were very inexpensive - 9 sheets for less than $1.50, I purchased 4 sets to get me started. I do believe that I will place a white sheet of paper between each individual sleeve so that I can get a better view of my coupons, if not each layer of coupon seems to blend with the next.

This binder has many pockets throughout and I am planning to include scissors, a calculator, and sticky notes to mark the coupons I'll be planning to use as I organize my shopping trip. There are pockets inside too that will be perfect for putting my weekly store advertisements and for storing my ECB's from CVS. Another item that fits this grocery shopping section of my Control Journal is that I will include my price comparison list in which I can keep track of the best prices for certain things I purchase frequently from store to store. That way I can ensure I'm getting the best deal or needing to buy elsewhere.

I almost giggle at the insanity of this new addiction in my life. I never would have guessed that I would find such pleasure in couponing that I would take such measures as this.

Now I have to ask how do you organize your coupons?

Check out more WFMW posts at Rocks in my Dryer.

Edward Scissorhands

2008-03-18T08:13:00.000-05:00

Oh, and I cut my hair off. If the picture didn't give it away. 10 inches gone. I had backed out of the idea and decided on a trim, but the stylist I went to persuaded me with her cute as could be shorter hairstyle. It's a nice change, I feel a little more stylish and am excited to get away from the daily ponytail I was sporting.

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum

2008-03-18T08:04:00.000-05:00

There is a giant in my house.

This giant has overtaken and isn't afraid to hide. I call him laundry.

I despise laundry these days. It never seems to disappear. I could spend an entire day sorting, washing, folding, and putting it away for the same pile to reappear within the next day or two. Problem is we are wearing too many clothes. I never would have thought that a family of three could create such an abundance of dirty clothing and towels. Our laundry baskets are overflowing and there is not an end in sight.

Any guesses as to what I will be doing today?

Is that Spring around the corner I see?

2008-03-14T07:39:00.000-05:00

This weather is such a tease.

I love Spring. It just changes my outlook on life when the birds start singing and the temperature increases just enough to venture outside. I love watching the color green start to blend it's way back into the world of greys we have sucomb to over the past few months. It lifts away the winter blues and makes me eager for the activities to come. I already have a list of places to go, things to see, stuff to do in the next few months, but the weather doesn't want to cooperate just yet it seems.

It was nice to get out and take a family walk the other evening. The temperature was so pleasant and the smell in the air was just uplifting. Unfortunately they have been predicting some snow showers again already. It's so interesting to remember my delight as the previous season approached, and now my dissatisfaction as it just can't end fast enough.