Trying to Find Some Ways to Save

Not that I've always paid full price, but I was never really ALWAYS on the look for bargains. I used the occasional grocery coupon and shopped the sale items at the grocery store. Lately though, I have found myself trying to be more budget minded. The size of my family has increased and the hours I work have decreased!! So, I am trying very hard to decrease the amount of money we pay out every week for groceries and other necessities of life.

Take clothing for instance. Since we are not nudist, we have to buy clothes. I find it very hard to pay $20.00 for an outfit for my 3 1/2 month old. That's just crazy. He's growing so fast and doesn't wear them that long. Then, it's hard to try and buy clearance seasonal items for the kids that "might" fit next year. That's why I love Babies R Us. I have the rewards card and when I buy my necessities there (diapers, formula, etc.), I get points that convert into R Us dollars and coupons. So, Wednesday I took my R Us dollars and went shopping. PLUS, they had all their Carters clothing on sale 40% off. YES!!!! I got 2 three piece outfits and 2 two piece outfits for about $25.00, not too bad. And, today I went to Old Navy and got myself a sweater, two tanks, pair of capris, 2 shirts for Mini-Me, and a Dora learning pack for less than $40.00.

Now, my husband's take on this is, you could have saved more if you didn't go shopping at all. True I guess. But, I had the coupons and we do occasionally have to buy clothing. So, why not save some money? I love getting hand-me-downs and often shop at thrift stores, but some new outfits are nice on occasion. And with 8 people in the family, I need to get all the bargains I can find!!

Now, to work on the grocery budget......... My goal is to feed this family on a $120.00/week food budget. That does not include baby food/formula, so I think it's doable (is that even a word?). I need a couple of weeks to build my coupon notebook up, but I'm hoping that by the end of September, I'll be buying our groceries for under the allowed $120.00. I guess until then, we'll be eating a lot of hotdogs, burgers, PB&J, and soups (cheap foods). Bon appetit!! Will work on the grocery budget and post my accomplishment!!

17 Years Ago Today

I married my best friend and high-school sweetheart. We were obviously young (as you can see in the pic)!! I'm sure there were some that didn't think we would make it this far, but we did. I'm sure some thought we didn't know what love was. I think we did and still do. I think more than anything, we both determined this was our LIFETIME together, for better or worse, no matter what. It wasn't a trial run, and getting out wasn't an option.

We have had many good times and probably just as many hard times. I know that there is no one in this world I would have rather been with through them. We have been through some tough loses; 3 miscarriages, the death of my mother, and most of our grandparents. But, we've also had the JOY and privilege of bringing 6 beautiful children into this world together.

Times they sure have changed and so have we. It's scary really. He can look at me and know what I'm thinking. There are times I will say something and he will have been thinking about the same thing. I have picked up my phone to call him only to him already being on the other end cause he was going to call me. I once heard that after years of marriage you can finish each others sentences and thought they were crazy, but it's true. I know what he's thinking just by looking at him.

He even knows my taste in appliances and furniture. For instance, when I was on bed rest with Baby Samuel, our washing machine gave up the ghost. I obviously couldn't go shopping for a new one, so off he went. My only specifications were BIGGER and a front-loader. There was no arguing when he got home and no disappointment.

I can honestly say a lot of things have changed in our lives (you can see some of the differences in the two pictures), but some things never do. He is still my very best friend. He will always be my high school sweetheart, and is still very much the love of my life. I'm looking forward to the crazy years ahead. One thing about our life together, it has NEVER been boring!!

It's My BIRTHDAY!!!

Well, reason number two that August is one of my favorite months, MY BIRTHDAY!!! And yes, I still celebrate them even though I'm 30something :) Ask me again after my 40th in a few years. Honestly though, most days I don't feel my age, guess it's all the little ones in my house. LOVE THEM!!! They keep me moving and keep me feeling young, usually.

Today though, I'm a little whiny. I just don't think you should be sick on your birthday and on top of that I have to work. UGH!!! NOT FAIR, but like I tell my kids, life is not always fair. So, I'm just going to enjoy my day with my beautiful children, take a nap this afternoon, and then head on into work armed with my cough medicine, cough drops, and a good attitude!!

Now, I was going to put a picture up here of me, but I don't have one. You know, I'm always the one taking the pictures and all the pictures with me in them are family pictures. So, I thought, I'll just take one of me. However, feeling the way I do today, that would just not be pretty so I won't punish you!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma

Well, for a few reasons, August is one of my favorite months of the year. One of them is my grandma's birthday. The picture is of me and my Grandma taken just last month. The family is having a little Birthday party for her this weekend, wish I could go :( She is 91 years old and one of my favorite people in the world (even though sometimes we disagree on things). I remember as a child all the many days and nights we spent at her house. She would take us to McDonald's, Chuck E Cheese (back when there was one in Bridgeport), and then take her old Ford Maverick and drive very fast down the airport road in Motown(there were speed bumps on there and we would fly up in the air). We would spend Friday nights at her house watching tv and eating popcorn, then Saturday morning she would fix us breakfast after letting us sleep in as late as we wanted. That was what Grandma's did right? Some super fun childhood memories at Grandma's house.

She's obviously not feeling so spry these days. She has lost a daughter and her husband and many days doesn't feel very well. I don't know how much longer we will be blessed with her presence here on Earth, but she assures me I will see her again in Heaven and that's what matters to me. Though I live in SC, and can not celebrate her birthday with her, I wish her a blessed and Happy Birthday. I know she'll enjoy her little party!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!!

Potty Training Update

Well, story is the same! Sit on potty........pee/poo in pants. We have had many, many discussions as to WHY she won't use the potty and my conclusion is...........This is one of her ways of staying the baby. This little girl is having a hard time adjusting to NOT being the baby and this is one thing she thinks she can hold on to. Though she loves her little brother, he has stolen the title of baby from her.

Potty Training Mini-Me: Day 1

Well, I don't usually write about my "mommy" experiences, but I think that's the only way I'll get through this. That beautiful little girl on the right is my Mini-me and I think she got my stubbornness as well as my looks:( Poor child and poor mommy.

I have decided to bite the bullet and get this potty training thing over with (after all, I still have one more to look forward to, lol). We've tried a couple times before and she just has no interest. Well, this time is no different, but I'm determined!!!

That little girl has went from being the cutest little toddler to a terror on two feet (in more ways than one)!!! So, it's only 3:15pm and already I've washed all of her training pants. I sit her on the potty every hour and she sits there smiling, she'll sit there 15 minutes. Then, she'll say "can't pee-pee mommy" and get her big-girl panties on and then proceed to go to her bedroom and pee in them. Best part, she comes back out smiling from ear to ear!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! Can you hear my frustration there?

This is child number 5, it shouldn't be this hard!!! My 4th child, Princess 2, potty trained herself:) No, seriously!! She wanted to go to pre-school and was told they didn't take little girls who peed in their pants, that was it. She didn't have a single accident after that day. Why can't it be that easy again, I ask you? There isn't even anything I've found yet to bribe or reward Mini-Me with.

Well, I've got a theme phrase or maybe two, "I will survive" and "This too shall pass". I can do this, after all I've done it 4 times before and have to do it again. Got my game-face on now!!! I'm gonna need it:) Still love that little girl to pieces though!!!