Crazy right now.

9 Dozen Christmas cookies baked, frosted and packaged by noon. Check
Christmas cards stuffed, labeled, addressed, stamped and sent.
Wrap Christmas presents, and finish shopping.
Clean house! It is a mess.
Uh oh Asher just spilled OJ all over the house. Add mopping to the list.
Wash those cookie dishes.
Dan is out of work shirts...again. Time to do laundry.
The dog is freaking out because we have roofers here. So that is just loads of fun.
BILLS. Yuck.
Lunch time. What should I make? I don't think they should have chicken nuggets...again.
I feel nauseous, but I need to watch what I'm eating. I want egg salad.

CRAZY

Target is my friend.

So the other day I was reading about the Glade candle deal at Target. If you buy $10 worth of Glade products you get a $5 gift card. Well, I had coupons and I am in love with the scented oil candles. They make me happy...so I tried it. And guess what! It worked. So I bought 4 refills that came to 6.85 after coupons. Then I was given a $5 GC. I used that to buy Asher some much needed socks (I swear the dryer eats them) and a pack of little debbies snacks (bribes to keep the toddlers in their seats.) My second order after gift card cost $2.98.
So I got:
4 Apple Cinnamon Scented oil refills
10 pairs of socks
1 box of snack cakes


Total OOP: 9.83

Not bad. I like saving money!

Stay at home mom

I am a MOM. I am a taxi driver, laundry doer, house keeper, a cook, a child care provider, a teacher, a boo boo kisser, a friend, a disciplinarian, and a financial adviser. I am the giver of the baths, the maker of the lunch, the bedtime story reader. I need to have a clean house, well behaved children who are smart, attractive, and happy. Money is in my hands to pay bills, budget and save. I must plan our meals, grocery shop for the food, and have it on the table for my family. The food needs to be nutritious and inexpensive to fit in the above mentioned budget. I am keeper of the calendar. I must plan and scan that we are never overbooked or miss an obligation. If a birthday card is missed that falls on me. If we lose an invitation, it is my fault. I am responsible for making cookies and goodies to send in with my husband. Teaching my children their ABCs, shapes, colors, numbers, and how to behave. I am a believer in Christ Jesus and I am responsible for making sure my kids see a Godly example.

I was asked to other day if I ever was bored just being a stay at home mom... Don't I miss a career. The answer is no. I'm not bored. I do the world's toughest job. Trying to be super mom isn't easy, but it is all I've ever wanted. I'm not there yet, but I am working toward it.

CVS sunday

Sundays are my CVS day. Today my plan is to spend $0.50 OOP.

Viva paper towels $7.49 -$0.50 coupon= $6.99 Get $2 ECB
Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation $8.99 Get $8.99 ECB
Complete Multi Purpose solution $8.99-$1.00 coupon= $7.99 Get $8.99 ECB

I have $23.49 in ECB. My total will be $24. I will leave with $19.98 in ECBs.

I love CVS. I can get stuff I need for free or cheap. Who wouldn't love this. I started couponing about 4 months ago. I save at least $200 a month with coupons. I always say it must pay me at least $50 an hour to do. And it usually does.

Thanksgiving...

So I'm a planner, it's what I do. I don't always have to rigidly follow the plan. I just need some sense of what might happen when so I can be prepared. I get it from my grandmother who bless her heart has to start packing for a trip 3 weeks ahead. So anyway, I am hosting Thanksgiving at my house. So I have to have a plan. So here is my plan:

Menu
Turkey- I need to figure out how to do this I haven't ever tried to cook the bird.
Stuffing- Packaged mix on the stove top. EASY!
Green bean casserole- I have all the ingredients it's just figuring out how to share oven space.
Corn Casserole- Have all ingredients again just need to heat the thing.
Squash Casserole- OH NO I'm running out of room!
Mashed Potatoes- I can make these with my new mixer!
Gravy- From scratch. This is the MIL job since I can't make gravy. I don't know why it just doesn't ever work for me.
Napa Salad- Aunt Connie's tradition that Beka requested. Now I just have to figure out how to make it.
Rolls already made and in the freezer
Pumpkin Pies- I will make 2 of these Wed afternoon.
Cheesecake- This will also get made Wed.

Veggie Pizza- Crust Wed night put it together Thurs morning.

We set up the Wii tonight so we have fun to do there. I also am hoping to make a thanks journal that we can all write what we are thankful for. Cheesy, but that is what this holiday is about.

Ok it's my bedtime. I'm out.

Life as I know it...

Wow, long time no post. So much has changed and yet much has stayed the same. Asher is now 14 months old! I feel like that is impossible. I want my baby to stay a baby for a little longer, but alas, that is not a reality. It gives me the baby crazies to see him grow. I know that it is crazies because in all of life's aspects we are not ready for another baby. I have set several goals until we should get preggers again.

1. Buy a mini van- we have a plan to hopefully pay cash for one in Oct of next year. Aside from our Mtg we strive to live debt free.
2. I want to lose 30 lbs- I want to be healthy and I feel like I need to drop some pounds before another pregnancy. I have some very stubborn baby weight that I hope to lose before adding more.
3. Potty train the boys- I feel like this will never happen. Isaac is insistent that he loves his diapers. I have tried several times to train his, but it ultimately leads to frustration for us both. So for now we are waiting till he is ready or 3 then we may start again.
4. We'd love to be in a new house, but in this market we think we will stay here a few more years. That way we can build the equity and savings to move to a bigger house.


That is almost overwhelming to think all of that has to be done. We are hoping to start trying late next summer for another baby. That way we have time before Isaac starts school to adjust to a new person. We hope to home school.

Both the boy's personalities are really coming out. Isaac is a lot like me. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, loves to be around people, can't wait to see his friends, has a sweet tooth, and is a bit stubborn.

He is into everything including dirt. The other day he decided to sneak out to our backyard and dig in the new flower bed.
I love this picture he looks so guilty.



Asher is so sweet. He is such a love! He is always giving kisses and hugs and cuddles. It makes me happy. He is our little engineer. He loves cars and has to figure everything out and how it works. He loves his mommy and Daddy, but he is a little more shy than his brother. He is also my emotional one. He can get his feelings hurt much easier than Isaac. I am learning how truly unique each of my boys is, and I love them for it.


Dan is doing well at work still. He is playing soccer once a week, which he loves. We are still working with the youth at our church. I love the chance to hang out with the girls and pour into them. However, I think they teach me way more than I teach them. I have been doing zumba twice a week, and I love it. It is a great workout but it is a lot of fun. I love the music and the dancing. Our instructor kicks our butt, but in a great way. It is an awesome ministry. It's at a church that provides childcare for free and the classes are donation. So it is doable for stay at home moms.




I love being married and being a mom. It is challenging sometimes. To feel that you have so much on your plate, but it is a gift that I am able to stay home and do the job God has given me.

Hopefully I will start posting more soon, but for now I have an Isaac asking for my attention and I need to leave for Zumba in a half hour.

I like to Talk

So here I am. Hopefully this blog works. I had one made, but then I couldn't find it. Poor little lonely one post blog. Out there all alone. Just waiting for someone to find it. But not I. You see I am so untechnologically savvy. I'm not sure if that is a word, but go with it. I'm sitting here waiting for my husband to return from seeing IRON MAN. He went out with his friends tonight. It's his turn I got to go last week. We have two little boys and we don't get to see movies all that often. In fact, we don't go to new releases almost at all (unless some one else is paying). It's not that we are totally broke. It's just that we are 24 and 25 and have two kids, a dog, a cat, a mortgage, and 2 cars. We don't have an extravagant lifestyle, but it is nice. I feel very blessed. I mean, how many people at age 24 can say they are doing exactly what they always wanted to do. I have always wanted to be a mommy. I get to stay at home with our sons. We have a great church, awesome friends, loving family. We live about four hours from our home town. I like to say we were high school sweethearts. We started dating about a week before Dan graduated. I was a junior so technically he was MY high school sweet heart.

Anyway, a few things about me. I work with the youth group at our church, and so I still act a bit like I'm in High school. Not bad all the times. I have always thought that maturity is knowing when it is appropriate to be immature. I have been married almost 4 years. My husband and I have two adorable little boys who are 2 and 7 months. I love my life even if it makes me a bit nuts sometimes. I hate my body almost as much as I did when I was in high school, but I have way too much to focus on so I no longer mourn that I don't look like a model (not all the time anyway). I love ice cream, french fries, and dill pickles even when I'm not pregnant (which seems like a constant the past two years) I am fun and peppy. I am easily excited. Some may call me a cheerleader type in some ways, but I hate sports. I love being girly, although you may not guess it to look at me since most of the time my hair is in a ponytail and I don't put on make up every day. I love clothes, but hate the way they look on me. I love photography especially if my boys are in it. I think they are the most adorable boys alive, but I desperately want a girl someday.

Anyhow, that is a bit about me. I just want somewhere to ramble even if no one reads it. (Especially if no one I know reads it.)