Smile

A couple weeks ago we met up with our photographer from Knox Photography for 5yr anniversary, family and 18mos photos. We of course had a great time, we went to the school area that is right near our house where there is a Prairie and served as a great background.  I also wanted to get some of Ian on the playground since he is after all a 18mo old boy who doesn't spend his days wearing white linen pants or white button down shirts.

Paleo Police

So in order to dive into this paleo world a little more than just for breakfast I have decided to call in my good friend/Paleo know-it-all friend Chelssie. She and he family have been living paleo for almost a year.  When I asked her to come over and go through my pantry and fridge she said I will probably hate her so we will see come Thursday.  I did remind her that I am the one that is asking for this.  I won't be throwing anything out but when it's something I only eat and it's not paleo approved then once it's gone it will not be purchased again. So we will only be focusing on the foods I eat (good thing I indulged this past weekend into some of the naughty stuff) not what Marcus or Ian eat. I'm quite certain my fruit/veggie bowl will be safe...I HOPE!!!

Till Thursday check out this video that kindergartens the paleo way of eating.

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Sunday nights

My Sunday nights usually look like this:

Earlier in the day I already went through all the ads and coupon inserts and pulled out the coupons that I will use and clipped them.  Don't get the Sunday paper then sign up to receive notifications of coupons via email (I sent up a gmail account for all coupon notifcations to be sent too) from websites such as RedPlum, Print Coupons Online, also check out TheKrazyCouponLady there she will do the research for you if you don't have the patience or time.

I gather up my 4 store ads that I always look at: Meijer, Target, CVS and Walgreens.  I compare my list to the ads and what coupons I have.  When it comes to bathroom personal essentials I feel we can never have too many now too many to you may be different than too many to me so that is up for translation. I'm in no means a candidate for Extreme Couponing.  As the week goes on and we run low/out of something then I add it to the list and come Sunday night I break my 1 list down to 4-5 lists with the store names on top and then what I'm getting from that store and cross the item off my master list of needs.  The other thing we do is make out our menu for the week based on what we have in our freezer, what's on sale and what our palettes are craving.  Now when I say a menu I don't say on Monday we are eating such and such and Tuesday such and such.  Instead when I make out our dinner options I choose 3 that are kinda quick and easy and 3 that are a little more time consuming for the days I'm off work.  And we pick that day which one we are going to have for dinner.  I know some families have it planned down to the day and that is a bit too much structure for our family.

I primarily look to CVS and Walgreens for our bathroom personal essentials: razors, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, face wash, lotion, girly items, etc.  With both of these stores they often have money back offers with different products for example a couple weeks ago Walgreens had the brand of tampons I buy for 6.99-$2 (in store rebate, to be used on a later purchased) then I had a $2 off coupon. I also had buy one get one of the same product and for each of those I got $2 so I really got buy 1 get 2 free with the coupon and in-store rebates.  Another great buy I had was on Bic razors they were buy 1 get 1 50%off and I had a $2 off coupon which was applied to both packages of razors. I also used some in store rebates from the previous week to help pay for the items.

At all 4 stores you can combine manufacturers coupons with store coupons this is where my research comes into play.  Since we don't buy pre-packaged meals I turn to stores websites for coupons off produce and deli.  I also go to Aldi for produce and items that we aren't brand specific about such as certain cereals, baking items, milk, etc.

Meijer: you can sign up for mperks where you can "clip" coupons and when you go to check out you select the mperks logo and you enter your phone number into the kiosk and any coupons that correspond with what you purchased.  Last week I decided before going to the store to print out a list of the coupons I "clipped" and  I'm glad I did as I purchased items I had "clipped" coupons for but it wasn't taking them off so with my proof of clipped coupons an employee was able to make the proper price adjustment. 

Target:  there is no limit to how many times you can print the same coupon from their website unlike brand websites.  They also take $0.05 off for each bag you bring in to bag your groceries with.

Brand Websites: If you are brand specific on certain items as we are in our house then go to the brands website they often will have coupons that you can print off.  If we buy juice at our house then it's V8 Fusion juice so i will google V8 Fusion and find their website where they almost always have coupons for.  And then if I have a store coupon I pair them together and wait, I wait for the store that I have the coupon too has the juice on sale and then I go in for "kill", haha.

Diapers:  I have stopped buying diapers from big box stores and now they get them sent to our door on a monthly basis from Amazon if you sign up for their subscribe and save program you save 30% and you can cancel your subscription at anytime.  So right now I get 192 Pampers size 4 for $31.49 that's $0.16 a diaper and free shipping.  If I went to Sam's Club I would buy Sam's Club brand and would get about 147 diapers for $35.00...

Couponing is not hard once you get started and organized and have yourself a game plan.  Happy clipping and if you have any questions feel free to email.

California Girl

it fits

I took out my dress that I wore on our wedding day 5yrs ago for 2 reasons: 1. to try it on for kicks and giggles and 2. to take it out of the preservation box to fluff and refold and create new creases. Suppose to do this every 5yrs we'll see if I can fit into it in another 5yrs. One can always have a goal right?

So if anything 5yrs later I didn't require any undergarment holder inner thingy and if I were to wear it again now more than just in my parents basement I would require alterations (this dress was straight off the rack no alterations, nothing) in the shirt area, dang pumping (I love you Ian).



Wedding day Aug 12, 2006



5yrs later Aug 12 2011

It feels good to say that after 5yrs and a child I can still fit into my wedding dress with some room to spare. But it's never to soon to start prepping for the 10yr fitting, I'm off to count some calories...umm yeah I just wrote this while eating chips ahoy cookies and we won't talk about the fact that I had pizza for dinner and also nieman marcus cake for dessert at my aunts. Maybe we'll start counting tomorrow, it's a new day or maybe I'll start on Monday, Monday's are good days to start something. Off to stuff my face some more since calorie counting doesn't start till tomorrow or Monday or whenever I decide to get back on track.

Jeans

Thanks to Crowdtap I got to sample Old Navy jeans and boy did I sample I think I tried on about 6 different pairs 3 different times the poor fitting room attendant.  What I found when tyring on was that a size 8 fit the same as a size 10 in the waist band area, can you say loaded with spandex??  I really liked these

But...I needed long inseam and they only carry long or petite inseams online and my coupon for a sample was for in-store use only so I stepped out of my jean comfort box of bootcut and flares and got:

SKINNY JEANS

For the sole purpose of in the winter not having to stuff a bootcut or flare into my boots this afternoon I tested a winter errand running look out.  No I didn't go out into public to test it just to our spare bedroom that doesn't have a bed...yet.

In the past...

5yrs we have:

Become homeowners x2

Become landlords

Become dog parents x2

Become human parents to the most adorable little boy who has us wrapped around his little finger

Have had our ups and downs

Have gained and lost the same 5lbs, *happy to report for myself I weigh less than I did on this day 5yrs ago. Trying on wedding dress tonight!

Been able to go on some great vacations, that make up for our not so good honeymoon

Survived finishing college, fire academy, work related classes, DIY projects and much more

It's been a great 5yrs and looking forward to about 50 more!

Blizzards

We all know how getting a blizzard from Dairy Queen can lift our spirits and put a smile on our face. Until you look at the nutrition facts but for today throw away the nutrition brochure order what you have been craving to have and enjoy. As for every blizzard sold today at participating DQ locations a $1 or more will be given to your local Chuldren's Miracle Network Hospital. Meaning when you buy your blizzard you are giving a family hope as doctors race against time to find a cure or to diagnosis the unknown. Since 1984, DQ has raised over $86 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals-including $5.5 million in 2010. Let's make 2011 a record-breaking year! Join DQ and help make miracles happen. Find your participating location and give a family HOPE!

BC

 Last August Kaley put her status as "who wants to be in a book club" or something like that.  And wouldn't you know she got responses from 9 other book geeks who we are all in our 20/early 30 somethings.  We get together once a month usually on the 1st Tuesday of each month to eat dinner, drink wine and relive the pages of the book that was choosen and catch up on our lives from the previous month overall good therapy happens during that time.

We started off with The Help by Kathryn Stockett:

Here is the synopsis from Kathryn's website:
Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.


Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.


Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.


Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.


In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends--view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

I loved reading the book and wouldn't you know they made it into a movie that opened today.  I am so looking forward to seeing this movie.  I've already prepared myself to know that there will be some differences between the book and movie but that still doesn't stop me from wanting to see it.  

August List

Although we are already 10 days into this new month I still feel I should toss some goals up.  As I like lists but what I like more about lists is being able to cross things off my list.  I'm known for making a list and if I do something not on my list I add it to the list just so I can cross it off. 

1. tuck both vehicles into garage at night--> we got one in as of last night.

2. get color painted on the walls

3. get pictures hung on the walls

4. decorate guest bedroom

5. get better with couponing, I coupon but I really think I could do better. 

6. get into a nice weekly routine of having an errand running day and a stay at home day, one would think that by now I would have been in this routine but since the move the word routine has been boxed up.

7. budget...budget...budget

8. dive a little deeper into paleo eating, I have breakfast nailed down and lunch somewhat.

9. go through everything we moved into the basement and figure where it needs to go, I have a feeling this one will be on the list for a while. Maybe I'll find our routine down there

10. get some quality family of 3 time in

11. get a post up about the books i've been reading.

There it is the official list for August, I may add more on the follow up post but for now this is it.

How to get a 3.5hr nap out of your child...

Repeat as necessary.

we're D.O.N.E

On Sunday we handed the keys to our first home over to our first ever renter.  The house in which we made our own and poured tons of sweat, money, time, energy, and frustrations into.  It was where A LOT of 1st happened for us and it was hard to hand those keys over.  The past month has not been easy by any means. Marcus coming home from work to change clothes say Hi/Bye and out the door till at least 1a if not later.  To wake up and do the jobby job and repeat all over again.  There was resentment on both ends, both of us feeling like we each did it ALL and the other did nothing. We have had little to no time together as a couple in the past oh 60 days or so. And after looking at our August calendar maybe we will shoot for a date night in September.  Although I guess this past Saturday we did have a date day if you count painting, weeding, and cleaning from 10a Sat-5a Sun. as a date then yes we have had time together as a couple.

Since July 5th(ish) the following happened at the rental house:
-Bathroom gutted, new drywall installed, tile tub surround installed, new light fixture installed
-drywall ceiling hung and finished off in basement
-trim installed in the bedroom #1 and basement
-carpets cleaned
-all rooms, ceilings, and trim painted "rental" white (thanks Daddy Jim)
-flower beds weeded, mulched down (thanks Mom)
-stairs going down to basement painted
-flooring replaced at the back door enterance
-ceiling fans replaced (with cheaper ones so we could put the pricer ones at our house) in kitchen and bedroom #1

I'm hopeful we have a good renter and that he will take care of it.  I'm going with no news is good news, although he did call today and to say I didn't cringe and ignore the phone call would be a lie. But alas he was calling to confirm we had received his rent check from his company.  I made sure all was well and that he and his dog were both happy. And they are so YAY!! 

We completed all that work in time for my SIL and her hubby to come up from Indy to help work on our new house.  They have some big ideas, the ladies will be inside painting while the boys play in the dirt possibly with heavy machinary.  This weekend we will hopefully tackle the organization of the garage in hopes of parking our cars in it.

Ian's way

After I hung up the phone he started pushing it again but at a much slower pace, I asked if he wanted to get in and ride and mommy push. He didn't have to think to long or hard about and in he got.