BabiesandBargains

Lego Storage

2012-01-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

With a 7 year old and a 2.5 year old boy I have come to terms with the fact Lego's are going to be around for a while! I have stepped on, swept up and thrown out more then I care to admit so I knew the time had come for me to start finding a way to organize these little blocks of pleasure for my kids! Seriously give the kids a instruction set and a Lego set and they are quiet and build away until they are done!

Bargain Becky had shared about a Scrapbook paper bin at Michael's but even on sale it was 30+ dollars! I'm super cheap so I drooled and waited and watched and it just didn't get lower then 30 even full price with a coupon! Then last week I spotted a clear version for 15.00! I figured why not swing by and just see how it looks expecting it to be super small, super narrow or super cheap! To my surprise it wasn't!!

It took me one full nap time to go through the multiple bins of legos and dissemble and separate into like colors but it went pretty quickly!

As you can see I did have a few bins that I had to combine colors so I just decided to use scrapbook or construction paper and put a small piece in the opening so you can see what color goes where when assembling Lego Sets or just free building!

We threw it in the playroom and the kids have gone down there a lot to play with it. I think they find it easier to find what they are looking for. I have all the people and instruction sets in a Lego case on top of the Lego organizer and its working.

As you know Legos are expensive but one of those toys you can pass down and they never get old or outta date! I feel good in this 15 dollar investment!

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

WW Weekly Weigh in Week 2

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Source: busybeingfabulous.typepad.com via Amanda on Pinterest

ROUGH ROUGH week! I'm shocked I lost in all honesty! I didn't do good with my diet soda hoping it will get a lot better. Im getting better with my fruits and veggies and eating lots and lots..I need to stay away from a banana a day as I know they will pack on the pounds! Just fighting myself this week having a tough time fueling myself properly for workouts and staying within my points! I covered 21 miles this week since Friday 9.4 in running YAY!

Here are my numbers Weight Watchers wise for the week!

Daily pointed allotted: 124

Daily points used: 124

Extra weekly points allowed 49:

Extra weekly points used: 25

Activity points earned: 37

Activity points used: 37

I lost a grand total of 1.4 pound this week

Total weight loss since Oct 2011 38.8pounds

pounds till my 5% Weight Watchers goal 3.5

pounds till my goal weight 31.2

I missed my goal of 2 pounds this week but I am okay with that! It was a ROUGH ROUGH week...I'm having major chocolate cravings if you get my drift ;) I was also super hungry this week. Weight Watchers HATES carbs and I need them to keep my working out energy level up! I will have to learn to use my Weekly points as I felt a lot better towards the end of the week when I actually used them! Hoping for 1.5 pounds next week!

Weight Loss Jars

2012-01-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Amanda on Pinterest

My best friend is also doing Weight Watchers and her and I are so similar its weird! When she showed me this pin I thought DUH! We are both visual people so it helps in situations like weight loss to always remember how far you have come! You may not have a great weigh in week but you've lost x amount of pounds! So off to the Dollar Tree I went and grabbed 2 vases, a package of shiny rocks, and some beady table fillers for $5.00!

I happened to have my craft paint and stencil on hand which I prefered over letters. Thankfully it had a large and small stencil that worked good enough for me!

I just held the stencil super snug around the vase and dabbed away. It didnt pull off perfectly but I am okay with it!

It turned out very cute! I put it on the shelf on my side of the room so when I wake up every morning I can see at it to remind me to kill it today with my workouts and staying on point with Weight Watchers!

The bigger circle and the smaller circle represent my weight lost and my weight to go!

You just simple fill them with whatever you have....The pictures do not do it justice! You can tell the amount of beads in there when you look on. Right now its pretty even I have 31 in my to go and 39 in my lost!

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

OCD

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

When your child has fine motor weakness you do whatever you can to help him or her! In my case it was circling or pointing arrows to coupons I wanted and having him cut them out...Did I ever think he would be ~~the perfect child~~ just like his momma and make two piles? No!..One for longer coupons and one for more square coupons. I could not stop laughing when I saw this and he thought I was crazy for taking his picture. Its the little things that make me giggle...Yes I am extremely OCD and very proud this habit is being passed down!

One the bargain note if you teach your kids about ~~free money~~ coupons they will learn to appreciate money and where it comes from and how to keep it! I select them, Trevor cuts them, and Aubrey separates them into food and household piles. Its a family event saving money!

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

Martha Stewart Crafts

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am probably the last person in blog land to get a hold of the Martha Stewart craft line at Michael's! I went the other day with coupon in hand of course and grabbed one of the larger stencils for around 9 dollars! I also grabbed the paints last week when they were on sale for 30% off. I now want to stencil ~~everyone~~ everything in the house

I simply cleaned her table we made with a tutu over the summer. From then I used the stencil and just dabbed the paint with a foam brush! Super easy! I tried to go quick so the stencil did not have time to attach itself to the table with the paint.

As you can see you will need to fix the ends of the stencil but it comes with dotted lines to assist you to know exactly where to line up the stencil so it looks seamless! I seriously am in love with this product!

When I was done I had some areas where it smudged due to me not cleaning the stencil off every time. I used a qtip with a little warm water and it cleaned up super easy!

When all was said and done it came out SUPER cute! I love it as does she...We plan on getting some pink fabric to staple under the tulle to make her tutu look fuller and less transparent! Just waiting to get to Jo-Anns with a nice coupon in hand!

WW Weigh In week 1

2012-01-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

So my first 4 days on Weight Watchers have come and gone. Its been hard to not peek on the scale and see how I am doing but I know that's part of the success of Weight Watchers! I'm dealing with the initial hunger pains and will work through it! I was WAYYY over eating hence the nearly 10 pound weight gain! I worked out 3 times this week..Once was a killer Pinterest workout, 7 miles in running, some cycling, some elliptical and LOTS of weights!

Source: s2.photobucket.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Here are my numbers Weight Watchers wise for the week!

Daily pointed allotted: 124

Daily points used: 124

Extra weekly points allowed 49:

Extra weekly points used: 10

Activity points earned: 22

Activity points used: 22

I lost a grand total of 4.4 pounds these past 4 days!
Total weight loss since Oct 2011 37.4 pounds
pounds till my 5% Weight Watchers goal4.9
pounds till my goal weight 32.6

I think I did very well these past four days..However I did eat A LOT of free fruit! I want to try and split it 50/50 this week for free fruits and veggies! I know the fruit will up sugar intake! I also want to limit my diet soda this week to one every other day..I need to kick this habit! My goal for next week is 2 lbs!

A valentines mantle

2012-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Valentines Day! I am not one to go gaga over the hearts and loves and flowers but the past few years I just cannot get enough! So of course I had to fill a few little areas of our home full of love!

My button heart wreath I made that I showed off earlier this week! SO easy and cute!

My love blocks and the heart from last year look super cute here! I also filled my apothecary jar with some 80% off clearance Christmas ornaments They surprisingly do not look at all Christmasy here.

I picked up that little heart duo at Target last year for 1.99, the pink bird from Target this year for 2.99! I also printed out the i love you printable from landee see, landee do.

I was inspired for my garland from a pin I saw a while back and fell in love. Aubrey and I spent a few minutes one afternoon making this and they had a lot of fun! Trev mentioned making one for a countdown to Valentines Day which would be fun as well!

Source: duitang.com via Amanda on Pinterest

So I threw it all together and really love it! Jeff came home the other day and said Oh Boy! That's right Mr! Momma wants a nice dinner out, a morning to sleep in and some cute Pandora charms!

I hope your not sick of all this LOVE I have pouring over my blog lately!

Button Hearts

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

Are you feelin' the love yet? I am just having so much fun attacking everything with red, pink, love and hearts! This is a super easy and frugal craft project!

I used card stock, buttons(1.00 at Micheal's), and a frame I picked up at Target on clearance!

Yes I'm holding the buttons with a pair of tweezers...I have no desire to rob banks or put myself through hot glue burns anymore then I have to...My kids found this hilarious!

It will have the glue hairs, smuges, etc..Just take your tweezers and pick away as much of this gunk as possible!

When you are done you will be left with an adorable frame for the holiday you can save to swap out each Valentines Day! Note I had to leave the glass out of my frame but this will all depend on the frame you purchase! I just love the little added pop of love it gives off paired with a Christmas clearance candle scored from Kohls at 90% off!

Im linking up here

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

Organzing under your sink

2012-01-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone around the blogosphere seems to be purging and organizing every inch of their homes...I am no exception! We decided to go through my sink the other day and threw out A TON of stuff! I was left with quite a few items and one big unwanted disaster!

Seriously this is half of the stuff that was once in there! After pulling everything out Jeff got the infamous Um JEFFFFFFFFF and came running as that normally means disaster!

Yes your seeing that right our brand new(4 years) cabinet is pretty much ruined thanks to mop and glo leaking, shark mop pads holding onto the leak and keeping it wet and a leaking dishwasher valve! UGH double UGH! So Jeff got everything out put it in a laundry basket and we fixed the problem and aired out under the cabinet for about 2 weeks to allow it to dry!


He hates his picture on my blog :)

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I had this pin in the back of my mind for this project..I figured it would be water proof so this will not happen again! We picked out 7 .25 cent peel and stick tiles at Lowes, we had the ply board on hand, and Jeff took over this project! We dried out the board for 2 full weeks!!

We screwed down our wood you dont have to but we figured why not keep it in place!

We filled the whole part with the ply wood and then added the tiles one by one! Some did need a little trim on the edges or around plumbing but it took no time at all with a simple razor cutter!

It seriously took him 15 mins to get the wood cut, tiles cut and everything laid down and it works out really well for us! I have a peace of mind knowing if this happens again I should be able to catch it sooner then later!

I tried to organize like products! I also put a little container for all my sponges so if this happens again I will not be aiding the moisture and letting the sponges soak it up and just sit there and ruin expensive cabinets!

It seriously was super easy, super cheap, and super fulfilling from a home project!

Im linking up with:

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

Weight Watchers AGAIN

2012-01-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well its happened! As some of you know Oct 2010 I finally decided enough was enough and started to lose weight by joining Weight Watchers and started the couch to 5k program! From Oct-December I lost 19.2 pounds on weight watchers then another 25 on my own getting my total to 44 pounds! I stepped on the scale yesterday knowing it would be pretty thinking I gained at least 5 pounds back...well I had gained 9.6! DISGUSTING!!!!!! This time I am going to shoot for 35.6 pounds in 3 months! I will be at a healthy BMI, I will be a 6/8 in pants and I will be HAPPY!

My short term goal will be 5% which will put me at the original 44 pounds I had lost and hopefully be back in all my clothes COMFORTABLY! I plan on doing weekly weigh ins letting you know what worked, what didn't and how active I was! I truly believe losing weight for me is all about eating well, tracking everything I eat and working out A LOT! My friend Tammy pushed me to join cause we both did really well on it! Wish us luck! Hoping for a skinny summer!

I also hope to get my running back where it was! I noticed my pace has been getting slower and its been harder to run! After my weigh in I think it was because I packed on 10 pounds! I hope with each pound loss I can get a little faster! I aim to get to 10 min miles for long runs by years end! It will be tough and a lot of work but I should be able to master this with a lot of work! Im also signed up for a half marathon in May so I start training for that in February!

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

Meal Plan Monday 1/16

2012-01-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

We stuck to our meal plan great this past week....However Im noticing because Friday is my big shopping day...I typically go to Shaws, Stop and Shop, and a few other errands I hold off on all week I end up buying breakfast and lunch out while on the go! This MUST stop!

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I want to work on this pin I saw to have snacks and mini meals ready to go at a moments notice! I also flipped through my recipe book and picked two meals from there with items I knew I had on hand! Sick of the same stuff every week!

Monday: Chuck E Cheese: The kids have a gift card they received for Christmas as well as a million left over tokens from Trev's birthday so we are going here tonight as I made the mistake of promising MLK day!

Tuesday: Quesadillas...I'm gonna throw cheese, chicken with season, rice, black beans, onions and tomato's in the tortillas and have some extra rice on the side and serve with some salsa and low fat sour cream

Wednesday: Ortega Taco Casserole

Thursday: Meatballs on Sub Rolls or Pasta whichever I have on hand

Friday: Burgers with Onion Rings for the kids and Jeff I will probably have a salad with a patty

Saturday: Turkey Dinner, Broc Rice Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls and Corn for Jeff

Sunday: Leftovers

Make sure you check out OrgJunkie for TONS of ideas!

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

It all started with a pin...

2012-01-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

It seems lately any trip to Hob Lob or Michaels all stems from the ever inspiring Pinterest! Im not one to go wild over Valentines Day decor but after my little stint on BHG online I feel the urge to put hearts and kisses on everything! I saw this pin a few weeks ago and loved it..I went to check and see the details on it and of course noticed it was a etsy piece...

Source: etsy.com via Amanda on Pinterest

So I decided in my typical bargain fashion to try and recreate it....I spent around 10 dollars or less on supplies....99 for felt, .69 for a dowel, 3.99 for the yarn and not sure on the wreath I think around 2.99! I wanted a heart shape but apparently those sell out in December! I simply spent my Friday night wrapping yarn around the wreath...Jeff put the dowel in for me after we sharpened it and I free handed the heart and end of the bow!

Mr I think its weird you blog has finally taken a liking to my blog and thinks its cool we can look back on our home, children, chickens etc! He actually pushed me aside and made the ribbon go around the wreath hanger....Such a crafty man hes becoming! Hes covered in glitter now...took one for the team. :)

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

Craftomaniac

Target Toy Clearance Jan 2012

2012-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Target had the annual Toy Clearance yesterday...We of course were hit with a huge snow/slush/ice storm and I didnt even know the sale was coming..Yes you heard that right Im off my game! I didnt want to buy much as I am trying to not buy CRAP just to fill up my cart because its 70% off..I grabbed a few things for Trev, a few for Casey and a lot for Aubrey and her upcoming friends birthdays!

Liv Doll 5.08

Liv Wig 2.xx

Polly Pocket Soccer 5.08

Zoobles 4.6x

Littlest Pet Shop sets 2.xx and 3.xx

Sorry I'm not sure on prices nor am I going out in the snow storm to look for my receipt in the black hole that my van becomes!

Thomas Mega Block 1.21

Thomas Train set 4-5 dollars

Ben 10 puzzle 1.21

Sonic figure 2-3 dollars

Sonic game 4-5 dollars

Liv Dancing Doll 5.08

Its not much but a little something..Im thinking the boys stuff as well as the LPS stuff will be for the Easter Baskets along with some candy and Im done!

Did you hit up the Target toy clearance?

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links.

YICKENS

2012-01-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Casey is hilarious with the chickens! The kid just cannot get enough of them! He wants to carry the eggs inside, he wants to hold them, he is just so funny with the YICKENS as he calls them. This past weekend we had to work on the coop so we let them wander around the backyard for a bit and they loved it as they found lots of goodies in the yard(lots of holes in the dirt now)! The kids also loved chasing them around and trying to hold them. Not sure how much the chickens loved it!

He kept saying To tay yicken I got you! As you can tell this chicken wasn't having it! Our two black chickens(black astralop)want nothing to do with ANYONE! They are the first ones to peck at anything that leaves its finger around for to long! They stay far away from people. Ive read up on this breed and they are just very typical to the breed however they were the first to start laying and we get a good 5-6 eggs a week per each black chicken!

He learned he had to pick up his pace and find a different breed of YICKEN! He didn't have any luck with our brown(araucana) either as they typically are the ones to step up and be alpha chicken! They are my green layers and I typically get 1-2 green eggs a day! They are big eggs as well which is awesome even though it freaks people out to see green eggs!

SUCCESS! He finally got our super sweet fluffy feet white girls(brahma) as I call them :) They were the last to start laying and lay small eggs and Im lucky to get 1-2 every other day from them! However they are so curious and let me hold them! They also dance a little more then the other chickens because they really really want a rooster if you get my drift!

No real point to this blog post but to show off my ladies and my adorable little YICKEN lover! So glad we got our girls I have yet to regret it!

XOXO

2012-01-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

As some of you know we are really trying to follow the Dave Ramsey plan as I mentioned earlier in the month here. So I allowed myself a budget of 25 dollars for Valentines Day decor! So over the next few weeks follow me along on my journey on Valentines Day on a budget!

I purchased the hearts for .99 cents from Michael's (using a 50% off coupon) I had the XOXO from a Target clearance find a few years ago! The heart clips were 1.99-2.29 as well for a package of 12! Seriously how affordable is that to glam up a little display for Valentines Day?!

I pulled out my Dollar Store hurricanes I made here. I simply filled them with two .99 cent bags of heart conversation hearts. Two of the most simple ways to add a pop of Valentines Day into the everyday decor I always have up!

I pulled out my cupcake wreath from last year! It amazingly enough held up well for cupcake liners! I simply taped it up on the shelf and will let it hang the next month. I think it looks cute and its outta the hands of 3 little monsters that tend to "help" me decorate and redecorate all the time!

All in all a cute little display that cost me next to nothing!

1.09 for the table cloth(Target 90% clearance)

1.98 for 2 bags of Conversation Hearts

3.30 for craft supplies from Michael's

Have you started to feel the love yet?

I will be linking up to the following blogs...

Craftomaniac

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Its Monday and I am just getting around to making our weekly meal plan!

Monday: We had Hamburger Helper tonight

Tuesday: Crockpot Chicken and veggies with Biscuits

Wednesday: Meat Balls on bread

Thursday: Cheeseburgers and Fries or Chips(whatever I have)

Friday: Zesty Italian Chicken, Potatoes and whatever veggies I have on hand

Saturday: Breakfast Eggs, Sausage, Muffins, etc

Sunday: Sausage with Peppers and Onions

Some of these are repeats from last week because there were a few nights I ended up doing leftovers, nuggets etc between the gym nights and hubby working late!

Better Homes and Gardens

2012-01-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

Yes you are seeing that correctly! This little ol blog of mine is on Better Homes and Gardens!!! I cannot stop smiling and looking at my set up thinking what were they thinking asking me to join in!A little closer and I love how they really focused on the fact I am a bargain hunter!

I just cannot get over this after all take some time and check out the other bloggers! Such cute ideas! I cant wait to get my glue gun out and make a trip to Hob Lob after pinning lots of cute ideas this year!

On the home front

2012-01-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

In 2012 I have made a list of items to scratch off our list..We did a lot this past year..A lot of changing stuff we did 4 years ago...Yes Jeff I can feel your eyes burning my skin as I type this..I typically get on my phone at night and check out pinterest and feel the death stare from Jeff the ENTIRE time :) O well hes gotta learn to love my indecisiveness cause it aint going away!

#1 FINISH deck!

It started like this when we bought our pre-foreclosure palace :/

July 4th weekend of 2010 we braved the heat and got this much done..Replacing boards, painting the outside door, putting up the railings etc. However it has since come to a stand still and looks pretty much like this....

So our 2012 checklist goes as follows:

Railing for mid steps
Steps to the ground
Railing for the ground steps
Lattice where you see the opening at the lower deck
Paint/repair/replace the decking floor boards in the 2nd level
RAIL the second level!

I want this done BEFORE the end of May! It shocked me this year how much we spent outside! Now that Casey will be even older we will be out even more. I just want this done it would be so much easier to let the kids play in the back yard or on the deck while I am making dinner, lunch, etc. Not to mention we eat out here A LOT! So opening up even more space to use on the lower portion will be totally worth it!

#2 Shower door

When we bought the house it has this lovely gem istalled..It could not be cleaned so we ripped it out, patched the holes and put a curtain up as a temporary fix...Well water gets everywhere and its just a mess..This year we MUST buy a shower door!

Lowes

Im thinking along those lines..Super simple pivot door that gets the job done! Its only Jeff and Trev that use this shower on a regular basis so it doesn't have to be fancy! Of course when we swap it out we will paint the shower and replace the trim around the shower that has been destroyed due to all the water!

#3 DEMO!

We are going to remove this and the tv cabinet that are attached to the wall here...Fix the wall and sell the couch and tv! We never use this space it really just collects dust. We plan on making a walk in area here similar to things Ive seen on pinterest as a station for keys, purses, backpacks, gloves, hats etc. It will free up our limited closet space as well as hopefully stop the morning where are my shoes, this, that etc!

Something very similar to this but we will need 5! Jeff loves projects like this so I am sure it will be a fun little thing for us to do over a few weekends! He builds, I paint!

Now some other things Id like to get done as time allows....

Change out the faucet! I did not know they came in pretend finishes as this one wasnt cheap! So we plan on getting something super durable to replace this or maybe even trying to spray this one..Not sure how brave I will or will not be!

Remove these shelves and fix the wall! Im not really loving these anymore..I will save them downstairs I am sure I will change my mind and find a new home for them in a year! I also need to decide on paint! I want the living, dining, kitchen and hallway possibly all one color! Ive tried these swatches out in the living room and decided on one or two I like..Now have to do the same for the kitchen/hallway which is a lot darker no natural light space!

I plan on removing the candle sticks around the window and the other wall hanging..I have grown tired of them and would like a more simple look/feel throughout the house! I also need to paint the inside of the doors of the hutch I re-did last year and possible do some sort of waxing to finish off the piece!

So there is my rather large list..I of course want to keep cleaning up the yard, getting more grass to grow, moving plants around, and gardening in general! I think this year will be the year we also start saving for the big Vinyl Siding project!

Sales may come and go..

2012-01-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

I spent a good portion of the day yesterday organizing and throwing out TONS of stuff! This room in our home is our home decor storage as well as our mini store as my husband calls it! Thanks to couponing I'm able to get all of this stuff for free or super cheap and we live off of it! Every now and then its great to look and see what you have to know what you may or may not need for the upcoming 6 months!

This side is all of the paper products, health and beauty items! After going through this I know I will only need a few toothpastes, trash bags, plastic wrap ziploc bags and Paper Towels! No I am not a hoarder just a mom supporting a family of 5 trying to make ends meet. Since we have this I am so happy to say that on my little list of items to stock up on I only have a small list...

Toothpaste I can get for FREE

Ziploc bags I can get for 1.14 a bag at Walgreens with the bogo sale and a coupon..so if I do not see any cheaper then that 1.14 a bag is my price to pay!

Paper Towels I try to pay 4-5 dollars for the big packs of 8!

Trash Bags in all honesty I will probably go to Sams Club and buy the HUGE box! It lasts me forever and the bags are nice and sturdy!

Finally my food stockpile...Its lacking! I have to really stock up on pretty much everything but cooking soups, jelly, crackers, brownies, cookies, cake mixes, flour, pasta and dressings! I do have a very good pile..But we easily go through a few jars of sauce a week, a bottle of juice a week, snacks can be up to 2 boxes a week! I am determined to shop the sales and get everything I possibly can that we will eat that's free or super cheap! It will take time and effort to go to the stores, clip and prep for my shopping trips but its so valuable for us to keep living on this couponing lifestyle we have been for the past 4-5 years before it was "COOL"

Source: tumblr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I hope to keep our grocery bill under 100 each week and stock up! This year is all about SAVING money and getting back into that mentality rather then the spend spend spend we have been in the past year or so! Hows your stockpile doing? Have you just started using coupons? Anything you would like to see more/less of from me in the saving money portion of my blog?

7 years!

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Thursday Trev turned 7! I am so shocked by this! I cannot believe I have been a mother for 7 years!! I am so thankful he was my first as he gave me the illusion that all babies sleep through the night at 5 weeks, all babies sit in carts until they are 3 and do not try and get out ONCE! He was so content in life rather we went to the mall, the park, or stayed at home..He would watch tv and even play on his own! He was such a pleasant child...a little emotional but so sweet and caring!

He is now 7..still emotional..I swear more then Aubrey! He is getting a lot more independent with age adn gets very made at me when I do not let him walk as far away from me as he would like. Or when I play certain music when he wants to hear HIS music(yes I never thought those words would come out of my mouth!)

He is incredibly smart and doing very well in class..He does get chatty and goofy with his little group of friends but he has learned when his teacher says stop she means it or he gets his mothers wrath! Hes so good with his brother..He talks about him in school and even lets him crawl into bed with him every morning..Its so funny to open the door and find Trev trying to sleep and Casey talking his ear off!

This year can only get better for Trev...I am sure his reading will be at a mid year 2nd grade if not 3rd grade level by this time next year! I hope he continues to improve his way of coping and dealing with kids in school that he doesn't agree with or vice versa! I hope he learns to protect his sister as she will be in his school and on his bus next year!

We intend on putting Trev back in baseball or soccer this spring..whatever sport he chooses! We also cannot WAIT till lazy days of summer! He liked helping me in the garden, swimming and of course playing outside all day long last summer! I hope our back deck is finally complete next summer so he can come and go as he pleases and I can watch him from the deck!

Happy Birthday my SEVEN year old!

Step 2 Patio set under 20!!

2012-01-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Step 2 Play and Shade Patio Set is at JCP for 15.00 with 5.99 shipping!

Use code RMNAFF10 for 10% off (1.50)

I am thinking this will make for a GREAT summer time patio set as it matches ours pretty well!

Menu Plan Monday 1/2

2012-01-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

I am really going to try to stick with Meal Plan Mondays every week this year! It really does help plus if I take time each week to click on a few meal plans on Orgjunkie.com it never fails I always get inspired for some new recipes that the kids and Jeff end up loving!

I should add I do not plan on each day! I just say these are the meals for the week and as I feel or as time allows they will get cooked!

Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and a Veggie
**Anyone have a good recipe for the batter? I have a new deep fryer and Jeff has been BEGGING for Fried Chicken **

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
**Chicken, Cream of Chicken soup, Chicken broth, your choice of veggies, biscuits**

Free night kids will be at Grandmas

Spaghetti with a Salad

Grilled Chicken with Knoor Rice Sides and a Veggie

Daddy Cooks(Im assuming this will be a digiorno and salad night)

Sausage with Peppers and Onions

Its a pretty boring but quick and easy meal plan as I want to get back in routine going to the gym etc all week.

Dave Ramsey life style!

2011-12-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

This year I want to try living a Dave Ramsey lifestyle! Each week goes by and just live day to day, paycheck to paycheck! I am inspired by so many bloggers and budget bloggers! I am determined this year to make some BIG BIG changes and get on track!

So far we have done a few little things to cut back!

* Cut out data and texting off our phones to save $55.00 a month!

* Cut down Direct TV by 20 dollars a month by calling and threatening to cancel and all the sudden a non advertised special arose!

* We are going to watch our water bill as it keeps sneaking up each month to around 25 a month which annoys me as it used to be around 65 every 3 months!

* Continue to use the wood stove! We have yet to turn on our basement heat and in return we have saved 118 from Oct-Dec which isn't much but these are not freezing cold months! So it should be interesting to see what using it all winter long will do!

Here's the process:

Baby Step 1 $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen.

Baby Step 2 Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first.

Baby Step 3 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund.

Baby Step 4 Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious about building wealth.

Baby Step 5 College funding for children

By this point, you should have already started

Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college.

Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now.

Baby Step 6 Pay off home early

Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments. Baby Step 7 Build wealth and give! It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It's really the only way to live!

This year our plan is to get:

a Baby Emergency Fund(1000)

pay off Department of Education Loan(614.00)

1 months expenses into a savings account(2600)

Total: 4214 or 81 a week!

I also want a special account for the yearly expenses!
clothing 500
car registration 500
christmas 1000
birthdays 500
parties 250

Total 2750 or 52 a week!

A healthy 2012!

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

2011 was a fantastic year for me health wise! I feel like I got into the best shape I have EVER been in!

However not stopping now! I joined Weight Watchers again per my doc! She said maybe a strict program like this will help me lose! I officially start tomorrow! I gained 7.6 pounds back from my lowest point over the holidays which I expected!

My goal for Weight Watchers would be to lose as much as possible in the 5 months I am paying for the membership! I have set a goal of 1.5 a week from now until my birthday on May 31st! That will put me at a BMI of 24.2 which is very good for my height!

I basically want to buy these jeans in a size 6 and have them fit with ease!

Now fitness wise....I want to keep up with my running..and try to add more activities like hiking, biking etc in my routine!

Jan-April

I want to devote 2 hours a week to running, 30 mins or more of cross training on the bike, elliptical or arc training, and keep up with my weights! I have a gym membership and I really do love being there so I do not doubt this will not be a issue!

May-August

I want to really up my mileage! It will be day light savings time so I can run evenings outside when my husband is home and use his weights...I may just try running to the gym, doing a quick workout and either running back home or having my mom bring me! If my husband will support me with the kids I would like to train for a half marathon!

Sept-December

STICK TO IT! Get back to the gym! Do not slack! Try to not gain holiday weight! By now I should be at my goal weight and it will feel FANTASTIC to wear nice clothing during the holidays and not have a giant pudge or 18 chins!

I will lose this last 30 pounds and keep it off! I will be a size 6 by summer! I will feel amazing! I know it takes time and I am okay with that!! However my kids have really learned to love healthy cooking and snacking so it really benefits my health that they are on board with a healthy lifestyle!

So what are your health goals for 2012? I know I have strong goals but I lost 45 pounds last year I do not want to give up now

Christmas day

2011-12-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone and we are still recovering! We didnt get to write our notes to Santa till Christmas Eve morning..I know its so awful! This year just got away from me....We did not get to do a lot of the normal things we do every year!

But the lists were made..Aubrey asked for a doodle bear, Trev the 2012 World Record Book and Casey wanted some "Mel Mo"

It was a great morning..Kids slept in till around 8:30 we woke up let them open from Santa, Stockings and then us..We were all done opening by around 10:30 and had to open a few things for them..I unfortunately got hit with the flu and have been in bed since Christmas Day..I'm finally feeling about 50% of myself but at least I can get outta bed! Kids had a blast..They opened a lot but also saved a lot and even choose a few things they didn't love to return!

Santa brought Aubrey her doodle bear!

Paper Jamz..a good toy that can be passed down to all 3 kids!

Check out the joy is Caseys eyes for his beloved DOOTIE DOSTA

"Cookie Monster"

Caseys big gift from Ho Ho as he calls him

Hes not a hippy lol..Just recieved 2 monopoly games for Christmas this one is for kids a little older which is good something we can save to play later in the year!


Some of the faces are priceless!

TRASH as he calls Oscar the Grouch!

Who said Christmas is just for the kids?! Jeff got a new pellet or air soft gun..I forget the type! Hes been playing with this in all his free time! Its super loud though and probably a little overkill but whatever hes happy!

Sorry for the pic overload but it was a great Christmas! The house is now decor free and seems so open and clean! I took a lot of the decor down and have big plans for 2012!!