Monday, February 23, 2009
picking flowers
I still remember the day I said to Jay, I wonder when Jayce is gonna start picking me flowers... Well, he actually started this process some time ago, but it never grows old! Today, we had just gotten in from school and I told Jayce he could drive his jeep into the back yard from our garage while I was making our grilled cheese. I always watch from my window to see him go in and watch him as he rides in the back yard. Well, today, I looked up and he was nowhere to be found. My heart started racing as I ran to each window panicking. I grabbed Gabe and started to rush out the door only to find him parked near our garage, stooped down and picking flowers. I watched him pick a whole handful and proudly carry them inside for me to put in a cup. I wish I could just freeze him in this stage, I don't want him to ever lose his sweet innocence!ioip
Monday, February 9, 2009
Ways to Save Money
OK, so while I have a minute, this class Dave Ramsey does is great... I must say though that I was ready for a change... For a while, I have known that my spending habits were not good... It's not that I shopped a lot for myself, but I was spending more than necessary at the grocery store even, and Target just on STUFF... and I knew that I needed to be making more sacrifices if I wanted to continue to stay home... I had struggled for a while with wanting more and more and the more I was in stores, the worse it got... Not that there is anything wrong with this if you have the means to pay for it but I did not and it was becoming consuming to me... This class has helped me to sit back and get perspective on things and realized that in order to one day be able to spend more freely, I needed to be more wise in my spending and savings now.
So, I've taken this on as a new challenge and have been amazed at just how much I can save by making just a few small changes... they are all small, but do add up! I wanted to share a few...
Sams- members mark diapers rather than pampers cruisers...
-pack of 200 for 32.00 will last Gabe 5 weeks versus buying pampers weekly in smaller packs... (saving of about 35 dollars a month)
buying lean ground beef at Sams in bulk... 2.50 a pound
I bought 10 pounds (25.00) but that will last our family about 2.5 months... I would have spent 50.00 at the grocery store buying it each week (25.00 savings)
Milk at Sams is 2.60 for regular and about 10 for 3 1/2 gallons of horizon... we have now switched to regular and saved about 11.00/week (44.00.month savings)
Coffee- this one was hard but I've switched from my gourmet flavored to good ole Folgers and it has been fine, still does the trick! It was 9.00 for a huge container which will last the month, I used to spend 9.00/week on coffee (27.00 savings a month)
Frozen all natural chicken, broccoli, green bean, and sweet potato fries are all much cheaper at Sams too although I have not figured out the exact savings on those....
A huge bag of romaine lettuce (6 heads) is 3.78 at Sams and also the gourmet salad mix is about 4.00 for a huge container that would last a week or more... it is twice
this at the grocery store...
Raisins are a great price there and I just buy them in big bags and bag my own snacks for the boys..also Cheerios, granola bars and applesauce!
OK, so I'm big on Sams..
Also, I have discovered that the Dollar Tree has some great buys...
-antiseptic mouth wash
-adult bath washes... I still get the boys Aveeno
-frozen strawberries and peaches for smoothies (1.00 /lb... savings of 1.29 a bag)... this is even cheaper than Sams
-even Nature's Own Bread for 1.00, it's fresh too... crazy!
Audi is a great place too, lots of brands I've never heard of but they've all been fine...Several great buys I've found are:
olive oil
canned goods
yogurt
Last of all, I'm trying to STAY OUT OF STORES unless absolutely necessary, and just send Jay in between my big shopping trips, it's amazing how much it helps! My goal is to buy in bulk and try to stretch my trips to once a month... we'll see how it goes ! I'll let ya'll know how much I can reduce my grocery bill per month!
So, I've taken this on as a new challenge and have been amazed at just how much I can save by making just a few small changes... they are all small, but do add up! I wanted to share a few...
Sams- members mark diapers rather than pampers cruisers...
-pack of 200 for 32.00 will last Gabe 5 weeks versus buying pampers weekly in smaller packs... (saving of about 35 dollars a month)
buying lean ground beef at Sams in bulk... 2.50 a pound
I bought 10 pounds (25.00) but that will last our family about 2.5 months... I would have spent 50.00 at the grocery store buying it each week (25.00 savings)
Milk at Sams is 2.60 for regular and about 10 for 3 1/2 gallons of horizon... we have now switched to regular and saved about 11.00/week (44.00.month savings)
Coffee- this one was hard but I've switched from my gourmet flavored to good ole Folgers and it has been fine, still does the trick! It was 9.00 for a huge container which will last the month, I used to spend 9.00/week on coffee (27.00 savings a month)
Frozen all natural chicken, broccoli, green bean, and sweet potato fries are all much cheaper at Sams too although I have not figured out the exact savings on those....
A huge bag of romaine lettuce (6 heads) is 3.78 at Sams and also the gourmet salad mix is about 4.00 for a huge container that would last a week or more... it is twice
this at the grocery store...
Raisins are a great price there and I just buy them in big bags and bag my own snacks for the boys..also Cheerios, granola bars and applesauce!
OK, so I'm big on Sams..
Also, I have discovered that the Dollar Tree has some great buys...
-antiseptic mouth wash
-adult bath washes... I still get the boys Aveeno
-frozen strawberries and peaches for smoothies (1.00 /lb... savings of 1.29 a bag)... this is even cheaper than Sams
-even Nature's Own Bread for 1.00, it's fresh too... crazy!
Audi is a great place too, lots of brands I've never heard of but they've all been fine...Several great buys I've found are:
olive oil
canned goods
yogurt
Last of all, I'm trying to STAY OUT OF STORES unless absolutely necessary, and just send Jay in between my big shopping trips, it's amazing how much it helps! My goal is to buy in bulk and try to stretch my trips to once a month... we'll see how it goes ! I'll let ya'll know how much I can reduce my grocery bill per month!
a few more things about Gabe
I forgot a few things...
Says doggy and car or "ca."
If we ask him if he needs a new diaper he will go get it and bring it to us and hold it between his legs when we ask where it goes... Then, if you tell him to lie down so you can change him, he will! It's great... for one second... then the squirming begins of course!
Oh, and we're back to giving "sugars" and hugs more often, thank goodness!
Says doggy and car or "ca."
If we ask him if he needs a new diaper he will go get it and bring it to us and hold it between his legs when we ask where it goes... Then, if you tell him to lie down so you can change him, he will! It's great... for one second... then the squirming begins of course!
Oh, and we're back to giving "sugars" and hugs more often, thank goodness!
Jayce's "Monies"
So, Jay and I are taking a new course our church is offering called "Financial Peace" by Dave Ramsey. It is awesome ! Not easy, but it has been life changing! This could be a whole new post which I'll complete later but for now... wanted to write about sweet Jayce again.
Dave suggests you start doing allowances or what he calls "commission" with your children when they are around 4ish. So, with Jayce right around the corner from being 4, we decided it was time for him to start earning some money. He has been very excited about having special jobs for which he can earn a dime, nickel or quarter... whatever I have on hand. He calls each one a "piece of money," which is special because that is what his Grandaddy and also Jay's grandfather would call money when they refer to it. As a whole he calls this his "monies." He is saving his money in a clear jar and we are trying to teach him that at the end of the week he needs to give some, save some and can spend some.
Saturday we went to the dollar tree and he made his first purchase for himself with his own money... a police kit, gun, handcuffs and all... 1st gun other than a water gun...I guess it was bound to happen some time...
Well, last week I told Jayce we needed to wait to go to Sams for groceries until his daddy could bring us cash (a great money saving technique.. only spend what is in your hand)... Jayce runs and pulls out his jar and says, "mama, I will pay for our groceries." It was the sweetest thing ever.
It doesn't stop there, we get to Sams and he starts squirming around in the buggy at the checkout, saying "mama, I have to get my monies out of my pocket." He had actually brought that money with him and fully intended to help pay for the groceries. When we got to the checkout he proudly handed the lady his quarter and would not stop holding it up for her to see until she finally took it after I told her he was helping. We got out to the car and I told him that was the sweetest thing ever and thanked him for helping pay for some of the groceries and he said, "mama, thank you for paying for most of the groceries!"
As tough and wild a little guy he can be, Jayce has the sweetest spirit about him and for him to even realize and be thankful that someone else had payed for most of the groceries (although that would be daddy and not me) really blew me away...
Sunday, Jayce took his first offering to church that came from his own pocket. He was very proud!
Dave suggests you start doing allowances or what he calls "commission" with your children when they are around 4ish. So, with Jayce right around the corner from being 4, we decided it was time for him to start earning some money. He has been very excited about having special jobs for which he can earn a dime, nickel or quarter... whatever I have on hand. He calls each one a "piece of money," which is special because that is what his Grandaddy and also Jay's grandfather would call money when they refer to it. As a whole he calls this his "monies." He is saving his money in a clear jar and we are trying to teach him that at the end of the week he needs to give some, save some and can spend some.
Saturday we went to the dollar tree and he made his first purchase for himself with his own money... a police kit, gun, handcuffs and all... 1st gun other than a water gun...I guess it was bound to happen some time...
Well, last week I told Jayce we needed to wait to go to Sams for groceries until his daddy could bring us cash (a great money saving technique.. only spend what is in your hand)... Jayce runs and pulls out his jar and says, "mama, I will pay for our groceries." It was the sweetest thing ever.
It doesn't stop there, we get to Sams and he starts squirming around in the buggy at the checkout, saying "mama, I have to get my monies out of my pocket." He had actually brought that money with him and fully intended to help pay for the groceries. When we got to the checkout he proudly handed the lady his quarter and would not stop holding it up for her to see until she finally took it after I told her he was helping. We got out to the car and I told him that was the sweetest thing ever and thanked him for helping pay for some of the groceries and he said, "mama, thank you for paying for most of the groceries!"
As tough and wild a little guy he can be, Jayce has the sweetest spirit about him and for him to even realize and be thankful that someone else had payed for most of the groceries (although that would be daddy and not me) really blew me away...
Sunday, Jayce took his first offering to church that came from his own pocket. He was very proud!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Gabe at 18 months
As I was reading my other fun friend's mommy blogs, I realized it's time to do an update on Gabe again.... He is 18 months, so hard to believe this little guy is going to be 2 before long! Makes me so sad!
Here are his latest accomplishments: ALMOST got his first set of stitches... Gabe fell into the coffee table while I was at Target Saturday and Jay called me to come home, thinking it was pretty bad and we might have to hit the ER...Gabe seems to be a rather clumsy child, and I say that in the most loving way... He has gotten this from me... but he falls all the time... This time, there was alot of bleeding though... Thank God he was ok, and it cleared up... He now has a matching boo boo with his big brother... Jayce had gotten one 2 weeks earlier right above his eye after driving his new jeep into the swing set... boys, boys, boys...
Anyhow, for the GOOD accomplishments...
Gabe is talking so much more now... He will basically repeat any word that we ask him to say after us... He has added to his vocabulary:
"Side" (for outside)
"Peas" (for please)
Jayce and Bubby, love you, bye bye,mimi, mama, mommy, daddy are still frequent
Thank you
MINE (his favorite word to say these days... amazing how early this starts)
Still singing away,
Gabe loves for us to sing "I'm in the Lord's Army" and he will shout "Yes Sir!"
Loves the Barney Song (I love you, you love me, we're a happy family)
Jesus Loves Me
Happy Birthday to you is a definite favorite and
the alphabet song... he will get from a-g by himself and then hum...
Favorite activity: to find anything other than childproof toys(lamp, clock, noisemaker, humidifier, radio) with a cord on it and pull it out of the wall and drag it around the room as if it is a dog on a leash... looking for another outlet to plug it into... NOT GOOD, NOT SAFE, and he absolutely freaks out when I take it away... the fun begins! I'm gonna have to start cracking down on Baby Gabe...
He now does the cutest thing when Jay gets home from work... it used to be that Jayce ran to the door shouting "dad!", but now Gabe has joined him and he runs as fast as those fat legs will carry him to the door and shouts "da!"
In fact, anytime he hears the door open he does this, it's really sad when I'm just putting the trash out...
One thing I have noticed about Gabe is that he is not quite as affectionate with his hugs and kisses as of late... this makes me REALLY sad! You really have to work to get one... If we ask for sugars, he will shake his head and LOVES to play this game, makes us beg! ALTHOUGH, if Jayce asks for them, he will quickly give them to him and in fact he will wait for Jayce to come to the crib to give him night night sugars before he lays down for his nap, it's so sweet! He will say "MMMM-ah" meaning, give me a kiss Jayce!
PS Ate Brocoli last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took tips from my friend Molly and refused to give him anything else and after much MUCH screaming and kicking and many times of me telling Jayce not to sneak him his grapes, he finally conceded and had some brocolli, we shall try this again tonight...
Here are his latest accomplishments: ALMOST got his first set of stitches... Gabe fell into the coffee table while I was at Target Saturday and Jay called me to come home, thinking it was pretty bad and we might have to hit the ER...Gabe seems to be a rather clumsy child, and I say that in the most loving way... He has gotten this from me... but he falls all the time... This time, there was alot of bleeding though... Thank God he was ok, and it cleared up... He now has a matching boo boo with his big brother... Jayce had gotten one 2 weeks earlier right above his eye after driving his new jeep into the swing set... boys, boys, boys...
Anyhow, for the GOOD accomplishments...
Gabe is talking so much more now... He will basically repeat any word that we ask him to say after us... He has added to his vocabulary:
"Side" (for outside)
"Peas" (for please)
Jayce and Bubby, love you, bye bye,mimi, mama, mommy, daddy are still frequent
Thank you
MINE (his favorite word to say these days... amazing how early this starts)
Still singing away,
Gabe loves for us to sing "I'm in the Lord's Army" and he will shout "Yes Sir!"
Loves the Barney Song (I love you, you love me, we're a happy family)
Jesus Loves Me
Happy Birthday to you is a definite favorite and
the alphabet song... he will get from a-g by himself and then hum...
Favorite activity: to find anything other than childproof toys(lamp, clock, noisemaker, humidifier, radio) with a cord on it and pull it out of the wall and drag it around the room as if it is a dog on a leash... looking for another outlet to plug it into... NOT GOOD, NOT SAFE, and he absolutely freaks out when I take it away... the fun begins! I'm gonna have to start cracking down on Baby Gabe...
He now does the cutest thing when Jay gets home from work... it used to be that Jayce ran to the door shouting "dad!", but now Gabe has joined him and he runs as fast as those fat legs will carry him to the door and shouts "da!"
In fact, anytime he hears the door open he does this, it's really sad when I'm just putting the trash out...
One thing I have noticed about Gabe is that he is not quite as affectionate with his hugs and kisses as of late... this makes me REALLY sad! You really have to work to get one... If we ask for sugars, he will shake his head and LOVES to play this game, makes us beg! ALTHOUGH, if Jayce asks for them, he will quickly give them to him and in fact he will wait for Jayce to come to the crib to give him night night sugars before he lays down for his nap, it's so sweet! He will say "MMMM-ah" meaning, give me a kiss Jayce!
PS Ate Brocoli last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took tips from my friend Molly and refused to give him anything else and after much MUCH screaming and kicking and many times of me telling Jayce not to sneak him his grapes, he finally conceded and had some brocolli, we shall try this again tonight...
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