Awesome shopping trip!

I did not take a picture of this one because by the time I got home I just put the cold stuff away, ate dinner, and watched a little TV then off to bed. Here's how I did and what I got though. I got $245.76 worth for groceries for $52.79. I saved $192.97 or 79%. I had to do 3 transactions due to the stores coupon policy. One of my transactions was $77.85 and I only paid .99 cents! I was floored!

Here's what I got!

6 boxes of Fiber One Brownies (I'm doing WW and these are awesome treats)
6 cake mixes
6 Brownie mixes
2 bags of the new Scramblers
4 Floss
2 Rolls chocolate chip cookies
2 Braces floss
12 boxes potatoes
6 boxes hamburger helper
2 boxes popcorn
2 candy bars (last minute treat for DD)
2 4 packs of yogurt
3 6 packs of yogurt (kids)
2 Greek yogurts
14 cans of chicken noodle soup
14 cans of tomato soup
21 cans of Spaghetti O's
12 jars of Prego spaghetti sauce

Once again this is not a grocery shopping trip that we are going to use what I bought to eat off of for a week. This is a stocking up trip.

Trying something new.

For the month of September I've decided to try something new. I'm going to make a menu for the month of September and then make a huge grocery list off that list. I'm going to buy everything on that grocery list except fresh fruit and veggies.
Then weekly I'm going to shop deals to stock up on items. I seem to keep getting in this rut of spending all my monthly grocery money on deals early in the month and then at the end of the month we are having to scrape by. I'm a little tired of living like that.
I have a pretty good stockpile built up and then we go through it at the end of the month. With school starting I now have to worry about packing lunches and it makes it hard.
I figure if I buy everything that I need at the start of the month then just keep adding to the stockpile that maybe just maybe the month of October when I go to do the monthly shopping trip it might be a little less due to being stocked up. At least this is my hope.
Of course I'll also make my menu with some things that we already have here at the house, to help with the cost.
Plus since I've started doing Weight Watchers and working out this will help me better plan out my meals.
Check out my fitness blog

http://mommyof6gettingfit.blogspot.com/

Another shopping trip

I ran into a guy in Walmart the other day who had a coupon binder. I thought it was awesome so I said something to him about his binder and we got to talking. He shared some really good info with me about websites and shopping at Walmart. Some of the items in this picture are from Walmart. $214.96 worth of groceries for $37.72. Saved $177.24 or 82%!

Here's the picture:

Here's the list of items:

5 Dove deo
7 Snuggle fabric softner sheets
1 air freshner
1 Mr Clean floor cleaner
8 count Gatorade (some got broken into on the ride home)
2 bags of chips
7 Hawaiian sandwich rolls
4 2 pack bars of soap
4 trail packs of Cascade (they paid me to take them home)
1 Fiber Plus bars
1 box Cereal
1 pack Nesquick
2 noodle cups
6 Lipton recipe secrets
2 things of blueberries
6 boxes of pasta
17 cake mixes
14 frostings
3 brownies
5 Weight Watchers yogurt
6 boxes Cracker creations
2 jars of salsa

Now keep in mind this isn't a normal shopping trip! This is a stockpiling trip. I don't really do normal shopping trips. I use our stockpile to fix our meals, clean our house etc.

Target deals

This week Target has women's razors on a deal! They have Venus razors on sale and if you buy two you get a $5 gift card. Here's the deal I got!

Venus razor for $5.99 (there are some for $8, don't get those)buy 2 and get $5 gift card. There is a $2 off coupon that expires 7/31/11. There is also a coupon out that if you buy any Venus razor you get free shave gel. I got 2 Venus razors for $1.49 each and 2 free things of shaving cream. I roll my gift cards sometimes. In this case I had a $5 gift card to use and I got a $5 gift card.

I also got 2 boxes of Luvs diapers on sale. They were $16 a box and if you bought two you got a $5 gift card. There is also a $2 off a box of Luvs coupon out. Two boxes of Luvs $32, then the coupons make it $28, then take away the $5 gift card that you roll (if you have one)$23. I bought 176 diapers and paid about .16 cents a diaper.

I also scored a travel swing (which I've been needing) for $35. The swing is usually $50.

Free Razors:)

Target has a deal right now that you can score some free razors on.

Schick Hydro 5 (men's razor) is on sale for $6.49. If you buy 2 you get a $5 gift card. There is a $4/1 razor coupon out there making the razor $2.49 after the coupon. Use two coupons (one for each razor) and you get them for $4.98. If you have a $5 gift card already and use it on this purchase then both razors are free and they pay you with a $5 gift card to carry 2 razors out of the store:)

I sometimes roll my gift cards to give me a great deal and other times I take the gift cards and give them away at kids birthday parties. What kid doesn't like to shop with their own "credit card".

Other times I take the cards and put them in an envelope and use them for birthday presents or Christmas presents.

Today's shopping trip and break down

$284.54 worth of household/grocery items for $101.73. I saved $182.81 or 64%. I shopped at Target, Walmart and CVS. Here's what I got!

7 4 packs of Scott TP for $1.97 each
2 boxes of Graham crackers (kis took off with one box) $1.89 each
1 box Tampax Tampons .99 cents
2 Oral B toothbrushes FREE
1 Gillette Razor FREE
4 pack of Starbucks Frap. FREE
6 packs of gum .28 cents each
9 travel bottles (for shampoo etc) .99 cents each
1 bottle Pantene shampoo FREE
1 bottle Pantene conditioner FREE
3 plastic tubs $1.49
3 Bath buddy bars .97 cents each
1 Aussie shampoo FREE
1 Aussie hair spray FREE
5 jars of Jif $1.67 each
1 jar jam $1.48 each
14 sponges .47 each
Bowls .75 cents
Tape .62 cents
1 twin pack of Swiffer refills $1.64
2 bottles of Head and Shoulders FREE
4 bottles of Gillette body wash FREE
1 Febreeze Fabric Refresher FREE
1 Febreeze Air Effects FREE
1 bottle Dawn FREE
2 bottles of Listerine Total Care FREE
5 bottles of Coke's for .69 each
2 bottles of Cacade Gel FREE
3 8 roll packs of paper towels (not pictured, already put up) $4.99 each
1 Swiffer Wetjet Starter kit $13.99
1 All You magazine $1.63 (yes, I had a coupon for this)
1 pack of sippy cups $2.96 (kids took off with them)
3 candy bars .25 cents each (kids)



I used a lot of Extra Care Bucks that I had saved up. I also got $18 worth of Extra Care Bucks, $10 gas card, and $5 gift card to Target. At CVS alone I saved $150.

Shopping trip

Ok I have no picture of this shopping trip because after shopping for 4 hours, with 5 kids in tow I was a little tired! I got $586.22 worth of groceries for $238.02. I saved $348.20 or 59%. Oh and I got $10 worth of Target gift cards, and .70 cents off per gallon of gas!

I'm stockpiling I'm not buying groceries for the week so keep that in mind as you read the list. I make our dinners etc off what's for sale, and what I already have in my stockpile.

Here is the list...

Grapes
1 salad kit
1 pack of spinach
Banana's
10 Sobe Lifewaters
2 six packs of Hershey bars
2 36 count boxes of tampons
1 box of Luvs diapers
12 bags of Wacky Mac
5 Dan-o-nino yogurts
10 boxes of pasta roni
2 cinnabon cereals
4 boxes of Fruit Loops
2 bags Tortilla chips
6 Edy's shakes
2 Sauve shampoo's
2 Sauve conditioners
5 boxes of pancake mix
1 can of frosting
2 boxes of cake mix
1 8 pack of paper towels
4 boxes of tampons (clearance)
1 beverage pitcher
2 Country Time Lemonade
6 boxes of snack crackers
10 Chef Boyardee
6 mustards
2 jars of pickles
2 bags of marshmallows
2 boxes of brownie mix
1 box Cheerios
2 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
3 bottles of Wisk Laundry detergent
18 boxes of Totino's party pizza's
5 12 packs of Coke products
32 packs of hot dogs (Oscar Mayer & I got them for .49 cents)
1 bag Cheetos
1 bag of Fritos
12 cans of Grands biscuits
12 packs of lunch meat
5 boxes of M&M's

I went a little nuts on the hot dogs, but I figure they freeze and it's summer time which means cookouts!

Another grocery trip

Here is another great shop! I got $539.50 worth of groceries for $186.13. I saved $353.37 or 65%. I'd say that was a great shop! Here's a list of what I got!

4 12packs of Mt. Dew
6 All
5 2 liter of soda
12 packages of lunch meat
7 packs baby food
10 Lysol wipes
1 frozen veggie (free)
1 pack stew meat
4 soft scrub (2 free)
5 Lean Cuisine meals
1 Texas toast (free)
2 packs of pull ups
1 Off clip on starter kit
1 Off pack of refills (free)
1 Crest mouthwash
1 Olay face wash
1 Zyrtec (free)
2 Razors
1 razor refill
6 pop tarts
8 toothbrushes
18 Degree deo
3 Motrin pm (free)
6 Crystal lights
7 chocolate milks (free)
6 Texas toast croutons (free)
1 box ice cream bars (free)
1 hair color
1 Tide stain release
1 bag frozen dinner

Seems like I'm forgetting some things also. I'm going from memory and not my list. I know there were some other free or really close to being free items also.

Grocery trip

This shopping trip is the first shopping trip I've been on in over 2 weeks. At the moment I'm still working on stockpiling items. Today I got $401.31 worth of groceries for $149.70. I saved $251.61 or 63%. He is the picture



Here's a list of the items in the picture and some not in the picture. I ran out of room on the table.

6 Mt. Dew
6 hot chocolates
2 boxes of rice
12 juice
2 packs of tortilla shells
6lbs hamburger meat
6 Home style mac n cheese .40cents
6 syrups FREE
10 cans of tuna
12 boxes of granola bars
6 yogurt
5 Fuze
2 Rasinets
6 cream cheese for cooking FREE
12 bags of frozen veggies .33cents
2 sausage
3 dinner rolls
6 boxes of chicken short cuts
12 cinnamon rolls
12 Grands biscuits
2 gallons of milk
6 pads .50cents
6 marinades
4 boxes of cereal
10 bags of goldfish

Then I went to Target and got diapers for $5.99 a pack plus earned $10 worth of gift cards. Oh and I gave 3 coupons to a lady sending diapers to Alabama! I thought that was totally awesome. She said she uses coupons all the time, but didn't have any diaper coupons because she doesn't usually buy those. I tried to get her some formula coupons also, but it didn't match the formula she was sending. I don't mind sharing my coupons:)

Cleaning

I get asked all the time "How do you have time to clean with six kids"? The answer...I don't! Most of the time my house is a mess. It's hardly ever spotless. It's just too hard to keep a house spotless with six kids.

I've decided that I'm going to make it a goal of mine to take my house back! I'm going to start a series of cleaning post. I'm going to pick a room per day to clean that room spotless. I figure working on one a day until I get the upstairs done is a good plan. Now that doesn't mean that once that room gets done I won't clean that room again for 6 more days. There are 7 room upstairs. Study, Living room, Kitchen, Girls room, bathroom, my bedroom, and the laundry room.

Why do I keep saying upstairs, well I'm not doing the basement right now. Our basement flooded and my husband has ripped carpet out of the basement and taken all the ruined items to the dump. We don't live in the basement anymore, so I'm not going to worry about that right now.

I'm thinking the way I'll do this is to start in one room. I'll take before and after pictures (of course), then I'll do my normal laundry, dishes etc. Then when the next day rolls around I'll clean a different room, do my normal and spend 15 minutes in the room I picked up the day before (if need be).

I'm really trying to figure out a good cleaning "schedule" for me and my family. Of course I'll make the kids do chores also. Hubby will be helping also. I know some of you are probably freaking out and saying "What he works and has to do chores in the house". You're damn right he does! I baby sit in the home and take care of the kids every single day. It's our home not just "my" home. Everyone needs to take pride in their home and clean it.

How do you clean your home? Do you have a schedule? I really need to start a good schedule for the whole family. Right now some rooms in my house aren't really that bad and others are awful. Like my bedroom! My bedroom is the worst room in the house!

Help! Give me ideas! Tell me your thoughts. Anyway, enough rambling the "cleaning" journey begins tomorrow!

Families

I understand that all families are different. They are all made up differently,& parents raise their children differently etc. Something is really bugging me & making me really sad.

I left my oldest daughter's father 11 years ago. I left him in Sept. he came to visit her for Halloween that year, & we visited for Thanksgiving. He got married in December that year. He said something about wanting our daughter to come visit. I said that was fine except I had to meet his new wife first! Not an unheard of request. Well his new wife (who never wants children) thought it was too much to ask. I keep in touch with his mom, it's not her fault things between her son & I didn't work out. I'm not going to punish her because of it. 4 years pass & his mom gets into a car accident. She's scared to drive here by herself (they live in Kentucky), so he calls me & asks if he can come pick up my daughter & bring her back to Kentucky for a week. I asked him if he was smoking crack, or doing some other drugs, because he would have to be high to think I would agree to that. She has no clue who he is, and there's no why I'm letting her go anywhere with him. He comes to visit with his mother. I'm at that visit at all times. My daughter & I go to KY for a visit. She accidentally sees him. He hasn't contacted her, or had anything to do with her since! She doesn't even remember his first name or know anything about him unless her Grandmother or I have told her stories about him. Which both of us do! Her Granny comes to visit a couple of times a year (usually twice). She treats my other children just like they are her grand kids. Sends them birthday cards etc. I don't punish her because her son is a screw up and wants nothing to do with his daughter.

Here's a flipped story! My sister left her son I believe about 5 years ago, and up and moved to another state. Her & my nephews dad split up when he was 7 months old. They had been sharing custody. They each got him for a week or something like that. Anyway, so my sister ups & and moves her & her daughter to a different state to "start over". I understand the starting over. I don't understand the leaving a child behind. Lots of ugly, bitter words were thrown back and forth. My sister has since tried calling her child, in which the father hangs up on her and won't let her talk to the child, because she's not paying child support. She writes him letters and sends them to his grandmother's house because that's the only address she has for him. The letters aren't given to him. She's sent Christmas cards, letters, birthday cards etc. None given to him because she's not paying child support. I've seen my nephew a few times, and finally have gotten to talk to him. Yet, none of the other family members are allowed to see him. My grandmother and mother sent him birthday cards this year to my house. At first his dad wasn't going to even take the cards, finally decided to take the cards. They want my sisters address. Which I don't have. I don't talk to me sister, I don't write my sister. I emailed my sister and come to find out she's sent her son letters with her address and phone number in them. Either sitting at his Grandmothers or thrown in the trash I'm sure. They aren't giving my sister a chance to get to know her son or have anything to do with him, yet bad mouthing her for not wanting anything to do with him. Cause no child support is being paid. I bad mouth my ex, BUT here is the huge difference he really has had nothing to do with her. She doesn't try at all to contact her in any way shape or form. He has had our address the whole time I've lived here. I've moved three times and I've written him and given him our new address every time.

It's so sad that children have to be the victims of their parents splitting up. Having been a child of divorced parents, I said I wouldn't do that to my children. I hate that one of my children are going through this. It breaks my heart that her father hasn't even tried to have a relationship with her. I'm just heart broken and sad over all of this.

Why do you shop with coupons?

This question was posted on a couponing board that I'm on, so I figured I would write a blog post about it. The question is Why do you shop with coupons? How has it helped you?

Why do I shop with coupons? Well there's the reason that every couponer would tell you and the most obvious reason. To save money! Mine is more than that. I use coupons to not only save money, but so I can have the big family that I've dreamed of. Saving money makes it easier to have the big family that we have. Learning how to use coupons has not only allowed me to save on food, but I can save on health & beauty items,cleaning supplies,toys,diapers,craft supplies,clothes,oil changes,and even eating out. It's amazing what you can save money on. The biggest reason of course is to save money, and why not! I'm going to save money in any and every way I can. Why on earth would I pay full price for something when I can get it for free or pay change for it? Why would anyone want to do that?

How has it helped?

It's helped me have my dream of having a big family. It's helped us always have food in the house and never have to worry about where our next meal will come from. It's helped with always have shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, laundry soap, etc. Having saved money on groceries means being able to put that money towards other things. Such as vacations, family fun, eating out etc.

What gets me is how others sometimes view coupon shoppers. They think that coupon shoppers are poor and have to use coupons. They think that we are somehow cheating the store. (The store gets back the money on coupons) We get dirty looks at the store.

I understand there are those people out there who make lots of money and feel like they don't need to use coupons to save money because they can afford groceries etc without coupons. Good for you and God bless you! I hear people out there that say they don't have time to use coupons. It really doesn't take me that much extra time. Actually I usually sort, cut and put away my coupons while watching TV. I mean your wasting time watch TV, why not do something while doing it. Or I take about 30 minutes during the kids nap times and do my coupons. People have time, they just chose to do other things with their time. To me an extra 30 minutes or so is going to save me at least 50% of my grocery money therefore it's worth the time to me. Plus I figure with the way the world is going today, you just never know. You never know when you might not have a job or income. You never know when something major might go wrong with a car, or house and you need the extra money to fix that.

Having used coupons and having a stockpile I know my family could live off my stockpile for a little while if we had to. I don't waste food just because I have a stockpile. Things expire and that's why you rotate your stockpile. I also don't just buy things because I have a coupon for them or get them free or cheaply. I buy what my family will use and stockpile those things. I don't like running out of things and pay full price for them. Things don't go to waste in my house! Things don't go unused in my house either. I buy and stockpile the things we need/use the most. Using coupons has completely changed my life. I think it's made it easier and better!

Grocery shopping, coupons, stockpiling, hoarding??

Here is my latest shopping trip. I got $220.95 worth of groceries for $108.39. I saved $112.56 or 51%. Although I have to go back to the store because something rang up wrong and the store's policy is that if something rings up wrong you get it for free, so that almost $8 I have coming back to me. Plus I bought some toothpaste for one of the kids, came home and there was a $1 off coupon in the mail. Of course I'm going to use the coupon. That means children's toothpaste for .49 cents. Not pictured 2 bags of chips and toothpaste. The kids took off with the chips as soon as I walked in.

Here is what I got on the trip today!

4 packs of chicken
4 gallons on milk
3 cans pasta sauce
1 box of pasta (FREE)
5 packs of razors (2 packs FREE)
2 toothbrushes (both FREE)
1 pack pads
2 boxes tampons
1 kids toothpaste
1/2 cake
3 packs of diapers
1 lip balm
12 bags of cheese (yes 12, they freeze)
1 fabric softner
2 dusting spray (one FREE)
1 soft scrub
1 bathroom cleaner
6 hand soaps
18 eggs
2 bags of chips
1 thing of TP

Not as good as those people on Extreme Couponing, but not bad either. My goal is to at least save half. I saved 51% so I'm happy with my shop. I also got $5 off my next pack of diapers. Which I'll be using when I go back to the store to get money back. You would also, diapers for $3.99 who can pass that up??

After watching Extreme Couponing last night I really got to thinking. I heard lots of people calling those people "food hoarders". I personally don't see it that way. Granted they go a little nuts on some things. I don't see a problem with stockpiling. But when you buy something like 150 mustards, then that's a problem. They expire and you will NEVER use that much mustard, not even if you put it on everything!

I stockpile! I stockpile things like diapers (I have 2 in diapers), laundry soap, TP, paper towels, dish soap, dishwasher tablets, razors, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, pads, tampons, can goods, clean supplies, and anything else my family uses a lot of. We are a family of 8 though, so things aren't going to last as long as they might for say a family of 4. Does that make me a "food hoarder"? I don't really care either way. I'm going to keep getting the best deals I can get on things that my family uses or eats. If I can save thousands of dollars a year, then I'm going to. All the haters can hate. Or be jealous, which is it are they really haters or just jealous of those who save money?

Blah

Sometimes I just really love being a woman! Today is one of those days! Something about lack of sleep, waking up flowing like a river (you ladies know what I'm talking about), cramping, headache trying to start, Hubby having the nerve to ask me if the baby slept through the night (what the hell do you think), and then Hubby complaining that the girls threw all the dirty clothes from their room into the hall (at least they freaking cleaned).Why the heck do you care, you won't be the one washing, drying, folding and putting it all away.

As you can tell today is a day I DON'T like being a woman. I'm beat (it's not even 9am yet), I'm feeling like crap, and I have so much housework to do that it's not even funny! My mom will be here in less than 2 weeks and it's been like 7 years since she's been to my house.

Where do I start. I feel overwhelmed and its pissing me off. Needing to get my house clean + PMS = one very unhappy Mommy! I think I'm going to have to do this in 15 minute time frames today. I've got a mountain of laundry (which I hate doing). Dishes cause if hubby has to work he doesn't do any chores what so ever. Like it would take so much time to do. Instead he watches TV and plays Ipod. Would it kill him to at least empty the dishwasher or start a load of laundry. Anything to make my day a little easier? I think he thanks it would. Will he help today on his day off from his full time job???? Probably not because he has to go into work tonight at the part time job.

The part time job that was suppose to be just until we had $1,000 in savings. Guess what? We had that in December. Then he decided that he just HAD to have a new car and so now guess what the part time job is being worked for. You got it that effing car that he had to have. Then he tells me the other day he wishes he hadn't gotten the new car because NOW he sees the stress it's putting on me. Hmmm, how long have you had that part time job dude?

Ever feel like your in one of those snow globe things and someone just keeps shaking it to see the pretty snow flakes. That's how I feel like my life is. I'm in a huge snow globe and someone has been shaking the crap out of it for the past oh 6 months or so. I really need it to stop! I'm tired of being shaken.

What a way to start the day!

What an awful night of sleep. The baby waking up and drinking 1/4 of a bottle and the falling back to sleep, only to wake again in an hour or less. Then my 18 month old waking up twice. What do my children have against me that is keeping them from sleeping through the night. Mommy would really like to be able to sleep at least a good 6 hours without waking up.
The baby wakes at 7:30, I get up change his diaper. He is happy and not crying. I get ready to hand him to hubby and he spits up. It doesn't just get on my shirt. It goes right down my shirt. It's all over my chest!
I have to go clean myself up before I can go back to bed and have a do over. Thankfully hubby let me sleep until almost 9am.
My sweet dear children, please start being nice to your Mommy and sleeping through the night. PLEASE!
Nights and mornings like these really makes me rethink the "maybe we will have more children".

Did it!

I've printed out my Intent to Homeschool form, filled it out, copied my diploma, and wrote up my curriculum. I've emailed my daughter's band teacher. Tomorrow morning I will go and hand over the paperwork, and will go to the school to withdraw my daughter. Although she will be still going and doing Jazz band concerts with the middle school the next two mornings. I will be picking her up as soon as the concerts are over though.
How do I feel? Scared shitless!!!! I know that we can totally do this, and I'm excited about it. She's excited about it. Just when you think of it, I'm going to be in charge of teaching my daughter everything she needs to know. Thank God for support.
I'm so thankful for friends that homeschool and have been so helpful. I don't know what I would have done without them.
It's going to take sometime to get use to having my oldest daughter at home at all times, and I'm sure there are days she will drive me nuts. I know it's the best thing for her though.
Here's to our adventure that starts tomorrow!

Homeschooling

I kept going back and forth on homeschooling my oldest daughter last year. We had a lot of issues with the school. I finally told her that we would give the school one more shot and see how 7th grade went. We've still been having lots of issues, but last week pushed me over the edge.

She went to the nurse to see if she could call me to come pick her up. She told the nurse she was dizzy, coughing, sore throat, and felt like she was burning up. The nurse took her temp and told her to go back to class. She asked once again if she could call me to be picked up. The nurse told her "No, you don't have a temp go back to class". WHAT!!! She went back to class and the teacher was shocked that she was sent back to class, yet when Bella asked if she could use the classroom phone to call me the answer was once again NO!

Why was my child not allowed to call me? It's not the nurses choice on if the child gets to go home or not. If my child says she's sick and needs to go home, then she needs to call me and let me decide if she can't "tough" it out or come home.

Then my daughter tells me her Math teacher (who we've had some issues with anyway) told the class "I don't care if you pass or fail, because I'll still get a check". Nice huh? Bella said he was having a bad day. I don't care what kind of a day you have that's not something you say to a classroom full of kids.

Needless to say that I've started the process of beginning to homeschool. Tomorrow all the paperwork will be sent in to make it offical. We are both excited about this adventure we are getting ready to begin. Her two worries...her friends (of course she's a teenage girl), and getting to play her clarinet. We just bought her clarinet and she's been playing for 1 1/2 years. She loves it! So we will be looking into clarinet. I told her she can still hang out with her friends and will be making more friends.

I'm going to start off with my oldest and go from there. I figure we will see how it goes with the oldest and go from there. Although we've not had any problems with our Elementary school. Although we do plan on moving at some point and time to another state in which I will most likely homeschool in that state.

The ABC's of Me!

The ABC’s Of Me:


{a} Age: 34

{b} Bed Size: King

{c} Chore You Hate: I don't like any chores, but will pick dishes.

{d} Dogs: There ok.

{e} Essential Start To Your Day: Coffee in the winter, iced tea in the summer

{f} Favorite Color: blues and greens

{g} Gold Or Silver: Either

{h} Height: 5’6 1/2"

{i} Instruments You Play: None now, but I've played the trombone and flute

{j} Job Title: Wife,Mommy, child care provider
{k} Kids: I've got 6! Bella 13, Kaelyn 7, Natalie 6, Addison 4, Avery 17 months, Michael 3 1/2 months

{l} Live: Virginia

{m} Mom’s Name: Karin

{n} Nicknames: Jess

{o} Overnight Hospital Stays: Thankfully just for the births of my babies.

{p} Pet Peeve: I've got a few.

{q} Quote From A Movie: I'd have to think about this one and it's still early.

{r} Right- Or Left-Handed: Right

{s} Siblings: I have two older stepbrothers, one younger brother, and two younger sisters.

{t} Time You Wake Up: 7

{u} Underwear: Yes, wear it every day:)

{v} Vegetables You Dislike: Onions is the biggest one

{w} What Makes You Run Late: The kids

{x} X-Rays You’ve Had: teeth and back

{y} Yummy Food You Make: I make lots of yummy foods!

{z} Zoo – Favorite Animal: I love zoo animals so I would have a hard time picking one.

Love and Blessed

I've always loved the relationship that I see between my Grandparents. The love they share. It's one of those marriages that you look at and say "I want a love like that". My Grandparents have been married 52 years (I believe). In this day and age that's not the normal. You here about people getting divorced left and right. My parents were divorced, my husband's parents are divorced. When my husband and I started talking about marriage (no joke on our first date), we both said that when we got married it would be forever. I look at all the couples that have been married for so many years (like my Grandparents) and I think "how"? How do they do it? What are things that make a strong marriage and a marriage that lasts?

I know not every marriage is perfect, and all marriages have ups and downs. A marriage is a lot of work. I don't feel like my marriage is failing, but I just feel like there is always room for improvement. I think one thing we've done this year to improve our marriage is we've added Christ to it. We joined a church and Bible study class. I think that's made us closer.

Today at church I sat in tears as we prayed during service. I sat in tears as we prayed in Bible study. Happy tears, but tears! I felt overwhelmed with the feeling of being so blessed! You see a couple that we know and love are leaving for China on Thursday morning to pick up the twins they are adopting. They tried for years to have a baby of their own, and have been on the waiting list to adopt for over five years. This is such and huge and wonderful blessing for them. I was overwhelmed with happiness for them. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of how blessed I am.

God has blessed me with 6 wonderful healthy children. Today being one of their birthdays at that. Getting pregnant for me wasn't always easy either. I had 3 losses between my 4th and 5th daughters. At the time I questioned God as to how he could keep taking these babies from me. I didn't understand why he would have me suffer so much. I now understand and have to remember that I thank God for all the good things that happen in my life, but I also need to pray and thank him for the bad things as well. I have to keep in mind that things could always be harder or worse on me. God only gives you what you can handle. I thank him every day for my family!

Today my 3rd daughter turned 6. I started looking through the pictures that I have saved on my computer and remembering all the fun times we've shared. I'm so thankful for those times with my children, and look forward to many more good times with them.

I sit and pray very day for my friends that have trouble having babies, have lost babies, and those that are becoming parents for the first time. It really is such a wonderful blessing. I'm so happy for our friends who are going to meet their children for the first time and I pray all goes well. I hope those sweet baby girls bond quickly with their new mommy and daddy and that all involved know how blessed they are. I know the parents to be feel very blessed and I know the little girls one day will also.

Jess

Differences between kids

Something that happen the other day got me thinking. I was sitting in the room with my 4 year old. She asks me "Mommy, do you still love me"? I say "Yes, I love you very much". In return she says "If you love me, then why do you yell at me"? I told her "I yell because you do things that make me mad". I then had to leave the room because I was about to cry. I run to the bathroom and start crying.

How could my child think that I don't love her? Do I not give her enough attention, hugs, kisses, etc. Do I not let her know daily that I love her? Do I yell at her so much that she thinks I hate her? Why do I yell so much?

I yell so much because sometimes I feel like that's the only way they are going to hear me. It's the only way I can be hear sometimes.

Then it got me thinking about the differences between my children. My oldest is in that stage of not wanting to have much to do with her parents. She's a teenager though so that's to be expected. Although she's pretty good about "hanging out" with her dear old mom. She's always been independent though, never one of those kid you had to play with all the time and needed your full attention. Which is amazing to me because I was a single mom for the time she was about 2 til I married when she was 6 years old. She was an only child for 6 years.

My second child is probably the most like me. She's quiet and shy until she gets to know you. She's loving and loves hugs,kisses,and curling up in your lap just to sit there. She's pretty thoughtful, and wants to be friends with everyone and wants everyone to like her.

My third child is my little tomboy, thoughtful, loving, likes to cuddle as well. Her feeling get hurt very easily. She's a little people person as well.

My fourth child is my 4 yr old that broke my heart. She's my "wild" child, the one that pushes every button she can at every chance she gets. She's not a cuddler, she doesn't like to sit on your lap, rarely gives hugs and kisses. Shy until you get to know her. Good as cold at school, but wild at home. Seems to enjoy talking back to me and pushing my buttons.

My fifth child, well she's 17 months old and stuck to Mommy like glue. She just started giving hugs and kisses.

My sixth child, my one and only little man is only 3 months old. Only time will tell what he is like. Spoiled by his sisters I'm sure.

I guess my point in all of this is how do I show my 4 year old that I love her. My other kids (excep my 13 year old) love the hugs and kisses where as my 4 year old will let you hug and kiss her but it's not a daily thing. The other night I asked her if she wanted to cuddle on my lap and she sat there for about 5 minutes and asked to get up. She's just not a cuddle me, hold me, hug and kiss me kind of kid. It's odd to me that one of my children are like this. I'm a hugger. I love getting and giving hugs. I get it from my Great Grandmother. She loved hugs!

Days and Nights mixed up?

I'm starting to wonder if the baby has his days and nights mixed up. After being so completely wiped out today. Not only did I have the baby waking up, but I had my 17 month old wake me up, and my 4 1/2 year old wake me up. Mommy really needs a nap today!
Little man wakes up every 3 hours at night (sometimes less). Usually he will eat and go right back to sleep. Sometimes like the other night he plays and laughs at you.
This morning he ate at 5am, woke up at 7 and went back to sleep by 8. It's 12:36 now and I stopped the swing and woke him up. So he can go hours without eating, that's not the deal. Why won't the child sleep through the night??
How do I fix this? He is 3 months old, most of my girls were sleeping through the night at this point. Only 2 were not. My 17 month old still wakes up once in awhile in the middle of the night. I love my babies but the first couple of months of their lives are the hardest. I'm one sleepy mommy today!

This time of year

This is not my favorite time of year that's for sure. I've got allergies/cold going on. Hubby has a cold. All of the kids are sick with colds. Except one who is complaining her stomach hurts! Little man almost 3 months old has bronchitis/RSV! Having to do breathing treatments on him every 4 hours. I'm cleaning and Lysoling everything in sight. This has got to be my least favorite time of the year. February always seems to be the month that everyone gets sick.
I just thought I would post a short little blog on how everyone is doing! Sick!

Shopping trips

Went shopping yesterday and today! Harris Teeter is having their Super Double Coupons. Which means they will double coupons up to $1.98. Of course there is a limit of 20 coupons that they will double per day, per card. So here's how I did. Day 1 $379.03 worth of groceries for $137.21. Saved $241.82 or 64%. Oh I might add that Day one is the total from CVS and Harris Teeter because I went to both stores.
Day 2 $263.23 worth of groceries for $96.86. Saved $166.37 or 63%. Here are pictures and lists of what all I got.

Day 1


Day 2 complete with 2 of my cute models:)


Items (in no certain order)

2 bags of Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies
2 Boxes Minute Rice
12 Boxes of cereal
2 Boxes Dish Washer tabs
1 4 pack Charmin
1 Cadbury Egg (FREE)
1 Jar peanut butter
9 candy bars
1 pack Pampers diapers
2 bottles shampoo
2 bottles conditioner
9 cans Tomato sauce
1 Listerine Smart rinse mouthwash
4 boxes of Kleenex Hand towels
4 Reynolds Slow Cooker liners
5 Johnson's Baby bars
5 Gain Fabric Softener (80 loads)
3 All 64 loads Detergent
4 Bags Purina Cat Chow
4 Bags Snyder's pretzels
10 2L Mountain Dew
9 packs of Band Aids (FREE)
5 Neosporin Neo to go
1 First Aid kit
1 Vick's Dayquil
5 Oral-B Satin Dental Floss
3 Body Washes
4 4 packs Acitivia Yogurt (FREE)
2 packs string cheese
2 packs shredded cheese
10 rolls of cinnamon rolls
4 rolls of crescent rolls
10 boxes fruit snacks
6 Welch's juice
3 bottles syrup
1 6 count Mega roll paper towels
10 boxes of pasta
6 cans of chili
3 boxes Golden Grahams treats
12 boxes of Hamburger Helper

I think that covers it all!

Is God testing me or punishing me?

I'm sitting here trying to decide which one God is doing? Is he testing me or punishing me? Since December things have just been nuts!

First my son was born and this of course was a GREAT thing for us! We love him and so do his sisters. Since his birth though things have just gone nuts!

My father had a massive stroke and passed away 10 days after my son was born. I have to go to Georgia alone with all six kids because our van isn't big enough for us all.

Get back home and have Christmas and then our heater is dead one morning. Thankfully a friends husband comes over and fixes it!

Hubby goes back to night shift at work. Not his choice, something they do every 2 years. So he will be on night shift for the next 2 years:(

His first night back my 4 yr old slams my 15 month old finger in the door. Not to mention 4 out of 6 kids are just going nuts that night. Showing out because Dad's back at work? Maybe.

Then hubby hurts his back on Monday leaving me to be a single mom this whole week. I honestly think I'm going to lose my mind. I know they say God doesn't give you more than you can handle, but I'm thinking to myself "God, how much do you think I can handle"?

To top things off my husband made an appointment that I asked him not to make at the moment. It's an appointment for him to have the big "V" done next week. I've not forgiven him for scheduling this appointment, nor will I have anything to do with this appointment. I asked him to hold off until we were both 100% sure we don't want anymore children. Well I guess he is 100% sure since he has the appointment made. Yet, I'm still on the fence. Yes I know I'm at the point that I'm about to lose my mind this week. I go back and forth daily, so it's not a good time to make the choice at the moment. I'm just not ready!

So why do I feel like I'm being punished? Why is God throwing so much at me?

First shopping trip for week of 1/16/11

This shopping trip was to CVS and Harris Teeter! $343.84 worth of groceries for $140.06. I saved $203.78 or 59%

Items in the picture are

12 pack of paper towels
16 rolls of TP
1 battery charger
1 33.8 oz bottle of shampoo
1 33.8 oz bottle of conditioner
1 bottle Listerine
1 nail polish
1 eye liner
1 eye shadow
1 jar Peter Pan peanut butter
6 boxes hamburger helper
6 packs of yeast
10 bags of Goldfish (one actually isn't in the picture)
2 packs of Stayfree Pads (one was FREE)
2 bottles of All
2 boxes of dryer sheets (FREE)
4 packs of kids yogurt
2 boxes of granola bars
1 box of Planter Nutrition bars
4 boxes of fruit snacks
10 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios
5 boxes of Reese's Puff cereal
14 boxes of fruity/cocoa Pebbles
2 boxes of Capri Sun
1 pack of crackers (FREE)
9 packs of Grand's biscuits
2 packs of stew meat
1 8 can pack of Diet Coke
1 8 can pack of Coke

Shopping trip #3 this week!

Yes, I'm addicted to shopping! Break down of this trip $171.04 worth of groceries for $55.56. I saved $115.48 or 68%.

3 boxes of pasta FREE
1 box garlic bread FREE
1 2 liter FREE
1 Parm cheese FREE
4 packs of yeast FREE
2 packs (6 bags total) Ziploc Big Bags FREE
12 cans of Spaghetti O's .35ea
3 boxes of Special K
19 packs of snack puddings
4 Baker's Joy cooking spray
10 Ziploc containers .25ea pack (packs had 2-6 in each pack)
2 Large jars of pasta sauce
7 pounds of ground beef

Grocery trip #2 this week

Ok so here is my second grocery trip this week.



That's $197.95 worth of groceries for $62.65. I saved $135.30 or 68%.

In the picture..

5 boxes of dishwasher tablets
2 Finish Quantuma dishwash things (good for 12 dishwasher loads)
2 packs string cheese (most expensive thing I bought)
1 pack of birthday candles
1 bottle of baby shampoo
1 bottle of pancake syrup
4 V8 Fusions
10 V8 Splash
3 packs of yeast
1 pack of TP
5 packs of pudding snack cups
2 100 count ziplock sandwich baggies
6 bottles of Lysol wipes
1 bottle Lysol bathroom cleaner
1 bottle Lysol floor cleaner
9 bottles of coffee creamer (some I got for .39 cents a bottle)

Shopping trip today!

Ok so it's a new year and it's time for me to get back into my shopping. I didn't shop much the month of December!

Here is a picture from today's shopping trip.



That's $224.83 worth of groceries and I paid $110.09 a saves of $114.74 or 51%. Oh and I got $19 worth of Extra Care Bucks from CVS! Here is what is in the picture since it's not that great of a shot.

1~32 load bottle of Wisk
2~packs of Quilted Northern
2~8 roll packs of Sparkle
2~toothbrushes
1~toothpaste
1~36 count of Tampons
1~energy saving light bulb
1~36 count of Huggies Diapers
6~bottles of hand soap
5~boxes of oatmeal
2~boxes of Kashi cereal
8~boxes of Special K cereal
4~bottles of children's vitamins
1~parchment paper
4~boxes rice Krispies treats
2~boxes Special K breakfast bars
4~boxes of pancake mix
1~box whole wheat pasta
1~roast
1~pack tortilla shells

Not my greatest shop, but a good way to start off the year.

Yes I know I've been slacking!

I know that I'm WAY behind on updating my blog! Life just got a little...well crazy!

First off I had my sweet little man. Michael James was born on December 5, 2010 at 10:15pm. He was 7lbs 1oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Here are a few pictures of my little man.







The week my sweet baby turned 1 week old and my oldest daughter turned 13 years old, my Dad had a massive stroke and passed away 3 days later. I miss my Dad like crazy and think about him every day. He is greatly missed.

Then we had Christmas which made our house look like Toys R Us threw up in our living room.

Now my baby boy is a month old today! I can't believe he is already a month old, it just seems unreal to me.

I'm going to try to do better this year with my blogging. Today I went shopping and I'm going to keep track this year of how much money I save, and try to get pictures of my shopping trips to show what I got for my money. First blog post of this year to follow!