I am SO tired. It doesn't feel like I've had a day off in ages. Norman and I both work 5 days a week, I have Des all Saturday myself, he has Monday. Sunday is our only day off together. On the days I don't work I'm cleaning or running errands, same goes for Norman. Christmas he worked the morning, so we didn't end up with any time together at all over this last weekend. Saturday I took Des to my grandma's, home to nap and I cleaned house, then out to Elaine's for Shaw Christmas, then home to open our own presents and visit with cousins. Then Christmas Norman went to work, I took Des to Grandma's, we ate breakfast and the kids opened presents, took him home to nap, Norman got home, we went back to Grandma's for dinner, then home to put Des to bed. By the time he's in bed I'm so tired it's all I can do to get the dogs rounded up in their crates and get to bed myself.
I'm starting to feel the separation with Des. I don't get to see him much and when I do I'm either feeding him or putting him to bed. I don't get to play with him really at all. Most mornings I don't see him at all unless I'm piling him into a car to go to Grandma's. Then I get him at 4, usually we stay for dinner, then bring him home and put him to bed. I'm so tired I don't have energy to do anything fun with him. I feel like I could go to sleep for an entire day. I feel like all I do is work or clean. Norman and I haven't had any time together in weeks. My life is not feeling very balanced right now.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
First Salon Hair Cut
Des got his first salon haircut yesterday! I didn't get to go, but Norman said he was very good. He sat and watched Norman get a haircut, then Norman fed him peanuts while he got his haircut and he said he only started being impatient at the end. He looks great and they even sent him home with a card that says Congrats on your 1st haircut! SO cute.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Crazy Smart Kid
My kid is crazy smart. Not like, creepy-doesn't-fit-in-society-smart, like useful smart. The other night he took a pen apart and had it back together except for one piece he'd dropped on the floor.
He watched his cousin spill a drink on a footstool and while the rest of the room was discussing it, he went and got a towel and brought it to her. This required him to go in the kitchen, open the correct drawer, get the towel, go back in the living room, and hand it to the correct person. AND understand what was going on and being said before hand!
He watched his cousin spill a drink on a footstool and while the rest of the room was discussing it, he went and got a towel and brought it to her. This required him to go in the kitchen, open the correct drawer, get the towel, go back in the living room, and hand it to the correct person. AND understand what was going on and being said before hand!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
3rd Week as a Working Mom
Desmond now greets me with a big hug and giggles when I pick him up from my Grandma's at the end of the work day. He's generally very well behaved at her house while I work, unless you count pulling everything out of everywhere as "bad".
I didn't think I'd like working and being away from him all day, but I really enjoy having a job. I feel more independent and self-sufficient. Norman has started helping with house-work and is taking a more active role in parenting Des. Instead of only playing with him he now will tell him no and do the not-as-much-fun parts of being a part. I think he appreciates how much work it is a lot more too. I came home last week on Monday, the day he has him all day by himself, and he had been napping.
Des and I had a stubborn contest last night. We were wrapping presents and there was a pair of scissors in a box of bows. He picked them up and I told him to put them down. He wouldn't. I insisted and then moved him to a different room. We repeated this about 15 times. He finally gave up and listened when I told him not to touch the scissors. I don't want to have to put everything out of his reach, I want him to listen to me.
The other fun thing we did was Sunday night we took Des to the Wagon Wheeler Christmas party. He got to see Santa for the first time. He watched all the other kids sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas and then I took him up and put him on Santa's lap. He was skeptical to say the least. I stepped back and Norman took a couple pictures. He was whinning a little as Santa's beard made him nervous, so I helped him slide down and they gave him a gift bag of candy, which he loved. I think he'll do fine with Santa next year.
I didn't think I'd like working and being away from him all day, but I really enjoy having a job. I feel more independent and self-sufficient. Norman has started helping with house-work and is taking a more active role in parenting Des. Instead of only playing with him he now will tell him no and do the not-as-much-fun parts of being a part. I think he appreciates how much work it is a lot more too. I came home last week on Monday, the day he has him all day by himself, and he had been napping.
Des and I had a stubborn contest last night. We were wrapping presents and there was a pair of scissors in a box of bows. He picked them up and I told him to put them down. He wouldn't. I insisted and then moved him to a different room. We repeated this about 15 times. He finally gave up and listened when I told him not to touch the scissors. I don't want to have to put everything out of his reach, I want him to listen to me.
The other fun thing we did was Sunday night we took Des to the Wagon Wheeler Christmas party. He got to see Santa for the first time. He watched all the other kids sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas and then I took him up and put him on Santa's lap. He was skeptical to say the least. I stepped back and Norman took a couple pictures. He was whinning a little as Santa's beard made him nervous, so I helped him slide down and they gave him a gift bag of candy, which he loved. I think he'll do fine with Santa next year.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Officially a Working Mom!
It's scary! Not what I saw myself doing. I like being about to be home with Desmond all the time. I feel like being a stay at home mom is best for the child, but it's not the best option right now. We have debt that needs paid to make us more stable and that is the priority. So, I'm working at the family business full-time. Yeah, way to jump right in!
Des hasn't missed me yet. Norman takes care of him when he can and so far he goes to my Grandma's on the other days. Eventually I'm hoping to get him in half-time preschool or something. He is tearing the house apart and I think he's just really bored.
I so far am really enjoying working. I'm getting up at 6 AM and working out before going to work. I feel really good about that. I feel like I'm making progress on rehabing the shop. They are happy to have me there which is definitely good.
I'm not sure about how this will go long term. I'm only on day 3. I worry how it will effect Des long term and our marriage long term. I don't have energy to deal with Des hopping off the walls already and it's only Tuesday.
I'm hoping to get them in good enough shape to PAY me and then I'll have money to put in savings which will make me feel much better. They will pay me, but I don't know when it'll be. They don't have any pay schedule set up currently, lol!
Des hasn't missed me yet. Norman takes care of him when he can and so far he goes to my Grandma's on the other days. Eventually I'm hoping to get him in half-time preschool or something. He is tearing the house apart and I think he's just really bored.
I so far am really enjoying working. I'm getting up at 6 AM and working out before going to work. I feel really good about that. I feel like I'm making progress on rehabing the shop. They are happy to have me there which is definitely good.
I'm not sure about how this will go long term. I'm only on day 3. I worry how it will effect Des long term and our marriage long term. I don't have energy to deal with Des hopping off the walls already and it's only Tuesday.
I'm hoping to get them in good enough shape to PAY me and then I'll have money to put in savings which will make me feel much better. They will pay me, but I don't know when it'll be. They don't have any pay schedule set up currently, lol!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
What A Year
2011 has been a big year. Things have changed, people have grown, both physically and emotionally. I feel like we're embarking on a new chapter in our lives.
My mission for myself this year was to make my health a priority for my child. People like to say, "I'd do anything for my child, I'd DIE for them!" But then in the next breath they'll admit they won't make healthy choices or do anything to make sure they LIVE for their child. Because that's everyday, that's self-discipline, that's HARD. I made a conscious decision that I am going to LIVE for my child. He's going to have a healthy mom, a mom that makes both physical health and mental health a priority so that I can be the best mom for Desmond that I can be. This year, I focused on my physical health. I changed my diet, took up exercising 5 days a week. I've lost 54 lbs. and I'm back to the weight I was in 2007. I am in better shape than I was then because I work-out now.
I have decided that my mission for next year is to make more Mom-friends and get a larger social circle. First step is to join Walla Walla MOPS. Wish me luck on that!
Aside from learning to handle an intelligent, curious, way-to-clever toddler this year, the biggest change for us was Norman's mother passing away suddenly. It hit the whole family hard and we're still spinning from it. It's pulled us all together, but it's also made evident how important the choices we make for ourselves are to everyone else we love. It made it clear what our priorities should be. This holiday season is going to be hard at times, but we'll make it through.
An experience like this makes you think about the kind of person you want to be and want to be remembered as. Trudy left a legacy of loving everyone first, learning about them later. She loved you before you earned it and regardless of if you did. What legacy would be left if you died right now? It's definitely something to think about to refocus your priorities.
It has made Norman and I work more as a team I think. We communicate better and he understands family as a priority better. He if more confident and sure of himself.
Along with a tragedy, we also worked on future plans this year. Norman is working on getting his CEC (certified Executive Chef) and a business plan for a restaurant down the road. I have taken a job as an office assistant at the family business. Hopefully they like me and keep me on as it would really help our budget. We are trying to get ride of our debt before tackling a restaurant so it would make that much more feasible.
I am very excited for Christmas because Desmond will be into opening presents. I put up the tree and have spent the last few days trying to keep Des from pulling off the decorations. But I'm happy to have the house decorated and most the presents wrapped and under the tree.
I feel like I'm in a good place with being a wife and a mom. Norman is doing better at being supportive when I am overwhelmed with something and just need him to listen to me talk a bit. I miss Trudy a lot, but I know she would want us to be happy and move forward in our lives, so that makes it a little easier.
Norman threw another wrench in the works by getting a puppy "for me". So I'm house-training a puppy in the middle of everything else. It's not going too bad, but it is one more thing to take care of. Ask me how I like him in a couple months, lol.
My mission for myself this year was to make my health a priority for my child. People like to say, "I'd do anything for my child, I'd DIE for them!" But then in the next breath they'll admit they won't make healthy choices or do anything to make sure they LIVE for their child. Because that's everyday, that's self-discipline, that's HARD. I made a conscious decision that I am going to LIVE for my child. He's going to have a healthy mom, a mom that makes both physical health and mental health a priority so that I can be the best mom for Desmond that I can be. This year, I focused on my physical health. I changed my diet, took up exercising 5 days a week. I've lost 54 lbs. and I'm back to the weight I was in 2007. I am in better shape than I was then because I work-out now.
I have decided that my mission for next year is to make more Mom-friends and get a larger social circle. First step is to join Walla Walla MOPS. Wish me luck on that!
Aside from learning to handle an intelligent, curious, way-to-clever toddler this year, the biggest change for us was Norman's mother passing away suddenly. It hit the whole family hard and we're still spinning from it. It's pulled us all together, but it's also made evident how important the choices we make for ourselves are to everyone else we love. It made it clear what our priorities should be. This holiday season is going to be hard at times, but we'll make it through.
An experience like this makes you think about the kind of person you want to be and want to be remembered as. Trudy left a legacy of loving everyone first, learning about them later. She loved you before you earned it and regardless of if you did. What legacy would be left if you died right now? It's definitely something to think about to refocus your priorities.
It has made Norman and I work more as a team I think. We communicate better and he understands family as a priority better. He if more confident and sure of himself.
Along with a tragedy, we also worked on future plans this year. Norman is working on getting his CEC (certified Executive Chef) and a business plan for a restaurant down the road. I have taken a job as an office assistant at the family business. Hopefully they like me and keep me on as it would really help our budget. We are trying to get ride of our debt before tackling a restaurant so it would make that much more feasible.
I am very excited for Christmas because Desmond will be into opening presents. I put up the tree and have spent the last few days trying to keep Des from pulling off the decorations. But I'm happy to have the house decorated and most the presents wrapped and under the tree.
I feel like I'm in a good place with being a wife and a mom. Norman is doing better at being supportive when I am overwhelmed with something and just need him to listen to me talk a bit. I miss Trudy a lot, but I know she would want us to be happy and move forward in our lives, so that makes it a little easier.
Norman threw another wrench in the works by getting a puppy "for me". So I'm house-training a puppy in the middle of everything else. It's not going too bad, but it is one more thing to take care of. Ask me how I like him in a couple months, lol.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Times Flies
Desmond is still not walking, but he's really close. I think he thinks he's a dog. He was barking in Safeway yesterday. He plays in the dog crate all the time and tries to steal their toys.
I have decided that being a mom is quite the education. I didn't know I could fit so much into one day. Being a mom has taught me how to prioritize, how to NOT procrastinate. It's made me see how important it is to make sure I take care of my son's mom. I don't take lightly how parents always says "I'd die for my kid", but they aren't willing to "live" for them. They aren't willing to be healthy, make good choices, etc. to be around a long time and be the best parent they can be for their child.
I've learned how to remember everything, get to everything on time with a baby, juggle being a wife, mom, friend, family-member, while still taking good care of my dogs and horses. I cram taking care of myself and house into the time it take Des to nap. I don't know how I ever lived without my son. He makes everything in life clearer.
I have decided that being a mom is quite the education. I didn't know I could fit so much into one day. Being a mom has taught me how to prioritize, how to NOT procrastinate. It's made me see how important it is to make sure I take care of my son's mom. I don't take lightly how parents always says "I'd die for my kid", but they aren't willing to "live" for them. They aren't willing to be healthy, make good choices, etc. to be around a long time and be the best parent they can be for their child.
I've learned how to remember everything, get to everything on time with a baby, juggle being a wife, mom, friend, family-member, while still taking good care of my dogs and horses. I cram taking care of myself and house into the time it take Des to nap. I don't know how I ever lived without my son. He makes everything in life clearer.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Playing Catch-Up
It seems as a parent of a baby I spend a lot of time trying to catch-up; catch-up on house work, folding laundry, with friends, animal care, getting pictures on facebook, filling in the baby-book, bonding time with the hubby, and updating blogs.
Desmond bit me the other night nursing, and wouldn't nurse without biting me, so I decided he was done and he didn't seem to mind. Last night Michelle put him to bed for the night and he was just fine. I guess we're done nursing! It was his choice so I'm left a little behind, but that's ideal I guess! Yesterday he refused to nap, so it was a long day, but not terrible. Today he screamed most the morning, but I didn't get him to go down for a nap, so I'm hoping the rest of the day goes smoother.
Hopefully I'll have the blog updated with pictures soon. I'm trying to get caught up on the pictures so I can order prints.
Desmond bit me the other night nursing, and wouldn't nurse without biting me, so I decided he was done and he didn't seem to mind. Last night Michelle put him to bed for the night and he was just fine. I guess we're done nursing! It was his choice so I'm left a little behind, but that's ideal I guess! Yesterday he refused to nap, so it was a long day, but not terrible. Today he screamed most the morning, but I didn't get him to go down for a nap, so I'm hoping the rest of the day goes smoother.
Hopefully I'll have the blog updated with pictures soon. I'm trying to get caught up on the pictures so I can order prints.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
1-YEAR OLD!!!
Desmond is a whole year old now! He had a dog-themed birthday with 33 people in attendance. He was cheerful the whole time and loved his ice-cream cake. He let everyone hold him and was just a champ the whole day. He opened his presents with excitement and didn't cry during the happy birthday song.
Desmond isn't walking yet, but very near. He will cruise around tables and couches, he can crawl onto the couch or his lounge chair, and his new thing today was looking at me upside down between his legs.
Desmond can wave, clap, high-five, stick out his tongue, give kisses, raspberries, click his tongue, squint his eyes, he's just hilarious. He adores all animals and is learning to pet them gently. He is a cheerful little guy and only gets cranky when he's tired.
He has 5 teeth, two on the bottom, three on top. He only nurses in the evening and eats normal food with me at meal-time now. He drinks water from a sippy cup and is very proud of that ability. He has a bigger car-seat, still rear-facing and endures car-rides well most the time. he has a assortment of car toys to help pass the time. He loves going in stores in his stroller and seeing everything. He hasn't gotten to the grabbing everything and throwing it in the cart phase yet.
He got his first hair-cut on Sunday before the party and he did great. He looks all grown-up now. He naps once a day, usually for 2 hours. He sleeps in his own room, usually from 7 or 8 PM to 7ish AM. Somehow, that is still not long enough.
I bought him a baby pool for his birthday but it hasn't been warm enough to set it up yet. He should like it though, he loves taking showers.
He was intrigued by Jaden playing the guitar and singing. He started singing along and then Jaden held him in his lap and showed him how to play the guitar. Desmond tried to strum, it was adorable!
You Know You're A Parent When:
There are Mega Blocks in the dish-drainer.
You sing everything you do.
You dance in public without thinking about it.
You can get all your house-work done during a 2-hour period.
Hiring a baby-sitter for a date-night is not as appealing as hiring a baby-sitter for a nap.
Desmond isn't walking yet, but very near. He will cruise around tables and couches, he can crawl onto the couch or his lounge chair, and his new thing today was looking at me upside down between his legs.
Desmond can wave, clap, high-five, stick out his tongue, give kisses, raspberries, click his tongue, squint his eyes, he's just hilarious. He adores all animals and is learning to pet them gently. He is a cheerful little guy and only gets cranky when he's tired.
He has 5 teeth, two on the bottom, three on top. He only nurses in the evening and eats normal food with me at meal-time now. He drinks water from a sippy cup and is very proud of that ability. He has a bigger car-seat, still rear-facing and endures car-rides well most the time. he has a assortment of car toys to help pass the time. He loves going in stores in his stroller and seeing everything. He hasn't gotten to the grabbing everything and throwing it in the cart phase yet.
He got his first hair-cut on Sunday before the party and he did great. He looks all grown-up now. He naps once a day, usually for 2 hours. He sleeps in his own room, usually from 7 or 8 PM to 7ish AM. Somehow, that is still not long enough.
I bought him a baby pool for his birthday but it hasn't been warm enough to set it up yet. He should like it though, he loves taking showers.
He was intrigued by Jaden playing the guitar and singing. He started singing along and then Jaden held him in his lap and showed him how to play the guitar. Desmond tried to strum, it was adorable!
You Know You're A Parent When:
There are Mega Blocks in the dish-drainer.
You sing everything you do.
You dance in public without thinking about it.
You can get all your house-work done during a 2-hour period.
Hiring a baby-sitter for a date-night is not as appealing as hiring a baby-sitter for a nap.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Couponing: A Newb's Guide To Couponing
I am VERY new at couponing, but I've learned a lot in the 2 months we've been doing it. Here is a run-down.
Basic Concept: Collect coupons -> Read store flyers -> Match coupons with sales = Cheap or free stuff.
Where To Get Coupons:
Newspaper
Magazines
Internet
Grocery Store Isles
In-Store booklets
Store flyers
Newspapers:
Rural areas don't get all the inserts, so figure out what paper near you gets everything and then purchase that paper at a stand or by subscription when you want all the coupons for that week. We don't get any papers, we collect relative's papers that are willing to let us claim their inserts. We buy extras at a gas station when there are good inserts.
-> Inserts: P&G Saver, Smart Source, Red Plum (Red Plum is the one that isn't in all the papers)
Magazines: Parents magazine has amazon.com coupons towards diapers. Sometimes $10 off, sometimes 20%. You can stack multiple discounts together from different months and get good deals. The main magazine for coupons is All You. It has tons of coupons every month and money-saving is one of their main focus for content. It's one of the few magazines that I subscribe to because it has good information and isn't just a bunch of expensive clothing ads. Once in a while you'll find coupons in another magazine, but those are the main ones.
Internet: There are three, well make that four, basic ways to get internet coupons. The coupon lingo is "IP" (Internet Printable).
-> Product Websites: Go to a product website. Look at the buttons at the top and bottom (don't miss big glaring promotion buttons either!) for a button titled "Promotions", "Coupons", or "Offers". Click those and you'll see what they are offering you directly. Sometimes there will be one, sometimes a dozen coupons.
-> Facebook "Like": Certain product pages on Facebook will give you a coupon if you click Like. You will get tips to these pages through coupon blogs (more on those later).
-> Newsletters: Sign up for the newsletters from product/company sites and they will often send you coupons right your email. I keep a coupon email address to use JUST for my coupon news.
-> Coupon website: There is ONE main coupon website. There are a coupon other small ones, but only one HUGE one. There are a bunch of other websites that will claim to give you a ton of coupons but they really just want your email and then send you junk and they just route you through their site to the main coupon site. The ONE real coupon site is: www.coupons.com. Just go straight there and get your coupons.
-> Grocery Store Isles: When you go to stores like Albertsons and Safeway, glance down each isle for tear-pad coupons, blinking boxes with coupons, and automatic coupon dispensers. We have found they often match with a sale at a DIFFERENT store then you find them in.
---> PEELIES: These are coupons stuck to actual products. We've recently found them on Tilex, Pillsbury brownies, and Rightguard Bodywash. DO NOT steal them off of a product you're not buying. But you can definitely choose the ones with peelies to help with your deals. We got free rightguard this week by using the peelies on the bottles at check out on top of a the sale. Also, CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATES! You can usually sneak a peek without ruining the coupon. I've found they are often past date.
-> In-Store Booklets: Drugstores and grocery stores often have in-store booklets to promote items. In-store or even manufacture coupons abound in these! Example: Safeway had a book out for Football Sunday and it had a ton of coupons in it. We got free Chex mix at Walgreens, cheap pringles, mayo, etc. These will be located in the standee with the store flyer at the entrance, or you can ask at customer service if they're out up front. You'll know when you check by watching your blogs.
-> Store Flyers: Your drugstores and grocery stores put out a flyer every week profiling their sales or promoted items. These will be your key to matching up for awesome sales. There will be a bunch in the Sunday paper and there are several in the wednesday free paper. However, if you wait to get your Riteaid and Walgreens flyers on Wednesday you */99risk free items being gone because Sunday paper people got their flyer the previous Sunday. The store flyer will tell you about bundle deals, in-store coupons, etc. Walgreens, Safeway, Albertsons, and Riteaid often have in-store coupons in their flyers. You may need more than one copy of the flyer to get your stock-ups on a really good deal.
So, you've got your coupons, you've got your store flyers, now what? Look at your flyers and see what coupons match the sales. Be sure to pay attention to sizes and weights on the items and whether the amount on the coupon is for 1 item or 2 or 3. Sometimes I think I've found a free thing and it turns out it is $1 off THREE items or only works for a 10 oz. or larger item, etc. Also, watch your expiration dates. They often expire on Saturday and more than once the item has gone on the sale the Sunday after.
Organizing: Some people use a recipe box or file box. Some people bring only the coupons they are planning to use into the store. Those don't make sense to us. We do the Coupon Binder (or as Norman calls it, coupon bible). I have a zipper binder and it's filled with photo album pages that each hold three 4x6 photos. Instead of photos, each pocket has a white piece of paper in it and coupons on either side. We have white labels folded in half on the edge of each page with the content of that section and then a pocket page for each store to hold that store's flyer for the week. We also keep a small pair of scissors in the binder.
Coupon Stacking: This is when you use a store coupon AND a manufacturers coupon on the SAME item. Usually you find the store coupon in a store flyer, store booklet, or store website. Sometimes a store will have a manufacturer's coupon on their flyer, so make sure you read them carefully.
Doublers: I have used them at Albertson's. Can't give advice for anywhere else. A doubler is a coupon a store gives that doubles the amount of a manufacture's coupon. These can make for free deals. At Albertson's you can only use three in a transaction and they come in numbered sets of three and you have to have one or less of each number. You can use a 1,2,3, a 1,3, but not a 3,3. You can use Internet coupons, but only one for the same item in each transaction. So, if you buy two bottles of coffee creamer you have to buy them in two transactions in order to use two printed coupons. Internet coupons have different bar-codes on them, so it doesn't make sense, but that's the way it is.
Previews: To get the best deals and be most organized, preview RiteAid and Walgreens before Sunday so you know what coupons you want and can have everything together. The sites to find the previews on are listed in the resources at the end of the post.
RiteAid: You can run amazing deals at Riteaid. Sign up for the Wellness Card. They have their sales set up to maximize couponing. In addition to crazy sales they also do +Ups, which is store money that prints at the end of your receipt when you purchase certain items. DON'T THROW THEM AWAY. They do expire so pay attention to that and make sure you use them in your next trip (or transaction).
Often, you can find items that are on sale, have a store coupon, a manufacture's coupon, and +Ups. These can end up FREE or actually MAKE MONEY. They don't give you money to take home (at least mine doesn't), so make sure you have enough items in your transaction to soak up the extra.
RiteAid also has Video Values coupons. You go to the RiteAid website, click on Video Values, sign up for that website, then watch videos, enter a code, and print coupons that are good only at RiteAid. These are awesome because you can STACK them with manufacture's coupons.
I have been buying cheap make-up by using their +Ups when-you-buy deal. They will have it in the flyer what deals like this are on for the week. There will be a yellow box around some items and it will tell you "$3 +Up when you spend $10" or whatever amounts. They've been doing buy-1-get-one-%50 off on make-up, then get $5 +Up when you spend $20. Combine that with a coupon on each item and you'll end up with 4 or 6 items of make-up for about $8. Another recent deal was buy X of X-brand, get X +Ups, and one of the items was ice cream. The icecream was pay $3, get $2 +Up. By the end of it you bought 6 half-gallons for $17.94 and got $17 in +Ups back on your receipt. SO, that works out to $.16 for half-gallon. WHOA. Yeah, awesome!
The last thing for Riteaid is Rebates. We haven't done them yet. They have a new set every month and they are listed in a flyer you get at the front of the store. Certain items can give you a rebate when you buy them. You just register online and put in info off your receipt and you'll get one check at the end of the month (if I understand correctly) for all the rebate items you bought. You DO have to put in the effort to enter the info on the site, but that's it. Again, combine this with coupons and sales and you'll be looking at some cheap/free deals.
Walgreens: No card to sign up for. Instead of +Ups they have RegisterRewards. They print at the end of your receipt just like +Ups. If you make two purchases that qualify for RR, do them in two transactions or you won't get the 2nd RR. They also have a weird thing where you have to have the same amount of items as you do paper coupons you're handing them. So, you can stack two on one item, but you have to throw in a pack of gum or something to have the same amount of items as coupons. Also, you can't use more than one of the same store coupon in one transaction. Plan to run multiple transactions for most trips.
Safeway: E-COUPONS! Sign up for the store card, register on the site, and load all the coupons onto your card. They will automatically apply when you buy the item in your store! No paper to carry! They will stack store coupons with manufacturer ones. They have some good coupons in their flyer, usually they require a $10 purchase, but that's not hard to get.
FAQ:
When will you see results in your budget? They say it takes a good 5 months to really reap the benefits of couponing and stocking up. We've noticed a difference already, after only 2 months.
Where are the best deals? For groceries, Albertson's is best on doublers week. Otherwise, you'll find deals really cheap at Safeway also. We don't have a lot of the main coupon grocery stores where I live, so that's about it. Look for blogs written for your area and you'll quickly figure out where the hot-spots are.
For drugstore items, Walgreens and Riteaid are awesome. My favorite is Riteaid, but Norman really like Walgreens. You favorite will just depend on your local store's coupon policies and employees.
It's SO overwhelming, how do I start? I started at Riteaid. Then graduated into groceries. Start small and do some small transactions to build confidence and get a feel for the process. If possible, follow a couponing mentor the first trip or two. Read some blogs, but not so many you're completely discouraged. I suggest easing in with one or two deals at Riteaid early in the week so you can go back again for more deals if you get hooked (you will). Look at the Riteaid blog or any blog that follows Riteaid and watch for a deal that works out free or $1 or so. Pick one that uses a coupon you can print or have in your binder. Go in and get just that thing and do the transaction. Once you're successful it's easier to go from there. You might even want to do a scouting trip; just walk around the store, get a feel for where things are, what the signs for +Ups look like, etc. Carry the flyer around and get familiar. Practice matching up the coupons with the sales. No one will look at you weird, I do it all the time.
I think the big thing is just be as prepared as you can be and you'll be more confident. Look up the store policy for each store so you know what to expect in how they handle coupons. It's a good idea to print the policy for each store and keep it in your binder. Employees don't always know the policy.
Resources: (You will collect many more)
Coupon-Producing Newsletters to sign up for:
7th Generation
Friskies
Lysol
Arm & Hammer
Wendy's
Kellogg's
Websites to Register On:
RiteAid
Safeway
VideoValues
CouponMom
Coupons:
Coupons.com
RedPlum
SmartSource
Blogs:
IHeartRiteAid
IHeartWalgreens
KrazyCouponLady
AddictedToSavings
FabuLesslyFrugal
CouponDivas
HappyMoneySaver
ThriftyNWMom
Hip2Save
GoodDealMama
JessicasCoupons
PennyPincherGazette
CouponConnectionsNW
MomAndDadSaves
FreeSnatcher
TheFrugalLifeOfAMom
MyFrugalAdventures
Those blogs will give you links to tons others. There are so many good ones! Enjoy!
Basic Concept: Collect coupons -> Read store flyers -> Match coupons with sales = Cheap or free stuff.
Where To Get Coupons:
Newspaper
Magazines
Internet
Grocery Store Isles
In-Store booklets
Store flyers
Newspapers:
Rural areas don't get all the inserts, so figure out what paper near you gets everything and then purchase that paper at a stand or by subscription when you want all the coupons for that week. We don't get any papers, we collect relative's papers that are willing to let us claim their inserts. We buy extras at a gas station when there are good inserts.
-> Inserts: P&G Saver, Smart Source, Red Plum (Red Plum is the one that isn't in all the papers)
Magazines: Parents magazine has amazon.com coupons towards diapers. Sometimes $10 off, sometimes 20%. You can stack multiple discounts together from different months and get good deals. The main magazine for coupons is All You. It has tons of coupons every month and money-saving is one of their main focus for content. It's one of the few magazines that I subscribe to because it has good information and isn't just a bunch of expensive clothing ads. Once in a while you'll find coupons in another magazine, but those are the main ones.
Internet: There are three, well make that four, basic ways to get internet coupons. The coupon lingo is "IP" (Internet Printable).
-> Product Websites: Go to a product website. Look at the buttons at the top and bottom (don't miss big glaring promotion buttons either!) for a button titled "Promotions", "Coupons", or "Offers". Click those and you'll see what they are offering you directly. Sometimes there will be one, sometimes a dozen coupons.
-> Facebook "Like": Certain product pages on Facebook will give you a coupon if you click Like. You will get tips to these pages through coupon blogs (more on those later).
-> Newsletters: Sign up for the newsletters from product/company sites and they will often send you coupons right your email. I keep a coupon email address to use JUST for my coupon news.
-> Coupon website: There is ONE main coupon website. There are a coupon other small ones, but only one HUGE one. There are a bunch of other websites that will claim to give you a ton of coupons but they really just want your email and then send you junk and they just route you through their site to the main coupon site. The ONE real coupon site is: www.coupons.com. Just go straight there and get your coupons.
-> Grocery Store Isles: When you go to stores like Albertsons and Safeway, glance down each isle for tear-pad coupons, blinking boxes with coupons, and automatic coupon dispensers. We have found they often match with a sale at a DIFFERENT store then you find them in.
---> PEELIES: These are coupons stuck to actual products. We've recently found them on Tilex, Pillsbury brownies, and Rightguard Bodywash. DO NOT steal them off of a product you're not buying. But you can definitely choose the ones with peelies to help with your deals. We got free rightguard this week by using the peelies on the bottles at check out on top of a the sale. Also, CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATES! You can usually sneak a peek without ruining the coupon. I've found they are often past date.
-> In-Store Booklets: Drugstores and grocery stores often have in-store booklets to promote items. In-store or even manufacture coupons abound in these! Example: Safeway had a book out for Football Sunday and it had a ton of coupons in it. We got free Chex mix at Walgreens, cheap pringles, mayo, etc. These will be located in the standee with the store flyer at the entrance, or you can ask at customer service if they're out up front. You'll know when you check by watching your blogs.
-> Store Flyers: Your drugstores and grocery stores put out a flyer every week profiling their sales or promoted items. These will be your key to matching up for awesome sales. There will be a bunch in the Sunday paper and there are several in the wednesday free paper. However, if you wait to get your Riteaid and Walgreens flyers on Wednesday you */99risk free items being gone because Sunday paper people got their flyer the previous Sunday. The store flyer will tell you about bundle deals, in-store coupons, etc. Walgreens, Safeway, Albertsons, and Riteaid often have in-store coupons in their flyers. You may need more than one copy of the flyer to get your stock-ups on a really good deal.
So, you've got your coupons, you've got your store flyers, now what? Look at your flyers and see what coupons match the sales. Be sure to pay attention to sizes and weights on the items and whether the amount on the coupon is for 1 item or 2 or 3. Sometimes I think I've found a free thing and it turns out it is $1 off THREE items or only works for a 10 oz. or larger item, etc. Also, watch your expiration dates. They often expire on Saturday and more than once the item has gone on the sale the Sunday after.
Organizing: Some people use a recipe box or file box. Some people bring only the coupons they are planning to use into the store. Those don't make sense to us. We do the Coupon Binder (or as Norman calls it, coupon bible). I have a zipper binder and it's filled with photo album pages that each hold three 4x6 photos. Instead of photos, each pocket has a white piece of paper in it and coupons on either side. We have white labels folded in half on the edge of each page with the content of that section and then a pocket page for each store to hold that store's flyer for the week. We also keep a small pair of scissors in the binder.
Coupon Stacking: This is when you use a store coupon AND a manufacturers coupon on the SAME item. Usually you find the store coupon in a store flyer, store booklet, or store website. Sometimes a store will have a manufacturer's coupon on their flyer, so make sure you read them carefully.
Doublers: I have used them at Albertson's. Can't give advice for anywhere else. A doubler is a coupon a store gives that doubles the amount of a manufacture's coupon. These can make for free deals. At Albertson's you can only use three in a transaction and they come in numbered sets of three and you have to have one or less of each number. You can use a 1,2,3, a 1,3, but not a 3,3. You can use Internet coupons, but only one for the same item in each transaction. So, if you buy two bottles of coffee creamer you have to buy them in two transactions in order to use two printed coupons. Internet coupons have different bar-codes on them, so it doesn't make sense, but that's the way it is.
Previews: To get the best deals and be most organized, preview RiteAid and Walgreens before Sunday so you know what coupons you want and can have everything together. The sites to find the previews on are listed in the resources at the end of the post.
RiteAid: You can run amazing deals at Riteaid. Sign up for the Wellness Card. They have their sales set up to maximize couponing. In addition to crazy sales they also do +Ups, which is store money that prints at the end of your receipt when you purchase certain items. DON'T THROW THEM AWAY. They do expire so pay attention to that and make sure you use them in your next trip (or transaction).
Often, you can find items that are on sale, have a store coupon, a manufacture's coupon, and +Ups. These can end up FREE or actually MAKE MONEY. They don't give you money to take home (at least mine doesn't), so make sure you have enough items in your transaction to soak up the extra.
RiteAid also has Video Values coupons. You go to the RiteAid website, click on Video Values, sign up for that website, then watch videos, enter a code, and print coupons that are good only at RiteAid. These are awesome because you can STACK them with manufacture's coupons.
I have been buying cheap make-up by using their +Ups when-you-buy deal. They will have it in the flyer what deals like this are on for the week. There will be a yellow box around some items and it will tell you "$3 +Up when you spend $10" or whatever amounts. They've been doing buy-1-get-one-%50 off on make-up, then get $5 +Up when you spend $20. Combine that with a coupon on each item and you'll end up with 4 or 6 items of make-up for about $8. Another recent deal was buy X of X-brand, get X +Ups, and one of the items was ice cream. The icecream was pay $3, get $2 +Up. By the end of it you bought 6 half-gallons for $17.94 and got $17 in +Ups back on your receipt. SO, that works out to $.16 for half-gallon. WHOA. Yeah, awesome!
The last thing for Riteaid is Rebates. We haven't done them yet. They have a new set every month and they are listed in a flyer you get at the front of the store. Certain items can give you a rebate when you buy them. You just register online and put in info off your receipt and you'll get one check at the end of the month (if I understand correctly) for all the rebate items you bought. You DO have to put in the effort to enter the info on the site, but that's it. Again, combine this with coupons and sales and you'll be looking at some cheap/free deals.
Walgreens: No card to sign up for. Instead of +Ups they have RegisterRewards. They print at the end of your receipt just like +Ups. If you make two purchases that qualify for RR, do them in two transactions or you won't get the 2nd RR. They also have a weird thing where you have to have the same amount of items as you do paper coupons you're handing them. So, you can stack two on one item, but you have to throw in a pack of gum or something to have the same amount of items as coupons. Also, you can't use more than one of the same store coupon in one transaction. Plan to run multiple transactions for most trips.
Safeway: E-COUPONS! Sign up for the store card, register on the site, and load all the coupons onto your card. They will automatically apply when you buy the item in your store! No paper to carry! They will stack store coupons with manufacturer ones. They have some good coupons in their flyer, usually they require a $10 purchase, but that's not hard to get.
FAQ:
When will you see results in your budget? They say it takes a good 5 months to really reap the benefits of couponing and stocking up. We've noticed a difference already, after only 2 months.
Where are the best deals? For groceries, Albertson's is best on doublers week. Otherwise, you'll find deals really cheap at Safeway also. We don't have a lot of the main coupon grocery stores where I live, so that's about it. Look for blogs written for your area and you'll quickly figure out where the hot-spots are.
For drugstore items, Walgreens and Riteaid are awesome. My favorite is Riteaid, but Norman really like Walgreens. You favorite will just depend on your local store's coupon policies and employees.
It's SO overwhelming, how do I start? I started at Riteaid. Then graduated into groceries. Start small and do some small transactions to build confidence and get a feel for the process. If possible, follow a couponing mentor the first trip or two. Read some blogs, but not so many you're completely discouraged. I suggest easing in with one or two deals at Riteaid early in the week so you can go back again for more deals if you get hooked (you will). Look at the Riteaid blog or any blog that follows Riteaid and watch for a deal that works out free or $1 or so. Pick one that uses a coupon you can print or have in your binder. Go in and get just that thing and do the transaction. Once you're successful it's easier to go from there. You might even want to do a scouting trip; just walk around the store, get a feel for where things are, what the signs for +Ups look like, etc. Carry the flyer around and get familiar. Practice matching up the coupons with the sales. No one will look at you weird, I do it all the time.
I think the big thing is just be as prepared as you can be and you'll be more confident. Look up the store policy for each store so you know what to expect in how they handle coupons. It's a good idea to print the policy for each store and keep it in your binder. Employees don't always know the policy.
Resources: (You will collect many more)
Coupon-Producing Newsletters to sign up for:
7th Generation
Friskies
Lysol
Arm & Hammer
Wendy's
Kellogg's
Websites to Register On:
RiteAid
Safeway
VideoValues
CouponMom
Coupons:
Coupons.com
RedPlum
SmartSource
Blogs:
IHeartRiteAid
IHeartWalgreens
KrazyCouponLady
AddictedToSavings
FabuLesslyFrugal
CouponDivas
HappyMoneySaver
ThriftyNWMom
Hip2Save
GoodDealMama
JessicasCoupons
PennyPincherGazette
CouponConnectionsNW
MomAndDadSaves
FreeSnatcher
TheFrugalLifeOfAMom
MyFrugalAdventures
Those blogs will give you links to tons others. There are so many good ones! Enjoy!
Where Did February Go?
Desmond is amazing! He crawls way too fast, pulls up on everything, grabs phones, computer mice, and laptops, he likes to sit with me and watch TV to get sleepy for naps. He is very persistent, especially when it comes to touching the laptop. He has two teeth. He got moved to his own room last week because he kept waking up at 3 AM wanting to play and wouldn't let me sleep. He is eating baby food two times a day now and nursing 3 times. I've quit pumping this week, which was a big deal for me. I'm sad he is getting closer and closer to weaning, but it will mean more freedom for me. But I think I'm more sad than looking forward to freedom.
Desmond is really fun now, he gets excited about things, bounces up and down when he's happy to see you, loves going out on the town. His biggest thing is the last two days he's said "Dada" when Norman came home from work. That was pretty cool.
Desmond went to cradleroll for the first time Saturday, I think he liked it. It was quite the workout for me, it's up and down the whole time.
I've been working and I think I've lost about 5 lbs. I'm not too concerned with how much I lose, I just want to be getting healthy to keep up with Desmond as he gets more and more mobile. The last week I've been sick so I haven't gotten to work out but I hope to be well enough to start up again Sunday.
Our couponing is going well I think. Norman has gone crazy with it and we have quite a lot in dry storage now. I think we'll get to where we aren't buying much pretty soon. It's been an intense couple months though, shopping 2 or 3 times a week.
Your Know You're A Parent When:
All the books you read center around characters that are either fuzzy or tend to hide behind flaps.
You sort out your true friends using the "dirty-diaper" test. lol
The concept of a movie or tv show not geared for kids almost doesn't register.
You can describe, in detail, the format and concepts of Sesame Street.
You automatically keep everything on a table at the center.
Desmond is really fun now, he gets excited about things, bounces up and down when he's happy to see you, loves going out on the town. His biggest thing is the last two days he's said "Dada" when Norman came home from work. That was pretty cool.
Desmond went to cradleroll for the first time Saturday, I think he liked it. It was quite the workout for me, it's up and down the whole time.
I've been working and I think I've lost about 5 lbs. I'm not too concerned with how much I lose, I just want to be getting healthy to keep up with Desmond as he gets more and more mobile. The last week I've been sick so I haven't gotten to work out but I hope to be well enough to start up again Sunday.
Our couponing is going well I think. Norman has gone crazy with it and we have quite a lot in dry storage now. I think we'll get to where we aren't buying much pretty soon. It's been an intense couple months though, shopping 2 or 3 times a week.
Your Know You're A Parent When:
All the books you read center around characters that are either fuzzy or tend to hide behind flaps.
You sort out your true friends using the "dirty-diaper" test. lol
The concept of a movie or tv show not geared for kids almost doesn't register.
You can describe, in detail, the format and concepts of Sesame Street.
You automatically keep everything on a table at the center.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Couponing and Teething - My Life Now?
Desmond Update:
Desmond can now crawl just fine, but doesn't like it much and is working hard on learning to walk. He pulls up on everything and everyone. He isn't fully cruising yet, but getting close. He is also learning to drink from a cup and a sippy cup. I am feeding him baby-food twice a day up from once a day and he's starting to nurse less. I am sad about that because I'll miss having the special time together, but I told him yesterday we'll just have to start a different ritual that we do together like reading books or something. He seemed to think that was a good idea.
Des is a super happy little guy, he gives lots of smiles and loves having his favorite people around. My friend Michelle is one of his new favorite people and he thinks she is hilarious. He is also quite a daddy's boy and when Norman has a day off work Desmond wants to play with him all day and be held by him and I don't get to hold him much, lol.
Desmond's favorite things include taking long showers with daddy until the hot water runs out, watching dogs play fetch and watching Elmo's world. And sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed.
Desmond now has two teeth, the 2nd is just finishing coming through and we aren't getting a lot of sleep. The 2nd tooth came through much faster than the first so hopefully they'll get easier and easier because I haven't gotten to recover my sleep yet from the first one.
The funniest thing Desmond has started doing is that he uses his exer-saucer as a playhouse. We have it in his playpen and he plays on the floor in there. He will then take toys or baskets and crawl into the base of the saucer and play with his toys with his head up through the seat hole. He crawls in and out and changes toys and bangs them on the legs of the saucer. Last night his basket wasn't behaving and he got very mad and screamed at it and threw it out of the saucer-fort. It was so funny, I wish I'd gotten it on video.
Couponing:
Our couponing is going well. Norman has really taken to it and this last week he pretty much took over, which is okay because I'm tired from all the teething. So far we've hit Albertson's, Walmart, Walgreens, and Riteaid. Our favorite is Riteaid. We have quite the inventory building up in the back of the laundry room. It definitely is comforting to have all that stockpile. We only have to buy fresh produce and tortillas with our check on Friday! We've gotten several things for free and have been able to buy a few things that we just made do without before.
Finding Me:
I have been exercising on the treadmill and stability ball and I feel better about myself even though I don't know if I look any different. Michelle did my nails and I'm learning to do make up from her and trying to learn how to do more with my hair. I don't want to be one of those mom's that gets all frumpy and frazzled looking. I feel like I've found my niche as a mom and I want to embrace that and look like I belong here, too. If I've lost any weight it's only like a pound or two. But my thing is to just be healthy and more fit and hopefully some weight will fall off eventually, but I just want to be able to keep up with Desmond as he learns to walk and have energy to play with him AND get everything else done that I already do.
You Know You're A Parent When:
You carry baby-food to Taco Bell.
Your back seat is full of baby stuff instead of saddles and bridles.
You find yourself trying to rationalize the logistic errors of kids shows.
You can name all the characters on Sesame Street.
You catch your husband whistling the theme song to Elmo's World.
You can routinely function on 3 hours of sleep.
Desmond can now crawl just fine, but doesn't like it much and is working hard on learning to walk. He pulls up on everything and everyone. He isn't fully cruising yet, but getting close. He is also learning to drink from a cup and a sippy cup. I am feeding him baby-food twice a day up from once a day and he's starting to nurse less. I am sad about that because I'll miss having the special time together, but I told him yesterday we'll just have to start a different ritual that we do together like reading books or something. He seemed to think that was a good idea.
Des is a super happy little guy, he gives lots of smiles and loves having his favorite people around. My friend Michelle is one of his new favorite people and he thinks she is hilarious. He is also quite a daddy's boy and when Norman has a day off work Desmond wants to play with him all day and be held by him and I don't get to hold him much, lol.
Desmond's favorite things include taking long showers with daddy until the hot water runs out, watching dogs play fetch and watching Elmo's world. And sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed.
Desmond now has two teeth, the 2nd is just finishing coming through and we aren't getting a lot of sleep. The 2nd tooth came through much faster than the first so hopefully they'll get easier and easier because I haven't gotten to recover my sleep yet from the first one.
The funniest thing Desmond has started doing is that he uses his exer-saucer as a playhouse. We have it in his playpen and he plays on the floor in there. He will then take toys or baskets and crawl into the base of the saucer and play with his toys with his head up through the seat hole. He crawls in and out and changes toys and bangs them on the legs of the saucer. Last night his basket wasn't behaving and he got very mad and screamed at it and threw it out of the saucer-fort. It was so funny, I wish I'd gotten it on video.
Couponing:
Our couponing is going well. Norman has really taken to it and this last week he pretty much took over, which is okay because I'm tired from all the teething. So far we've hit Albertson's, Walmart, Walgreens, and Riteaid. Our favorite is Riteaid. We have quite the inventory building up in the back of the laundry room. It definitely is comforting to have all that stockpile. We only have to buy fresh produce and tortillas with our check on Friday! We've gotten several things for free and have been able to buy a few things that we just made do without before.
Finding Me:
I have been exercising on the treadmill and stability ball and I feel better about myself even though I don't know if I look any different. Michelle did my nails and I'm learning to do make up from her and trying to learn how to do more with my hair. I don't want to be one of those mom's that gets all frumpy and frazzled looking. I feel like I've found my niche as a mom and I want to embrace that and look like I belong here, too. If I've lost any weight it's only like a pound or two. But my thing is to just be healthy and more fit and hopefully some weight will fall off eventually, but I just want to be able to keep up with Desmond as he learns to walk and have energy to play with him AND get everything else done that I already do.
You Know You're A Parent When:
You carry baby-food to Taco Bell.
Your back seat is full of baby stuff instead of saddles and bridles.
You find yourself trying to rationalize the logistic errors of kids shows.
You can name all the characters on Sesame Street.
You catch your husband whistling the theme song to Elmo's World.
You can routinely function on 3 hours of sleep.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Dog Baby Vs. People Baby
Dog Baby:
gives sloppy kisses
must be watched/confined at all times
chews on everything, especially dangerous/choking hazard things
looks cute in clothes
does like wearing clothes
makes lots of messes
needs lots of shots
eats special food
everything they do is cute
most cute when sleeping
separation anxiety
makes cute noises
walk on all fours
not much for listening to you read stories
loves playing with other babies/puppies
wants what you're eating
likes to go everywhere with you
have to get up many times a night to let them out to pee
People Baby:
gives sloppy kisses
must be watched/confined at all times
chews on everything, especially dangerous/choking hazard things
looks cute in clothes
does like wearing clothes
makes lots of messes
needs lots of shots
eats special food
everything they do is cute
most cute when sleeping
separation anxiety
makes cute noises
walk on all fours
not much for listening to you read stories
loves playing with other babies/puppies
wants what you're eating
likes to go everywhere with you
have to wake up many times a night to care for it
Okay, so the only real difference is that your people baby is going to hopefully, look at least vaguely like you, and you don't have the convenience of people able to lock your people baby in a crate so you can go out to town for a few hours. At least I believe that's generally frowned upon.
gives sloppy kisses
must be watched/confined at all times
chews on everything, especially dangerous/choking hazard things
looks cute in clothes
does like wearing clothes
makes lots of messes
needs lots of shots
eats special food
everything they do is cute
most cute when sleeping
separation anxiety
makes cute noises
walk on all fours
not much for listening to you read stories
loves playing with other babies/puppies
wants what you're eating
likes to go everywhere with you
have to get up many times a night to let them out to pee
People Baby:
gives sloppy kisses
must be watched/confined at all times
chews on everything, especially dangerous/choking hazard things
looks cute in clothes
does like wearing clothes
makes lots of messes
needs lots of shots
eats special food
everything they do is cute
most cute when sleeping
separation anxiety
makes cute noises
walk on all fours
not much for listening to you read stories
loves playing with other babies/puppies
wants what you're eating
likes to go everywhere with you
have to wake up many times a night to care for it
Okay, so the only real difference is that your people baby is going to hopefully, look at least vaguely like you, and you don't have the convenience of people able to lock your people baby in a crate so you can go out to town for a few hours. At least I believe that's generally frowned upon.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Things We Do
I have begun trying to learn this whole couponing thing. I read a book on and I have some coupon packets in a binder. Haven't used any yet, lol. Waiting to see what Brie posts next week in her blog. One thing she does is Swagbucks, so I joined that to see if I can make any use of it myself. Aparently, you can really rack up the Amazon gift cards, so if you're interested, sign up using the widget above and it benefits me as your refer-er.
I will keep you posted on my coupon progress. I'm apprehensive and excited. I already shop "smart", we'll see if I can cut the grocery bills down even more! I can use every penny I can keep!
On a more Desmond-related note; he has a tooth! Well, a tooth is on the horizon. Or the gum. I can see a white spot. He is chewing all his puffs on that side now. It's the lower left. He is also crawling 100% now. He also arches; getting up on his hands and toes and sticking his butt in the air. He wants to just stand up and walk places. It's so exciting. I love being a mom!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011, The Year My Baby Turns 1!
Wow, this winter has been busy and fast! Desmond is a character with SO much personality and charm.
He can now:
roll both ways
bang toys together
give kisses
get mad and scream when things don't go his way
smile for the camera almost on cue
notice when I'm getting too far away for his comfort
indicate he wants picked up
respond to his name
sit himself up from laying down
move to where he wants to go by rolling/scooting/sliding
sit in the shopping cart basket/high chairs
He is working on:
pincher grasp
pulling up on his crib/other furniture
crawling
playing with toys in ways other than sucking on them
It has been a very fun holiday season with Desmond. He is a good sport and took all the extended family fawning over him in stride. He let everyone hug him, kiss him, and hold him and he did he part by being excited about every single gift he got, even clothes.
It was most exciting for me I think, when he started giving me kisses and recently he starting getting upset when I left the room and that makes me feel special. He hold onto you now when you're holding him and it's so sweet.
Our rough patch this last couple weeks was when he got sick with a cold and I got it from him. I felt icky and still had to take care of him. I was SO tired because he was up most the night and so I was too. Then we still had to get through the next day. He had a clogged up nose and wanted to be held all the time. He slept better in our bed so a few nights we let him sleep with us because his sleep was our priority, but with him in bed, neither of us sleep heavy. I was letting him nap on my bed too, lying down next to him till he would fall asleep.
When he was well, I announced that it was time to get him back to his bed as I DEFINITELY don't want him in my bed long-term. Needless to say, it was a rough couple days, but he's back to his bed now. He definitely has my stubbornness. The first night he screamed bloody-murder at us for an hour and half before falling asleep. He woke up and cried for an hour twice in the night. The next morning he cried about 20 minutes at morning nap time. That night, about 45 minutes for bed time. After that, it was pretty much back to normal. He had started eating in the night while he was sick, which was fine because I didn't want him to get dehydrated, but I didn't want that continuing when he was well either, so I just comforted him and didn't feed him when he woke up at night. He's back to eating longer periods during the day and not at night. It only took about 3 nights to get him back to normal. Now he's napping different though, which is interesting. Instead of about 45 minutes to an hour and half in the morning and an hour and half in the PM, he is doing 2 1/2 hrs in the morning, once even 2 hrs, and then an hour or hour and a half in the PM. Fine with me, he's much cheerier now.
It's amazing how fast he got attached to sleeping with us, it was only 3 or 4 nights and they weren't even in a row or the entire night. But he is back to normal now, and entirely well. It was a long week and half. I finally got well after Norman took a night and let me sleep and I napped one day when Desmond did.
Desmond's favorite things right now are riding in the cart at stores, playing with dogs, and zippers. Grandma GG bought him a cart cover so he can ride in carts and sit in restaurant high chairs. He thinks it's super cool as he was SO over the car-seat business.
He likes to pet dogs and watch people play fetch with them. We're working on teaching him how to pet gentle. He still likes to grab a handful of skin sometimes. Luckily, our dogs are pretty forgiving.
Our morning routine now involves Sesame Street. After he eats breakfast, he plays on the floor and watches it while I pump. He watches quite a bit and actually gave a happy squeal the other morning when the Elmo's World part started. I tried Dora and Diego a few times, but I just don't like them. I don't like the stories or the format. The PBS shows are better.
Right now, Desmond's favorite Christmas present is an electronic book I bought for him. He will play with it for a long time in go session. It makes all sorts of noises and plays songs and has buttons, etc to be pushed (or bitten). He turns the pages and sucks on it and so on. His other favorite right now is the little piano Grandma GG got him. He plays with it everyday. It literally took me showing him once how to bang the keys and he had it down. He plays it first thing every morning. I'm hoping that means he'll enjoy playing later in life. It's such a good skill to have.
Desmond is SO much fun. I haven't ridden a horse once since early November, but I don't even miss it because Desmond is so much fun. I did go down and give Spotless some grass from my hand and it was nice to feel his hairy lips on my palm. I look forward to warm weather and riding this spring, but right now I don't mind being inside with my little guy while it's freezing out there.
I was realizing the other day that my baby-horse is going to be FOUR this Spring. It went so fast! I know it will go by just as fast with Desmond. I was thinking this morning about the qualities I want to foster and encourage in Desmond and they are often the same I want to see in Spotless. Some have to be a little modified for a horse-baby, but it's a close list.
Good work ethic
independent thinker
appropriate behavior for situation
obedient for safety
problem solver
not easily frustrated
mellow temperament
enjoy a challenge
enjoyable personality
good impulse control
responsible for own actions
positively contribute to society
A lot of those I want in both my babies; people and horse. And dog, too, I suppose.
I realized the other day that as Desmond gets old enough to appreciate movies and games and such, we get to do all those things over again with him and share all those old favorites! We get to watch all our favorite kids movies, I get to read him all my favorite kid's book, we get to play with lego's and cars and action figures, play-dough, and dress-up and puzzles. I'm already scoping out our options for a play-kitchen and play-wood-shop. I want to wait to have a second kid so that I can afford to get him cool stuff like a kid-jeep and all the lessons he wants. I want to do swimming with him this summer and when he's old enough he'll do tumbling and piano and horse-back riding. It's so exciting. I hope he likes everything! lol. We'll get to put up a swing-set! We'll get to do 4-H and go to sporting events and cheer him on.
I can't wait to just take him to the kid's movies that come to the theater and I'm already planning his birthday party. Okay, I'm already looking forward to planning his birthday party. I'm hoping he'll have some preference of a theme by the time it comes. I remember planning birthday's for Jaden. He had a farm themed one, a bug one, a Thomas the Train one. I have a feeling Desmond might want a doggy birthday for his first one. Whatever it ends up, it will have an awesome cake!
I look forward to this new year and getting to spend it with Desmond. He is the most amazing, wonderful baby in the world, though I might be a little bias.
You Know You're A Parent When:
You find yourself humming the theme to Elmo's World while grocery shopping
You catch yourself praising your husband in your "mommy voice"
You've tasted baby-food from a jar
You choose your clothes based on how easy it is to nurse in them
You have resigned yourself to not wearing necklace's for a year or two
You've given up on modesty for a while
He can now:
roll both ways
bang toys together
give kisses
get mad and scream when things don't go his way
smile for the camera almost on cue
notice when I'm getting too far away for his comfort
indicate he wants picked up
respond to his name
sit himself up from laying down
move to where he wants to go by rolling/scooting/sliding
sit in the shopping cart basket/high chairs
He is working on:
pincher grasp
pulling up on his crib/other furniture
crawling
playing with toys in ways other than sucking on them
It has been a very fun holiday season with Desmond. He is a good sport and took all the extended family fawning over him in stride. He let everyone hug him, kiss him, and hold him and he did he part by being excited about every single gift he got, even clothes.
It was most exciting for me I think, when he started giving me kisses and recently he starting getting upset when I left the room and that makes me feel special. He hold onto you now when you're holding him and it's so sweet.
Our rough patch this last couple weeks was when he got sick with a cold and I got it from him. I felt icky and still had to take care of him. I was SO tired because he was up most the night and so I was too. Then we still had to get through the next day. He had a clogged up nose and wanted to be held all the time. He slept better in our bed so a few nights we let him sleep with us because his sleep was our priority, but with him in bed, neither of us sleep heavy. I was letting him nap on my bed too, lying down next to him till he would fall asleep.
When he was well, I announced that it was time to get him back to his bed as I DEFINITELY don't want him in my bed long-term. Needless to say, it was a rough couple days, but he's back to his bed now. He definitely has my stubbornness. The first night he screamed bloody-murder at us for an hour and half before falling asleep. He woke up and cried for an hour twice in the night. The next morning he cried about 20 minutes at morning nap time. That night, about 45 minutes for bed time. After that, it was pretty much back to normal. He had started eating in the night while he was sick, which was fine because I didn't want him to get dehydrated, but I didn't want that continuing when he was well either, so I just comforted him and didn't feed him when he woke up at night. He's back to eating longer periods during the day and not at night. It only took about 3 nights to get him back to normal. Now he's napping different though, which is interesting. Instead of about 45 minutes to an hour and half in the morning and an hour and half in the PM, he is doing 2 1/2 hrs in the morning, once even 2 hrs, and then an hour or hour and a half in the PM. Fine with me, he's much cheerier now.
It's amazing how fast he got attached to sleeping with us, it was only 3 or 4 nights and they weren't even in a row or the entire night. But he is back to normal now, and entirely well. It was a long week and half. I finally got well after Norman took a night and let me sleep and I napped one day when Desmond did.
Desmond's favorite things right now are riding in the cart at stores, playing with dogs, and zippers. Grandma GG bought him a cart cover so he can ride in carts and sit in restaurant high chairs. He thinks it's super cool as he was SO over the car-seat business.
He likes to pet dogs and watch people play fetch with them. We're working on teaching him how to pet gentle. He still likes to grab a handful of skin sometimes. Luckily, our dogs are pretty forgiving.
Our morning routine now involves Sesame Street. After he eats breakfast, he plays on the floor and watches it while I pump. He watches quite a bit and actually gave a happy squeal the other morning when the Elmo's World part started. I tried Dora and Diego a few times, but I just don't like them. I don't like the stories or the format. The PBS shows are better.
Right now, Desmond's favorite Christmas present is an electronic book I bought for him. He will play with it for a long time in go session. It makes all sorts of noises and plays songs and has buttons, etc to be pushed (or bitten). He turns the pages and sucks on it and so on. His other favorite right now is the little piano Grandma GG got him. He plays with it everyday. It literally took me showing him once how to bang the keys and he had it down. He plays it first thing every morning. I'm hoping that means he'll enjoy playing later in life. It's such a good skill to have.
Desmond is SO much fun. I haven't ridden a horse once since early November, but I don't even miss it because Desmond is so much fun. I did go down and give Spotless some grass from my hand and it was nice to feel his hairy lips on my palm. I look forward to warm weather and riding this spring, but right now I don't mind being inside with my little guy while it's freezing out there.
I was realizing the other day that my baby-horse is going to be FOUR this Spring. It went so fast! I know it will go by just as fast with Desmond. I was thinking this morning about the qualities I want to foster and encourage in Desmond and they are often the same I want to see in Spotless. Some have to be a little modified for a horse-baby, but it's a close list.
Good work ethic
independent thinker
appropriate behavior for situation
obedient for safety
problem solver
not easily frustrated
mellow temperament
enjoy a challenge
enjoyable personality
good impulse control
responsible for own actions
positively contribute to society
A lot of those I want in both my babies; people and horse. And dog, too, I suppose.
I realized the other day that as Desmond gets old enough to appreciate movies and games and such, we get to do all those things over again with him and share all those old favorites! We get to watch all our favorite kids movies, I get to read him all my favorite kid's book, we get to play with lego's and cars and action figures, play-dough, and dress-up and puzzles. I'm already scoping out our options for a play-kitchen and play-wood-shop. I want to wait to have a second kid so that I can afford to get him cool stuff like a kid-jeep and all the lessons he wants. I want to do swimming with him this summer and when he's old enough he'll do tumbling and piano and horse-back riding. It's so exciting. I hope he likes everything! lol. We'll get to put up a swing-set! We'll get to do 4-H and go to sporting events and cheer him on.
I can't wait to just take him to the kid's movies that come to the theater and I'm already planning his birthday party. Okay, I'm already looking forward to planning his birthday party. I'm hoping he'll have some preference of a theme by the time it comes. I remember planning birthday's for Jaden. He had a farm themed one, a bug one, a Thomas the Train one. I have a feeling Desmond might want a doggy birthday for his first one. Whatever it ends up, it will have an awesome cake!
I look forward to this new year and getting to spend it with Desmond. He is the most amazing, wonderful baby in the world, though I might be a little bias.
You Know You're A Parent When:
You find yourself humming the theme to Elmo's World while grocery shopping
You catch yourself praising your husband in your "mommy voice"
You've tasted baby-food from a jar
You choose your clothes based on how easy it is to nurse in them
You have resigned yourself to not wearing necklace's for a year or two
You've given up on modesty for a while
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