I found this link to an ebook by Sarah Mae titled 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way. I have been wanting an encouraging, Christian book that can help me get my house in order for sooo long. I love devotional-style books that not only uplift my spirit, but also help me uplift my home life, too, so I think this will be an awesome book to help me get started in that department.
If you're interested in the ebook, I think it's about $5 (super cheap!) and you can read about it at 31daystoclean.com. I read the summary and I think it sounds great--can't wait to read this!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Easter and Enjoying Nature
We had a great Easter weekend. Saturday was a pretty lazy day (thought about planting in our garden, but decided not to), so we just went to Target and had lunch at Chick-fil-A. We used two free sandwich coupons (from the receipt surveys from previous purchases), so we spent only $7 instead of the normal $12 or more...I love Chick-fil-A, I don't think that place will ever get old for me.
At Target, I found some great deals with coupons. I bought all of this for $4.57:
The dog food was free, and everything else was less than a dollar apiece. I love going to Target...it's probably my favorite store. I love getting stuff for cheap there, because it gives me an excuse to go there...otherwise, I feel bad asking Billy if we can go just to walk around. =)
On Sunday, we hiked Sharp Top Mtn. in Bedford. We've hiked it many times before, but we haven't been since 2008, and I honestly wasn't sure I could do it after having a baby. I'm not what I used to be, and I've come to accept that. I'm not in the best shape anyway, so when Billy suggested it I was a little wary. He invited one of his friends from school to join us, so up the mountain we went. Ellie and Shelley came along, too, which was a new experience. At first, I carried Ellie on my back in the baby carrier. That lasted for about 20 minutes, then she started crying. I thought, "Oh great...guess I should turn around now," so I took her out of the carrier and held her for a minute, and she stopped crying. We figured out that she didn't like being in the back (not being able to see anything), so Billy took her and carried her in the front. I thought that would be uncomfortable for a prolonged amount of time, but she was way happier being in the front.
It took us about an hour and a half of huffing and puffing to make it to the top, but we made it! That is such an exhausting hike on the way up, and I seriously had moments where I thought I couldn't go on and that I should just quit, but like all things, if you persevere it's worth it. Once we got to the top, I fed Ellie, and we took a few pictures.
It was a beautiful day. It wasn't blazing hot or humid, and it was very pleasant and breezy at the top. Ellie was a fantastic little hiker (although she did get carried the whole way...we'll see how she does when she starts walking!). She didn't complain and seemed to have a great time looking at everything and interacting with the other hikers we met. She even took a 45 minute nap on the way down, and stayed asleep even when Billy tripped and slipped over rocks...it's definitely not the smoothest trail (which is kinda the point of hiking, I guess). I rolled my ankle and fell a tenth of a mile from the parking lot (haha!) but fortunately nothing serious. Shelley, thankfully, broke my fall! =)
There were a lot of people hiking on Easter...for believers, it was a great day to enjoy God's creation and reflect on His son's resurrection.
It's back to the daily grind around here, which means changing lots of diapers and feeding hungry babies, but after having a week off, I feel rested to power through until the end of May. And Billy and I have resolved to take Shelley hiking with us more often...she was pitiful on Monday. She hobbled around like Spot used to and had to be prodded to go use the bathroom...she was apparently very sore after our 3 hour hike. I was sore, too, so I'm sure it wasn't any easier on her. Thankfully she's back to normal.
My little one is waking up now, so that means it's time for me to go. Hope everyone had a great Easter!
At Target, I found some great deals with coupons. I bought all of this for $4.57:
On Sunday, we hiked Sharp Top Mtn. in Bedford. We've hiked it many times before, but we haven't been since 2008, and I honestly wasn't sure I could do it after having a baby. I'm not what I used to be, and I've come to accept that. I'm not in the best shape anyway, so when Billy suggested it I was a little wary. He invited one of his friends from school to join us, so up the mountain we went. Ellie and Shelley came along, too, which was a new experience. At first, I carried Ellie on my back in the baby carrier. That lasted for about 20 minutes, then she started crying. I thought, "Oh great...guess I should turn around now," so I took her out of the carrier and held her for a minute, and she stopped crying. We figured out that she didn't like being in the back (not being able to see anything), so Billy took her and carried her in the front. I thought that would be uncomfortable for a prolonged amount of time, but she was way happier being in the front.
It took us about an hour and a half of huffing and puffing to make it to the top, but we made it! That is such an exhausting hike on the way up, and I seriously had moments where I thought I couldn't go on and that I should just quit, but like all things, if you persevere it's worth it. Once we got to the top, I fed Ellie, and we took a few pictures.
There were a lot of people hiking on Easter...for believers, it was a great day to enjoy God's creation and reflect on His son's resurrection.
It's back to the daily grind around here, which means changing lots of diapers and feeding hungry babies, but after having a week off, I feel rested to power through until the end of May. And Billy and I have resolved to take Shelley hiking with us more often...she was pitiful on Monday. She hobbled around like Spot used to and had to be prodded to go use the bathroom...she was apparently very sore after our 3 hour hike. I was sore, too, so I'm sure it wasn't any easier on her. Thankfully she's back to normal.
My little one is waking up now, so that means it's time for me to go. Hope everyone had a great Easter!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Spring Break!
This week is my spring break. I love how I'm not even a student anymore and I still get spring break! It's so weird not having an extra baby during the day. I've gotten very used to our weekly routine, so it's been strange not following it. Another interesting point: Ellie has been napping a lot longer without Emma here. She took a 3 and a half hour nap yesterday...normally, I probably would've woken her up to keep us on the schedule, but since I didn't have anything going on I just let her sleep. I got work done and watched 3 episodes of Grey's Anatomy!
I finished my first batch of envelopes from Mail America this week. I took 500 envelopes and addressed them...my hand still feels a little cramped! It wasn't bad, though....I would just do 40 at a time, then take a break, and then do some more. My only worry is about how picky they will be when it comes time to check my envelopes. They have a lot of handwriting rules, so I followed them as best as I could, but I don't have the best handwriting. I'm always jealous of those people who naturally have great handwriting that is always even and neat. My handwriting is very inconsistent, and I have a horrible tendency to angle my writing upward if I don't have lines. Oh well...I figure if I don't get paid very much from this batch, I won't do it again. I'm telling myself over and over that I don't have to be perfect, nor do I have to do this job....
In other news, Ellie is now 8 months old! I can't believe how quickly she is growing up. I'm so proud of my little munchkin for overcoming so many obstacles and still being on track with everything.
On Sunday I did my drug store shopping. I try to do all of my shopping on Sunday since I don't have a lot of time during the week, but I didn't make it to Kroger, so I'll have to work that in either tonight or tomorrow. I went to CVS because there were several things I wanted to get and some pretty good sales. This is what I got at CVS this week:
I got 2 boxes of Stove Top stuffing, 3 bottles of toothpaste, shaving gel, John Frieda shampoo and conditioner, 4 bottles of Aveeno body wash, a shower loofa, and a green bag tag. Without coupons I would have spent $49.35....I spent $12.52. It was definitely a pretty good day for me. I did two separate transactions:
1st Transaction:
2nd Transaction:
It was fun to go do another big purchase...it's been a while since I've done one, and I definitely wanted to stock up on body wash and shampoo for myself since I never buy the nice brands! I almost always use Dove body wash, which is a more expensive brand, but I always ask for it for Christmas so that I'll have a little stockpile without having to buy any. I've never used Aveeno body wash, but I love their baby lotion and I figured Aveeno is supposed to be good for dry skin (which I have and it's awful) so I splurged on it. As far as shampoo goes, I can never find any that I really like, other than Tresemme. I bought the giant bottles of Dove shampoo and conditioner from Sam's, which I'm still trying to use up. It's not bad, but I think my hair just gets all yucky after using the same shampoo and condition for over a month. I figured I would try out John Frieda and see how it goes.
At Walgreen's, I bought 4 cans of soup and 2 toothbrushes...not too exciting, but I only spent $2.
After my shopping, I came home and started putting everything away. We have a linen closet outside our bathroom, which is where I keep all of our toiletries and my stockpile. After going through everything and reorganizing my tote box full of stuff, I realized that we have enough toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash, hand soap, shampoo (for Billy), and shaving cream to get us through at least the rest of this year, and some items we're good on until next summer. I knew I had a large stockpile, but I didn't realize how much I actually had. I'm glad I won't have to buy toiletries for a long time, so I'm definitely putting a limit on my toiletry purchases. I think the only thing I'm still "allowed" to buy is shampoo and conditioner for myself, since all I have in the closet is the John Frieda I bought on Sunday.
Sounds like Ellie is waking up...I can hear her scratching on her bouncy seat =).
I finished my first batch of envelopes from Mail America this week. I took 500 envelopes and addressed them...my hand still feels a little cramped! It wasn't bad, though....I would just do 40 at a time, then take a break, and then do some more. My only worry is about how picky they will be when it comes time to check my envelopes. They have a lot of handwriting rules, so I followed them as best as I could, but I don't have the best handwriting. I'm always jealous of those people who naturally have great handwriting that is always even and neat. My handwriting is very inconsistent, and I have a horrible tendency to angle my writing upward if I don't have lines. Oh well...I figure if I don't get paid very much from this batch, I won't do it again. I'm telling myself over and over that I don't have to be perfect, nor do I have to do this job....
In other news, Ellie is now 8 months old! I can't believe how quickly she is growing up. I'm so proud of my little munchkin for overcoming so many obstacles and still being on track with everything.
On Sunday I did my drug store shopping. I try to do all of my shopping on Sunday since I don't have a lot of time during the week, but I didn't make it to Kroger, so I'll have to work that in either tonight or tomorrow. I went to CVS because there were several things I wanted to get and some pretty good sales. This is what I got at CVS this week:
I got 2 boxes of Stove Top stuffing, 3 bottles of toothpaste, shaving gel, John Frieda shampoo and conditioner, 4 bottles of Aveeno body wash, a shower loofa, and a green bag tag. Without coupons I would have spent $49.35....I spent $12.52. It was definitely a pretty good day for me. I did two separate transactions:
1st Transaction:
- John Frieda shampoo and conditioner (on sale for $5 each, used $4 in coupons) = $6
- Shave gel (on sale for $3.29, used 55 cent coupon) = $2.74
- CVS green bag tag = 99 cents
2nd Transaction:
- 2 Stove Top stuffing (on sale for 88 cents, used 2 50 cent off coupons) = 76 cents
- 3 Colgate toothpastes (on sale for $1, used 2 $1 off coupons and one 75 cents off) = 25 cents
- 4 bottles of Aveeno body wash (on sale $6.49, got one free with coupon, then used another $5 in coupons) = $14.47
- Loofa = $2.99 (needed something around $2 to get my total close to even with the ECBs)
- Used $17.77 in ECBs from previous purchases
It was fun to go do another big purchase...it's been a while since I've done one, and I definitely wanted to stock up on body wash and shampoo for myself since I never buy the nice brands! I almost always use Dove body wash, which is a more expensive brand, but I always ask for it for Christmas so that I'll have a little stockpile without having to buy any. I've never used Aveeno body wash, but I love their baby lotion and I figured Aveeno is supposed to be good for dry skin (which I have and it's awful) so I splurged on it. As far as shampoo goes, I can never find any that I really like, other than Tresemme. I bought the giant bottles of Dove shampoo and conditioner from Sam's, which I'm still trying to use up. It's not bad, but I think my hair just gets all yucky after using the same shampoo and condition for over a month. I figured I would try out John Frieda and see how it goes.
At Walgreen's, I bought 4 cans of soup and 2 toothbrushes...not too exciting, but I only spent $2.
After my shopping, I came home and started putting everything away. We have a linen closet outside our bathroom, which is where I keep all of our toiletries and my stockpile. After going through everything and reorganizing my tote box full of stuff, I realized that we have enough toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash, hand soap, shampoo (for Billy), and shaving cream to get us through at least the rest of this year, and some items we're good on until next summer. I knew I had a large stockpile, but I didn't realize how much I actually had. I'm glad I won't have to buy toiletries for a long time, so I'm definitely putting a limit on my toiletry purchases. I think the only thing I'm still "allowed" to buy is shampoo and conditioner for myself, since all I have in the closet is the John Frieda I bought on Sunday.
Sounds like Ellie is waking up...I can hear her scratching on her bouncy seat =).
Monday, April 4, 2011
Learning humility (among other things) from my daughter
Since becoming a mom, I've learned many lessons the hard way (don't give a baby a cold bottle, be careful when wielding a baby spoon full of cereal--it might end up somewhere other than her mouth!). The lesson of humility hasn't been an exception.
For the past few weeks, Ellie has been a "crab apple." She's fussy, cries when she goes down for a nap, cries when she wakes up from a nap, wakes up after going down for the night, won't go down for the night...you get the point. She's also been difficult when I try to feed her solids...she cries when I put her in her high chair, and cries while I try to feed her. Sometimes she'll get over it and it's not a big deal, but other times I just have to throw away the cereal I mixed for her and give up on trying to feed her at that time.
The other day, it was this same scenario. I put her in her high chair: she cried. I started feeding her, and she still fussed a little but she ate a few bites of cereal. Then she just had a meltdown. Huge tears, red face, and lots of screaming. I'm really not used to that at all...she's normally a pretty content baby. Granted, she has her drama queen moments, but for the most part it's smooth sailing with her. After she started screaming, I just lost my patience. I got up and walked away for a few minutes just so I could calm down.
After walking away, I examined my heart...and I found anger. It sounds terrible, and normally I don't think I would admit that, but I want to be authentic and not spare the details because of my own pride. I thought about it and realized that I was angry at Ellie. I was mad that she was crying so much, mad that she wouldn't eat when I knew she was hungry, and I was mad that I couldn't control her.
After I came to that realization, my anger dissolved. I was ashamed at myself. Here I was, sitting on the floor feeding Ellie cereal, and reprimanding her for throwing a fit, when I was throwing a fit inside my heart. Before, I kept thinking, "God why can't she just be patient?" After realizing my own faults, I heard God say, "Kristen, why can't you be patient?" I was humbled after that. I can't expect my daughter to show the fruits of the Spirit if I'm not modeling them for her. And realistically, she's not even 8 months old...and she's not a Christian yet, so she can't exemplify the fruits of the Spirit if the Spirit isn't in her. My expectations were embarrassingly high.
Motherhood isn't an exact science...it's a constant learning process. I'm slowly realizing that in the end, it doesn't matter if you're baby is breastfed or bottle-fed, if she sleeps through the night or not, or if she's a baby genius and does everything early or if she's right on time (or even a little behind). What DOES matter is that I've given Ellie my best, meaning that I've been an example to her of what I expect in the first place.
My daughter humbles me every day (sometimes in wonderful ways, and sometimes in not-so-pleasant ways). Her sweet smile and giggle remind me how blessed I am to have her in my life, and her crying fits and refusal to go to sleep remind me that I don't know everything, and sometimes the best thing I can do is just hold her.
In the mean time, I'm praying (a little selfishly) that Ellie is teething, and someday soon she will go back to being her normal, happy self. But even if that isn't the case, I'm now living with a constant reminder that God, my heavenly Father, expects me to be patient, just as I (foolishly) expect a hungry baby to be patient. It's not my job to have all the answers, but rather to just give Ellie my love, and continue to rely on God that everything will be okay.
For the past few weeks, Ellie has been a "crab apple." She's fussy, cries when she goes down for a nap, cries when she wakes up from a nap, wakes up after going down for the night, won't go down for the night...you get the point. She's also been difficult when I try to feed her solids...she cries when I put her in her high chair, and cries while I try to feed her. Sometimes she'll get over it and it's not a big deal, but other times I just have to throw away the cereal I mixed for her and give up on trying to feed her at that time.
The other day, it was this same scenario. I put her in her high chair: she cried. I started feeding her, and she still fussed a little but she ate a few bites of cereal. Then she just had a meltdown. Huge tears, red face, and lots of screaming. I'm really not used to that at all...she's normally a pretty content baby. Granted, she has her drama queen moments, but for the most part it's smooth sailing with her. After she started screaming, I just lost my patience. I got up and walked away for a few minutes just so I could calm down.
After walking away, I examined my heart...and I found anger. It sounds terrible, and normally I don't think I would admit that, but I want to be authentic and not spare the details because of my own pride. I thought about it and realized that I was angry at Ellie. I was mad that she was crying so much, mad that she wouldn't eat when I knew she was hungry, and I was mad that I couldn't control her.
After I came to that realization, my anger dissolved. I was ashamed at myself. Here I was, sitting on the floor feeding Ellie cereal, and reprimanding her for throwing a fit, when I was throwing a fit inside my heart. Before, I kept thinking, "God why can't she just be patient?" After realizing my own faults, I heard God say, "Kristen, why can't you be patient?" I was humbled after that. I can't expect my daughter to show the fruits of the Spirit if I'm not modeling them for her. And realistically, she's not even 8 months old...and she's not a Christian yet, so she can't exemplify the fruits of the Spirit if the Spirit isn't in her. My expectations were embarrassingly high.
Motherhood isn't an exact science...it's a constant learning process. I'm slowly realizing that in the end, it doesn't matter if you're baby is breastfed or bottle-fed, if she sleeps through the night or not, or if she's a baby genius and does everything early or if she's right on time (or even a little behind). What DOES matter is that I've given Ellie my best, meaning that I've been an example to her of what I expect in the first place.
My daughter humbles me every day (sometimes in wonderful ways, and sometimes in not-so-pleasant ways). Her sweet smile and giggle remind me how blessed I am to have her in my life, and her crying fits and refusal to go to sleep remind me that I don't know everything, and sometimes the best thing I can do is just hold her.
In the mean time, I'm praying (a little selfishly) that Ellie is teething, and someday soon she will go back to being her normal, happy self. But even if that isn't the case, I'm now living with a constant reminder that God, my heavenly Father, expects me to be patient, just as I (foolishly) expect a hungry baby to be patient. It's not my job to have all the answers, but rather to just give Ellie my love, and continue to rely on God that everything will be okay.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:22-26
Friday, March 25, 2011
Still Dealing With It
Wow...I am SUPER emotional these days. I was just sitting here reading a blog about educating your child prior to them starting school (I Can Teach My Child) and felt that hot, bubbly feeling in my throat I get every time I'm about to cry. I guess the reason it happened is because I saw a picture of a mother and baby immediately after birth, and saw "that face" that every mommy gets when she sees her child for the first time. It's definitely the most amazing thing in the world. In retrospect, I guess I lament the fact that I didn't have that moment. I hardly even remember seeing Ellie that first time when she was 4 days old. I remember holding her (for what felt like a second) while I was wearing that stupid oxygen mustache-looking thing, and everything's blurry because I was still recovering from being on magnesium, which is supposed to help prevent seizures and lower blood pressure. It's on video, and sometimes I'll watch the video just so I can try to remember that moment. Unfortunately, it's not that "wow-this-is-my-baby!" moment, but really I was just thinking, "Wow. I blacked out...then I woke up and there was a baby. What now?" When they asked me if I was ready to hold her, I said, "I guess." What the heck?! What mother in her right mind would say that? It just demonstrates how out of my mind I was at that point.
Earlier today, I was cleaning Ellie's room and putting her Willow Tree figures back on her bookshelf. I am slightly obsessive when it comes to organization and the way things look (although you couldn't tell it from the way my house looks!), so I was organizing the different figures chronologically, from the pregnant figure to the mother holding the toddler (not there yet!). Looking at those little figures made me cry! So dumb, especially considering that I've seen just about every Willow Tree figure out there from working at LifeWay in high school and college. Anyway, I was just thinking about being pregnant, and how I had no idea the way things would end up going for the birth. So dumb, I know. I have a beautiful, healthy daughter who is just fine. I should count my blessings that neither of us have lasting problems, or even worse, had died. But I still deal with what happened every day.
Some days, it's just a fleeting thought about being in the hospital, or how Ellie was so tiny when she was born. Other days, like today, I relive the whole thing all over again, and remember awful things like how depressed I was, or the pain of pneumonia. I know it doesn't make sense, nor is it logical. But regardless of all that, our experience is a part of me for the rest of my life. I think that's expected. The part I can't get over yet is how emotional it makes me feel, and how I have so many regrets and questions.
What if I had followed my instincts and gone to the doctor, even though the nurse told me that I just needed to rest at home?
What if we hadn't gone to the hospital when we did?
Would I still be breastfeeding if I had just asked for help?
Would my baby not have reflux and spit up problems if I had continued to breastfeed?
These questions, along with so many others, will stay with me forever, I have no doubt about that. I can try to let go of them and count my blessings, but I think they'll always linger in my mind. Don't get me wrong; I thank God every day for the miracle He performed in our lives that week. He saved my life, and Ellie's life. He gave us a healthy daughter despite all the circumstances. He gave me a full recovery from a wide variety of problems, including hypertension, pneumonia, oxygen deprivation to my brain, blood loss, and central serous retinopathy. However, I just don't think I'll ever let go of the emotional pain I still experience over that whole experience.
I am comforted by the fact that so many moms experience the crazy emotions after having a baby, even those who had a normal pregnancy and birth. It's just a part of motherhood. I really thought it was over after the first couple of months, and my hormones were back to normal. I've had a resurgence of all these emotions recently. I get emotional over the dumbest things, like thinking about how Ellie is going to get married someday, and what am I going to do when my baby is all grown up?! It's hard for me to explain these feelings to my husband, I guess because men just don't experience life the same way women do. Yes, he loves our daughter, and no, he doesn't want to think about her growing up yet, but it just doesn't affect him the same way.
Anyway, I'm now rambling and going down random rabbit trails...this is my mind now. I'm not nearly as organized as I used to be (before Ellie), and I'm way more emotional. I'm having a hard time coping with all of that...maybe it's because Ellie was sick this week, and it's been hard on everyone? I'd like to think that there's a reason for all this craziness in my brain, but who knows.
Earlier today, I was cleaning Ellie's room and putting her Willow Tree figures back on her bookshelf. I am slightly obsessive when it comes to organization and the way things look (although you couldn't tell it from the way my house looks!), so I was organizing the different figures chronologically, from the pregnant figure to the mother holding the toddler (not there yet!). Looking at those little figures made me cry! So dumb, especially considering that I've seen just about every Willow Tree figure out there from working at LifeWay in high school and college. Anyway, I was just thinking about being pregnant, and how I had no idea the way things would end up going for the birth. So dumb, I know. I have a beautiful, healthy daughter who is just fine. I should count my blessings that neither of us have lasting problems, or even worse, had died. But I still deal with what happened every day.
Some days, it's just a fleeting thought about being in the hospital, or how Ellie was so tiny when she was born. Other days, like today, I relive the whole thing all over again, and remember awful things like how depressed I was, or the pain of pneumonia. I know it doesn't make sense, nor is it logical. But regardless of all that, our experience is a part of me for the rest of my life. I think that's expected. The part I can't get over yet is how emotional it makes me feel, and how I have so many regrets and questions.
What if I had followed my instincts and gone to the doctor, even though the nurse told me that I just needed to rest at home?
What if we hadn't gone to the hospital when we did?
Would I still be breastfeeding if I had just asked for help?
Would my baby not have reflux and spit up problems if I had continued to breastfeed?
These questions, along with so many others, will stay with me forever, I have no doubt about that. I can try to let go of them and count my blessings, but I think they'll always linger in my mind. Don't get me wrong; I thank God every day for the miracle He performed in our lives that week. He saved my life, and Ellie's life. He gave us a healthy daughter despite all the circumstances. He gave me a full recovery from a wide variety of problems, including hypertension, pneumonia, oxygen deprivation to my brain, blood loss, and central serous retinopathy. However, I just don't think I'll ever let go of the emotional pain I still experience over that whole experience.
I am comforted by the fact that so many moms experience the crazy emotions after having a baby, even those who had a normal pregnancy and birth. It's just a part of motherhood. I really thought it was over after the first couple of months, and my hormones were back to normal. I've had a resurgence of all these emotions recently. I get emotional over the dumbest things, like thinking about how Ellie is going to get married someday, and what am I going to do when my baby is all grown up?! It's hard for me to explain these feelings to my husband, I guess because men just don't experience life the same way women do. Yes, he loves our daughter, and no, he doesn't want to think about her growing up yet, but it just doesn't affect him the same way.
Anyway, I'm now rambling and going down random rabbit trails...this is my mind now. I'm not nearly as organized as I used to be (before Ellie), and I'm way more emotional. I'm having a hard time coping with all of that...maybe it's because Ellie was sick this week, and it's been hard on everyone? I'd like to think that there's a reason for all this craziness in my brain, but who knows.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Midweek Update
I feel like I've gotten behind in my blogging. I totally intended to make a post last week about my shopping, but I just got busy and before I knew it, the week was over. A quick recap of last week:
I had some fun at Kroger with a few freebies and cheap items, like free Ronzoni pasta, paper towels, frozen veggies, fruit snacks, and alfredo sauce. Gotta love it when Kroger does free giveaways! In the last giveaway, I was able to get coupons for free Bounty, Buitoni, Betty Crocker fruit snacks, and Green Giant Steamers. It got a little stressful trying to login at the right moment to get the coupon for the day, and by the end of it there were so many people participating that it was impossible to login (for me, anyway). However, I was super excited to get what I did, and thankful that Kroger runs these promotions every now and then. They have a new one going on right now (March to Savings), which is more like a lottery type of thing, but I've already gotten a free coupon for Pillsbury Savorings (some kind of pastry appetizer thing). I'll take what I can get!
This week, I repeated some of my deals from last week, since the Mega Event usually goes on for two weeks. I got 4 boxes of free Ronzoni again this week (we are now stocked up on pasta!), free ice cream, free eggs, plus more butter and cheese. Now that I'm making bread at home a lot, I use way more butter than I used to, so thankfully I was able to stock up with the Mega Event this week.
I also went to Walmart and Walgreens last week. At Walmart, I got a bottle of Similac for $1.84 (gotta use those coupons before they expire!) and the sponges for 34 cents each. At Walgreens, I got both of the Right Guard deodorants for free, and the Irish Spring deodorant for $4 total, plus got $4 back in Register Rewards. Billy laughs at me every time I come home with deodorant...he's got a nice stockpile in the closet now. I have to limit myself when I get to a point with certain items...for example, I stocked up on toilet paper about a month ago, so even if there's a great deal on toilet paper, I've promised myself that I wouldn't buy it. Same with fabric softener, toothpaste, and now deodorant.
I forgot to take pictures this week, but I used the $4 in Register Rewards from last week on these items: Almay eyeliner, Always pads, two toothbrushes, and two packs of gum. With coupons and the $4 in RR, I spent $1.08. I got back $7 in Register Rewards for next time!
Ellie and I went to Target last night (where we saw the lovely Jen Jensen!) and bought a bottle of Soft Scrub bathroom cleaner, a pack of pads, and a pair of baby socks...all for 21 cents! I am convinced that God provides deals when I need them...it seems like every time I'm about to run out of something, God has provided a way for me to get the item for much cheaper than usual (either with sales, coupons, or both). We are running low on bathroom cleaner and I was in need of some more, and just happened to check a couple of the blogs and found the deal on Soft Scrub. Looking back, I don't think one of my coupons technically covered the bathroom cleaner (it said all purpose cleaner), but Target was out of that so I tried the bathroom cleaner...I think my cashier didn't really care very much, so she just entered the coupon in and gave me the deal.
I've found that coupons can be hit or miss at Target. Sometimes, a person can use a coupon and get a great deal, and then you try the same coupon and item, and a cashier won't take it. I've read about many people having different experiences with the same coupon, and you would think that every store would accept the same coupons, but it just doesn't work out that way. For example, a while back there was a Target coupon for $1 off ibuprofen; they had a 24 count package priced at 97 cents, making it free with the coupon. I had no trouble with this deal, but I read about a lot of people who had issues because their cashier said that the 24 pack was travel sized, even though it wasn't at the time. It sounds awful, but I have a strategy for this: when checking out, pick either 1) a man or 2) a teenager. I'm not trying to swindle or hoodwink them, but it saves a lot of hassle. Half the time, I end up explaining to the cashier why the coupon works for that item, but they get caught up in "coupon vocabulary." If the coupon says one coupon per purchase, that means per item, not transaction. But I still get cashiers who don't differentiate between the two, and then we both end up frustrated. I've had much more success with getting through the checkout line quickly when I use my cashier strategy. Makes my life easier, and I don't hold up other people, as well.
In other news, Ellie has been a huge grump for about a week now. She had a cold all last week, and this week she's been very fussy and agitated. The mornings are the worst; she cries no matter what I do. I'll try holding her and comforting her, but it doesn't help at all; sometimes it just makes it worse. I lay her down....still crying. I got to the point yesterday where I just broke down because I was so overwhelmed. I know that as she gets older, she'll be harder to please (food and snuggles just won't do it every time anymore), but this was beyond her being annoyed; I felt like she was in pain. I decided to call the doctor and made an appointment for this afternoon.
This will be our last sick visit with a co-pay; after this, we'll have to start paying for the sick visits in full...which means at least $100 every time she goes. That's how it was on our old insurance...we paid every time she went to the doctor, even for the regular checkups. I'm thankful for the new insurance, but we've blown through her 3 sick visits with a co-pay, and it's only March. Billy and I still have our 3 co-pay visits, but we probably won't use them. We avoid going to the doctor if at all possible. Especially after last year, I want to stay away from every doctor's office and hospital. We drove past Virginia Baptist the other day, and I actually started to feel nauseous thinking about being there last year. I'm glad that by the time we have our next child, we won't be living in Lynchburg anymore. I don't know if I could handle the feeling of being in that hospital again.
On a different subject, I tried buying bone-in split chicken breasts last week. I have NEVER bought anything with bones in it, other than a whole chicken, which we put in the rotisserie oven. I've always bought boneless, skinless chicken breasts because it's convenient...and honestly, I never knew what to do with a bone-in chicken breast. I read a tutorial about how to get the most from bone-in chicken breasts, titled Prepping Five Meals from Five Chicken Breasts. The author includes some helpful pictures and recipes to make the chicken stretch. I tried one recipe so far (Mexican Chicken Frittata)....it was okay, but not my favorite. I think if I put potatoes on the bottom of the casserole instead of bread, I would like it better. I don't like anything mushy or soggy, and the bread was very mushy after pouring 6 eggs and salsa over it.
Anyway, so I followed her instructions on how to prep bone in chicken breasts. I bought 7 lbs. of chicken breasts from Kroger last week that were 99 cents per pound (definitely cheaper than boneless, skinless chicken!). I trimmed the skin off, cut the meat off the bone (looks like a perfect chicken breast), boiled the bones and meat left over, and ended up with 7 whole chicken breasts, plus 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (from the bones).
This was my end product, as far as getting the chicken breasts trimmed and everything. Looks like they came straight from the package!
This is what was leftover...bones and chicken stuck to the bones. I boiled these on high for 20 minutes and ended up with this...
I picked the usable meat off the bones and ended up with 3 cups of shredded chicken.
I know this is gross, but this is all the skin and fat I trimmed off the chicken. Whenever I trim chicken breasts, I always put the leftovers in a pan and bake them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, then give them to Shelley. It's about the only people food Shelley gets, and we mix it in with some dog food for her dinner. She's super excited about it, and it means we have very little waste...plus, I don't have to worry about the trash can stinking later!
So that's what I've been up to recently...thanks for reading! Now I'm going to go and read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince...yes, I'm still working on finishing the series. It's slow going when you can only read when both babies are sleeping, which is right now!
~Kristen
This week, I repeated some of my deals from last week, since the Mega Event usually goes on for two weeks. I got 4 boxes of free Ronzoni again this week (we are now stocked up on pasta!), free ice cream, free eggs, plus more butter and cheese. Now that I'm making bread at home a lot, I use way more butter than I used to, so thankfully I was able to stock up with the Mega Event this week.
I forgot to take pictures this week, but I used the $4 in Register Rewards from last week on these items: Almay eyeliner, Always pads, two toothbrushes, and two packs of gum. With coupons and the $4 in RR, I spent $1.08. I got back $7 in Register Rewards for next time!
Ellie and I went to Target last night (where we saw the lovely Jen Jensen!) and bought a bottle of Soft Scrub bathroom cleaner, a pack of pads, and a pair of baby socks...all for 21 cents! I am convinced that God provides deals when I need them...it seems like every time I'm about to run out of something, God has provided a way for me to get the item for much cheaper than usual (either with sales, coupons, or both). We are running low on bathroom cleaner and I was in need of some more, and just happened to check a couple of the blogs and found the deal on Soft Scrub. Looking back, I don't think one of my coupons technically covered the bathroom cleaner (it said all purpose cleaner), but Target was out of that so I tried the bathroom cleaner...I think my cashier didn't really care very much, so she just entered the coupon in and gave me the deal.
I've found that coupons can be hit or miss at Target. Sometimes, a person can use a coupon and get a great deal, and then you try the same coupon and item, and a cashier won't take it. I've read about many people having different experiences with the same coupon, and you would think that every store would accept the same coupons, but it just doesn't work out that way. For example, a while back there was a Target coupon for $1 off ibuprofen; they had a 24 count package priced at 97 cents, making it free with the coupon. I had no trouble with this deal, but I read about a lot of people who had issues because their cashier said that the 24 pack was travel sized, even though it wasn't at the time. It sounds awful, but I have a strategy for this: when checking out, pick either 1) a man or 2) a teenager. I'm not trying to swindle or hoodwink them, but it saves a lot of hassle. Half the time, I end up explaining to the cashier why the coupon works for that item, but they get caught up in "coupon vocabulary." If the coupon says one coupon per purchase, that means per item, not transaction. But I still get cashiers who don't differentiate between the two, and then we both end up frustrated. I've had much more success with getting through the checkout line quickly when I use my cashier strategy. Makes my life easier, and I don't hold up other people, as well.
In other news, Ellie has been a huge grump for about a week now. She had a cold all last week, and this week she's been very fussy and agitated. The mornings are the worst; she cries no matter what I do. I'll try holding her and comforting her, but it doesn't help at all; sometimes it just makes it worse. I lay her down....still crying. I got to the point yesterday where I just broke down because I was so overwhelmed. I know that as she gets older, she'll be harder to please (food and snuggles just won't do it every time anymore), but this was beyond her being annoyed; I felt like she was in pain. I decided to call the doctor and made an appointment for this afternoon.
This will be our last sick visit with a co-pay; after this, we'll have to start paying for the sick visits in full...which means at least $100 every time she goes. That's how it was on our old insurance...we paid every time she went to the doctor, even for the regular checkups. I'm thankful for the new insurance, but we've blown through her 3 sick visits with a co-pay, and it's only March. Billy and I still have our 3 co-pay visits, but we probably won't use them. We avoid going to the doctor if at all possible. Especially after last year, I want to stay away from every doctor's office and hospital. We drove past Virginia Baptist the other day, and I actually started to feel nauseous thinking about being there last year. I'm glad that by the time we have our next child, we won't be living in Lynchburg anymore. I don't know if I could handle the feeling of being in that hospital again.
On a different subject, I tried buying bone-in split chicken breasts last week. I have NEVER bought anything with bones in it, other than a whole chicken, which we put in the rotisserie oven. I've always bought boneless, skinless chicken breasts because it's convenient...and honestly, I never knew what to do with a bone-in chicken breast. I read a tutorial about how to get the most from bone-in chicken breasts, titled Prepping Five Meals from Five Chicken Breasts. The author includes some helpful pictures and recipes to make the chicken stretch. I tried one recipe so far (Mexican Chicken Frittata)....it was okay, but not my favorite. I think if I put potatoes on the bottom of the casserole instead of bread, I would like it better. I don't like anything mushy or soggy, and the bread was very mushy after pouring 6 eggs and salsa over it.
Anyway, so I followed her instructions on how to prep bone in chicken breasts. I bought 7 lbs. of chicken breasts from Kroger last week that were 99 cents per pound (definitely cheaper than boneless, skinless chicken!). I trimmed the skin off, cut the meat off the bone (looks like a perfect chicken breast), boiled the bones and meat left over, and ended up with 7 whole chicken breasts, plus 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (from the bones).
So that's what I've been up to recently...thanks for reading! Now I'm going to go and read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince...yes, I'm still working on finishing the series. It's slow going when you can only read when both babies are sleeping, which is right now!
~Kristen
Friday, March 11, 2011
Finding Joy in the Little Things
It's been a while since my last post. I haven't encountered any amazingly good deals this week, so I just got what I needed to get us through the week. I did use a few great coupons on Similac ready to feed quarts this week, so I was able to get four bottles for about $1 each. I also found some good deals at Target with coupons, but nothing noteworthy.
I wanted to dedicate this blog post to finding joy in simple things. No breakdowns of shopping trips...I just want to talk about the things that matter.
We started Ellie on solid foods a few weeks ago. Initially, it gave her horrible gas and I was worried that she'd never get over it. We used Mylicon drops like they were going out of style, and finally she got over that hurdle. Now that she's tried several types of food, she's gotten into her stride with eating. Thank goodness we can finally cut back on the formula!
I fed Ellie her breakfast this morning (oatmeal and applesauce mixed together...even makes it seem tasty to me!). It brought me so much joy to see this...
This little rascal snatched her spoon and tried to feed herself. Or at least that's what I tell myself she's doing. Really, she just sees something interesting and sticks it in her mouth. Regardless of the reason, I let her go for it. Sure, it makes a HUGE mess (the spoon was full of oatmeal-applesauce mixture...which didn't make it into her mouth), but it's worth it to let her become more independent and let her explore the art of eating. I try to let her hold the spoon, if she wants to, and guide it into her mouth. But sometimes, she's wants to do it by herself. =)
I know I've got to cherish these moments, because they'll be gone before I know it, and she'll be walking and talking very soon. There are moments when I worry, "Is she developing fast enough? Is it bad that she's not sitting on her own yet? Am I a bad mother because she's not ahead of everyone else?" I want to make sure I'm aware of what I need to teach Ellie, but at the same time I'm afraid that I'm rushing her into growing up. It's days like this when I realize this: she's happy, she's healthy, and she'll grow up when it's time. I'm going to cherish the oatmeal covered smile, and just enjoy today.
Another moment that brings a smile to my face is this....
I love seeing Billy interact with Ellie. He's definitely the fun parent...I'm the one who does the dirty work and sometimes makes Ellie cry, but he's the one who can always make her smile!
In this photo, he was letting Ellie stand on the floor so she could get a better look at Shelley. Ellie is madly in love with Shelley...she laughs and smiles at her almost as much as she does with Billy. She loves to "pet" Shelley...every time Shelley walks past her, she reaches her little hands out to touch her. So sweet. Anyway, Ellie was laughing at Shelley because she yawned...apparently that was very amusing.
I love my little family. We don't have much, and we live in a very small house, but we're comfortable and content. I've got a great husband who manages our finances so that we can survive for a whole year without him working, plus he does everything he can to make Ellie and I happy. He loves our daughter so much...can't ask for a better man! Ellie, of course, is my joy...I can't imagine life without her now. I look back at everything I did before having a baby...and not much of it matters to me now. And I can't forget Shelley. She's my first baby...even though she can get annoying occasionally, she makes it up with her sweet face and her gentleness with Ellie.
Another, not so sentimental, joy I've discovered recently is using my bread machine...
(Sorry the photo is lame and from the website, but I'm too lazy to go take a picture of mine, which looks exactly like this...)
I have found that I love to make bread! It's cheaper than buying fancy bread from the store, and I can make whatever I want. So far, I've made rolls, cinnamon swirl bread, and french bread...all from scratch and using my bread machine. I had to make the initial purchase of yeast, but everything else I always have on hand (flour, milk, eggs, sugar, salt...etc.). I love when Billy thanks me for making homemade bread....it really motivates me to keep doing it. And it's not like it's really time consuming...the bread machine makes the dough for me, I just have to put the ingredients in. Then all it takes is letting the bread sit for a while, popping it in the oven, and then it's done!
I wonder why it's so hard for us to treasure the simple things in life...our families...making bread....sitting down with a good book. You would think that we would realize in the moment that these things are worthwhile and edifying, or just make us happy...but I know I usually take these things for granted. I get so caught up in everything else, like trying to clean my house, or going to the store, or using every media device available (cell phone, computer, TV, iPod, etc.) that I sometimes miss out on the simple moments that are the most enjoyable. Billy and I decided last week that we want to cut down on the time we spend watching TV. Now, we only watch the shows we actually want to see, instead of just turning on the TV when it's too quiet in the house. Thank goodness this is working for us, because I've noticed just in the past week how much easier it is to go to bed at 9:00, and how I feel like we've spent time together as a family. I just don't want to waste my life away spending time with electronics and cleaning products and miss out on the time I could spend with my family, or in quiet solitude enjoying a book, or the time I could spend in the kitchen making something for my family. Does anyone else feel this way? I just want to use my time wisely, on the things that really matter in my life. And I want to pass that on to Ellie, instead of raising her to be a texting-addicted TV junkie. I swear, some days I really would love to move out into the middle of nowhere, with no Internet connection or cell phone service, and just live in peace without all the noise!
Kristen
I wanted to dedicate this blog post to finding joy in simple things. No breakdowns of shopping trips...I just want to talk about the things that matter.
We started Ellie on solid foods a few weeks ago. Initially, it gave her horrible gas and I was worried that she'd never get over it. We used Mylicon drops like they were going out of style, and finally she got over that hurdle. Now that she's tried several types of food, she's gotten into her stride with eating. Thank goodness we can finally cut back on the formula!
I fed Ellie her breakfast this morning (oatmeal and applesauce mixed together...even makes it seem tasty to me!). It brought me so much joy to see this...
This little rascal snatched her spoon and tried to feed herself. Or at least that's what I tell myself she's doing. Really, she just sees something interesting and sticks it in her mouth. Regardless of the reason, I let her go for it. Sure, it makes a HUGE mess (the spoon was full of oatmeal-applesauce mixture...which didn't make it into her mouth), but it's worth it to let her become more independent and let her explore the art of eating. I try to let her hold the spoon, if she wants to, and guide it into her mouth. But sometimes, she's wants to do it by herself. =)
I know I've got to cherish these moments, because they'll be gone before I know it, and she'll be walking and talking very soon. There are moments when I worry, "Is she developing fast enough? Is it bad that she's not sitting on her own yet? Am I a bad mother because she's not ahead of everyone else?" I want to make sure I'm aware of what I need to teach Ellie, but at the same time I'm afraid that I'm rushing her into growing up. It's days like this when I realize this: she's happy, she's healthy, and she'll grow up when it's time. I'm going to cherish the oatmeal covered smile, and just enjoy today.
Another moment that brings a smile to my face is this....
In this photo, he was letting Ellie stand on the floor so she could get a better look at Shelley. Ellie is madly in love with Shelley...she laughs and smiles at her almost as much as she does with Billy. She loves to "pet" Shelley...every time Shelley walks past her, she reaches her little hands out to touch her. So sweet. Anyway, Ellie was laughing at Shelley because she yawned...apparently that was very amusing.
I love my little family. We don't have much, and we live in a very small house, but we're comfortable and content. I've got a great husband who manages our finances so that we can survive for a whole year without him working, plus he does everything he can to make Ellie and I happy. He loves our daughter so much...can't ask for a better man! Ellie, of course, is my joy...I can't imagine life without her now. I look back at everything I did before having a baby...and not much of it matters to me now. And I can't forget Shelley. She's my first baby...even though she can get annoying occasionally, she makes it up with her sweet face and her gentleness with Ellie.
Another, not so sentimental, joy I've discovered recently is using my bread machine...
I have found that I love to make bread! It's cheaper than buying fancy bread from the store, and I can make whatever I want. So far, I've made rolls, cinnamon swirl bread, and french bread...all from scratch and using my bread machine. I had to make the initial purchase of yeast, but everything else I always have on hand (flour, milk, eggs, sugar, salt...etc.). I love when Billy thanks me for making homemade bread....it really motivates me to keep doing it. And it's not like it's really time consuming...the bread machine makes the dough for me, I just have to put the ingredients in. Then all it takes is letting the bread sit for a while, popping it in the oven, and then it's done!
I wonder why it's so hard for us to treasure the simple things in life...our families...making bread....sitting down with a good book. You would think that we would realize in the moment that these things are worthwhile and edifying, or just make us happy...but I know I usually take these things for granted. I get so caught up in everything else, like trying to clean my house, or going to the store, or using every media device available (cell phone, computer, TV, iPod, etc.) that I sometimes miss out on the simple moments that are the most enjoyable. Billy and I decided last week that we want to cut down on the time we spend watching TV. Now, we only watch the shows we actually want to see, instead of just turning on the TV when it's too quiet in the house. Thank goodness this is working for us, because I've noticed just in the past week how much easier it is to go to bed at 9:00, and how I feel like we've spent time together as a family. I just don't want to waste my life away spending time with electronics and cleaning products and miss out on the time I could spend with my family, or in quiet solitude enjoying a book, or the time I could spend in the kitchen making something for my family. Does anyone else feel this way? I just want to use my time wisely, on the things that really matter in my life. And I want to pass that on to Ellie, instead of raising her to be a texting-addicted TV junkie. I swear, some days I really would love to move out into the middle of nowhere, with no Internet connection or cell phone service, and just live in peace without all the noise!
Kristen
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