baby deals!!!!

well, my little one is due in about 2 1/2 weeks. wow…that came so fast! i have made significant progress since i wrote last…which isn’t surprising since that was in january. a little update…we have the nursery 95% done, several names chosen to pick from, babysitters lined up for nic, and a plan in place for birth! i feel better already! we also have been so blessed by friends who gave us a surprise diaper shower! i have been trying to watch for sales and stock up, but what a great surprise to have others supply our needs too! here is a photo of what they got for me!

also, the huggies coupons that have been going around for $5 off of any gentle care item are really saving me lots of money too!  i don’t use huggies diapers, but the coupon works for wipes too!  target has a great deal on the big packs of wipes for $6, so i got each of them for $1!  in fact, everything in the picture below cost me a total of $6.  (retail?  $30)  i had target and manufacturer’s coupons for almost everything, as well as kroger coupons for the green wipes.  i feel so stocked!  i am really excited about all the deals i have found and my hubby is pretty impressed too.  happy bargain hunting, friends!!  

“CVS-ing” and other Deals!

i recently discovered the wide world of “thrifty bloggers” one of which is “money saving mom.” now, i really enjoy a good deal. i have been clipping coupons and matching them to the ads for years. and i always shop the sales and usually hit 4 grocery stores in one trip. my mom is an amazing bargain shopper and i learned a lot from her. but these bloggers out there are AMAZING. among other things, they do this thing called “cvs-ing.” CVS has this rebate program that automatically gives you money back on your shoppers card. every week there are deals specifically for this. i am not really a big cvs shopper, but today i decided to try out this little rebate thing they all rave about. (oh, and it’s not a mail in rebate, which i hate, it’s instant).
anyway, i got some good stuff! i am not anywhere near as good as these other bloggers, but i think i did pretty well.
here is what i got!

in case you can’t see it all, i got:
2 boxes of soy joy bars (cost $6, rebate was for $6, so free) that gave me $12 in “cvs dollars” to spend
1 3-pack of kleenex (cost $3.69, rebate was for $1, i had at 50 cent coupon, so $2.19)
revlon mascara and revlon eyeliner (these were buy one get one free! i paid around $7, had $3 in coupons, so $4 for both)
christmas stuff was 90% off! so all the christmas stuff i got was around $5-6 bucks!
anyway, i ended up getting everything and spending only $15!
the retail was close to: $80 (if you count in full price christmas stuff!)
anyway, i am hoping to get better at this whole thing and i will let you know what i find!
speaking of deals, look what i scored at target for $10 today! (these are on sale until saturday)

(does anyone know how to turn the ridiculous pictures in wordpress???)
happy shopping everyone!!

i’m having a baby in less than 3 months.

yipes. i need to get cracking on several things. here they are:
a nursery theme or idea
organizing all the baby clothes that i will re-use
making a list of new things i need
finding a name! and a middle name too! (thankfully the last name is pretty set.
anyway, i need some inspiration especially on the first and last items.
any ideas? i am fairly open to anything at this point!! i also would love any good ideas for decorating the nursery pretty inexpensively!
oh, in case you didn’t know, i’m having a boy.
thanks!

Christmas Newsletter!




Make a Smilebox greeting

thanksgiving 08

happy holidays!  i am so excited about them this year.  nic is getting older and he really seems into it this time around.  i am particularly excited about celebrating in our new house.  we got to kick off our first holiday in our new home with thanksgiving!  my parents and sister came from ohio to be with us.  

highlights:  i made a turkey!  and gravy!  and everything!  so fun.  it was so nice to have so much room in my kitchen to put everything together.  i also made cute cookies and festive napkin rings to commemorate the event.  (see pics below!)  my family being here was awesome too, especially when i carted them off to target at 6 am!  (i needed someone to help get the doorbusters!)  

anyway, i hope you had a great thanksgiving too…and that you have a great holiday season!   enjoy the pictures!

 

i am a terrible blogger

i’ve known this for some time…i basically just like to read blogs, but i know i should update this once in awhile!  :)  

first things first!  i’m pregnant with my second child!  due march 27, 2009!  i’m really excited and things are going well…although i have been sick here and there.  i’m almost out of the woods, i think.  :)  

also!  sam and i bought our first house!  we move in about a month.  we are pumped about that.  

see, look at all that news i had.  just waiting to be blogged.  anyway, i would love some tips on moving or decorating or painting, etc…for our new house!  we can use any help we can get!  

thanks!

LABOR day!

over at rocks in my dryer, shannon has created a little labor day post to participate in!  check it out!  and here’s mine: (i only have nic)

how long were you in labor?  11 hours

how did you know you were in labor?  contractions and the doctor breaking my water!

where did you deliver?  in a hospital!

drugs? i had to have pitocin (the devil) and then i took an I.V. drug of some kind–which put me to sleep between contractions…so weird.  kind of like waking up to piercing pain every 3 minutes. bizarre.

who delivered? my doctor!  :)

 

if you want in on the fun, head over to rocks in my dryer and join!  

happy labor day to everyone!!

this is a plea for help

oh God help me. (literally!)  i have started potty training.  

nicholas is 22 months.  i know, i know.  that is “early.”  and yes, everyone says boys are harder.  so what am i thinking??  mainly that i am tired of dropping $40 a month (or more) on diapers every month.  but also, i was noticing that nic really seemed pretty aware of his, um, output.  and he was very interested in his daddy using the potty.  ”see daddy’s pee-pee!”  :)  so i thought i’d give it a shot.  

my main “strategy” was to try putting him in cotton training pants so he could “feel” the discomfort of the wetness, etc.  sounded pretty logical to me.  however, i should have accounted for nic to go ahead and not even notice the pee running down his legs and the wet training pants around his waist.  i mean, not even a second of acknowledgment, people.  i also tried the schedule thing where you set them on the potty every hour or so and just wait.  well, this worked pretty good, (peeing in the potty about 4 times a day) but i’m just unsure of how to move from that to teaching him to really understand that he needs to go when he feels the urge, instead of when i take him.  

so moms, i need help.  some real tips, please.  i know that “wait til they are 3″ is a popular response…i’ve gotten that…but if anyone has any other ideas, i’d be forever grateful.  and who knows, maybe i’ll be “waiting til 3.”  :)  

here are a few pictures for fun…pretty much the only “fun” in my potty training experience!!!  enjoy!  (and i don’t know how to turn the vertical ones…sorry!)

beans and rice

 

a few weeks ago heather wrote an inspiring post about how her and her family got the idea to eat rice for dinner once a week.  in doing so, they donate 10% of their food budget to world hunger.  i thought it was a great idea.  for the past 2 weeks sam and i have been eating rice and beans (haiti style!) on wednesday nights.  it is pretty shocking to me, but when i finished grocery shopping for the week, i had exactly 10% left over.  wow.

i am excited to do more with this later on when nic is older.  i want to talk to him about different countries and hunger problems world-wide.  thanks for the idea, whittakerwoman…

oh look, photos.

so, it’s no secret that i am no pro at the whole computer thing. i usually need help with some stuff. i know the basics, but well, it takes me awhile to get around to the cool stuff. anyway, that said, i think it is just about time for a few pictures! because i love to look at blogs with pictures, and mine is sorely lacking. so…tada! maybe i will do it right and you will see some photos below.

 

my hubby and son fishing on the fourth!

 

nooch swinging and laughing

 

 

 

all of us!

oh i am festive now.  look at all those (three!) photos!!!!!