Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas! Remember, JESUS is the reason for the season.

Luke 7: 28-35

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Lots of cooking/baking on my to-do list today.....

I haven't done this much cooking/ baking in a long while. Since Christmas is tomorrow, there is not too much to do..thank GOD. Here's what I'll be doing:
Pound Cake
Lasagna
Brownies
Fruit Salad
2 batches of cookies
Salad
In addition, tonight I am bringing a cheese, pepperoni, and cracker tray; which I will br putting together myself. It saves me a ton of money this way.

Did you to any Christmas cooking/baking yet? If so, what is on your to-do list?

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

I Know, I Know.....& Finacne Updates

I told myself I would post here more frequently, but haven't; so sorry everyone. I do love this blog and coming up with different posts, but have been preoccupied with other things. I will schedule posts so that if I happen to be super busy on a given day, this blog will still remain current and up to date.

Now with that out of the way, how is everyone? How is your financial progress coming along? For me and my family, we are coming along at a slow but stead pace. I usually try to save $600-$700 AFTER bills, mortgage, tithes, loans, credit card pymts, husband's play money, our fun money, misc, house, food, medical, gas, taxes and other expenses. I figure that savings number is pretty good, considering I am a stay at home mom, therefore our household have just 1 income. I try to save/conserve as much as possible without limiting some fun or life experiences.

As for the upcoming new year and goals; my husband and I have talked about this and have came up with 6 simple goals that will be useful for us to complete for the upcoming year.
Here they are:
1. Read the bible in it's entirety- This is something I've always wanted to do.
2. Save $5,000-can be accomplished by saving at least $416.00 a month-not including tax refunds, bonus, etc.
3. Save $2,000 for down paymt on car- both our cars are older BUT paid off. We still want to be prepare just in case we HAVE to get another car.
4. GO TO DISNEY WORLD-we are looking at October 2010!!!!!!!!!!!
5. Spend more time praying, reading, talking, and playing with my family; without outside distractions.
6. Be a better wife and mom-I can always improve in this area.

There ya go, our goals for 2010. Sounds pretty simple, huh?! Let's hope so...LOL.

Now, during the beginning of each year, we usually have some big bills; they are 2 car inspections (on older cars), registrations, home warranty renewals, and Car insurance renewal; plus my husband is turning the big 3-0, so I have to do something very special for him. Boy that sounds expensive just typing it....smh. However, we do have a little tax refund we get..usually no more than $500-$1,300 depending....and my husband does get a nice bonus in the beginning of March, so that is good.

As for reflecting on this past year, there are so many things that I am thankful for. We have been blessed more than we deserve and owe it all to GOD! He is truly AMAZING! We became homeowners, my husband received 2 raises and a promotion, we have our health, shelter, food, and transportation.

What about you? What are you thankful for this past year?

P.S. We are finally done with Christmas shopping and are very proud of the fact that we stayed within our...ok we went of over budget by $5.00 or so, which isn't bad; and that includes gifts for my hubby and I, our daughter, pollyannas, gifts for others, etc. We are VERY proud of ourselves as it is VERY easy to over spend this time of year!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Really, Has it been a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, it's been like forever since I posted on here. Truth is, I became addicted to facebook..lol. (BTW-if you're on facebook, leave your screen name in the comments and i'll send a friend request to you). Nothing has changed here too much; but our mortgage payment will increase by $28 AND since our mortgage company UNDER estimated our escrow accounts, we had to send in an additional $504 in to them. Also, as of this post, we are done all our Christmas shopping except for me and my hubby. I can't believe Christmas is almost here...we'll I'm going to enjoy it! Time moves so fast and rarely do we sit back and smell the roses. My Thanksgiving was very nice. We went to visit my grandparents and had a blast. It was VERY nice to see everyone again.

Here are some pictures I'd like to share:
Here is a picture of our tree last year. This was at the home we rented.
Here is my hubby hard at work....
Here is some really good nacho I had at the Hard Rock Cafe & they were soo good!
Here is my precious baby girl; we'll my BIG girl....


I will be posting again regularly; especially after the holidays!

Don't forget to enjoy your family during this wonderful holiday season!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Been Away A While.......

Still here though. I have been in some kind of writer's block, which isn't too surprising at this time of the year for me. This is when I enjoy hosting holiday parties, playing games with family, visiting other relatives, and just relaxing.

The holidays are fast approaching and no matter how much I plan ahead, I always seem to be running behind. So far there is travel to plan for during the Thanksgiving holiday, decorating, Christmas shopping, holiday pictures, church dinner, and so many other things. I am NOT complaining by any means because this is my FAVORITE time of year; it just can wear my body out faster!

Also, I will be having another giveaway especially for the Holiday season, which will be for a Toys R US & Target Gift card. I am working on that post and put that up really soon!

Until then-

Sheena

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Seriously, Some People Can't Be That.......

......naive!

Someone recently said that the " cure-all" to most Americans being broke is for them to make more money!!!!! This person can't be serious. Making more money will not cure being broke if bad choices aren't changed into good ones. That's the problem nowadays; society pushing people to work, work, work...to make the all mighty dollar; and for what? To still be broke at the end of the day. Habits have to change; thoughts and ideas too!

The key is very simple to keeping more money in your pocket: try to keep your bills low and learn to love to live within your means! Easy and Simple, right?! For many people, it isn't.
Let me give you an example. When my husband and I started looking for a home to buy, we had a limit on what we wanted to pay each month in one big payment, including mortgage, insurance, and taxes.

We didn't bother looking at houses that would clearly bust our payment limit because we would just be fooling ourselves and our wallets. Now, sure we could've afforded a bigger house, but why? Our bills would be bigger, it would be more for me to clean, and more furniture we have to buy to decorate with! Besides, we wanted to live comfortably on what my husband was making at that time, since I am a SAHM; so if he got a raise or promotion (which he did), that would be extra money for us to keep in our pockets or give to other people in our family.

Society have warped most people minds into thinking more money means your less broke. Nope, it doesn't. If some people rather get a purse from COACH, rather than Target or even a thrift store; then those are the ones who will be broke, even if they had more money. Keeping up with the Joneses or anyone else, combined with too many bills will kill any chances of us moving from broke to wealthy. Just my opinion!!! :-D

I'll write another post going through each category in our budget and how I try to keep that bill low and why we don't have other bills as well.

-Sheena

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Craziest Thing.....

Today, I completed a lot of things. I usually try to get things done during the week, but sometimes, having my husband here to look after our daughter, can helk me out so much. Its harder now to clean because she's an active, hands on, 3 year old. She's into everything...my shoes, necklaces, hair products, heels, powder, and even will try to put herself in the tub...LOL. Yep, that's my baby.

Speaking of that, what is the craziest thing you AND your child has ever done...I have a tons but I have the cake topper here...

My daughter once poured an ENTIRE box of POWDERED SUGAR and a whole box of RICE KRISPIES on our living room, floor which as carpet, at 10:30pm at night!!!!!!!!! I had to call on the Lord that night...LOL..I need strength!

One crazy thing I had done as a child was eat the white tips of matches...yes, the white tips! What in the world was I thinking! I was a interesting child..LOL

Friday, October 16, 2009

My "Going Out" Child Kit......

Yesterday, I went out to begin my Christmas shopping. I like to complete my shopping in what I call 3 rounds to keep things organized and less stressful for me. Which is as follows:

1st Round-Extended family & Pollyannas
2nd Round-Daughter
3rd Round-Husband

During these times, I have my 3 year old daughter with me. As we moms know, running errands, especially 4 hour long ones, can be even more draining if we have a crying or whiny child to care for as well.

To prevent against that, I always have a child kit. What is that you say, just a few things I have in a bag that I put in the back seat of the car in case my daughter starts to become restless or bored.

My kit contains the following:
1. 1 pull-up, pants, and a few wipes-in case of an accident
2. Child Had Sanitizer wipes
3. Pen and paper for drawing
4. Pre-K activity book-she loves to do the activities in this book
5. 1 reading book-she loves to read
6. 1 juice & snack- in case we are stuck in traffic or in a store; this would hold her over until we got something to eat.
7. Her favorite CD- currently its the Imagination movers.

This kit has helped me many times and therefore making my shopping trips more pleasant and easier.

Do you carry a child kit with you? If so, what items do you pack?

Monday, October 12, 2009

Plans On Hold......

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know I have been talking about some personal things that I have been thinking about and working out over the past few weeks. What was taking up most of my thoughts/time was the possibility of going back to school; Law School to be exact.

Before I got too deep with prepping and planning, I wanted and needed to consult GOD first to 1. see if it was in his will and 2. if he would make a way for me to go to school. I did get prayer and the Lord did let me know it was alright for me to go back to school.

After that, I still wasn't happy. Something inside of me refused to let me be joyous and continue on in the planning process. I then sat down and begin to ask myself some hard but honest questions and in turn answer those questions honestly despite how I may feel. At the end of that session, I cam to a conclusion; Law School was NOT for me at this present time. I had to think about everything the Lord said to me and not just the "it's alright" part. Now, I could very well go at some later point down the road, but not now. And you know what was amazing, just as soon as I made that decision, I immediately felt better. It was like going from 0 to 10 in seconds on the happy scale. My spirit became more relaxed also. Its so amazing how GOD guides and protects me from potential disasters.

My husband and I also had a loooooong talk about this very subject. I told him that I didn't feel right; my spirit didn't feel right and I couldn't possibly go further with Law School without knowing exactly why I had these feelings. He told me that he actually prayed and asked GOD to let him know if what he was feeling was bad; because my husband had those same not so good feelings about me going to Law School but he didn't want to tell me as to not hurt my feelings. As soon as I told him that I felt the Lord didnt want me to go now, he said it was confirmation!!!!! He gave me a big hug and told me he was proud of me!

I know that GOD will provide. Besides, there are many, many people with advance degrees who cannot find work or who have low paying jobs they didnt think they would have to have. My life is a testimony in itself. My husband does NOT have a college degree, yet he is the HEAD..yes HEAD of his department, which requires a Master's degree. Got 2 promotions and 2 raises, including a bonus last year that was half his salary...yes, his bonus; which helped us buy our first home! We went to Europe for a month, have money in the bank, and are able to give to others. I'm NOT bragging, but the Lord brought all of this back to my remembrance to let me know it is HE..NOT I, BUT HE who opens doors and blesses. It is HE who provides for us and protects us and NOT a law degree OR job. I had to GET OUT OF THE WAY!!

I am so grateful to GOD for being so awesome. I feel Good and now can move on to others things. I love being a SAHM, although at first I didn't...BUT I Love it now!!!!

Have a GREAT Day!
Sheena

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Personal Post Coming Tommrrow....

Sorry for the absence, but some VERY important things have been going on in my life this past week that I have been trying to deal with. It is finally resolved and will tell you guys about it in a post tommrrow.

God is so good!

Sheena

P.S. My daughter is just 3 years old and was nursed...rarely used bottles, and when we took her to the dentist they told us she needs 2 fillings and 2 caps; which will cost us $302 out of pocket. They said they she should've started coming around 6 months...WHAT?! They don't have any teeth yet! I thought 2 years old was the age; guess I was wrong. And they told me to start flossing her teeth...just imagine and trying to force open a 3 year old mouth to put string in between her teeth....just imagine.

Please pray for us and our wallets..LOL

Saturday, October 3, 2009

12 Cavities?? You've Gotta Be Kidding!!!!!

Yes, you all read that right. I recently went to the dentist, after a 13 year hiatus, to find out I have 12 cavities!!

Let me give you a little history. My mother wasn't the most motherly type person. She only took me and my sisters to the dentist 1...yes, 1 time in our life. Since she didnt make too much money, we were covered under welfare. When I turned 18, I was dropped from the free covered insurance and couldn't afford any on my own. I had started college and although they has a student insurance plan, it still was too much for a poor college student.

Fast forward 3 years and I am getting married. Luckly, my soon to be husband had a good job and offered great dental insurance. Still, I didnt go visit the dentist becasue frankly, I wasn't used to it. Now at 25 years old, I am trying to take a more grown up approach to my life by being and staying healthy in ALL AREAS.

I make sure I visit my personal doctor and OB-GYN once every year, visit the dentist 2 times a year, and visit the eye doctor since I wear glasses. And, I'm doing the same with my daughter...regular dentist and doctor appointments.

So back to the 12 cavities...I kinda thought it would be bad, but my dentist said my teeth/gums were in good shape for someone who have been to the dentist only once. As a result..wanna know the total for all the work I gotta get done...$3,599.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes...$3,599.00!!! I couldn't believe it...well..yea I could. Thank GOD, my husband insurance will cover most of it...we only have to pay $491 out of pocket which is a GREAT deal.

Moral of the story...get your regular check-ups...because it will not only keep your body healthy, but you'll live longer and avoid expensive medical, dental, and prescription bills.

-MommySavesALot
.

Friday, October 2, 2009

October goals....

Goals for October

Eat out only 1 time a week

Stick to budget; track every dime

Stay within budget for house, misc funds

Schedule LSAT Test

Write Personal Statement

Write Resume

Study for LSAT 3 days during week and 1 hour on Saturdays

Rewrite Christmas list

Start shopping for Christmas

Get oil changes on both cars w/ car wash

Keep house CLEAN. TIDY each day.

Read the bible more

Be nicer

Stay on top of laundry

Book DISNEY trip

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Our Trip to Europe-Pictures....

I had a little time on my hands this evening and as I was going through some pictures on our camera, I came across some pictures of my family and I in Europe.

Really no description needed; except that we went to London and Romania, stayed for a month, and it was a good, educational experience. Enjoy!

















Thursday, September 24, 2009

How did I spend $80 inTarget???????????

Yes, ladies...i went into Target to spend $40 for a birthday gift...and I come out spending twice that amount. Now, I do try to keep track but then again, I LOVE Target. Why does it seem that I always find something I have been needing or wanting when I go in that store. I did come across some FANTASTIC deals, which is why I spent the extra $40.

First, I found an apron. I have been wanting a well made, 100% cotton apron for a while, but they have always been out of my price range...well, did you know I found one on clearance for 3.54!!! Yes...$3.54! It is very pretty..and Ill put a picture of it in my post tomorrow, Lord's will.

Second, I found a beautiful, lavender and dark purple lamp for my daughter's room...on clearance for $6.24! It was marked down from $24.99!!!

Third, I found a 5 pack of thick, 100% cotton kitchen towels..in a range of pretty colors, for $2.34....marked down from $19.99!

I also got my daughter some more socks...10 pairs because for one reason or another, the socks keep getting lost. There has to be a logical reason behind it..LOL

I also picked up a brown, salmon color storage basket, wall clock for our family room, silverware for my daughter, and hats/gloves. Yes, ladies...they already have the winter stuff out. Oh, and the Christmas decoration too! I have to admit..I was getting pretty excited when I saw the Christmas stuff in Target.

I gotta bring cash next time..cause Target will run me dry..LOL...but i'll stick with them over Walmart anyday!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Missing Followers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why are all of my followers missing. Is anyone else having the same problems?????

What is going on with blogger??

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

New Blog?

Thinking of changing my blog from blogspot to wordpress. I am having too much problems with blogspot and am getting tired of it. We'll see.
I'll let you guys know.
Sheena

Need your input about income...

Recently I was thinking about families and income. Soon I came up with a question so intriguing that I'd post it on my blog to your everyone's input.

Here goes:

Would you take a salary of $100,000 with 2 people working OR a salary of $75,000 with 1 person working???? You have 2 kids (ages 2 and 4), a mortgage of $1,200, and 2 cars.

After some serious, serious thinking I probably would take the 1 person working and $75,000 over 2 people working and $100,000. This is because with 2 people working, you have more bills. With 2 kids ages 2 & 4, there's daycare and maybe even aftercare depending on if you work late a lot, then more wear and tear on both cars, using more gas with maintenance expenses, paying for lunch if you don't take food from home, more eating out because with 2 people working all day, by the time you get home, no one is gonna feel like cooking, when you gotta clean, wash the kids, and put them to bed. That means hardly no family time together as well...and if your not careful, a strain on your marriage.

Now, dont get me wrong..I might choose the $100,000 if we didn't have any kids and it was just us...but that wasn't the question at hand..LOL.

What would you guys choose and why based on the above question?
Looking forward to reading your responses.

Monday, September 21, 2009

What had this Recession taught you?

Since the beginning of 2008, it seems that the economy has taken a downward spiral. No job is safe...and because of that no home, car, savings, etc is safe. Now, we all know GOD is there for us and guiding us but that doesn't means we wont become affected by the state of our economy. In my state alone...they were planning on laying off over 3,000 people, including police officers and fire fighters.

These were jobs I thought would be safe..since someone will always need them. I can't even imagine the thoughts running through their minds and the stress it causes their household. I do have a college degree and if I need to use it to get a job because my husband can't find one, then I will do that to support my family. I will gladly do that. This is something my husband and I talked about. We have been more open, honest, and realistic with our discussions because things are serious in the real world. People are lsoing jobs, homes, cars, marriages, and everything in between and as a result crime in going up.

With that said, I have learned that I should and need to be better prepared financially if something did happen. If my husband lost him job or had a salary decrease..how would we continue on..at least for a little while. I also have learned to be smarter in purchases I make, not just groceries, but our utilities, car, and misc. payments each month. We also started saving more money, keeping our credit card balance's at $0 or VERY low, and finding inexpensive ways to have fun together. We'll rent a $1 movie, order a $10 pizza and there we have dinner and a movie for $11! This is soo much less than going out to a restaurant and then a movie. That alone would cost us $60!

So my question to you is, what has this economy taught you? Have you starting doing things differently as a result?




Sunday, September 20, 2009

Giveaway Winners!

Thanks everyone for entering my 1st ever giveaway with 108 comments!

My husband and I are seriously thinking about giving away more gift cards...1 per month through the rest of the year, along with some other 24 hour giveaways..so check back often.

So..................here are the winners:

Comments # 72 ($25) & # 31 ($10) were chosen by Random.org in that order, as the lucky winners!. Congrats and I will be sending you an e-mail for your mailing address shortly.

Comment #71-$25 Gift Card Winner! Congrats Jen B!
Jen B said...

My grocery budget is $50 per week. I do lots of triple coupon shopping! It really helps out.
Thanks for entering me.
Jen
jenbrookern@hotmail.com



Comment #31-$10 Gift Card Winner! Congrats Tiffany!
Tiffany said...

We spend approx $300-$350 a month for a family of 6. I try to spend $50-60 a week including non food items. The rest of the budget goes to my hubby who has a special diet (items that never have coupons :( ). I always use coupons and usually stack them to make the most of my $$. I think we do pretty good with that budget. Our budget changes depending on my stock pile. Thanks!

ctdouglas3@yahoo.com

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Winners Will Be Posted Tommrrow!

Don't forget to check back around 6pm EST!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Last Day To Enter Giveaway!

If you haven't already, you can enter the giveaway here.

It's for a $25 VISA Gift Card & $10 VISA Gift Card! Winners will be chosen by Random.org.
1st name picked will receive $25 & 2nd name picked will receive $10.

I will post the winners Sunday, Sept. 20th..so check back around 6pm EST!

I will contact both winners Sunday and they will have 24 hours, Monday 6pm EST, to reply with their mailing address; otherwise an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

$121.00............

Yes...that was how much I had to pay at the dentist today. When I was younger, my mother took us to the dentist once in our whole life! Yes, just one time. So today I had 12..yes 12 cavities and I got a screening to see if I had oral cancer; which I didn't. I was able to get 2 fillings today! The process wasn't nearly as painful as I thought. I guess us ladies can take a lot of pain..I.E. cramps, giving birth, etc.

I also went to my doctor for my annual check-up and he said I was in excellent health! Ladies, we have to make sure we take care of ourselves. Sometimes, we put ourselves last to take care of our families, but if we want to be around for a long time, we have to get our check-ups regularly.

Tomorrow, Is the last day of the giveaway! Feeling lucky?!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Today's Outing & A Day In The Life Of Me...


Today I have a long drive ahead of me. Going to visit my mom and dad, which can be an hour of driving. To me that's a lot, but I'll do it anyway. I like to leave after morning rush hour and return home before the afternoon rush hour. My mother wanted to take out her grand baby to get some stuff for her birthday; so that should be exciting!

I am also working on a Day In The Life Of Me post. I've always wanted to do one and I love looking at other people's day. I think I'll take pictures and post them when I'm done. I'll start it tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I have a dentist and doctor's appointment and my daughter has her 1st ever dentist appointment! I'm so looking forward to that!

Ever do a Day In the Life post......?

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

$10 OFF any $10 Purchase.......

.............at Sears when you buy from the Junior Department. This is a HUGE deal. You could score some free clothes if you buy from the sales and clearance racks!

Click here to get the coupon. I will sure be using this. Great way to start off Christmas shopping!

Starts TODAY....Expires 11/14/2209!

Happy Shopping!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Camera & Holidays

Click here to enter my giveaway. Ends this Friday!!!!!

Ok guys..I forgot to charge my camera. Why does it seem like I always forget to charge things; and its just not the camera; it's my phone too! Yes, I constantly forget to charge it and when I need it, its dead. Gotta stay on top of these things.

So while that's charging, I have been thinking about the upcoming holiday season. I'm sure you guys have been too. I would be lying if I said it wasn't my favorite time of year!! I LOVE everything about Thanksgiving & Christmas; the meaning, decorating, spending time with love ones, and just enjoying the moment.

Now, with that said, that is the time of the year when we spend the most money in my household. Aside from the rise in our bills due to heating, electric (Christmas lights, etc), and food...we have gifts, wrapping paper, parties and the like.

Before you know it, you'll find yourself drowning in overdraft fees, bounced checks, high credit & card balances..IF there isn't a tight rein on spending.

To prevent myself from going through this and to avoid a massive headache as a result, we have developed a budget system for gifts and such. Here's a peak:

Christmas Budget- $550.

Now that may seem like a lot, but when you add up wrapping paper/bags, food, presents, and a donation...$550 seems very low. I remember when my husband and I had our first Christmas together 6 years ago, we spent close to a $1,000 on each other, which in my humble opinion is too much. S0 $550 will include our daughter's gifts, my hubby and I, a donation, and our family pollyanna's.

Gotta love that time of the year, I sure do.

Hvae you starting thinking about the upcoming holiday season? What are you looking forward to?


Saturday, September 12, 2009

Too Tired....

If you would like to enter my giveaway, please Click here.


So today was my baby's 3rd birthday party. How did it go? Let's just say everyone enjoyed themselves. I am so pooped!! Ever try blowing up 40 balloons with your own lungs, LOL. I thought I was going to blow my chest out. My sweet daughter was cheering me on the whole time. I starting blowing those balloons just until the size of a cantaloupe, then tied it up...LOL.

Next time, I'm definitely getting one of those small helium tanks they sell in the store for $15-$20, especially since they come with the balloons in the box. I can enjoy decorating for a party and save my breath at the same time!

Also, since its almost 11pm here and our daughter just went down for the night, I'm going to use the rest of the evening to relax. I'll put the pictures from the party and talk about what we did as well in the next post. Lots of funny stories to share, 3 & 4 year olds pinning the tail on a donkey can be so hilarious at times!!!!!!

My husband is relaxing too! He's in the family room playing a WII Car Racing Video Game while I'm dosing off writing this post. Let me go before I accidentally type a lot of "e"'s...LOL

So with that said, hAVE A gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
ggggood night <---- see..I need to go to BED, I'm dosing off and would hate for the laptop to drop off my lap..then i'll be in a huge and EXPENSIVE pickle..LOL.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Happy Birthday TO OUR DAUGHTER....

Pre-note: If you haven't already, don't forget to enter my giveaway for 2 VISA Gift Card. The giveaway post is right below this one. Thanks!



Wow, I cannot believe its been 3 years already! My little girl is growing up so fast. Its a blessing to be able to watch her develop and grow as a child.

Even today we are blessed.

For many people this is a very sad and grievous day but for it it is a blessing because of our daughter. The Lord turned our sorrow into gladness and for that we are truly grateful and thankful to serve a wonderful GOD.

Here are a few pictures of her:









Happy Birthday Weety!!! Daddy & Mommy Loves you!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Giveaway.....$25 & $10 VISA Gift Card-UPDATE!!!

Pre-note: There were some Blogger issues when I posted this before. All should be fixed now. Please let me know if you guys have any trouble again! Thanks!

Please re-type the answer to the question to enter giveaway and respond to bonus entries if you to like via the comments section. E-mail entries will not be accepted. Thanks guys.

I want to attract more people to my site and one of the BIGGEST ways to do that is by having a giveaway.

And I wanted to giveaway something that many people could use. There are many stores that offer a variety of items, like FOOD, for your family at a good price; especially in this economy. Grocery stores, Walmart/Target, Aldi's, etc.

I budget and spend $200.00 a MONTH for my family of 3; which means $100.00 every two weeks. Look through my archives and you'll be able to see pics, videos, and lists of what items I bought. Investing some time and energy into saving money in this area has saved my family thousands of dollars over the course of a year...i.e. before my daughter was born, my husband and I used to spend $175 a week, I believe! That's a A LOT for 2 people!


Saving money in any area of your income can equal to larger saving account balances and a peace of mind. Using coupons and pairing them with the sales can help you bring your food budgets down to an amount you can be proud of.


To help you in this ailing economy, I am giving away a $25.00 VISA gift card AND $10.00 VISA Gift Card to get to started on the right foot with saving on your food budgets (or anything for that matter).

So, my giveaway question to you is: What is your grocery/food budget for the month and are you happy with what you spend? Why/Why Not?

Here are the Rules:
To enter this giveaway you must leave a comment w/ e-mail address (no anonymous) answering the question above.

Bonus entries:
-Become a follower and leave another comment saying so
-Blog about this giveaway and leave another comment with the link so I can see.

Giveaway is open for entries until 11:59pm EST, Friday, Sept 18th, 2009.
The 2 winners will be chosen by Random.org and I will post the winners Sunday, Sept 20th, 2009. First name selected will win $25 GC & 2nd name selected will win $10 GC.

Both winners will have 24 hours to e-mail me their address so I can mail out their GC. If no response from winners..2 alternate winners will be chosen.

Thanks!
Until Next Time,
Peace Be Upon You.

Sheena

Giveaway Update...

I am having MAJOR problems with blogger. I am going to fix it and repost the giveaway tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for bringing it to my attention! Sorry! Please, let me know if you can leave a comment, again.

Sheena

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Picture Home Tour 2009!!!

This home tour has been a looong time coming. I wanted to share some pictures with you all of my home. My husband and I bought this house this year and are adjusting to the place quite well. We love our new neighborhood and are probably the youngest couple here (I'm 24, hubby 29).

Here goes.....


Bedroom:
This is the bedroom. My husband and I love different types of browns. We choose a dark brown as the main color since the room walls are white. Maybe one day, we'll paint the walls.


Daughter's Room:
This is our 2 soon to be 3 year old room. Still trying to figure how to decorate and what color to paint the walls; but for now, I think it looks pretty cute and she loves it too!


The Office:
This is our office. When my husband works from home, he is in this room a lot. Since we have 2 computers (2 laptops, 1 desktop) we need a place to store our office related things. My husband actually put this desk together. The bigger desk is his and mine is the smaller one. As you can see, I have a ton of coupons I need to sort and file..LOL
The Bathroom:
This is our bathroom. It is a blueish/greenish color.




Hallway:

Our basement/family room:
This is our place where we hang out. It is usally way more space but we just came home from a vacation and I'm in the process of unpacking. We also plan to get a sofa to sit on, but other than that..thats it. We dont want to clutter the area, especially since we play the WII video game and need to space to run, jump, and fight...LOL

Laundry room/storage area:
Since 95% of our home is liveable, we dont have much space for storage. As a result I try to discard things we dont need and come up with creative ways to store what we want to keep. Here I keep all the food/tolietries I stock up on. I also iron and wash clothes here as well.


Kitchen:
This our kitchen. I love this room and its still a work in progress. This is my special project room. I removed ALL the wall paper, primed and painted the walls as well as decorate.

These are my cookbooks. I love them and hoping to add some more good ones to my collection.




Dining Room:
Here's where we eat. We plan on getting a dark walnut dining room set within the next month or so. We also plan to changing the light fixture to a darker, modern style when we get the dining room set. I'll take a pic when we get it.

Living Room:
This is our living room. Other than the green carpet, which is in PERFECT condition, the house was nearly perfect. Besides, green carpet is no reason to NOT buy a house.



I hope you all enjoyed the visit.
TTYL...

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

$25 AND $10 VISA Gift Card Giveaway....UPDATE!

Pre-note: There were some Blogger issues when I posted this before. All should be fixed now. Please let me know if you guys have any trouble again! Thanks!

I want to attract more people to my site and one of the BIGGEST ways to do that is by having a giveaway.

And I wanted to giveaway something that many people could use. There are many stores that offer a variety of items, like FOOD, for your family at a good price; especially in this economy. Grocery stores, Walmart/Target, Aldi's, etc.

I budget and spend $200.00 a MONTH for my family of 3; which means $100.00 every two weeks. Look through my archives and you'll be able to see pics, videos, and lists of what items I bought. Investing some time and energy into saving money in this area has saved my family thousands of dollars over the course of a year...i.e. before my daughter was born, my husband and I used to spend $175 a week, I believe! That's a A LOT for 2 people!


Saving money in any area of your income can equal to larger saving account balances and a peace of mind. Using coupons and pairing them with the sales can help you bring your food budgets down to an amount you can be proud of.


help you in this ailing economy, I am giving away a $25.00 VISA gift card AND $10.00 VISA Gift Card to get to started on the right foot with saving on your food budgets (or anything for that matter).

So, my giveaway question to you is: What is your grocery/food budget for the month and are you happy with what you spend? Why/Why Not?

Here are the Rules:
To enter this giveaway you must leave a comment w/ e-mail address (no anonymous) answering the question above.

Bonus entries:
-Become a follower and leave another comment saying so
-Blog about this giveaway and leave another comment with the link so I can see.

Giveaway is open for entries until 11:59pm EST, Friday, Sept 18th, 2009.
The 2 winners will be chosen by Random.org and I will post the winners Sunday, Sept 20th, 2009. First name selected will win $25 GC & 2nd name selected will win $10 GC.

Both winners will have 24 hours to e-mail me their address so I can mail out their GC. If no response from winners..2 alternate winners will be chosen.

Thanks!
Until Next Time,
Peace Be Upon You.

Sheena

Monday, August 10, 2009

This is the only time.....................

When I don't mind being busy........why?!

Because I go on VACATION this week............

I badly need it and so does my poor husband. We plan to have a ball!

Gotta get the money, packed suitcases, info, and so much other stuff in order...but I am so HAPPY to do it!!!!

Until Next Time,
Peace Be Upon You!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Ever Heard of The Expression...............

................Christmas in July???

Well, even though its August...I have started planning for Christmas. I love everything about the day; the meaning, celebrating my Lord and Savior Jesus, giving to others, the lights, music, food, and just being with family.

With that said, we all know that Christmas is one of the most expensive times of the year with gifts, food, travel, electricity (Christmas trees & lights), heating costs, etc. Since I can't predict what most will costs, I can start the budget process for our gifts.

Since my entire family is large..very LARGE...we have started doing Pollyanna's; that way no one would be burdened with trying to buy a present for everyone. Also, my husband and I wanted to give a gift to my sisters as well.

Furthermore, I have started my wish list for my husband...LOL..better early than never!
I also created budgets for each of us with the gifts we would like:

$70.00 for our daughter
Doll
Stroller
Educational toy-Jumpstart Game
Book
Misc Toy

$125.00 for Mommy
The Mummy DVD (1st movie)
Pajamaas-Purple or Blue
Wawa Gift Card-$20
$25 Cash
1 nice smelling Candle
Comfy Slippers

$200.00 for Daddy
Surprise!

This is our start to a more frugal Christmas. You wouldn't believe how much we used to spend on each other in the past; but we wanted to spend less money and try to give gifts that are less expensive but really special!

We also have started 3 new traditions within our household to do during the Christmas holiday.......

.....They are:
1. Put on our coats and walk around our neighborhood to view all the pretty Christmas lights.

2. Give/Send a donation box to a shelter or organization that helps those who are less fortunate.

3. Bake cookies, then shut out all our lights except for the Christmas tree and watch a traditional Christmas cartoon (while eating our freshly baked Christmas cookies!)

I can't wait for Christmas!

Until Next Time,
Peace Be Unto You!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A New & Fresh Start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes when life just bites you on the arms, you have to bite life back. I haven't been posting as much as I'l like to but that has changed.

I decided to start fresh..with a new template, colors, and wording. Its also a chocolate theme, which I absolutely love. Besides, I miss chatting with all my blogging ladies.

On a much, much happier note...I am preparing to go on vacation next week and am so excitied. It'll be nice to just get away.

Also...my daughter will be turning 3 next month...on September 11th..I know right?! But we believe that GOD had turned a day of sadness into a blessing for us through our daughter. We are still trying to figure if we should give her a nice birthday party with all the trimmings..or take her and her 3 other girl cousins (ages 2, 3, 4) somewhere where they will tire themselves out and then go to bed when they get home..(our daughter LOVES to run, jump, play). Any suggestions??

As for gifts, we have 2 in mind...a magic doodle board & tricycle. She already has a brand new barbie bike that her grandpa bought for her with all the trimmings..but it's a little too advanced for her and it has training wheels!

We still have some time...so we'll see.

Until next time,
Peace Be Unto You.............

Friday, July 31, 2009

Just Blame Facebook

Ever since I "discovered" it, I have been posting there more often than here. I like facebook though...pretty cool website.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

10 Interesting Things About Me............

1. I LOVE Thunderstorms! I don't know why exactly, but I love the color of the sky. I like the pouring of the rain and the dark, puffy clouds!

2. When I was a kid, I used to eat the white tips of matches. Yep, I used to eat those suckers like crazy. Thank God for Jesus, cause I could've busted with all the flammable stuff in me.

3. Again when I was a kid, I once swallowed a whole peppermint ball! Man, I cringe just typing about it.

4. Despite being 24, I get told often that I act like an older woman. My mother and sister says it all the time.

5. I cry watching the lion king. I admit it, I cried.

6. I am addicted to soda. I love it soo much. I gotta stop though, and drink more water.

7. Sometimes I have an urge for french fries, raisin bran, & peanut butter and jelly..all for lunch in one day. No, not preggers..just weird..LOL

8. My favorite movie of all time if Lord Of The Rings; I'm a christian and can separate fiction from the truth!

9. I can only take a nice, hot, candle lit bubble bath alone for 5 min and 39 seconds exactly...before daughter and hubby start knocking, asking when am I gonna come out. Since I lock the door, they just camp out right outside of it, asking me questions, etc...LOL..(lets me know I'm loved..lol)

10. I've always wanted to play in the rain. Just go out, jump in mud and water puddles and let loose. I guess I can only hope...LOL

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Shopping Trip Video this Week!!!!

New Shopping Trip Video is Up....Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrB9gSJcwaI

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Video of Shopping Trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made a video of my shopping trip. I couldn't figure how to upload a video to blogger so I pt it on you tube instead. Here's the link, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiN0-ouIPFM

If you like it, let me know in the comments and I'll make more videos!

Enjoy your day!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Guess Who Has A Cold.............

Me!!! I got it from my daughter yesterday and am up at 5am to get some rest before she wakes up; plus my hubby has to work...so I need as much energy as I can get. I am eating a bagel w/ cream cheese & hot tea w/ginger and some sugar; then I'll lay down some.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Can't Wait Until AFTER tommrrow...............

.......Cause this whole Michael Jackson thing should be over or at least die down a bit.

It's everywhere...the news, magazines, weather and business channels, even churches!!!!

I have NOTHING against him as a person..but when churches start playing his music and preaching about him DURING the time they are supposed to be praising GOD; then I think as a christian...we have crossed the line.

I think about how much focus and attention do I give God or my fellow brothers & sisters. Do I show them as much love as I give to Mr. Jackson, am I making him an idol and putting him before GOD??????????????!!

After all, didn't Jesus tell Peter, when his father died, to let the dead bury their dead.....the Lord needed Peter to FOCUS on him and not the loss of his father, because he had to prepare Peter for a higher purpose and there wasn't much time to do it in.

Now don't get me wrong, I too used to be a HUGE fan, I mean HUGE....but as a grew in Christ, he has taught me that HE should be my #1 priority, then my family, then my fellow saints...

I cannot forget that my God is a jealous God and does not like his people putting others or things before him.

Just my two cents.......

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Video of my shopping trip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiN0-ouIPFM

Click the link..........

Enjoy your day!s

Thursday, June 25, 2009

I Can Offically Say That I've Been..............

.........Married 4 Years!!!!!!!!

Happy Anniversary Honey!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

What Are Your Thoughts On........

.....this quote heard on a radio station:
"Poor people spend money, middle-class save money, and rich people invest money".

I'll save my comments until you all have posted yours.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Hubby Going away next week.......

Gotta get him ready. He's going on a business trip for 2 days...which is a lot to me. It'll just be me and my daughter, at the mall, LOL. Just kidding.

I am also in the midst of preparing our menu for the next 2 weeks. I go food shopping on Monday and there are 2 special days during the next 2 weeks.; 1. Father's Day & 2. Our wedding anniversary (June 24th).

Well, I'm off to hang with the family.

Enjoy your day.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tour of my Living Room!-Problems..

I recorded and uploaded the video onto my computer, but it's not uploading to my blog. I wonder what I'm doing wrong. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Monday, June 8, 2009

K-Mart Doubles & Troubles...

I went to Kmart this morning to grab some items that my family uses frequently. Things like lotion, sun screen, laundry detergent, mouthwash, pull-ups, etc.

I had my coupons with me to take advantage of the $2 doubles Kmart was offering this week; but I have to say that I am quite disappointed with Kmart.

First, they only allow 10 coupons, per person, per day. I cannot bring my hubby because he's in meetings for most of the day and doing other important stuff.

Secondly, they increased their prices to cover the cost of the money they would've lost due to the double coupons. Their baby wash, pull-ups/diapers, lotions, etc were all considerably higher than Walmart & Target. For example, they had a pack of Huggies Pull-Ups, 26ct, for OVER $12. These pull-ups are usually UNDER $10, regular price...at Walmart they were $9!

Thirdly, They do not re-stock their selves in an timely manner. I got to the store around 9am, and they were JUST starting to re-stock. With a energetic 2 year old, there was no way I would have an opportunity to stand around and wait for them. I thought stores usually re-stock their selves overnight or early in the morning..not 9am!

And lastly, I just wish KMart was better organized. That's the one reason why I shop at Target and am willing to pay the extra money that they charge...CUSTOMER SERVICE & ORDERLY. Every time I need help, Target gives me NO problems. The aisles are cleaner and clearer, everything is neat, I can find items or an associate without a hassle, their bathrooms are decent, and I love the red, eye popping color. And my hubby feels the same way..and will NOT go to Walmart OR Kmart, if he doesn't have to.

I might go back this week to Kmart to see what else I can get for FREE or really cheap, but I wouldnt hold my breath...LOL.

Just my two cents.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

I'm Back and Feeling Refreshed...............

.................Thanks to many prayers, kind words, and intervention by GOD.

This past week...well actually, these past few weeks, have been very difficult for me spiritually. There were many times when I felt like the was Devil closing in on me.
I started to feel like I couldn't make an escape until GOD came and intervened on my behalf.
My home even has a different feel to it & I'm more peaceful and happier.


Now, If I can ONLY get my 2, almost 3, year old daughter to stay in her bed, when it's time to go nite nite.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

What Do You Use To Manage Your Family's Finances?!

...is it a software program, spreadsheet in excel that you created or downloaded, on pen and paper, check register, etc?

I personally like a system that is simple, easy to follow...yet detailed for my family's purposes. I like something that isn't all over the place, hard for me to follow or my husband to follow, & included too much information.

Part of the success of creating and maintaining a budget is to have a system that is good & works for you and your personal situation.

How do you manage your family's finances each week, bi-week, month, and/or annually?

I'm Here........Just So Busy.....

......but the sky looks cloudy.....I hope it thunderstorms; I don't know why, but I like them. I also LOVE the color of the sky....dark grayish/blue color.

I should be back in the groove of things tomorrow, hopefully.

Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Happy Memorial Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.........To All Our Service Men & Women!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Emergency Budget-Update

Here's a post I write on March 10th. Now, more than 2 months later, I'd thought give an update; which is at the bottom of this post.

"In these difficult economic times, it is NEVER, ever to soon to start planning for the unexpected. After all, isn't that's what car/home insurance, wills, and other future planning documents are for. It is to have everything in place, as best as you can, so you and your family would be prepared for the worse.

It's no surprise that more and more companies are laying off workers; and although my hubby's job is pretty secure (works in pharmaceutical/technologically field), you just never know. Even if he received a pay decrease, we would need to have a plan in place to cover our bills; especially with me staying home and having 1 income. It's even more important.

I talked with my husband about having an Emergency Budget in place; to cover our necessary expenses until he found another job, if he got laid off. He agreed and we started working on one.

Here's our Emergency Budget (if something happened)-$2,000 a month. (from our savings)
-This does NOT include unemployment, that would just be extra income.

Mortgage, Taxes, Homeowners Insurance, PMI= $1,143.50
Electricity/GAS/Water (Utilities)= $160.00
Phone (basic service)/Internet (basic as well)= $40.00
Cell Phone (reduce plan to just 1 phone with basic plan)= $40.00
Food/Toiletries/household expenses = 275.00
Transportation ( 2 cars, paid off) = $85.00
Student Loans= $40.00 (get them deferred due to unemployment)
Misc= $100.00
Heath Ins. (Daughter would get FREE coverage from state; hubby and I will get coverage through COBRA)= 100.00
Credit Cards= $12.00 ( they have $0 balance, but company charges $12 in monthly maintenance fees)

Total Bills = $1995.50; so we just rounded up to $2,000 (This may sound like a lot, but it isn't)

These are our basic bills, and we figured after looking over everything, we would need $2,000 to cover everything, especially our house payment (so we don't lose it; were new home owners..lol). It pays to save and be frugal, especially in these times where no one or no job is off limits.

Update

Since the time I wrote this article more than 2 months ago, we managed to save over 4 months of Emergency Expenses (Once we get to 6 months; we will STOP adding money to our E-Fund) and my husband received a promotion & a 14% raise.

We will continue to contribute to our regular accounts as well; I.E. Retirement, Vacation, Regular Savings, Auto, Christmas & a soon to be New Car Account (yes, we really have all these accounts..lol)

Have you and your family developed a plan in case something happened?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Superb Deals w/pic........plus up coming posts




As you can see from the above pictures, including the recipt...I paid $13.24 OOP and saved $38.67!

Here's what I purchased:

5 Boxes of Uncle Bens Wild Grain Rice
2 Boxes of Ritz Bits
1 Box of Wheat Thins
2 Containers of Coop Whip
1/4lb., Pepper Turkey Breast (not pictured)
A Loaf Cake (for hubby)
Box of Carolina Rice
Jar of Miracle Whip
1 Glade Sense & Spray


Up Coming Posts

I have been thinking and working on some topics to blog about. Here are some that I will be putting up in the coming days:

1. Tour of my home w/pictures
2. Update on Disney World Trip
3. Budgeting
4. My Coupon Binder
5. How I prepare for food shopping

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

This Is What Happens When.......(w/pic)

......you leave a 2 almost 3 year old in her room for a little while.....



...Yes, my baby is "PROUD" of her work.....LOL...

Books, toys, clothes, pillow, sheets...everything pulled out..LOL

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

My Pantry!...Scroll to Bottom of Pics!




These are some pictures of our current pantry. Since we bought our home in Janurary of this year, we haven't had a lot of time to build up our stockpile, but it's coming along, rather well.

Some of the items here, including price OOP, are:
1. 17 Boxes of cereal, each $0.99, $.0.50, or $ FREE (My Fav)!
2. 8 Boxes of Uncle Bens Long Grain Wild Rice-$0.16 each!
3. We had about 10-15 cans of Air Freshener; we gave some away.


I would like to get more of non-perishables, like pasta, can goods, water, and toiletries. I guess we'll see how it goes. Is it me, or are more people starting to use coupons; I'm seeing the selves get empty, very quickly.