Sunday, December 25, 2011

"FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY"............

"IN THE CITY OF DAVID, A SAVIOR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD"- LUKE 2:11



MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Weekend




I cannot believe Christmas 2011 is upon us.

I can remember Christmas of 2010 like it was yesterday.

It seems as if time is fastly passing by and the days, months, and years are going super fast.

So.........in an effort to make that time slow down the best way I could, i am going to focus this Christmas weekend on God, family and just taking all the Christmas spirit in.

Here's what's on the schedule:

-Go to the Marriott for Breakfast in DH family on Christmas Eve

-Bake some gingerbread cookies with my daughter

-Visit my parents and exchange gifts (we wont see each other Christmas Day)on Friday

-Spend Christmas Eve afternoon/evening relaxing, eating cheese-steaks (its a Philly thing) and watching 2 Christmas movies, play a game as a family and read the Nativity account.

-Christmas Day, its arising at 6am to open gifts and cook a nice breakfast; then dress and off to church.

-Exchange Pollyanna with DH family then head to DH grandmother's house for Christmas dinner and more gift exchanging.

-Monday (well, for me mostly), AFTER CHRISTMAS SALES!!!!!!!!!!!! I make my list and stock up on gift bags, bows, bows, tags, cards, decor and everything for Christmas next year.

I hope you all have a Wonderful Merry Christmas and a relaxed, stress-free weekend!

P.S. THANK YOU, THANK YOU to my Christmas card swap buddy, Lin, for the awesome card and the unexpected gift card. It was a lovely surprise! Thanks a bunch!


And Thanks to Michelle who sent me an envelope FULL of coupons! I was so excited, you might have though you sent me a Porsche, LOL. Thanks a ton!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

OT: Sometimes The Government Irks Me....

I mean really irks me.

I dont see how these "adults" who are supposed to be experts at what they do can't reach a decision regarding the payroll tax.

Its like these people dont have a brain!

Its such a shame that more people care about themselves than someone else.

That's exactly why American is going to hell in a hand basket.

Both parties, in my opinion, are controlled by the all mighty dollar.

The more money and influence you have the more you can manipulate the powers that be......and its such a shame.

I also found out that if the payroll tax isn't extended, my DH loses $152 a month from his paycheck!

It sucks BIG time....we need God more than ever now as man is greedy, selfish and self-centered.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

On the Mend, Escrow Increase, Amex Update and More

I'm finally on the mend. Yesterday I visited my parents and was almost sick as a dog. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose and more.

Early this morning I was coughing like crazy until I took some Robitussin DM.

The BEST cough meds for me has always been Night Quill....and thats probably because it would put me to sleep and allow my body to heal and fight off infections faster.

But with 2 kids and currently nursing 1 of those kids, Night Quil wasnt the best option anymore.

This is the 3rd cold I have had in the past few months......maybe next year I'll consider the flu-shot for all of us.

In other news......our escrow (or mortgage) is going up.

We make 1 payment to Wells Fargo and everything comes out of that and gets sent to each respective party.

So that means our current payment of $1,188 is going to be $1,202 because our county has approved a tax increase. Our mortgage is the name, but insurance, taxes and other bologna varies.

Keep In Mind our property values are going down dramatically, no matter what upgrades we do (we are currently remodeling the kitchen).

Sucks, BIG Time.....

Oh, and Wells Fargo said our escrow balance was $245 short from a minimum balance they* are comfy with, so we have to send in $245 before Jan. 1st or that will divided into 12 and added into the new payment of $1,202 above!

Never mind the fact that they decide all of this at the beginning of the year and only now, in December, do they realize a shortage.

Needless to say, that check was put in the mail last week......

...............and I had the nerve to say I couldn't wait until I was grown. Someone should've slapped me.............HARD.........ACROSS THE FACE!

As for the Amex Update, the last statement was $1,108-needless to say I slipped AGAIN!

I have refocused and will not let that balance go over $450 for the current statement.

We shall see................ :-)

Other tidbits:

I finally mailed out my Christmas cards and wrapped 99% of the gifts.

I keep leaving the heat on 70 degrees at night...by accident; I am so gonna hate that bill when it comes.

Today is my DH last day before Christmas Vacation.

I need to read the bible more, because it keeps my mind at peace.

I dont understand why organizing my coupons take hours and hours.......

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I Knew It, I knew It, I knew It.......


I'm sick or (have a cold as my DH would say).

Throat aches, tummy all over the place, palpitations, sneezing, etc.......

And I am hoping and praying I don't get a sinus infection this time around.

My daughter keep getting these aliments from school.....and this is only her first year!

She gave the cold to my Dh and son and now I have it!

Can't stay in the bed all day and rest because that would be in-human (lol)....us mom's can't have that opportunity....

Maybe next year I can prepare better for the cold and flu season......any suggestions?

Hoping to get over this before Christmas; I was sick once on Christmas and it sucked BIG TIME!

Friday, December 16, 2011

$15.60 Target Glade Moneymaker!


There were no issues at the register; no beeps, manuel entering...nothing!
Purchased:
1 glade spray-$2.50
9 glade jar candles-$22.50
1 glade oil candle-$2.50
4 glade oil candle refills-$10.00
1 puffs tissue - $1.00

total = 38.50

Coupons used:
-$0.55 glade spray
-$0.55 glade item
-(3) $1.50 Target on 3 glade products
-(2)$1.00/2 Glade products
-(3)$1.50/2 Glade products
-$2.00/2 Glade products

Total after coupons = $24.40
Also had 2 $5.00 Target Gift Card coupons wyb 5 glade products

Minus $15 in Target gift cards (had from a previous deal)
grand total = $9.39!!!

Received $25.00 Target GCs (5 $5 target cards)
(2 from target coupons, 3 from buying 15 glade items)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Mission Impossible 1.5: The Toddler Edition



I’m sure you have heard of the action movie, Mission Impossible.

Many of us have seen the movie itself, heard of the dangerous stunts, or of the famous star of the film: Tom Cruise.

Climbing tall sky scrapers, leaping off huge buildings, handling dangerous equipment and being stealth and quick are all traits of Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt; which is my son’s name, by the way.

Now imagine a small child, of about 15 months in age, a BOY who takes after his father’s “tough as nails” DNA and you have one special toddler (and one nervous momma).

I have my own, personal little “Ethan Hunt”.

My baby doesn’t like to play it safe. Nope, that would be to easy for him.

And (un)luckily, I have been informed by numerous people that most boys are this way.

We all know it is every parent’s nightmare to even think of harm happening to their child, but when said child likes partaking in danger, one can only hope for peace and tranquility for the adult (yeah right).

My son likes to climb steps. Lots of steps. The more steps the better. And it doesn’t help that my daughter likes to crawl down head first, slide down like she’s at the park or jump down 3 or 4 steps at a time.

I’ve said “NO” to my son, constantly remove him from the steps and finally bought a First Years baby gate; which worked. It locked him away and no amount of kicking or pushing will move that gate!

So what does he embark on next; PLUGS! Oh Boy! PLUGS!

Televisions, lamps, night lights and laptops have all been violently stanched out of walls by my toddler who doesn’t seem to mind the risk of being electrocuted.

Of course, there’s a solution. No worries for mommy.

Nowadays, almost anything in a home can be baby proof, even for little daredevils. The Safety 1st Outlet Cover worked wonders for keeping little fingers away from outlets; although with Christmas light up, it’s a little harder.

So, that takes care of that problem, but my little ‘Ethan Hunt’ moves onto something else: the toilet.

Great!

Toilets, Water and Toddlers are never a good mix. Ever!

Toilet seat slamming, water splashing followed by hand scrubbing doesn’t make for the most quality time between a mother and her child.

With my busy schedule, closing the bathroom door is often left in my distant memory until I hear the sounds of banging, slamming and seeing a wet baby come out of the bathroom (sometimes, you can’t take your eyes away for 10 secs) that I figured something needed to be done.

My husband went out to the store and bought a Safety 1ST Toilet Lock; which is great until my 5 year old waits until the last minute to use the bathroom and has a hard time getting the lock off the toilet.

Whew…… that takes care of steps, plugs and toilets. What’s next you say…..

How about trying to climb the entertainment center!

Yeah, I know what you all are saying…This is just the beginning; what until he gets older.


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Huggies Is Awesome!

I love Huggies!!

Really, I do!

It's like my alliance to Tide, Bounty and Glade....when I find a great product, I stick to it!

When it comes to diapers for my son; well both of my kids, Huggies is my choice.

Both of my kids are/were huge poopers! I mean "mess-up entire onesies", "poop up back" type kids. So much so, I've had to toss a few Gerber and Carter onesies away (BTW-both brands are awesome).

And its not just the diapers, I LOVE the Thick and Clean wipes! They are not thin and dry like Pampers, Luvs or other store brands out there. Just need 2 or 3 for the big explosions and I'm done!

Lately though, I haven't been so pleased with Huggies. I decided to try the new Slip-On diapers that they have out and have not been a happy camper.

When the diaper constantly falls off my son, poop staining his clothes, diapers in smaller sizes and non holding straps; it was time to write Huggies and inform them of my discontentment.

I wrote an e-mail explaining the dissatisfaction I had with the slip-on diapers:

Hello-

I dont have a question but a comment. I bought 4 packs of Huggies Jumbo Slip-On Diapers; size 4, for my son and have had BAD experiences with these diapers. These diapers cannot hold poop and as a result the diaper fell off of his bottom and the poop ruined his onesie. I cannot buy these slip-on's again and will just stick to your snug and dry, little movers and/or original diapers. I also used your thick and clean wipes and it literally took 7-8 wipes just to clean all the poop up from his back, bottom, legs and onesie. I just had to take time out and write you to inform you of this. I love huggies, both diapers and wipes; just not the slip-ons. Thanks!

Sheena

Two days later I got an email from them apologizing for my mishap. They told me that they were sending out some coupons..

Two days after that, I received them in the mail...

2 coupons for free diapers and 2 $1.00 off coupons!!

This makes me love HUGGIES even more.

This shows that they care about how their customers view their products and that our opinion counts!




Sunday, December 11, 2011

Back in the Flow: Saving Money & It Feels GREAT!!

Huggies 64ct wipes - $2.39
Women's sleepwear - $5.38 (clearance)
3pk Orbit gum - $2.00
4 bananas - $.96
2 TGIFridays meals - $3.98
15ft cord - $2.49
Olay bar soap-6pk - $5.59
Olay Travel Bar (not trial) - $.97
2 Pantene Hair Products - $7.98
Reynolds Foil - $2.99
UP Maxi Pads 32ct - $3.99
Johnson's 1ST Aid kit - $.97
5 Glade Items - $12.50

Coupons:
$10 Gift card w/$50 purchase
$.50 off huggies wipes
$4.00 off Olay coupon when buy Silky Bar & another Olay product
$3.00 Women's sleepwear-Target Coupon
$1.00 off Johnson/Johnson product
$1.25 off Reynolds foil - internet coupon
$3.00 off any 2 Pantene products
2-$1.00 off any 1 TGI Fridays single meals
$1.25 off 2 glade items
$1.25 off 2 glade items
$.55 off glade item

Balance after coupons: $34.63 w/tax

Used $25 Target Gift cards I received from target's gift card promotion 1 week ago and body wash deal....

total = $9.63
Received $10 Gift Card from coupon & $5 from Glade deal




4 packs of Huggies, 2 toddler flosses and a bag of Veggies Straws= $4.06!!!!

diapers $5 each; I had 2 $2.00 off coupons & 2 $1.50 off coupons; i believe the floss was $2.10? (i dont have the receipt in front of me) and the veggies straws were $2.99. I had a $15 babies/toys R US gift card from buying my DH the assassins creed game a few weeks back. I was saving it for a great sale such as this.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Doing Great and back for good.......

I so cannot wait for this year to be done and over!!

This year has been one of the hardest in my life........

The area where my wisdom tooth was removed starte dto bleed and hurt again.

I didnt allow it to fully heal, so I cleaned it and stopped chewing on that side for a while and everything is fine again.

I have missed you all and back.

The Christmas lights are up outside and but haven't turned them on yet?? Crazy right? Its been 3 days........

I have most of my Christmas cards ready to give out and mail.

Presents are almost wrapped; it takes me days to wrap presents.......ugh

Will have a formal post later; gotta go pick up my daughter from school...

Good News; Heating bill for this month: $63.86!!!!!!!!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Tooth Feeling Better & Updates!

Hello All,

Its so wonderful to type this post without pain meds or pain in my tooth!!

It feel G-R-E-A-T!!!!!

Last Sunday I was hurting so bad I went to 2 separate ER's twice and finally at my husband urging, made a trip to my dentist Monday.

Got x-rays and it was my bottom wisdom tooth; with the one right above it going bad as well.

Got an appointment with the oral surgeon the next day and got them removed.

Recovery has been going good & I will be going back Tuesday for a post-op and to get my stitches removed.

Thanksgiving-

First, can you believe Thanksgiving has come and gone?

I can't!

It feels like time is moving quicker and quicker.

I'm going to try to make sure we, my family, take time to stop and "smell the roses" this Christmas season.....watch some holiday movies, baking yummy treats, going for a drive, family get together's, and just spending time with each other by turning off the out side world.

Thanksgiving was good, although with the recovery from the wisdom teeth removal, I was in no mood to host, but since we volunteered, I wanted to keep my word.

We had 23 people here at the house and plenty of good food I wish I could've devoured; but couldn't. Only soft foods or cold liquids for me.....

My husband and I were supposed to go to a very nice restaurant during this Thanksgiving break but we decided to delay that until December to give my gums a chance to heal.

Black Friday-

Despite all the hoopla, the Black Friday sales this year weren't too grand.

I got a better deal getting the kids toys at the end of October.

I did, however, get some Pots and Pans. I have always wanted a good pots/pans set and was determined to save up for one.

This year, Kohls had a GREAT set.

It's this one:


The price was $330, but on Black Friday, Kohl's had it for $149.99!

I also bought a Pyrex Glass Storage Set to get away from using plastic ones.

Here it is:


This glass set was $70 at Kohl's but on Black Friday, it was $30 with a $10 mail in rebate.

Together, the cookware set & glass ware both came to $190, I had a 15% off coupon I printed from online and it came to $162, including 6% sales tax. I also got $45 in Kohl's cash!!

I thought it was a fantastic deal and I went out around 11:45am (& it was still crowded, weird)!


ING-

You all probably know that ING is offering some great black friday promotions.

Here are a few:

- open a checking account, get $107 (after 5 transactions), must be a new member

-open a Teen checking account, get $37

-open a kids savings account, get $27

Since we are current ING members, we will open a savings account for each of our kids, which means $54 in free money, after 30 days.

Christmas Decor-

After 4 hours, the inside of our home is festive in honor of celebrating Jesus Birth. I love Christmas Decorations....

Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year!!

The music, meaning, lights, food, husband's time off, and gift giving are some of my favorite moments.

My husband even talked about making a day trip to Hershey, PA to view all the Christmas light and go on a Christmas drive through a Christmas village they have up there!

...........Christmas is also a VERY busy time of year.

We have 3 family dinners, a church Christmas play, gifts (and all that comes with that), cooking/baking food, a tradition Breakfast outing at the Marriott (My DH father started this by taking his kids to breakfast right before Christmas and it continues today), my daughter's school activities and oh, did I mention.....we are in the process of remodeling out kitchen!!

Whew!!! I'm tired from just writing about it!

Weining-

I'm also trying to wein my son from breast feeling. He's 15 months and now he relies on it to go to sleep....it's time to stop!

I'm also trying to get him to sleep in his own bed.

I was told by my husband, mother and grandmother don't get my son started in our bed, but nope, my hard-headed self didn't listen. I just couldn't stand him not being next to me.

We'll right now, as I type this at 6:17am, he is next to me in my bed.......with his little body taking up all the space! :-)

And he has a beautiful dark cherry crib in his own room.....yes..... it's time to get him outta here!!


We'll that's all for now. We have church today!!! I LOVE going to church!!

I have to straighten my hair and cook breakfast before everyone awakes (isn't us momma's always up first for EVERYTHING!!!!!!!)

P.S. Thank You Judy (we may be poor, but we are happy) for the lovely Christmas card, I will be sending you & my Christmas Card assigned person out this week!!!

If any of my other readers would like a Christmas card from, message me your address!! I LOVE, LOVE giving out Christmas cards!!!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

2 Wisdom Teeth Gone & Happy..........

Had my 2 wisdom teeth on the left side of my mouth removed today!

Hopefully the pain and headache from the decayed tooth will be a thing of the past.

I'm recovering now and and sleepy; but the kids are at full steam and my husband is jamming to music in the family room.

The nurse offered to write me a note to get rest; but I told her, that wouldn't work......everyone would be in the room with me on the bed......lol

Here's to a quick and speedy recovery........

Monday, November 21, 2011

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Sorry I have been M.I.A.; but I have been in a lot of pain the last week or so; so much so, I went to the ER at 2 different hospitals, only to leave because the wait was so long.

I was able to see a dentist today, because much of the pain was coming from my tooth.

Finally, my dentist took an x-ray of the tooth and saw a hole in my wisdom teeth. He even taped my tooth and I felt the pain; so, yep, both wisdom teeth on the left side of my mouth will come out tomorrow!

Everything is set up and I'll be awake. They said I could even drive myself to and from the oral surgeon; so here's to hoping for the best!! I thought I was done with the dentist this year after having 12 cavities filled!

Sucks to be the week of Thanksgiving, BUT I'd eat a bowl of soup Thanksgiving day than deal with this pain....

I can have a mini Thanksgiving another time and then there's Christmas and all the yummy food that comes with that!

Please pray for me; I'm nervous even though I've had 4 surgeries in the past.

Monday, November 14, 2011

I'm Back, Better & Bubbly!

Ahhhh.......finally able to breathe through my nose is truly is a wonderful feeling!

Last week was a hard one at my house.

With every single one of us sick, time couldn't go by fast enough.

Now that all of us are better, I can move forward.......yeah!

As for the financial side of things:

*The Amex is $687 and the statement ends tomorrow.

If you remember, the statement last month was over $1,200; so I am pleased!

It was hard and took a whole lot of saying "No' to myself, but it worked!

This will allow me to pay a HUGE chuck of my daughter's tuition, with the remanding balance being paid in December (to claim for tax purposes) which will free up another bill, without touching our savings account!

*My husband and I also have been talking about redoing our kitchen and adding a half bath.

We plan (Lord's will) to sell our home in 2-3 years, so this will hopefully add some value to our home.

Our budget will be $10,000 and that's gonna have to work......(I'll write up a seperate post about this soon with details).

*The cars are great! One thing I didn't realize until we bought the Acura was that all Acura's take Premium gas; not regular or plus, BUT premium!

Honestly though, it costs about $60 to fill up and it lasts my husband 2 full weeks, going to and from work; so not too bad!

*As for curbing my spending in general; its a work in progress. HAHAHAHAHA!

*Target/Walmart continue to lure me in, LOL.....

.....And with Christmas around the corner, cutting the spending is hard, but not impossible.

*I have been doing well with cooking everyday, turning lights and t.v's off and not just allowing the heat to run constantly without cause.

Oh, btw: our PECO (heating/gas/electric) was $161 this past month!!! I was so happy, especially since my husband and 2 kids need the t.v. on at night!

side note: You know anyone that needs the t.v. on to sleep? My grandpa ALWAYS sleep with the t.v. on, so do my husband, and kids....its crazy! Me, I can sleep in the dark....lol

Back to the post......

*I'm am so glad I bought a lot of Christmas decor, cards, etc after the Christmas holiday last year. It saved me a lot of money and not having to go out this year and buy everything at full price. I have been putting up our Christmas stuff in the attic so keep and use again!

And with Thanksgiving next week, I have been thinking of where to put the tree, how we are going to decorate the house and other things............oh how I LOVE Christmas!!!!!!!!

We'll, let me go. I need to go sort through the gifts while the kids are asleep!! And I still dont know what to get my husband....he's the type of person who doesnt want or ask for gifts!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Sneezing, Coughing, & Runny Nose Galore......

That's what my husband and I are doing right now.

We have gone through so much of Puff Plus tissue, its insane!

Although, we are on the mend.......the process takes a little longer when our rest isn't enough.

I did not feel like getting up, getting the kids together this morning and out the door.

My husband did not feel like getting ready for work, but that's life, right?

Usually a cold lasts about 4-5 days in our home and we are on day 3; so I'm hopeful this will be gone by this week's end, Lord willing.

I'm also hoping and praying this cold doesn't trigger a sinus infection or terrible sinus problems again. I have been taking Flonase and its been working pretty good; so I'm doing my best to keep my nose clear of mucus, taking my vitamins and drinking PLENTY of water.

Its currently 8pm and honestly, I'm ready to go to bed.

I have no desire to be a night owl anymore.

Momma's tired. :-)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

This Kinda Sucks.......

both me and my husband are sick.

This has happened only once before and life was HARD those few days.

Usually its either myself or him, but not both.

And this comes at a time when my 1 year old son is teething in the back of his mouth, my daughter being her energetic self and work/house duties still need to be done.

Sometimes, I wish we had a nanny and this is one of those times.

We just need some rest.

When one of us is sick, the other person takes the kids off somewhere so the house can be nice and quiet.

But I'm hopeful.

I'm hoping we overcome this soon.

Really soon.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Amex Update

Its late, I'm sleepy and I'm cold; but before I sing off for the night I wanted to share with you my Amex Goal and current balance.

As you know, I tried to keep the balance this time around at $400 with $500 being the max.

Its currently at $486.80 and I still need to get gas and my DH wants to get both cars washed as well.

Looks like I'll be busting my budget, but not by much..............hopefully.

I have 14 more days before the statement ends.......I can do this!

We'll that is all, everyone have a good night.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Its been 8 years.......

Its been 8 years since I met my husband........

8 loooooooong years..............

8 loooooooong, hard years.......................

8 loooooong, hard, grueling years................

8 looooooong, hard, grueling, tough years............

8 looooooong, hard, grueling, tough, intense years.........

Its been 8 years since I met my husband.........

8 glorious years...........

8 glorious, sincere years.....

8 glorious, sincere, kissy-kissy face years.......

8 glorious, sincere, kissy-kissy face, pet names years............

8 glorious, sincere, kissy-kissy face, pet name calling, warm-feeling years.....


And those years mixed together = 8 PERFECT years since I met my Husband!!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Cooking/Family Goals for November

In addition to finance and saving money, I created some cooking/family goals for this month as well.

Here are the things I would like to accomplish this month:

1. Make an apple pie from scratch.

2. Not get stressed out about having Thanksgiving at my home (Jesus be a Fence around me) :-)

3. Watch the Grinch, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and Home Alone.

4. Have a day out with just my husband (kids will be with Grandma)

5. Decorate as a family for Christmas

6. Contiune to have family movie night, every Wednesday. This week it's Cars 2!

7. Finish up Christmas shopping.

That's about it. List looks good and I'm hoping for the best.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

When Life Gives Lemons....Grab A Pepsi Instead.

Feels like it has been forever since I've written on here.

Life sure does get busy sometimes.

And when stress is added into life's business, then things can become almost unbearable.

One thing I've learned these past few days is to not stress out over situations.

Stress only makes things worse....

You cannot think straight, you get headaches, and you throw off the balance of the entire household.

I also have a habit of thinking the worse of everything, when it's all in my head.

Sometimes, my mind worries me something fierce!

Worry can and will kill a person and maybe I just need to let some things roll of my sleeve.

Now that things are good once again, its time for me to get back to my regularly scheduled program.....saving money.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Amex & Christmas Update

So far, so good....

My goal of keeping the Amex (during the current statement period) is on track.

My goal was under $500, but shooting for $400.

The current balance is $253.96!! 2 1/2 weeks left! I can do this!!

........and we have $30 in Gift card points to redeem from our Amex Rewards.

Moving on to the BEST time of the year....

My husband and I are almost done. The kids toys are bought, 9 of our Pollyannas are bought ( we have 10 total), and our nieces/nephews gifts.

We still have a few more gifts to buy and then gifts for each other.

My husband and I have set a limit of $200 for one another....to be honest, we can't think of much we want.

Our budget was $950 and so far we saved $50 cash.....and without compromising on the gift; just used coupons and caught some great sales.

Everything is looking good.....hope it'll stay that way. :-)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

New Car = Mental Relief

We bought a new car.

We are both happy and relieved.

Now yes, we have a car payment, but we can comfortably afford it and it gives us a piece of mind.

I'm sure some would ask, "why not buy a used car?"; but we just got out of a long experience with that idea.

Currently, I drive an Honda Pilot and my husband (now) drives an Acura TSX.

Until August of 2011, I drove an 1998 Honda Accord & my husband drove an 1994 Honda Civic.

Both of our old cars were paid for; so no car payments, right?

WRONG!

A BIG FAT WRONG!

Now having no car payments have its perks right?

..........no extra bills, can save more more, etc....

Now, onto the bad.......

CAR PROBLEMS!!

At least, in our case......

They say Honda cars can go a life time....
Maybe in dog years........

We'll to be fair, the Honda accord was bought brand new in 1998 and had 135,000 miles and the Honda Civic had 154,000 miles when we gave them up.

When our cars started to not start, or while driving....just stop and cut off, smoke coming out of the engine, 2....yes, 2 rebuild TRANSMISSIONS, and countless other problems; it was time for them to be retired.

The money we put out in car repairs could have bought us 2 cars, literally.

You know how much 2 rebuild transmissions costs??? A Whole lot of Moolah!

Last year, we decided we had enough of it.

We saved up some money and bought a Pilot.

Recently, my husband's car started to have engine trouble.

Then it was making a lot of noise.

THEN.....oil was leaking from the engine.

..........to fix it would be $1000.

We just got tired of this....

My husband went and found a car he liked, test drove it, etc.

I went back with him and test drove it myself and like it.

We got our money straight and bought the Acura.

We even manage to get $1,500 for the old car and it was worth just $500!!

Both the Pilot and Acura have warranties and whenever we have a major problem, its nice to be able to take the car to someone and get it fixed and not have to worry about cost.

Enjoying this moment!

All smiles!


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

A-Z.......All about me!

I found this over at http://steadyplodding.blogspot.com/ and found it fun to read and actually participate in.

If interested in participating, link up in the comments...I would love to read your responses.

Here goes:

A - Age 27
B - Bed Size - Full (its tight, will be getting queen size bed)
C- Chore You Hate - washing dishes
D - Dogs - none, i'm afraid.
E - Essential Start to Your Day - Jesus. I need him to wake me me up first....... :-)
F - Favorite Color - Purple all day!!

G - Gold or Silver -Silber or white gold
H - Height - 5' 5"
I - Interests - budgeting, coupons, macy's and watching t.v.
J - Job Title - Homemaker
K - Kids - 2 ; daughter is 5 and son is 1
L - Live - in the suburbs outside of philadelphia
M - Mother's Name - Alleine
N - Nickname - Sheeny, sheena beena, dear, mom (my husband calls me mom)
O - Overnight Hospital Stays - 2 birth of both kids
P - Pet Peeves - people who stand on corners all day long......
Q - Quote From a Film - "Mr. Darcy...."
-Pride and Prejudice..
R - Right or Left-Handed - Right

S - Siblings - 3 younger sisters...13, 19, 21
T - Time You Wake Up - 7am everyday
U- Underwear - Hanes Briefs...or granny underwear, lol. I gotta be comfy...
V - Vegetables You Hate - Squash
W- What Makes You Run Late - Reading blogs and surfing on-line
X - X-Rays You've Had - Teeth, head, boobs....
Y - Yummy Food That You Make - banana pudding, shrimp scampi, cake
Z - Zoo Animal - dolphin.......wait that's the aquarium, lol

Sunday, October 23, 2011

I Love Sundays

Just sitting here..............

Had a GREAT time at church today.

Kids are in the bed.

Mommy is enjoying quiet time on the computer (without interruption)

It doesn't hurt that I have a big piece of red velvet cake with the BEST cream cheese frosting EVER...

With that cake I have some hot chocolate with yummy marshmallows....

Its 48 degrees out, the house is 70 degrees inside and I'm comfy in my PJs....

My sinuses are behaving...and I'm HAPPY!!

Wishing I didn't miss the new episode of Sister Wives...

And we bought a new car yesterday (which took 5 hours), so I'm taking a load off now.

Nite Nite!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Clothes Shopping and AMEX update

Hi All

Today, I attempted to get the kids a few pieces of clothing and was very disgusted.

Why are clothes so expensive and good sales few and far between?

I was looking for a heavy jacket for my son who is a size 18 months...wanna know the price of the jacket?

$70!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, $70 for a baby who is still learning how to walk?

I did have a 20% off coupon and although I could afford it, that is just too much.

I will go to Target or Walmart (and we don't have the best relationship) instead.

I managed to get a pair of sneakers/2 pajamas for my son and a pair of dress shoes/2 dresses/pack of t-shirts for $60.

I also ventured into Macy's.

That's another one of my "trap" stores; along with Target, Dressbarn & HomeGoods.

I was casually looking around and, of coarse, they are having an awesome sale.

.............2 SUITS FOR $100.......

Now if you know anything about Macy's and a good suit, you know that both tend to be expensive.

I saw a red suit that I picked up because my current one has an oil stain and the cleaners cannot remove it. I just considered it a lost cause and found a new one....and its quite lovely. Original price was $240; go tit for $50.

I also bought a white suit because I've always wanted one. The original price was $200; got it for $50

This is where the Amex update comes in.

Since this wasn't budged....I used my Amex card.

Current balance: $197.00
Max. Limit (I put on myself): $350
(Amex is paid in full each month)
That leaves $153 for the next 3 weeks.

We still need to get gas 1 more time
Go out on a date lunch
$25 for groceries (to grab milk , cheese, etc.....we eat everything so fast nowadays)

I'm think I'm going to transfer $100 from our savings account to cover the 2 suits...which will leave $253 remaining for my Amex budget goal.

Have a grand weekend.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Move Over Kids, Mama's Turn To Look Cute..........

I got some things for myself today.

Yeah, finally............LOL (Que the fireworks)

Usually, I don't buy myself anything (regularly, anyway) except for a snack or something of the like..and most of the time, the kids stiff it out and I have to share my special snack.

Most cases, I put myself last for my family, but sometimes its ok to put mama first.

I had a $30 Gift Card to DSW and today they were having an awesome sale, so I'd thought I put that gift card to good use.

I have been wanting some shoes for a while, but a style/design that I didnt have.

I also wanted something with color.

.........As much as I love black, off-white and navy blue; it does get tiring & dare I say.....boring after a while.

While browsing through DSW's website, I finally found the shoes that I wanted........in the color that I wanted.

The color was gold/champagne!


I love it!!!!!!

Absolutely adore it!!!!

I love the brand (Jones New York), the style, heel height...........just everything about the shoe.

If I could have it in every color, I would.

I also got a FREE (yes, FREE) Rumer Tote Bag (for being a DSW rewards member) ...



And I also bought a pair of Anne Klein stockings for $10 (I cannot stand cheap pantyhose! My legs itch something fierce)...

So.........

*I got a pair of Jones New York gold/champagne pumps ($74.99, but was marked to $29.99),

*The FREE Rumer bag/tote

*A pair of Anne Klein stockings

* PLUS FREE Fedex shipping (for being a DSW rewards member)

For $9.89!!!

****Total BEFORE sales/$30 GC/coupon was $128.98........paid $9.98 out of pocket!!!*****

What???....you know I had to have a coupon or something in addition to a good sale!

Shopping mixed with an inexpensive out of pocket total = HAPPINESS FOR MAMA

We deserve to look cute too!!!!!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Staying on Budget & Law Order Addiction

So Far, So Good.............

Payday was Friday, it's Tuesday and I have been staying on track with Amex.

The Amex has a current balence of $4.04 (for a gallon of gas my husband used to fill his gas container.)

As you remember from this post, I am focusing on keeping the Amex balance between $300-$400 (gas, misc., etc).

To achieve this goal, I am preventing myself from making unnecessary trips to the store & when I have to go out, make sure I have a list, coupons, and focus on why I am there. Not venture into other aisles.

Saving and being frugal in ALL areas will become a priority!!

Here's to 4 more weeks.... :-)

Onto Law & Order........

Specifically, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

I tell you the honest truth............I can't watch the 1st 5min of that show.

If I do, I end up watching the ENTIRE hour.

It sucks me in. Literally....

I've tried to pull myself away, but I can't. I have to know what happened.

And it doesn't help that Det. Robert Green ( Vincent D'Onofrio) is awesome. How he solves cases, how he thinks and the like, is just pure genius.

My husband wont buy me the seasons and neither will I......no need to feed this addiction, LOL.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Dry Cleaners Have Raised There Prices....UGH

The dry cleaners used to be affordable.

USED........being the key word in that sentence.

What happened?

.........inflation, not enough workers, higher product costs......???

I dont know, but maybe someone could explain it to me.

I recently took my husband's 3 suits to the cleaners.

Just 3 regular suits; nothing fancy; well........wait, one is an Armani, another a Michael Kors...just....nevermind...lol

Anyway, they give me the bill and I was horrified....46 dollars!!!!!

...that's 46 US dollars......

You know, 46 crisp $1 George Washingtons bills.......

I have NEVER paid that much for 3 suits, but what could I do?? They had processed it already.

I can tell you one thing; I learned my lesson....

I will find another dry cleaners and take the clothes there on one of the 20% off days; because every little bit helps!!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Off Topic: My favorite week night shows...

As I'm sitting here nibbling on a piece of breakfast sausage and a pumpkin sugar cookie (its 2:42pm), I am grinning thinking about tonight at 9pm........

............A new Episode of The Office!!!!!!

One of the great things about the Fall is that my favorite t.v. shows are on again.

I don't watch much t.v.; hardly any during the day.......

.......BUT..........

My time comes at 8pm and 9pm during the week.

I have my guilty pleasures and so does my husband...(he's a BIG fan of South Park)

Sundays is Sister Wives. I don't know what it is that I like about that show, but I can't help but watch it. Kody is something else.

Mondays-Nothing. I used to be interested in Dancing With The Stars.....but I don't care for it anymore.

Tuesdays-The Office (Re-runs) on TBS. Its one of my favorite shoes ever.

Wednesdays- America's Next Top Model and Extreme Couponing!!

Thursdays-The Office!!! New episodes on NBC!!

Friday/Saturday-Nothing.

What about you? Got any favorite shows??

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

News Flash: Mama Bear Attacks Dentist...........

I'll admit, I don't know much about dentistry.

But when my gut tells me something is wrong, I listen to it.

1 1/2 years ago my daughter had to have her front 2 teeth capped because of severe decay.

Paid $423 (and that was the co-pay!) to have this work done.

I was reassured that as a result the only thing I would have to deal with concerning those 2 teeth is them falling out; because the CAP would've prevented any infections, etc from getting inside.

Fast forward to the present.

My husband switch companies (not careers) and as a result our dental insurance changed.

Although we could no longer take our daughter to her former dentist, we found another children's dentist 10 minutes away.

I take her for her check up at her current dentist and they order x-rays; just to get a clear view of her teeth.

Do you know they said that she has a mild infection UNDER the caps she got?

Of coarse, I'm like "WHAT?!

Isn't the point of her tooth having all of the decay drilled off and then capped, was to prevent future infections and such until those teeth fall out?

So they are saying they want to REMOVE the 2 caps her original dentist put in and have her go toothless in the front until her adult teeth come through.

This will have to happen via oral surgery!

.....uh huh, Oral Surgery!

On a 5 year old............

Needless to say, I called her original dentist, made an appointment for THIS Friday, and this mama bear is going to have a chat with them.

I am not a happy camper right now.

This is my 5 year old daughter here..........

How in the world a cavity AND infection get under a tooth she was supposedly have had fixed, treated, and capped and I was told it should be fine until it falls out?

She brushes, flosses and uses mouthwash...........

Either the dentist didn't do a good job or is terrible at his job.

Regardless, this will get resolved and out of their pockets too.

I promise not to go in that office with my ugly face on..........

.............. but I will have it in my purse if I need it.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

My Love-Hate Relationship with American Express

First, let me say before my husband and I became members with Amex, I always thought that they were the credit card (or charge card) for wealthy folks. I don't know why I had that idea, but every time I saw someone with Amex, I assumed they had "money". :-)

Moving on.....

Since becoming an AMex member I have grown to both love and hate American Express at the same time.

I love AMex because:
1. There is no limit. If some serious, "expensive" emergency comes up (outside of our E-FUND), we have AMex to use.

2. It has fantastic consumer protection in case we buy something and it breaks, Amex will cover it.

3. VERY easy to use website! This is so important to me. Sometimes banking websites lose me because its so difficult to follow and navigate a transaction.

4. The Reward Points! Restaurants, Clothing Stores, Travel Vouchers, etc......all FREE!

Now, onto the hate portion and its only 1 reason:

1. We get $1,000+ statements each month (although paid in full each time)!

Yes.....that wasn't a typo.

I'm not used to this.

Since we use the card for gas (2 cars), dining, gifts, repairs, clothing, groceries, misc., etc...it just pains me to see what we actually spend each month. It definitely opens my eyes to how much we actually spend when we use just 1 card for our purchases.

When using our bank account, other credit cards, and cash, its tough to see what we actually spend because it isn't all listed together in one place. Its almost like putting my head in the sand to avoid seeing the impending danger that's ahead.

My husband likes it this way, though.

He says it shows me how much we actually spend, he feels more comfy having all our our non-bill purchases on 1 card, and the reward points accrue faster as well.

I don't know......

........maybe that is a good thing, I guess.

I know one thing for sure; starting the next statement cycle, $1,000 will be a thing of the past.

My goal is to keep it $500 or less....we shall see!

Praying for good results & no good sales, lol!!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

1% = $40 less per month.......

The small, tiny, microcosm town my husband works in has instituted a "new" tax of 1%.

I honestly don't even know what this "new" tax is for.........and neither does my husband.

Therefore 1% = $20 less each pay period and since my DH gets paid twice a month there goes $40 to some cause we may never know of.

On the same note, our township is submitting proposals to increase the sewer fee and general property tax.

This is the part where being an adult sucks!!!

Big Time!!!

The sewer fee is already $160 a year and our property taxes are over $4,000 a year......

We'll I did want to live in a "nicer" area, so I guess I can't complain but it seems everything is going up and up.

I have to become more cunning, frugal, and wise to maintain some since of life around here.

And to think, we are talking about buying another house in a much nicer, expensive area....what in the world is going through my head!!!!!!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Rip-Off Item of the Month: Halloween Costumes!!!!!!!!

Yes, Halloween Costumes.....

I have looked everywhere; Walmart, Target, Carter's, Specialty Stores.......everywhere costumes are, I tried to look.

I thought I'd try to keep each costume at $15 or less, but nope!

I saw some that were $50!!!! And that was in Toys R US!!

$50 for a child's costume is just a RIPOFF!!

And it doesnt come with everything that the kid of the package has on.....just the body and maybe one other accessory. I have to buy the cute shoes, head band, wings, etc....

Then my daughter has requested to be a Princess!! Nice, right? Except being a princess is one of the most expensive type of costumes out there. It's the dress, tiara, wand, shoes and on and on.....

My son, I'm hoping an animal of some kind. Maybe a puppy, elephant, tiger or little bear.

And this doesn't included candy for a Pumpkin party, candy to give out to trick or treaters, or a little bag or pal for my kids to put their candy in as well.

And dont get me started on candy.......

Candy is getting more and more expensive. Maybe I'll hit up a dollar store; grab about 10 bags and once its done, it's done! Porch light off and my house is closed for the evening, lol!

Oh well, let me stop complaining. Who am I kidding? I know I'm gonna go out and buy it anyway, but I just had to vent.

And to think...........Halloween is just the beginning! Thanksgiving and Christmas is coming VERY fast!!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

2 Kids, $200 and Christmas......can it be done?

We'll of coarse!!

Christmas, in my family, means celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

In that, we give to others because of the wonderful gift he gave to us.

Each year, we give to others in the hope that they will see the love, time, effort and joy we put into making them smile and feel loved.

This year I have challenged myself to shop with less money for the kids because:
1. Christmas is more than just TOYS, TOYS, TOYS
2. They don't even pay those toys any mind after a few weeks or so.

With that said, my budget for both kids is $200 total!! That includes taxes, fees......whatever, you can name, its included in the $200.

I usually like to start towards the beginning of September to shop, but was delayed.

I also will be doing their shopping online because:
1. I can get the BEST deal
2. Spending a few hours running to various stores with 2 kids can be stressful
3. I can earned points for the purchases I make online and redeem those points for a gift card!
4. It saves gas & time. I can sit at my husband's desk and just click and type!!

I made a list of what type of toy to get and how many toys both kids can get.

.................. Each child will get 6 toys each.

Shhhh..here's what they are getting :

Daughter:
1. Bubble set (she LOVES bubbles)-$3.00-clearence from summer
2. Betty Crocker Play Food/Pots/Pans Set-$16.99
3. Baby Alive Doll (comes with food, diapers, etc)-$39.99
4. Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center-$14.99
5. Pretend Jewelry case/set-$12.99
6. Little Einsteins DVD-$7.99

Total for Daughter: $95.95

Son:
1. Train Set-$6.00-clearence @ Target
2. Blue's Clues DVD-$7.99
3. Mega Blocks for Tots-$10.00
4. Fisher-Price Baby Blocks-$12.99
5. Play Farm (with balls, animals, music, sound)-$19.99
6.Rolling ball Truck- $15.99

Total for Son: $72.96

Total for both :$95.95 + $72.96 + 6% tax + $10 shipping (shipping was $35, but Toys R US gave $25 free) = $189.04!!!!

Did I mention I have $35 Toys R US Gift card I was saving towards their gifts!
So......
$189.04
-$35.00-GC
________

$154.04!!!!!!!!!!

And I will buy their stuff via MyPoints or Ebates or some other site to get points or cash rewards for my purchases!!!