just when I thought I was done packing our orders to Alaska were cancelled (approximately 1 week after buying a new truck to get us to Alaska)--
I was slow to unpack because we were hopeful to get another assignment we'd requested...weeks pass, no news. In my scatterbrained state I think 'well if I start unpacking everything maybe we will get orders!' So I start unpacking. I was wrong--our request was denied while Mason and I were visiting family. Not a happy camper. After my 3 week long visit back home I decided to get over it and finish unpacking for good. Every last bit of it..
Naturally the day I finally decided to accept the fact that we WEREN'T moving, I get a text--"you ready to move to California?" What?!?!? NO WAY!!! I thought this had to be another one of my husband's tricks to see how gullible I am (he does this ALL. THE. TIME.) So I promptly replied that I'd believe it when I saw it on paper.
Today, one week later, I got to see that paper and hold it in my hands; heck he even made me a copy. Wow. I can't believe we are actually leaving. It is a bittersweet time for me; we bought our first house here, made some good friends, had some good times, had a baby and watched friend's babies grow. I will miss admiring my husband's handiwork throughout the house every day ( I LOVE our crown molding and vaulted ceiling...he is a construction mastermind, I tell you!) and who wouldn't miss living within walking distance to the beach?!?
That said, I am beyond excited for our new adventure! I may grumble about having to re-pack my entire house (yikes!) and not getting to enjoy a remodeled kitchen (I've been without a dishwasher for 4 years), but everything happens for a reason and I knew marrying into the military we were going to move eventually. We will be a few hours drive from cousins and one of my best friends from high school. Mason will get to go to Disneyland, the aquarium, the Pacific ocean (not many babies can say they've dipped their toes in both!) and have the opportunity to grow up near a dirtbike track --so he can be like his daddy of course ;-)
In addition to all the moving hullabaloo my aspiring business is finally starting to grow! After a LONG spell of no interest or orders things are beginning to pick up! I sure hope Californians like hair bows :) I have so many ideas but have not been able to justify spending money on supplies not knowing how things would sell, so I have decided to take a leap of faith and just go for it. I've gotta start somewhere, and maybe before too long i'll actually have more that 49 Facebook fans!!
Now that i've rambled on I should be off planning, adding to my incredibly long to do list and most importantly kiss my little guy goodnight :)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Faith, family ...and friendship?
Many recent events, including the news of our upcoming PCS to Edwards AFB have gotten me thinking about friendship and what it really means to me. This is not directed to anyone in particular, just something that's been bugging me lately and hope that I'm not the only person out there that feels this way. So I am venting my issue and intend to leave it at the door; once I have this off my chest!!
I've been lucky enough in life to know some amazing people, and I have the most wonderful best friend anyone could ask for. We text every single day (seriously!!) and although we talk on the phone rarely and live hundreds of miles apart when we get a chance to visit with one another it's like I just saw her yesterday, rather than months ago. We get each other, and rarely in life do you meet a friend that you can tell your honest opinion to and it not cause a rift. She is truly a blessing and I don't know what I would do without my bestest, we have stuck with each other through thick and thin and that is so hard to find these days.
So that gets me to the part that has been bothering me. I don't understand how a person can call you a friend if you do not appreciate your relationship with one another. REAL friends can talk about things and not put on a big charade, REAL friends are always there to help, REAL friends don't expect anything from you and are grateful for you just being you, REAL friends are there for you no matter what, when, where...well you get the point. After re-evaluating some of my "friendships" I realize to my dismay that some of them are one-sided. I feel like an idiot for being someone's doormat only because they want me do things for them, and when my family calls on them for help all we get is an excuse. Sure these people have always been nice and friendly and I have always thought well of them and that their intentions were good but was it really genuine? Do they really give a crap about our friendship or are they keeping us around in case they need to use us for something?
At the end of the day I know who my real friends are now. I know who will be there to see us off to California and who we will keep in touch with. I know who I can call when I'm irritated with my husband, the military or whatever else is going on. I will go to our new base with an open mind, but I have learned that it is better to have a few good friends that I can count on than a bunch of acquaintances.
I hope that my friends do know that I appreciate their friendship, that I will do my best to help them in any way that I can and i'm sorry if I do not remind you what our friendship means to me. I know I need to do a much better job at keeping in touch with old friends, and I feel guilty for not doing as well as I should've over the years. Many people, including myself tend to let the stresses of life get in the way of what should be #1- Faith, Family and Friendship.
So if anyone out there is reading this (and I really hope you are!) thank your friends, tell your family you love them, be kind to one another and show appreciation when someone goes out of their way to help you. Life is too short to hold grudges, so this is me letting go of my grudge and starting new. Although the distance is long, I am looking forward to the opportunity to see new places, meet new people and recapture an old friendship. I am vowing to myself to work harder at maintaining friendships and allowing myself to grow as a person in hopes that I will be a good example for my son. Speaking of my son, naptime has commenced so I must get back to being mommy. Again I did not write this to tick anyone off, this is just my way of washing away the bad and starting a new, happier chapter with my sweet little family of three :)
I've been lucky enough in life to know some amazing people, and I have the most wonderful best friend anyone could ask for. We text every single day (seriously!!) and although we talk on the phone rarely and live hundreds of miles apart when we get a chance to visit with one another it's like I just saw her yesterday, rather than months ago. We get each other, and rarely in life do you meet a friend that you can tell your honest opinion to and it not cause a rift. She is truly a blessing and I don't know what I would do without my bestest, we have stuck with each other through thick and thin and that is so hard to find these days.
So that gets me to the part that has been bothering me. I don't understand how a person can call you a friend if you do not appreciate your relationship with one another. REAL friends can talk about things and not put on a big charade, REAL friends are always there to help, REAL friends don't expect anything from you and are grateful for you just being you, REAL friends are there for you no matter what, when, where...well you get the point. After re-evaluating some of my "friendships" I realize to my dismay that some of them are one-sided. I feel like an idiot for being someone's doormat only because they want me do things for them, and when my family calls on them for help all we get is an excuse. Sure these people have always been nice and friendly and I have always thought well of them and that their intentions were good but was it really genuine? Do they really give a crap about our friendship or are they keeping us around in case they need to use us for something?
At the end of the day I know who my real friends are now. I know who will be there to see us off to California and who we will keep in touch with. I know who I can call when I'm irritated with my husband, the military or whatever else is going on. I will go to our new base with an open mind, but I have learned that it is better to have a few good friends that I can count on than a bunch of acquaintances.
I hope that my friends do know that I appreciate their friendship, that I will do my best to help them in any way that I can and i'm sorry if I do not remind you what our friendship means to me. I know I need to do a much better job at keeping in touch with old friends, and I feel guilty for not doing as well as I should've over the years. Many people, including myself tend to let the stresses of life get in the way of what should be #1- Faith, Family and Friendship.
So if anyone out there is reading this (and I really hope you are!) thank your friends, tell your family you love them, be kind to one another and show appreciation when someone goes out of their way to help you. Life is too short to hold grudges, so this is me letting go of my grudge and starting new. Although the distance is long, I am looking forward to the opportunity to see new places, meet new people and recapture an old friendship. I am vowing to myself to work harder at maintaining friendships and allowing myself to grow as a person in hopes that I will be a good example for my son. Speaking of my son, naptime has commenced so I must get back to being mommy. Again I did not write this to tick anyone off, this is just my way of washing away the bad and starting a new, happier chapter with my sweet little family of three :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Salute to the military wives and mamas
two blogs in one day?!?! I wanted to save this until tomorrow but it is really weighing on my heart so I couldn't wait...otherwise i'd be up ALL.NIGHT.LONG. thinking of what I was planning to write; hoping I wouldn't forget anything.
Being a military wife means you see the world in a completely different perspective.
Being a mother, sister, brother or cousin is equally important to a servicemember but no one can support a soldier or airman like his wife.
There are many perks to being a military wife (healthcare, woot woot!!) but there are just as many things that keep us up at night worrying about one thing or another.
I have several friends and one family member who are fellow military wives and also mothers, of course there's one thing they all have in common with each other--their husbands are deployed and they are raising a child alone for the moment. One cannot fathom the emotions involved in that--mothers trying to keep it together so it does not affect their child or distract husbands from doing their jobs, fathers trying to keep it together as to not worry their wives and children. I thank my lucky stars every day that my husband is still able to come home to us every evening, even though we may drive each other crazy at times--but I know at the end of the day that if I need a break even for five minutes he is there for me. If I need a good laugh, if things didn't turn out as I'd planned, if I need to cry...he is there.
My friends don't have that right now and it breaks my heart.
I know the lonliness and days of impatient waiting for my husband to get home from a deployment, so my heart goes out to all of these women.
I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately and i've come to this: When things get you down, when times seem tough, when you feel like breaking down--just remember that someone else out there is in a tougher situation and they are dealing with it and doing just fine.
Some people gripe about waiting five minutes in the grocery line, these women have to wait 6 months, sometime a year or more just to see their husbands again. They can't just be "too tired" to cook dinner or go to playgroup; they have to suck it up and be not only super mom but dad too and those are two big pairs of shoes to fill.
This post is not to make you pity these women, they are strong and independent and we military wives know what we are getting ourselves into the day we say our wedding vows. We do not want sympathy, only understanding. I just want people to realize that the woman who yells at the checkout lady for no reason or who neglects to put up her Christmas tree this year may not be the crazy neurotic woman you think she is..half of her heart may be on the other side of the world and she has the world weighing down on her shoulders. Do you think YOU could cope with all that AND raising a child with a big genuine smile on your face?? Didn't think so.
Try putting yourself in their shoes, both pair they have to fill while their husbands are defending our freedom.
I admire and respect these women more than words can say, you ladies are so brave, patient, steadfast and caring. I hope that if one day I am put in the same situation that I can push through just as you all are. I pray for you, your families and for the safe return of your husbands.
So if you're reading this tonight say a prayer, give thanks and help someone out when you can. You never know when you may need to call upon someone else to help you.
Being a military wife means you see the world in a completely different perspective.
Being a mother, sister, brother or cousin is equally important to a servicemember but no one can support a soldier or airman like his wife.
There are many perks to being a military wife (healthcare, woot woot!!) but there are just as many things that keep us up at night worrying about one thing or another.
I have several friends and one family member who are fellow military wives and also mothers, of course there's one thing they all have in common with each other--their husbands are deployed and they are raising a child alone for the moment. One cannot fathom the emotions involved in that--mothers trying to keep it together so it does not affect their child or distract husbands from doing their jobs, fathers trying to keep it together as to not worry their wives and children. I thank my lucky stars every day that my husband is still able to come home to us every evening, even though we may drive each other crazy at times--but I know at the end of the day that if I need a break even for five minutes he is there for me. If I need a good laugh, if things didn't turn out as I'd planned, if I need to cry...he is there.
My friends don't have that right now and it breaks my heart.
I know the lonliness and days of impatient waiting for my husband to get home from a deployment, so my heart goes out to all of these women.
I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately and i've come to this: When things get you down, when times seem tough, when you feel like breaking down--just remember that someone else out there is in a tougher situation and they are dealing with it and doing just fine.
Some people gripe about waiting five minutes in the grocery line, these women have to wait 6 months, sometime a year or more just to see their husbands again. They can't just be "too tired" to cook dinner or go to playgroup; they have to suck it up and be not only super mom but dad too and those are two big pairs of shoes to fill.
This post is not to make you pity these women, they are strong and independent and we military wives know what we are getting ourselves into the day we say our wedding vows. We do not want sympathy, only understanding. I just want people to realize that the woman who yells at the checkout lady for no reason or who neglects to put up her Christmas tree this year may not be the crazy neurotic woman you think she is..half of her heart may be on the other side of the world and she has the world weighing down on her shoulders. Do you think YOU could cope with all that AND raising a child with a big genuine smile on your face?? Didn't think so.
Try putting yourself in their shoes, both pair they have to fill while their husbands are defending our freedom.
I admire and respect these women more than words can say, you ladies are so brave, patient, steadfast and caring. I hope that if one day I am put in the same situation that I can push through just as you all are. I pray for you, your families and for the safe return of your husbands.
So if you're reading this tonight say a prayer, give thanks and help someone out when you can. You never know when you may need to call upon someone else to help you.
Not quite June Cleaver...but i'm working on it!
First off, HAPPY THURSDAY! It's almost the weekend, hooray :)
So lately i've become obsessed with saving money and making things homemade. Sadly i'm anxiously awaiting the day I run out of laundry detergent for the simple fact that I am dying to make my own. I have accumulated numerous recipes for homemade cleaners, soaps, even diaper wipes and diaper rash cream. Who knew!?!? My plan is to document in how-to form (with pictures!) my attempts at becoming the 'homemade housewife' if you will. So far I have concocted a mechanic's hand cleaner (similar to GOOP) that I gifted to my dad and father in law for father's day. Unfortunately I did not document the experiment with pictures but I assure you it turned out MUCH MUCH better that I expected--and it made my hands really clean!
Here is the recipe for the Mechanic's Hand Cleaner for those of you that are interested:
Mechanic's Hand Soap Recipe
You'll Need: 1 c. ground soap; 1 c. borax; 1-2 t. pure turpentine; 1 t. sweet orange essential oil.
To Make: With very clean hands, work the turpentine and essential oil into the borax until there are no lumps left. Work into the soap. Put in a wide-mouthed jar or tin that's easy for him to open when his hands are greasy. Gift wrap and add a nail brush as a bow!
Special thanks to Bluebird Gardens for this great recipe
*tips*
Mom and I were able to find turpentine at Michael's in the painting section, they also sell small vials of essential oils in the soap-making section. Buy two vials--I only purchased one and ended up going through mom's extracts to add a more pleasant smell (turpentine is not so pleasant!)
Purchased the Borax at Wal-Mart, along with Ivory soap that I grated with a simple kitchen grater (**coupon for Ivory soap comes out in this Sunday's paper making a 3-pack only $0.47!!)
We also picked up two small containers with easy-open lids in the kitchen section.Don't buy a container that's too big, remember each batch only yields two cups. Since it is a dry mixture and doesn't quite resemble the actual GOOP cleaner I added orange food coloring for fun. This is a quick, easy and CHEAP gift idea!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And for those of you looking for an easy and delicious homemade recipe here are the the yummy pancakes I made for breakfast this morning. Sometimes you just want pancakes and I did not have any mix on hand, and had I realized we were almost out of syrup I probably wouldn't have made them but they were great without it! And of course I must add CHEAP!! Anyone who bakes occasionally should have all of these ingredients on hand-Thanks to AllRecipes.com
*I used a 1/2 cup for each pancake and it made 8, I also added a splash of vanilla
Well I'm off to do something a little more productive...gotta take advantage of every single minute of Mason's nap time!! If you'd like me to blog about a particular subject, leave me a comment!! I am open to any suggestions. I am currently researching solutions for my 'Homemade Clean' blog so be on the lookout! Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
So lately i've become obsessed with saving money and making things homemade. Sadly i'm anxiously awaiting the day I run out of laundry detergent for the simple fact that I am dying to make my own. I have accumulated numerous recipes for homemade cleaners, soaps, even diaper wipes and diaper rash cream. Who knew!?!? My plan is to document in how-to form (with pictures!) my attempts at becoming the 'homemade housewife' if you will. So far I have concocted a mechanic's hand cleaner (similar to GOOP) that I gifted to my dad and father in law for father's day. Unfortunately I did not document the experiment with pictures but I assure you it turned out MUCH MUCH better that I expected--and it made my hands really clean!
Here is the recipe for the Mechanic's Hand Cleaner for those of you that are interested:
You'll Need: 1 c. ground soap; 1 c. borax; 1-2 t. pure turpentine; 1 t. sweet orange essential oil.
To Make: With very clean hands, work the turpentine and essential oil into the borax until there are no lumps left. Work into the soap. Put in a wide-mouthed jar or tin that's easy for him to open when his hands are greasy. Gift wrap and add a nail brush as a bow!
Special thanks to Bluebird Gardens for this great recipe
*tips*
Mom and I were able to find turpentine at Michael's in the painting section, they also sell small vials of essential oils in the soap-making section. Buy two vials--I only purchased one and ended up going through mom's extracts to add a more pleasant smell (turpentine is not so pleasant!)
Purchased the Borax at Wal-Mart, along with Ivory soap that I grated with a simple kitchen grater (**coupon for Ivory soap comes out in this Sunday's paper making a 3-pack only $0.47!!)
We also picked up two small containers with easy-open lids in the kitchen section.Don't buy a container that's too big, remember each batch only yields two cups. Since it is a dry mixture and doesn't quite resemble the actual GOOP cleaner I added orange food coloring for fun. This is a quick, easy and CHEAP gift idea!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And for those of you looking for an easy and delicious homemade recipe here are the the yummy pancakes I made for breakfast this morning. Sometimes you just want pancakes and I did not have any mix on hand, and had I realized we were almost out of syrup I probably wouldn't have made them but they were great without it! And of course I must add CHEAP!! Anyone who bakes occasionally should have all of these ingredients on hand-Thanks to AllRecipes.com
Good Old Fashioned Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
- Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Well I'm off to do something a little more productive...gotta take advantage of every single minute of Mason's nap time!! If you'd like me to blog about a particular subject, leave me a comment!! I am open to any suggestions. I am currently researching solutions for my 'Homemade Clean' blog so be on the lookout! Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
Monday, July 4, 2011
couponing tips, tricks and hints part 1
So, let me start by saying welcome to my blog! This all started after a post on Facebook about how much money I’d saved on a shopping trip, so I am hoping to help others learn to save whether it be $5 on your next grocery trip or cutting your grocery by nearly half.
If you are looking to purchase 65 bottles of mustard, 112 boxes of cat food, etc this is not the blog for you. I coupon to stock up on staples, not prepare for a nuclear fallout. And if you think you don't have time you are mistaken, I spend about an hour per week preparing for my shopping trip(s). It all began about 5 years ago, being a broke military couple you learn to save in any way possible and now living on one income every penny saved helps me stay a stay at home mom and nothing in the world is more important to me than being with my baby boy.
Here are some tips that help me suceed:
Planning, planning, planning! I can't say that enough! Know what you are going into the store for and stick to it! I have banned my husband from going grocery shopping for this very reason...he is an impulse shopper like no other. Make yourself a list and if you are planning to shop at multiple stores in the same trip keep your coupons for that store clipped to your list. Being organized now will keep you from paying more later!
Take advantage of the internet! There are a number of sites that have links to coupons and will actually email you lists of your favorite store's sales with coupons matched up to the products!! This will save you so much time! Some links to My favorite websites for coupon matchups are coupon mom, Krazy coupon lady (as seen on TLC's extreme couponing) and mylitter (as seen on TLC's extreme couponing)
Some of my favorite sites to score great printable coupons : coupons.com, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, and Target (great coupons!!) a lot of the coupon matchup sites have great links to printable coupons as well. Another great tip to keep in mind is to check websites of your favorite products to see if they offer coupons and if they don't you can always email them asking for coupons or special offers. I have had really good luck with that. I also get a Sunday paper and have asked a few people to save their unwanted coupons for me (Thanks Jess and Judy!!)
and also very important--COVER YOURSELF! Be familiar with your store's coupon policy so that you maximize your savings while paying minimal cost. Most stores list their coupon policy on their websites and if you don't see it check your favorite coupon website or Google it.
Keep in mind that items go on sale in cycles, so if you can affor to stock up on a few extras every time you shop you will be saving more in the long run.Just be sure to limit yourself to the amount of money you're willing to spend on those "stock up items" otherwise you'll be breaking the bank on a weekly basis. Right now you can get a lot for meat, condiments, buns (bread freezes well!) etc for cheap due to summertime and the holidays. During Nov & Dec baking items are cheap, Jan health foods and that type of thing...it takes some time to learn the patterns but will be a huge payoff.
My favorite place to shop by far is Target, and if you are lucky enough to have a super Target in your area you can really score some great deals. My favorite thing about Target's coupon policy is that you can use a Target coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. They usually run quite a few coupons that will pair up with the current newspaper coupons. For example: last week I printed coupons for Biore facial cleansing cloths. The Target cpn was to save $2 on two, and I had two $1.25 off 1 newspaper cpns. My store had them on sale for $3.39 so $6.78 for two -$4.25 in coupons =$2.53 for two...That's $1.26 per package and two month's worth of clean faces!!
Another great way to save money is shopping at grocery stores that double coupons. Kroger, Farm Fresh, Harris Teeter do in my area and for those of you shopping in Texarkana, Albertson's does too. This means your 0.35 cpn will double to 0.70, your $1 cpn to $2, etc.
Some of the best places to score great deals are drugstores. You're probably calling me crazy but try it! Most drugstores offer some type of reward for purchasing certain items (register rewards, extra care bucks, up+rewards) These print on your reciept and you can use it towards a future purchase. Example: Gillette razors are on sale for $9.97, I have a $4.00 cpn and get $5 up+reward for purchase. So I buy one razor at $5.97 and use my second cpn and up+reward to buy a second one in my second transaction making it only $0.97!! $6.94 for two razors that retail at $23.98! Don't be ashamed to make several transactions either, if it saves you money why not?!?! The lady grumbling behind you in line will just have to get over it!!
I hope that this has given you some help and insight, of course my scatterbrained way of writing may have confused you. (But I certainly hope not!) Feel free to post any suggestions or ask any questions , I will do my best to answer or direct you to someone that can.These are just a few of many tips I have learned and I will post more as it comes to me, I know i've probably left a lot out. Just remember that you don't have to be a mathematician (I HATE math!!) or lots of free time to do this, if I can do it I know you can! So goodnight all and HAPPY SAVING :)
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