Sunday, May 31, 2009

P.S.

Forgot to mention that I'm frantically trying to save all my documents & photos on disks in case this thing decides to shut down for good. It keeps shutting off on me approx. every 1/2 hour & I am getting frustrated & a bit panicked. I have a ton of documents because of downloading things for school & as you all know I have a million photos! Ack! Help!

Laptop Woes


I'm having some trouble with my laptop. It keeps overheating & shutting down after only a little bit. It's also very slow loading. I think it's the fan but since it's now much worse than it was even a week ago there may be an additional problem. We called a couple of places but even only a diagnosis costs $85. Good grief! I have an email into a homeschool graduate that works on computers. I'm waiting to see if he can help me for a better deal. I'm trying to get blog posts done but because I keep getting shut down & it's taking forever to load I may be very slow in getting posts up. I'm getting way behind! I'm praying this will be a simple fix & not cost as much as a new computer! We just finally paid this one off. =(

I'll keep praying & trying to post. In the meantime know I'm still here & hoping to post more for everyone soon!


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Princess Update


Princess was much better today. She actually napped both in the morning & afternoon. I'm almost afraid to say it out loud but it looks like she is back to her normal schedule. Hallelujah! Thanks to all who prayed for us. We mamas know how precious those few consecutive hours of sleep are. =)



I have blogging to catch up on & hope to do that soon. Lots of pics to share!


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Sleep? What's That?


Princess has been on a sleep strike today. It looks like it is extending into Wednesday as it is 1a.m. and there are no signs of her giving up. I already feel like I'm going to lose my mind. If you think of me please send a prayer up that she will give in so both of us can get some much needed unconscious time. Thanks!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Frugal Update

Remember a few posts ago when I wrote an entry entitled, "Pinching Pennies"? I have been working on some of those goals I listed. I'm excited to share my progress with you. I find it helps hold me accountable to share. Plus I enjoy hearing from those who are on the frugal path as well. New ideas are always welcome & I love hearing about great deals others have found. The progress I've made so far:



"#2 Clip & Organize Coupons
I want to get a system down pat to save time & increase savings."

I have been working hardest on this goal. The past few weeks we have purchased a paper on Sunday & last week purchased two. I have heard from 2 sources now that you should ideally purchase as many papers as you have members in your family. I think we'll build up to that to test if it is really worth the $. For us that would mean $10-$12 & I don't want to waste that. I have been hunting down coupons on the Internet as well. I've printed off a bunch of them and they have really paid off. Yay! As for a system that is a work in progress. I bought my mini photo albums and am still working on sorting all my coupons. I have been acquiring them so rapidly that I haven't been able to keep up with the sorting & organizing. I have however been sorting them into which store to use them at. I match them up with the sales that give me the best deals. Then I put my store list & coupons in an envelope and title it for the specific store. I try to organize my coupons in the same order that is on the list. It helps save time when I'm shopping & also helps me not to lose track. Most of the time I am shopping with my children so the less I have to concentrate & think the better as they are constantly distracting me. I am finding that my work is paying off - literally - and this is so satisfying. I'll be posting soon about some of the bargains I've found!


"#4 Use Kroger Card
Our church set us up in this program where you can earn $ when you spend it. We have to pay ahead on the gift card to do it but it earns us cash to spend wherever we'd like. Sweet! I also need to figure out the gas savings program."

We've been using this faithfully now. It's not too tough it's just a matter of making it a habit. I haven't figured out the gas thing yet but am determined to. We have lots of earned points & need to use them by the end of June or we lose them. Motivation!



"#5 Buy Washable Nursing Pads
I'm going through these like crazy & they are expensive considering they are little circles of paper! Plus the ones I am currently using aren't working all that well."

I'm happy to report I bought my washcloths! They are all set & ready to be used. I drop them right in the laundry and they are ready to be reused. No more disposable ones for me!


"#6 Inventory of Homeschool Curriculum, Etc.
Here in Tennessee I have more freedom to school with the curriculum I want. I want to take inventory & use what I already have before purchasing additional items. The kids are older now & I can use a lot of what I have been saving."

I looked through our materials and found a bunch of things to use for the children next year. I still couldn't find that math book for Elvis. I'm sure it will turn up someday. I wasn't able to find it locally & was not too thrilled about ordering it & having to pay the shipping. Seems wasteful to me to pay $5 or more to ship an $8, skinny, paperback workbook. Good grief that's more than half of what the book cost! I was thrilled when an email from CBD arrived offering me free shipping for a week. Talk about God's timing! I did have to order at least $35 worth of merchandise to qualify for the free shipping deal. That was easily solved by ordering the lost workbook and then the next two for Elvis plus the next two for Boo Bear. They will be needing them soon anyway. I also ordered a book my friend Megan had recommended to me. All things I needed to get anyway and NO shipping or tax! Yahoo!


"#11 Find & Use Internet Coupons
Back in MA we weren't allowed to use Internet coupons (printed coupons). The stores wouldn't accept them. Down here I am told they will. So onto researching, printing, & clipping!"

As I mentioned above I have been working on this especially hard. I've found & printed all the coupons allowed to me. Sweet Pea has been helpful in cutting them out. I get so excited whenever I find another freebie or great coupon site. Isn't that funny how fun finding bargains can be?





"#14 Nurse Princess
This may sound silly but formula is EXPENSIVE! If I nurse as long as possible this saves a TON of $$. Plus it's good for Princess & for me too. Win-win!"

So far this has been going well. In addition to the regular nursing I was able to buy a breast pump with a generous gift from our friends Karen & Larry (back home in MA) & my Aunt Sharon & cousin Laura. THANK YOU! This helps save $ in the long run & keeps Princess set in "Mommy Milk". =)





"#1 Make My Own Laundry Detergent
This is especially important now that we have moved. I no longer have access to the 100oz./$1.99 deal detergent I used to be able to buy. And detergent is super expensive!"

I haven't made this yet as I haven't had time. Plus I realized I forgot to buy a bucket with a lid to store it in. Back in MA when I made it I stored it in my empty detergent bottles. I don't have any saved up here. I did however buy the washing soda, Borax & Ivory soap. I'm ready to go as soon as I get that bucket!

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So, this is the progress I've made thus far. I'm excited about all the $ I've saved & hope to save in the near future. I'll keep ya'll posted on my ongoing progress. I'll also be posting about my latest shopping trips. I hope it's an encouragement to ya'll & as always feel free to share your tips & success with me too!







Memorial Day

GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Thank you to all who have sacrificed for our precious country.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Big Smiles





Princess smiles at us every day now. We have found that most of her smiles come right after she has slept or nursed. She has these wonderful full face, open mouthed smiles. Her eyes crinkle up and she looks so delighted! It makes us smile & laugh to see her smile so fully. Such fun!










Friday, May 22, 2009

Friday Fill-In



1. Moving to Tennesse was a dream come true.



2. I am blessed to live in a country where I am free.



3. My best quality is that I am a nurturing person. (Dave's answer.)



4. I like to pay attention to details and wish my family did too.



5. In nearly 10 years, we will have been homeschooling our children.



6. A bottle of wine, a beach & a month of vacation is what I need right now.



7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to, finally getting my lists done & coupons sorted, tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping, possibly a used curriculum sale & projects at home , and Sunday I want to relax. And Monday Dave will be home & we're going to grill & have some fun family time!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Berry Pick'in

Saturday we decided to take a chance on the weather & go strawberry picking. It had rained most of the week & rain was supposed to arrive again. It was sunny when we started out & beautiful so we loaded up the van & took off. Elvis was really excited to go as he LOVES strawberries. We arrived, gathered our plastic baskets they provided & headed out into the fields. I had Princess in the snugly sack and strapped on. There were only 2 other couples picking and I was surprised. Back in MA when we would go it would always be crowded. The kids did a great job picking & followed our instructions on which berries to pick. I mainly spotted & directed as it was hard to bend over with Princess strapped on. Plus she didn't like being tipped over. We left with 4 baskets full & tummies full as well.

Walking to the strawberry fields.

Cute sign.



The bee hives we passed by on the way to the fields.


Boo & Sweet Pea got right to work.



Dave helped Bugs find the right strawberries.



Elvis did a great job filling his basket.



Boo checking out an odd shaped berry.



Bugs had juice all over his face. He enjoyed eating them much more than picking! Lol!



These fields were set up very nicely with an irrigation system and raised beds.
It was nice not to have to bend all the way down to the ground or wade through straw. My allergies really appreciated the latter.

Sweet Pea finds the perfect berry.



We heard thunder and finished up very quickly. As we drove away from the farm we saw the dark clouds coming fast. We knew God had timed it perfectly for us.


We stopped on the way so Dave could take this photo. Isn't it neat? We wanted to take more of the scenery as it was beautiful farm country but it grew dark too quickly.
Dave put up all the berries that were left after the kids got to them. I think they ate at least 1/2 a basket or more! Dave, Boo, & Elvis returned on Monday night to pick more berries for jam. I can't wait to give it a try!





Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Sweet Dreams

Princess was sleeping in my bed. Her hands were tucked so sweetly under her chin. I love her chubby cheeks too. What an angel!


Sleeping so peacefully




I love this one! She is smiling in her sleep. I heard someone say that when babies smile in their sleep they are dreaming of Jesus. How sweet is that?



Look at her upper lip! Too cute!



Makes me want to kiss those adorable chubby cheeks.


And yes, I'm smitten! =)






A Few Pics

These are a few pics I took of Princess the other day. Sweet Pea & I were clowning around a little having fun with Princess.






Smiling!!!!!!!

Can you believe she's 6 weeks old already?






Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Special Celebration

This month we had little Princess dedicated to the Lord. This has always been an important tradition & celebration for Dave and I. It means that we are promising that we will raise our child(ren) to follow the Lord. We promise to teach them about Jesus & the Bible. We also promise to guide them to their own relationship with Jesus and to grow in their relationship. Doing this before others holds us accountable to this promise. It also is a time where our church family also promises to help teach & guide our child(ren) in the ways of Jesus. It is a very, very special time to us. This was Princess's turn and though we are in a new church it was still extremely special. What made it even more so was that her dedication happened on Mother's Day. I loved that this happened. I wish our families & close friends could have been with us to celebrate this special day and witness her dedication but it was not to be this time. But we did have all of our children with us and that made it precious.


There were 15 families dedicating their children on Mother's Day evening. We all stood in a line in front of the stage & waited for our names to be called.



Princess cried through almost the entire dedication. I decided to see the humor in it. It was either that or cry, right? Lol.


Praying for our precious child & her future.


Our oldest & our youngest.


Mama & Her Chicks on Mother's Day


It's hard to get 5 children to all look at the camera & smile at once. Lol.


My darling youngest child.


Mama & Princess



Proud Parents



Thank you, Lord for the privilege of raising & loving this precious priceless little girl.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Got Juice?


Another giggle from Bug-a-Boo:


I was sitting on the couch the other day nursing Princess. Bugs came over to see what was going on. He asked if she was sleeping & I told him she was eating. He wanted to know what she was eating. I explained that mommy gives Princess special milk. He & Elvis have dubbed breasts with the name "Bom-Boms". I don't know why. It just is. Anyway, he wanted to know if she got milk from my "Bom-Boms". I told him yes. Then he asked, "Does she get juice from your bom-boms?" I chuckled and told him no, only milk. He then wanted to know if soda could be delivered to his sister. No, I told him again. He had me laughing as he asked these innocent questions. I think he was quite fascinated that his mommy is a walking milk dispenser! But also disappointed that no juice is provided for his baby sister. Lol!




Saturday, May 16, 2009

Grabbing the Sunshine

Goodness we have had a lot of rain here this spring! I have been told that this is a higher than normal rainfall. Dave & I were laughing over the fact that ever since we moved here the weather has not been "normal". What did we bring with us when we moved from the north? Hmmmm...........

We had a peek of sunshine last week and I dove on it. Sweet Pea wasn't feeling well and she stayed home. The 4 youngest and I packed up and headed to one of their favorite playgrounds. Boo & Elvis even packed everyone a lunch.

Soon after we arrived Bugs started showing signs that he was coming down with the same cold everyone else had suffered through at home. Poor little guy.



Princess received many compliments. Many people think she looks like a little baby doll.


Boo took some pics for me of the boys.



Monkey!



Elvis flew right across these monkey bars. He is strong!



Hanging around


Two little monkeys


Boo was very kind to Bugs & cheered him up by going on the swings.


Part of the castle




What a good big sister!


Elvis on the tire swing.


Water break!


More swing time


A sleeping Princess in the snug sack


Mommy & Princess


You can see here Bugs was not happy.




We had a good time at the park. It was wonderful to get outside in the sunshine. Bugs fell asleep about 2 minutes after we left. He was all tuckered out!