Sunday Confessions

1.  I don't feel like my bedroom is really clean unless there is an afghan folded at the end of the bed.  I think that might be kind of old ladyish.

2.  I am a picky eater and I realize it has nothing to do with taste and everything to do with texture..I don't want a crunchy thing in my soup or whatever.

3.  I realize my week is better when my Pandora Chris Tomlin worship station is on often.

4.  I am emotional this weekend--nothing beyond just being a girl but it is annoying.

5.  I haven't showered today.

6.  I just made my hubby's lunches for the week.  When I decided to stay home we decide I would do that for him.  I haven't in well...awhile.

7.  My son is the cutest kid ever.

8.  I have like 5 crafty ideas hanging out in my brain- I don't thing I have ever completed a craft in my life.

9.  I read a Ted Dekker book the other day- the whole book--400 pages or so...that is why I don't read except on vacation.  I can't stop---it is like a dormant addiction from my childhood that I suppress so I can accomplish things.

10.  I love the world of blogging and bloggers-  It is so helpful and great to know other people are where you are.  It is a great encouragement and has taught me a lot about a lot of stuff.

Happy Sunday!
God Bless!
Galatians 5:22-26

Monthly Plan and Shopping- Month 2

Well stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry...feels good.  Not done, still need to do Sam's Club and Safeway for some produce and couscous.  I went at 9pm last night.  I was tired but it was nice to have the place to myself pretty much and no Mover trying to climb out of the cart every 5 minutes!=) Spent $150 at Walmart..I thought that was a little high but I did get enough bread and eggs for the month. The checker was impressed though=)!




I meal planned more thoroughly this month using a template I got from the Money Saving Mom 4 week meal planner vertical.  It doesn't have a lot of space to write but has breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack for everyday.  I usually put the ingredient that I will need in my meal plan, but couldn't with this.  It definitely made me realize that it really is ok to buy 4 loaves of bread and 3 dozen eggs because we really will use them.  Also helped me to get a realistic picture of how much of each fruit and veggie I would need.  I am also trying a few simple meals I found on www.myfrugalfunlife.com.  I was referred to this blog by the lovely Amy Horst (responsible for breaking my paper towel addiction- go Amy!).  I like this "frugal fun life" lady- she is a real mom.  I think we would be friends.  She makes snacks and freezes them...hmmm I need to do this so my Hubby doesn't go to DQ every time he needs a little sweetness.  She also makes her own waffles and freezes them..I totally need that -we burn through waffles like nobodies business.

Well little man is napping and I have a Stella and Dot Trunk Show at 3:30pm so I better bust a move!

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS!!
You all learn anything new and exciting from the blog world lately? I would love to hear about it!

I spend money--it is ok

Today my mom said, " So you are trying to do all this stuff to save money so why did your family take your sister out for a nice dinner at Outback last night?"  Made me realize that if she doesn't get my money philosophy maybe I need to clarify.

I don't save money just to save it.  I save it to spend on things that enrich life.  Yes sometime those are "important" things like putting money in our Roth IRA, but sometimes it is things that allow us to live.  I don't want to live to work, but work to live.  If we are working so hard we want to be able to enjoy our personal splurges.For use those splurges are usually travel related, eating a nice meal out, or activity related.  These are the things that make us feel more free.  We don't want money to rule every part of our lives.  Sometimes it feels like it does, but we try not to let it.  Also my Hubby figured out that we could add $20 a month to the food budget but I realized again I don't want our extra money to just give us more food budget or gas budget- though at times we may have to do that-  I want it it be money we can go to Mexico with, or make a worthly investment, or buy a pair of jeans with!  I look forward to being able to bless others without worrying if we can afford it.  I don't want to spend more on food- I want to make my $350 work more efficiently.
So that is that- my philosophy on money=).

Side note:  I bought 10 boxes of cereal on sale at Smiths (Kroger affiliate) - spent 18.00 and saved 23.00-- I love that they tell you how much you saved!  Also bought a two drawer file cabinet for $10 off of the school district classifieds.  I have been looking and waiting and bam! found one A LOT cheaper than in the stores new.  I do need to buy the little bar thingies to go it it but that is ok=).  So yes this fine Thursday (new Bones tonight!) is just a good day- working in my favor.  Now my son just needs to fall asleep for nappy poo.

I thought he could handle it...

So my son LOVES-- I tell you LOVES yogurt!  So gave him some for lunch- well with lunch the other day.  Didn't even put a bib on--he is so good at eating by himself.  I'm just in the kitchen doing whatever moms are always doing in the kitchen, and turn around to this...

 Doesn't look too bad on first glance..just dipping the ol' binky in the yogurt.  Then I noticed this...

Wow....I don't even know how he got so much in his hair so fast.  That boy has some skillz!!  Oh and this was about an hour after a bath!  Had to laugh!  That stinker:)!

Happy Sunday all and God Bless

Budgeting month in review

So I was gonna give you all some updates that I have wanted to do for a while but...my camera is MIA again (maybe hubby took it to school), and Hubby's camera is minus 2 rechargeable batteries?? Hmmm..not so sure about any of that but I guess it will have to wait.

So I almost made it my first month with ad matching and the whole "try to buy a lot of the big stuff at the beginning of the month".  It has worked pretty well.  We still have 6 days till pay day and I will most likely need milk- no I will definitely need milk but other than that I am close to on budget. (To be honest I was supposed to put $50 gas in the truck but I only put $25 then bought some groceries with it a few days ago).  Anyways envelopes are pretty empty but we haven't used the card and we haven't pulled from savings!  Whoo hoo.  We are feeling a little ghetto but I don't mind really.  It just feels good to assess the month and feel good.  My hubby always has trouble with his spending money for the month running out fast (burns a hole in your pocket ya know?) so this month I split it in half and hid the second half.  I did this with our gas month too (helps us not to "borrow" gas money for other things).  It worked awesome!  Even my hubby felt really good about it.  I think we all look forward to some breathing room but for now I feel like that really helped us.

I am also starting to go through  "31 days to a Better Grocery Budget" on www.moneysavingmom.com  I haven't gotten far yet but I think she may have some good ideas.  Check it out if you are interested.  I have just found it really difficult to make tasty, fresh foods and still have money for staples and a little snacks on our budget ($350 a month).  Hoping Money Saving Mom will help!

Lastly, and totally off the subject.  I took the Mover swimming today at the indoor aquatic center.  My 1 1/2 year old got in trouble!  From a life guard!  They have a little kiddie slide...he was going down head first. Oops!  I was guiding him down but he kept lunging head first before I could catch him and get his feet out in front.  So I guess mom got in trouble too!  But he LOVED it and was having a blast!  Another little boy a few month older was afraid to even walk up the 4 stairs to the little slide.   I think my son is the smartest, bravest, most adventurous little man around....but I am his mom and all.

Mommy Mayhem

Moms feel this innate need to be better than each other.  Sometimes I feel it is one of the easiest and biggest thing that mom’s let creep into their lives.  Doesn’t take long, I tell you.  I saw it before I was a mom and it annoyed the crap out of me and made me never want kids.  

Then I went and met my match and loved him more than anything on earth and wanted to make babies!  So we had our little Mover and I entered into the “mommy mayhem” as I like to call it.  It is one thing seeing this from the outside- on the inside it is so totally out of control!  And I am not above it!! You would think for all my awareness beforehand I wouldn’t allow it to set in!  But nope I did- and still do.

I am learning that it is really just a need to prove to ourselves that we are “good enough”.  

Examples:

“Oh I use cloth diapers- they are so much better for my baby”

“Oh you let him do that?”

“I only let my kids eat organic.”

“I got up at 5am and made my husband breakfast then when grocery shopping with all my kids before 9am- just saying”

Ok all of these are fine statements in themselves, but it is the heart that is very apparent in the way it is said.  It drives me insane- yet I know I do it and have done it!

Why do we constantly feel like we have to measure up as Moms?  I feel like God is continually reminding me that the cross is still enough- even for MOMS!  Sometimes I feel like my security in Christ really dissipated when I had my son, I have been trying to rebuild it since- trying hard not to let me desire for the approval of others, overrule my desire for my Heavenly Father’s approval.

Hey mommas out there- please don’t be offended- take courage- we have a God that is so much bigger than our successes or our failures.  Be encouraged!  You are kicking butt!  Don’t take the judgments of others and don’t give out your own.  We are a fragile crew sometimes- let’s support one another and be transparent- loving, helping (in love), and accepting help from one another.

" Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you  may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13