Cooking

Those of you who know me, know that I do not cook. If we have a nice meal, it was probably cooked by Michael. I try (sometimes) but I usually end up messing up, then getting discouraged. Or, if I actuallly do cook something nice, Michael either comes home late, had a big lunch and is not hungry, or has basketball that night, so can't eat. So, then I just get aggravated and don't cook again for weeks. Seriously, my kids live on whatever I can get them to eat, and I live off cereal and junk food, and I am not sure what Michael eats. (We do occasionally have tacos or spaghetti or something easy like that).

I have decided that my diet is out of control. I have no energy, and it is probably because of my lack of nurishment. I hardly eat, and when I do, it is not healthy. My kids deserve better. Michael deserves better. I deserve better.

With all of that said, I am looking for some great tips for evening meals. I am going to try to make meal plans, then shop accordingly. That way, I will have all the ingredients I need, and I do not have to think of what I want to cook everyday...it is already planned for me.

If any of you have ideas (besides the normal spaghetti, tacos, roast...) or a spin on those items, I would LOVE to hear them! I want to be better at this, but I don't want to get so stressed out about it.

Target Trip

I made 4 trips to 3 Targets today and 1 to Walgreens. Although I did save some money during the other trips, this was, by far the best! My total was $21.91...and YES, that is a Blu Ray copy of Bolt! So, I was pretty proud of this trip!!!

Check out sites on sidebar!!

Need tips on couponing?? Click on any of the buttons in the sidebar. They are FULL of tips, coupons and much more to make couponing just a little bit easier! They do all the work for you!

Looking for an adorable summer wardrobe for your little princess?

Check out this site

http://littlepeoplecouture.squarespace.com/

If you email her, let her know you heard about it from Happy Mommy!

Terrible Tantrums

What are some of your successes with tantrums? I have a pretty good handle on Tye's, but sometimes they are completely out of control. I try to put him in his room if he gets too loud and obnoxious, but then he throws toys at the door and wall (and we are in a rent house).

I have had small tantrums out in public, but nothing too over-the-top. So, I can be pro-active, what are some of your successes that you have had with extinguishing tantrums??

Freebies from Wags

Skintimate Shave Gel $2.99=$2.99RR
Final cost FREE!

Edge Infused/Energy Shaving Gel $3.59=$3.59RR
Final cost FREE!

If you are unfamiliar with RR (register rewards), they are like cash to be used towards your next purchase. So, you could purchase some of these items (sometimes there is a limit), then use the RR you get at the end of the trans to pay for any other items you may have...or save them for another day!

Couponing

Hi everyone!!

So, I have had some people ask me the "tricks" to this whole coupon thing. I love sharing all the things I have learned, but, frankly, I am bad at calling people. So, I have sent some emails, but I will start posting deals on here, also. If you have any questions, please email me and I can give you my phone number to call me. It is a lot of fun once you figure out what to do!

Natalie and Mary...feel free to make posts about your trips, also.

Anyone else that finds great deals, please share them!

Check out
http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/
http://hip2save.blogspot.com/
http://www.dealseekingmom.com/


These blogs have taught me everything I know. They post several times a day great deals in stores and on the internet. They have posts that you can go back and read if you are new to couponing, and you can email, or ask questions on the blogs, and they answer you back...it's great!

Happy couponing!

**and a plug for my sidebar ads...if you don't mind, take a second and click on them! Thank you!

Coupons

Mary, Natalie and I have been doing this coupon thing for a month or so, now, and I have to say it is really paying off...literally! How many times have you gone into Target and saved more than you spent...with a basketful?? Well, that happened to Mary the other day, and I have come really close! Our totals are cut just about in half. I have a stock pile of Huggies baby wipes (we know how expensive those are) and toothpaste and other toiletries. It is definitely worth the time and effort, which has gotten so much better a month into it. I just browse the computer in my downtime, and score lots of great deals and coupons! Feel free to email me (email on sidebar) if you want websites and pointers.

Baby Bjorn Potty Seat give-away

I don't enter many contests, but this one is for a really neat Baby Bjorn potty seat. Check out this blog (I also have it on the sidebar...Mommies With Cents) and see what she has to say about this potty seat!

A little warning would have been nice!

"The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing demands of motherhood, still flabbergasted by how a job can be terrific and torcherous."

Anna Quindlen

Mothers everywhere, who are under the impression that things will get easier when:

a) your child sleeps through the night

b) your child can walk by him/herself

c) your child can feed himself

d)your child is potty trained

e)your child is in preschool

f) you child is in Kindergarten

g) your child has a hobby

h) your child can do homework on his/her own

i) your child is old enough to help out

I am here to burst your bubble. Lol. Motherhood gets easier in some regards and more difficult in others. It gets busier (chaffeur, anyone?), and dirtier (always have wet wipes with you, even for the 9 year old!), and crazier (starting with me). And I for one, 4 children later, am just as tired as ever. But I truly was among those that thought my reprieve would come as I checked each item off my to do list. That list just gets longer and longer, my friends.

So yeah, we may never escape chaos, but there is joy amidst that chaos. I think we become better at our calling as we go along... more efficient, more organized, more REALISTIC. With that comes confidence, and the ease to enjoy motherhood. Hence, we tend to laugh at ourselves more easily when we, say, try to put socks on our kid's hands instead of their feet. :)

So I'm here to set the record straight, it woulda been nice for somebody to have done so for me... The next time somebody catches you in a fluster and pauses to tell you "It gets easier, dear...", you may look back at them with an all knowing eye and be not deceived. Because they're not saying that your burden becomes any lighter, they're just saying that you learn to adapt.

Just one more reason to keep on keepin' on...

I got this from a friends blog and she was nice enough to let me share it.

Check this out!!

So, we hear "Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!"" It is everywhere, on the news, at our church's, in our communities. But, where to start?? I just found the EASIEST 3 month food storage supply, ever! Follow this link Food Storage Made Easy and look for the 3 month supply spreadsheet. Watch the tutorial, just a few min long, and super helpful!

Have fun!!

Back it up!

http://www.bloggled.com/

Back up your blog for FREE!! (for one any more costs) I think I would DIE if I somehow deleted or lost my blog. Especially since it has taken place of my journals and scrap books at the moment. So, I use bloggled to back it up and keep it stored in case of a horrible accident happening.

Just wanted to share...

Some good places I have been finding information, deals, and coupons...

http://hip2save.blogspot.com/

http://www.couponmom.com/

this one is a friend, not all she blogs is specifically for Cedar Park area...
http://cedarparkdeals.blogspot.com/

Please share your knowledge with us too...

So, we are off to a good start with this whole coupon thing. We have not had our first "meeting" (lol) yet, but, Mary and I got some HUGE deals today! I will not share the specifics, as they are already over, but I was thinking that when we do all find fantastic deals, share them with the rest of us so that we can benefit, also. There are a lot of "secret" coupons online!! Did any of you know that Target has webcoupons that you use in the store? Oh yeah, they do!!! And you can combine them with mfg coupons!!!!!!!

Share those great deals and happy shopping!

Helpful Hint...

So, Mary and I are trying out this whole coupon thing, so we are doing lots of research. One interesting tip I just found is that Target's coupon policy apparently allows you to use (1) Target coupon + (1) mfg coupon per item!!

Also, here is a tip for CVS...

Once you are ready to checkout always put your coupons in this order-
• First give them the 4/20 store coupon since your total could go lower then $20 after manufacturer and additional store coupons.

• Next give all your CVS product coupons

• Then give the manufacturers coupons

• Last give your Extra care Bucks

Save Save Save

I was just wondering what all you moms out there do to save money?

Recently I have been trying to make a few changes in effort to save. At the beginning of the year I stopped eating lunch out. We used to hit a kid friendly food place probably once a week. This has been surprisingly difficult.

Also, I am giving up my swifering. It's definitley more expensive, thanks to my husband for pointing out the actually cost per mopping, so I bought a mop and used it for the first time yesterday.

We used to leave our computer on 24/7 but now I make sure to turn it off every night and again surprisingly sometimes it doesn't come back on till after mid day. Unfortunetly that savings is hard to see.

And as Alisa mentioned we are going to start cutting coupons and watching sales. I think we are both on the fence about maybe doing the grocery game.

So, I am really interested!! What do you do? I could use some help and ideas in my efforts to save!

Hi fellow mommies!

I am trying the "ADSENSE" program thru google. If you are unfamiliar with the program, basically I get paid for putting ads on my blogs, if readers click on them. I will let you all know if it works and if it is something I would recommend. If the ads start to really bother you, please email me and let me know. (If several people are really annoyed, I will remove it. The LAST thing I want is for you to stop coming here because you are bothered by some ads...it's not worth it!) If you have a second, click on the ads...so I get paid! lol If it works well, and any of you start it, I will click on yours, too! So, happy clicking!

Great sites and giveaways!

Check out Coco Bonbons. It has adorable kids clothes that are really unique. They have a great sale going on right now! You can also visit Ladybug Soup for awesome giveways!

I am new to things like this, but I am going to try to start posting lots of great sites like this for great products and giveaways!

Mary, Natalie and I are also going to start clipping coupons and searching for great deals! We will share with all of you!

Lesson about love/service

I saw this on a blog the other day and I thought it was a cute idea. Since it's almost Valentine's day, I decided to use this idea in our Family Home Evening lesson last night. We read a couple of scripture verses about how God wants us to love one another and serve one another. Then we each took a turn standing on a red paper heart (I just used construction paper) while the rest of the family members each said something that they loved about that person. I also cut out some smaller paper hearts and put them in a basket. These hearts were to be used whenever one of us did something to love or serve another family member. For example, if you make up a family members bed for them, then you leave a paper heart behind. Or the hearts can be used to write or draw messages on for a family member. Anyway, it was a short, interactive lesson (which is so important for Lily) and went over well. Just thought I'd share.

Meals

What do all of you give your kids to eat? Especially the ones under 5. My kids eat pretty well, but I have to admit, I get lazy when it comes to meals. I do not have a good diet, I find it really hard to sit down and eat, so I find the easiest, fastest things I can. Tye loves peanut butter/ jelly sandwiches, and Kenadie loves chicken nuggets. So, that is what their lunches usually are, and supper is usually a pasta or rice dish. Do any of you have easy, healthy food ideas that you give your little ones??

Operation Playtime.

Unplug Your Play!

I am honored to be a part of Operation Playtime, 12 days of play , exploration and not a battery in sight! The goal isn't to banish the video games or battery powered trucks forever, just to find a balance and make sure that every child gets some good old fashion unplugged play!

All the fun starts January 20th !

I saw this on a blog I read called No Time for Flash Cards. It's a lofty goal but what the heck I will try to have more balance. It's definitely more work. Try it with me! 

I found this on Yahoo

5 Habits for a Happy Couple (from someone who was on the brink of ending their marriage)


Daily Habit #1: Talk to Each Other

Happily married couples typically say their relationships work better when they can sit down and gab one-on-one, like thinking, feeling adults. But who's got time for that? Actually, anybody who sleeps at night, if you follow the lead of Julie and Thom and their nightly visits to their "igloo."

"It all started one winter night years ago, when Julie had had a really bad day," says Thom, 33, a marketing director in Columbus, Ohio. "We were huddled under the covers of our bed, and Julie was describing how all the people who made her day miserable were 'bad polar bears' and how she didn't want any of the bad polar bears coming into the bedroom and how the bed was our refuge from them. You realize how embarrassing it is to admit this, right? Anyway, that's when we started calling the bed the igloo."

"The igloo is a place to retreat to," says Julie, 31. "It's our little sanctuary; only nice things happen in the igloo."

Eventually Julie and Thom began holding a powwow in the igloo at the end of every day, making a nightly excursion that Julie says has become a vital part of their five-year relationship.

"It's funny, because I always thought that when you lived with somebody, you'd automatically know everything that was going on," she says. "But we find that if we don't take that time to connect with each other, it's really easy for life to get in the way. The igloo offers one of the few times in the day where there's not a whole heck of a lot else going on, so you're able to focus on each other in a deeper way."

Daily Habit #2: Flirt

Most couples realize that getting intimate every night isn't possible, let alone a worthy goal. Indeed, a 1994 University of Chicago survey of Americans' physical intimacy habits found that only about a third of adults have physical intimacy more than once a week.

That doesn't mean, though, that you can't at least talk sensually every day, and that's the approach that Ed and Stephanie have taken in the more than six years they've been together.

"It's funny," says Ed, a 33-year-old San Francisco cab driver, "because we know plenty of couples who fight, a lot, about how often they have physical intimacy. The wife's upset because all he ever wants to do is get intimate. But this has never really been a problem with us, and I think it has a lot do with the fact that we're always talking sensually to each other."

"Absolutely," says Stephanie, a 32-year-old massage therapist. "We're always complimenting each other, tossing out fantasies, telling each other we're appealing. He gets to feel like he can have sensual feelings, and I feel like I don't have to have physical intimacy all the time to appear attractive.

Let's put it this way: The way I see it, physical intimacy is like chocolate cake. After five days of eating chocolate cake, even chocolate cake doesn't taste that great."

"Right," Ed says, "but after five days of talking about chocolate cake, that cake tastes really good."

Daily Habit #3: Get Stupid Together

Bob and Angie are ashamed to admit that the daily ritual that brings such joy to their 12-year marriage is none other than reality TV. That's right. They lived and died with "Survivor." They've adopted "Big Brother." "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" They do.

"Honestly, I think we just need to be dumb for a while," says Bob, 37, a shoe designer for Reebok in Boston. "We're both very into our careers. And when you're at work, with any job there's going to be a certain amount of professional stress. You like to come home sometimes and, for that lousy hour or whatever, kick back and relax."

Or as Angie, 36, a marketing executive, says, "Life is serious enough, isn't it? Sometimes you need to do something stupid. And if you can't be stupid with your husband, who can you be stupid with?"

Daily Habit #4: Declare Your Independence

So hold on, then: Is domestic joy found in partners smothering each other in obsessive daily rituals?

Hardly. In fact, Tessina says that sleepwalking through a series of hollow routines (although probably an apt description of your day job) is worse for your relationship than having no routines at all. The solution, she says, is to also make a daily habit of getting away from each other.

The point, naturally, is not to make space for each other in that I-can't-wait-to-get-away-from-you sort of way but to pursue your own hobbies and interests. It's a distinction that Joe tried hard to make to Lori during their delicate pre-engagement negotiations four years ago.

These days, Lori and Joe are practically poster children for the power of independence. Joe, who works for a nonprofit agency, spends his nights taking painting classes, building youth centers, and recording his guitar sessions. Lori, a college professor, spends hers directing community-theater musicals and indulging in trashy movies on cable television, a passion that Joe (go figure) doesn't seem to share.

"It all brings a freshness to our relationship because we both continue to grow as people," Joe says.

Daily Habit #5: Share a Spiritual Moment

In another University of Chicago survey, this one of married couples, 75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are "very happy" (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together.

Not to say that prayer is a cure for all that ails you. But whether they're talking about a simple grace at dinnertime or some soul-searching meditation, couples routinely say that a shared spiritual life helps keep them close. And as Doug and Beth say, even couples who are on different sides of the theological fence can benefit from praying together daily.

"We have been married for seven years, but praying together is something we didn't start doing until about a year ago," says Doug, a 32-year-old Salt Lake City biochemist. "In the past, whenever we faced big decisions, we'd have discussion after discussion about them, but we'd never really come to a resolution."

"I soon found that praying together brings out a real sense of selflessness and humility," Doug says. "When you're praying for each other, not yourself, you're focused together and speaking from the heart on a whole different level. I would never have predicted this for us, but it really works."

"As bad as any problem may seem at that moment," agrees Beth, "prayer always helps us see beyond it. It doesn't have to be a long-drawn-out scripture reading, just a few minutes a day. When we pray, it brings another level of honesty to our conversations. I think it's the most intimate thing you can do with another person."

Now they pray together every night, once the "urchins" are in bed, which puts them in the company of the 32 percent of American married couples who say they pray together regularly. It also puts them in the company of Julie and Thom, when the other couple isn't holed up in their igloo, of course.

"It's pretty short and not at all scripted," says Julie about their giving thanks before each meal. "We just join hands and let it rip. Whether we're asking for forgiveness or giving thanks, saying it out loud holds a lot of power.

"Besides, regardless of religion or spiritual preference, I think that most marriages require a ton of faith," Julie sums up. "You've got to believe that somehow the two of you are going to make it through things. You've got to believe that you're being blessed with this person. And even if the power we feel just comes from the strength of our love, even if we don't believe that it's God who is helping us, I still think that it's good to acknowledge that there's a force between the two of us that's helping us out."

I thought this was pretty neat. They do not mention children, but if you have a good, solid, happy marriage, it is a lot easier to deal with stresses of raising children!

Note to Self

1. When you are sick and want to nap when your children are supposedly napping, make sure that the Sharpie Permanent Markers are put up.
2. Frizz Ease Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hairspray will take Sharpie off walls and doors.

Old Navy

Go to Old Navy!!! For 4 days, they have an extra 50% off all clearance! If you shop online, use code EXTRA50 and watch your total go WAY down!! I shared this with several people already, and they have let me know they went and loaded up!

Happy shopping!

how old is old enough???

Got a question for you ladies. How old is old enough to let your children play outside by themselves. Especially in the front yard. I have friends in my neighborhood who let their four year olds play outside together unattended. But I just don't feel comfortable with it....