18 month update

My lil' girl is turning into a "big girl" right before our eyes.  At the ripe old age of 18 months old, she's convinced that she knows what she wants & is not above stomping her little feet to make sure we get just how much she wants something.

Fits are usually short-lived around here...mostly because my husband and I are really good at just carrying on as if someone is not throwing a fit behind us because we won't let them chew on the remote. 

But aside from fits, there are some great new things that Lucy's been up to. 

-She's learned how to remove all the couch cushions from the couch...and tries to do this while we are sitting on them.
-She can officially climb up onto the kitchen chairs and subsequently, the table.  (Problem is, our table is my temporary office space..)
-She's giving on the mouth kisses & still blows kisses...but now insists that you kiss her hand to blow her a kiss.  (Even our doctor couldn't get away without kissing Lucy's hand..)
-She still is convinced the baby is in HER belly
-Started saying a few more words, but still mostly babbles and points.
-She's convinced that if I'm talking on the phone, I must be talking to "da-da."  She also likes to put things to her ear and "call" people..."el-o?    el-o?   el-o?"  All.  Day.  Long.
-Recently started to want to be rocked, something she has NEVER let us do.

It's a crazy fun stage.  Full of messes memories.  Lots of tears laughter.

:)



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Bargain of the Week: Cheap Diapers and Wipes!

Retail value for the above (1 box size 5 -156 count Pampers), 3-218 count Huggies Natural Care Wipes Refill packages, 3-184 count Huggies Sensitive Wipe Refill Packages=$75.68 pre-tax.

Amount I paid?

$26.85
(Savings of $48.83)

My husband and I took advantage of a Living Social deal a week or so ago (no longer available) in which you could purchase a $20 off amazon gift card for only $10!  We purchased one each---(as my husband says, we're just making our money stretch as far as possible!)

The diapers were $40.88 standard price.  I utilized subscribe & Save which dropped the price to $28.62.  I combined that with a 20% off amazon diapers I had gotten out of a magazine which took off an additional $8.  I then used one of our $20 gift cards that we only paid $10 for.  Total additional out of pocket was $1.63..so $11.63 total for the diapers.

The wipes were standard $17.40 per 3 refills, or $34.80.  I did two separate transactions and utilized Subscribe & Save, which dropped the price to $12.18 per 3 refills, or $24.36.  I used our second $20 off gift card that we paid $10 for.  Total additional out of pocket was $5.22, so $15.22 for all 6 refills!

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Later in the week I stumbled on an even more incredible deal that I emailed over to Money Saving Mom.  I purchased this box of diapers for only .53 out of pocket!!!!

Price was $23.99 to begin with.

I utilized subscribe and save which took off $7.20.

I used a 20% off coupon that was set to expire at the end of the month--took off $4.80

I was able to stack an additional $10 off Amazon Baby Store purchase coupon I had received in a magazine--took off $10

There was also a $1.50 off Pampers coupon that showed up on the page while I was ordering.

Total out of pocket .53 shipped to my door!  :)

Any good bargains you found this week????  Please share!

(Oh, and for more help on buying diapers on Amazon...check out my previous post)

Freezer Filled UP

(Ok, so I haven't quite completed my freezer cooking this month as I want to put up some regular pancakes and pizza pockets--but those items have been put on hold and I'll just make excess when I decide to make them :)

With much assistance from my husband and my tiny little helper, we put away the makings of plenty of dinners, breakfast foods, lunches & snacks!  (Oh and the photo?  The only one my husband captured happened to be of me blending up smoothies in my mis-matched sweats...awesome :)

This time around I took an in-depth inventory of everything we had on hand in our pantry, fridge & freezers.  I took that inventory and figured out what I could cook with purchasing just one or two ingredients.  Example: I had two boxes of cornbread mix, cans of beans & chilli seasoning.  So, I put up a pound of cooked hamburger in the freezer & am one step closer to chilli!

So what are we going to be eating for awhile from our freezer?

Taco Kits & Taco Rice 1 2 3 4 

Enchiladas & Taco Rice 1 2
Cooked Chicken in bags (for quesadillas or fillers) 1 2

Chili & Cornbread 1

Lasagna 1 2

Biscuits/Gravy + Hashbrowns 1 2

Bacon Roll-up +Beans/Fries 1 2

BBQ Beef Sandwiches 1

Pizza Pockets 1 2 (making more...)

Chicken/bacon Subs 1 2 3 4 5 6

Smoothies 1 (I've already eaten most!)

Chicken/bean Burritos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (lunches for Jon)

Pumpkin Pancakes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 (breakfast)

Hashbrowns 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

That's 19 meals in the freezer (not including burritos, pancakes, or pizza pockets) and I have ingredients in the pantry/freezer for 8 additional meals...most of which have to be cooked the day of (Spaghetti, Chicken & veggies, chicken/rice casserole, breakfast for dinner, spanish chicken skillet, etc...)  The freezer meals help out on busy nights...or ones where I'm just tired & my husband is working late (a lot of which happens during the end of the month/first week of the following month with his wok schedule)
 

We're already planning for our next cooking which will be a short one towards the end of February to get us meals to hold us over for a month.  After that I'm hoping to have a BIG cooking session near my due date and really fill up our freezer and cupboards before baby arrives.

 

The one thing we're working on is buying groceries throughout the month.  While we had only spent about $20 in groceries for 3 weeks before we bought food to fill up our freezer, we spent most of our monthly grocery budget in that trip.  Now we're going to get back into the habit of stocking up throughout the month (and have already started)---especially on chicken and beef!

"While I'm waiting..."

I've alluded before that real life right now has been hard...as it likely is for most people.  In fact, I know several people right now where life is just plain HARD in this moment.  I have felt discouraged, uncertain, angry & forgotten.  I've felt similarily in the past...(ironically the last time I remember feeling this way was during my last pregnancy---but that was a totally different and un-related situation.)

Financial stress is our primary reason for feeling so discouraged in this moment---add to that car troubles, medical bills that are piling up, a second little one on the way & an unexpected loss of income and it all adds up to confusion for us.  We're trying.  Trying to trust, listen & discern.  And most of all...trying to remember just how faithful God has been to us.  (My goodness...Heaven only knows the conditions we've been rescued from time & time again.)

While we wait, we're trying to act at the same time...something that isn't always easy.  I think there are two extremes that people get caught in---overaction OR no action.  Overactive people jump before prayer, trying to lean on their own strength.  No action people tend to wait...and wait...and wait....

We have been guilty of being BOTH people...though I think we're finally reaching some middle ground in this particular situation and time.  Trying to balance action WITH patient waiting.

And with that, I leave you with a song that sums up best what our heart's desire is right now...

While I'm Waiting---John Waller

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience

While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

(You should search for the video on YouTube....just to hear it if you never have!)

A toddler lives here...

...a freakishly strong one at that!

Yes, this is what our living room entire home looks like much of the time.

(Except from the hours of 8pm-8am when the person responsible for the destruction is tucked in for the night.)

I have a toddler.  A VERY active, adventure-seeking, risk-taking, furniture-flipping toddler.  I love it.  My husband and I giggle as we watch her try and flip over another small piece of furniture...or drag a 10lb turkey across the living room floor.  We encourage her to pull out toys, "cook" for us & climb on the boxes of diet coke that used to be stacked up neatly.

A toddler lives here...and call me strange, but I like that it shows.  I could worry myself sick about toys being scattered about, not being able to have "nice" things sitting out, or the fact that the toys are usually never ALL picked up.  But I don't...because I have a toddler.

...And years from now, I won't.  I'll have grown children who have (hopefully) left the nest & aren't scattering toys from every corner of the house.  I'll be able to have nice things sitting out & a home that always looks clean & "company ready."  Our home will look like only adults live here...because that will be the case.

No need to rush the inevitable.

I can live with a play kitchen in my real kitchen, blocks on my floor, furniture flipped over, animal crackers in the couch cushions and every stinkin' blanket we own gathered into a huge pile in the living room.  I can enjoy this season of couch cushions pulled off because apparently it's REALLY fun to do that, magnets shoved in my purse, flashlights in the crib & everything being torn off the fridge.

Because someday,  I'm going to miss this....

"wow..you look....."

"Huge?"

:)

That was my response this past week as someone struggled with coming up with just the right thing to say to me in reference to my ever-expanding belly.

Yes folks, I'm huge. 

It's true.

And do you want to know a secret??? 

I LOVE it.

a HUGE belly means a growing baby....one that is set to appear in the next two months!

So here we are at 31 weeks (though I post these usually when the week is almost over...so really, I'll be nearly 32 weeks when you read this!)

Had a doctor's appointment this week and we are starting every other week appointments now!  I thought it was seriously last week when I just confirmed I was pregnant in the bathroom of a local Wal-Mart.

(True story...I had to go & figured I'd take advantage of my recent purchase of a HPT.)

Baby is measuring right on target.  Weight gain is up to 20lbs total...and I am SO okay with that!  My weight gain has been much more concentrated this pregnancy than with my last in which I felt like I gained all over.  I feel very heavy in the belly section...but not anywhere else...yet.

I don't have GD & when we mentioned the fact that I was having strong "practice" contractions seemingly all the time, our doctor gave us a checklist of what to watch for "just in case."

We ran a few baby errands this weekend & almost have all the items we need to welcome a baby home.  We started working on moving baby stuff back downstairs this weekend as well & I'm hoping to start washing up blankets & clothing in the next few weeks!

Our big challenge this week has been in searching for an adequate double stroller.  We know we'll need one & we very much want one (we use ours all the time now...and our daughter is not one that can be trusted to walk & hold hands :) 

Do you have a double stroller?  What kind?

Seriously, if you aren't buying diapers online....

...well, then I'd have to argue that you aren't getting the most bang for your buck.

I've mentioned before that I am an avid fan of buying our diapers (and now wipes!) online through Amazon's Mom program via their subscribe and save method.  And before you read any further...I'm not receiving anything for my rave review.  I just love saving money & I love this program!

We started this summer when the program first began and were delighted to see our savings add up.  This week I actually took the time to sit down and do some math on Amazon prices vs. Wal-Mart prices for the products we specifically buy & I was SHOCKED to discover just how much we were saving!  I knew we were saving a few bucks, but never imagined that it added up to OVER $150 a year...just on diapers.

Allow me to demonstrate....

DIAPERS

We purchase Pampers.  (Note: Amazon offers the subscribe and save deals on Huggies, Luvs, Pull-ups, etc..)

Wal-mart offers size 5 diapers in a 136 count box for $35 (pre-tax).  That works out to .26 per diaper

Amazon offers size 5 diapers in a 156 count box for a base price of $40.88  (pre-tax).  That works out to .26  per diaper

If you sign up for the free Amazon Mom program & opt for the subscribe & save delivery, the price drops to $28.62 , or  .18 per diaper.  (Diapers ship for free through subscribe & save.)  Right there you are saving .08 per diaper, or $12.50 for the entire box!

It gets better!  If you receive Parents, Parenting the Early Years, or Fit Pregnancy...you may find an additional 20% off your diaper purchase on amazon.  This coupon can be combined with a subscribe & save purchase.  For us, it takes off about $8.00.  Making our total price for a box of 156 size 5 Pampers, to right around $20.62 (give or take).  Bringing the price per diaper down to .13, saving us .13 per diaper (compared to Wal-Mart) or $20 on the entire box!  :)

(Anddddddddd...if you have any Amazon giftcards through Swagbucks, well...you're really going to save a LOT!)

WIPES

We purchase Huggies wipes.  (Yes, we love our Pampers diapers...but seriously dislike their wipes...) 

Price per package of refill wipes at Wal-mart is $5.97 (pre-tax).  Assuming each package contains 184 wipes, total for three packages is $17.91 (pre-tax), or .03 per wipe.  (yes, we figure per wipe and per diaper prices so we know what the best deal is!)

Amazon offers Huggies Sensitive Wipes at a base price of $16.53 for a box containing three refills.  Similar to Wal-Mart Price.

If you opt for subscribe & save, that price drops to $11.57 for a box containing three refills, saving us $6.34 over Wal-Mart's price...shipped right to our door for free!!

(again, if you have Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks, this deal gets sweeter!)

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Go here to preview items available for Subscribe & Save discounts (there are more, just look around.  I searched for breast milk storage bags and found their prices to be cheaper than Babies R' Us).  Compare your brand's prices to Amazon and see if it might save you money as well!

If it does (which I'm pretty confident you'll find some savings...) Go here to sign up for Amazon Mom (you'll also receive free Prime shipping on other eligibile products).  After your first order arrives (should be about two days.)  You can log in and cancel your subscription, if you'd like.  If not, Amazon will continue to ship your diapers/wipes every X amount of months you selected for their current subscribe & save price.  (We choose to cancel our subscription each time & check to see if there is a better deal when need be.  This also allows us to combine 20% off coupons & giftcards if we have them.)