Future Picaso

Here she is in her poignant artist pose.

Mama this is for you-

So today at Bible study they gave out a door prize. And I just love how the lady in charge thinks. She wants everyone to participate so she comes up with a question that just about everyone can stand up for. Like today it was, Stand up if you have been grocery shopping in the last week. So just about everyone got to stand up.
Then the next few questions I had to sit down for:
Remain standing if you never use coupons
Remain standing of you never shop the sale ads
Remain standing if you always say plastic not paper.

I could not believe how many people do not use coupons or check the sale ads. And how shocked I was by this. I had to laugh at myself.

You see I grew up in a house hols where grocery shopping was a game long before that lady came out with the Grocery Game.
My mom had a shoe box full of coupons that she divided by well, I'm still not really sure, but she had a system and it made sense to her! And she used coupons for almost every item that she bought. She would give us a coupon and have us look for the item by matching the pictures. That's the way to teach beginning reading for sure! She convinced my dad of the value of coupons very early on in their marriage. He wasn't so sure that using coupons was worth the time and effort, but she started saving the amount that she saved by using coupons in a special account. Well my dad needed some new steel toe shoes and there was not much money in the budget for them but my mom pulled out her savings and used that to get the shoes. Now my dad always says one of them was tight and that must have been the one that my mom bought with the coupon savings! A real penny pincher :) But he was convinced that day.
My own dear husband was not brought up in a house that used coupons either, but I convinced him of the value of them when I would show him the receipts from my shopping trips. Kroger, gives you an amount and a percentage of how much you saved on the bottom of the receipt. I awed John with saving over 50% of my total grocery bill several times. So for a 100 dollar bill I would only pay $50 dollars or less!
Now I don't judge you for not using coupons. It does take time and effort and planning. I cut coupons every Sunday and make a grocery list based on the sale ads every time before I shop, but to tell the truth- I like it. It's a fun hobby for me to see what I can get for cheap and for nearly free. I know I also grew up with it. It's not weird to me at all to wait for something to go on sale. I'll wait, and pocket the savings. I have a habit of using coupons and looking for sales.
So thanks mom. I don't know how much money I've saved in the last ten years, but thanks for showing me how!
I know some people don't think it's worth the time and effort. But I, personally have saved lot of money each week that more than makes up for my time in using the coupons. And momma always said, "It's better in my pocket rather than theirs!"
Here are a few blogs that I read each week/day ish that help me see I'm not alone and help me think about more saving ideas.

Money saving mom
Baby Cheapskate
Northern Cheapskate
Year of Crockpots
Simple Dollar
Frugal Dad

Just a few. Look for links on the web sites to find even more!

How about you? Do you use coupons? Do you have any good frugal web sites to pass along?


And yes all 3 guesses were right- It's #1 for me pregnant with the twins!

Then and Now 25 weeks

#1

#2


Which one is me with the twins? #1 or #2?

Stories for remembering- and maybe future blackmailing

Gianna has been on a roll this week. She has had some moments that bear repeating to the whole blogging world.
The other day she came to me naked and held up her diaper to me and said, "Diaper."
"Yup, that's right Gianna. It IS a diaper." (That you should be keeping on your body and not removing unless you actually put yourself on the potty to use it!!!)

She discovered yesterday that she could take her dress off by herself. So she did and said, "Naked."
"Yes, yes you are Gianna. Now keep your clothes on in the front yard."

Today we have two doosies. I hear some minor noises as I was making the grocery list. Not a big deal as she was last seen going into her room to play. Then it got quiet. TOO quiet. You know the kind. The kind where you get up fast because what ever it is going on you know that it is not good. There was Gianna standing next to the toilet just rolling the entire roll of toilet paper into the potty. She was wet and half undressed. "Wipe Mommy," she said. "Oh, my Gianna," I said. "You only wipe when you actually sit on the potty and use it." So I put her on the potty- where she just sat and did no effective work towards being an independent toileter.
Oh well TP is cheap right? And the water well the water dries right?

And then the last story that needs to be shared: Today we were enjoying lunch with a friend and her three kiddos playing on the Chick-fil-A playground. We had great times. We let the kids climb all over. We ate. Then we played again. The other mom and I chatted. It was fun. Until... The oldest politely came to me and said. "Mrs. Ludlow, Gianna is taking her pants off." Cold chills went down my body. Because I knew what would happen next- the diaper only had moments before it came off. My friend moved fast. She threw her youngest at me and said "I'll go get her." And she did. Because folks- there is NO way that I can fit inside one of those playground tubes at this stage of pregnancy. None. Not a chance. She got to Gianna and put her pants on and helped her down the steps. And sure enough- it was a full dirty diaper! I'm so glad we caught her in time!!!!
Because this is a small town, I would forever be known as the mommy who let her kid strip in the middle of chick-fil-a and shut down the playground as a bio hazard! Thankfully I avoided that shame because of the quick action of my friend. Thanks so much JP and one day- I'll return the favor.



And one day I'll return the favor to Gianna too.

T-15 weeks or less!

OK so when I actually sat down and counted how much time I had left I totally freaked out!
Because 15 weeks is how much time until my actual due date, but I know I will deliver sometime mid May. So that makes it LESS than 15 weeks until the girls come!!!!! YIKES!!!!!
Keep in mind that Gianna graced us with her presence just 10 weeks from where I am now with the girls at 34 weeks.
-We are trying to get it together to move Gianna to a big girl bed within the next two weeks or so. That means moving her room and all her stuff too.
-I need to make one more bed skirt for the girls and recover the rocking chair.
-I need to pack a bag for the hospital. I don't plan on doing what I did last time- Giving/ yelling at John directions of what to pack from the bathroom while I was on hold with the doctor.
-We have various things that need painting.
-We plan to have a mini garage sale. Or donate it all. Not sure right now.
-I have several more drawers in the kitchen that need cleaning out.
-I need to find and go through Gianna's baby clothes and see what needs replacing and where some of the gaps are.
-I've got a few last minute sewing projects that need to be finished before I can move the sewing machine out of Gianna's new room.
-I've got to get a new nightgown. Because unlike last time, I'm not planning on wearing the drab gray hospital gown the entire time.

Those are the majors. I can really tell that I already don't have as much energy as I did even three weeks ago. Of course I just had the flu last week, but I also am getting bigger by the minute!!!! If it falls on the floor- I just leave it until Gianna or John can pick it up for me! :)
I only wear slip on shoes. And some of my maternity clothes are already too small on the tummy.
So I posted my goals and now I just have to do them!

Thorn in my side

You know, I often take my health for granted. I forget about the long suffering that some people have to live with on a daily basis. That is....
Until I become sick!
This week John got the flu and being the loving man that he is gave it to me. We were spared the additional energy that it takes to take care of a two year old because John's parents graciously took Gianna to Temple with them for the week. They think they got the better end of the deal. They did- because who really wants to be sick?
So she is having a grand time living it up with Grandparents, Aunts and cousins who love her.

We are having a grand time drinking theraflu, Robitussin, and taking tamiflu. Good times.

But it has made me more conscious of those who constantly live with chronic pain. I have been praying more for those whom I know that live with it. So don't be like me and have to wait to have a physical reminder of what it is like to be sick or live in pain. Lift up those people in prayer and while you're at it thank the Lord for your health too.

Confessions of a Pregnant Lady

I actually have a fear of looking like this:



Not rational I know, but still...


I have an unnatural love of Ice Cream.

I had a dream the other night that like the movie Aliens- the babies were going to pop out of my stomach. Which went along with the other dream that I could feel the babies faces turn inside me when I placed my hand on my stomach.



Now don't comment to tell me that all my fears are unfounded. I know they are. I just thought I would share.

But as for the ice cream- that is real.