I really need to take a computer class

I am so so dang computer illiterate! I am getting so frustrated with myself because I can not fix anything on my computer! I can get on the internet, edit pictures, fill out excel worksheets.

List of things I can't do
* make formulas for excel or anything other than make squares and fill it out
*apparently I can't add pictures to blogs correctly because I have added 5 more pictures to my last post and can not find them or the what I wrote under them. So I just gave up and left it the way it was.
*have no clue how to fix even minor things, I haven't completely gotten my computer set up and I was having problems with internet explorer and that stupid compatability crap, who knows what that crap is, but it was cousing my browser to have an "unexpected error" and not respond so had to completely restart!

I just feel so stupid and incompetent. Not to mention that I can't spell either.

I'm just frustrated, so what programs do you all suggest to help teach me all the things I need/want to know? any help would be greatly appreciated!

finger paint pictures

Oh today

So not only did I have my hubby here today which makes any day about 1 BAZILLION times better, but I had a good day! Yes I did mean that I really enjoy my hubby when he is home, he helps me keep from being so darn stressed, and takes off some of the weight I am carrying on my shoulders.

Today first thing Cousin Amber and Cousin Lilly came to spend the day with us. I can't tell you how much this means to me! I have known Amber for about 8 years, but never really gotten to spend any time with her, thats what she gets to for moving to New Orleans! No I'm kidding, we all just have very busy lives in our own way. I see Amber maybe once or twice a year for holidays, but between going to every event that happens, and all the crazy people at the events, it is almost impossible to get anything out of the hey how are yous at functions. Amber is so precious! I just absolutely love her, she is so very sweet, family oriented, and just welcoming and warm hearted! Today I got to talk to her about her life and find ot some of her family history. I got to talk to her about all the things that I have wanted to know for years. Today she reconfirmed why I love her so much! (not to mention that it was just nice to talk to another ADULT female with no time constraints and only kids getting in the way!)

Shortly after she and Lilly arrived I had to leave for my orthopedic appt. I am so very excited! I GET TO START WEARING TENNIS SHOES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! No not anything cute, no flats, no heals, it has to be an athletic shoe with GOOD support, for the next 4 weeks! But I have not worn a shoe on my right foot since July 15th 2010 so I will take anything I can to get out of a cast/boot/ surgical shoe! (Not to mention, that I get to buy new shoes, because mine don't have good support and there is a hole in the toe on the top.) I will still take it, new shoes and a shoe on both foot. Life could not get any better.

So today was such a good day. I really enjoyed how relaxed and enjoyable it was. Tomorrow I'm going to post the pictures of the kids fingerpainting today! I hope you all have a good weekend.

Oh Blogging

Blogging has taken the last place seat in my life! I feel like I'm still stuck in a bit of a depressive mood, and everytime I think about starting to blog, it turns into one big bitch fest, so I end up deleting everything I have written. But lets see, what have we been upto lately?

Well, first off, we have been cooped up in the house quite a bit this winter, we have had so many different snow storms with varying amount but all keeping us stuck inside, thanks to my bum foot!

Speaking of bum foot, I am healing slowly but surely. I still can't get around as quickly or smoothly as I want, but I am getting things done, no matter how slowly. I can't tell you how much I am going to enjoy it when I can really start excercising! I know I need it physically and emotionally. I know it is going to be hard and when the time actually comes I'm not going to want to, but I really look forward to getting up early in the morning and going running/walking. If for no other reason that to just get out of the house without the kids.

I am so lucky to have such great friends here already! They are so helpful in every way! I have found a preschool for Abby, a hairdressor, and found something that I want to do to make money and get out of the house on my own time. I have found a support group that I feel comfortable with and can't wait to continue to get to know these ladies!

Tuesday we may have found out what is going on with Tyler's stomach! We will see the pediatric GI specialist on Tuesday to get the final thoughts, but the radiologist that preformed his upper gi test this past Tuesday, said that the things he is eating and drinking are not moving out of his lower stomach into the upper intestines the way they should. She said there is no physical abnomality but something is irritating his stomach enough to cause it not to move, I have a feeling that he is having an allergic reaction to some food, but we will find out what the next steps and more about what I saw on Tuesday.

We also went to his pulmonologists on tuesday and everything she was looking for in the upper GI was perfect! (Upper GI was done to make sure everything was formed correctly in the throat lungs area and rule that out as a cause of the croup, other findings are just a bonus to the test since we are going back on tuesday.) She is extremely happy with how he is responding to his asthma meds and says he sounds so much better than last time. She has kept his treatment the same and won't see us back for 4 months! This was a great appt, relief in one area of concern.

I am pretty sure that I have decided to become a Premier Designs Jeweler! I have gone to several meetings and will hopefully go to a show on Monday to make my final decision. I'm kind of nervous about getting started with it, as I don't really know a lot of people. I know my mom and cousin are going to do shows for me, but I need to have atleast 6 shows in 45 days, 9 is my goal! If I could get that done, then I know that I will be successful with this journey. I know that I will like it and enjoy it once I get it in a routine, but its the learning part of it that I am scared of!

I finally got a laptop. We have been talking about getting me a laptop for years, and realized last week, that I would be completely without a computer every time Brad has to go do something for work. And since we now have skype I think he has realized that he can see the kids on his trips and it is worth it. (That was just the icing on the cake that pushed him into saying that I needed one) So I got a good computer that I am still trying to get set the way I want it! I am very excited about it though! I will have to burn everything to a cd to get all my pictures and everything off his computer and onto mine, theres too dang many to email!

Tomorrow is going to be so much fun, Cousin Amber is coming to town and will be bringing cousin Lily over to play for the day! I love having people come and spend time with us. I truly enjoy when the kids all get together, they play so well together and have so much fun! Amber is also going to keep the kids for an hour so I don't have to haul them to my orthopedic appt! This is a HUGE relief!

Now if only I could get my head together and start making sense and move forward a little more everyday instead of one step forward and then back again!

I'm hoping that you will all have a great day! Spend lots of loving time with the ones you love and (like I'm learning) laugh like crazy!

Today has tested me

Although overall today has been pretty good, it sure did test me for a while! We started off with Tyler not sleeping last night, he was awake and crying and Brad didn't get up for him like usual, so as usual when I go try to get him back to sleep in the middle of the night Tyler ended up sleeping/rolling on top of me, making for an extremely tired mommy.

Once the kids got up I fed them and while they were eating their cereal, I went to take a shower. I got the kids dressed and we were on the road to visit Brad at work and get abby's car seat, he took the van to work today not knowing that I wanted it, no biggie.

We then went to petsmart to find some food and a house for Dorothy our beta fish that Tyman got for christmas. $85 later we came out with a new bigger aquarium, plants, a castle, seashell thing, and all the things that we needed for said new tank. So now Dorothy has a place to hide and play which is a very good thing. (My kids are crazy!!!!!)

After the excursion to the pet store, we made the treck to the bank, where I withdrew some cash for groceries and gas, and recieved a message that I had overdrawn my account (which was in no way possible, I knew to the penny how much money would be in the account after the withdrawl should have been) and the money that was despensed was taken from overdraft protection. So I called the bank and she was completely confused by the message I had received as well, and told me that everything would be taken care of. I love USAA, They are always so helpful and willing to bend over backwards to help me.

I then made the treck around the corner to the grocery store, both kids in tow, my broken foot, and a full cart of groceries. I still did really well with my shopping today, the problems started when we got out the the car. Abby decided that she was going to throw a fit and I was not having any of it. So she fussed the entire time we were loading the car, whole drive home and then when we got in the house.

I started unloading the house and realized the water was running, but knew that I had not left anything on, and figured that somehow a toilet had started running. So I went threw the house and could not find anything leaking and went back in the basement to get the kids upstairs, as it was past lunch time and they were both tired. I still could not find the water, so I checked out back, sure enough the faucet had broken and water was pouring out. I could not get the water turned off, nor the emergency water valve to shut off either. Luckily the landlords repair man was not very far away and was over here in about 10 minutes. I'm not sure how long the water was running at full speed, all I knew was that it was I had two starving kids, it was 1 and I had not eaten at all and I still had to put all the groceries away. We had to turn the water off at the street, but the faucet was fixed, kids were fed and put down for a nap, and I ate 3 crackers, yet thats it.

I paid all the bills for this half of the month, and got the fish tank together before the kids got up. Although it was a productive day, it was very trying, and I don't want to redo it anytime soon. I'm ready for bed and need some liquor, preferably a nice big margarita! Brad has drill this weekend, so its going to be the worlds longest weekend for me. Atleast he gets to come at dinnertime and doesnt have to be gone the whole weekend.

I am really torn though, I really want to go back ino the guard! I miss certain parts of it. I miss playing my instrument, I miss the army part of it, I miss the social part of it, I miss being out of the house and the little bit of extra money I recieved from it. That extra money would help us out alot. Brad does not want me to go back in, I think partially for selfish reasons, that he would be held accountable again and not able to go goof off whenever he wanted too, but also for the reason that I don't do well with certain things. I don't like the stupid part of army, I don't like that its okay for some people to do absolutely nothing, while others do everything! I don't like that some people get to do what they want, while others are held to standards, and some people get away with not showing up, but when others have legitimate reasons for not being able to make it get lectured about it. I get frustrated, because Brad and I are not like the rest of he band in the way that we are the only dual military couple in our unit, meaning we are both in the same unit, our spouse is not at home taking care of the kids or what needs to be done. But overall it is worth all the frustration, I miss being in the guard, so very very much! I really don't know what to do, I'm just so confused and lost!

Back in the Groove of it!

So my plan was to go to the grocery store tomorrow, but the forecast so graciously changed my plan! Which turned out to be a good thing, I didn't have to take either of the kids, and Brad got to do homework while they slept.

Publix had some good sales this week! Can I tell you home mch I love the BOGO sale? It is the best thing ever! I can get items that I normal use for almost nothing! I love it. Today I saved 52.01%, I spent (including tax) $123.28, I SAVED $120.64, all on products I would normally buy some point during the month. I would like to remind you, when we lived in milan, we were goingto the grocery store3-4 times a week and on average spending about $300-$400 every two weeks (this was not our budgeted amount that has not changed), part of this was convience as walmart was 1.3 miles straight line from the house, 5% about was other JUNK that we "needed" but we honestly just bought whatever. Now we did look at best price per unit, but as I am finding out, that is not always the cheepest way, and we were ALWAYS scrounging to get to the next pay period so that we could go back to the grocery and buy more crap.

Let me show you what todays shopping trip consisted of:

This does Not include the $12.00 pack of beers that I bought for my hubby, but it was included in the cost of products. (He is silly and didn't want to be picked on by his daughter and mom, they tell him it is nasty! but are just picking at him, and I saved so much money everywhere else I could afford to splurge for something special for him, after all he deserves it for taking such good care of us!!!)

So this is how I did it!

(My publix doubles anything under $.50, and you can stack a store coupon, competitor coupon, and manufacturer coupon)

(2) gallons of milk 5.58

(5) boxes of special k red berries BOGO FREE (1.64 each for bogo)

(2) boxes special k original**** FREE (1.64 each for bogo)

(3) boxes special k oats and honey**** FREE(1.64 each for bogo)

I used (5) Buy one get one coupons to get all of them for free

(3) boxes 100 calorie snack packs 9.57

(3)boxes 100 calorie snack packs BOGO free (6 for the price of 3)

Used (3) $1/2 coupons makes them $1.10 each

(2) Jala Frozen yogurt bars BOGO 3.99 (2 for price of 1)

Used (2) $1/1 coupons makes them $.99 each

(1) Publix 4.88lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 9.78

Used (1) $1.00publix coupon for fresh meat (baby club)

(2) pillbury ready to bake cookies 5.00

Used (1) $1.25 blinkie coupon makes them 1.88 each (SPECIAL ITEM)

(2) Hebrew national hot dog packs 5.00

(4) Yoplait smoothie packs BOGO 6.38

Used (4) $1.00 coupons makes them $.60 each

(2)Organic Batter Blaster BOGO 3.99

Used (2) $1.00 coupons makes them $.99 each

(2) seaside edamame (wish this had a coupon) 7.98

(8) Adam and Eve fruitable juices 2/$4 16.00

Used (4) $1/2 coupons makes them $1.50 each

(2) Crest toothpaste 2/$3 3.00

Used (1)$.50 which they double to make ($1.00)

Used (1)$.75 coupon make them $.62 each

(2)Covergirl mascara on sale $2.00 off 11.98

Used (1) 2.50/2 coupons makes them 4.74 each (still pricy but 3.25 cheaper than normal each so ill take it!)

(6)jars of Peter Pan Peanut butter BOGO 6.99

Used (6) $.50/1 coupon which is doubled to make them $.17 each

(1) Pepperidge farm deli flats BOGO 1.50

Cashier missed coupon for $.40/1 which would of doubled to $.80 off oh well. not worth it!

(1) bunch of NANAs 1.81

(1) bag of golden delicious apples 3.69

(3) 12 packs of Diet pepsi 3/10 10.00

(1) 12 pack yeungling 11.49

(4) packs of kraft american cheese 2/6 12.00

used (4) $.75 coupons makes them $2.25 (I dont see alot of sales on these/ or havent yet)

Cost off Shelf (with no sale/retail price) I would have spent $243.92

With BOGO specials I saved (and stocked up on these items) $78.45

With these BOGO Prices coupons STACKED WITH THEM $36.70

I also stacked STORE coupons with them to get an additional $5.49

makes my total $123.28

Now I know of atleast 2 coupons that I handed over that did not get counted, one for $.75 and 1 for $.40 (which would have doubled to $.80. Normally I would have said something, but with the amount of people in the store and the fact that the employee rang up my whole cart AND coupons for me in the u scan line, It was not worth the fight for it.

So all in all I paid full price for the edamame, pepsi, beer,produce, and milk. I got Cereal for 100% free 10 boxes, (I'm hoping that will hold my daughter over another month or so, she LOVES LOVES LOVES special K with red berries!) I also got a free reusable bag (this came with the pepsi that I am addicted to, I don't drink coffee, this stuff is what is in my veins!!!!!)

I know this doesn't look like a well rounded list, but I stock up on thing I normally use when they go on sale, when frozen veggies go on sale you better believe that I am stocking up on every bag that I can for an extremely cheap price.

Items that I stock up on

We have a huge deep freezer so I have all that space too!

-Meat can be frozen for up to 6 months.

-Cheese can be frozen aswell, only issue is that it will crumble so if you are trying to shredd a block it may start to crumble. (I love this texture but if its not for you, you it in your cooking!)

-veggies (these last maybe a month for us, luckily they go on sale pretty often)

-Butter

-some bisquits

-bread

In my pantry I stock up on

-pastas/sauces

-broths/soups

-cold and hot cereal

-crackers/muffins/brownies/cake mix

-rice/beans

-canned veggies (mostly tomatoes i try not to use canned beans/ veggies there are some eceptions of course)

-peanut butter

-kids juice

-soda

-breakfast/granola bars

I also keep atleast 1 unopened pack of the following

- laundry detergent

-dish detergent

- toilet paper

-paper towels

-shampoo/conditioner

-deoderant

-toothpaste

This sounds like a bunch of junk, but purchasing this way has already helped us tremendously. The whole month after my surgery (with the thanks of my church who brought us meals twice a week) we only had to buy milk and eggs! I am VERY VERY serious. This took one less stress off of Brad, and me not having to shop or worry about what we were having for meals, we had plenty of food for us to eat 3 meals a day and not have to eat out more than one meal in 2 weeks.

On average a spend $100 for 4 people and our pantry every week on groceries, this week (not changing our budgeted amount that we have had for about a year) I actually have$23 left over. I'm hoping to be able to get us to a point where I can get our weekly spending down to about $50 a week half what it is now! Over all I am pretty happy with my trip, and am well on the way to my goal of being able to donate to our local food pantry!

Please let me know if I can help any of you with saving. Remember you don't have to stock up on items to save like this! I just have the space, so I can purchase for the next couple months as the cycle for sales is usually about 3 months! Happy Couponing!

Programs I recommend

There are several programs that I am starting to use that save me money! Most of these I have just started using, but they dont cost me anything, so I'm not loosing anything, only saving. I recommend you do some research and see what else can help you.

The first progam I'm going to mention is loyalty cards. These can come in very handy for lots of reasons, even if you don't shop at the certain store alot you need to have one. These cards allow you get get sale pricing on products you buy there. Each store has their own policies and benefits to their card, but it is definately worth looking into. Loyalty cards are also able to do so much more these days, Kroger allows you to go to their website and upload coupons on to your card so there is no need to take paper coupons, they are automatically deducted. The kroger card also gives you a discount on gasoline ( I think it is $.03 per gallon if you dont reach a monthly minimum, and I think once you spend $100 you get $.10 off per gallon for a certain amount of gallons. I don't shop much at Kroger so I'm not really sure about all the fine print) I do use the $.03 off per gallon quite often though, and in my area Kroger seems to be one of the lower prices of gas even before the card discount. I personally have a kroger, cvs, sallys beauty, panera, publix (upromise), and one of the toy stores I shop at on my key ring.

The second and probably most important is UPromise. U promise is something that does not cost you a penny, but will save money for your kids college based on what you already purchase. You can choose the amount that you want put into this (hook your credit card, or just your loyalty cards) with the companies that participate in this program. Anyway the loyalty cards you hook to upromise gives a certain percent of qualified everyday purchases to the fund. Really it takes like 5 minutes to set it up, you can invite your family and friends to help you as well. You and they can dictate what percent goes to who, works well for those with more than one child/grandchild! Check it out. It is run through SallieMae which is a very reputable financial institute that gives out school loans. There are all sorts of options, spend some time and do your research!

The last one is Amazon.coms Mom Club! I have only used this once but It has already saved me so much I'm mad I didn't try it earlier! This program gives you 15% off of TONS of baby and other products. For items that you use alot you can sign up for subscribe and save and recieve another 15% off. This program gives you the option to have products delivered to you as you need them. For example, we usually go through 2 boxes of diapers a month. At target and walmart we pay $29.99 for a size 5 116 count box every two weeks give or take this equals out to be about $.26per diaper. With Both the discounts (it also has free two day delivery) and delivery, we ordered 2 boxes of size 5 156 count boxes for $56.21 which equals out to be $.18 per diaper, and I don't have to worry about going to the store to buy them. They will ship every month, I can make the changes I need if he changes sizes, frequency of delivery or cancel at any time with no fee. I will get an email reminder that they order is going to happen. This is a HUGE benefit to us! All you are required to do is have (setup) an amazon.com account.

I hope that these will help you all, I personally wish I had known about them when Abby was smaller, but better late than never right?

And as always, I am just relaying the information as I see it, make sure that you read everything first and understand what you are reading, as I could be misled. I want you all to have helpful and accurate information! Happy Savings!

I actually made it to the grocery store

I actually made it to the grovery store today, for the first time since November. It was so nice to get exactly what I wanted and not have Brad call me every two seconds. I still wish I could have had that time on my own, but not being able to drive does not lend to that! But all in all it was a successful shopping trip. We did not save as much as I wish we had, since most of my coupons had to be thrown away and I had to start over again, but that is okay, I still feel positive about it.

Now if the stores will come out with some good sales for meat products I would be one happy girl.

So the best thing I bought was not cheap, Brad got some fresh(er not frozen) salmon for dinner. Boy was it yummy!

We had baked salmon with a mayo/mustard sauce. So very yummy! one of my favorites!

Remember I am not afraid of butter, mayo, sour cream, fat free items, etc. I tend to believe that they are better than other products as they SEEM to have less artificial ingredients, butter compared to tub margerine, not to mention they have a better flavor and I have to use less for the same or close to the same flavor. All is good with moderation, right? Right!!!!

Sorry I know this is incredibly random, but thanks for sticking with me!