Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Nothing Beats Free

So I haven't been keeping up with you, but don't take it personally I haven't been keeping up with me either. I have hardly had time to think recently. I have been cleaning, costuming, garage saling, and nursing a little one back from a stomach virus. But I will admit after paying some bills I started wondering how I can start saving money, or at least make my money go further. I am sure many of you have similar worries

So there are many websites I've looked at websites about coupon clipping, and free offers, and some of it has caught my interest I will let you know if I find anything that works for me. I just have to say though that the idea of free stuff is very appealing. Everything seems better when you can get it for free. Well maybe not everything. But if you could walk out of the grocery store with a lower bill I don't think you will be complaining. So in the spirit of free stuff, I hope to share with anyone that stops by that has never used redbox a nice chance to rent a movie and cuddle up with someone and enjoy a flick for free. At the bottom of the page it should give you a promo code DVDONME If you have any questions let me know. But over all just tell me, have you found something that helps you stretch your pay check?


If you haven't already start following my blog I would love to have you.

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Last Place!

Now I know that it doesn't make much sense to say that you found something in the last place you looked, because of course it is going to be in the last place you looked. How many people do you know that keep looking for something after they have found?? And if you do know any can you tell me about them? I can use a good laugh. That being said, Eeyore is found and he was in the last place I would have expected to find him. Any guesses??? I'm sure you may get a guess that is close but if you are like me then you didn't quite expect it.

About 3 Christmas's ago, my mother-in-law bought me some wing back chairs that I had been wanting. Then we both set out to reupholster a few chairs. Well, it took us until May to finally finish our project. Mainly because we would watch movies while we were working and always ended up more into the movie than our work. That and taking staples out is very time consuming. Any how, I'm sure you can see where this is going. I had already checked as far as I could reaching into the crevices of the chair when I was looking for Eeyore. Truthfully, I HATE reaching my hand into spaces that I cannot see. I just think of the movie Roman Holiday, when Gregory Peck's character tells Audrey Hepburn's character to reach into the "Mouth of Truth". If you have not seen this movie you have no idea what I'm talking about. But the movie is classic.

Well my previous searches into the couch and chair crevices revealed nothing. I was laying on the floor in the living room reading books about Winnie the Pooh and friends. I had just finished saying "Man, I really wish I could find where Eeyore is." And My husband agreed I look back and notices the lining on the bottom of the chair was sagging. I reached over to lift it with my hand and felt the familiar shape of Eeyore. I laughed and told my hubby that I found Eeyore. There was a short rejoicing by both my daughter and I and we returned Eeyore to his place on the piano.

Even as I type she is sitting with the piano on her lap playing. Her toy is now whole and very entertaining after a week of Eeyore missing. All is well in her world.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

A Total Addict

I have a problem, but I don't think I am the only one. When I talk to my friends they seem to be doing the same thing as me - watching TV. I have way too many shows that I like. The sad part is that most of them are on at the same time. So I spend my nights riding my stationary bike while I flip through 3 -4 channels trying to get the highlights of all the shows I watch. Then since I do not feel that I've seen enough to know what was going on, I search online to find the full episode and proceed to waste more time watching internet TV.

I worry about my daughter watching too much television. She is not even 2 and she will stop whatever she is doing if she hears any pbskids or playhouse Disney show theme song. That tells me that I'm right to worry.

Over the past couple of weeks I've made an effort to have her play more and sit less. She loves playing outside. I've tried to take long walks and stop at the park for her to play. But I only get in a couple of walks a week. There always seems to be something to do at home. I don't drink caffeine, so most days I just feel tired. Not that caffeine should make a difference. Because on the days that I do get out I feel more energized. Which I think most doctors would agree that it takes energy to have energy. LOL

When friends come over to play with my little girl I find it so much easier to get things done. But I have never joined any playgroups. I am not sure why. So I need advice how do/did you entertain a two year old without the use of a tv? Also, what are the your favorite shows? I need to shorten my list.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Eeyore is Missing

I'm guilty. I am not the best housekeeper, not that I get much help. Everyday 60 percent of my daughter's toys get drug out into the living room. At the end of a good day about 10 percent of that mess makes it back to her room. So about 4 days ago, when I was attempting to make my living room look less like the inside of a toy chest, I discovered that Eeyore was missing off of the Winnie the Pooh piano. I was able to find the other three figurines but Eeyore has returned to an unknown location - maybe the Hundred Acre Wood. Suddenly, Eeyore is the most important character to my daughter. She asks about him daily. "Uh Oh, Eeyore! Ah go?" (a go = Where did he go?) She asks me this several times. This is the same girl that can tell me in which room she took off her shoes, yet when I say to her " I don't know, where did you leave him?" She has no reply. I've searched through piles of laundry (I've been meaning to get to those I swear), under couches (only forgotten crackers under there), in her toy box (nothing there - it is all in the living room), the office (surprisingly the cleanest room in the house - it is closed most of the day), under beds (nothing but dust bunnies), dresser drawers (empty waiting for the laundry fairy to fill them). I've run out of places to look. I'm check small crevices and large obvious areas. Eeyore has vanished. I've run out of ideas. He must be in the same place that my Smallville Season 5 Disk 2 is (that one has been missing since June).

So this week will be yet another top to bottom house decluttering. Yet last time with Smallville nothing ever turned up. I think there is a very mischievous person around, who like to still random items which are part of a set just to irritate the heck out of people. With me he/she succeeds. I hate the empty spot on the piano where Eeyore goes just as much as my daughter. And although I've already watched disk two of Smallville season 5, it bothers me that there is an empty slot in the case.

While I would like to blame someone else to have a place to turn this frustration, I logically doubt that there is a person stealing these things. So where are they? Do your things go missing? Have you noticed any extra toys or DVDs at your house? Maybe my stuff is just wanting to go visit someone else house for a while. Let me know, where is the strangest place you have found a lost item?

Thursday, October 2, 2008

How Pregnancy Changed Me

When I was pregnant I gained much more than an adequate amount of weight (more than 60 pounds). I tried exercising while I was pregnant but it just never made a dent in the weight I was gaining. Within the first two months I had already gained 20 pounds without changing eating habits. My body just adjusting to pregnancy very well. My whole body was preparing for the next step, delivering a 10 pound baby. In general, my pregnancy was easy and so was my delivery. However, adjusting to this new life wasn't as easy. I couldn't get my girl to breastfeed properly and it all seemed so important after the birth. I was so focused on her. I do not think there is anything wrong with that to an extent. I still focus on her more than me and she is now almost 2. But in those first months I lost some of the almost 70 pounds I gained but I still had about 35-40 pounds of baby weight. They say that when breastfeeding a child the weight will come off. Well I breastfed until my girl was 16 months and I tell you what the breastfeeding didn't help me, but it did benefit my girl a lot. She hardly ever gets sick and I attribute it mainly to my willingness to breastfeed.
So now it has been almost two years and I still have 25 pounds to lose. I feel like I've spent the past two years so focused on being a mom that I forgot who I was, and how to take care of me. So recently, I've reclaimed part of my old identity and blended it with my new identity of mother. But I'm learning that being the best mom requires more than just giving all my time to my little one. If I want to be the best mom I have to take care of myself. I finally stepped into a salon and I got the haircut I've always wanted, and I returned to my makeup bag and found my good friends eye liner and mascara. I tossed the flats to the back of the closet and pulled out the shoes that automatically make me stand a little taller. On days when I walk out of the house looking more like the woman I see in my thoughts, I feel powerful. Beauty is powerful, it brings a positiveness to my thoughts and makes me more ready to conquer challenges instead of sitting on the couch waiting for life to happen. I can only hope that my daughter will see that a woman can be a mom and a woman both. That there is joy in being the yummy mummy I always thought I would be. And while it is almost two years and I still have 25 pounds of unwanted baby weight, I have faith that with my determination and new motivation that weight will not last for much longer.
So my question to you who are mothers is... have you discovered the power of your womanhood? How long did it take you to realize that mom doesn't mean no one looks at you anymore??? I guess I'm dense it took me a while. I hope all you recent mothers or mothers to be will not take so long to reclaim yourself.
Have a great day.