I can't believe it's been over a year since my last blog post. I mean, I can believe it, actually, because life is a bit busy, to say the least. Being a wife and mom in general is pretty demanding on its own, but throw in all the extra day to day responsibilities like CF care, homeschooling, keeping up with my direct sales businesses (Thirty-One and Origami Owl), and any other extra demands that come along, and you've got one tired mama who hardly gives blogging a second thought.
There will be days that I think, "Hey, I should totally go blog so I can write about [insert topic here]," but then it doesn't happen. And that makes me sad, because writing was always a passion of mine that got lost in the shuffle of motherhood. I know a lot of women tend to lose a little bit of themselves once they become moms. We sometimes forget about the things that make us who we are because we're focusing on taking care of our families. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being a wife and a mother. There's nothing that could ever make me want anything more because there is nothing better. Nothing brings me more joy than taking care of my family.
Blogging is a way for me to be able to both write and also tell the story of my family. I know I won't remember every little moment, so it's good to have something concrete and tangible that we can come back to years later. I can read things I've written and laugh, cry, ponder, wonder, and just...remember.
So I've said it before (and I'm really going to try to stick with it this time): I am going to try to blog at least once a week. Even if it's only to say hi to my future self. Even if it's only to share something funny one of my kids said (which, let's be honest, my kids are hilarious). Even if it's to talk about something that made me cry, or brought me joy, or made me think about something differently.
And, hey, since I'm a dweeb, I may even be corny about my posts. Like if I post on Mondays, I could call it "Manic Monday" (although, everyday is pretty "manic" when you're a stay-at-home mom, right?). Or Tuesday Tidbits. And Thankful Thursday, or Thoughtful Thursday. Funny Friday? Hmm...this could be fun!
Showing posts with label stay-at-home moms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stay-at-home moms. Show all posts
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Memory Keepers
I have been following a blog written by another mom of three. What appeals to me the most is that she is super-hilarious, and reading her blog is just refreshing to me. She also has some great recipes, which also happen to be gluten-free (because of her middle child, daughter Lila), which are what brought me to her blog to begin with. Her most recent post sums up exactly how I feel about blogging. In short, she says that mothers "blog to tell our story. We are the memory keepers." This is so, so true. If people like to read my blog, that's fine. But it's more for myself and my family so that we can be able to read about things that happened years before, and when my kids are grown and I'm missing them at this age, I know I will appreciate this blog. You can read her full post here.
I really want to blog more, but there is the issue of time. I know you hear that from everyone: "I don't have time." And I'll admit, I do have the time, but I always seem to find something that needs to be done that takes precedence over blogging. Then the time gets away from me, and it's weeks and even months between blogs. I make a promise, even if it's only to myself, that I will blog more regularly, but the cycle restarts.
In my previous life when I was not a wife and mom (I say previous life because my carefree, single life was vastly different than it is now), I was a writer. When I wasn't working and going to school and hanging out with friends, writing was my hobby and favorite pasttime. It was my most intimate relationship, you could say. I could get lost in it for hours. Now writing is like an ex that I've never gotten over: out of my life, always thinking about it, and sometimes running into it and promising I will keep in touch even though I don't once we part ways again. Writing was what defined me, and now all that defines me is being someone's wife and someone's mom.
Don't get me wrong, I love my husband with every ounce of my being, and I absolutely adore and cherish my children. I would never trade the life I have now for any promises in the world. I am blessed beyond words to be able to stay at home with my kids and do all the things that come with the job of SAHM. But here's the thing: One day, it will all end. My kids will be grown, and my job will be done. Well, yes, I know I will always be a mom, but they won't need me in the same ways they do now. When the day comes that Matt and I are empty-nesters, I don't want to be left wondering what to do next.
But back to the point: I want to write again, even if it's just blogging a few lines each day, just to say, "Hey, Cohen had a snotty nose today and blew snot bubbles" or "Kyden laughed so hard at his brother's silly antics" or "Emberlynn read an entire book alone today." Or to blog about something besides my children, which sometimes seems impossible because they are essentially my life. My sister suggested doing a food blog, but because keeping up with one blog is challenging enough and having two might cause me to have an aneurysm, I will incorporate my cooking and baking adventures into this one.
And because duty calls (it's currently time for my older two kids' treatments), I will end this with a picture of, you guessed it, my adorable kiddos:
(Ignore the crazy-looking lady on the right, however. She's just there to hold up the adorable infant.)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Sucky Mom
How do you begin a blog about feeling like a sucky mom? Some days I can ask myself, "How did I do?" and the answer be okay. Other days I just wish I could rewind and do differently.
Sometimes I forget that my kids are just that: kids. They are 4 and 2 years old. They are not little adults and are still learning how to live in the world, are learning what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is wrong and what is right. Sometimes I forget to just let them be kids.
I think I just expect too much of them too much of the time. The bad thing is that I realize this, and yet I still do it. I catch myself doing it a lot when it comes to the kids and their daily routines involving managing their disease. If I sit back and look at the big picture, my kids are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING when it comes to doing their treatments, taking their enzymes, and doing all the daily requirements. Emberlynn sits on the couch for hours a day doing Vest therapy and breathing treatments, and the child has never complained about it. She takes her enzymes like a trooper and gets hooked up to her feeding tube at night without a word. And yet, if there is a day she is grouchy and doesn't feel like coughing "to get the yuckies up" (something she has to do to get up excess mucus), I get upset with her. Or when Cohen refuses to take enzymes, I get frustrated with him, as if this 2-year-old is supposed to understand the circumstances of this progressive disease and that if he doesn't take his enzymes, he doesn't absorb the nutrients from the food he is eating. And speaking of eating, getting the kids to eat adequate amounts of food is something we struggle with on a daily basis. Some days I just let it go, and other days I lose my patience and punish the kids for not eating (i.e. no book at bed, etc.) even though I know that's not the way to go about it. I guess I just get so desperate for them to eat, for them to gain weight and stay healthy, that I throw logic out the window and let my emotions get the best of me. I just forget that they are little and they just don't know. So why do I expect them to know? And better yet, why can't I seem to remember that?
I want my kids to have a great childhood. I want them to enjoy life and to grow up happy. When they are older, I want them to be able to look back and be able to say, "I had a good childhood" instead of, "My mom was a control freak and yelled at us all the time." I don't want to be that mom. I'm not sure who is quoted as saying this,but I think the following quote is definitely true: "We don't raise children. We raise parents." I am constantly learning how to be a parent, and I may never figure out the "best" way to do things, but maybe when we come out on the other side, when the "raising" part is done and the "watching" part begins, everything will turn out okay and my hope of doing the best that I could was indeed the best way.
On a recent rainy day, we were outside a restaurant near the sidewalk, and there were puddles everywhere. The kids wanted to jump in them, and the Kate-Gosselin-control-freak-and-mess-hater in me wanted to tell them, "NO! NO jumping in puddles!" But the smaller, quieter, and heard-less-often part of me decided to allow them to jump away. Because that small part of me knew that socks and shoes can be changed and clothes can be dried, but the wonderment in a child's face and the shrill of their laughter will fade away with time.
Sometimes I forget that my kids are just that: kids. They are 4 and 2 years old. They are not little adults and are still learning how to live in the world, are learning what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is wrong and what is right. Sometimes I forget to just let them be kids.
I think I just expect too much of them too much of the time. The bad thing is that I realize this, and yet I still do it. I catch myself doing it a lot when it comes to the kids and their daily routines involving managing their disease. If I sit back and look at the big picture, my kids are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING when it comes to doing their treatments, taking their enzymes, and doing all the daily requirements. Emberlynn sits on the couch for hours a day doing Vest therapy and breathing treatments, and the child has never complained about it. She takes her enzymes like a trooper and gets hooked up to her feeding tube at night without a word. And yet, if there is a day she is grouchy and doesn't feel like coughing "to get the yuckies up" (something she has to do to get up excess mucus), I get upset with her. Or when Cohen refuses to take enzymes, I get frustrated with him, as if this 2-year-old is supposed to understand the circumstances of this progressive disease and that if he doesn't take his enzymes, he doesn't absorb the nutrients from the food he is eating. And speaking of eating, getting the kids to eat adequate amounts of food is something we struggle with on a daily basis. Some days I just let it go, and other days I lose my patience and punish the kids for not eating (i.e. no book at bed, etc.) even though I know that's not the way to go about it. I guess I just get so desperate for them to eat, for them to gain weight and stay healthy, that I throw logic out the window and let my emotions get the best of me. I just forget that they are little and they just don't know. So why do I expect them to know? And better yet, why can't I seem to remember that?
I want my kids to have a great childhood. I want them to enjoy life and to grow up happy. When they are older, I want them to be able to look back and be able to say, "I had a good childhood" instead of, "My mom was a control freak and yelled at us all the time." I don't want to be that mom. I'm not sure who is quoted as saying this,but I think the following quote is definitely true: "We don't raise children. We raise parents." I am constantly learning how to be a parent, and I may never figure out the "best" way to do things, but maybe when we come out on the other side, when the "raising" part is done and the "watching" part begins, everything will turn out okay and my hope of doing the best that I could was indeed the best way.
On a recent rainy day, we were outside a restaurant near the sidewalk, and there were puddles everywhere. The kids wanted to jump in them, and the Kate-Gosselin-control-freak-and-mess-hater in me wanted to tell them, "NO! NO jumping in puddles!" But the smaller, quieter, and heard-less-often part of me decided to allow them to jump away. Because that small part of me knew that socks and shoes can be changed and clothes can be dried, but the wonderment in a child's face and the shrill of their laughter will fade away with time.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
It Pays to be Frugal...Literally
As a stay-at-home mom, we have a smaller budget on which to live than many families who have more than one income. This means we have to budget a smaller amount on groceries than others might. I have always been a bargain shopper, but I have been much more conscious of our grocery bill this year more than ever (among other things) because of the economic crisis.
Thanks to my ever-present love of bargain-hunting and coupon clipping plus a TON of help from several websites, I save at least 50% per week on our grocery bill. I have read articles suggesting that you spend no more than $25 per week per family member, which for us means no more than $100 per week. However, I can not recall the last time I ever spent that much in a week. On average, I spend about $50 each week, which is half the "suggested" amount. Sometimes I might spend more one week stocking up on necessities such as chicken, ground beef, and other nonperishables and items that can be frozen to maintain freshness, but then the following week (and sometimes even the week after that), I will spend less than $50 because I am not having to buy those items.
I wanted to share my tips and tactics for saving money on groceries in hopes that it will help others to do the same. It takes some extra time and preparation on your part, but the benefits are well worth it!
First, I want to illustrate to you just how much I'm saving and basically how much I'm getting for my money. Take a look at the following picture:
Notice the amount of items and that most of them are name-brand. I bought all this at Publix. If I had paid retail, all this would have cost me $76.12. What did I pay? $26.72 plus tax. That's a savings of $49.40, or 65%. The following is a list of what I bought and how much I paid for each item, excluding tax:
2 Bags Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets- $1.99 each (retail: $5.99 each)
Contessa Green Cuisine frozen meal (family size)-$2.99 (retail: $6.99)
Publix Premium Ice Cream (a rare treat for our family!)-$2.00 (retail: $3.99)
Betty Crocker cake frosting-$ .25 (retail: 1.85)
Betty Crocker yellow cake mix- $ .88 (retail: 1.75)
2 Boxes Domino Light Brown Sugar- $ .50 each (retail: $1.29 each)
New England Ground Coffee- $1.90 (retail: $5.79)
Campbell's Select Chicken Noodle Soup- $ .20 (retail: $2.39)
Purina One Special Care Cat Food- $2.50 (retail: $6.99)
Marie Callendar's Croutons-$ .70 (retail: $1.39)
Big Bag Hershey Kisses and Big Bag Mini Reese's Cups- $2.25 each (retail: $5.49 each)
2 Boxes Cocoa Puffs- $ .99 each (retail: $3.49 each)
100-ct. Lipton Tea Bags- $1.66 (retail: $3.31)
Nivea Body Wash- $1.00 (retail: $3.89)
Covergirl Foundation-$1.19 (retail: $5.29)
These are all items we use or will use. Even though we don't necessarily need the items at the moment, I know we will eventually use them, which makes stocking up a smart idea when you can get things this cheap. For example, I don't normally purchase cake mix or frosting, but with Cohen's birthday coming up, we will need it, and it cost me just over a dollar for both items!
I saved so much money simply by combining coupons with sale items, most of which were priced as "buy one, get one free" (you can buy one for half price instead of buying 2). The main site I utilize to help me with savings is southernsavers.com. The lady who does the blog lists store ads along with the accompanying coupons, many of which are available online.
To break it down for you, here are some tips and tricks you might find helpful for a VERY productive grocery shopping trip:
Thanks to my ever-present love of bargain-hunting and coupon clipping plus a TON of help from several websites, I save at least 50% per week on our grocery bill. I have read articles suggesting that you spend no more than $25 per week per family member, which for us means no more than $100 per week. However, I can not recall the last time I ever spent that much in a week. On average, I spend about $50 each week, which is half the "suggested" amount. Sometimes I might spend more one week stocking up on necessities such as chicken, ground beef, and other nonperishables and items that can be frozen to maintain freshness, but then the following week (and sometimes even the week after that), I will spend less than $50 because I am not having to buy those items.
I wanted to share my tips and tactics for saving money on groceries in hopes that it will help others to do the same. It takes some extra time and preparation on your part, but the benefits are well worth it!
First, I want to illustrate to you just how much I'm saving and basically how much I'm getting for my money. Take a look at the following picture:
Notice the amount of items and that most of them are name-brand. I bought all this at Publix. If I had paid retail, all this would have cost me $76.12. What did I pay? $26.72 plus tax. That's a savings of $49.40, or 65%. The following is a list of what I bought and how much I paid for each item, excluding tax:
2 Bags Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets- $1.99 each (retail: $5.99 each)
Contessa Green Cuisine frozen meal (family size)-$2.99 (retail: $6.99)
Publix Premium Ice Cream (a rare treat for our family!)-$2.00 (retail: $3.99)
Betty Crocker cake frosting-$ .25 (retail: 1.85)
Betty Crocker yellow cake mix- $ .88 (retail: 1.75)
2 Boxes Domino Light Brown Sugar- $ .50 each (retail: $1.29 each)
New England Ground Coffee- $1.90 (retail: $5.79)
Campbell's Select Chicken Noodle Soup- $ .20 (retail: $2.39)
Purina One Special Care Cat Food- $2.50 (retail: $6.99)
Marie Callendar's Croutons-$ .70 (retail: $1.39)
Big Bag Hershey Kisses and Big Bag Mini Reese's Cups- $2.25 each (retail: $5.49 each)
2 Boxes Cocoa Puffs- $ .99 each (retail: $3.49 each)
100-ct. Lipton Tea Bags- $1.66 (retail: $3.31)
Nivea Body Wash- $1.00 (retail: $3.89)
Covergirl Foundation-$1.19 (retail: $5.29)
These are all items we use or will use. Even though we don't necessarily need the items at the moment, I know we will eventually use them, which makes stocking up a smart idea when you can get things this cheap. For example, I don't normally purchase cake mix or frosting, but with Cohen's birthday coming up, we will need it, and it cost me just over a dollar for both items!
I saved so much money simply by combining coupons with sale items, most of which were priced as "buy one, get one free" (you can buy one for half price instead of buying 2). The main site I utilize to help me with savings is southernsavers.com. The lady who does the blog lists store ads along with the accompanying coupons, many of which are available online.
To break it down for you, here are some tips and tricks you might find helpful for a VERY productive grocery shopping trip:
- Many grocery stores, including Publix and Kroger (where I shop at least once a week), will double manufacturer coupons up to and including $ .50. So if you have a coupon for, say, $ .35 and use it at either of these stores, it will be worth $ .70 off instead. (My local Publix and Kroger stores double coupons, but this varies by area, so check to make sure.)
- Many grocery stores also offer store coupons (it will specify at the top of the coupon; if it says "manufacturer coupon," you should be allowed to use it anywhere, although I have run into some issues at Walmart not taking some). Store coupons can be used in combination with manufacturer coupons. Last week at Publix, I bought flushable wipes for my daughter. I had a manufacturer coupon for $3 off and a Publix coupon for $ .50 off, and the wipes ended up costing me less than a dollar.
- Some grocery stores accept competitor's coupons for an identical items. For instance, Publix will accept Kroger's and Food Lion's store coupons. This is particularly helpful if there is an item on sale at Publix that you have a coupon for from a different store.
- Publix has "buy one, get one free" items every week; Kroger and Food Lion have BOGO items as well, though not as often as Publix. At each of these stores (in my area, at least; again, check your local stores), you do not have to buy 2 items to get the sale price; you can buy 1 item, and it will ring up as half price. I take advantage of the BOGO deals by combining them with coupons. Today at Publix, for instance, the Fast Fixin' frozen chicken nuggets were BOGO (making them $2.99 each, and I had 2 dollar-off coupons, making them $1.99 each).
- At this point, I'm sure you are wondering this: "Where on earth are you getting all these coupons??!!" Thanks to a wonderful technology we call the internet, you can find TONS of coupons online. The best online coupon sources are coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com. The author of the Southern Savers blog posts links to printable online coupons that accompany what's on sale, so the work is pretty much done for you! (Note: most sites only allow you to print so many of the same coupon to avoid fraud.)
- There are also sites where you can download coupons to your shopper's card, and when you buy an item for which you have an online coupon, it will automatically come off when you check out (as long as you scan your shopper's card). The best websites for these are shortcuts.com, cellfire.com, and pgesaver.com. I save coupons to my Kroger card. In addition, you can use paper coupons for the same product. The biggest savings for me when it comes to combining online coupons and paper coupons are on name-brand diapers. I can always find coupons on Huggies and Pampers to add to my shopper's card; then, when they go on sale at Kroger, I use a paper coupon in addition to the shopper's card coupon. Recently, I purchased Pampers at Kroger, which were on sale for $8.99; I had a coupon on my shopper's card for $1 off and a paper coupon for $3 off, so my diapers ended up being $4.99. Not even store-brand diapers are that cheap!
- You can also receive coupons from manufacturer's websites when you sign up. I have signed up with sites such as pampers.com and huggies.com, and I receive coupons in the mail for diapers, wipes, and other products.
- Of course, you can also clip coupons from the Sunday paper. I wait until the Monday after so I can get the paper at a cheaper rate (I pay $ .99 instead of $1.75). However, because I find and print so many coupons online, I generally do not have a need to buy the paper.
I could go on an on about bargain shopping and ways to save money, but I would like to keep this post strictly about saving on groceries. I will later post about saving money on clothing, baby and kids' items, and online shopping.
I hope many of you will find this helpful and be able to use some or all of these tips to help you save OODLES of your hard-earned money.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Time
I feel very "out of the loop." I have friends I don't get to talk to or see much because life is so hectic. And when I do get some down time, I just want to spend it with my husband and kids. I want to relish in the normal parts of life because so much of mine and Matt's and the kids' life together is so, well, not normal. I get so upset when people don't seem to understand that. Some people don't realize we can't just drop everything and do whatever.
I am relieved, however, to announce that I will be leaving my job at the beginning of August to stay at home to devote my time to my children. I have wanted this for a long time, and we have finally worked it out. My wonderful husband has been extremely supportive of this; he feels I belong at home with our kids as well. Being at home will allow me to take care of all their medical needs and be able to have quality time with them instead of having to rush around every day trying to get ready for work and then going to work all day and coming home late just to have to make dinner and get the kids ready for bed. Each day that passes is one day gone of their childhood. They don't stay like this forever, and it pains me thinking of all the moments I am missing being away from them like I am. It melts my heart when I walk in from work and Emberlynn runs to me, yelling, "Mommy! Mommy!" and Cohen sees me and gets excited and starts fussing until I go pick him up and hold him tight.
I'll miss my job and being able to have adult interaction during the day, but my kids are worth it, and this time with them is precious. I am so blessed to have this opportunity. There are so many moms who want to stay home who can't. So even though I know it won't always be blissful being with two small children all day long, I'll remember to still be grateful to have the opportunity so many others don't.
Maybe once I stay home and things settle down for us, we will be able to see more of our friends and family we are slowly losing touch with. It makes me sad, but we are not doing it on purpose, and I hope everyone understands that.
I am relieved, however, to announce that I will be leaving my job at the beginning of August to stay at home to devote my time to my children. I have wanted this for a long time, and we have finally worked it out. My wonderful husband has been extremely supportive of this; he feels I belong at home with our kids as well. Being at home will allow me to take care of all their medical needs and be able to have quality time with them instead of having to rush around every day trying to get ready for work and then going to work all day and coming home late just to have to make dinner and get the kids ready for bed. Each day that passes is one day gone of their childhood. They don't stay like this forever, and it pains me thinking of all the moments I am missing being away from them like I am. It melts my heart when I walk in from work and Emberlynn runs to me, yelling, "Mommy! Mommy!" and Cohen sees me and gets excited and starts fussing until I go pick him up and hold him tight.
I'll miss my job and being able to have adult interaction during the day, but my kids are worth it, and this time with them is precious. I am so blessed to have this opportunity. There are so many moms who want to stay home who can't. So even though I know it won't always be blissful being with two small children all day long, I'll remember to still be grateful to have the opportunity so many others don't.
Maybe once I stay home and things settle down for us, we will be able to see more of our friends and family we are slowly losing touch with. It makes me sad, but we are not doing it on purpose, and I hope everyone understands that.
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