Couponing

My Latest System:

Box w/ hanging file folders - didn't spend any $ - just used stuff from around the house
How I'm labeling the folders....for now. I reserve the right to get smarter (thanks, Jessica!) & change this if I need to. I also am saving the weekly inserts for stores. I never used to shop at places like CVS, but you can get some really awesome deals at the drug stores.

Three weeks of Smart Source coupons. You can see how I have them labeled by date. My mother-in-law gives me the ones from her paper in York, PA, so I note that too because some papers have different coupons. I just learned this, but you can see the date of each coupon set on the spine of each set. I file them in order from oldest in the front to most recent in the back.

See how many coupons I'd have to clip if I clipped everything? Mama doesn't have time for that! I used to only clip what I'd use, but now I save everything because I'm learning that you can sometimes buy things you don't need to get money back for things you DO need. Then you just donate the things you didn't need or want (i.e. adult diapers, pet food, etc.).

When I have coupons left that I didn't use on a given trip, I file them here. This isn't the best way, BUT I had a shoebox and didn't have the $$ to buy a spankin' new binder and baseball card holders.

Here's my latest couponing system. There are as many systems as there are people, so you really have to just find something that works for you, but I needed something so that I wouldn't have to cut a bajillion coupons every week, but I could easily find coupons as referenced in the lists I check regularly. So far, this is working for me. I'm labeling and filing the coupons weekly, then clipping based on sites I frequent online, then anything I end up not using on a given trip, but that's already clipped, I file in an envelope in a shoe box. My envelopes are labeled according to categories that work for me and are alphabetized & numbered (i.e. Baby (1), Beverage (2), Batteries & lightbulbs (3)).

Here are some things I'm learning about couponing:

- I reserve the right to get smarter! This is a phrase I am borrowing from my friend Jessica. I have had several couponing systems over the last year or so and depending on my strategy, I grow and change as needed.

- It's worth it to spend money on several Sunday papers.

-Ask friends or neighbors for their coupons if they don't use them. When you get a good sale, you will have multiple coupons for the same item. For example, I got 6 FREE coffee creamers today since I had multiple coupons. Don't need 6 creamers? Donate them to friends or your church's coffee bar!

-There are SO many sites online to learn from. I love the couponing spirit I'm finding. In most cases, people want to help each other get a good deal and are not shy about sharing. Here are some that my fellow couponers have shared:

www.thegrocerygame.com (costs a small amount of money, but VERY worth it, especially when starting out)

www.southernsavers.com

www.hip2save.com

www.thekrazycouponlady.com

-I have "liked" all of these on Facebook and they post lots of good deals on FB daily.

-Coupons are like free money! Yes, it takes some time, but it's worth it. It's actually kind of a thrill to get good deals!

Happy couponing to you!

Sammy Turns 1!

Sammy turned 1 a few weeks ago. He is so sweet - very patient and happy, though he tends to pick up every single cold possible. Since Christmas it's literally been 2-3 weeks with a cold, one week without and then 2-3 more weeks with one. He is now walking and gaining confidence every day and trying to talk. He cracks me up when he's frustrated. He crawls about two "steps", then goes spread eagle on the floor for a few seconds. Then he gets up and does it again. He isn't sleeping through the night yet (well, I guess he slept all night the last two nights, but I need more of a pattern before claiming he's given up his night wakings.)

He loves Max and dogs and his two new fish he got for his birthday. Actually, there's only one left as of this writing, but he loves it! He eats more than Max and is having a love affair with Eggo waffles this week. He likes to climb the steps as well as the couch in the toy room. His favorite toy is the Fisher Price piggy bank we've had since Max was one. He isn't as into reading as Max was at this age, but he will sit for about 1/2 a book and prefers to just listen and play while I read to Max or grab the book and chew on it. Max still prefers to sit on my lap and read forever if given the chance.

I love having two boys and they are so cute together. A week or so ago, Sammy made his way across the room with his arms outstretched making kissing noises and headed right over to Max. The great thing about this age is that Max thinks that's adorable too. : ) Max is such a big help with Sammy. I often say, "Max, can you entertain Sammy while I (fill in the blank - use the restroom, empty the dishwasher, etc.)?" He happily obliges. He does get a little annoyed when Sammy knocks down his towers or destroys his train tracks, but he does a good job controlling his frustrations.

One lesson I learned about first birthdays after having Max was to not allow the birthday boy to have an unlimited supply of cake and frosting. For Max's birthday, we set a full size cake in front of him for the traditional "Cake Massacre" pics. He didn't eat any of the cake, but ate ALL the frosting. That was his very first taste of junk food and I allowed him to eat almost 1/2 can of frosting in one sitting! That poor child was awake with a tummy ache all night long after that. So Sammy only got one or two cupcakes to devour on his big day. We had a low-key celebration with my family and Matt's family and opened presents as the guests arrives (i.e. Nana & Pappy arrive on Friday afternoon so he opened his gifts then, Aunt Sarah & Uncle Adam were here Saturday morning hours before the actual party so we opened their gifts then.) It was nice spreading them out so he could play with something new every few hours.

We are all blessed to have Sammy! Happy birthday, Big Guy!!

Merry Christmas!

Hi! We're still around, just wanted to let you know! I am writing fast because Sammy is chewing on the plug thingy that goes in the side of the griddle and rustling the plastic that is saving him from a fall from our kitchen down into the living room below. The rooms are separated by a railing with much-too-far-apart-spindles.

Okay, you didn't know I was gone, but I'm back. I had to rescue Sammy from falling through the 2 spindles that are not covered in plastic because I measured wrong and never went back to fix it.

Boys are doing great! Max says funny things all the time and made my day the other day by saying, "Mommy, you're the best girl in the WHOLE world!" and yesterday after I served him lunch he said, "Thanks! I really 'preciate that!" Of course these gems are interspersed with moments such as him choosing to pee in the trash can even though the toilet is right next to the can!

Sammy is 9 months old and is very happy. He crawls really fast and can cruise around holding onto furniture. I can't believe he'll be 1 in less than 3 months. Wow. I am really learning to treasure my time with my kids lately. I have the sense that these moments are fleeting and these really are the best days of my life. I think all the words of wisdom from moms of grown kids are finally sinking in. "Enjoy this time. You'll miss these days." I know they're right.

Christmas is around the corner and we are ready! I am feeling blessed beyond measure and am so thankful for our health and the love in our lives and of course for Christ, the reason for the season! Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

For the Glory of God

Yesterday during lunch, Max and his cousins were discussing what they wanted to be when they grow up. Mabel said she could ask God to tell her what she should be. I took the opportunity to use this as a teachable moment and said, "Yes, if you ask God he will help you know what you should be. And no matter what you end up doing, we should always do everything for the glory of God." Then Weston chimed in, "I'm going to be a spider-duck for the glory of God!"

Midnight Ramblings

I think I need to rename this blog. Naptime around here usually means that Sammy is napping and Max is playing, so there's really not time to update the blog at all. I'm finding the only time I ever update is when I am up in the middle of the night. At this very moment I am very ticked that I am not asleep. Sammy is inexplicably awake after multiple attempts at getting him to fall back asleep around 11 p.m. I made Matt get up and take him downstairs to let hm burn off some energy, but then I could still hear him and was so annoyed that I just KNEW I was going to be woken up within an hour to put him back down that I just stayed up. Matt was still here and trying to feed Sammy and that's when I learned he can now say two words! He can say "Mama" (or rather, "Mamamamamamamama") and "more". Although "more" sounds like "ma". It's definitely his word for "more", though.

It's funny that he's beginning to talk so early. He just turned 7 months. I remember Max said "Mama" for the first time when he was a year old. We taught him some signs and he signed a lot of his most common words til he was closing in on two. We've tried teaching Sammy signs and he's not as into it as Max was. However, he can sign "milk" when he wants to. Priorities.

Well, I hope you are all sleeping soundly and I hope I am too very soon.........

Bit and Pieces

Some things I'd post Facebook status updates about if it wasn't 2:13 a.m. I figure no one will see them at this late hour. I often wish I could go and make a list of many of my past stati (is that correct??) because they contain so many cute and annoying things that capture a moment in time and I know Max and Sammy would get a laugh from them one day. If anyone knows how to do this, let me know.

• Sammy had a My Little Pony Sticker on the roof of his mouth for goodness-knows-how-long.
• Max after I told him my back was really hurting: "I want to do a 'Dear God' for you. Dear God, Please make Mommy's back feel better. In Jesus' Name, Amen." "Does it feel better now?"
• Me to Max, "Max, I'm sorry Mommy wasn't very nice last night when you woke up. That wasn't a good way to act and I am not going to do that again. Will you forgive me?" Max: "No."

Another Sleepless Night

Here I am again, up in the middle of the night. This time with Sammy. He spent all day in doctor's offices with Max (strep throat) and me (strained back from carrying, guess what? A 40 lb. 3 year old and a 22 lb. 6 month old!) and didn't get his usual naps. By the time we got home at 4, he was exhausted. I put him to bed at 4:30, knowing that I was going to pay for the early bedtime somehow, just not exactly sure how. His usual bedtime is 6 and he wakes for the day anywhere from 6 to 7:30. Usually a little before 7. So I figured if he usually sleeps about 12ish hours (not straight through, what do you think I am? Some kind of magician?) we'd be up dark and early around 5. Not too big of a deal, really. Except, as with most things involving parenting, it never goes quite how you think it will. I turned off the TV at midnight, Sammy woke up, I fed him. He was quiet briefly, then chatting to himself... AND here we are. 1:56 a.m. So I'm having a cup of coffee - probably a mistake, but if I'm going to be forced to be up when I would prefer not to be, I'm going to enjoy it as much as possible.

I have always known myself to be pretty selfish with MY time. One thing I can say about parenting: It will beat the selfishness out of you until you're battered and bruised and just when you think you can't give any more - you will be asked to. And you will do it.

1/2 Birthday

Sammy is 6 months old today! Wow! I'm alternately relieved and sad. My little baby is growing up which is good because infants are not as entertaining as 6 month olds, but sad because tiny babies are so cuddly.

Sammy is about 21 lbs. and the size of an average 9 or 10 month old. I put a 6-9 month outfit on him last night and it was a little tight. He has two teeth (bottom center), lots of dark brown hair and loves to smile.

He is crawling and can go from laying down to sitting up all by himself. He is such a happy, easy baby!!

Three

Cooking Party - We made individual lasagnas, salad on a stick and decorated cupcakes. It Was insane with 12 kids at the party!

Max turned 3 on August 23rd. He's such a big boy! Here are some things he likes and does now:

Favorites:

Shows: Kipper, Fireman Sam and Barney

Books: The Magic Hat, The Monster at the End of This Book, Hallmark recordable books from Nana & Pappy (The Night Before Christmas & God Made Everything), Are You My Mother?, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Max's Toys

Songs for the car: You Got Friend in Me (Disney Pixar CD), The Cheeseburger Song, The Belly Button Song, The Hairbrush Song (Veggie Tales), Vast Voyage (High Seas Expedition VBS), The Wise Man & Foolish Man (Wee Sing Bible Songs)

Songs to have sung to him: Goodnight My Lovey, Jesus Loves Me, Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Sleep Baby Sleep, Mama's Little Baby, Hushabye, Don't You Cry

Activities: Crafts (doesn't enjoy finger painting or other crafts involving getting his hands all gooey or messy), Reading, Playing with blocks, Climbing things, Running, Cooking, Watching Sesame Street on the computer & watching Sprout On Demand.

Miscellaneous: Max's speech has really blossomed over the last year. Just over the last month or two he's started talking in longer paragraphs and has begun making up nonsense words and telling tall tales. He likes to pretend - especially that he's a baby.

Phrases: "I have a great idea!" " Nothing!" "I need a band-aid!"

Snippet

Max was showing me his new shoulder, knee and elbow pads and I asked, 'What are those?"

He replied, "nursing pads".

No Time For Flashcards

Using paint sample swatches to "color" in an apple
Getting ready for a smell-matching activity. I used cinnamon, vinegar, vanilla & almond extract
Honestly, just opening the bottles of the actual items and letting him smell them was just as fun for him and not as much work!
Matching numbers from the baby food jar lids while waiting for me to finish getting the activity together.


Color matching using paint color swatches. This was a big hit!

More color sorting and matching.

One of my favorite go-to websites for simple crafts and activities to do with Max is No Time for Flashcards. Here are some activities Max did this morning, some of which I got from this site and another one that I got from some Montessori sites. There are so many educational products on the market today, from in utero on up, I just don't believe in bombarding my little ones mind like that. Little ones learn best through play and feeling secure with their caregivers, so for us, the philosophies of these websites really work!

Max

Motorboat, motorboat, go so slow....

Us

We like to have Max's hair put in a mohawk after he gets it cut - I think it's cute!
The little one & the big one!

Cookie making with Crayola cookie dough - you should've seen the poop for the next several days!

Easter Egg hunt at church

Sammy's baptism -July 4th, Good Shepherd UMC - you can tell this is the second child, we were leaving the church and someone said, "Oh, wait! We didn't get any pictures! Hence the funny-looking Max!

Totally the Coolest Book Ever!

Did you know this is THE most hilarious and awesome book? It is. Just ask Max.

High Need Child

I think I've decided Max could be classified as a "High Need Child". That's not a bad thing, it's just Max. As a baby he wasn't what I would call colicky because he didn't have the classic hours-long screaming fits I always heard about, but he was very fussy and didn't sleep through the night until about 16 months old. Now as an almost three-year old he is still not the type of child that just sits on his own and plays quietly. He CAN do that, but more often he wants someone to interact with him and be able to accommodate his needs.

Now that Sammy is here I'm realizing how different children can be - Sammy has been less fussy, more smiley, and generally happy. He seems more easy-going than Max ever did. Some people have said maybe the difference is that I'm more relaxed with my second child. While that may be partially true, I really believe there's not a lot a parent can do to change their child's personality. Some people are Type A's and some aren't. I know plenty of first-time parents who have super-easy babies and I wouldn't say they are any more or less relaxed than I was as a first-time parent. Like I said, being high needs isn't a bad thing, it just describes Max's personality. I was pretty sure that high needs children often parlay that into positive attributes as they grow, and I was right according to this chart below. Looking at the Teen/Adult list, I think Max already has a lot of those qualities.

Truthfully, kids who always go along with what their parents say worry me. I'm glad Max is not a little robot, though it certainly would make life easier sometimes. One thing I know for sure about a high need child - life never gets boring!

CHANGING PERSONALITY PROFILE AS HIGH NEED CHILD GROWS

An Actual "Naptime Note"

Naptime didn't go so well today. Max kept coming out of his room and eventually said his bed was broken. I figured he managed to push the matress off like he did another time a few months ago and I decided I wasn't going to engage him and just sent him back to his room. I went to check on him later and the picture above shows what I saw. I glanced around the room for him, didn't see him. I called his name, no answer. I checked our room, the main level, finally I went back into his room all the way. This is what I found:

Stuff

Max at Sandbridge in VA Beach.
The beach house we rented is in the top left of the picture.

Sooo, since my last post the following things have happened:

• We've moved from Manassas to Montclair.


• Matt was appointed to plant a new UMC in the Montclair area beginning July 1st.


• We went to Sandbridge in VA Beach for a week with Matt's family and my family.


• Matt was ordained as an Elder in Full Connection in the UMC (that's a big deal and the result of years of blood, sweat and tears.)

It's been a crazy-busy time and I haven't had the time to post. Hopefully I'll be a little better in the future!

Max is almost 3 (in August) and is such a little boy now. He vacillates between wanting to be a baby and a grown-up and I think it's safe to say most people can identify with that. He is adjusting to life in his new house, which was made even more confusing by going to a beach house for a week two weeks after moving in. His speech is becoming clearer and his conversations are more complex. He has a funny sense of humor and loves being active. I don't think he ever actually WALKS anywhere. He runs and jumps in most circumstances. He is a sweet boy who knows what he wants!

Sammy is an easy baby. Yay! He sleeps and eats well and is growing quickly. I weighed him today and he's about 19 lbs. - and that's at 3.5 months old! He just started rolling over from back to front a week ago and is finding falling asleep difficult since he often rolls over, but can't figure out how to roll back. I'm sure that will come in time. He smiles easily and babbles and coos a lot.

That's quick update for now. We are thankful to God for all the blessings and challenges in our lives and are excited about this latest phase of moving and church planting and raising our kids.

Snippets & Maxisms

Snippets:

"I love you, Mom." - First time Max said this unsolicited - 4/21/10!!!

Me: "What do you think lions eat for dinner?" Max: "Mango Lassi"

"See ya later, diarrhea!" - Cheerily said as he flushed the toilet one day.

Max's first time saying grace all by himself at dinner, " Grace. Amen. Good job, Max!"

A few graces later, " Thank you for cottage cheese & pineapple, Mommy, Daddy & special book (Bible). Amen."

Saying grace at dinner one night after really honing his skills, "Thank you drink a soda, drink a beer, Amen!"

Lying on the floor whispering to Sammy a few days after he came home from the hospital, "You come out of Mommy's belly! Oh, man!!"

Maxisms:

"Oh man! You kidding me????"

"Oh man! You believe that???"

"Last morning..." = Anything in the past

"It's very louder." = It's very loud.

Hop-able = hospital

"I tell you a secret!" Usually followed by something like, "I want popcorn!" or "I watch Fireman Sam!"

Max & Sammy Updates

I hope to have pics on here soon, but we are having computer problems. Hopefully they'll be resolved before the boys are in college!

Sammy - 7 weeks old today! Weighs around14-15 lbs, looks like a 3 or 4 month old. He smiles and coos and even laughs a little. He sleeps GREAT at night, only waking about twice on average and his first stretch of sleep is usually at least 5 hours. Amazing! Max didn't sleep that long at a stretch until he was close to a year old, if not older. He has a bad case of cradle cap, which drives me nuts, but it doesn't seem to bother him in the least. He's a happy boy.

Max - Two years and eight months! He loves his baby brother and smiles and coos at him all the time. He also almost choked him with a thermometer last week and yesterday told me wanted to jump on him, but so far he's very loving, overall.

Max has become an accomplished tricycle rider and loves to sport his new bike helmet all over town, not just when he's riding his bike. Just this week he has become quite adept at disassembling anything he can get his hands on - in the last 24 hours that includes the front wheel on our loaner double stroller, the inside of his bike helmet and the safety stickers on the infant seat. This really tests my patience!

He loves nursery rhymes thanks to Barney & Nana - Barney got him hooked and Nana bought him an actual book! His current faves according to him are: Humpty Dumpty, Wee Willie Winkie, Baa Baa Black Sheep and Little Boy Blue. He also likes listening to CD's in his room. I'm sure when he's a teenager listening to music in his room he'll never believe that he once listened to B-I-N-G-O over and over again in addition to Old McDonald Had a Farm.

I don't know much about art, but from some reading I did when he was a baby, I've realized that he is moving into a new developmental stage in his "art". He is filling more of the paper when he colors with crayons. He is making curved lines instead of just short straight lines and he even added eyes to one of his drawings the other day. He was painting a few weeks ago and for the first time labeled something he made. He said it was a crab and when I looked at it from a distance it kind of looked like a crab!

Pretend play is increasing too. He will pretend he has a coin or a lollipop and then hand us one and want us to "eat" it. The way he plays with toys is getting a bit more complex also. He opened the doors on his toy car and made it soar around the room while he said, "I'm flying!!!!"

Behaviorally (why do I feel like I'm writing something for school??) he is a typical almost-3-year-old. He is alternately sweet as pie and the "King of the Wild Things". He tests me all the time and I try to be consistent. There are days when bedtime can't arrive soon enough and there are days when I let bedtime linger a little longer just to cuddle more.

Overall he just seems to be growing into a real "kid" and not a baby. Bittersweet.

I think "bittersweet" is the word that pretty much describes most of parenting. Every age and stage has it's good points and bad points. I'm trying not to rush any of the stages for either of my boys. As so many people have told me, this time of our lives really does pass so fast.....

Two

I've been wanting to write a post about what it's like having two kids. Here's a newsflash - it's BUSY! Hence the reason I haven't had a time to write a poignant blog about what life is like these days. So here are a few thoughts and if I get back to them later, great! If not, well.... that's life with TWO!

Everyone said once you've gone from one to two kids, you can then have countless children, because nothing will ever be more difficult than the transition from one to two. I realize I'm only 5.5 weeks into this, but so far I have to say that going from zero to one was a harder transition for me. Zero to one meant"All 'Me-Time' All the Time" to extremely limited "Me Time", and most of that included dried barf on my shoulder. Now I don't feel fully dressed without dried barf on my shoulder, but at least I'm not used to having glorious "me time" whenever I please, like I was prior to Max's arrival! I contend that, although I am at a loss for how to share myself with two children who both need me at all times (Which often means I find myself standing at the front door with Max to wave "bye" to daddy in the morning while Sammy is nursing and then realizing I'm flashing the neighborhood. Then I realize, "who cares?"), I still don't feel as crazed as I did at this point when Max was a newborn. It was a lot harder to give up all the freedom I had prior to his arrival than it has been learning wrangle two children.

Part of the reason it might be easier this time around is that Sammy is a much better sleep than Max EVER was. He wakes about twice a night, unlike Max's five-to-six time a night habit. I am so thankful I had a fussier baby first! It makes this seem like a cake walk.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Two children is pretty challenging. I want to take Max outside as soon as he's done eating breakfast and play outside all day. If we're not doing that, I want to put him in the car and gallivant around doing errands or going to see friends. When I get the notion to do those things, I realize it's time to nurse Sammy again, and, what do you know? It's time for him to nap again. So there we are, still hanging around the house at 11 a.m. having done nothing. I tell myself this season won't last forever. Max won't be scarred for life because he didn't get to play outside this morning and everything is going to be okay. That's probably the biggest difference between child #1 and child #2. The first time around, I thought the bad parts were going to last forever. Now I know, for better or worse, this time in our lives is going to fly by.