A Tupperware of a Mess

I will be adding soy protein shakes to my workout routine! I am excited that I found one that fits my needs and price range. Plus, it's natural and vegan. I usually feel drained and hungry after my workouts, so I hope this will help overall.

In addition to making protein shakes, I needed a shake mixer cup and I found one from Tupperware that I liked. I contacted a consultant (who was offering 20% off) and she basically tried to overcharge me! Instead, I went to ebay and found one with free shipping! I went through upromise, so I will earn money for college for my son!


I am really excited to try this Tupperware product and the protein shakes! I didn't want to mess with a blender to mix my protein shakes. I hope this shake mixer will make it quicker and easier to make my protein shakes.

Crazy Bedtimes

Every evening, Kyle seems to fall asleep at different times. It's a little difficult for us to forecast our evenings, since that is our only "free time." Shannon usually does his school work, that way he can concentrate without having to worry about Kyle.

I thought about using homeopathic remedies for Kyle to help calm him down at night because he doesn't seem sleepy at all in the evenings. I did a search yesterday and found Night Night Balm! I can't wait to try it on Kyle, I really hope it works!

I chose to use a balm, instead of liquid herbs because I can't guarantee Kyle will actually take liquid drops. Balm seemed to be the most convenient choice for a 3 year old!

The Calendar

I bought Shannon a big desk calendar that came with post-its, and it seems to be keeping him organized. He can keep track of when his assignments are due. It also helps him organize his time and he can see right in front of him when he needs to complete assignments. So far, so good!

Shannon said that someone already quit the course! The guy basically posted saying "this is a waste of $$$ for college." He also bashed the assignments and what they are learning, which Shannon has said the same things. There are several students responding to his post on the forum saying that they understand how he feels, etc. I told Shannon that at least he isn't the only one who feels this way about the course! LOL

From what Shannon is saying, the course is geared towards those who just graduated high school, it seems to be a lot of reflection on yourself, how you would handle certain situations, or what you have learned. It sounds to me like most of the assignments are "fluff" and "fillers" as a way to rewards points to the students (that's how they determine your grade).

I guess it depends on whether or not this college is worth the reward at the end...your degree!

Weather Permitted

Shannon was able to finish mowing the backyard yesterday evening. He happened to finish just before it started raining again! It's been raining for the last week (off an on) to where nobody could mow their lawns.

I checked our vegetable garden today and all of the plants are thriving from the rain, they are growing like crazy!

I took new pictures today. I dressed Kyle in his new blue outfit that I bought him and had to take some pics of him in it.

Shannon is still doing good in his college. He said it's definitely a full time course, there are assignments due almost every other day or so. His latest assignment is to work as a team and he can't seem to get in contact with anyone on his team to do the assignment. So he's going to just finish his portion. The college counselor is still calling him almost daily! They seem to be "checking in" with him to make sure he's doing okay.

I am still working out with Turbo Jam. It's still a challenge and thankfully I am not bored with the workouts. They are very fun and keep me motivated. Since there are 5 different workout videos, I can change up my workout and not do the same routine over and over.

Long Tuesday

I woke up really early this morning, I was excited to visit the preschool and wanted to make sure we didn't sleep in! Plus, we don't have an alarm clock and Kyle wakes up at different times.

I woke Shannon up at 9 AM and he really didn't get out of bed until about 9:40 AM (he went to bed around 3:30 AM). He didn't want to see the preschool since Kyle has to be potty trained. I wanted to go because I wanted to see the place and the director of the school was really nice on the phone and invited us to come visit. I also wanted to ask her if Kyle could go into the 2 year old class, since he's not potty trained.

We arrived a little after 11 AM. The director showed us the classroom and we stayed in there to talk for about 35 minutes. During that time, Kyle got to play with the toys and run around the classroom. He had so much fun! He played with the trucks, found an Elmo toy, and even found 2 balls to throw in the air. When we went down the hall towards the bathrooms, Kyle ran in the other direction, almost the entire length of the hallway! He was so fast, Shannon had to chase after him. She also brought us in to see the 4 year old classroom. She gave us the registration form and the school calendar. We told her our main issue was that Kyle is not potty trained and he's not even ready to be. She said he could be put in with the 2 year old class, which was great news to hear! We just want him to be able to play with other kids and learn! Shannon and I were both glad to hear that the preschool is so flexible with the kids.

Afterwards, we took Kyle to the playground and walked around a bit. He wasn't really interested in playing, just wanted to look. Shannon asked me again how much the tuition was and he asked if that was the weekly price and I told him it was monthly! It's super affordable and cheaper than daycare! Shannon seemed really impressed with the preschool, which was a huge change from this morning. He seemed so against Kyle going to preschool. We may look at enrolling him at the end of June (classes start in September). We are having issues with his unemployment, so hopefully they will work out in our favor.

We got home around 12 noon and I made Kyle a quesadilla and I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Our appointment with the bankruptcy attorney wasn't until 1 PM. It's been raining off and on all day. The water in the creek got really high, so Shannon had to bring in an outdoor lounge chair.

The appointment with the attorney went okay. We need a few more documents and after our third appointment, we should know if we can file or not.

Memorial Day

We had a nice quiet weekend. It rained most of the day on Saturday and all day Sunday. It's also raining off and on today.

My MIL cleaned out her closet and she offered me any of the clothes she was planning on giving away. I now have some new business attire. I haven't tried any of them on yet, but they look like they would fit. They are older styles, but I don't mind, they are still nice and in great condition.

Tomorrow is our second consultation/appointment with the bankruptcy attorney. After that, we can decide to hire them or not. We had to fill out a big packet about our finances and what we own. We also have an appointment with a preschool tomorrow. They won't take Kyle in because he's not potty trained, but it can't hurt to see the place and how they run it.

Shannon is doing good with college. His first assignment was really easy, it was mainly about setting a career goal.

I'm addicted to Arizona Green Tea

Today is the 3rd day of making a homemade batch of Arizona Green Tea! It is so good! I think I drink so much of it because we haven't bought soda and water is a little boring to drink all the time.

I think I have perfected it to the exact taste of Arizona Green Tea! Here is the recipe posted online, there are many other versions out there and I went with this one as a guide.

Here is what I use, please feel free to use your own brands/types:

3 Bigelow 100% Organic Green Tea Bags
1/2 Cup of Organic Cane Sugar
2 Tablespoons Pure Honey
3 Tablespoons 100% Pure Lemon Juice

I used the same directions in the recipe.

I lost 6.3 lbs!!!

I just weighed myself today and found out that I lost 6.3 lbs. since starting Turbo Jam only 2 weeks and 1 day ago! I am so excited and didn't expect such a big drop!

I can definitely say that I weight less than I did before I was pregnant with my 3 year old son!

I haven't really changed my eating habits, as I am a vegetarian and I don't want to change it. I still eat a little junk food (maybe a little too much), but I can't cut it out completely.

New Pictures!

I had the opportunity to take some new pictures of my son and myself today! I am so excited that I have new and updated pictures of us! My MIL said that we could use their digital camera whenever we wanted.

It's been over a year since we've been able to take any pictures. Our digital camera is still broken and our other one is just ancient.

I posted our new pics on my facebook page and myspace.

Homemade Arizona Green Tea

I tried the Arizona Green Tea that I made from this recipe. I did change the recipe, instead, I used 2 tea bags, and omitted the gingseng. It turned out really good, but I am going to try 3 tea bags next time. It was really refreshing and delicious, but it had a little too much lemon flavor (not that it was bad). I just want to try different versions and see how it turns out.

That is what's great about recipes, you can change them up as much as you want!

Update on my last post

I wanted to post an update on my last post, titled Sluggish.

My son slept for about an hour yesterday afternoon. My husband has been giving Kyle otter pops to help keep him hydrated and to cool him off. Kyle did end up going outside again a few hours later and was his normal self.

We gave him another dose of children's fever medicine and he fell asleep about an hour later.

When Shannon came to bed around 3:30 AM, Kyle was burning up! Shannon gave him an otter pop and I gave him another dose of fever medicine.

This morning he seems fine. Hopefully it was just a 12 hour fever.

Sluggish

Kyle has been showing signs of being sluggish and just not being his normal active self. He was fine earlier, it could be heat exhaustion too.

This afternoon, I brought him upstairs into our room and he just laid down on the carpet and he was really quiet. Shannon and I ended up giving him some over the counter children's fever medicine. That usually knocks him out, so he's laying down on the bed right now.

Preschools a No-Go?

I really want to enroll Kyle into a preschool and called 2 different churches that offer a preschool program. They both said that he would need to be potty trained (they understand accidents). So that is the only thing that is really holding us back. I have an appointment to go visit one next week. It won't hurt to see the facility and talk to the director. Both programs sound really beneficial and fun.

I decided to apply for Medicaid for Kyle and filled out the application today, which didn't take long. It will be going out in today's mail, so hopefully they should receive it by Friday! Although, it did say it could take up to 45 days to hear back. If we can get approved for Medicaid, I want to get Kyle in to see a pediatrician for a check-up and then ask about speech therapy and go from there.

First Day of College

Shannon starts college today. He had a phone appointment with someone from the college, they walked him through some of the basics, what to expect, and what he would need to study.

My MIL and I went to Walmart today. We did some grocery shopping and bought a few other things. I bought Kyle a cute "summer" set that had a sleeveless shirt and shorts. Of course, I choose the blue one since that is Shannon's favorite color and he likes seeing his boy in blue.

I picked up some "easy ups" trainer pants to use for potty training. For the last few days, I've been showing Kyle how to pull down his pants and have him sit on his potty. I made it fun and silly and gave him kisses and clapped for him. He loves his potty and it also doubles as a step stool, so we use it so he can brush his teeth in the bathroom.

I also bought Shannon a desk top calendar for his desk. He wanted it to keep track of his school assignments and when they are due.

My MIL had to get a choke collar for the dog, doggy treats, and a few cans of cat food.

All in all, we had fun. We kept forgetting things so we had to go back and forth to different aisles.

Tonight I made brownies, courtesy of Duncan Hines. Yum! I also made Arizona Green Tea, but I haven't had a chance to try it.

Kicked his butt into gear!

Last night I had to kick my husband's butt into gear...not literally! LOL

I have been asking my husband for the LAST 3 WEEKS to hook up our printer so we can print some documents that we need for our next appointment with the bankruptcy attorney! Our appointment is next Tuesday and I wanted our things printed out 3 weeks ago so I could have used that time to fill out the huge packet they gave us. I already knew he wasn't the one filling it out so I wanted plenty of time to do so. Since my husband is a HUGE procrastinator, he would have waited til next Monday night to finally get around to hooking up our printer.

Last night, I finally just told him straight out that our appointment is NEXT Tuesday! Of course, he had no idea it next week and suggested we re-schedule.

Anyway, today he tried hooking up the printer but it's broken. So we ended up using my in-law's printer. I will be spending the rest of the week filling out as much of the packet as I can and then have Shannon go through it and fill out anything I didn't.

Watermelon and Corn on the Cob

I forgot to mention that Kyle now knows how to eat watermelon and corn on the cob. He takes little bites of corn on the cob. He and I usually end up sharing. My MIL bought watermelon and he loves it! I offered it to himand he refused at first, then I took a few bites and offered it to him again and he loved it! He tends to love fruit or juicy type of fruits. The other night, he wanted more, so Shannon had to cut more pieces for him. He had another slice today.

My MIL and I went shopping. We are trying to find specific products to make our own laundry detergent. We are having the hardest time finding the Fels-Naptha soap and washing soda! We've checked Ace Hardware, Bi-Lo (grocery store), and Big Kmart. I may just end up buying both online.

While we were gone, Shannon received a call back from one of the jobs I applied for (for him). I love job searching for him and don't mind doing it. These days, since there is so much competition in the job market that I don't expect him to get a call back. Plus, he is on unemployment and about to start college! Anyway, he didn't answer the call because he was watching Kyle at the time. The lady left a message asking him to come in for an interview on Monday at either 12 noon or 3pm, sounds very informal! LOL This job is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes away. He's going to try calling her back this weekend, if not, he will have to call on Monday. He's planning on going to the interview. This job is for a General Manager position. We're not going to get excited or our hopes up about this job, but this is great job interviewing practice.

My MIL bought Arizona Green Tea and it is so good. I am drinking a lot of it, so I looked on the internet for the recipe and I was able to find it. I think we'll be making a lot of this!

Otter Pops, School, and more

Since the weather heated up, we've introduced Kyle to ice cream and otter pops. He loves both! Otter Pops remind me of summertime and childhood. Since Kyle likes playing outside, (while it's scorching hot) we try to give him one each day. The end up cooling all of us off!

Shannon starts college next week! Since he signed up, the school calls at least once or twice a week. So far, he's heard from at least 3 different people from the school. His counselor calls most often. He called today wanting him to come in to do some sort of computer thing, which should only "take a few minutes" as he put it. When Shannon told me that, I about flipped and even said to him, "They want you to drive 45 minutes to do something that will only take a few minutes [on the computer]?!?!?! Then the counselor remembered that he isn't "nearby" and said he could do it online.

I can tell Shannon is very excited and I am excited for him. He will be studying a subject he LOVES. I know he will do very well. So far, he says logging in and accessing the forum/online classroom is easy.

We have our second appointment with the bankruptcy attorney in two weeks. We'll probably have my MIL watch Kyle during that time. I think she really liked the last time. Plus, it's easier for us, we won't have to worry about keeping him occupied in an attorney's office! LOL

My workouts have been going well. I have done almost all of the workout videos that come with this program and they are all very challenging. Turbo Jam keeps me motivated and I am always looking forward to working out. It's nice to have a different workout routine.

Keeping Up

My in-laws return home tomorrow evening. Shannon and I are going to do a quick tidying up around the house before they return, I am also going to do last minute laundry.

I worked out with Turbo Jam yesterday and it was really fun. I couldn't wait to do it again today! It looks like I won't have a problem staying motivated to workout, it gives me a ton of energy. So far, I am only on the beginning workout. I just want to familiarize myself with the "elite 11 moves" before I go any further. I woke up a little sore today, but it was a good type of sore!

I checked my email today and found that my paid blog post was approved, which means I earned money for that post. The minimum payout for that site is $50, so I will have to keep checking for more assignments.

Shannon was chosen to try and review a product for MySurvey, a reputable survey site that I belong to. He gets to try a deoderant product, it's unmarked, but Shannon says it's Speedstick, just from smelling it. We don't necessarily get paid to take these surveys, but we do earn points that we can redeem for cash or prizes.

Kinda Lazy Day

I feel like I have been dragging all day today and running behind schedule. Kyle is running at his normal pace, which is cute. Shannon also seems to be taking the day in stride...actually he does everyday! LOL

I made tuna noodle casserole and Shannon really liked it. Even Kyle ate some, which was surprising since he is very picky.

My Turbo Jam DVD arrived in the mail today! I am so excited and looking forward to trying this workout program. I have all of my workout clothes ready to go!

A few days ago, I joined a site that pays users to blog. My blogs were approved and I posted my first entry. Once they approve that entry, I will get paid for it. I look forward to blogging more for this site in the future and earning additional income.

Halfway there

I've been taking today a little easier than yesterday. I was doing some much needed cleaning yesterday and glad it's done for now.

My MIL called this morning and said that they are coming home Saturday night. They found a really nice place on the beach, their porch/window is on the beach, the tide is about 30 feet from them. It's an actual condo and they are paying a little over $100 a night, which is really good!

I feel accomplished, I found the last 4 years of our tax returns!!! We need them (eventually) to file for bankruptcy. If we didn't find them, we would have to request them from the IRS and they charge $57 for each year requested. I knew where 2007 and 2008 were, I just didn't have 2005 and 2006 on hand. Our next step is to print out our credit reports and fill out some forms! FUN!

I still want to enroll Kyle in preschool, but with the hysteria of hog flu, I don't know what kind of chaos is going on with schools. We are waiting until all of it passes or winds down.

5 Colors to Try

I love mineral makeup and have been hooked since first trying it in 2006. I just got to choose 5 samples to have sent to me from Monet Minerals! I am so excited and can't wait to try them! It was very difficult to choose 5 colors, there are so many to choose from!

I can't afford the brands that you seen in the infomercials. Monet Minerals prices beat both of the "name brand" companies in a heartbeat! We offer quality, selection, FAST shipping, and 100% natural ingredients.

By the way, everytime you order from Monet Minerals, your order will include free samples!

Feel free to shop online ~ www.MonetMinerals.co.cc

Susie Homemaker

Shannon's been joking that I am Susie Homemaker today, and I feel like it too. I've been cleaning all over the place today.

I made Monkey Munch, it was very easy BUT very messy! I gave Kyle some and he liked it. But apparently it makes he act differently. He has more energy and he's "all over the place." He started doing things he normaly doesn't do (as Shannon put it). So we decided to limit his intake of Moneky Munch since it is coated with powdered sugar. I joked with Shannon saying that maybe that's how other kids act everyday and Kyle just inherited his gene of being laid back. Shannon said it's very sweet tasting, so I won't be making this snack as often as I hoped. It will have to be a "special" treat.

While Kyle was upstairs with his dad playing around and distracted, I planted another row of string beans for my MIL. I also planted the plant I got from Earth Day. We think it's a tomato plant, but not positive. I was going to plant another row of green onions, but I can't find the bag of bulbs. I didn't have to water the garden, since it rained earlier today.

I did 3 loads of laundry today! LOL I plan on doing more this week. I also cleaned our bathroom. I used baking soda to clean the sink, bathtub, and toilet since they needed a good scrubbing. Then I used baking soda and vinegar for the drains (to help keep them flowing).

Meanwhile, Shannon was catching on paperwork for school and unemployment. He's getting everything ready for when his classes start later this month. He had to go to Walmart for ink for our printer.

Other than that, we've been enjoying "living on our own" again. It's been nice.

Just one of those days

We shaved Kyle's head today. He did not enjoy it, and kept trying to run away. He looks much better and I am sure he'll feel a difference when there's a nice breeze outside. Hopefully it will be cooler for him, since he loves being outside.

I saw a snake in the backyard today! It was about 2 1/2 feet to 3 feet long. It was a blackish grey snake, so we think it's harmless. When I saw it, there was a bird playing around it and I saw the head sticking up from the grass so I wasn't sure what it was, it looked like a twig sticking up. So I ran up to it and saw that it was a snake. It started slithering away from me and I ran along side (not too close). I stopped, it stopped and then it stuck it's tongue out. I started moving closer to it and it slithered away.

My in-laws are leaving tomorrow for their vacation. They don't have a return date, but they are aiming for a week long vacation.

I have the dinner meals planned out for this week! We bought ingredients for 3 different casseroles, and a frozen pizza. I also plan on making Monkey Munch. I first tried this recipe in high school and only knew it as "puppy chow." But I love Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Kate calls it "monkey munch." So, I am sticking with that name...Monkey Munch. It's cute!


I also bought some clothes on the clearance rack for only $3! I needed some workout clothes and found shorts and tees. I also bought a pajama capri bottom with tinkerbell on it, also on clearance! I am leery about buying clothes from Walmart, because they don't usually last very long, so we'll see. Although, I did have a pair of pajama bottoms I bought from Walmart and they lasted me about 9 or 10 years!

White House Keeping up with the Times

Here is the sign of the times...

I heard on Fox News today that the White House is now on facebook, myspace, and twitter! I did add them on facebook and twitter, as they are the only social networking sites that I am currently on.

Exiciting!

Gearing Up and Amazon Order

Shannon started college this week. Actually he had a few "orientation" type of classes, to prepare new students to how their school works online. They showed him the forum (how to login, how to navigate, etc). They also had a few classes with practice tests. Shannon officially starts his coursework later this month.

We finally received the debit card for his unemployment! We're just glad it arrived safely. They had to send him a new card. We are allowed 2 free ATM withdrawls a month at our bank (Wachovia), after that, there are fees (booooo!). We can also use it as a debit card in any store.

My in-laws are going on vacation this week. They don't have any hotel reservations, they said they are the type to just go and find a hotel when they get there! Shannon and I did that too many times while we were dating, we used to drive up to Reno, NV all the time without reservations. They plan on going to the beach! We get to watch their dog and cat for them during that time. With the hysteria of hog flu, I am sure they will find a hotel with plenty of rooms available and maybe even lower room rates than normal.

I am going to attempt to make a few casseroles this week! Look out! I'll have the fire department on speed dial, just in case. I have never made a casserole on my own, but I figure I can read...how hard can it be? LOL

I made a purchase on amazon tonight! I am so thrilled with this order, I blogged about it here. This was a mother's day gift to myself. I considered purchasing a DVD for Shannon, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (2008 version), however, I read the reviews for the movie and most of them said it was really bad!