Christmas Eve

This afternoon, we went grocery shopping for a few things.  It was nice for all of us to get out of the house together.  Kyle even helped push the cart to the parking lot, unload the bags and put the cart away.

Tonight, I stumbled onto a book I had downloaded on my Kindle and started reading a few chapters and found other books like it to read.  I have been reading books on living frugally and saving money.  I learned a lot of new ideas as well as ideas I have already been using.

Then I found a book on my Kindle that I don't remember downloading.  I looked it up on Amazon and looked for more free ebooks to download.  Now I have a ton of new books to read.

Toys R Us

We just got back from Toys R Us!  Shannon wanted to spoil Kyle for Christmas since this is the first Christmas we have been able to get him any presents!  Shannon and I ended up getting over $128 worth of toys for Kyle!  We bought him Spiderman toys, a boat and many other things. 

We also stopped at Cricket because Shannon needed a case for his phone. 

Now that we have new toys, I am going to go through his current toy box and get rid of most of the toys!  When we moved here, I wanted to get rid of most of his toys then but Shannon wanted to keep them.  While Kyle is in school, I will be going through his toys and getting rid of them so he won't see me throw them away. 

Done with "black friday" shopping

It's is about 4:35am on Thanksgiving.  I finished my "black friday" shopping about 15 minutes ago.  Shannon needed black pants for work and they were out of stock at JC Penney, so I turned to Walmart.  I bought 4 pairs for now.  I just hope they fit and will be durable.

I bought a pair of cute boots for only $25 in black:

a pair of skinny jeans for $21

and a pair of Skechers for $31 at JC Penney.

Another week off of school

Kyle is off of school this week.  This past Monday, December 26th, I was feeling bored and decided to go for a walk.  I took Kyle with  me and he loved it.  We walked about a mile or so and then he wanted to go play on the playground that we have in our apartment complex. 

The next day, Tuesday, December 27th, I took him for another walk.  This time, we walked across the street to the park.  The little park has a playground and two tennis courts in the middle and there are walking trails all around.  It's not a huge park, but it's a nice place to walk.  Kyle also played on the playground at the park.

We couldn't go for a walk yesterday because of the weather.  It decided to rain throughout the day.  Today's weather looks promising.  The sun is out, but it's still cold! 

Merry Christmas

Last night, I was having trouble falling asleep.  My throat was hurting and I kept coughing.  I ended up taking some cold medicine just so I could fall asleep.  I only took half of the dose recommended because I hate taking liquid cold medicine. 

Kyle and I woke up this morning around 7am.  I did a few things for my blog and I also did 2 loads of laundry. 

I tend to feel tired in the afternoon time and I usually take a nap.  Instead, I opted to take Kyle for a walk and enjoy the fresh air.  We took a 30 minute walk and then he wanted to go on the swings.  We spent a good 45 minutes outside.  It was cold, but he was bundled up in his jacket. 

I think I will take him for a walk in the afternoon time for the rest of the week since he's off of school.  Plus it will give us some time outside!  Kyle loved it!   It is also great exercise for the both of us! 

Thanksgiving Holiday

Kyle is off from school this week.  He had school on Monday and Tuesday and has the rest of the week off, which means 5 days off from school!  Unfortunately, he is sick!  We're not sure if it's the flu (again) or a cold but we can tell he has a sore throat because he keeps coughing.  Yesterday and today, he's been sleeping throughout the day.  He doesn't like to be left alone so he'll sleep in the living room with us.  Poor little bug should be asleep in bed, but he doesn't like to be alone.  He also feels much warmer to the touch than normal.  I haven't checked his temperature since Tuesday but he is warmer than he should be. 

He showed symptoms of being sick on Monday and Tuesday but I still sent him to school since he has the Thanksgiving holiday off. 

Fourth of July evening

Kyle got his haircut this evening by my MIL.  Kyle sat on the kitchen counter and he was able to see himself in the big mirror on the wall.  Of course, he didn't like it and kept squirming around.  Afterwards, I took him outside to brush the hair off his clothes, face, and neck.  He ended up wanting to run around outside.  He was running around smiling and touching his head!  He loved the weather and I think he realized he hasn't played around outside in weeks.  It was perfect beautiful weather and the sun was still out.  He played with his tricycle for a bit and then we pulled out the hose for him to play with the water.

I am wanting to get my haircut.  Hopefully this week or next I can get it done before or after one of my shifts at work.  I have been thinking about getting highlights again, I haven't had that done in a few years.  I think it will look good for the summertime.

Christmas in a Nutshell

We have all been feeling sick for the last week or so. Kyle and Shannon seem to have it the worst. Thankfully we don't feel sick the entire day, it will come in waves. I have started feeling a little sick when I first wake up, but as the day progresses, I feel better.

Shannon has been smoke-free for about 3 or 4 weeks now! He stopped smoking a few days after Thanksgiving. He used the e-cigarettes to help him quit. After awhile, he didn't feel the need for the e-cigarette either. He's had withdrawl symptoms from not smoking, plus he's been sick.

I had to be at work on Christmas Eve for 9 1/2 hours! It was a long day but it went by pretty quickly. I was scheduled to be off at 8 PM, however, all cashiers had to keep working until the last customer was checked out. We all did very well and worked together. I am glad I didn't have to work until 8:30 PM because those workers had to stay until the store was clean!

Our store was closed on Christmas Day, so that meant everyone was off that day. I was also off the day after Christmas! We opened presents just after noon on Christmas Day. Kyle wasn't feeling all that well, so he was not in the mood for all the excitement. My MIL gave me a zip-up hoodie with faux fur lining the hood. My husband received a long sleeved shirt and pajama bottoms, he really needed both! We took some pictures and I hope to have some of them printed out, I plan on putting them in a frame (that holds several pictures) and hanging it up on our wall. Kyle also had a present for Shannon and myself. His teacher wrapped it for him, but he made it at preschool for us. It's a 2010 calendar, the pictures are made of Kyle's handprints! His handprints are in shapes to form a picture, for instance, for October, his handprints are in the shape of a ghost. It's really cute! I remember the day he came home with paint all over his clothes. As long as he had fun, I didn't mind the mess.

We gave my MIL a Dyson vacuum for Christmas. We bought her the Dyson ball so it will be easier for her to clean her house. She loves it! She used it all day yesterday. I think she was looking for things to vacuum! She realized how much dirt and dust is in her house and how fast it accumulates with her old vacuum.

Speaking of Dyson vacuums, my vacuum really needed to be emptied and Shannon finally did that for me yesterday. My vacuum now works much better! Since I was off the day after Christmas, I used that time to catch up on cleaning and laundry! I literally have not had time to do any cleaning in the last month. Shannon has had to do the laundry for me since I was barely home. I was able to clean our entire bathroom! I also did 3 loads of laundry!

Almost confusing

Yesterday I went to work a little early so I could do some quick shopping before I started my shift. I needed to buy more feminine products. It's been at least 4 or 5 years since I've had to buy any for myself because I had a ton given to me, plus I received samples here and there. There are so many to choose from! I had coupons for 3 different brands but I ended up getting the Walmart brand just because I am not too picky on the brand name. I also bought some Suave body lotion with a coupon and some chocolate. At checkout, I finally was able to use my discount card!

Shannon did some shopping last night too. When he does, he usually arrives about a half hour before I get off of work to go shopping and then he meets me outside. He bought everything on the list that we needed! I was very proud of him!

Shannon and I have been thinking about getting my in-laws something for Christmas. He knew his Dad wants a brand new camera, his Dad enjoys taking pictures as a hobby. So Shannon had to "fish" for information on what type of camera he wanted. Shannon was able to find out what camera his Dad wants and last night, I figured out what we're going to get his Mom for Christmas! His Mom wants a Dyson vacuum, the same brand we have, she loves the suction power on it. But she wants the lighter version, the "ball" version, since it's easier to maneuver.

I wore my Walkfit insoles last night for my 5 hour shift. My feet did hurt, but the rest of my body wasn't sore. When I took my shoes off, my feet didn't hurt nor are they hurting the next morning!

My Friday

Today was essentially my Friday from work! I have the next two days off! It was a busy day too!

I received my schedule for the week of Thanksgiving. Someone asked me if I had Thanksgiving off and I didn't even realize or notice if I did or not. I am working that day, but that doesn't matter. Also, that week I have 33 hours! That's the most hours I have ever had since starting there. Recently the assistant managers rotated departments, they are now in charge of a different area (Walmart does this every so often). Anyway, if I had 34 hours, that would be considered "full time" under Walmart policy. Since the switch of assistant managers, I have noticed that this new manager gives me more hours! I am not sure if it's because of the holidays or because we are short staffed. Hopefully my work schedule will settle down a bit. I AM getting two days off in a row, which is a nice change!

I was invited by SheSpeaks to try a new toothpaste, so I signed up and just received my full size product of toothpaste to try! It's brand new, here's a commercial for the product:



I was planning on making my homemade toothpaste tomorrow, but now I have a full size toothpaste to try! I will probably still make my own toothpaste and try both!

Kyle Approved

The last two days, Kyle has "helped" me choose what to wear for work. I am not sure if you would call it "helped," or rather he insisted on what I should wear! Yesterday, I choose a shirt and pair of pants to wear to work. He quickly pulled the shirt off the bed and pulled me towards the closet. I wasn't sure what he meant so I kept resisting, finally I grabbed another shade of blue shirt and he was okay with that color.

This morning, I chose a pair of pants and top and he didn't like either. I gave him a choice of another pair of pants and another top and he approved both of them!

Last night was pretty busy at work! When I walked in, there were long lines! I didn't get out of there until almost 15 minutes after I was supposed to. The lady that was supposed to relieve me, didn't show up until then!

I also overheard that we are on a "hiring freeze," which is too bad since the holidays are quickly approaching. Hopefully they will hire extra people for the holidays!? The Christmas merchandise is already out on the floor! It's so crazy!

I did find two very local management jobs and applied for both for Shannon. These jobs are both located in a neighboring city that's about 20 minutes away! So, we're hoping he gets a call for either or both of them.

4th of July Food

Wow! What a feast! My MIL made so much food! She barbecued the hamburgers, hotdogs, potatoes, and corn on the cob. We also had potato chips, potato salad, and cole slaw. Kyle even had his own corn on the cob and he loved it! It was cute watching him eat it. Shannon had a burger since he rarely has one. Kyle even had a few bites of hamburger!



I ended up having ONE Smirnoff Ice, which is an alcoholic beverage. I rarely drink and I believe the last drink I had was about 4+ years ago. I couldn't even finish the entire thing, the drink got to me quick. I also made sure to EAT before drinking. My heart started beating fast and my lungs felt like they had 10 lb weights on them. I just looked up "alcohol allergy" and this is what I found. I have the flushing reaction.

Here is more info, and this is also what my MIL heard on Oprah (from Dr. Oz):

Many people of Asian descent experience an unusual flushing reaction after drinking alcohol — even in very small amounts. This is caused by a genetic disorder in which the body is unable to break down alcohol completely.

The above reaction to alcohol went away about 2 hours later. I did have to drink a few glasses of water just to help dilute the effects or at least try to. I ended up taking a nap for a few hours! LOL I don't know if it was because I ate a LOT or because of the alcohol! Shannon was sweet enough to watch Kyle during this time.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

My MIL and I went grocery shopping yesterday for our barbecue we're having today! We tried looking for veggie dogs and they didn't have any. My MIL even tried asking an employee if they had any "meatless hotdogs" and I could tell he had NO IDEA what they were because he pointed us to the "meat" section where the other hot dogs were. LOL Plus this employee was a GUY and he had the southern accent, I could just tell he didn't know what "meatless hotdogs" were, he probably thought it was an oxymoron. Anyway, I ended up getting "meatless ribs." Everyone else is having either hotdogs or hamburgers. We bought a lot of other things like chips, corn on the cob, and angel food cake (to make strawberry shortcake) for dessert. Yum!

Shannon started a new class a few weeks ago. This class is on a subject he really likes and it's an ACTUAL class where he can learn something. He had a 1000 word paper due last week and he was already graded on it. He got 100% on the paper! The professor said he's only given out full credit to 12 other students and he will make number 13.

Everything else is going okay. We're still waiting to hear back regarding his appeal on his unemployment. If they don't rule in his favor, Shannon said he will look at getting a local security job. I applied for 2 jobs for myself last night. I am still job searching for Shannon as well.

We applied for food stamps this week! Let's hope we are approved! Hopefully next week we can get to the Head Start office to apply for that for Kyle.

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend, there are many families out there taking a nice long weekend to either go on vacation or just spend time with family at home. Well, for us, we never get to celebrate the holidays or special occasions, especially with working in the hospitality industry. Lucky for us, our industry doesn’t close and we are not a Monday through Friday workplace. If we do celebrate, it’s usually a little bit before or after the actual holiday.

Our weekend falls on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. We don’t really have any plans. Shannon said he’s going to pick up my steam vacuum that I bought for myself for Mother’s Day. It was delivered to the store about 2 weeks ago and Shannon keeps forgetting to bring home the print out (receipt) that you need to pick up your item at the store. So if he does actually does pick up my vacuum, I will be cleaning our carpets!

Shannon is doing really well at his job. He gets along with a majority of the managers there. There are a few managers that I am not fond of. One of them (literally) starts drama and craziness and tries to put the blame on other managers. From what I hear, he yells at the people in his department. Shannon is also close with the Assistant GM of the Hotel Division and the General Manager of the property. They know that they can rely on him to complete any project they ask him to do. He hopes to get back into Training and Safety and Security. Right now, he overseas the Security personnel, but he hasn’t had the time to really watch whether or not they are doing their job, so Engineering is also monitoring them.

Apparently the company he works for will be building a property in a nearby city and the other next door. So, of course, everyone is looking at the opportunities that lay ahead! There will be new doors opening and new opportunities in the future for everyone.

I have also been thinking about enrolling Kyle into a preschool. Awhile back I found a few Church Preschools but there is one in particular that I like. I did email the director to find out more information. There is also a preschool on the way to Shannon’s workplace. Either way, I think it would be beneficial to put Kyle into a preschool so he can meet other kids his age and also stimulate his (always) working mind.

I don’t get it

It’s the day after Christmas and I am seeing all of these news articles and news headlines about returning gifts. I don’t understand why people rush out to the stores or stand in line for HOURS to buy their loved ones gifts only to have the receiver turn around and return the gifts. Why do people bother? There are millions of Americans in credit card debt, most likely from buying Christmas gifts for family and friends, yet everyone is turning around to return gifts?

Why even bother buying gifts then? I supposed I am just being biased since we weren’t able to buy each other gifts, let alone our own son. The gifts we DID get, we are actually using them. We are going to keep them because we need them. What did we acquire? We received clothes that will keep us warm! We received things we really needed.

To each his/her own, I guess.

Our Christmas!

We just finished up opening presents and having our abundant and delightful Christmas dinner! We are stuffed! I took pictures of our presents. I am really happy with all of the gifts that we received from my in-laws! Everything we received is what we really needed!

Kyle also received gifts from my parents a few weeks ago. He got a tricycle, a Pooh movie (he LOVES the Winnie the Pooh characters), and an Elmo doll.

We gave Kyle his presents one at a time for him to rip open but he really didn't understand what was all happening. Which is ironic because he LOVES ripping paper and crumbling up things. First he received 2 pajama sets. Then he got a new toy! A xylophone. He loves music, sound, and songs.

Shannon received a pair of jeans and a pair of khaki pants, both of which he really needed. I picked them out for him too! Now he has 3 pairs of pants that fit and are not full of rips, tears, or stains. His other pairs of pants are at least 4 years old. He has another pair of jeans that I bought for him from Old Navy earlier this year. He also got a new pack of socks! He said he really wanted new socks.

I got a new pullover sweatshirt! It’s navy blue and made of organic cotton. It looks very comfortable. My MIL also treated me to getting my hair done at the salon last week!

My parents bought me a new pair of shoes. I picked out a pair of Skechers since I already know they fit and very comfortable. I had to take a picture of them while they were still new looking. They also came with a second set of shoelaces. I also picked out some small gift sets from The Body Shop and face moisturizer.

**Please note: I tried for the last half hour to add pictures along with this entry but it just wasn't working. The pictures would end up in the wrong place!**

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my readers, friends, and family! I wish all of you a safe, warm, and happy holiday!