Happy New Year 2013!

I am so ready for 2013!  I am looking forward to a new and fresh start! 

Tomorrow is my 10th Wedding Anniversary!  I cannot believe we've made it this far!  We share the same values about life, love and marriage.  We just click. 

Kyle's birthday is on January 3rd.  He will be 7 years old.  He has learned so much over the past year.  He loves to imitate our gestures and words.  He also loves to watch Barney as well as many Disney movies.  He loves to dance and be silly, especially if we are the ones dancing and being silly along with him. 

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.

Last day of school for the year

Today is Kyle's last day of school for 2012.  This morning, as we were waking up and getting ready, I noticed he wasn't feeling well.  He kind of threw up and he was a little lethargic.  As we were waiting for the bus, I could tell he has a tummy ache because he was hunched over. 

I wanted to send him to school since this is the last day of school for the year and I didn't want him to miss anymore school than he has to.  He always seems to get sick before he has a "vacation" from school.  The last time he got sick was the day before Thanksgiving and his teacher had to drive him home. 

Today, he had to come home early because he threw up two more times at school.  So he's been home for a few hours now.  He has the next two weeks off! 

While Kyle was in school, I stopped at Walgreens to pick up a few things.

New blog opportunities and waiting

I am axiously waiting for my casserole dish to get here!  I don't know when it was or will be shipped but I hope to get it soon.  I am looking forward to using it. 

I am also waiting for my Jillian Michaels' DVDs to get here.  I can't wait to try her workouts!  I love my current workout program but to add something new will be a treat! 

I have not heard anything more from the credit union, so I don't know if I was approved or will be approved.  I just want to start out with a savings account and then apply for a credit card or even a secured credit card to rebuild my credit.

We are doing better financially with Shannon working two jobs.  He has a separate bank account and his own credit card with another bank.  He has his security job paychecks going straight to that account.  He uses that account for his own spending money, such as gas, food, etc.  He just switched his Best Buy direct deposit to our joint account.  I will be using that to pay our bills!

I ended up pitching a PR firm that represents Soda Stream and I will be receiving the "genesis system" to review!  I am excited!  We don't drink a lot of soda, but this sounds like a healthier alternative since it uses water to make the soda! 

I am still on schedule with my new workout program: Les Mills Combat!  It's a little difficult but very motivating and fun!  Once I receive my Jillian Michaels' DVDs, I may add them here and there.

Ninja Blender

Shannon bought us a blender!  We had been talking about getting a blender for a few weeks now. 

Since he started at Best Buy, we've been upgrading our appliances.  He bought us a flat screen TV, microwave, new computer and now the blender.  Our TV that we had before was from 2005 or so.  Our old microwave had the paint chipping on the inside and needed to be replaced.  Shannon's computer is from 2005 or so, and he really needed an upgrade.  And now we have a new blender! 

Shannon wants to start making smoothies again and I agree.  They are a healthier snack to enjoy.  Since he's always on the go, I can easily make him a smoothie before he leaves for work! 

Also, we can make alcoholic mixed drinks with it!  There are all kinds of smoothies and other drinks we can make with this! 

Giving Jillian Michaels' a try

I will be trying two of Jillian Michaels' workout DVDs very soon!  I am really looking forward to adding them into the mix.  I choose to receive 30 Day Shred and No More Trouble Zones.  Both workouts require dumbbells which I now have!  I have heard a lot of great things about the 30 Day Shred, so I hope I will enjoy it.

I have never worked out to her videos.  My first impression of her was that she is a little mean and yells at people (from the promos I saw from The Biggest Loser).  She seems tough but she knows what she's doing. 

I was going to choose her Kickbox FastFix video but I decided against it because of the current workout program I am doing.  I didn't want to confuse myself with the kicking and punching routines from her video vs the mixed martial arts program I am doing. 

Christmas Tree Soy Candles

Yesterday, I made another batch of soy candles!  This time I made Christmas Tree scented candles and tarts!  The color is supposed to be "Forest Green" but it looks more turquoise.  Either way, they smell great! 

Grocery Shopping

We went for a trip to the grocery store.  We went to the grocery store nearest us, instead of Walmart.  I stocked up on food for the next week or so.  It's nice to have a full fridge and so many options!

The cutest part of our trip was Kyle helping daddy to push the cart to the car, then help us unload the cart and then he helped mommy put the cart away.  It was so cute and he was so happy with himself!

Candy Cane Soy Candles

 

I just made 3 8oz soy candles tonight.  I made candy cane scented candles.  I picked candy cane to be festive for Christmas! 

Each pound of wax makes 2 8oz candles and at least 4 or 5 1oz tarts!  Instead, I stretched this batch to make 3 8oz candles.  So one of the candles is smaller than the other two.  Next time I will only make 2 8oz candles and tarts!

They smell really good and now our home smells like candy canes! I am addicted!  I plan on making more batches of candles this weekend.  I may need more candle supplies by next week!

The weekend

I am looking forward to this weekend because I just received my candle jars!  I plan on making my soy candles! 

I don't have any other plans, except watching Kyle and maybe get through our laundry! 

Expressing his thanks

When Shannon gets home from work, we usually have only a few minutes to talk and catch up because he's either going to bed, wanting to relax or we're just going our separate directions. 

Today, I was telling him all the laundry and cleaning I did.  He then expressed how he would never be able to do everything by himself.  He's working two part time jobs that are giving him almost full time hours right now and he's going to school full time.  While he is working, I take care of the laundry, our home and cleaning for the family.  I also take care of Kyle and makes sure he gets on and off the bus safely.

Laundry and Cleaning

Shannon is off from Best Buy tomorrow but has to work his security supervisor job from 11pm until 7am.  He worked all this week at Best Buy.  Next week, he's working at least 60 hours total from both jobs.

I did several loads of laundry and cleaned the floors.  I also put our shower liner/curtain through a laundry cycle but it still has the moldy look.  I washed the shower liner/curtain in with a load of towels, as recommended since it's supposed to help remove mold and mildew during the wash. 

Since I cleaned the floors, I also washed our bath mats and kitchen mats. 

Applied for my own account

I applied for my own savings account with the credit union, so that I can "officially" be a member.  A few hours after I submitted my application, I received a call from the credit union stating they ran my name and address and it said "no."  I think she was saying that it's showing I don't live at my current address.  At first I was confused, considering we've lived here for over a year and I receive mail everyday.  I asked her if I could email her a picture of my ID, which I was able to. 

As I thought about it, it may not show up on my credit report about where I live because I haven't applied for a credit card, nor do I have an employer.  The last time I applied for a bank account was when we lived in another city and the last time I had an employer was a few years ago. 

Rachael Ray Casserole Dish

A few days ago, I entered a blog giveaway to win a 3.5 Quart Rachael Ray Covered Rectangular Casserole Dish!  Ever since I entered the giveaway, I have been trying to search for the rectangular casserole dish online.  I searched Amazon, Kohl's and JC Penney.  Then tonight, I re-read the blog post and apparently, this is a brand new product. 

I just received the email tonight stating that I won!

I am so excited and can't wait to receive it.  I chose Red because I have a cookie jar that is red and also because Kyle likes the color red.  My kitchen colors are both green and red. 

The casserole dish retails for $49.99!  Wow! 

Hand weights

Shannon bought me a set of hand weights at Best Buy last night.  He knew I needed a pair for my new workout program.  I've been wanting a pair of weights for awhile.  Before, I was using soup cans. 

He also bought a new desktop computer.  The last time he bought a desktop was in 2005 or so.  He really needed to upgrade his computer.  He plans on setting up his new computer once he is done with his last class (he is on the last week).  Plus he will be working so much in the next few weeks at both jobs. 

I'm not a "member"

I applied for a secured credit card through our credit union in hopes of trying to re-establish my credit.  I received a phone call from the bank stating I had to be a member of the credit union.  I am only listed on a joint account, but not a member.  So now I need to go join and open my OWN account to be a member!  This is so dumb!  I thought I was already a member. 

Productive

This morning, I ended up trying to clean up and de-clutter our second bedroom that is essentially a computer room, storage room and Kyle's toy room.  There were a lot of boxes and other things that could be thrown away.  I was tired of looking at it.  It's nice to have an almost clean room to be in. The closet is stuffed full of plastic storage containers.  Shannon decided to buy plastic storage containers instead of boxes when we were moving.  He figured plastic would last longer than cardboard (since we move so often).  I just hate how much room the storage containers take up.  So the close is full of our stuff in the plastic storage containers, plus several boxes of MRE's.  I am trying to clean up as much as I can and throw everything away that we don't use or don't need. 

I started my new workout program today!  Yesterday, I did the basic video that teaches you the moves.  Today, I started the actual workout program.  It will take me some time to learn the moves but I tried to keep up!   Tomorrow's workout requires hand weights, which I don't have so I plan on using soup cans instead. 

Shannon pretty much slept in until he had to get up and get ready for work.  I asked him several hours before he had to go to work if we could go grocery shopping and of course he said, "maybe."  That pissed me off, so I ended up walking to the grocery store and getting some healthy snacks and other things to help hold us over for a few days.  I am "okay" on dinner foods, but it would be nice to have a not-so-empty refrigerator.  On the way home from the grocery store, I stopped at McDonald's and bought a mocha frappe (chocolate chip)!  I love those drinks! 

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. 

Finding Nemo on DVD

Shannon came home today from Best Buy and he mentioned that he wanted to get Finding Nemo on DVD but he wasn't sure if we already had it.  I told him he didn't and he said that it's on sale (one day sale).  We had a $25 gift card to use, plus he could use his employee discount.  So we ended up paying nothing out of pocket for the movie. 

As soon as Shannon showed Kyle the DVD, he got all excited and when it started playing, he started jumping up and down and smiling and sat down to watch!  One of his favorite movies is Finding Nemo!  He also loves Monsters, Inc. and Cars! 

Walgreens trip

I went to Walgreens today to pick up some things we needed and saved with coupons!  Everything I bought, I had a coupon for.  I bought paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrush, lotion, Aleve, Bounce, and 2 boxes of Ziploc: Gallon and Quart size.

Next week, Shannon is working a total of at least 60+ hours at both jobs!   Kyle seems to have adjusted to his Daddy not always being around.  He's been good at listening as well!

Going to make soy candles again

I was considering joining a home business that sells soy candles, tarts and other accessories for soy products but I didn't want to worry about making a purchase here and there and pay a fee to maintain an affiliate website.

Instead, I decided to try making my own soy candles [and tarts if I have wax leftover] just because it was so much fun!  While it can be messy, it's a great hobby for me!

I bought the soy wax, wicks, fragrance and color.  I just need to buy the jars from Walmart.

I love soy candles so much, I figured it will be more affordable for me to make my own!  This will give me something to do while Kyle is at school and Shannon is at work.  We are also doing a little better financially, so it's not a big expense. 

Les Mills Combat

I gave in a just pre-ordered Les Mills Combat!  I heard about the workout program a few months ago and they are now offering free shipping (the offer ends Monday).  I am not sure of the actual shipping date, but I heard it may be December 3rd.

Here is a preview of the workout:

I am excited about the Mixed Martial Arts involved!  While I love Turbo Fire, I am getting a little bored of it and need a change.  It will be nice to add a new workout program to my routine!  

6 New Air Plants!

My air plants arrived today!  I ended up getting two of each of the following: Xerographica, Ionantha Peanut (BOGO Free) and Ionantha Druid (BOGO Free)!  The Xerographicas are much bigger than I thought they would be!  The Ionanthas are so small!

I still have my two previous air plants that I bought back in February.  

Shannon works today at Best Buy from 12pm until 8pm, then he has to work his security supervisor job from 11pm until 7am! 

Friday work schedule

Shannon worked from 12pm until 7pm at Best Buy.  His security job called him while he was at Best Buy and asked him to come in an hour early to cover, so he's working 10pm until 7am.  He then has to work Saturday at Best Buy from 12pm until 7pm, I believe. 

I started taking a weight loss supplement called Raspberry Ketones.  It is recommended by Dr. Oz.  I am reviewing the product for my other blog.  I am also trying to get back into Turbo Fire.  I strayed from the program about a month ago.  I think I've been doing Turbo Fire for so long.  I am trying to stay motivated.  During the last month, I changed up my routine and rotated between pilates, yoga and Turbo Jam.  There's a new workout program coming out in mid-December but I think I'll wait to see what others are saying about it once it's out. 

Grocery shopping continued

Shannon works this evening from 4:30pm until 10pm.  We had time to go to Walmart for the rest of the grocery shopping.  I bought food for the next week or so for Kyle and I.

Black Friday orders

I received my Black Friday orders!  We received Shannon's black pants yesterday.  He hasn't had the time to try them on.  I want to make sure he likes them and that they fit right.  He will be using them for Best Buy, as well as when we're at home. 

I received my JC Penney's order today!  I tried on my first pair of skinny jeans and love them!  They are so comfortable and fit just fine.  I love my black boots too.  I don't have a full length mirror, so I stood in the bathroom and lifted my leg so I could "see" my boots on my feet and how they look with my skinny jeans!  LOL  I also love my Skechers sneakers!  They fit just perfectly too. 

Walk for groceries

Shannon worked last night from 10pm until 6am at his security job and then he's working 9:30am until 2:30pm at Best Buy.  Soon after he left for work, I left for my walk to get groceries!  It was cold but a nice walk!  Great exercise! 

I picked up as much as I could, considering I had to carry it home.  I bought frozen veggies, macaroni and cheese (for Kyle), blueberries, cottage cheese, rice cakes, cereal and oatmeal.  There is more on my list but I can wait until Shannon can go with me. 

Goodbye Wells Fargo!

We are officially done with Wells Fargo, as of this afternoon.  We went to the bank to close our accounts with them.  We then took the cash to our credit union to deposit! 

Our rent is due this Friday.  Shannon gets paid on Friday (from one of his jobs), which means he will have to transfer some money into our credit union to help cover rent.  Right now, we don't have enough to pay it.  Our money is spread out between two banks.  He still needs to sign up for direct deposit with Best Buy because his money is automatically added to a prepaid credit/debit card that the company issues him. 

Shannon is working crazy hours the rest of the week.  We are pretty much out of food or close to it.  I plan on making a few trips to the grocery store that is down the street.  Since I have to walk, I will have to do a few trips if needed.  I don't want to be stuck carrying 50 pounds of groceries home. 

Haircut!

I just got back from getting my hair cut!  The last time I had my hair cut was in May 2011!  I love my hair cut!  It feels lighter and will be easier to take care of. 

I had to walk to our credit union to deposit some cash and a check and then stopped at Great Clips to get my hair cut.  I had a coupon for a hair cut for only $7.50!  Shannon needs a haircut too!  I have another coupon for him to use.  We also need to cut Kyle's hair.  His hair is so long, he's looking like a cute little elf!

Shannon works tonight from 10pm until 6am.  Hopefully we can go grocery shopping later today since we are almost out of food.  

I also gave in a purchased 5 air plants today since they were having a Cyber Monday special (free shipping)! 

This one is called a Xerographica:

The one below is called Ionantha Peanut (Buy one get one free):

The last one is called Ionantha Druid (Buy one get one free):

I think I am going to get into Tillandsia (air plants) since they don't require soil!  My houseplants that are in soil are always spilling over and causing a mess because Kyle likes to climb on the shelving that they sit on!  

Sunday

I made another batch of homemade laundry soap this morning.

I am slowly trying to get back into couponing at Walgreens to help us save money on the non-food items we need.  I had Shannon pick up the Sunday paper on the way home from work.  I went through the Walgreens ad and matched my coupons with what was on sale.  I took Kyle for a walk to Walgreens and bought 2 bottles of conditioner, 2 boxes of Always pads, and 2 packages of Pampers.  I also picked up my free 8x10 photo that I ordered a few days ago while Walgreens was offering the special! 

It was nice to get out of the house since Kyle and I have been indoors since last Tuesday.

Shannon worked last night at his security job from 11pm until 7am and has to work again today from 3pm until 9pm at Best Buy.  We plan on closing our Wells Fargo accounts and moving our money to our credit union!  Monday norning, I plan to deposit money into our credit union.  After I do that, I can get my haircut since there's a Supercuts in the same shopping center.  I haven't had my hair cut in over a year and half!

Shannon was called about working extra shifts for his security job.  He is now working tonight from 11pm until 7am and the same for Monday and Tuesday!  We need the money!

Twelve hour shift

Shannon had a 12 hour shift at Best Buy today.  Today was Black Friday, also known as one of the busiest shopping days of the year!  He had to work 5am until 5pm.  He fell asleep not even a half hour after getting home.

He said he left around 1:30am.  He stopped in a Best Buy just to see how crazy it would be.  He also did a little shopping and looked at microwaves, but he didn't see any that appealed to him.  Then he went to eat.  He said he stopped by the mall since it was open. 

Kyle is still not feeling well.  He was coughing throughout the day.  He and I ended up taking a nap in the early evening.

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.

Called in to work

Shannon was called in to work tonight/this morning!  He left about an hour ago.  I guess someone called in.  Unfortunately, it won't be "supervisor pay" but it's better than nothing.  He figured since he's up, he'll go in and he will also be missing work on Friday night. 

Security at the football game

In August, Shannon was hired as a security guard through one of his employers to work the college football games at the local university.  The home football games had between 0 to 4 games a month.  With so little games each month, the job is very part time.  Well, as the months went on there were less games.  When you think about it, people cannot live on so little hours and part time pay.  Not only that, they pay minimum wage! 

This Saturday is the last football game of the year.  They called Shannon and asked him if  he could come in earlier because a lot of the people are have quit on them!  Shannon has a busy weekend of work.  He has to work Friday at Best Buy from 5am until 5pm.  He was supposed to work as a Security Supervisor on Friday night from 11pm until 7am, but his boss said that he could have Friday night off.  He has to work Saturday for the football game.  I am unsure of his hours, but it will be at least 10 or 12 hours!  Then he has to work Saturday night from 11pm until 7am!

Two Days Off

Shannon has the next two days off from work!  Kyle is also off for the rest of the week from school.  He is also getting sick.  He apparent threw up at school and he didn't eat at all today.  When he got home, he did eat Ramen noodles.  He threw up soon after Shannon got home. 

I am glad Kyle isn't feeling well while he's off from school, that way he isn't missing any school.  

Money Deposited

Shannon had this morning off from both jobs, so that gave us time to go to the bank.  We pulled money out of his account (at a different back) and then put the money into our joint account at Wells Fargo.  For now, we are going to keep Wells Fargo accounts open until we receive our debit/credit cards from our credit union.  Shannon doesn't want us to go without a debit card. 

After we finished up at the banks, we had lunch/breakfast at Cracker Barrel. 

Shannon just left for work at Best Buy.  It's another evening with Kyle! 

Working like crazy

Shannon has been working both jobs for the last few weeks.  He's working at least 60 hours a week!  He's getting over 35 hours a week with Best Buy, which is to be expected with retail, especially around the holidays!  He has to work a 12 hour shift on Black Friday!  I remember I had to work a 9 hour shift on Black Friday at Walmart a few years ago. 

We plan on closing our Wells Fargo accounts this week and establish ourselves with our credit union.  We received our "welcome kit" the other day.  It included a few checks and our "membership cards."  I can't wait to get rid of Wells Fargo!  He currently has direct deposit going to his own account at another bank.  He's going to have his other job direct deposited into our credit union.  We still have to order checks and we will receive our debit/credit cards within 2 weeks.  In the meantime, we will have to pay any bills with his checking account that he has with the other bank. 

With Shannon gone, I am trying to stay busy with cleaning, laundry and taking care of Kyle when he's not in school. 

Thanksgiving is coming up this week.  I would have liked to make a nice dinner but we're still in between banks.  Plus, Shannon's work schedule is so erratic.  Shannon and I decided we're going to go out to eat on Wednesday since he is off of work and Kyle is home from school.  We also talked about going out to eat on Monday or Tuesday while Kyle is in school, just the two of us! 

New Credit Union Members!

We are officially credit union members!  I just signed up online!  Shannon had to be the primary person on our joint account because he is the one who is employed with one of their "approved employers list."

Shannon is at work at the moment.  I had to call him for one thing I needed information on.  I know everything else about him, I just needed to be reminded of his mother's maiden name and the spelling. 

I am so excited!  I can't wait until we receive our welcome kit that they will be mailing out to us.  Once we order checks and receive our debit/credit cards from our new credit union, I can close our accounts with Wells Fargo.  We have been with Wachovia since 2007 and then they merged with Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo charges too many fees and we are just unhappy with them.

Wells Fargo disappoints again!

I am so irritated with Wells Fargo.  They charged us another service fee of $7 and took another $5 out of our savings.  I have no idea why, since we had plenty in our checking.  We get charged a service fee when we have less than $300 in the savings and with them taking $5 out of our savings, they were able to charge us the service fee.  I can't wait until we can close our accounts with them.  I am so tired of them charging us fees!  

Here is my Tweet to Wells Fargo via Twitter (they also responded):

Shannon both jobs right at the end of the pay periods.  He's been working at both jobs for over 2 weeks and he gets paid this Friday from one of the jobs.  We're anxiously waiting for Friday to get here!  I hope we can close the Wells Fargo accounts and open up accounts with a credit union. 

After Shannon gets paid on Friday, I was going to order him some pants for his Best Buy job but he said I could wait until next Friday which is Black Friday.  His pants will go on sale on Black Friday and they will only be $10!  I plan on ordering him at least 3 pairs of pants for Best Buy and additional pairs in different colors to wear at home.  He needs pants so bad! 

Today, Shannon and I went to Walmart while Kyle was still in school.  We had to pick up a few more things to hold us over until Shannon has another day off. 

24 hours

Yesterday, Shannon had a full 24 hours off from both jobs.  It was nice to have him home, especially with Kyle home from school!  We finished watching Jericho on Netflix! 

Shannon worked last night but he is off today from both jobs again.  Next week, he is scheduled to work a 40 hour work week at Best Buy. 

Best Buy is his first retail job and I keep telling him that retail will work you to death!  Not literally...But they will work you as much as they can get away with.  His boss at the security job asked him if he should inquire about a full time with the security company.  Shannon wants to stay at Best Buy for now and if they start messing with his hours, he will consider working full time at the security company! 

Recipes to try

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I've been thinking about what I want to make for that week.  Shannon may be working, so we'll "celebrate" when he's home.

I also found a few recipes I want to try in general.  With Shannon gone at all hours, I need to start making different recipes.

Shoes

Kyle has new shoes.  Shannon bought him new shoes the other day.  He seems to like them.  I also bought myself a new pair of shoes.  They are Skechers and so cute.  They have a slimmer look!  I bought a half a size smaller than I normally wear thinking I could wear them comfortably.  When I tried both of them on at home, they felt a little snug.  I've been walking around in them at home to see if they would work, otherwise, I will exchange them for my normal size. 

Shannon is still working like crazy.  Yesterday, he only worked at Best Buy.  Today, he has to work at Best Buy and then come home, sleep for a few hours and work at his security supervisor job for 8 hours overnight.  The hours are great, we're just not sure how long he can keep this up.  Hopefully his hours with both jobs will smooth out.  We love the extra hours though.  Now we can't wait until he gets a few paychecks! 

Voting Day

Shannon was off from both jobs today, however, his boss from his security job called this morning a little after 7am.  Shannon is working today with supervisor pay, which is even better because he gets his full rate.  His boss said he was going home and he'd pay Shannon at the supervisor rate, rather than the guard rate.  He works until 3pm on that site.  Then he's going to work another shift tonight. 

We just talked on the phone and decided that we don't need to vote.  We both don't like either candidate... 

Since he has a few hours between shifts, he's going to run to the mall to get shoes for Kyle.  This time, we're going to buy a name brand shoe for him rather than a Walmart shoe brand. 

We're glad that the hours are there.  We definitely need the hours!

Monday

Kyle has today and tomorrow off from school.  Since Shannon started working, Kyle and I have had a lot of time to spend together. 

Shannon worked today at Best Buy.  He did computer training.  From what he described, it sounds like the same training as I had with Walmart.  He worked 5 hours at Best Buy.  His security job called this morning asking if he could cover a shift, however, he had to turn it down because he was schedule to train at Best Buy.  Then his boss at the security job called again asking if he could work later in the day.

It turns out, he is covering for someone who called this evening.  He's working 5pm until 10pm.  If there is another call off for graveyard, he may cover it.

So far, he is off from both jobs tomorrow.  We both want to vote tomorrow and we also want to go to the mall.  Shannon needs additional pairs of pants for Best Buy and I would like to get Kyle a new pair of shoes.  His shoes are coming apart at the soles.  They are already half way off.  There's only fabric keeping his feet in his shoes.

Please and Thank you

Whenever Kyle asks for something, I always make him say "Please" and "Thank you."  I even remind his daddy to ask Kyle to say both when he asks him for things. 

Kyle can sign "please" and he says the word too.  His "please" comes out "pea."  Kyle can also sign "Thank you" and he says the words too.  His "thank you" comes out "bee boo." 

Fall Back

Shannon worked Friday night from 11pm until 7am.  He got home around 7:30am or so and was able to get a half hour of sleep before he had to go to his other job at 10am.  He was able to get off early.  He got home around 6:30pm and went right to bed.  He is at work right now and works from 11pm until 7am.  However, tonight is when we "fall back" and gain an hour!  So he actually has to work 9 hours tonight.  We certainly need the hours and he's doing this for the paycheck!

We hope to get back on track with paying our bills with "regular" paychecks coming in again.  It's been way too long since we've had money coming in, instead of going out every month. 

We also want to move to another apartment complex.  Our lease is up in December, so we plan on going month to month instead of signing a new lease.  Each time, our rent goes up $30+!  Right now, we're paying $637 for a two bedroom apartment.  We rent a stackable washer and dryer, so that "rent" is already added to our rent for the apartment. 

A few months ago, we found an apartment complex not to far from where we are living now.  Their biggest two bedroom with a washer and dryer is a little over $480 or so!  Big difference from what we are paying...

We hope to have enough income by December to show that we could afford to live at the new apartment complex when we apply.

Backpack Program

Happy Halloween!  Last week, Kyle's teachers sent home a note asking parents to send two bags of candy and little toys.  They were going to make treat bags on Halloween to take home.  Kyle came home with a huge bag of candy! 

The school also sent a note home letting us know that he qualifies for the Backpack Program.  Once a month, they will send him home with a backpack full of non-perishable food for him to eat on the weekends.  The backpack is to be returned to school the following Tuesday.  I filled out the form and will send it back to school with him tomorrow.  I am glad we will be receiving free food from the school!

Shannon will be working the rest of the week.  He has to work both jobs on Saturday.  He will be working Friday night from 11pm until 7am and then he has to work the college football game [on Saturday] from 10am until the end of the game.  He is going to see if he can get off early that day.  Then he has to work Saturday night from 11pm until 7am!  Wow!  What a schedule!  He will get only a few hours of sleep on Saturday morning before he has to go to work at the football game. He will be getting full time hours this week which will really help us.  Hopefully by next month, we won't have to use my EE Bonds to pay the rent and bills! 

He also starts at Best Buy next week and they are going to work around his security supervisor job.  

Since Shannon has to work the rest of the week, we went to Walmart tonight for a small trip.  We bought enough food to last us a week or two. 

Want to switch banks

We currently bank at Wells Fargo.  We ended up with them when Wachovia merged with Wells Fargo.  I recently found out that Shannon also hates Wells Fargo!  I dislike the bank because of the recent fees they've tacked on to our account. 

I've been wanting to switch to a credit union.  Now that Shannon has an employer, we qualify to join a credit union.  Hopefully we can switch to a credit union soon. 

Two days ago, we made a big deposit into our Wells Fargo account.  I checked our account online yesterday and it wasn't in our account.  Shannon called them to have them look into it.  They didn't see any pending deposits and told us they would look in to it.  We thought maybe Hurricane Sandy may have slowed down their servers/banking services. 

I checked our account this morning and the money is finally showing up.  It really drove me crazy because we have rent to pay and a few bills pending!

Working

Shannon has been working like crazy at his security supervisor job.  He's in training, so he's been working with other supervisors on their shift.  He's worked everyday this week except yesterday.  He still hasn't heard back from Best Buy on when he's going to start.  We decided he should just focus on his supervisor job for now.  We have also talked about the possibility of him dropping the Best Buy job since he can get hours with his security  job, but they aren't guaranteed extra hours each week.

On Saturday, Shannon will be working two jobs.  He has to work the college football game and then work graveyard as a security supervisor! 

Full Shift Tonight!

Shannon worked all day yesterday.  He worked at least 11 or 12 hours yesterday at both jobs.  He worked a little over 3 hours at Best Buy for orientation and then he went straight to the other job for security. 

He had to go in today for the security supervisor position to get his badge, the necessary shots and additional tests!  He works a full shift tonight too!  He works 11pm until 7am. 

Big day tomorrow!

Shannon has a big day tomorrow.  He has orientation at Best Buy.  They estimate his orientation to last between 3 1/2 to 4 hours.  He also has to work his other job as security at the college football game.  The game doesn't start until 7pm but they usually have them come in 3 hours before the game starts.  As soon as he's done with his orientation, he has to go straight to the security job and work until after the game is over.  He will be working for at least 10-11 hours tomorrow at both jobs. 

He will also start training for his security supervisor job on Friday!  He has to report to work at 7:45 AM! 

It will be nice to start receiving regular paychecks! 

Next Thursday!

It turns out that his Best Buy orientation is next Thursday! 

We are still waiting for him to start his security supervisor job!  They called earlier this week to confirm some information and said the orientation should be in about a week!  I can't believe that job is taking almost 3 weeks to start!

The Walking Dead

A few weeks ago, someone mentioned that they are watching the show The Walking Dead on Netflix.  I found the show and added it to our "queue."  We started watching it today and are now hooked on the show! 

The Walking Dead is about living amongst zombies! 

When can he start?!

Well, he was hired at Best Buy last week.  Now we're just waiting for them to call about a start date.  It's just frustrating because we need him to start earning a regular paycheck!  His other job is only 3 or 4 days a month, sometimes less. 

We are being charged $3 every so often from our bank because we don't have enough in our savings.  It's called a "overdraft protection" charge or something like that.  It's just annoying that we are being charged, even though we don't have enough money in the first place.  I told Shannon that when he got hired at his first job that we should go open an account with a credit union, but that never happened.  If we are members of a credit union, they won't charge us because we don't have enough in the bank. 

Groceries

We went to Walmart today for groceries.  At checkout, our bank card was denied for insufficient funds.  Luckily, Shannon had a credit card from his other bank. 

I just hate having to use my EE Bonds for most of this year to help support the family.  Although, I am glad that this past summer, Shannon finally realized he needs to look for work. 

We're just waiting for him to start at Best Buy.  He was hired yesterday and took the drug test.  We're hoping they will have him start soon! 

His other job called offering him another position for full time, but the pay was low.  They wanted to offer him this full time job because the supervisor job won't start for another week or so!    He had to turn down the full time job because he was just hired at Best Buy. 

He got the job!

Shannon got the job at Best Buy!  They had him fill out the paperwork and then go take the drug test.  The job is only part time, two to three days a week.  They are starting him at $2 more an hour than the starting pay! 

2nd interview at Best Buy

Shannon had a second interview today at Best Buy.  They called him yesterday, right after the first interview to ask him to come in today for another interview!  This is a part time position, and it sounds like it would work around his security supervisor job. 

He still hasn't heard back from his current employer regarding the job that they offered him.  It's been a week and a half. 

Interview at Best Buy

Shannon still hasn't heard back from his currently employer about his supervisor job that he was hired for.  Last Monday, he went in for the drug test and TB test.  He was told by the doctor that he passed the TB test and he doesn't do drugs, so he passed that. 

Last night, Best Buy called to schedule an interview.  He had applied for the job about 2 or 3 weeks ago!  He called them back this afternoon and has an interview tomorrow! 

Back to Turbo Fire

I am now on Week 2 of Turbo Fire.  In the weeks before, I was doing Turbo Jam to get my body and endurance up for Turbo Fire.  I took the summer off from Turbo Fire since the workout schedule is so intense and Kyle was home from school.  During the summer, I was focusing on pilates and yoga.  Now that Kyle is back in school, I wanted to get back into Turbo Fire. 

So far, I am staying on track and my body isn't that sore the next day.  I can feel my muscles getting strong faster this time around on the schedule. 

He got the job!

Shannon had to work today.  While he was gone, it gave me a chance to do laundry, clean and do some reading!

He had an interview earlier this week for a security supervisor position.  The position is part time and he would be in charge of 8 different sections!  He is still coughing and not feeling well, especially when he went into interview.  When he got back from his interview, he was sure he didn't do that well!

Today, when he reported for work, the HR lady gave him a piece of paper indicating he had to go in for a drug test, etc.  They offered him the position!  We're not sure of the exact pay, but we have a range.

Job Interview

Shannon is still sick.  He has it the worst.  I haven't been feeling well.  It's only my throat that bothers me and it makes me cough here and there, but that's about it. 

Shannon has a job interview this Thursday afternoon.  It's with the same company he is working for now.  The HR lady recommended him for this position he is interviewing for.  It's part time for a supervisor position, however, most of the supervisors that are part time are working full time hours! 

Sick this week

Kyle was sick earlier this week, but well enough to go to school.  I've been mildly sick as well.  Shannon seems to have it the worst.  He must have the flu...  He's been coughing up a storm.  He was able to go to work, but had to leave early.

Since he's been working once a week or less since he's been hired, he's been asking for more hours.  Today, the HR lady said she needs to hire for several positions including full time, part time and supervisor openings!  She's going to call him in on Monday to interview!

It's fixed and carpet is dry!

Our water heater/wet carpet issues are fixed!  It first started last Saturday.  We didn't report it until Tuesday (because Monday was Labor Day).  They came by on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to fix it.  Each day, we thought it was fixed until it came time for showers.  After 3 hours of the plumber taking a look at it and finishing up putting the water heater back in, our problems are fixed!  They carpet guy came by to soak up all the excess water in the carpet and a few hours later, the carpet was DRY! 

The other day, I used my beloved Shark vacuum to clean and it soaked up some of the water.  Well, when I went to use it on Friday, it wouldn't work.  I cleaned every part of it that I could and realized that I needed to let it dry out.  I was finally able to vacuum today! 

Shannon is working all day today, so I am catching up on laundry and cleaning.  I am all caught up on my blog stuff too.

Wet spots on the carpet

We've been having problems with our carpet being wet near our water heater.  This happened earlier this year and they replaced the water heater and the wet carpet mess stopped.  It recently started again this past Saturday.  It was wet at the entrance to our bedroom and to our living room.  We have a big chunk of wet carpet near our bathroom which is across from our water heater.  The maintenance people came to fix it and they even had a carpet guy come out to remove the padding underneath the carpet. 

Well, the leaking started up again a few hours after they left.  It seems to get worse when we shower. 

New backpack!

I really wanted to get Kyle a new backpack this year.  The one he's been using is one I bought 3 years ago at Goodwill.  I noticed recently that it had a hole in it, so I knew he needed a new one. 

We went to Target yesterday and bought a Disney's Cars backpack for 30% off the original price!  If we had bought the backpack two weeks ago, it would have been at the regular price.  I'm glad we waited.  I had been trying to find one at Walmart but I could never find where they are in the store. 

Luckily, Kyle easily accepted his new backpack and didn't fuss about using something new. 

First day of 1st Grade!

Today was Kyle's first day of school!  Last Thursday was open house.  He didn't want to go back to school at all.  When we went to the open house, it took him about 5 minutes to get used to being in the classroom again. 

Today was a little worse.  He didn't want to get ready for school.  He kept putting his backpack back when I put it out in the living room.  When we arrived at school, he didn't want to get out of the car.  Shannon and I both had to walk him to his class.  (Normally, I walk Kyle to his class.)  Kyle didn't want us to leave either.  The teacher had to distract him while we slipped out. 

It's been such a nice and quiet day without Kyle at home.  It feels odd. 

Started working

Earlier this week, Shannon received a call from his new employer [the contract security company] asking if he's available to work this weekend.  It is good to finally have some hours.  He also works next Saturday.  He is going to let them know that he can also work in Greensboro/Triad area, instead of just Winston Salem.  They said that the people in Greensboro need help because some of them are getting upwards of 60+ hours a week.  He's going to let them know that he's available full time, and hopefully that will lead to more hours.

This weekend, we found out that he did not get the job at the college.  In a way, I am glad because it is a graveyard position and I honestly didn't see him doing the hours or the job itself.  It would really limit us as a family because I prefer all of us to be on the same sleep schedule.

We've been talking about Shannon having a cell phone.  We have to wait until he gets more hours at work before we can actually buy one.  It would be good for him to have one, especially since his employer will call with shifts that are available.  He would also need a cell phone to carry at work.

It's NOT Saturday?

Shannon and I thought today was Saturday!  I guess we were so excited for him to start training for his new job.  We didn't realize it was Friday until I went to update my blog and was checking the date to schedule a post. 

This weekend, he has training to obtain his license.  In NC, you need to have a security license in order to work in security.  Unfortunately, we have to pay for this training, but it will pay off. 

We are still waiting to hear whether or not they are going to hire him full time.  Either way, he will have a job with this company. 

Cleaning the closets

Last night I was looking in our closet and realized that at least half of the clothes hanging in there are those I don't wear anymore.  I decided to remove the clothing that I no longer fit into or just don't wear.  I also went through our dressers and removed clothing I don't use.  I also plan on going through some boxes and getting rid of books that have accumulated from my book reviews for my blog. 

Another interview

Shannon had an interview last week with the people the Contract Security company sent him to.  They provide security at the college football games.  This job would have been very part time.  The guy decided to hire him.  He then had to go back to the Contract Security company to tell them he was hired and they sent him to get a drug test. 

Shannon received a call from the Contract Security company letting him know that they have another security position for him, it's full time and they want to interview him for that job.  He has an interview tomorrow afternoon!  We are both so excited and hope he gets hired for it, because it's full time! 

I won!

I received an email that I won a giveaway!  The last giveaway I won was my iPad!  This time, I won a yoga mat and a bathroom scale!  This will be the 3rd yoga mat I have received from this company.  I did a review for the first two yoga mats.  I am exciting about the new mat and the bathroom scale! 

Interview

Shannon has been job searching via the internet for the last few weeks.  He went in to a Security company here in our city to apply directly with them.  They gave him a number to call that are currently hiring, however, it is only part time.  It took a few days for them to finally call him back, but he has an interview tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm.  The guy told him to bring two forms of ID and a blank check.  So it sounds like he's already hired.  They provide security for the college football games.  While this is only part time (one day a week), Shannon just wants to get his foot in the door with the security company.  That way, he can eventually promote to full time and/or find other security assignments within the company.

Needed to get out

I was feeling a little confined so we decided to get ready to go somewhere.  We ended up going for a drive.  We went to Red Robin to eat.  Kyle actually sat still the entire time!  We think it helped that we sat near the window so he had a nice view to look out of.  We had a nice quiet meal at a restaurant for the first time ever!

Afterward, we went to Target to walk around the store.  It was nice to get out of the house! 

Since being back home from our vacation, Shannon has been job searching and applying like crazy.  It's nice not having to do everything around here for once.  He's actually doing his own job search and filling out online applications.  I just wish he started looking for jobs weeks ago. 

In Florida, we ended up having a discussion about our marriage and I told him everything that bothered me and angered me about our marriage.  He didn't realize, nor did he see that everything was just building up and making me unhappy.  He thought that the little things do not matter, only the big things.  Since then, he's changed completely. 

For the last 3 years, he would talk about nothing but his case.  He would always brush off what I wanted to talk about or my hobbies as things that do not matter.  He has also changed his direction in life.  He no longer bases his future on what a psychic told him.  He's finally thinking and planning for Plan B, rather than what may happen.  All of which, I believe he/we should have been doing the entire time.

32nd Birthday

I had a good day.  I did laundry and realized we are almost out of homemade laundry soap.  We ended up going to Walmart for a few things, including the ingredients to make the laundry soap.  I ended up getting a new houseplant, called Pink Arrowhead Plant. I bought the smallest, most compact plant on the shelf.  I love the pink color on the leaves. 

We also bought a Snickers ice cream cake and another dessert. 

Tonight, I made a big batch of homemade laundry soap, so we should be good for several months. 

Second Tooth

Kyle lost his second tooth this morning.  Unfortunately I am unsure where it is.  He became upset and confused and started crying.  After awhile, he was able to calm down. 

Good to be home

It is so good to be home.  Nine days is too long to be away from home.  I started feeling homesick and I think Kyle did too.  I was ready to return home after only 4 or 5 days. 

I have a few obligations at home that I want to keep up with. 

Today is our first full day home.  I am caught up on laundry!  I woke up early to update my blog.  I also did yoga and pilates after nine days without it. 

At the beach

We spent the day with my in-laws.  First, we went to the mall to eat at the food court.  They have a restaurant there that offers a healthy variety of food in the food court.  After eating, we walked around the mall.  My mother-in-law bought me a candle from Yankee Candle.  She also bought herself a candle. 

After about an hour at the mall, we went back to their apartment where we then headed to the beach.  We spent over 2 hours there.  Shannon and I walked up and down the beach a few times.  Kyle was scared of the water, so he stayed near the back of the beach on the sand. 

After only a few hours at the beach, I have a nice golden tan! 

Disney World July 2012

Last Tuesday, we left for Disney World.  We ended up staying overnight in Georgia on Tuesday night and continued on our journey on Wednesday morning.  We've visited Disney World parks for 3 days and taking Saturday off.  We also went today.  We went to Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios.  We tried to give Disney Hollywood Stories another chance, since we didn't like it the first time.  The park disappointed us yet again.  The park is mostly for older kids or childless couples.

Since we've been walking for hours since being at Disney World, we have noticed how healthy and fit we feel.  Shannon has noticed a huge difference since he's been sitting around for the last 4 years.  

Tomorrow is our last day at Disney World and we will check out on Tuesday morning.  On our way back home, we plan on stopping in Myrtle Beach, SC to visit my in-laws for two nights.  We plan on returning home on Thursday.

Shannon plans on looking for jobs as soon as we return home!  Finally!  With all of this exercise, he should be ready to return to work.

Shark Vacuum is here!

My Shark vacuum arrived today!  I heard the FedEx truck pull up and couldn't wait for it to arrive at my doorstep.  Kyle helped unpack it and throw things away.  He also helps remove labels and stickers. 

I even put the Shark vacuum together myself.  Thankfully, I didn't need any tools! 

I used my Shark vacuum at least 3 or 4 times just vacuuming around the apartment!  I am very happy with the results. Our carpet looks so clean and even feels clean on our feet.  The vacuum also comes with a HEPA filter and I could feel the air being cleaned as I was vacuuming!  I just love it.

Our beloved Dyson Vacuum

We bought our Dyson vacuum in 2005.  Back then, they didn't have the smaller versions like they do now and ones that use the ball technology that make it easier to steer around furniture.  Our Dyson is big and bulky, especially now that we live in a small apartment. 

Our Dyson is close to dying.  The hose is ripped pretty badly and it's not picking up as good as it did before.  It has been through the ringer with moving, years of use and Kyle!  Kyle likes to play with the vacuum!

I went searching online for vacuums.  In the past, I noticed the Shark vacuum.  Their commercials say they offer "no loss of suction" just like the Dyson but they cost much less.  Since we don't have $380 or more to spend on a vacuum, I looked at the Shark vacuums.  I know Shannon is a little against the Shark because when we went shopping for his Mom's Christmas present a few years ago, he wanted to get her a Dyson, NOT a Shark.  I read the reviews on QVC and Walmart regarding Shark and a few reviews were from Dyson owners.

I ended up purchasing the following Shark vacuum:

Although, I saw the one below and really liked it, but chose the one above instead because of the price:

The professional model comes with an attachment that would have been nice, but not a necessity! 

I also compared the prices between Walmart and QVC.  QVC may have cost less but their shipping was almost $20 while Walmart was free shipping!

My new Shark vacuum should arrive by the end of next week!  I can't wait to try it out!  I paid for the vacuum out of my paypal account and it's almost already paid for from my blog earnings! 

No good news

We still have not received any good news. We have about a month's worth of living costs in the bank right now. I told Shannon that now would be a great time to look for a job, since he's been putting it off for so long. He also agreed to turn to food banks again. We only went one time last month which was disappointing! I don't think he wants to realize how little money we have.

Tonight, he agreed that he should start looking for jobs, so we'll see how far that goes.

The money that is in the account will cover us if we continue to live the way we are. It is also disappointing that he continues to smoke and buy bottled water. He's too good for faucet water. That would be a great expense to cut down on...considering. It's too bad he continue to buy cigarettes every other day as well.

Feeling better

I woke up this morning feeling much better. I still have a cough but I'm feeling better than this weekend. This morning, I had the urge to do yoga since I wasn't able to workout all weekend. I did 20 minutes of yoga!

Kyle woke up soon after I did. I ended up taking him for a walk to Walgreens.

We went to Walmart this evening because we were out of food! Our shelves and refrigerator were pretty much empty.

This evening, I did 20 minutes of Pilates!

No more couponing

Several weeks ago, I stopped our Sunday paper delivery because of financial reasons.  Plus, I wasn't doing much couponing. 

I just got back from Walgreens and now that I don't use coupons, I am taking advantage of their "Register Rewards" which is Walgreens money you earn for certain products.  I can use the "Register Rewards" on my next purchases.  So I am doing that to help cut our bill with toiletries we need. 

I bought toilet paper, kleenix, toothpaste and toothbrushes! 

Still sick

It's been a quiet weekend. I'm still sick. I stopped taking medicine because it wasn't helping much. I took a nap today and it helped me feel better for a few hours. My body aches and I should be in bed. I'm gladidon'thave any obligations, such as work or school. I haven't worked out in a few days either. I have headaches as well. I just don't want to overexert myself.

I'm sick now!

Yesterday was Kyle's last day of school!  They had substitute bus and bus drivers yesterday and we ended up taking him and picking him up from school.  We weren't sure if the substitute buses would be equipped for Kyle.  He was pretty much sick the whole week but we sent him to school since there was only one week left. 

The last few days, I noticed I wasn't feeling right.  I had a tickle in the back of my throat.  I also had a headache here and there.  Yesterday evening, I really started to feel sick!  I took over the counter medicine to help me sleep and it helped me sleep 5 hours and then I had to take another dose which helped me sleep another 4 hours. 

Summer is here!  Although, we don't have any plans right now.  We're just taking it day by day. 

Pilates and Yoga

I've been keeping busy with doing Pilates and yoga workouts on Netflix! I love having a few videos to choose from! I rotate between pilates and yoga each day, depending on my mood.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Shannon started another marathon. This time, he's watching Star Trek: Enterprise. It's supposed to be the prequel to Star Trek: Next Generation.

Last week of school

This is the last week of kindergarten for Kyle! As of now, we have no plans for the summer! Hopefully something good happens soon for us!

Well needed bath

This weekend, I gave my potted indoor plants a "bath." I rinsed them in the bathtub by splashing water on the foliage and soaking the soil really well. My plants needed to be cleaned since they were full of dust. Plus, clean plants will help them soak up the sun better.

FlashForward Marathon

We spent this weekend watching the TV show FlashForward. I watched it while it was on the air. Shannon watched a few episodes when it was on. Now that he's watching it, he's really into it!

Lost first tooth!

Kyle came home today and his tooth is gone! We noticed earlier this week that his tooth was loose. Unfortunately, he lost it while at school, so we're not sure what happened to it. He may have even swallowed it or it fell out...

Stomach bug

We kept Kyle home from school yesterday.  When he came home from school on Monday, he looked a little glossy eyed, tired and had red cheeks.  We tried offering him water because he looked thirsty but he refused.  He ended up throwing up about a half hour after getting home!  He threw up a few more times throughout the evening.  So we kept him home on Tuesday. 

He didn't look much better today but we sent him to school anyway.  We'll see how he is when he gets home today. 

Mini shopping spree

One of the sites that I am a member of, I earn points to redeem for gift cards, prizes, and cash.  I've been able to redeem my points a few times from this particular site.  In the past, I have redeemed my points for gift cards to restaurants. 

I couldn't decide if I should redeem my points for Paypal cash or a JC Penney gift card.  Shannon and I agreed to go for the gift card so that we can at least have a mini shopping spree.  He only has 3 pairs of pants that he wears.  Hopefully we can get him one or two more pairs, more shirts for Kyle and maybe a pair of shorts or capri pants for myself. 

Shutter Island

Shannon and I watched Shutter Island last night.  It is a psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the very end!  It was a really good but confusing movie.  I really enjoyed it.  It reminds me of other movies, but I won't mention them because it would just ruin  the movie. 

Old Shows and Pilates

Since we now have Netflix, we are taking full advantage of it.  I found a handful of pilates workout videos that I plan on using. 

I found a few shows that I saved to watch.  I started one series that I am watching from the very beginning.  I didn't really watch it when it was on the air, I am enjoying watching it now and seeing actors that I know from other shows in the present. 

The Next Three Days

Tonight, we watched the movie, The Next Three Days. Kyle fell asleep in the middle of it. It is nice to be able to sit and watch a movie with Shannon. I plan on canceling our cable tomorrow.

As we were watching the movie, I was having a hard time hearing the dialogue. It seemed the music was super loud and the dialogue was low. I'm used to watching TV with closed captioning. Shannon found out how to turn it on with NetFlix and after that, I was able to enjoy the movie.

Netflix!

We've been talking about trying Netflix because of the savings and decided to really give it a try after receiving our cable bill yesterday. So, I signed up for Netflix this evening and we get a full month free as a trial.

Today, we went to Walmart while Kyle was still at school to buy MagicJack! We hope to set that up this weekend or so.

After trying Netflix for about a half hour, I'm ready to cancel our cable now! But Shannon says, "not yet." Kyle is playing with Netflix now and he's finding all of his favorite shows. He likes the beginning while they are singing and stops it after the song to find another show. I can also use Netflix on my iPad2!

Two more food pantries

Today I called two more food pantry locations and we plan on utilizing them as well. Hopefully they won't limit us to visiting only once a month.

If the two food pantries allow us to pick up food once a week, that would be great!

It finally hit Shannon that we are running out of money and have to be frugal and conserve. He's in no hurry to find a job because he keeps putting it off.

Changes need to be made

We received our Internet/cable/phone bill today and it literally doubled from last month and they added Showtime Unlimited! I called them to rectify the situation. Our bills down to $143. This is still too much for us. We decided to switch to MagicJack for phone service. We also plan on canceling cable for either AppleTV or Hulu Plus.

First loose tooth!

As we were getting ready to head out the door to pick up food at the food pantry, I noticed one of Kyle's teeth look croocked, it was sticking out a bit. I gently wiggled it and realized it was loose! I said to Kyle, "Oh, your tooth is loose, we have to tell Daddy!" After that, Kyle signed "daddy" which was really cute.

Kyle knows at least 20 signs and we go through them with him to practice and help us remember them!

No School and Food Pantry

Surprise!  This morning, while waiting for the bus, another parent pulled over to tell me that school was canceled due to a flood near the entrance of the school!  Kyle was not happy! 

We ended up going to the food pantry today.  We took home two plastic grocery bags full of food.  We have 10 cans of food, two boxes of crackers, a box of mac and cheese, peanut butter, and a loaf of whole wheat bread!  We are so thankful for the food! 

Unfortunately, we are only allowed to visit this particular food pantry once a month.  So, I plan on calling other food pantries to find out when they are open! 

Grocery Shopping and Food Pantry

Today, we went grocery shopping.  We find it easier to go while Kyle is at school.  It's quicker and less stressful.  He likes to pull stuff off the shelf and put them in the shopping cart.  He knows what he wants and he likes to grab for them. 

I called a few food pantries today and found one that we will use for now.  They are open every week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  We plan on going tomorrow.  It will be helpful to supplement our grocery bill.

Before our shopping trip today, our fridge and freezer were about 90% bare and our shelves were about 70% bare.  So we needed to go shopping today!  

9 months ago

Nine months ago, I asked Shannon about going to food pantries for help with food and at the time he said no.  I think it was his ego that kept us from going that route.  Yesterday, when I suggested we start going to food pantries for help, he agreed!  I am so shocked and surprised that he is actually "okay" with going to food pantries!  I realize that the food we will receive from food pantries won't be as healthy, such as white bread instead of whole wheat and cow's milk instead of soy or almond milk, but it's food. 

Nine months ago, when I was searching for local food pantries, I saved my list of information and thankfully I didn't delete the document on my computer.  I was able to find it and now I am going to use that to find out where we can go. 

Asking for donations

Along with our mail, we were given a brown paper bag to fill it up with nonperishable food for the food banks.  This gave me an idea.  I think we'll need to turn to the food banks for supplemental food for our own shelves since food is such a big expense.  Most of our money is going to food and bills and that's pretty much what we buy these days.  It doesn't help that we have very little money coming in, which is what I make with my blogs.  That money is not nearly enough. 

Unexpected Surprise in the mail!

Yesterday, I received an unexpected surprise in the mail.  I am an ambassador with the Purex team and I use my blog to write about their products or do product reviews for them.  They sent me a $10 Amazon gift card for Mother's Day! 

This will be the only gift I will receive for Mother's Day!  I am so thankful.  I'm not sure what I want to get though! 

Taking a break from school

I decided to take a break from Ashford University for a bit. It was getting to be too time consuming and overwhelming for me.

I am enjoying being a blogger and blogging is taking up most of my time.  My blog is much more important to me than school, which may not make sense.  However, my blog is my main focus.

I am considering re-enrolling at Ashworth College since it is self-paced and less pressure to stay on a schedule. 

A nice outing

Today, we went to Greensboro, NC to eat at Red Robin. We don't take Kyle out to eat at restaurants because of his special needs, so trips like this are far and few between. Afterwards, we went to Target. I earned a $10 gift card a few months ago, so I wanted to use it. I ended up getting paper towels and a pack of 2 bras ($16.99). It was so odd going to Target since we normally don't shop there. I can tell they are trying to look like a department store. They have nicer shelving and displays for their merchandise. This particular Target had a fresh/frozen food section, as well as a Starbucks in it! Wow! Target sure has changed.

Jurassic Park

Yesterday, we ended up watching Jurassic Park on cable. It was nice to sit down as a family to watch a movie. It is rare for Shannon and I to watch TV together, so it was really nice.

One week of overlap

This week I have two classes that are overlapping.  I started a new class today (Tuesday) but I am on my last week of my current class!  It's a little stressful as I am trying to juggle the school work and making sure I don't miss a deadline!  My current class is pretty much done.  I have a few discussion posts to post and respond to and then I have to turn in my final paper (which is done). 

I've been keeping up with my workouts and doing pretty well!  I am proud of myself for sticking with the schedule.  I am trying to get into better shape since I want to take Kyle to our apartment complex pool this summer!  Kyle loves the water.  He loves taking a bath and I am pretty sure he would love the pool.  Although, I am going to have to get in the pool with him.  I may want to get arm floats for him to wear in the water, just in case.  He even loves putting on his swim trunks when he takes a bath. 

This morning, I gathered as much trash as I could.  I wanted to get rid of knick knacks, scraps of paper, old toys and junk that has been piling up.  I hope to do more trash gathering tomorrow.  I have to throw away things when Kyle is away from home, otherwise, he'll want to put everything back! 

We've been talking about canceling cable and switching over to Netflix.  However, I believe we need a special remote to use with the PS3.  We can still use and watch Netflix but having the remote would be much easier.  So we've been stalling on actually ordering Netflix.  I would also love to switch over to Magic Jack to save money on our phone service.  I'll have to discuss it with my husband and see what he thinks. 

Staying ahead

I've been doing good with staying on track with my workouts!  Yesterday I added a pilates workout to my day!  I am going to try to add pilates in the evenings. 

I look forward to the weekdays because Kyle is at school.  It seems it's the best time for me to work on my school work.  This weekend, I started my discussion questions for this week and finished them today.  I also did my reading and completed my quiz!  I got a 9 out of 10! 

I have found that when I stay at least 4 or 5 days ahead of my college schedule, it helps me feel organized and gives me enough time to do my school work.  I am done with everything for next week except my rough draft essay!  Next week, we have to write a rough draft essay and the final is due in a few weeks! 

Essays make me nervous since I haven't really had much practice in over a decade. 

The one thing I do miss about online college is lectures and being around other students and teachers. 

Spring Break is over!

Kyle returns to school tomorrow!! I am really looking forward to him going back. It will give me time to work on my school assignments. I like to stay a few days to a week ahead. This week, I have a paper to work on and an assignment to finish up. I still need to re-read the chapters and then take a quiz!

I've been keeping up with my workouts as well. I did have to take a few extra rest days here and there due to muscle soreness but still trying to stay motivated.

Sitting down to take her quiz...

After finally getting Kyle to bed, I woke up with the intent on getting some quiet time.  I decided to take my quiz for class since I don't have much time during the day with Kyle home this week.  Spring Break needs to be over!  I usually do my college work when Kyle is at school.  My only time is at night, at least for this week. 

I told Shannon that I was going to take my quiz.  Soon after I sit down and open the window to take my quiz, he comes in to the room and starts talking to me.  I quickly had to remind him that I'm taking a quiz.  Once I open the window, I have 12 hours to take it.  I also have to be in that "frame of mind" to take the quiz.  I can't be answering a question and then getting up to do something and then sit back down, etc.  I need to take my quiz in one straight shot!  Soon after Shannon leaves the room, he decides to turn on the A/C!  I start to get cold so I have to get up to turn it off because he can't hear me ask him to turn it off.  Then the damn phone rings.  We have a phone in our room where Kyle sleeps so I am sure that helped to wake him up. 

Then Shannon starts listening to music on his computer and I have to shut my door just so I can concentrate.  Lo and behold, soon after, Kyle wakes up!  He is awaken by the music and the phone. 

Thankfully, I finished my quiz and received a 9 out of 10 correct!

Who framed...the family?

We have framed family pictures!  I am so glad to have pictures of us!  Now I just have to wait for Shannon to put them up on our wall.  Unfortunately, that will take him about 87 days weeks days to finally get to. 

All of the pictures above were free through various Walgreens promotions.  The one in the middle is from our most recent visit to Disney World (Feb/Mar 2012) and I had that one made today.  The two on either side were from our first trip to Disney World in December 2010.

Since I had 3 pictures, I decided to finally buy frames for them!  I can't wait to see them on the wall!  I want to put them in our bedroom so I will see them when I go to bed and when I wake up. 

Almost 2 weeks

We finally went grocery shopping today.  We have been out of food for a few days.  It's been almost two weeks since we last went to the store.  Thankfully, we have a supply of food that is meant to be stored for years.  We have several soups and pastas, so we've been eating those the last few says since we didn't have anything else. 

Still not 100%

Kyle still isn't feeling 100% better.  He seems to be okay for a bit and then he's feels tired.  His appetite hasn't fully returned either. 

Flu = one week of school

We are pretty sure Kyle has the flu, based on his symptoms. Plus, he's been feeling sick since Sunday! He missed this entire week of school and next week he is off on Spring Break.

Having him home has thrown my schedule off as well. Normally, I would work on my school work while Kyle is at school. I've done the best I can to get my workouts in and do my school work. I did have to skip a few days of exercise because I was feeling so sore!

I also bought some protein powder to make shakes after my workouts. I did a search looking for help with boosting my energy. I looked on Dr. Oz's website and found an article that listed things I could try. So I bought a natural herbal supplement to try. I wanted something to help me get through a long day and be able to do school at night after Kyle has gone to bed.

I just hope I can continue school in the summer when Kyle is home all day.

Sick before Spring Break

Kyle has been sick since Sunday. We kept him home from school yesterday and today. He's been coughing through the night so he has a sore throat. He can barely keep chicken soup down. He won't take cold medicine but we do have some that comes in a powder form.

I hope he can go back to school tomorrow or sometime this week since he's off of school next week for Spring Break.

Last week of first class

I'm in my last week of my first class in college.  It's a psychology course.  Ashford University wants to ease students back in to college so this class is about learning about yourself and the college rules. 

I am pretty much done with this class as I have done my discussion requirements for the week and I turned in my final paper today.  Right now, I have a 93.17% which equals an A according to the grading scale.

However, my grade could change to an A- after the last week's grades are in.  Either way, I will be happy with an A!