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!