Really I do. Scott has decided we can look for a mini-van but it has to be a Honda, and it has to be the right price. So I go looking and looking. Its my new part-time job. I love looking for a car deal. I love haggling. I do not love salesmen that don't think I know what I'm talking about. Well, sort of. I like playing them like suckers and go in like with the dumb blond approach. Then I pull out the stops and whip out a particular model's car facts and blue book values. It brings me great pleasure to talk like a motor head.
I remember buying my first car. It was a 97 VW Jetta, and it was pink. Coral Red to be exact. Anyway, my dad went with me to close the deal, he was pretty good too. He got them to lower my interest rate significantly even after I haggled the price I wanted. It's fun and exhilarating.
I do not like places with a "no haggle price guarantee". Where's the fun in that? (plus its psychological, you need to THINK you're getting the best price by getting that guy to drop a grand off the price tag before you sign the dotted line.)
Tonight, a salesman called me back and informed me that "Honda's aren't cheap vehicles." I almost wanted to punch him thru the phone, he was so condescending. Hello Dufenshmirtz...if you only knew what I've been doing all weekend (and that would be researching and searching for my dream van). I can get a van that I want for the price that I want, I'll just have to be patient and wait for it.
And patient I will be.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Gibreckle
Gotta love random tidbits of everyday monotony.
-I took all of the boys to the Discovery Museum on Tuesday and it really went well. My boys were well behaved for the most part and I enjoyed myself. It was the first time I have attempted such a thing since J was born and I pretty much felt like I had accomplished something by taking them.
-Q failed his eye exam at school. Something I was expecting one day. I had him at the eye doctor a year or so ago thinking I noticed that he has a lazy eye and she told me then he'd eventually need them. Thank you to my lovely genes! So off we go to the eye doctor again. I wasn't this young when I got my first pair of glasses, we shall see if he actually needs them.
-J has become more a more vocal. Its so cute to hear him in the morning 'talking'. He is growing and growing and not really doing much more than that. Not rolling or anything yet.
-I don't think I'll ever sleep through the night again. With three kids, someone is always waking up if its not J. He sleeps thru about 5 nights a week. Last night I got woken by J two times and B twice AND Q. What the heck, kids! Are you plotting against me. It never fails too, if J sleeps through the night, the big boys get up. B got up one night screaming that I replace his blankets because he had kicked them off. And another night B woke from a bad dream in which Q took his truck. It took me a while to convince him that Q didn't take his truck, it was just a dream.
-Q pulled a fast one on me this morning. "My belly hurts." Its enough to make my day come to a halt. I didn't send him to school, but once he figured out that I wasn't going to let him on the computer or watch t.v. all day without actually vomiting, he begged to go to school and the belly ache went away. HA! He went to school an hour late.
-I gots me a new vacuum cleaner and it makes me happy. Seriously. It sucks so well. HA!
-I found out yesterday that B can wipe out your ENTIRE email account in a matter of 2 mintues. I left the room to change a diaper and came back and my email account was completely erased and he was happily clicking away. I'm still not sure what happened. Note to self: Always log off before leaving the room.
-I took all of the boys to the Discovery Museum on Tuesday and it really went well. My boys were well behaved for the most part and I enjoyed myself. It was the first time I have attempted such a thing since J was born and I pretty much felt like I had accomplished something by taking them.
-Q failed his eye exam at school. Something I was expecting one day. I had him at the eye doctor a year or so ago thinking I noticed that he has a lazy eye and she told me then he'd eventually need them. Thank you to my lovely genes! So off we go to the eye doctor again. I wasn't this young when I got my first pair of glasses, we shall see if he actually needs them.
-J has become more a more vocal. Its so cute to hear him in the morning 'talking'. He is growing and growing and not really doing much more than that. Not rolling or anything yet.
-I don't think I'll ever sleep through the night again. With three kids, someone is always waking up if its not J. He sleeps thru about 5 nights a week. Last night I got woken by J two times and B twice AND Q. What the heck, kids! Are you plotting against me. It never fails too, if J sleeps through the night, the big boys get up. B got up one night screaming that I replace his blankets because he had kicked them off. And another night B woke from a bad dream in which Q took his truck. It took me a while to convince him that Q didn't take his truck, it was just a dream.
-Q pulled a fast one on me this morning. "My belly hurts." Its enough to make my day come to a halt. I didn't send him to school, but once he figured out that I wasn't going to let him on the computer or watch t.v. all day without actually vomiting, he begged to go to school and the belly ache went away. HA! He went to school an hour late.
-I gots me a new vacuum cleaner and it makes me happy. Seriously. It sucks so well. HA!
-I found out yesterday that B can wipe out your ENTIRE email account in a matter of 2 mintues. I left the room to change a diaper and came back and my email account was completely erased and he was happily clicking away. I'm still not sure what happened. Note to self: Always log off before leaving the room.
Friday, February 18, 2011
How I Make Cents
So, being inspired by Mary's Blog, I thought I'd write a little bit about what I do to save money or live sensibly.
Its not terribly much. I don't use coupons much, I don't shop at a thrift store, or go crazy selling stuff on ebay or what have you.
But we do do the following: (hehe, I said doodoo)
1)Live on a budget. Duh. Seems like a no brainer but, truth be told, until 2 years ago when we took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class at church, we never did this. We both had good jobs before kids, and spent money willy nilly and often over drew our accounts. We had a ton of credit card debt. Tons. We wasted money. A lot of it. Until we did FPU, I didn't even know what we were spending our money on nor the amount of interest we were paying on debts. We both had our heads buried in the sand. Then we made a budget, and stuck to it. And I was appalled by our previous spending habits.
2) Use cash to stay on said budget. DR(Dave Ramsey) says there is psychology to using cash. You see it go and when its gone its gone. So true. It has helped us immensely. We use cash for groceries, clothing, dining out, haircare, toiletries, babysitting and entertainment. We used our debit card for Christmas spending this year, and went waaaay overbudget cause I didn't have the visual cue to stop spending soon, cause the money was running out. It works for us. It took some time to get in the habit of actually going to the bank weekly to get cash, but it has saved our butts and our budget. We now have savings in the bank. We never had savings in the bank, and save monthly still, and we make considerably less than we did even just a 2years ago.
3). Have the same gendered children (preferably boys). Ha! The first thing I told Scott when B came out and was announced that he was a boy, was, "Oh that just saved us a TON of money."
Girls are expensive. They have cuter stuff, and more clothing and shoe choices that I would have been sucked into instantly...not to mention prom and weddings.
4). Buy nothing at full price. Even groceries. If its not on sale, I generally don't buy it. Sometimes I get coupons to use, but don't get the paper to get coupons regularly, but I shop the grocery store circular. Of course I get the stuff we need like milk and eggs and stuff not on sale, but generally I don't buy stuff unless its on sale. One of my favorite things to do when I shop for groceries is give my club card last so I can see the price go down dramatically. My last shop before the card the total was $80 and went down to $60! I love that.
Clothing and other stuff I generally never buy when its not on sale.
5). Delay buying. If I see something that I want, I almost never buy it right then and there. I go home and think about it, and look to see if I really need it. If I just want it really badly I almost never go back for it. If we do need it, I'll find a way to save for it. I have stopped my nasty impulse buy habit at Target this way. I had my eye on a Vera Bradley bag for months. Didn't buy and saved my blow money for it. By the time I had my money saved for it, I went to go buy it and then decided it wasn't worth it.
6). Change my attitude. One of the things DR says that hit home with me was, "stop buying stuff or spending money based on the thought that you DESERVE it. GET REAL, you don't DESERVE anything you have." (paraphrased). Its so true. We don't deserve anything, if we did get what we deserved, we would be in hell. Thank God, HE doesn't give us what we deserve. But buying based on what I thought I deserved was a previous philosophy of mine. If I had a tough work week or whatever, I would seriously plan a shopping spree and come home with $500 worth of stuff I didn't need. I only felt better for a second.
So that's just a few things I live by to save us money.
Its not terribly much. I don't use coupons much, I don't shop at a thrift store, or go crazy selling stuff on ebay or what have you.
But we do do the following: (hehe, I said doodoo)
1)Live on a budget. Duh. Seems like a no brainer but, truth be told, until 2 years ago when we took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class at church, we never did this. We both had good jobs before kids, and spent money willy nilly and often over drew our accounts. We had a ton of credit card debt. Tons. We wasted money. A lot of it. Until we did FPU, I didn't even know what we were spending our money on nor the amount of interest we were paying on debts. We both had our heads buried in the sand. Then we made a budget, and stuck to it. And I was appalled by our previous spending habits.
2) Use cash to stay on said budget. DR(Dave Ramsey) says there is psychology to using cash. You see it go and when its gone its gone. So true. It has helped us immensely. We use cash for groceries, clothing, dining out, haircare, toiletries, babysitting and entertainment. We used our debit card for Christmas spending this year, and went waaaay overbudget cause I didn't have the visual cue to stop spending soon, cause the money was running out. It works for us. It took some time to get in the habit of actually going to the bank weekly to get cash, but it has saved our butts and our budget. We now have savings in the bank. We never had savings in the bank, and save monthly still, and we make considerably less than we did even just a 2years ago.
3). Have the same gendered children (preferably boys). Ha! The first thing I told Scott when B came out and was announced that he was a boy, was, "Oh that just saved us a TON of money."
Girls are expensive. They have cuter stuff, and more clothing and shoe choices that I would have been sucked into instantly...not to mention prom and weddings.
4). Buy nothing at full price. Even groceries. If its not on sale, I generally don't buy it. Sometimes I get coupons to use, but don't get the paper to get coupons regularly, but I shop the grocery store circular. Of course I get the stuff we need like milk and eggs and stuff not on sale, but generally I don't buy stuff unless its on sale. One of my favorite things to do when I shop for groceries is give my club card last so I can see the price go down dramatically. My last shop before the card the total was $80 and went down to $60! I love that.
Clothing and other stuff I generally never buy when its not on sale.
5). Delay buying. If I see something that I want, I almost never buy it right then and there. I go home and think about it, and look to see if I really need it. If I just want it really badly I almost never go back for it. If we do need it, I'll find a way to save for it. I have stopped my nasty impulse buy habit at Target this way. I had my eye on a Vera Bradley bag for months. Didn't buy and saved my blow money for it. By the time I had my money saved for it, I went to go buy it and then decided it wasn't worth it.
6). Change my attitude. One of the things DR says that hit home with me was, "stop buying stuff or spending money based on the thought that you DESERVE it. GET REAL, you don't DESERVE anything you have." (paraphrased). Its so true. We don't deserve anything, if we did get what we deserved, we would be in hell. Thank God, HE doesn't give us what we deserve. But buying based on what I thought I deserved was a previous philosophy of mine. If I had a tough work week or whatever, I would seriously plan a shopping spree and come home with $500 worth of stuff I didn't need. I only felt better for a second.
So that's just a few things I live by to save us money.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
There is HOPE!
Spring is coming. The weather today was at least 50 and somewhat sunny. So I did what every other mom of little boys (or kids) did today. We went outside to play. For hours. B went outback and shoveled the remaining snow in the yard for an hour by himself. We also took a walk and rode bikes in the tennis courts across the street forever. I did laps around the court with J in my wrap, while the big boys rode. Oh joyous weather. I have missed you. Please, I beg you, stay warm!
There is something about the first nicer day after a long snowy winter. Everyone is so happy. The park across the street was filled with people who had broken free from the shackles of cold, snow covered ground. I met a new family with a kid Q's age. Even the not so modest teenagers were out, scantily clad in tank tops and tight sweat pants (and UGGS).
*happy sigh* I had the best day today, and it wasn't much different than any other except oh yeah, we got to go outside.
There is something about the first nicer day after a long snowy winter. Everyone is so happy. The park across the street was filled with people who had broken free from the shackles of cold, snow covered ground. I met a new family with a kid Q's age. Even the not so modest teenagers were out, scantily clad in tank tops and tight sweat pants (and UGGS).
*happy sigh* I had the best day today, and it wasn't much different than any other except oh yeah, we got to go outside.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's and All That Jazz
Today is Valentine's day. I almost let it go by without acknowledging it. I just did not want to do all the extra stuff that I normally do, knowing that its sorta not appreciated by my family as much as I'd like them to. You know, they don't oooh and ahh over it the way say, a little girl would. I'm not sad about that, just sorta not into my holidays as I used to be. Heck. I didn't even decorate for Valentine's Day this year. I used to love to decorate for most holidays, obviously Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Spring, Summer, Fall and Thanksgiving. I own trinkets and decoration for each. I however, am thinking of retiring them. But that's another topic for another day.
I didn't want to do Valentine's this year, simply cause well, I'm lazy (and its not appreciated). I'm not talking about plans with Scott, we already had a fun dinner out LAST night to celebrate and it was divine. It was only the second time we've been out without kids since J has been born. So any way, I felt like I needed to shower my kiddos with Valentine's Day activities that I always dreamed I would do for my kids and I ended up loving it.
This is what we've done:
-Wrote on paper hearts things we love and posted them up on the door. (this was Janet's idea).
-I made pink pancakes and even spelled out I *heart* U with the pink batter. I'm too cute that way.
-Gave little trinkets to the boys. (Monster Trucks, how romantic).
-Read love themed books. (3 of them to be exact).
-Made heart shaped cookies complete with icing. (this one was partially for me, cause I'm craving some sweets;)
-Gave them pink juice with lunch. I almost made them heart shaped sandwiches, but I forgot last minute. But the intention was there right?
While Q was sorta not really helping me with the cookies he said to me "Mom, thanks so much for Valentine's Day. I really like the monster trucks and the pancakes." It blew me out of the water because, I hate to admit it, but my boys aren't very grateful when it comes to getting gifts or me doing anything special for them. Him thanking me was a gift.
B has an awful cold and is quite miserable today, but we've had some lovely bonding time with the T.V. between him screaming for a tissue "I HAVE A BOOGIE!!!!!", and demanding the lights be turned off. For some reason his eyes hurt?
Scott took them shopping for me to get me gifts last week and this is what I got:
-A magnetic note pad for the fridge.
-A marshmallow Peep that is shaped in an I *heart* U.
-A necklace glow stick
-Another marshmallow peep
So funny. Q said to me, "You always wanted a necklace glow stick didn't you mom!" Ha.
It turned out pretty nice, this Valentine's thing. And despite my lazy self, it was worth the effort to make my little boys feel loved.
I didn't want to do Valentine's this year, simply cause well, I'm lazy (and its not appreciated). I'm not talking about plans with Scott, we already had a fun dinner out LAST night to celebrate and it was divine. It was only the second time we've been out without kids since J has been born. So any way, I felt like I needed to shower my kiddos with Valentine's Day activities that I always dreamed I would do for my kids and I ended up loving it.
This is what we've done:
-Wrote on paper hearts things we love and posted them up on the door. (this was Janet's idea).
-I made pink pancakes and even spelled out I *heart* U with the pink batter. I'm too cute that way.
-Gave little trinkets to the boys. (Monster Trucks, how romantic).
-Read love themed books. (3 of them to be exact).
-Made heart shaped cookies complete with icing. (this one was partially for me, cause I'm craving some sweets;)
-Gave them pink juice with lunch. I almost made them heart shaped sandwiches, but I forgot last minute. But the intention was there right?
While Q was sorta not really helping me with the cookies he said to me "Mom, thanks so much for Valentine's Day. I really like the monster trucks and the pancakes." It blew me out of the water because, I hate to admit it, but my boys aren't very grateful when it comes to getting gifts or me doing anything special for them. Him thanking me was a gift.
B has an awful cold and is quite miserable today, but we've had some lovely bonding time with the T.V. between him screaming for a tissue "I HAVE A BOOGIE!!!!!", and demanding the lights be turned off. For some reason his eyes hurt?
Scott took them shopping for me to get me gifts last week and this is what I got:
-A magnetic note pad for the fridge.
-A marshmallow Peep that is shaped in an I *heart* U.
-A necklace glow stick
-Another marshmallow peep
So funny. Q said to me, "You always wanted a necklace glow stick didn't you mom!" Ha.
It turned out pretty nice, this Valentine's thing. And despite my lazy self, it was worth the effort to make my little boys feel loved.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A Great Reminder
I often get frustrated with the fact that I'm not organized and cannot keep up with housework and all that cleany/neat/orderly stuff. I have gotten better, but there's still so much to work on.
I recently decided that my kids are almost out of control and I need to do something about it. We have started praying for direction and I'm reading a book I swore I'd never read. (I have never read any parenting books or baby books or anything that was going to tell me what to do. You know, since I don't like being told what to do and all. Ha!)
But anyway. As if to confirm my decision to kinda stop focusing on all the organization stuff I WANT to do and focus on my kids, a friend of mine sent me this link.
It just happens to be one of the sites I love for a quick devo.
What a great reminder to stop focusing on the minute things of today and focus on what is unseen and eternal. Just what I needed to hear. I love how she writes about housework is seen, and my kids upbringing is eternal...
Also, when I get so focused on the today, like J's flat head, I tend to ignore the eternal "unseen" things. Like, my Savior's love for J, and the gift that he is, flat head and all.
I recently decided that my kids are almost out of control and I need to do something about it. We have started praying for direction and I'm reading a book I swore I'd never read. (I have never read any parenting books or baby books or anything that was going to tell me what to do. You know, since I don't like being told what to do and all. Ha!)
But anyway. As if to confirm my decision to kinda stop focusing on all the organization stuff I WANT to do and focus on my kids, a friend of mine sent me this link.
It just happens to be one of the sites I love for a quick devo.
What a great reminder to stop focusing on the minute things of today and focus on what is unseen and eternal. Just what I needed to hear. I love how she writes about housework is seen, and my kids upbringing is eternal...
Also, when I get so focused on the today, like J's flat head, I tend to ignore the eternal "unseen" things. Like, my Savior's love for J, and the gift that he is, flat head and all.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
I'm Obsessed
Today I'm obsessed with a couple of things.
1. J's head. He's got a flat spot on his head and I'm desperately trying to make it not get worse. So I've been holding him every minute he's awake. I think about his flat spot so much, I dream about it. I really don't want him to wear a helmet. So I hold him, and if I'm not, I'm obsessing about the fact that because I'm not holding him, this flat spot is worsening by the second. But I'm also desperate to put him down. Someone told me to put him to sleep on his belly, but this kid hates that and probably would not sleep, so I'm caught. Do I need sleep or a round headed baby?
2. Money. Tax return money and how much I just want to take that money and stinking spend it on what ever we freaking want (like a mini van or a new bathroom or new furniture or something else stupid according to Dave FREAKING Ramsey).
3. My terrible, horrible self-indulgent attitude. We have so much but see#2. I want more. We have so much it actually gets me mad when I trip over the junk we have eccess of. I'm very aware that we (meaning my family) are over-indulged and ungrateful. I'm currently dwelling every other second that I'm not thinking about baby's head, and what I want, about what I can do to be content and to teach my kids to have grateful hearts.
#2 and #3 are a vicous cycle. A battle of the spirit and the flesh, I think.
and now, on to search the internet for some sort of device to unflatten J's head.
1. J's head. He's got a flat spot on his head and I'm desperately trying to make it not get worse. So I've been holding him every minute he's awake. I think about his flat spot so much, I dream about it. I really don't want him to wear a helmet. So I hold him, and if I'm not, I'm obsessing about the fact that because I'm not holding him, this flat spot is worsening by the second. But I'm also desperate to put him down. Someone told me to put him to sleep on his belly, but this kid hates that and probably would not sleep, so I'm caught. Do I need sleep or a round headed baby?
2. Money. Tax return money and how much I just want to take that money and stinking spend it on what ever we freaking want (like a mini van or a new bathroom or new furniture or something else stupid according to Dave FREAKING Ramsey).
3. My terrible, horrible self-indulgent attitude. We have so much but see#2. I want more. We have so much it actually gets me mad when I trip over the junk we have eccess of. I'm very aware that we (meaning my family) are over-indulged and ungrateful. I'm currently dwelling every other second that I'm not thinking about baby's head, and what I want, about what I can do to be content and to teach my kids to have grateful hearts.
#2 and #3 are a vicous cycle. A battle of the spirit and the flesh, I think.
and now, on to search the internet for some sort of device to unflatten J's head.
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