Saving Money

I recently started using The Grocery Game to help me plan my shopping and grocery list. I have already noticed a savings and I have only been using this for a month. The grocery game tracks sales and pairs them with the coupons found in the Sunday paper. You are then encouraged to only buy those things that are a 50% or more off in order to stockpile for when you really need them. She tells you how to plan your meal plan on what you have in stock and then just those few things you really need and anything else you will use later and can stockpile. The game rules say that it takes 12 weeks to create a good stockpile. If you are looking for ways to cut your monthly expenses I encourage you to try this out. You can get a trial on using this system for $1 for 4 weeks. Then it goes up to $10 every 8 weeks. Once I get a good handle on how to go about doing this - I might drop paying the money for her list and start using my own.

Another great site that I like to look at is Money Saving Mom. She will walk you through how to get a lot of stuff using coupons, rebates, and money back at Wal-greens and CVS. Again, I encourage you to check these out. I am just getting started using these systems to save money - but have enjoyed the things that I've gotten for free or 1/3 the original price.

If you know of any other really great sites on how to save money and live more frugal - please leave a link in the comments.

Gabriellaism

I want some alligator pleazze = I want some Gatorade please.

Pregnancy Moment

I was very tired tonight while cooking dinner. I thought to myself, "I am so tired. It feels like something is wrong. It feels like I could be pregnant." I was just about to say it out loud to Clay, when I snapped into reality, "Oh, yeah - I am pregnant."

Potty Progress

Big things are happening around the potty lately (and I will have to tell you about the construction around the potty at another time!)!

Gabriella has started showing an interest in going potty again! She did several months back - but all was lost after her UTI and hospital stay. I had decided that I was just going to let it go until several months after baby's arrival. But one morning she woke up telling us she wanted to sit on the potty. So, now she is probably successfully using the potty about 1/4 of the time. I am not getting my hopes up too high about getting her out of diapers because I know her little world is going to be shocked when baby comes (she is already telling us she does not want a baby at our house).

Micah has been going potty for quite a while - but Clay and I really felt clueless as to how to get her to stay dry through the night and get her out of pull-ups at nap. The other day another mom was telling me that she has been taking her daughter to pee right before she goes to bed (which we've always done) and then the mom or dad will wake the little girl up a few hours later - when they are ready to go to bed - to take her to potty. We started doing that with Micah and so far it is working. Last night was her first night to sleep in panties all night - and she is very proud about her new panties that we bought her for the occasion.

So for now all is well around our potty . . . though our one bathroom is getting rather crowded with all the activity.

Funny Video

Every since I have gotten pregnant with Micah I can smell garlic on almost everybody - especially Clay. During the beginning of pregnancies it makes me nauseated. The rest of the time during pregnancies (and sometimes even when I am not pregnant) it just generally repulses me. So, I pretty much quit cooking with garlic when I am pregnant so that I can stand to be near Clay. And if he ever comes home from work or somewhere and he has eaten anything with trace amounts of garlic in it - I can smell it on him as soon as he gets near. Which is kind of hard for him to avoid because garlic is in everything. So, I saw this video today - and in light of my garlic issues found it extremely funny. I hope that you enjoy!

Pathetic . . .

my family that is. We can hardly stop coughing or blowing our noses. Micah and Clay are a running a fever. Gabriella and I both have elevated temps but not to the point of fever. I got a call Tuesday from the church saying that Gabriella was in a room with a kid on Sunday who had just come down with the chicken pox. So, we are watching for that. Micah keeps getting these spots that look like insect bites on her body but then they've been disappearing. But I just noticed they all reappeared in the first place we saw them two days ago. We've all been coughing. But I've been coughing since Wednesday. My stomach is sore and I fell as if I cough much more I am going to push this baby out. None of us want to eat. Which just leaves me nauseated. Of course the coughing makes me nauseated too. So if you have taken time to read this - we would really appreciate your prayers too.

Sisterly Love

Almost every morning Clay and I hear Gabriella say to Micah.

"Micah, Micah, I so happy to see you." Then she gives Micah a big hug.

Our girls would be so lost without each other.

Micahisms

I want to got to Old Mac Donald's and slide. (She's talking about Mc Donald's.)

"Frenchraunt" (Restaurant)

"She's cooperating!" (Micah says this when Gabriella is doing something that irritates her.)

I want to wear my stomach like Daddy! (She is telling us that she wants to go without wearing a shirt - she especially likes doing this when she takes a nap. I let her because the house gets hot and no matter how hot it is she still has to have 2-4 blankets on her in order for her to go to sleep.)

"I want to go to Buddy Store!" (H-E-B)


I know there are many many more - I am just drawing a blank because it is nap time. So, when I think of more I will try and add some of her cute little sayings.

Gabriellaisms

"Chop-chop" (Lambchop)

"Nummy" (Yummy)

"Nuffin" (Muffin)

"That tasty!"

"Sound of Music! Sound of Music!" (She screams this repeatedly while waving a wand
in the air.)

"Oh No A Monster! Got to get out of here!" (Then she screams and runs).

"I beauutiful!" (She says this after putting lipgloss on, having her hair fixed, or
putting a dress on).

Gabriella to Clay: "Oh No A monster!"
Clay: "What are you going to do?"
Gabriella: "Cock a doodle do!"

She walks around pretending to read the Bible saying, "Bible "Praise the Lord!"


That is just a few of the things that she says daily. She a source of endless amusement. At least to me!

The Time Is Drawing Near . . .

Nine and a half weeks to go. I know that still seems like a long time to a lot of people. It seemed like a long time with the first. But now that I have two little ones to chase after, I can look at the calender one day and we will be at the beginning of the week. Then it feel like the next time I look up we are already in the middle or the end of the month.

So around here we are getting ready for baby to come. We got the crib set up last week after Micah's 3rd Birthday party (more about that to come - at least that's my plan). Today Clay got in the attic with Micah's help (she has been talking about helping Daddy get the stuff down for the baby for weeks. She is so excited!!!) and got the all the 0-3 month clothing down. I figured that I would go ahead and wash it all since it could easily be a girl this time around too. If its not a girl, then I figure it will be easier to just throw all of the girl clothes in a box and put them back in the attic than it would be to wash all of them at that point.

Looking through all those newborn clothes that my girls wore sure brought back sweet memories. It can be very bittersweet watching babies grow up. It sure made my arms long more to hold this baby than I have so far in this pregnancy. While I've been extremely excited about adding another blessing to our family - I don't think I've really spent a lot of time just looking forward to the arrival of this sweet baby. But now we are in a season of preparation, and hopefully things will continue to be much slower than they had been for the last few months and we will have plenty of time to enjoy the two we have now & dream about the one on the way.