Sabtu, 25 Mei 2013
Little Kicker
G has been taking soccer for about three weeks now and she loves it! Well, sort of...... DJ and I took her together two weeks ago, and she did so great! I was so proud of her and how much she participated in her class.
She has the same number as her daddy's basketball number!
But I had to take her this past week because DJ was out of town. She was really excited to go, but once we go there, she complained that she was tired. Her class was combined with another class, and they scrimmaged rather than running drills and learning concepts.
I don't think she enjoyed that at all. She ended up sitting down during the game or just walking around with her jersey over her head. I'm pretty sure she played in the turf as well.
I finally went out to the field and told her to start playing or that we'd need to go home and skip ice cream afterward.
I'm anxious to see how this week goes and if she does better with DJ taking her.
"Go Team!"
MC wanted to take her picture too like she was a soccer player!
Here's the girls before we left for practice.... I love how much they are loving each other right now! Maybe we'll have two soccer players in our family...or three... or maybe G will decide on a different activity in the fall!
Jumat, 24 Mei 2013
MC Turns 2
I cannot believe my baby girl is two years old! And, that she's going to be a big sister in just a few short weeks!
I have to be honest that MC has brought so many ups and downs into our lives! It was difficult for me transitioning from one to two children, and moving 14 hours when MC was just two weeks old.
She had reflux as a baby, and she hated her carseat, which made for very long trips to visit our family in Arkansas.
But, then she started growing and sleeping more, and she brought us so much happiness! She's always been on the petite side, and that just made her my little baby. I spoiled her and loved rocking her and holding her. I loved picking her up from daycare early just to spend time with just her.
She was breastfed for almost a full year, and we just soaked up the joy she was adding to our family.
When she turned a year we celebrated with a huge ice cream sundae party! We continued to celebrate all of her little and new accomplishments.
She started her new preschool, and we worked through her despise for change and her shyness. MC really is my timid little baby- she hates change and new things, and really needs time to warm up to new ventures and people. But, she can be so happy and giggly at the same time!
She loves to help clean and she loves babies! I found out I was pregnant with Adalyn when MC was about 18 months and I was so afraid about making her a middle sister. My fears have now been pushed aside, since her love for babies continues to grow. She's a good little helper.
MC loves to color and enjoys reading books. She also likes to play with her princess castle.
She's beginning to potty train- just this week she had a dry diaper and pottied from 8 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon when I put her down for her nap!
She still loves and has her 'dede'. I'm not sure when we'll get rid of the paci, but we are trying to reduce her time with her 'dede'. She doesn't use it at all at school.
She is now sleeping in a full size bed.
She can climb stairs, barstools, chairs, and on to our kitchen counters.
She enjoys putting on make up when we're getting dressed.
She says "ow" every time I brush her hair.
She loves bananas.
She likes to carry her 'night night' (blanket) around with her.
She's not much of a t.v. watcher, and will only sit for 5 minutes or so to watch t.v.
She cannot sleep with anyone else! Anytime we are trying to get her to sleep with us, she rolls over, talks, and plays.
She can say numbers two and three, and rarely starts to count with one.
She knows a few signs to "Jesus Loves Me" and enjoys singing the ABC song, Baby Bumblebee, and Itsy Bitsy Spider.
She loves to imitate and copy her big sister.
She loves to have her picture taken and says "cheese"
She's talking in two-three word phrases, and her favorite question to ask is, "Where's _____?" Fill in the blank with mommy, daddy, Gee, Bailey, or Gretchen.
We are celebrating her 2nd birthday with a few family members and neighbors on Saturday with a vintage pink lemonade party!
I'm so excited to watch her grow and to see how she reacts once Adalyn is here! I love the joy that Meggie has brought to our lives!
Kamis, 23 Mei 2013
"Mommy To Be" Shower
One of the elementary schools I work for graciously offered to host Adalyn a baby shower! I was very surprised and so excited!
The school psychologist actually made the cake! It was so delicious!
They served pink lemonade cookies, fruit and dip, and veggies! So yummy!!!
The table decorations had these adorable little elephants!
They also had a book, and all of the teachers signed the book with some of their own advice for Adalyn!
Adalyn received lots of good presents! Clothes (who can resist baby girl clothes?!) We also received shampoo and lotion, a cup for washing hair, a bassinet, and an Ergo carrier- just to name a few!
I think Adalyn's all set!
Rabu, 22 Mei 2013
How Do I? Buy Groceries
First, I don't coupon at all. I use to, and I may try to get back into it, but I just don't have time for it. I really wish I did. I need to install the coupon printer on my computer at home, and try to print out coupons.... Okay, now i'm just lecturing myself and trying to talk myself back into it. But for now, I don't coupon.... moving on.
I make a meal plan, and then off my meal plan, I make my grocery list. There are things that I might buy every time I go to the grocery store: deli meat and cheese, bread, milk, fruits, etc. and they still go on my list. I'll look at my bi-weekly menu and write down how many packages of chicken I need, how many packages of ground turkey (we don't eat ground beef), and how many cans of whatever I need. I put tally marks off to the side, so i'm only writing cream of chicken soup, one time, and then I might have I,I,I, tally marks beside it, so I know I need to buy three cans.
I try to go to the grocery store alone. It helps me think and not impulse buy. Last Sunday one of my friends posted a picture of her at Sams Club by herself with three kiddos and I had a mini panic attack. She has a 4 1/2 year old, 3 1/2 year old, and 7 month old. She was by herself y'all.... And, had one of those flat bed carts and a regular buggy. I don't know how she did it, but she is supermom. I however, am not. So, I like to grocery shop alone. If I don't go on the weekends when DJ can watch the kids, then i'll leave them at daycare and go after work, and then go pick the girls up.
So, when I get to the store, by myself, I immediately head to the right of the store. I've heard of studies that show that marketers set up stores where all of the most expensive things are on the right side of the store because people naturally head toward the right. Well, so do I. Plus, I can't go to the left side- thsoe are the registers and it wouldn't do me much good heading their first.
My first stop is the deli counter where I buy 1 lb of turkey meat and 1 lb. of slice cheese. I'll also pick up some pita chips. Then, I head off to the produce. I tend to get grapes, strawberries, oranges, and sometimes blueberries, and always bananas. I'll also pick up whatever fresh veggies we may need for our meals: bell pepper, spinach, squash, potatoes. I don't tend to buy a lot of fresh veggies. I know I should and they're healthier, but I prefer frozen because it's easier.
I then head over to the butcher and I pick up the chicken breasts. I typically buy three to four packages with three breasts in each one. The girls are able to share a chicken breasts, so that's why I buy three. I have them placed in a plastic bag and then in the white butcher paper. My grocery store use to place them in freezer paper and then in the white butcher paper, but if I'm in a hurry and need to throw dinner in the crock pot, then I need the chicken in the bag, because the paper freezes to the chicken.
Next, I pick up the ground turkey, bread, and then orange juice, milk, yogurt, cinnamon rolls, cheese..... anything that's in the open freezer section. If I have the girls with me, then we stop and get them a free cookie. And, I forgot to mention, but the deli, will almost always give them each a slice of cheese to snack on.
I tend to skip the left side of the store altogether. Unless, I buy frozen veggies, but usually a large bag can last us a month because we just rotate through them, and I cook just enough so they're not left over. Plus, I cook mostly casseroles or one-pot dishes, so we don't go through a huge bag of veggies every week.
I start at the back of the right side and just work my way up. The first row is where the cream of crap soups are, the mexican food, and any broth/stock I may need. Then, it's on to pasta, sauce, pb & j, then cereal, baking products, can goods and finally chips.
Sometimes I head to the other side and pick up snack foods and more juice, but not always. It just depends on what we have at home and if we're going to be home a lot. When we're home more, we snack more.
I try to buy some organic, but i'm not always good about it. It depends on the budget and what organic produce is offered. I am pretty brand loyal, and will buy kashi cereal or Muir Glen tomatoes. I also have specific can of black beans i'll buy, but I don't know the brand- I can just tell by looking at the can. I will buy store brand cream of crap soup. I am also loyal the brand of bread that I buy. This being said, when I have more time to plan and budget, then i'll buy more organic, and my goal is to slowly transition us to gluten free. I'll start with breads and pasta, and then go from there.
I also don't buy a lot of frozen pre-cooked dinners. I do buy Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and crescent rolls, but I don't buy frozen pizza, for example. I also don't buy bisquick because I can make my own pancakes or waffles from scratch. I've also found that by not purchasing these pre-packaged dinners and meals, that I can save a little more money.
I typically spend $150-200.00 every other week at the grocery store.
My grocery store also offers curb side pick up! I don't take advantage when I'm alone or with the girls, but when MC was a baby, I took full advantage, and I probably will when Adalyn is here!
I also make weekly Target trips. I'm able to run to Target between school sites if I don't have to buy anything that needs refrigeration. If I can't go between schools, then i'll go right before I pick up the girls. Target is a totally different ball game, and these trips are usually reserved for picking up things that we ran out of between grocery store trips- milk, cereal, cereal bars. I also go to Target for any toiletries we may need. I usually have a big toiletry buy once a month, and then we have the smaller trips to pick up any random toiletries we've ran out of.
I rarely have a list for Target, and I do usually get sucked in by the hypnotizing bullseye, which means lots of impulse buys. I spend anywhere from $50.00 to $150.00 on my Target trips.
So, hopefully that helps you know how I get my grocery shopping done while working full time! It really helps when I'm prepared with a shopping lists and when i'm organized and alone! If not, then my list doesn't vary too much from week to week, so I'll just pick up what we usually have to buy.
What are your grocery store tips? How do you save time there and money?
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