New Cleaning Schedule

I have a new cleaning schedule based on our new house and our new schedule here. We do have three bedrooms and two baths, but one bedroom is not being used right now.

Mondays- Clean and dust off the master bedroom and Jackson’s bedroom

Tuesdays- Wash two huge loads of laundry so there will be no planned cleaning (right now I am teaching a Bible Study on Tuesday night, so this is a very busy day for us)

Wednesdays- Clean both bathrooms very well (this only takes about half the amount of time it used to take me since we have a new house!)

Thursdays- Mop (with the swifter) floors in the mudroom and in the kitchen. Clean both the kitchen and the mud room. This is the day devoted to cleaning out the refrigerator as well which seems to always need cleaning. I also wash Jackson’s clothes on this day or on Fridays.

Fridays- Clean and dust the living room

Saturdays- Vacuum the entire house, clean the guest room and clean out Jackson’s clothes and get them organized. Any other projects that need to be done, we will do this on this day

Sundays- No cleaning…way too busy of a day! I might clean out the car on this day if I have any time.

* Note: Some days I do not get the cleaning done during the day, so while Charlie has alone time with Jackson at night, I clean then using a timer so I can stay on track or better yet Charlie helps me clean at night before bed. I have such a wonderful, selfless husband!

If I were you I would try to make your own cleaning schedule out on what days are the busiest for you. You can make out your own schedule by looking at mine and starting with the rooms that you feel are the most important to be clean for health reasons. For me dusting our rooms actually is the most important aspect to clean since we all struggle with allergies - so that is why dusting is on Monday. If you are a mom, you know that it seems like you are always cleaning, loading and unloading the dishwasher etc. I remember the days when the biggest task was making up the bed. Now, sadly, the only time the bed is made up is at night before I go to bed to get the covers all straight…

Additionally, I am giving myself a treat on Saturday if I have tried hard to stick to the cleaning schedule. My treat is that on Saturday, I get to go shopping (not necessarily buying anything) for decorative items for the house. We are slowly turning Jackson’s room to a Gamecock themed room. This theme he will have for a very long time. I just do not want to keep on changing his room and he already says “Gamecocks” a good bit. Charlie’s mom made him a beautiful “Gamecock” bookcase this week using items from our rehearsal dinner. I cannot wait to post a picture of it…it really is unbelievable!

I would love to hear about your cleaning schedule!

3 Quick Tips for Moms (What God has been teaching me)

1. Time how long it actually takes you to clean a certain area. This really helps you focus on the task at hand, and helps you not waste any of your precious time. For some reason, I take forever to unload the dishwasher. So I got my timer out and timed me, and it did take me 7 whole minutes, but Jackson was asleep so I was being very quiet. While you clean, listen to your ipod with sermon podcasts or put on some of your favorite music. Another suggestion is to memorize Scripture while you clean, this helps your mind from wondering and worrying. Go here to this mom’s blog and her inspiring post on cleaning a big mess in 15 minutes: http://choosingsimplicity.blogspot.com/2008/03/simply-overwhelmed-to-simply-overjoyed.html
2. When disciplining your child us both the rod and correction no matter how old your child is. Jackson has been hard to discipline recently. He gets extremely frustrated and he is a very sensitive child. I am reading the best book right now from a mom’s perspective that I have ever read, “Don’t Make Me Count to Three!” by Ginger Plowman. I am so thankful to God for this book in my life and I can hardly put the book down. I will be blogging more about this book soon! She asserts that certainly God has called us to use the rod to drive foolishness from the hearts of our children. We are told in Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from it.” But, Scripture calls us to instruct them which I believe is equally important. Ephesians 6:4 states, “…bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” I think part of the reason why Jackson has been so frustrated is that I have been using the rod, but I have not instructed him or shown him what to do instead of hitting things. It is like I have been trying to train a cute little puppy by spanking him every time he uses the bathroom on the floor, but not taking him outside to show him that this is where you are to use the restroom (or providing a way of escape). Plowman explains that discipline without instruction will exasperate and lead to anger. My plan is that when he hits me in frustration to tell him that that action does not please God and that if he does it again he will get a spanking. If he does it again, he will get a spanking with the wooden spoon, and then I will explain that he needs to love other people by hugging them not hitting them. He loves to hug people and if he can replace slapping anything in site with loving people when he does not gets his way, this will be an improvement. I really need to instruct him on what he should do, and I know now that this will work better than just spanking him. If anyone else has any more advice on how to deal with an 18 month old slapping people’s arms let me know. I am just not completely sure on how to exactly instruct an 18 month old and his melt downs when he does not get his way.
3. If you have a baby, do not buy way over priced baby food. Use a baby food grinder that money saving mom uses. I will not be buying jarred baby food for my next child. Go here to see her post: http://www.moneysavingmom.com/2008/03/feeding-babies-nutritiously-on-limited.html

Video of Jackson Speaking His Own Language

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Jackson's Chair

Here is Jackson sitting in his new favorite chair that Mimi and Papa gave us. He can climb up on to the chair all by himself. He is such a man already watching his TV in his recliner.

Grocery/Out to Eat Challenge: Week 6 (The Last Post)

This will be my last weekly post on my grocery challenge unless I get some major protest from you. I will still post periodically about money saving ideas, just not necessarily weekly. I did not meet my grocery budget of $105 instead it was $150.58 Problem was spending to too much at CVS and one unplanned Zaxby’s trip

Top Ten Things I have learned these Past Six Weeks:

1. Do not buy anything that is not on sale or that you can not get a great deal with by using a coupon. I really cannot stand to buy things at full price now, so if I go over our weekly budget a little bit, it is worth it for our monthly budget to not have to pay full price for an item. I think it is more important to stay within your monthly budget. I have cut our monthly budget by close to $200 by doing this challenge.
2. Buy as many household items at CVS and do not buy them at the grocery store. Even when household items go on sale at grocery stores, it is still not that great of a deal. Plus you get 10 percent back of what you purchase quarterly at CVS. If you go online to CVS website it is helpful and be sure to type in your Extracare card number. You can even call them and ask them questions and the number is on their website (I got through to a person within 1 minute with my questions).
3. Figure out the Extrabucks deals at CVS. For instance this week if you by 4 12 pack of Pepsi’s you get $3.00 bucks back which I did this week. They print your extrabucks at the end of your receipt. You must present the extrabucks coupons to the cashier to redeem this money. So, I turned right back around with Jackson with me and all and got milk for $3.99 there and hardly spent any money on milk!
4. Cut coupons in Sunday’s paper. It is a lot of fun to save so much money. Last week I had $6.00 worth of coupons and then Kroger doubles my coupons up to .50 cents so it ended up being $11.00 worth of coupons! Bi-Lo also doubles your coupons now, I think up to .60 cents. Try to wait to use the coupons on an item till that item goes on sale so you can save the most money. With coupons on items I know we will need in the next month, I write when they expire in a notebook and I look at it weekly. I keep all my coupons in 1 big zip lock bag and the ones I am going to use that week in a small zip lock bag. The 2 main online sites for coupons that I go to are: http://www.couponmom.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=25082ccc8a5e4e1bcc9f5bda7c1cbb84&cid=242 http://www.bettycrocker.com/Coupons-Promotions/Coupons/Default.aspx
5. Make a grocery list based on sales in the Sunday’s paper. If chicken is on sale at your grocery store, make a few meals based on chicken
6. Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan. Do it every week. Usually Sunday nights is a good time to do it again based on the sales for the week. Plan breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyone in your family. If you do not plan, plan to fail!
7. Do not go to a restaurant where you have a waitress under any circumstance. Go to restaurants like Chick Fil A for a treat. Since doing this challenge we have not gone to a restaurant that has a waitress (not to mention having an active 18 month old it is not worth going to a restaurant with a waitress). Even going to a sit down restaurant one time a week ends up being like $1500 a year
8. Go to moneysaving mom for inspiration, when you do not feel like sticking to your budget: http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
9. If you do not have a lot of time to match up coupons to the stores that you shop at, you can join the grocery game for just $1 at first. They do all the homework for you and tell you how to get the best deals with the coupons that are in the Sunday’s paper. They even tell you what date in your area that you can find the coupon at (on Easter Sunday there was no manufactured coupons…sad). Go to http://www.thegrocerygame.com/index.cfm?goto=help&faq_id=721
10. Have fun with it! Just think - you are not going to Wal-Mart and spending $100 a trip, you are going to different stores and saving a ton of money and being rewarded. I have saved $170.29 at CVS in these last 6 weeks alone. However, I do still go to Wal-Mart to get my Spray and Wash refills, and our gas.

Let me know what works for you, and if you want me to continue to post this weekly.

Happy 29th Birthday Charlie!

“In Him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:18

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” Romans 11:36

This day was chosen by God especially for you, and we praise God for your birth and for God sending us you to be our wonderful husband and father. Jackson and I are so thankful to have you, and to have a husband and father who is always learning and growing! Thank you so much for all you do for both me and Jackson. You really do so much for us, and your actions show that you do love us like Christ loved the church.

Thank you for dying to yourself this year, and allowing me to work out and teach a Bible Study. We love you more and more every day that passes. I am so proud of you and your boldness for Christ this year, and for help leading children to make the most important decision of their lives. I really am the most proud of you this year for your focus on preaching the Gospel and helping others learn and grow in Him without being distracted with anything. You are a wonderful husband, friend, and father. You set a great example. We love you with God’s love that cannot be measured.

*This is the home made card I wrote to Charlie for his birthday this year inspired by a section of Noel Piper's book Treasuring God in Your Traditions. If you think about it Jesus created us and it is good to thank Him for created us and provided us with the most important gift of all...salvation. If you are on a tight budget, I would recommend making homemade cards....they end up meaning so much. Charlie is going to get to go to the USC baseball game tonight with his dad and a reception for Gamecock members before that. I am excited that he gets to go and do something fun (which seems lately that he never gets to do). Next year is the big 30 and I think we might have a party for him! Time really does fly.....I met Charlie when he was just 21 years old.

Easter Pictures 2008

He Has Risen!

Dr. Estep preached one of the best sermons that I have heard him preach today. I knew that all the pastors really prayed hard for his service since about 70 percent of Americans come to church on Easter Sunday. The service was just one of the best worship experiences, and I was so glad that our church could reach that many people (the third balcony was even filling up…I think that makes like 3,000 people there). Charlie did a great job on the offertory prayer, and one of the new girls in my fourth grade decided to accept Christ today! God gets all the glory and is changing lives here!

2 Responses to the Resurrection:

Wonder and Joy

At the end of his sermon, Dr. Estep quoted Tony Campolo's famous sermon “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.” We have hope, we have joy because even though some days “feel” like Friday (the day Jesus was killed on a Cross), we can hope in the joy that Sunday is coming. Satan is not victorious; my Great King Jesus Christ is victorious. We all might feel like its Friday and that Jesus has been brutally killed here on earth, but Sunday is coming! I have hope and joy and you can have that same hope and joy because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Jackson’s 18 Month Old Check Up

I was so excited at Jackson’s 18 month old check yesterday…He was almost at the 50 percentile in height! Next to all his friends at church he looks so short, but the doctor said he was growing perfectly. He is in the 25 percentile in weight. He did weigh in at 24 pounds and 4 oz….Yay! P.S. They are not supposed to have more than 24 ozs of milk per day now

They did say he should be saying two words together now. He does say two words together, but I cannot always understand what he is saying. Again, all the questions they asked me in the problem solving area he has been doing for months. He only had one shot the DTaP shot, and we do not have to go back until he is 2 years old….I cannot believe it!

The sheet they gave me said that he should/may be

• Eating things with a fork
• Enjoying imitating his parents
• Speaking three to fifty words
• Wanting to name everything
• showing frustration when not understood; frequent temper tantrums (I would say “Amen” to that)
• Beginning to exhibit aggressive behavior
• responding with “no” constantly
• Responding to simple requests (such as, “Bring me your book”)

Some issues:

• When Jackson does not get what he wants he gets very upset and throws things. I usually put him in the pack and play and I have been spanking him with a wooden spoon (after a warning that the spanking is coming if he doesn’t stop) when he slaps my shoulders out of frustration. Any advice on how to deal with this, I am all ears! I guess this is a major change in the last month. Things are not as exciting to explore; he just seems more frustrated/bored. I can already tell that he thinks he is the center of the universe, and he will definitely need a brother or sister so he know that he is not.
• Additionally, Jackson loves to use small chairs to climb up anything. He is like a monkey some days (a very proud monkey).
• I know he has a lot of my personality. I can already tell that he is a very self-motivated type “A” personality. He has a ton of energy and cannot stand to sit still (especially at the grocery store)

Parenting Issues:

• As for me being a parent. I have struggled as well recently. First, my first goal as a parent is not to protect Jackson but to prepare him for life. Most parents, including myself, really just want to protect their children from everything. Ever since Jackson got the croup late January and had trouble breathing, I have been all about protecting him in my actions. If he is having a hard day, I sometimes would not take him to church or wherever, out of fear that he would get that sick again. I have been using Purell wipes (they have them at Chick fil-A as well) on his hands after he is in any daycare situation, and it seems to be working (along with people not being as sick!) The doctor said Purell was fine to use on Jackson after he has been in childcare situations. I want to prepare Jackson for life, not protect him from it, and I have to be aware that my actions speak louder than my words.
• Additionally, I can be a perfectionist, so when Jackson is running all around (especially at church) and I seem to have no control of him, I get mad. Why do I get mad? Because it makes me look like a bad parent. Am I worrying about Jackson’s heart and him being disobedient? No, probably not. I am just worried about how he is making me look. I do believe God created boys very different than girls. He created them to go out and hunt and provide for the family. So, why am I spending my entire time trying to strap him down to a high chair for 45 minutes at church supper? This is just a thought. Let me know what you think about this topic!

However, I love being a parent more and more each day. I love watching him learn and grow. My energy level has been up tremendously since I joined Gold’s Gym. This week I have been able to go to a class (Body Step or Body Combat) 4 times. Many stay at home moms are there in the mornings, and it has been a great way to get out in the community as well. Jackson loves the daycare there, and most days he does not even cry when I drop him off, which is a miracle. I am so glad my doctor told me it was important for me to be working out before I got pregnant again (I struggled with some depression and major weight gain when I was pregnant with Jackson…the depression went away literally the moment he was born). God is so good!

Maundy Thursday: In Preparation for Easter

Tonight at First Baptist we had a wonderful Maundy Thursday Service: The Living Lord’s Supper. So what does the word Maundy mean? The word "Maundy" comes from the Latin for 'command' (mandatum). It refers to the command given by Jesus at the Last Supper, that his disciples should love one another.

Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs, 1707. Charles Wes­ley re­port­ed­ly said he would give up all his other hymns to have writ­ten this one.

This is one of my favorite hymns and the words are great to meditate on through this week. I am trying to memorize this song this week…it is getting harder to memorize things as each year passes.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

* This song is based on Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

“They said therefore to Him, Lord, evermore give s this bread. Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the word is My flesh,”

John 6:34, 35, 51

Fun Times with Grand and Gigi!

Gigi and Grand stopped by and saw us last Sunday on their way back from Augusta. Jackson has a great time with them, and getting their undivided attention!

How to have a Devotion with an 18 month old

God gets all the glory for me still reading the Bible through every day. I am still not behind on my reading…it really is a miracle. So, I am reading through Deuteronomy now, and Moses has a lot to say about teaching your children.

First did you know that Deuteronomy is really three huge speeches made by Moses? I guess I always forget this fact, but since I am listening to the Bible on cd, the voice is of the same person which is quite different then most all other books in the Bible.

Deuteronomy 11 verses 19-20 states, “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your house and your gates,”

I’ve always thought about the fact that we need to teach our children throughout the day about God and God’s ways and words. But, I have never really thought about that we need to teach God’s laws and ways to our children even when we get up in the morning.

Jackson thrives on schedule. My dad pointed out to me yesterday that Jackson will let you read his entire Bible book only after he has had his bath and is about to go to bed. He knows that after he gets his bath, it is time to read God’s Word. During the day, he does not have too much patience for sitting with you and reading because the day time is play time. Unfortunately, it is hard to get Jackson to do a new schedule of events.

Anyway, I really want Jackson to start attempting to sing a blessing song before each meal. What song do you sing before you bless each meal with your little ones? I would love to know! What are the words to the songs you sing to bless your food?

This is my advice with on how to have a devotion with an 18 month old

1. Always read the Bible to him daily. It does not have to be before bed, but this seems like a good time when the whole family can be there. If you do it every day for 3 days, you have created a new schedule!
2. Try to teach him how to fold his hands and pray before meals, and before bedtime.
3. Sing songs of worship all day long to him. In the morning, I sing “Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory, etc.” This will soon include a blessing song before each meal

What are ways you have devotions with little ones this age?

EggFest 08...God Gets All the Glory for no Rain!

We had a ton of people come out for EggFest 08 and it was a huge success. Charlie was able to give a devotion at the beginning, and it was a great outreach event. We prayed hard for no rain, and God was gracious to hold off the rain. The Preschool Committee did a great job with this event. Our good friend Ashley Lindler was the Easter Bunny and she was so sweet to Jackson, but he did not like the Easter bunny too much...haha. I was laughing so hard during that picture. Maybe Jackson will use his dramatic moments for the Lord one day.

Grocery/Out to Eat Challenge: Week 5 I Went Way over Budget this Week

Well, I did not even come close to my budget of $110 this week. I really blew it this week. I have to admit I am discouraged, but not defeated. You are not going to believe how much a spent….drum role…..$186.24….this was on grocery items, household products, and out to eat food….ah! You probably think we went out to some very expensive dinner….wrong. What happened was CVS sent me a coupon through e-mail for $5 off when I spent more than $30, and I had to do this by last Saturday. So, I completely ran out of laundry detergent and spray and wash so I thought it would be good to use this coupon on the items I ran out of and did not plan on running out of. After coupons, and using my $5 in extrabucks I spent $27.01 and earned $2 of bucks during this purchase. However, this purchase put me $27 over my budget. Next, I ran out of diapers and had not come up with a plan. So I went back to CVS and spent $23.09 on diapers because I had two coupons for Huggies diapers that I got online and CVS had their Huggies diapers on sale last week and I knew I would earn 10 percent of my purchase from buying my diapers there. So, now I am $50 over my budget, and I had run to Walmart to get spray in wash refill that was about $4. This week, I just could not come up with ways to save on the major household items that I ran out of. I did not plan on running out of them all in 1 week. But, I have learned my lesson! Any tip on saving and planning for running out of detergent and diapers, I would love to hear!

Today, I went to Kroger (they are having amazing sales this week - go to moneysavingmom.com to see all of them), and saved $26.32….wow. I had $5.80 worth of coupons that I got from Sunday’s paper and coupons online that I found again at money saving mom’s blog. Last Sunday’s paper had some amazing coupons…they even had a coupon for bagels which Charlie loves for breakfast and we have not had that in a while. Kroger does double your coupons up to .50 cents but for some reason they only did that for a couple of my coupons. I saw recently that Bi-lo doubles your coupons up to .60 cents now. It seemed like everything I bought except bread, milk, and eggs was on sale. I did spent $68.60 at Kroger, but I got a tremendous amount of food. God gets all the glory for helping me save so much money today at my trip to Kroger…I was on Cloud Nine!

I really want to try doing the Dream Dinner plan. Has anyone tried it besides Callie? I really think it would be worth it once Jackson eats more. I am so tired of trying all these new recipes and foods that we do not like. This is how it works in Columbia, SC: you go to the Piggly Wiggly on Forest Drive, you need to book a session, and you pick out what dinner you want to make online before hand. Then for like $150 you go there for about an hour and assemble your meals that you have selected (everything that is needed to make the meals are online). For our family, I would be making 12 dinners (3 servings worth) a month. You freeze the dinners and then pull them out on like Sunday (and put them in your refrigerator) for the meals you want to put in the oven for dinners that week. You do not have to go up and down the grocery store looking for ingredients. I would love to go to a place that helped me make meals for an entire month worth of dinners. I do not know if it would be worth it though since Jackson really does not eat that much. Go to http://dreamdinners.com/main.php?static=howitworks for more information and let me know what you think about it! I am really on the fence about it now since we went so far over our budget last week on household items.

Jackson is 18 months old Today!

I cannot believe it, but Jackson is already 18 months old today. It really does seem like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital.

He still weighs 23 pounds and 8 ozs (it seems like he has weighed 23 pounds for months). We actually went to the doctor yesterday because Jackson had the worst night he has had since the croup, and I just knew he had an ear infection. He does not have an ear infection, just a really red throat with some blisters. The doctor said that he had a viral infection. I am just praying that we can go 2 weeks without him being sick, and that he will be well enough for me to teach the 4th grade girls Sunday School class this Sunday. We go back to the doctor next week for his 18 month old check up.

Anyway, the thing I love most about Jackson is how much he loves to hug me and his daddy.I read that love language book a while back, and my love language back in the day was physical touch. Now, however, I do not think that that is my love language since I have a loving toddler hugging me all day. I also cannot believe how much Jackson loves seeing people. When we go grocery shopping he waves at everyone, and really makes their day better by smiling and talking to them in his own language. He is already reaching so many people. I am just so thankful that God in His perfect timing gave us Jackson, and I just pray that I can raise him in such a way that he can get just a glimpse of God's huge love for his children through Charlie and I.

Ps- Mimi (Charlie's mom) went to Disney World with her students and brought Jackson back a shirt and Mickey Mouse ears....he loves them!

Grocery/Out to Eat Challenge: Week 4

I wanted to spend $110 this week on both groceries and out to eat food, but I spent $119.23. The main reason for spending this much is Sunday night, while Jackson was staying with Grand and Gigi, we splurged on Pita Pitt and KK doughnuts…we were like college kids all over again. Believe it or not that cost us $19...ah! That is ridiculous.

This week at CVS I have already made $5 buying $10 worth of swifter refills for cleaning the floor that we really needed and were completely out of! I am going back tomorrow and buy $10 worth of candy and using this coupon found here (you can print it 2 times) http://www.couponsurfer.com/coupon_show.cfm?id=34284 and I will get another $5 back. So, I only have to spend $8 (after my coupons) and then with my $5 bucks back I will only spend $3 and get another $5 back. If you have questions about this let me know! The ads are always located at the beginning of the CVS (you need to buy exactly what they say you need to buy to get the $5 back). We have eaten all the candy we have bought, and then I have been able to give some to our 4^th grade girls Sunday School class. I am going to Kroger today and spending $35…I have already done the exact math on it. I have been planning out our meals, and doing my grocery list for a full day now. Kroger doubles your coupons and I have about 4 coupons from Sunday’s paper (if it for .50 cent they will give me another.50 cent) another reason why Kroger is awesome! Since I have been working so hard to save money, nothing we buy to eat goes to waste. I hope next week we can really just spend $110!

My wonderful dad was talking to some co-workers the other day, and they recommended the book Dining on a Dime Cookbook. He surprised me with it and had it mailed to me. I was so excited to get it in the mail! It even has good healthy meals for picky eaters! In the very beginning of the book, they break down how all your cost add up. Eating out for a family of 4 just 1 time a week @ $30.00 a week comes out to $1560.00 that is huge and very convicting. They also recommend not buy everything at one store and they say that it will not be a waste of your gas. If you save a minimum of $20-30 per trip, that is like “earning” $40-$60 an hour. If you know of any other books like this let us know! Also, any more tips for saving money on groceries or out to eat, I would love to hear them!

How my grocery/out to eat challenge has been breaking down:

1. $40 goes to Kroger for groceries. I can do this because Kroger doubles any coupon I have (including Huggies diaper coupons) I also get Kroger brand drinks here. They along with Bi-low will usually print additional coupons at the end of my purchase as well. Majority of my coupons come from Sundays paper!

2. $40 goes to CVS or Bi-Lo for needs for the week. Some weeks I buy the Extra buck deal (usually $10 worth of items but only items I need) they have going on for the week so I can make $5 and start stocking up on toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc. (trying to get a 3-6 month supply on hand). I like CVS wipes and they usually print me a coupon off at the end of the purchase that is for $2 off of your purchase for buying $10 worth of CVS brand items and then I can use $5 extra bucks here as well. I do buy my whole milk at CVS ($3.99 here) and eggs using by $5 extra bucks because milk and eggs never go on sale. I get 10 percent back in extra bucks of everything I buy here at CVS. I do go to Walmart some weeks and get Spray n Wash refiles that are at a extremely low price (but I no longer go there 2 times a week and drop $100....this makes for a happy week!)

3. $40 usually goes to out to eat food. Church supper is $10 a week and then our Chinese food is $7. I know I can cut back even more here but it is hard!

$120 is my max for the week (my week starts Thursday and ends Wednesday) and I have really learned to get creative when it is Tuesday or Wednesday and we have spent all but $10 of it. We usually eat grill cheese sandwiches at least once a week for lunch or dinner. Planning really is the key! Pray that I can get it down to $105 and keep on telling me what works for you!

Ps- Gas and groceries are going up so much even Money Saving Mom has raised her grocery budget from a whopping $35 to $40 a week...
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/2008/03/super-savings-saturday-raising-grocery.html

The Last Major Schedule Change for Jackson

Jackson's schedule has changed finally from 2 naps a day down to just 1 nap a day. He has been ready for this change for about a month now, but getting the stomach flu (and a trip to Grand and Gigi's) kept pushing back this change. Jackson is like his parents he loves to sleep and loves his naps. Last week, Jackson would want to sleep from 5 pm-6:45 and we would have to wake him up and he would cry. I think he could have slept from 5 pm to 5 am the next morning. So, this change is best for him.

Jackson thrives on routine, and so when his schedule is changed even a little it is a big adjustment for him. We should have this schedule until he goes to kindergarten....yeah! This schedule works so much better for church activities (we would never get to go to Wednesday night suppers which I love)

Here is his new schedule:
Wake up 7:30 am
Breakfast 8 or 8:30 am of eggs, cereal, milk (yes still in a bottle here)
Play time (need to get out of the house here) On M, Wed, Fri. I go to exercise class at 9:15-10:15 am and they have childcare there
Lunch Time 11:30 of yogrut, bread, etc. The trick here is to give him some warm milk around 12:30 to fill him up (within the 1 hour time of eating lunch) He has to be really full to sleep for a long time.
Nap time 1:30 or 2-4 or 4:30 pm. I would love it if he slept 3 hours here
Dinner 5 or 5:30 Chicken, veggies, fruit, bread
Night night bottle 7:15 pm
Bath 7:45 pm
Bedtime 8:15 pm

I would love to hear any advice how to make this transition go well. Yesterday was the longest day ever because he only slept 1. 5 hours the entire day, and he was wild.

I love Breakfast Playdates!

I did not realize it, but Jackson was a thorn between many roses...haha. I love breakfast playdates!

Video of Jackson Laughing at 17 months!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Jackson is Spending the Weekend with Grand and Gigi!

Jackson has not spent a weekend with Grand and Gigi (my parents) since this summer, so this weekend was well overdue. We dropped him off at Clinton today, and I will go back and get him Monday at lunch times since Sunday is our busiest day of the week. He is having the best time with Gigi and Grand (he has a set of toys there and he gets my parent undivided attention which he loves)....I do not even know if he is missing us yet. He loves to spend time with them, and he is going to spend a couple more nights with them in April when we go to a conference. We are so blessed to have them! If you are a mom I would definitely recommend scheduling at least 1 weekend a year for your children to spend with their grandparents.