Christmas Break Starts later today!

I am excited to have made it til Christmas Break! Today is students' last day before Christmas Break...mine will be on Monday. I am ready for a three week break.

I still have some Christmas Gifts to get together...mostly Gift Cards, etc...My main shopping was complete on Black Friday. I really did good with time on those gifts this year.

I'll spend my break figuring out ways to save and cut costs in order to prepare for the New Year and the New Baby (due in March).

Looking forward to Black Friday!

I just checked out Target's online 2-day sale ad. I saw that the Leapster games will all be $15 each! That is a steal for those. They had pictures of "Up" and "Tinker Bell" for the leapster games...my son would love those. He still loves his leapster after having it for nearly 2 years now. It is the one toy that hasn't got old with him! Educational too.

I will also be doing regular shopping and not concern myself with sales, just getting what I am after and hope it isn't sold out...if it is....my son is young and it doesn't matter at his age.

Happy Shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving Tomorrow! Enjoy your Turkey and Dressing!

I can't believe how close Thanksgiving and Black Friday is!!!

I am of course...very excited about having Turkey at Mom's house...the best meal of the year! She loves to cook for Thanksgiving and we love to eat! :-)

I wanted to write this post to say...instead of Blogging about Black Friday this year...I am planning to be out in it. I am so excited. My husband's new job has allowed him to be home the day after Thanksgiving (aka: Black Friday). The last couple of years, I just didn't want to get up that early and take my son...too young or not young enough (a bit easier when they are still in a carrier and roll in a stroller). So my friend and I are going to take full advantage this Friday and get out and about. I am not worried if I find a deal or not. I am just simply excited to get out and about and see the crowds. I love it! I would love to stumble upon a few things for my son this year and save money...if not...that is cool too....have to buy a few things one way or another.

Have an enjoyable short week (I hope for you all) and Thanksgiving and Black Friday Shopping!

Black Friday for those who may not know comes from the stores who are usually in the "red" (ink) (doing poorly on sales) this time of year...change to black ink meaning Profit...all on this Black Friday day (day after Thanksgiving). No idea the history of how it started, but it is fun to be a part of!

It's a Girl!

Sorry this is delayed...

We found out Wednesday that the baby is a GIRL! :-)

We are all excited! One of each...very perfect for us I would say.

Now to the tough task of naming her...this is going to be a tough one.

A Dreary Day outside, But Excited about today!

Today we find out if we are having a boy or a girl! I am getting excited about the visit. I have two hours before I leave for the doctor's office to find out.

We just pray for a happy, healthy, boy or girl. If we had to choose...we would say girl because we have a boy and it would be cool to have one of each...with this being the last one and everything.
If it is a boy...great...we have everything and my son gets a brother!
If it is a girl...great...my sis has all the girl stuff and my son gets a sister!
A win win I must say!

I will do another post today or tomorrow to let you all know which it is! Any guesses out there?
My first is a boy and he is 4 years old! Hmmmmmm....

45 Days til Christmas!

What are you doing to get ready this year?

I have purchased two gifts and several for my son already. Very proud of myself. I have made and listed ornaments in my etsy store to make money and get in the Holiday spirit early. So far I have sold 7-9 of the ornaments (I didn't do a final count). Every little bit helps.

Speaking of Holidays...
I hope everyone has a terrific Veteran's day tomorrow.
I also hope everyone is getting excited about Thanksgiving!

Have a great week everyone!
Tomorrow we find out "boy or girl!"
What do you think? boy or girl?

November already?

I am in disbelief at the rapid pace that this year has went by.

I am 20 weeks this week! Officially five months now! Half way there! Sorry for all the exclamation points...just showing some enthusiasm here. :-)

Trying to figure out some ways to save extra money for the new baby coming in March. Have tried to start selling on Etsy again after having taken a long break from it all. I felt really bad the first three plus months of this pregnancy. With my son...I don't remember feeling that bad. The good news is ...that stage has seemed to pass and I have moved on to the more energy and healthier appetite stage. (My favorite stage.)

We are hoping to insulate our garage and believe that will help with heating and cooling the room above which is our all important hobby room. Where we do our creating. My husband draws and lately, my thing is macrame and crochet. My son loves to paint! We are an always busy bunch.

Have a lovely Friday!

Bought One Pack of Diapers!

I know...odd post title.

I am proud to say we started to make a move early in order to be ready for second child in March. We bought One Pack of Size Newborn Diapers. I remember that being the ONLY size we did not have with my son. We will probably buy a pack each week in different sizes up until the baby is born. This way...at least we'll have diapers! :-) I am excited to finally make a purchase.

The 20 week ultrasound...I chose to have at 21 weeks on November 11th! I will share if it is a boy or girl at that point. I'll be happy, of course, with either...but kinda think it would be nice to have a girl because we already have a boy. One of each! If it is a boy...that will be great also as my son with have a little brother to grow up with. Either way...we are talking "win win!"

Have a terrific rest of the week!

Zoo Trip went well and Under Budget!

I had a budget that I wanted to spend at the Zoo with my son and Mom! It was $120.00. I know...maybe a lot..but I wanted all three of us to have fun and not be too restricted. I planned for the food and snacks to be around $40.00 total...we came in at $22.00 (that is for all three of us). We had a cool day but not cold. We stayed for four hours so I think we did awesome and this was all we needed to spend and we ate what we wanted. I planned for souvenirs (aka: toys for my son) to be around $40 also in the event it was expensive. I came in at $14.00 for that which is awesome. He picked out a little farm playset that turns into a box that stores the animals that came with it. He chose Rock Candy Suckers and donated a Dollar to the Wildlife fund and got an Owl Button. He also wanted to ride on one of those 50 cents things outside the store and 51 cents for turning a penny into a polar bear keepsake. Not bad and everyone was happy! My Mom enjoyed the day out with her daughter (me) and grandson (my son). :-) We paid $33.00 for entrance and that included two tickets for extras for each of us. We used our combined six tickets for three carosel rides for my son and a 4-D movie for all of us. A great day and under budget! One can't beat that!

:-)

So the total day mentioned above came out to $69.00! $51.00 under budget! You have to love that! It is priceless of course to spend time with my mother and son!

This is week #2 of Fall Break...and so far the plan is enjoying being at home!

Fall Break! Yay! 16 weeks tomorrow!

Just thought I would type up fast update.

The pregnancy is going well...tomorrow I will hit 16 weeks! Pretty exciting as I finally feel like getting off the sofa and just in time for Fall Break! I get a nice two weeks off...Thanks to our new school calendar this year. We went to the International Festival on Saturday and all had a great time. My son and I along with my mom, his "Nanny" will be going to the Zoo sometime this week. I'm excited about that as well. Finally my son is at an age that he knows to stay with us, can remember trips, etc...and can simply enjoy everything more. I am looking forward to seeing his reactions to the animals. The Zoo is very inexpensive to get into the park and only 30 minutes from where my mother lives. Should turn up to be a nice day. We are eyeing the weather to know which day to go since I have that luxury these two weeks.

I went to my 15 week appointment last week...heard the heartbeat. It was strong and everything is doing well. Next appointment is three weeks from my 15 week.

Have a great week!

Starting to make the Baby List...

Just this past week, I finally sat down and took time to write all the items, gear, etc... that we still have from our son.

It was pleasantly surprising to see all we do NOT need to buy this time around. A sure savings to save the old and leave a bit of room for some new.

We saved the big items like:
Crib
Play yard
Two superyards XT (awesome product)
Highchair
Booster seat
Carrier
Stroller
Car Seats
Receiving Blankets (a bunch)
Lots of clothes from each size
Bouncer
Jump-a-roo (I think it is called)
Bottle warmer
Sterilizer
All types of feeding supplies from bottles to pump, etc... (Naturally will replace all important parts to new)
Changing mat (nice contour one)
the list goes on...

I am just proud of us for holding on to these items for 4-5 years now. We will simply wash them up in Dreft, etc... They have been tightly stored away in boxes, bags, etc...but will still wash them down good. If for some reason something needs to be replaced...at least everything won't need to be and that is a nice thought! The first time around...man...it is a LOT!!!!!

This leaves room for new comforter set, a few new clothes, necessities (shampoo, diapering items, etc...), and maybe one nice new item. Oh yeah...treat for myself will be a new diaper bag...I want one that looks like a handbag this time...going to be on the search. All without breaking the bank and doing it our self! Not bad!

Have a great week!

Just lookin' at Computers the other day...

On Monday of this week...my friend and I thought we would just peruse the stores for fun...we both needed to get out and about on our day off. One store we just kind of dropped in on was Best Buy. We said...hey lets look at Computers/Laptops, etc... for fun.

We were pleasantly surprised by the great computers you can get and for what seemed to us low low prices! Talk about tempting. We saw this one (desktop) that was soo impressive. It had a huge flat screen with the "tower" that was built into the screen (so no tower). It had a touch screen, wireless THIN keyboard and wireless mouse. It was awesome! I said...Hmm...wonder what this one cost? It was only $1000.00. I know that may sound high, but to me it does not for what you get. Think back just a few years...a thousand bucks wouldn't have gotten near that great of a computer. It had tons of storage, built in webcam. It just had it all. Very cool computer. There were also fantastic laptops with loads of storage and everything you want in any screen size ranging from $300-$700. That is just crazy good prices. Or maybe I haven't been out in a really long time. LOL So, I think...if anyone is in the market for a computer...go for it! One of our laptops (the one I am currently using) the screen is ready to fall off...seriously. So I may have to make the investment.

Just thought I would share in case there was anyone else out there that just hasn't looked at computers lately.

11 weeks and 1 day! :-)

I am 11 weeks and 1 day pregnant today!

I can finally let you all know why I haven't blogged much lately. This is the reason...I have not been feeling good at all for the past months and it is slowly easing up. As I get back more into my blogging here...I will be adding savings and ideas for those going through pregnancy and infants as I go through it. I am not changing direction as I always blog my Thrifty and Creative ideas for what we do, and now our focus is on adding a new member to our family.

My most current finding is for motion/dizzy/etc...feelings that you get in that first trimester. A friend at work suggested "Sea Bands" and let me borrow some today and they really seemed to help me out as I felt happier and more able to do my job better today without the nausea I've been feeling pretty strongly lately.

More to come...stay tuned. I am still have some sickness here and there. Probably will take a couple more weeks before I transition into the more comfortable of the three trimesters. :-)

Have a great day!

The Picture People does good work!

Hi all!



My son had his 4 year old pictures done at The Picture People! They did a great job and I love the pictures! I highly recommend their work! Check their site regularly for coupons!



Have a great Friday!



I hope to check in more regularly...but no promises for right now. I have been feeling bad lately.

Melanie

Update: DIY project and a couple Hot Days..staying cool!

I just wanted to send an update as I haven't in a while. Everything will get better once I am settled into my new school schedule.

What is going on currently:

My husband is DIYing by putting up some crown molding in our home. He paid $145 for a nice skil saw to cut angles and he studied up quite a bit on how to do crown molding. He also consulted with a friend that built his own very immaculate house to be sure he is doing things right. I like this ongoing project as it increases value in our home and the fact that this year we have not done anything big to the house to increase the value until this. Each year (this is the third in this house) we try to do some big things to add value to the house so I am excited that the main purchase is the saw and the molding itself is not all that expensive when buying a few pieces at a time. I like the fact that also, it is a project that if he needs to stop, it isn't an eyesore, etc...everything is in the garage that he uses for the cutting etc...so not much mess to clean up.

We just had a very hot day today near triple digits and tomorrow it is expected to reach 101 degrees. Yikes! What I noticed today when I had the blinds open even with it directing upward...the house was getting hotter...so I simply shut all the curtains and made sure all blinds were directed upward to not allow direct light and the temperature dropped 2 degrees in the house which brought it back to normal. Amazing what a few curtains can do! I want to try some solar shades that my friend is trying out that she bought at JCPenney and she loves them already and says it has cooled down her kitchen dramatically. We may have to get some of those throughout the house. I am really big into lowering bills and being comfortable!

Have a great day and week to come!

My apologies for my absense.

Once school gets back into session for a few weeks and I get settled in my classroom, I will be back blogging more regularly than the past couple weeks. My apologies once more for my absense here. I do love updating my blog...but being back at work has zapped my energy once at home.

Thank you for your patience.

Have a wonderful day and rest of the week!

I love Thursdays!

My son is turning 4 years old on Friday! Where to buy a bike?

Hi all!

This Friday my son will be 4 years old! I just can't believe it! That means in one year he will be going to work with me every day for six years! Poor kid. :-) (I teach Art and he will have to have me once a week for six years...kinda weird for me but actually I am very excited!)
I couldn't stay home, so this is an awesome alternative and one of the perks of being an elementary art teacher. I do love my job and it will be super awesome when he is there and I get to wave at him in the hallway every day!

Anywho...I ran off on a tangent there for a second...I wanted to ask to blog world out there if anyone knows the best place to buy a bike (and kinda not expensive). We were thinking he needs something a bit bigger but could still have removable training wheels. Any ideas? :-) You know I am looking for a deal here!

Have a great day everyone!

P.S. I am excited to post that I will be finally using a gift card I received from my friend back at Christmas for pictures at the Picture People! I saved it for six months now just so I could use them for my son's 4th Birthday! I am proud of myself for holding back to run immediately to spend it. I LOVE pictures...she got me the coolest gift with that!

Christmas in July...check out this site and "Green" ornaments!

This morning I was just checking around for Christmas ideas and ran across this site and great ides for "green" "eco-friendly" ornaments! I love them! They look awesome! A great inspiration for the season (5 months away is it?).

From EcoSalon.com:
Cute Ornaments made from recycled or "green" materials!

Enjoy! I just couldn't resist sharing the site and ideas. I know it is early, but I will not remember several months from now. :-)

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Monday Monday!

It's that time of week again...Monday!

Just doing a random update here....

I hope everyone had a fabulous Fourth! We did...we hung out with friends and just basically relaxed.

My husband's garden is doing well...we have gotten tons of cucumbers and the tomatoes are starting to finally turn red! We love slicing up a tomato, cucumber and bring out the laughing cow cheese and that is a terrific snack...can be a nice little breakfast also...toss in a piece of bread.

I found out over the weekend it is hard to find drinks that have no caffeine in them. We are all trying to cut down on caffeine intake. I did find that Ginger Ale has no caffeine, and naturally Caffeine Free colas have no caffeine (but I am curious if anything else in them are bad for you?). I know, these days everything is bad for you.

We noticed recently that we started to eat out too much and decided to cut back again by eating healthy (healthier), etc....we are starting to make soups, baked dishes and such that last a while for several meals and these are healthier than eating out, taste good and last a while for cost effectiveness.

We stopped in a grocery store (other than Aldi's) this weekend and were sticker shocked. We always shop at Aldi Grocery Store (the bag it yourself type place). After that stop...we are proud of our shopping and value at Aldi! So, we are doing good in that area by shopping Aldi. Love that store!

I'm home for the summer, so we save gas and everything by myself and son being home. Also, my sitter likes her summer off too to spend with her kids...so it is a huge savings for us too. Most sitters and daycares require you to pay whether your kid is there or not. We are blessed in this area too.

We are searching for areas to save money though. I will keep you posted if I find a new saver.

Have a great Monday!
That is my update!

Hey Artists and Crafters: Michael's is having some huge sales!

They are having tons of sales starting today! Go to their website to sign up for emails and they should send you a 40% coupon. When you sign up for their email newsletter...they send you regular coupons (you wouldn't otherwise get) and updates on sales and events and such!

I went Friday, but geez..such a good 4th sale that I may have to go back today to get the things I wanted Friday and didn't get! I am sick, sick I tell you....I love supplies!

Have a great today and even better tomorrow! :-)