my bad

It seems, once again, that I've been neglecting this poor lonely blog. I'm overextended, as always. I can't say that I'll be back much before the holidays are over. I hope that you're all well and have a wonderful Christmas!

I've been a bad, bad girl...

First off, my gram is home and doing just fine. They increased her blood thinner a smidge and put a screen in so the clot can't go anywhere.

Now, back to the bad girl stuff.

Money is tight. Housing sitch is up in the air. But I had a 20% off coupon for the Coach outlet!!! What the hell was I supposed to do?

Of course I went shopping. Like you didn't see that coming. I had every intention of just buying a wallet or wristlet, maybe even a card case. But then I saw it, or maybe it saw me first, because this baby

was calling my name. Isn't she lovely? I walked all the way around, looked at everything, but I could not resist this bag. Then I did the math. The original retail price was $298. It was marked down to $210. It was then on sale for 50% off, bringing it down to $105. I had a 20% off coupon on top of that. The grand total came to $89 and change. It was meant to be.

excuses, excuses

Hi, remember me? Should I even bother to apologize for being a sucky blogger? Nah, let's just move on.

September was chaotic here in the Shoup-Thornell household. A few days after my last post, I tripped over one of Joey's toys and end up in the ER with a torn ligament in my right foot. That was fun. I was in a splint and on crutches for a few weeks. I hobbled my way through planning and throwing Joey's 2nd birthday party. That's right, my baby is 2!!!

October is shaping up to be super busy. I don't have a free day in the next 2 weeks! Ok, some of those are planned shopping excursions, but still. I'm a busy girl. I like it though. It keeps my mind occupied and gives me less time to stress.

Saturday, I'm doing the Light the Night walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here's the link to donate a few dollars if you're so inclined.

http://pages.lightthenight.org/epa/LehighVy09/AShoup

Any help is appreciated.

Hell. Just got a phone call that my grandmother's in the hospital with a blood clot in her leg. She's really in poor health to begin with. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

sucky blogger

I'm not the best at blogging. Ok, I mostly flat out suck at it. I like reading other blogs, mostly about coupons and saving money, but I never have anything to see in my own. I have a "journal" on a message board that I've pretty much abandoned as well. I've been sucked into the quicksand that is Facebook, and I rarely come up for air. Want an update? Here it is in a list!! Like you're surprised.

• Put our house up for sale a few weeks ago. This involves much less computer time as I clean, organize and pack stuff away.
• Looked at a few houses for rent. Loved one, but didn't get there quick enough. Was swarmed by fleas in another. Didn't love that so much.
• Looking at a house across the street from our house today. That'd be really convenient!
• Planning Joey's 2nd birthday party. I can't believe he's almost 2! Well, actually I can, because the terrible twos are in full effect!
• We're having a Sesame Street party for him at my parents' house on the 20th. I'm gathering up ideas right now and will do most of the shopping in the next week.
• I'm annoyed at people who don't RSVP. I need to have some numbers to work with in the planning process!
• Speaking of RSVPing, I'm super-bummed that I can't make it to my BFF's wedding in San Antonio next month. With our living situation up in the air, I just can't justify the airfare, hotel and car rental. Joel'd kill me. Sorry Suze! I love you!
• My Avon biz is like a freakin' roller coaster. I had next to no orders last campaign, but the one before that was HUGE! I hate the lack of consistency, but it's my own fault for not putting the necessary effort into it.
• Another roller coaster of note is my emotional state. Yes, we all know this is nothing new, but the house stress is driving me insane, and not slowly!
• Today marks 8 months since I quit smoking. 8 months, people!! that's 2/3 of a year! I'm impressed. It hasn't been easy.
• Kids are back in school, and I love it. I like the easiness of just me and Joey at home. Also, it makes running errands less chaotic.
• I need to do some fall clothes shopping, but I also need to spend as little money as possible. Sounds like a fun challenge to me!
• Joey and I are doing a 5K walk for Via next Sunday with some friends from my MOMS Club. Feel free to donate here.
• I've gotten a bit of Christmas shopping done already. I ordered some awesome stuffed animals from my good friend Alison. She does amazing work!
• My front teeth hurt. Not cool.

That's all I got, friends. Things are crazy here, but I don't know any other way, so it works. Have a great Labor day weekend!

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Menu Plan Monday

Ok, this is my very first attempt at Menu Plan Monday. Here goes!

Monday - Jambalaya

Tuesday - burgers and brats on the grill with friends! pasta salad too.

Wednesday - Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Thursday - pork tenderloin

Friday - BBQ chicken, on the grill if I can talk Joel into it!

Saturday and Sunday we will be at parties and picnics. Yay!

Stuff I like

• Chex Mix Chocolate Chunk bar
• Mossimo boyfriend t-shirt
• my dog
• Yoplait Light yogurt (the dessert flavored ones)
• Nora Roberts
• summer
• House, MD
• saving money
• spending money
• flip flops
• pogo.com
• that cute puppy at the pet store yesterday
• Old Navy
• Target
• The Hills
• capri pants
• anything with the word chipotle in it
• Frank & Nic's
• Vicodin
• a good Pinot Noir
• making lists
• eating
• my Wii
• that Heather is planning to visit
• babies
• that my BFF makes me feel good about myself
• cooking
• having a full schedule, no matter how much I bitch about being busy
• Diet Coke
• my blog friends
• my LJT friends
• my real friends
• my family, even when they drive me insane!

the bad place

There's a bad place in my head. I think everyone has one, but for some of us, it's easier to find. I feel like it's sucking me in today. While in the bad place, I don't get enough sleep but spend too much time in bed. In the bad place, I cry alot and have an extremely short temper with the kids and Joel. In the bad place, I eat too much junk but throw most of it up. In the bad place, I hate my life and forget how lucky I am.

Our money situation is bad. I don't have a freakin' clue how to fix it. It's really, really bad. I'm not sure how we can keep our house.

I have nothing else to say today.

freebie

packing

So, I've started packing for our weekend getaway. And, yes, I have lists of what to pack. Duh. I've realized that my OCD issues stretch farther than just list making. I seriously over pack. Not so much for me, but for the kids. There are too many what ifs. What if it's colder than the forecast. What if it rains. What if one of them has an accident? What if the get overly messy and need to change? What if their clothing gets ripped? Gah, I sound like a crazy person, even in my own head!

But, seriously, packing for a 20 month old is hard. He needs a lot of stuff on a daily basis! I'm trying to downsize as much as possible, but I have a feeling I'm still taking way more stuff than a sane person would. Good think I'm ok with being a little bit crazy.

Not too sure what we're up to here today. Right now we're watching Sesame Street while I make up our to do list. I need to grab a few things from the grocery store for sure. I really don't feel like doing much. I want to be on vacay already!

• grocery store
• post office
• plan dinner
• 1 load of laundry
• death by Jillian (also known as 30 day shred)
• more packing and list making

lost

My favorite message board has been down for days, and I'm feeling a bit lost. I post my boring daily to do lists there. It keeps me on track. Hopefully it'll be back up today, but in the meantime I need to get it all down. Pen and paper are not nearly as much fun.

• vote
• laundry
• dishes
• auto parts store
• bank
• get suitcase down from attic
• make a shopping list of anything else we may need for the weekend
• cash in change jar
• try on bathing suits
• call and order harbor pass & orioles tickets
• barnes & noble

I'm sure there's plenty more, but that's what comes to mind right now.

I'm so excited for this weekend! Ethan, Joey and I are going to Baltimore with my parents for my mom's birthday. We're leaving Saturday morning and coming home Monday evening. Ethan's more excited about our hotel's indoor pool than anything else. I'm looking forward to taking Joey to the aquarium and seeing a game at Camden Yard. Let's see how much we can jam into 3 days.

Jillian tried to kill me

Jillian Michaels is evil. She's hurt me in places I didn't know existed. There's an armpit muscle. It hurts. Is it a good kind of pain? Maybe, if I wake up skinny again.





I caved and bought the 30 Day Shred DVD. My wonderful UPS man brought it yesterday and I popped it right in. It's hard, and it hurts, but I kinda like it. I'm sick like that. I probably didn't need to go to the gym today. Ouch!





So, I'm walking out of the gym and get a text message from Joel, telling me how awesome I am (see below) and asking me to run next store for beer. I hate doing that for many reasons. I shall list them below.

• I'm sweaty and gross when I leave the gym.


• I feel like people are going to look at my chub and think it's a beer gut.


• My arms were sooo sore today that I wasn't sure I could lift a case of beer. Thanks Jillian.


• This particular beer distributor has some very, ummm, hygienically challenged customers, and not because they were working out. Icky.

Whatever. I sucked it up and bought the beer. I did refuse to buy Pabst or Busch or anything else cheap and yucky. If I was buying, and lifting with my very angry arms, I was buying something good.

Samuel Adams Summer Styles:

• Boston Lager
• Samuel Adams Light
• Summer Ale
• Blackberry Wit
• Hefeweizen
• Pale Ale

Freakin' awesome!

In other news, I loved being a SAHM today. I made muffins (awesomeness #1) first thing this morning. Kim came over to chat for a bit with Darin & Christian. It was nice to sit and have some girl talk, also known as venting about these men. After she left I had an online focus group chat. I earned $10 @ Amazon for that. When that was done, I threw a roast in the crock pot with some quartered red potatoes and baked a loaf of beer bread. (awesomeness #2 & 3)

All of the kids liked dinner tonight! I almost fainted. Now, I'm not a short order cook, so they eat what I make, like it or not. But tonight? The all ate every last bite and 2 of them asked for seconds. Mama did good!

I'm always surprised that I'm a good cook. I didn't really start cooking until I was 25. I never thought it could be fun. Now I know better!

Ok, time to go watch the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Later!

feeling listy, and random

• today's entire post will be in list form. i need it to keep any semblance of sanity. list making soothes me. i also don't feel like capitalizing.
• today would have been day4 of drinking nothing but water, but i caved. i have coffee in front of me. it's for the good of all those who cross my path, trust me.
• i'll be doing my first book review here on the blog soon. i was so excited to be asked to read and review this book! more on this soon.
• joey is cutting molars. it's been, um, not fun.
• joey also decided we needed to be up early. i disagreed. he won. hence the coffee drinking.
• ethan has straight A's on his midterm report. did i mention that last week? i don't think so. i'm too lazy to check.
• ethan also has a problem with talking back lately. i'm not amused.
• i've had the chance to spend some really good one-on-one time with both josh and darin in the last week. i'm really glad, because that rarely happens.
• i'm so bummed that 3 of my friends are having serious relationship trouble right now. it's sucky, i know, as i've been there. we all have.
• ethan and josh have less than a month of school left! i'm so glad that summer is almost here. remind me of this when they're driving me insane, please.
• i really need to put more effort into my avon biz. i've been lazy.
• i really need to put more effort into cleaning. i've been lazy.
• i really need to stop spending so much money on little things. they add up quick!
• i really need to stop eating so much at night. my belly is expanding like i'm pregnant. i'm not.
• since joey just went down for his nap, i need to get off my butt and do something around here.

Elmo Does Disco

Yesterday was awesome. I took Joey and Darin to see Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music. It was soooo much fun. The kids had a blast, and I found myself dancing around in my seat as well. They did the Hustle! It was great fun, even if that blonde chick, Jenny, was a bit annoying. I'm so glad we went.

Semi-busy week ahead of us, so I'm glad that today is kinda low key. We'll get Josh and Darin after Joel gets home from work. I'm making tacos for dinner. That's about all that's happening here. I'm ok with that.

The list of the day is...

My boring old to do list:

• vacuum living room
• dishes
• wash white clothes
• get mother's day cards
• clean off table
• start working on grocery list
• go over calendar for next week
• try to not spend all day on facebook.

whiney pants

Complaining ahead, just a warning.

Joel's job is really pissing me off. First his hours were cut. Now he has to work 6 days a week to make what he used to bring home in five. Then the decided to give us TWO FREAKIN DAYS NOTICE that they were changing payday from Friday to Monday. Now, today, they gave his load away to another driver. He was supposed to leave at 6am, but he's still here. This messes up my whole day, and I'll explain how, in list form!!

• He's playing the Wii. This interrupts our Sesame Street/Rachael Ray schedule.
• He finished the coffee. I had to make more.
• He will now be home hours later that he was supposed to be, so I have no one to watch the kids while I go to the gym.
• We probably won't be able to get Josh & Darin at all tonight.
• It'll probably just be me, Ethan & Joey for dinner now, so I have to re plan.
• I just hate last minute changes!!!!

Ok, glad to have that off my chest. Nothing really on the agenda here today. Depending on what time Ethan gets off the bus, we may try to hit a Mom's Club event at Rita's. I could use some Gelato.

Complaining addition:

• Now he's just left, and Joey is pissed. Really pissed. This should make my day fun.

O, where was I? Oh, yeah, really not much to do. If we meet Summer at Rita's, we might as well run down to my grandmother's to pick up my mom's Mother's Day/ Birthday present.

I wonder what I'm getting for Mother's Day? I'll take peace ad quiet, please.

caleb

Cinco de Mayo is more than just an excuse to drink margaritas and eat Mexican food for me. It's a day that's full of sadness and memories. Four years ago today, an amazing little boy was taken way too soon. I still miss you Caleb.

I love you, Nat. Your strength amazes me.

too touchin not to share

"death is nothing at all...i have only slipped away into the next room....i am i and you are you...whatever we were to each other, that we are still. call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way you always used. put no difference into your tone; wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. play, smile, think of me, pray for me. let my name be ever the household word that it always was. let it be spoken without effect, without the ghost of a shadow on it. life means all that it ever meant. it is the same as it ever was; there is absolutely unbroken continuity. what is this death but a negligible accident? why should i be out of mind because i am out of sight? i am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner....all is well."

---canon henry scott holland "1847 - 1918)

I read this on my favorite message board today. I felt it was such a beautiful quote, and needed to share it.

commitment issues

Look, I already missed day 3! Not a shocker, as I have memory issues lately. Oh well, I'll have to double up today.

There's really not a whole lot going on here. Jill and I spent most of yesterday in the kitchen, making buffalo chicken dip and then chili. We also watched Bride Wars, which I really liked.

Today, I was supposed to host a Moms Club event at the park, but it's raining, again. I have plans to do the grocery shopping and go to Curves. That's it. Nothing exciting.

Today's list is...my shopping list!

• kielbasa (sale)
• burgers (sale)
• grapes (sale)
• carpet cleaner (sale & coupon)
• chicken
• ground beef
• ice cream (sale)
• creamer (coupon)
• pierogies (coupon)
• juice (coupon)
• mini tacos (coupon)
• taquitos (coupon)
• rice (coupon)
• taco seasoning (coupon)
• chili
• shredded cheese
• cheese wiz
• tortillas
• sliced cheese
• milk
• lettuce

Now I have to try to find coupons for all of that.

sad

My dear friend Cathy lost her husband last night. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. My heart just aches for her.

I'm not feeling very posty today, so my list is simple.

Things I'm thankful for:

• my kids
• my parents
• my Joel
• my Sheena dog
• the rest of my fmaily
• the truly amazing friends I've gained over the years
• Facebook, for giving me back friends I thought were lost forever
• being a SAHM
• cheesecake.

Hug your kids, kiss your husbands and thank your friends for being around.

Duh!

I'm an idiot. It took me all of 30 seconds after hitting "publish" to decide what my daily thing should be. A list, of course! I'm a list maker, so obviously I should bore you all, if there's anyone out there, with a daily list of something. Don't worry, it won't be a to-do list every day. I'll switch it up a bit. If anyone s actually reading, maybe you could leave a comment about your own list.

Today's list is things my favorite websites:

• LJT
• Gmail
• Facebook
• Avon
• Ebay
• Pogo
• Giant
• Good Reads
• Rachael Ray Show
• Etsy
• A Full Cup

and my blog, of course!!

may day

So, my goal for May is to blog every single day. I accomplished my April goal of not buying any magazines at the store. (I already subscribe to 12 or so) I think maybe I need a specific thing to include in my blog post every day, but I can't figure out what it should be. Maybe a link to something that caught my eye? a picture? I'm not sure, but I'll have to figure it out by the end of the day.

pumped full of pollen

Ok, who shoved the pollen up my nose while I wasn't looking? Damn, these allergies suck. My head feels like a lead weight, yet stuffed full of cotton. Yeah, I know it doesn't make much sense, but that's me.

Life goes on. No rest for the snotty, or wicked, or whatever. Joey thought it'd be fun to see if we could fly yesterday. We can't. We did, however, fall down the back porch steps. Luckily, he landed on top. I landed on my back, with my poor noggin bouncing off of the concrete porch. It was great fun. We're both fine, just a bit of a bump on my head and a few scrapes and bruises. Damn kid is squirmy.

Today was much more fun. We went to a Moms Club meeting, took a 2.5 hour nap, then went to Target with Jill and my mom. Came home to the guys grilling our dinner. I love when I don't have to cook. Now Joel & Joey are in bed. Ethan and I will both be headed up shortly.

Joey has his (belated) 18 month check up tomorrow morning. Other than that, we're pretty much free until the weekend madness.

I'm off to pop some allergy pills, wash them down with Nyquil, and attempt to sleep without drooling. Good night!

busy bee

TGIF peeps!

It's absolutely gorgeous out. Joey and I went to the park with a few of the Mom's Club moms. He's still a little young for the park though. I have to be on top of him every second, so we only stayed for half an hour. I was tired of climbing, sliding and chasing by then.

After that we headed over to the mall in search of sandals for him and Ethan. I had a $5 coupon for Famous Footwear, and they were having a great sale.

Joey got these.

Ethan got these.

It should have cost $50, but I paid $35. Not bad.

We did 3 laps around the mall for a bit of exercise, then ate some Subway. Now we're home, Joey's napping and I'm doing laundry. Joel should be home around 2-3. I'm going the gym at 3, then we're going our separate ways for the evening. He's going to ride his motorcycle for the first time this year. Ethan's going to Carol's for the night, right after school. Joey and I will hang out with my parents for a few hours.

Tomorrow, Joel's working. Joey and I are going to walk downtown at noon for the grand opening of a new consignment shop. We're getting Josh and Darin sometime in the afternoon, and Ethan will be home around 7.

Sunday is our American Lung Association Walk for Life & Breath, then Kim's baby shower.

Busy, busy, busy! The beautiful weather makes me happy to be out and about though, so I don't mind it. I just hope we don't melt on our walk!

Today - Sunny, 74
Tomorrow - Partly Cloudy, 87
Sunday - Partly Cloudy, 86
Monday - Sunny, 87
Tuesday - Partly Cloudy, 83

i suck

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to customize my damn blog. I've had several people try to explain it to me, but seriously, I do not comprehend any kind of technical information. I was explaining this to Joel the other night. I hate when he tries to explain to me how things work. It causes brain pain. I'm not kidding. It's like a form of brain damage, or maybe a learning disability. I just cannot cmprehend how things work. I'm ok with it, so stop trying to explain things to me and JUST MAKE MY BLOG PRETTY!!!

Thank you.

poop

I had the worst morning ever. Yuck. I'm still shivering, just thinking about it.

Woke up to find a truly disgusting scene in Joey's room. There was poop everywhere. He had taken his diaper off and played with the poop. I got it cleaned up, then tossed him in the tub. While washing him, I noticed a brown smudge on his lip. Yes. I pried open his mouth and found more. After I threw up, seriously, I brushed his teeth and threw the toothbrush away. Got him dressed and changed his sheets. I'm still queasy. That was the most disgusting think I've ever seen.

Ugh.

I need a drink.

tax day discounts

Apparently, Tax Day is becoming a holiday. Here's some places offering special deals/discounts:

from smartmoney.com

Chick-fil-A
Visit a participating restaurant April 15 and hang onto your receipt. The “Tax Relief Day Special” lets you return before April 30 to receive the same order for free.

Cinnabon
Stop by Cinnabon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 15 for free cinnamon-roll bites (regularly $2.49 for four).

Jacuzzi
The Tax Relief Sale offers savings of up to $2,000 on select models purchased on or before April 15.

Kimpton Hotels
Through April 30, ask for the and the hotel will pay the tax on your room. (At the Sky Hotel is Aspen that saves you the 10% that would have been tacked onto the $187-per-night deluxe room.) Dine at a property's restaurant, and they’ll pay the sales tax there, too.

Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and Treatery
On April 15, get one free scoop of ice cream.

McCormick & Schmick’s
On April 15, the chain offers a $10.40 menu of entrees. (Entrees regularly range from $16 to $33.) Each diner also receives a $10.40 “tax relief” gift certificate for a future meal.

PF Chang ’s China Bistro
Dine at one of P.F. Chang's 130-plus restaurant locations across the country on April 15, and save 15% on the total bill.

Taco Del Mar
Sign up online to receive a coupon for a free taco (regularly $1.89) during the “Taxes Suck, Tacos Don’t” promotion April 15.

T.G.I. Friday’s
On April 15, diners receive a $5 gift card when they spend $15 to $25. They earn a $10 card for a purchase of more than $25.

Zazzle.com
Save 10.4% (it's advertised as 10.40%) on all orders at this T-shirt and apparel web site using code TAXDAYZAZZLE at checkout. Offer only good on April 15.

And, I got an email from QVC today stating that all items ship free tomorrow! I'll ave to check out the lineup and see what I'll be buying!

I make lists of lists

My list-making has gotten out of control. As Sarah pointed out to me a bit ago, I made a list of the lists I made today. Hmmm, did that even make any sense? Lists are my friend. I feel like I accomplish something when I see a line crossed off. It helps with my anxiety. Here's the lists I made today.

Detailed cleaning to do list:

• clean off kitchen counters
• clean stove & oven
• sweep & mop kitchen floor
• clean out fridge
• straighten up baker's rack
• vacuum, sweep & mop living/dining room
• clean off dining room table, window sill & end tables
• dust all surfaces
• straighten up bookcase & computer desk
• straighten up toys & take some upstairs
• clean couch cushions
• Windex front & back doors
• vacuum stairs & upstairs hallway
• sweep & mop both bathrooms
• clean toilets
• clean vanity & mirror in upstairs bathroom

General to do list:

• clean (duh, see above)
• finalize menu (see below)
• make shopping list (see farther below)
• laundry
• dishes
• make a loose schedule (schedules are different than lists!)
• color eggs
• put basket together
• borrow roaster from mom

Menu:

• Ham
• Lasagna
• Mashed potatoes
• Corn
• Peas
• Salad
• Bread sticks
• Cupcakes
• Berry Buckle cake

Shopping list:

• pineapple
• cherries
• ricotta cheese
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• milk
• bagged salad
• cherry tomatoes
• salad dressing
• cucumber

It's an illness, this compulsive list-making. The funny part is that I could have accomplished a lot more instead of first writing them, then typing them up. Whatever!

I'm cheap, but not easy.

Anyone who knows me knoes that I'll do just about anything to save money or make easy money. My friend Heather said I should be doing a web seminar on how to save money and use coupons, but honestly, I get most of my ideas from other bloggers.

Here's the list of blogs I'm addicted to:

$5 dinners

A Year Of CrockPotting

Frugal Wife and Mama of 2

Saving Everyday

Sretching a Buck

I also use several websites to earn money with little to no effort:

The Caregivers Marketplace

Inbox Dollars

My Points

Sunshine Rewards

Hits4Pay

Other websites I adore:

BzzAgent

Walmart free samples

Silver Jewelry Club

Kaboose

Upromsie

RedPlum

Hot Coupon World

Totally Together Journal

Daily Savings from All You magazine

SurveyHead

Blisstree


And last, but absolutely not least:

My Avon Website!

(email me if you want 10% off before ordering)

*Contest*

Mommies With Cents is having a great giveaway right now! Head over to check out Home Stickers and maybe you'll win a set.

April fool

Luckily, my family is too afraid of my wrath to play any April Fools pranks on me. Lot's to do here today. Want to see my list? Too bad, you're getting it anyway.

To do:
* finish yesterday's laundry
* dishes
* defrost pasta sauce
* send out evites for TS book party
* pick up fundraiser candy 3-6
* sort toys, again
* attempt to find something in my closet that fits and is appropriate for a funeral
* print coupons from mypoints
* look through next campaign's books
* vacuum living room

That's just what I can think of for now. I cleaned most of the kitchen yesterday and the downstairs bathroom, so that's out of the way. Trying to get all of my major cleaning and rearranging done now, so I just have to do a quick pass for Easter dinner.

Speaking of Easter, I have to share that I got my ham for free! Yes, some of you have already heard this story. So, I wanted to get a really big ham while they were on sale so I could use the leftovers for a bunch of meals. I picked up an 12.23lb ham that was originally $52.47 but was on sale for the great price of $22.99. I figured it was less than half price, so I was doing great. Well, when we got up to the register, it scanned at $24.38. I went to the service desk and told them what happened and the girl tried to give me the difference. Um, no way. There's a huge, I mean huge, sign right behind her with their price accuracy promise, stating that if it rings up the wrong price, the item is free.

So, I got a $52 ham for free. Besides Easter, we'll get at least 8 more meals out of it. You can't beat that!

Oh, and I kicked Rite-Aid's ass yesterday:

The refills for my Shick Intutition razor were BOGO, plus I had a $4 off manufacturer's coupon, so I got $22.58 worth of cartridges for $7.29.

I bought all of our Easter candy too. I got $16.68 worth of candy for $8.02 with BOGO deals on 4 bags of Hershey candy, plus a $1.50 coupon. Also, the Russel Stover eggs we all like were less than half price.

I bought a few other odds and ends we needed, like more sippy cups at 50% off, and used my $5 off $25 coupon.

princess pissy pants

I'm in a mood today. Just a disclaimer.

* He is pissing me off big time by screwing with my plans. We had the whole weekend planned out and I was looking forward to it. Now nothing is going right and I'm really upset. And alone. And pissy.

* Joey puked all over the place this morning. He's teething. Do you think the 2 are related? I don't know if I've ever heard of puking as a symptom of teething, but this is the second time he's been pukey while cutting a tooth.

* My house is still a disaster. I need more hours with another adult here. I can't do it all when I spend most of my waking hours alone with a toddler.

* I told you I was in a mood.

* All of this plan changing is not only inconvenient, but it seriously causes more anxiety, which makes me not likely to leave the house at all.

* I sound like a nut job. It's ok, I know this.

* I need to eat something.

* I've rewashed the same load of laundry twice now because I cannot seem to remember to dry it before it gets musty. I never do that. What's my deal this week?

* I need help. Take that however you want.

great giveaway!

Erin, over at $5 Dinners is giving away an awesome basket of goodies, including Sister Schubert’s rolls. Go here to enter. While you're there, take a look around. She has some amazing ways to make cheap, healthy dinners, all under $5. She's my hero!

let's borrow a post

I stole this blog post from Andie. You should go visit her!

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car) - Sammy Voyager
2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe) - Caramel Flip Flop?
3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal) - Pink Monkey
4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born) - Maria Easton
5.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink) - Black Lemonade
6.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers) - Michael William
7.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)- Lemon Cream Egg
8.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) - Ummm, I have no recollection of even being in 5th grade!
9.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower) - Spring Lily
10.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now) - Plum Slippers
11.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) - Tortilla Maple
12.Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived) - Sammy Mercer
13. Witness Protection Name (Mother and Father's middle names)- Diana Phillip

Your turn!

girl crush

When I'm not chankging diapers, cooking, cleaning, shopping or glued to the computer, I love to read. I read anything and everything. Lately I've been into things to make me laugh and forgot about all the other crap for a while, which leads me to my new girl crush.

I'm seriously in love with Laurie Notaro. Her books are the funniest I've ever read. Not many things really make me Laugh Out Loud, but these books do. I read Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club last month and almost peed myself. Now I'm reading The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death. Just started it last night and I'm almost done. They are quick reads, and fucking hilarious! I also bought We Thought You Would Be Prettier, so that's up next.

Seriously, read one of her books and I'll give you $20* if you don't laugh.

* not really, I'm broke from supporting my book habit

d gfuiog Vb

I let Joey title this post. Can you tell? After about a month of being under siege, the germ infestation seems to be over. That's right, we're finally healthy! I'd do a happy dance if my calves didn't hurt. Here's what's happening with us:

* Joey is a daredevil. He dives off of furniture. He also says "ouch" now when he hits his head. So, yes, I do hear the word "ouch" at least 15 times a day.

* Ethan missed an entire week of school with the flu. It was terrible. The poor kid hasn't been that sick in years. I think he was a toddler the last time he got it that bad.

* We got Ethan's mid-term progress report last week. All A's and B's! Mama's proud.

* Work finally seems to be picking up a little for Joel. He's still not back to where he was before the holidays, but any increase helps at this point.

* Josh is having his next back surgery March 26th. Any thoughts or prayers would be appreciated.

* Darin is all signed up for flag football. Joel's excited. We always say he's built like a linebacker, so it works. Even better, his games are at the field across the street from our house!

* I'm trying to get in shape and drop some weight by summer. In total, I'd like to lose 30 pounds. I've started running again, and it's hard! I haven't run in about 3-4 years. I joked with Katie the other day that I was practicing in case someone ever chased me.

* My anxiety has been out of control since the first of the year. I thin kthe weight loss and exercise will help with that. I am not happy with the way I look, so I'm sure that adds to my reluctance to go out of the house. I mean, nothing fits right anymore. It makes me sad.

* I'm forcing myself to do more things, be more social. I went to breakast with 2 moms from my Moms Club last week. It was soooo great to have someone to talk to about al lof the stuff I'm thinking. No offense to the kids, but they're not the best conversationalists. Damn, that was a big word. I wonder if I spelled it right. Moreso, I wonder if I'll actually remember to spell check this post.

* I'm having a kick ass week with my Avon biz. I have 3 new customers, and a few old ones placing big orders. The stuff is great, and it really sells itself. I just have to put it out there more.

* Joel and I have been snipping at each other for days. One of us is PMSing, I'm just not sure which.

* I'm addicted to money saving blogs. I follow so many of them. I'm amazed at the deals out there, just waiting for me. I'll pimp them as soon as I figure out how to do so.

* I made a delish pasta sauce tonight, all starting with a jar of Ragu. I added parmesan, minced garlic, seasoned salt, ground beef, diced onion and diced green peppers. It was so yummy. Even Ethan liked it, and he's our fussiest.

* That's about all I got for today. Someone kick me every few days if I forget to update here! I'm off to enjoy a glass of wine and play on Pogo. Later taters!

please don't let me be misunderstood

Joey and I have America's Top 40 on. Of course, it's the countdown from 2/18/78, but that makes it more fun. I feel like shit. We're still sick, and now my bladder is acting up. Just what I needed. Anyway, here's what's happening here:

* It's snowing, again. I had kind of hoped that we had seen that last of it. I love snow, but my driveway was frozen solid for almost 2 entire months. Enough now. Let's move on.

* My feelings get hurt easily, I know. I way too sensitive. But still, it really upset me to realize that I wasn't invited to a wedding that I had stupidly assumed I would be. I guess you're not always as close to people as you think. Please don't show me all of the stuff for the wedding and then leave me of the list. That's hurtful.

* I have another friend that's MIA. I mean she's there, but only when she wants to be, it seems. So, I guess I'll stop holding my breath. I was starting to turn blue anyway.

* I'm taking a ridiculous amount of cold, flu and sinus meds. Nothing is working.

* Joey has been horrifyingly clingly for days now. He literally screams just about every waking minute that I'm not holding him. He doesn't want Daddy or his brother, just me. It's making me crazy. I mean seriously crazy. I put him in the crib the other day and just sobbed in the shower. Mama needs a break, and a stiff drink. Alas, no money for booze.

* If work doesn't pick up for Joel soon, we're going to be screwed. I'm the queen of budgeting and bargaining, but I can only do so much. I don't want to make anymore cuts. I DO NOT want to give up my premium tv or dsl internet. I'm home all day, and these are the only things helping to retain my sanity. I NEED them.

* I'm crying. I do that a lot lately. Too much stress and whining and sickness. Did I mention that I may be going crazy?

* It's just about naptime. I need one too, and a drink. A tall one.

gooey and green

Greetings from the land of snot, and a host of other gross germy things. I've been MIA online and in real life due to the cooties that have taken over our home. It started last Monday. Joey threw up overnight both Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday night I started throwing up and, um, losing it from the other end as well. Unfortunately, we had infected my mom as well. Joel was at work byt the time I realized how very sick I was, so poor Ethan had to stay home and take care of Joey. I couldn't do a thing but run for the bathroom. I slept from 5pm on Thursday until 9am Friday. I was that exhausted. Friday, Joey woke up with a head cold, which my poor dad got as well. Mom and I were both a bit off, but managed to run a few errands. Saturday, Mom woke up sick again and Joey threw up his cup of milk. That was the end of dairy for him for a few days. Joel got the cold on Saturday. Joel never gets sick. Everyone was doing ok Sunday. Joel, Joey and Dad had the cold, but none were too bad. Monday I got the cold and so did Mom. It's still lingering for me, Mom and Joey, but it's tolerable for the most part.

That's whats been happening round these parts. Exciting, no? I have a list of things to do today, but nothing major on the slate. I need to figure something out for dinner. I have ground beef and chicken. Hmmmm.

almost a month

* Tomorrow is not only my 30th birthday but it also marks the one month anniversary of being smoke free!

* I like doing my randomness with bullet points. Ok, technically they're asterisks.

* I gained 10 pounds since I gave up my Curves membership. Yikes!

* Joey tried to kill us both today. (himself by almost diving down the steps face first, me by the corrseponding heart attack)

* My foot pain is getting worse daily.

* I really need to get to the post office but my anxiety has me homebound today. I hate this.

* Joel and Ethan want pasta and sauce for dinner. I was planning on brats, hot dogs and fries. Hmmm.

* I want the ice gone from my driveway.

* I'm getting nothing done during Joey's nap today.

* Did I mention that tomorrow I turn 30?!?!

* I selfishly think I should get spectacular gifts this year. If I have to turn 30, I should be well rewarded.

* I'm having a bit of an issue with 2 of my friends. It's disappointing.

* That's all. Class dismissed.

looming

* the big 3-0 is looming on the horizon. 6 more days in my 20s.

* just finalized my Superbowl menu. links/recipes later.

* had a teenage girl in her pajamas knock on the door and try to sell me Avon yesterday. one, i sell Avon. two, i sell to my whole neighborhood, so back off. and three, don't go door to door in your green plaid jammie pants.

* joey had the nastiest diapers yesterday which, of course, led to a horrifying diaper rash. seems to be better today.

* i love gilmore girls reruns on abcfamily.

* i forgot to eat breakfast.

* my van is not running right, again.

* i need to run a few errands this afternoon. grocery store and grandma's house.

* ethan's report card comes home today. i'm nervous. the last one was not so good.

* i need a whole day with nobody else in this house to get it clean.

* during joey's nap today i need to: treadmill it up, do laundry, wash dishes, clean up lving room toys, vacuum, mop kitchen, clean off dining room table, oh and maybe shower.

* i'm not likely to get half of that done. i'd much rather take a nap myself.

* i have no idea what to make for dinner tonight.

* i need to remember to get more chicken out of the basement freezer. i bought 8 lbs last time the value packs were BOGO.

* i love saying BOGO.

* taxes are done and i'm very impatiently waiting for the direct deposit to hit our account. (not quite as impatiently as the mortgage company)

* how's that for random?

pot pie

I'm in love with the Chicken Pot Pie that Giant makes. Is back in the carryout area, next to the deli counter. They are huge, and have humongous chunks of chicken, not little bitty cubes. Yum!

Ethan has another snow day today. Too bad he's in trouble, again, and can't enjoy it much. It works to my advantage, though, because he's been playing with Joey most of the day. Speaking of Joey, I think he finally have fallen asleep in the crib. I've been waiting for this, so I can nap too. I'm so lazy today.

Everyone is healthy again for a change. Let's hope it stays that way for a while.

We're having a very small Superbowl deal here. By very small I mean us and my parents. I had invited our best friends, Jill and Eric, but they seem to have fallen off the face of the earth, again. If anyone sees them, please return them ASAP. Thanks.

cooties

My house is infested with cooties. Since Wednesday, myself, Josh, Darin and Ethan have all either been throwing up or had diarrhea, or both. It's been fun. I may be high on Lysol fumes. That's all I got tonight. Off to watch X Games in bed.

Yes We Can!

President Obama! I love saying it. Anyone that knows me, knows that I've been excited since I first heard rumors begin to swirl about him running for president. And now he is, and I'm excited and optimistic. I've had CNN on since about 7 am. I really should get to bed soon, but I love watching the bits and pieces of the balls they are showing.

Other tidbits from Casa de Craziness & Clutter:

* Joey got his first split lip this evening on the coffee table

* I kept Ethan home from school to watch the inauguration. Way better than anything he could have learned in school.

* I'm thrilled that the Steelers are going to the superbowl!!!!

* Still not smoking. It's been 15 days.

* Between not smoking and that, um, monthly issue, mini Snickers and I are BFF.

* My feet are still cold.

* Joel's hours are way down at work. The bills are getting waay behind. I'm getting waaay freaked out.

* I loved Michelle's dress and coat this morning. It was gorgeous. I'm not as thrilled about tonight's gown. It's just ok.

* My Avon biz is slipping. I'm getting lazy. Poeple, buy something!!
www.youravon.com/ashoup

And that's all I got.

Oh, except to tell you how in love I am with Anderson Cooper. It's ok. Joel knows.

Night all.

frozen toes

This cold front can seriously leave now. My feet have been cold since I crawled, unwillingly, out of bed this morning. I hate this below zero crap. I cannot handle being cold and I'm getting mighty cranky. My furnace is also not happy. I have the thermostat set at 70. Unfortunately for my frozen toes it's currently 65 in here. I like 70 much better.

In other news, Joey has been danger boy today. I swear, he has hit his head no less than 6 times today. One of them resulted in a nice lump on the side of his forehead. Lovely.

it's looming

I do a bunch of online surveys. Today I was doing one and when I got to the age question, it hit me. I only have a few weeks left in the 25-29 group! Yikes! I'm not really dreading my 30th birthday like I thought I would. My life is pretty good. But still, the reminder that my 20s are about to be over make me nervous. Not that they were all that spectacular. I made some serious mistakes people, but they are going out on a good note. I get to stay home and raise my kids. I have a semi-reliable vehicle that we paid cash for. The bills are almost cought up. We have a house that is starting to look like a home, not just a gigantic storage unit. Joel loves me, even when I'm psychotic and break the keyboard tray and threaten to leave. (it's not pretty when you combine pms with quitting smoking) So, all in all, I have it pretty good. I'm feeling more comfortable about the next decade of my life than I had expected to.

Feel free to start sending gifts now so that they are here by 2/5. *wink wink*

10 days smoke free!

they just sneak up on you

Mondays are sneaky. I'm always surprised when the weekend is over. It just goes way too fast, especially since I've managed to be sick most of the last two. It was a nice, low-key weekend, which is what I love best. Saturday we had all of the kids and about 4-5 inches of new snow. I laid around and watched football most of the day while Joel entertained the kids for the most part. Sunday Joey, Ethan & I went to my parents to watch the games. 3/4 of the teams I wanted to win this weekend did. Damn those Eagles, though.

Not a whole lot going on today. I got an email from one of the girls in my MOMs Club trying to start up a playgroup for Joey's age group. I'm excited about that, especially since she only lives a few minutes away from us. Joey just got up from his nap and we're waiting for Ethan to get home from school. Then we are off and running. My mom's picking us up to run errands, like she usually does on Mondays. We're headed to the bank, my grandmother's house to deliver Avon and to Giant for more groceries. I swear I go grocery shopping every other day! Living in a house full of boys and animals, we're always running out of things. After that, if it's early enough, I have to mail an eBay package. If not, it'll wait until tomorrow.

That's about all that's going on around here. I have a cake in the oven that Ethan requested. It's smelling very chocolaty in here!

Chicken Fajitas are on the menu for tonight. Oh, that last concoction of biscuits, veggies, chicken and gravy was very yummy. Ethan and Joel both loved it and they have very differing food preferences. Score!

And, by the way, I am smoke free for a whole week as of this morning!

messy

Ha, my day was off to an interesting start. But first, I'm still smoke free after 3 whole days! Woohoo!!!

So, I hear Joey laughing in the crib at 9. I go in there and he has no diaper on. Not only is it missing, but there are pieces of it everywhere, including in his hair. Yuck! So as I'm taking all of this in, He stands up and friggin PEES through the slats of the crib! I yelped and jumped back, because he was awfully close to peeing on me. He of course thought this was hysterical. Me? Not so much. So I had to bathe him, change his sheets, move the crib out so I could clean up behind it, clean the floor and wash the bedding.

I knew this would happen one day, which is why I always put him in a sleeper, or something one piece, so he can't get the diaper off. Of course, Joel put him to bed and conveniently forgot that we had previously discussed this.

Anway, I'm doing an experiment for dinner tonight. Joel wanted chicken pot pie, but I don't have all of the ingredients and money's super tight, as usual. So I'm baking a roll of Pillsbury Grands biscuits and topping them with chopped chicken, chicken gravy and a can of mixed veggies. Should be similar enough, I think. We'll see.

Ethan also conned me into baking cookies last night at almost 9pm. I used a bag of Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, and added some Reeses peanut butter chips and some mini Hershey kisses. They were super yummy. In fact I believe there's only a few left after Joel and Ethan took some for their lunches.

ice day?

Ethan's school is closed today, thanks to the icy roads this morning. Unfortunately, the automated system called to let me know this at 5:03 this morning and I never got back into a good sleep after that. It was especially sucky since I was up until after 12:30 last night. I lazed around watching news and playing Animal Crossing on my Nintendo DS in bed. Now I'm just killing time on Pogo until Joey's nap time in about half an hour. Then I neet to do a quick workout, shower and do some cleaning.

I just finished last night's leftovers for brunch. It's my absolute fave Bisquick recipe! I added my tweaks for you.

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) * i also add 1/2 cup of chopped green pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt *i use 1 tsp seasoned salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs


1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

2. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.

3. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.

4. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean




Oh, and over 49 hours with no smoking! Go me!

26

It's been 26 hours since my last cigarette. I know to some of you, 26 hours is not so long, but I'm thrilled. The crazy energy rush is gone, but I'm still being productive today. I have to wake Joey up soon to run some errands. Ethan's school is dismissing an hour early for the snow and ice that isn't anywhere near here yet. I'm sure he's thrilled and will be praying for a snow day tomorrow. I also need to figure out what I'm making for dinner so I can grab anything I might need at the store while I'm out. Oh, and my mom has to run us around for those errands because my lovely van is making weird grinding noises.

side effects

I think I'm experiencing an unexpected side effect of the nicotine patch. I have an insane amount of energy. In the last 7 hours I've:

* gone grocery shopping
* put away the groceries
* purged all of the old stuff from the fridge
* made lunch
* put away the rest of the Christmas decorations
* cleaned off the dining room table
* organized my coupons
* cleaned the kitchen counters, stove and sink
* done 2 loads of laundry
* reorganized Joel's t-shirt drawer
* made dinner
* cleaned all of Joey's too small clothes out of his dresser
* did the dishes
*cleaned off the top of the TV

I guess it's in my favor that quitting smoking is helping me with my goal of organizing and cleaning.

fingers crossed, people

Guess who's wearing her first nicotine patch. That's right, folks. After 18 years of smoking and many failed attempts at quitting cold turkey, my mom bought me the patch today. I have my first one on now. My last cigarette was at 10:30 this morning. I'm feeling pretty good about this, so cross those fingers and send a little extra love my way. Maybe some calming vibes too.

Manic Monday

You know, Mondays suck for us SAHMs too, or at least they do for me. All weekend I let most of the housework slide and just spend time with Joel and the kids. So, when Monday rolls around, it's time to play catch up. That's no easy task when you're home alone all day with a 15 month old. And we have errands to run on top of that. Her's our agenda for today:

* head over to my mom's at 11 for lunch
* stop by the bank to deposit money
* grocery shopping with mom

then home to:

* do laundry
* do dishes
* start my cleaning and organization plan for 2009

I need to do something to organize and de-clutter this house. We have too much stuff and nowhere to go with it all. I think I'll do one room a week until the massive work is done, then pick a room a day to keep up. I have to be less lazy this year!

Typical Sunday

It's Sunday, so that means cooking and baking here. I'm finally trying out my new, bigger crock pot. It has a 4 lb roast in it as I type, and it smells soooo goog in here! Of course, the apple cake I have in the oven might be helping. This is my very first roast, so we'll see how it turns out. I quarted a few potatos and threw them in as well.

Most Sundays find me making a big meal at home with my best friend Jill. Joel and her fiance Eric are out skating with Jill's brother Louis. I usually have enough food to feed an army ready for when they get back. It works out fine, the boys out playing while Jill & I cook, bake and watch football.

In other news, Joey is a demon child today. He is into everything he can't have. A long nap did nothing but give him more energy to be bad! He's currently trying to climb onto the computer desk.

Anyway, anyone want the apple cake recipe? Here ya' go!

Apple cake:

1 cup sugar
2 cups of chopped apples (about 3 apples)

Cover apples with sugar in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

Then add:

1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together.

Spread in 8x8 baking dish for 35-40 minute at 350*


It's really easy and so yummy! We serve it slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.

TGIF

And I'm back. I'm killing time waiting for Kim to drop off Josh and Darin. Joey and I just went grocery shopping and I'm trying to decide what to make for dinner. I'm leaning towards pasta because it's easy and feeds us all without having to make a lot of extras.

Anyway, rambling again! The reason I came back was to do a goals post. Is goals the right word? I hate the word resolution. Maybe we'll call it my "I'd like to" list.

In 2009, I'd like to:

* lose 20 pounds
* de-clutter and organize my home, one room at a time
* try at least 1 new recipe a week
* use my fancy new crock pot and Kitchen Aid mixer more
* update my blog every day
* get caught up on bills and stay that way
* spend more quality time as a family, not just sitting in the same room

I think that's about it.

new to this

I'm new to this whole blogging thing. My general plan for this is to have a place to just ramble away. Some days I may post recipes, others might be thinly veiled rants against those that have pissed me off. Overall, I just want a place to get everything out of my head.

About me and mine:

I'm Amanda, about to be 30 in a few weeks, SAHM, love to cook and try out new recipes.

Joel, my fiance, 29, truck driver, skateboarder, tattoo artist

Ethan, mine, 10, video game junkie, tech deck collector, big help to me

Josh, his, 7, also into games and tech decks, budding artist

Darin, his, 5, loves to help clean, cook, decorate for the holidays

Joey, ours, 15 months, cutest baby ever, smiles at you beautifully while destroying everything in his path

We also have a dog (Sheena) 2 cats (Tigerlily and Stormy) and 2 ball pythons (Snake and Number Two)

My house is full and it's messy. For the most part I'm ok with the mess. We live here. It's not a model home, but it's ours.

I think that's enough for an introduction. More later. I need to feed Ethan and Joey lunch, then get Joey down for a nap.