And the fun begins....

Summer is getting close and that means hot, humid days are in my future. Yuck!! I grew up in Texas, and while it gets hot there, it just wasn't humid (I lived in the panhandle). Heat I can handle--humidity I can not!! Then there is the fact that before moving to this area I lived in northern CA and it typically doesn't get hot there. We vacationed there 3 years ago this summer and when it got up to 70 degrees, we had someone ask us if we were enjoying the heat!! I seriously thought they were kidding....then they realized that 70s was a break from the heat for us...especially considering we were there in August!!

Another thing in my future is a boy looking a bit goofy from the swelling he gets from mosquito bites. We sat outside for a few minutes the other night and when I felt myself getting a bite, I said it was time to go in. I noticed he got a bite and cringed. The next morning it was swollen, but not like it has in years past. I also noticed a second bite in his hairline. However, this morning he wasn't so lucky. The swelling has spread down into his eyelid and even the side of his head. Last year he got a bite just walking out to get in the van---the poor boy doesn't even have to be playing outside!! And, let's not talk about the pesky little things that sneak in the house when we go in or out of the house.

In case you can't tell, the bite is above his right eye.


Here are a few shots from previous years...


This is the next morning...

He had these next two at the same time. The one on the back of his leg caused his poor leg to swell so much that he had a hard time walking!!


Here is one where is eye swelled completely shut!! And can you believe that every time he has had a mosquito bite that causes his eye to swell, he has also had a black eye (even in the top picture he has a black eye--but it is almost gone and hard to see--this time he fell and hit his eye on the hardwood stairs)?? Here, he hit his eye on a shopping cart.

This one made my ear hurt looking at it, but I thought it was a pretty good Ross Perot impersonation--LOL!!


So, while most are out more in the summer, we seem to stay inside to avoid the mass amounts of mosquitoes that this lovely humid weather brings us!! Yep---I'd have to say I'm not a very big fan of summer!!

Good deals....

I LOVE getting good deals. Big surprise, huh? I mean, who doesn't? I shop thrift stores often and I always hit the end caps at Target!! I don't hit the thrift stores as often as I used to because it is soooo hard for me to pass up a good deal---meaning, we wind up WAY too much stuff. However, there are a few things that I've been wanting to post about that I was soooo happy to find!!

Up first....a Pottery Barn rug. I happened to spot this thing not long after we moved in here and was super excited. Even more so when I saw they only wanted $9 for it. SOLD!!



Then there is this lovely little contraption that I found new in the box for $4 (did you notice it retails for $80?)!!



It keeps this little monkey contained!!



I know that not all agree with using this, but it has been so nice to not have to worry about Lucas climbing out of his crib and falling down the stairs. We need to get a gate installed at the top of the stairs, but I have to order a special part in order to do that. In the mean time, this keeps him safe!!

I needed a new high chair desperately, but was hesitant to spend money on a new one. When Logan was little, I had found a Peg Perego Prima Pappa at the thrift store for $7!! Well, it was an older model and didn't have the straps that go over the shoulders and by the time Lucas was needing a high chair, it had seen better days. It was still in decent shape, but the biggest problem was that Lucas was so tiny and even with the strap tightened all the way, it was still loose on him and he always wanted to stand up. Well, while browsing the thrift store, I found a Chicco Mamma and it looked brand new (it does have shoulder straps, but I don't have to use them because I can tighten the waist straps down enough to keep him from climbing out)!! Better yet, it was $15!! Yippee!!



Although I don't have a picture for this, I also buy tons of my boys' clothes at thrift stores. If it isn't from the thrift store, it generally has to be on MAJOR clearance before I will even consider buying it. I'm pretty picky about their clothes and I am able to find lots of nice, name brand clothes at the thrift stores!! When they outgrow them, I am able to sell some of them to help cover the cost of buying new things. What is great about finding them at thrift stores (and being super picky about what I buy---then taking good care to treat stains, etc..) is that I often make back a good portion of the money I spent on them!! It's almost like getting clothes for free!!

If there is one thing better than finding good deals, it is bragging about them sharing them with others, so head on over to Themommykelly's and share your good deals!!

iTunes Shuffle...

This week Themommykelly has asked us to share our tunes!! I turned on my iTunes (I was too lazy to get my iPod) and put it on shuffle. Here is a list of the first 12 songs that came on--I like variety!

1. Soul for Real--Candy Rain
2. Al Green--Ain't No Sunshine
3. REO Speedwagon--Can't Fight This Feeling
4. Kenny Loggins--Footloose
5. Tom Petty--Free Falling
6. Traveling Wilburys--End of the Line
7. James Blunt--Out of My Mind
8. Faith Hill--Breathe
9. The Spinners--Rubberband Man
10. Nickelback--Hero
11. David Bowie--Magic Dance
12. Bruce Springsteen--Secret Garden

Go ahead--turn yours on and list the first 12 songs that play, then head on over and sign her linky so we can all see what you are listening to!!

Childhood favorites....

Today, Themommykelly has asked us to share our favorite childhood tv show. Growing up, we didn't have cable, so I didn't watch a lot of tv. We got the 3 main channels and sometimes PBS and Fox. We moved when I was in 2nd grade and we're lucky if we even got those channels.

I remember at one point my favorite Saturday morning show was Pee-wee's Playhouse (yeah--I'm a bit embarrassed by that now). My older brother and sister hated that I loved it...LOL! But, with there being 5 and almost 7 years between us, it was bound to happen that they'd think my shows were dumb!!

I also really loved Full House! I remember I was watching it, when this came on the news and interrupted my show...what can I say, I was just shy of 8!! Soon enough, I became captivated by the story....just as others did.

Another that I really loved was Punky Brewster!! I even had the same haircut for a while---LOL! I liked that in the show she was the same age that I was in real life!



So, what were some of your favorites??

Lazy and Oh My Gracious!!

This week's Flaunt it Friday challenge is to choose a word or phrase that describes your week. I choose lazy.....

I simply have not wanted to do anything this week. I've kept my house straightened up, but I did not really clean it...if you know what I mean. I did laundry on Thursday...5 loads, but I didn't fold anything. I did hang the hanging stuff so at least it won't wrinkle. I also slacked off on my cooking. I did cook on Monday and Tuesday, then we ate out on Wednesday because we were out until late, then I cooked on Thursday and we ate leftovers on Friday.

Yesterday I ventured out just to get out of the house (avoid housework) and we ate lunch at Wendy's and went to the mall. We went to Books a Million and I finally got a book to learn more about my camera. I was browsing the clearance items and turned around to see Logan sitting on the floor reading Dear G Spot. Oh my gracious!!

Edited: After reading this, I better clarify that Logan can't actually read, but he was flipping through the pages. Goodness...I hope there weren't any pictures....

Fridge Photos....

This week's Flaunt it Friday challenge is to share pictures of the contents of your fridge. Lucky for me, I cleaned it out earlier in the week!! Being that this is our first home, this is also our first fridge to own...LOL! In all of our apartments, we've had the wire shelves in the fridge and a spill on the top shelf meant it would drip all the way to the bottom. I LOVE having the glass shelves. If something spills, it should be contained to that shelf only....especially because there is a slight lip on it. Amazingly enough, we've been here for almost a year and not had a spill to test my theory!! But, what I do find strange is all the crumbs. How does that happen?? It isn't as if I put food in there without it being in a container!! Anyhow...on to the pictures.....



Oh---I think by the looks of it, this picture of the fridge says that we love condiments...LOL!!


Here we have some ingredients for my new favorite salad!! I washed the kale, used my salad spinner (that I just bought on Tuesday...thanks, Tina), and bagged it in serving sizes!! I also wash and chop the celery and have it handy for salads or for just a snack!! I also have a Pink Lady apple. It is by far my favorite apple!! Truly, I typically don't like apples...especially not the skin, but this one I love....skin and all!!

Here are some apples that my husband spotted last time we were at the store. They really do taste (and even smell) like a grape!! They weren't in my fridge yet, but I wanted to share them with you all.


Head on over to Themommykelly's blog and join in on the fun!!

Own your dream...

This week TheMommyKelly is asking us to own our dream. Here is the challenge:

"Perhaps this Flaunt It Friday each one of us could spend a post reflecting on that one special dream we have for 2008. The one we have been frightened to think of, let alone mention. Certainly it couldn’t hurt that much to hash it out, as identifying the dream is the first step to reaching it. In order to pursue it, we need first to “own” it. So maybe this week’s challenge should be all about owning the dream!"

So--the big one for me this year is finances. We've been a single income family for going on 6 years. I quit work when I was 4 months pregnant with Logan and one month before my husband was to be home from Korea. I had to get things in order for our cross-country move (CA to MD). Once in MD, I was nearing 6 months into my pregnancy and I doubted anyone would want to hire me. Once Logan was born, I truly wanted to stay home with him. As a child, I never thought I would be a stay at home mom. But--becoming a mommy changed me forever!!

When Logan was born, my husband was an E-3 in the Army and we were dirt poor!! All I have to say is good thing for WIC. For months, we only had $60 per month for our food, diapers, gas, and any extra. I got very creative with beans and rice!! My husband even worked a second job for a while as an escort. LOL....he worked at the NSA and when contractors needed to come in and do work, they had to have an escort that had a clearance go along with them. So, the work was easy (hubby just watched them work) and the pay was decent....meaning we could eat more than beans and rice!! Then in 2004, my husband got out of the Army and our income nearly doubled. Well, that made us feel rich, even though we are far from it. We threw another baby into the mix in 2006 and we went all out on him. We simply could not afford all of the fancy things with Logan and with Lucas we got pretty much anything we wanted.

In 2007, we decided to buy a home, and that caused our income to be stretched more. Really, we are only paying $100/month more for our mortgage than we were for our rent, but all the utilities and HOA fees, etc... put us spending a fair amount more than we were in apartment living. On top of that, we did live about 6 miles from hubby's work, but couldn't afford to buy that close to D.C. So, now we live further out and hubby has to spend more on his commute (both time and $$). We are a single car family as well, so hubby takes a combination of the bus and metro to get to work. We are spending close to $200 a month on commuting costs when we were spending maybe $40.

All of this to say, I want to fine tune our budget. It seems we were in two categories. 1. There was no money left to budget after paying bills. 2. There was plenty of money and we just bought what we wanted without a thought about a budget. We don't fall in those categories anymore, so we really need to write out a budget and stick to it!!

Head on over to Taken With a Grain of Salt to join in on the fun!!

Best of 2007...

This week's Flaunt it Friday is the "Best of 2007". There are lots of things that I am thankful for. Here is a list of a few of them:

• 1. We became homeowners. After years of moving from apartment to apartment, we decided it was time to buy!!

Logan in the U-haul!

• 2. We have hardwood floors in our new house, so I got to hear the pitter patter of my youngest as he learned to walk, then run!!

• 3. I learned that even if you get your baby's hair cut, he'll still be cute!!

Before:

After:

• 4. I was able to nurse my youngest until he decided he was done....which was when he was 19 months old.

The night he decided he was done...

• 5. When he did wean, I was able to quit the shots I was supposed to be taking 4 times a day (and had been on since finding out I was pregnant July 2005) and move to oral meds and one shot a day!! Of course, that means I am better about taking them...which means my blood sugars are doing great!!
  
• 6. My oldest finally learned to pee in the potty without peeing on various other things in the process!!
• 7. That means I finally don't have to clean toilets (walls, shower curtains, floors....you get the idea!!) 10+ times a day!!
• 8. Wood floors are great for playing cars---and I have the privilege of being momma to two boys to watch them play cars (which is exactly what they are doing this very moment).

• 9. The sound of laughter of two little boys is better than one!!
• 10. I'm thankful that Logan missed the cut off for Kindergarten so that I get one more year with him at home!!

Guilty Pleasures...

This week's Flaunt it Friday challenge is to share your guilty pleasure.

I am sure my first one is one that most people can relate to. CHOCOLATE....and lots of it!! Chocolate pies, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookies, brownies, candy bars, etc.... I don't discriminate...I love them all equally!! Problem is, I am diabetic. I don't care what you say, the sugar free, low sugar stuff just ISN'T the same!! So, for me, it truly is a guilty pleasure. I have found that if I allow myself just one square of chocolate, the craving goes away and my blood sugars don't have to pay the price. Here is one of my favorite chocolates. They have a Lindt store in my local mall and I have to stop in for a sample when ever I am there.


Next, I am a reality tv junkie!! Survivor, Amazing Race, Extreme Makeover, Top Model, The Bachelor, Beauty and the Geek, Top Chef, Project Runway, and the list goes on. However, the one that my husband questions the most is My Super Sweet Sixteen on MTV. I don't really know why I like it, but I do. Mostly because I think it is insane how much parents spend on their kids for a party!! I watch it just to see how crazy people are. When I turned 16, I had a few girls over and we spent the night watching movies and eating pizza!! I am spoiled in that we have a DVR that allows me to record two shows at once just in case my reality shows overlap each other.....and they often do!

How I met my husband....

~~If you get a chance, check out my 100th post for a giveaway of a few of my favorite things!!~~

This week's Flaunt it Friday is about how we met our spouse. Strangely enough, I also met my husband on the internet. I was only 17 (and he was 21) and we had recently moved from TX to CA. I was short on friends and found myself looking on the internet to find one. I ventured into a chat room called "northern CA" on AOL and the rest is history. We had so much in common and talked for hours every night. That first night that we met online was Dec. 8, 1996!!! Hard for me to believe it was almost 11 years ago!! We chatted online and on the phone for a while and then he came down to meet me. I had to beg my dad to allow it, and he finally did so that he knew I wouldn't sneak off to meet him....and I would have, too. He came down in January to meet me for the first time. Man, did I have butterflies in my stomach!! We traveled often to see each other and then that summer I went to FL to visit my sister. When I returned home, he was there to meet me and he never went back home. Since I was 17 still, he moved to me. I turned 18 on Nov. 3rd and on Nov. 11th, I signed a lease and moved in with him. We married on June 4th, 2000. So, 7+ married years and two babies later, we, too, have beat the odds!!

The Cat is Out of the Bag....

TheMommyKelly at Taken with a Grain of Salt has come up with a new meme called Flaunt it Fridays. Today's theme is Let the Cat out of the Bag. She has challenged us to show the contents of our bag. My bag is always so full. It seems no matter how often I clean it, it is still full. I just don't know what I could get rid of. I'm not a small purse girl by any means!!



Starting at the top and moving right...

1. The little black case is my diabetic testing supplies.
2. Then there is my purse....I LOVE it!!
3. a couple packs of Kleenex
4. my empty gift card that I won!!
5. Misc. receipts and trash (used Kleenex..NICE, old shopping lists)
   
6. a prescription that needs to be filled
7. Misc. evelopes (checks, county personal property bill with new decal that I need to apply)
8. my supply of various mints and gum
9. hand sanitizer and lotion
10. my Longaberger measuring tape from my sister
11. pens
12. nail files
13. bag of stuff (brush, lip gloss, Carmex, tweezers, mirror)
14. wallet
15. Rolodex....this is actually to hold business cards, but I use it to hold my never ending supply of club cards, health ins. cards, and a few business cards. I LOVE it!!
16. check book
17. my son's wallet (he is 5)
18. a box of crayons
19. a few coupons
20. my Miss Army knife....I LOVE this, too!!

Here is an inside picture of my Rolodex....



See, I told you I have a lot of stuff!! Alright...I really did need an excuse to clean my purse out...AGAIN!!