No spend update #1

It's been 10 days and we are going strong!!!
I'm so excited with the progress that we have already made.  However, the world is testing me!!! Not only did the iron break, I forgot about a secret sister gift, and for cryin out loud how do you forget the Easter Egg Hunt?!?!? Well, apparently it's possible.Here's how that situation went down...
-the secret sister gift: I had part of it (I can't say what it was as to not give away the secret), but I did have to spend $4 for the other part.
-the easter egg hunt: I used the left over Valentine's Day candy (that was awesome...may become tradition) and I dug all the nickels, dimes, and quarters out of the change jar! I did have to buy a few eggs but that was it. I only spent $1.56 where I normally would have spent at least $10 and had more candy than I ever wanted.

I am very please to say that none of this money had to come out of the reserve stash.  Remember the returns to buy the iron? There was $6 left from that so after the unexpected things I still have $0.44 to my name!!!

I am a little bummed that I only have $11 of my $20 dollars left, but I'm not working much the rest of the month so I think I got this!!!!

I will have to dip into the stash for a Bible study that we are starting this month. I didn't know it was starting to pre-plan but it's only $12 and what's $12 in comparison with eternity??? PLUS, I think I will have left over grocery money that I can use for it!

For the first two weeks of April we've only spent $80 on groceries.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE TO COUPON?!?! It's not about hoarding food like on that stupid TV show, those people are crazy!!!! It's about being smart with our hard earned money. No spend has been good for us.  The kids aren't asking for icees as much and Ryan and I (mostly me) aren't buying unneeded things!

Stay tuned for the next update. This is starting to be fun instead of hard!

What?!?! I can't spend?

Am I crazy or what?!? I'd like to think I'm not crazy, but rather just being smart!  After being inspired by someone else who did a no spend January, Ryan and I have decided to for the most part, be off limits to our own money! With Ryan finishing up in nursing school and having an infant in the house we decided that it would be best for me to go part time so that I would have the flexibility to pick and choose the days that I work.  Mostly, so that he could study, but also so we could have at least one day a week to eat dinner together as a family. So what are the rules for this "adventure"?
Other than bills, gas, and groceries the rule goal is for NOTHING to come out of the checking accounts.
There are three exceptions:
1. Landon needed a bumbo type chair and there's one that is a bumbo/exersaucer in one. He's ready for it so there is no more putting it off!
2. Proverbs 31 weekend at church! Very excited about this and I can't fathom saying "sorry Lord it's no spend month!" That would be downright dumb.
3. We decided to pay for Starfall this year.  They've added some new features including colors and we are really excited about it.  Hannah is a little bit behind for her age and we really feel that with her schoolwork and using this website we can help her catch up better.

Other than that, Ryan and I allotted $20 each for the entire month as free money. (I mean after all, a girl can't lose all her happy hour drinks!) Ryan is also in clinicals every Sunday except Easter and there is no where for him to leave a packed lunch or heat one up for that matter.

We have some extra money set aside for things that come up unexpectedly, but I'm really hoping to be able to put all that into savings at the end of the month! However, this has already been tested. 

Trial #1 April 2nd
The iron pooped out. If you put water in the steamer it pours out the bottom. While I hate ironing, I LOVE the steam feature!!! Creative solution...I had some things that I needed to return to Wal-mart so the new iron had to be covered by the amount of the returned items.  May not be the fanciest iron, but I bet it will get the wrinkles out!
Crisis avoided!!!

I'm really excited about this and I'm hoping that it goes smooth enough to do every other month for a year! Keep checking back for more updates!!

Learning to Fly (and remembering to breathe!)

It's been almost a year since I watched one of my very best friends take her last breath.  My life will never be the same after December 2, 2010.  It changed everything I am and who I was and will be. There are so many things that I look back on and cherish and there are also regrets. I'm so thankful for all the times that I was able to just help her and be there to listen to anything she had to say.  I think that I have blamed myself for not spending enough time her, calling her enough, or worst of all the day I left the hospital to go home and put up my Christmas tree (which never happened) not knowing that would be the last time I would see her in a conscious state of mind.  I wish that I could go back and stay at the hospital until I absolutely HAD to go home. I'm so thankful for the millions of hours we spent together.  I'm thankful for all of the drive home phone calls from work and keeping up on each other's lives. (Sometimes I still start to call her when I get in the car after work...old habits die hard!)

The last year has changed so much of me. I have had to learn on my own how to cope with such a huge loss in my life. It was hard. There were times that I just needed to vent or cry and there were always people in my life that knew just what to do or say. Sometimes it was a hug and sometimes it was a gentle reminder that human nature is selfish and that she is so much better off now (thanks Courtney)! For the first time I had to sit down with my little girl and explain death in a three year old perspective.  I've had to answer the many questions about where Aunt Ann was or is it OK to miss her. Sometimes I'm amazed that even though she was only two at the time, just how much Rylee remembers.  Just last month she asked me if she would get to see Aunt Ann at something we were going to.

I remember when she called me at the beginning of my pregnancy with Rylee and told me what the odds looked like of her getting to meet her.  They weren't good. I also remember the relief I felt when she made it and they did get to meet. I also remember that same feeling of relief when she met Hannah. I'll never forget the instant sadness I felt when I realized that Landon was my only child she would never meet and hold. It's so hard knowing that I didn't get to tell her I was pregnant, or that it was a boy, or that I will never get to send her pictures of him. 

However, as hard as this year has been for me I REFUSE to forget the amazing awesome memories we shared over the years.  Here's my top 10:

10. Movies....with every snack you could think of, the cousins, and mazzio's pizza!

9. The phone call every year from about 8-18 to find out when I was coming to wrap her Christmas gifts.  She HATED wrapping presents.

8. The look on her face when a Middle Eastern person sat downing on the row in front of us on our flight to Hawaii less than a year after 9-11. she was disturbed...and it was funny!

7. Prom dress shopping! Need I say more?

6. Her reaction when I told her that we were seating her with the mother's at our wedding. So happy to have made her that happy with something so simple.

5. Watching her eyes light up when she would share blueberries with Rylee.

4. Weekends at her house.  They were just simple and relaxing.

3. Even though it was usually not for a good reason, I was always happy that I was the one that got to stay and take care of her the first night after surgery.  Sometimes she just slept, but sometimes we had lots of fun!

2. Our phone calls

1. Cooking together, sharing recipies, and just talking about new "expirements" that we had done.

I don't think that I will ever miss her any less.  Even though writting this made me sob, it feels amazing to think back on the good times. I love her so much and I miss her everyday!

 Ann and Hannah when Hannah was about two weeks old

 Aunt Ann

 Ann and me on her 50th birthday

Ann and Rylee the night that Rylee was born

Preparing for Hibernation.

Every time that a new baby enters the Foote home I do everything in my power to NOT have to buy a lot of things when I am on maternity leave. This is for three very important reasons.
1) I seem to only give birth during flu season so I don't want to take said newborn outside
2) It's really cold outside during the winter in Oklahoma
3) While I do get maternity leave it's only paid until my paid vacation time runs out.

I try to fully stock up on things like dog & cat food, cat litter, toilet paper, paper towels, and any food items that we can possibly stock up on other than fresh produce and milk (which Ryan usually gets to stop and get on his way home or I get to sneak out for a 30 minute break after he gets home...sometimes I prefer the later!)

I didn't plan on starting this early but man, the sales have been amazing. We love to eat yummy fruit during the winter but it's completely overpriced! I got a really amazing, almost dumb founding tip that I never would have thought of on my own.

Here goes....
ready...
Freeze it on a cookie sheet first THEN put it in a baggie and it won't be stuck together!!!
I know, so easy I should have just known!

Blueberries and strawberries are done along with peppers and onions.  It's exciting. 

Not only have we started with house things but the Christmas and Birthday shopping is underway as well.  Birthday party planning is in full swing and things are just falling into place! So exciting to start feeling some sort of accomplishment.

So to all my couponing friends, keep me posted on great deals. I'm preparing for hibernation!

So much to catch up on!!!

I feel like I have abandoned my blog.  Life has changed so much since my last blog.  The biggest new change is that we are adding a new family member. I'm not talking about a dog or cat. It's true we are having a baby!

 

If you think this is a surprise for you, you should have seen me.  I'm so thankful for this tiny little life, but after two fertility babies I was NOT prepared for a surprise pregnancy. With the first two there was lots of testing and waiting and then one pregnant there were weekly ultrasounds. This was not the case this time.  In fact other than weekly shots the start was pretty normal.  I made it past the week of sickness starting with no changes at all.  Once I thought I was out of the clear, bam!!! Here came the sickness! We did have a few emergency ultrasounds and then some follow up ones for some things that came up. Now they are about every 4 weeks which are far apart for me! Not only did we get a surprise baby, we got our BOY!!!!

We are so excited, and a little scared at the same time. I don't handle surprises very well. I like to think things through and plan long and hard before making life changing choices. I can't wait to meet this little guy, but it's meaning BIG changes for our home.  I've had donating on my heart a lot this year and we are about to do that more than ever! Most of our things MUST go.  First we will be having a garage sale to buy some of the things that we will NEED for Landon. We got rid of almost everything thinking that we will not need it anymore.  What's left from the garage sale will be donated to charity.  After that we will tackle some summer donating trips we had planned until sickness took over.

We are about to teach our girls that less is more.  While I'm sad this wasn't a bigger priority I'm so thankful that it's happening now!

Other things that we missed out on blogging on...

First family of four vacation! We went to Great Wolf Lodge.  When we booked the trip we had no idea that I would be pregnant or that it would be the hottest summer of our lives!!! It was so relaxing.  We didn't leave the hotel once.  It was so heavenly. The hotel was fantastic and the girls loved it.

Which leads to our next...

Hannah's first concussion.  Actually a first for any of our kids.  We had about one week of not eating, lots of sleeping, and lots of falling down, but we are happy to say she is much better now.

Rylee's first pedicure...

She is my girly girl! She loved every second of it.  It was part of a special date night with mommy and daddy and she talked about it for weeks!!!

Rylee starts cubbies...

NO WAY IS MY BABY OLD ENOUGH FOR THIS!

She's loving it.  It's exciting to see her learn and retain scripture!

Hannah grows up...

She's getting bigger and things are changing.  She started potty training herself and we quickly learned that she didn't really understand. It's hard to tell what she understands and what she doesn't since she refuses to speak! So frustrating.  She also lost her pacifier recently which is something that I should have done long ago.  She was upset the first day, but not really after that!

All in all, we had a great and exciting summer! Can't wait to see what fall holds for us. I promise to be more faithful blogger and lots of pictures will be included!

Attempting Potty Training

Canvas Painting

Spaghetti Dinner

Last days with a paci

Great Wolf Lodge

First Pedicure

Finger Sticks and Peanut Butter

This was what my sweet Hannah looked like just two days after her first birthday.  Not even "there". She didn't wake up when they started her IV or put her catheter in.  So sad.  After some testing, they figured out after some testing that her blood sugar was 40! Poor baby.  So, all that said, you can imagine my horror when I was at work yesterday and I get a call..."Hey honey, where's Hannah's glucometer?"  Uuuhhh, why?!?! She was acting just as she had done before and I was no where close.  I told him where it was and couldn't get him off the phone fast enough.  The first time I was the one holding it together, this time I wanted nothing more than to cry and I didn't want him to know that I was scared.  Then he called and told me that it was in the 60's..NOT GOOD.  Fruit and graham crackers it was. Rushed Rylee to school, back to the house and another test shows 50.  Ryan was A-MAZING. He was calm, cool, and collected.  All the time I was at work trying to stay calm until I got some more news.  Ryan called the pediatrician and followed orders.  Slowly, the blood sugar levels came up.  With only a few other dips throughout the day, we had made it by. We learned a major lesson today.  ALWAYS, ALWAYS have peanut butter and orange juice wherever Hannah goes. I think about all the times that she's been places without it.  And to make matters worse, when her sugar crashed that morning, she was minutes away from being with a baby sitter and while I'm sure that Lacey has peanut butter, WHY IN THE WORLD AM I RISKING IT! I think too many of us settled back into the thought that it was because she was getting sick last time, but now I just feel stupid for not being better prepared.  From now on there will be an emergency sugar crash kit in her bag wherever she goes. Where you find Hannah you will always be finger sticks and peanut butter! (and some Sunny D to wash it down!!!)

Meet the Donaters!

Have you ever wondered what $33.52 would buy you? Well today, after 3 trips to Homeland and 8 transactions total (Ryan was with me once so of course I made him do his 2 transactions) here is how it went down.

• 4 packages of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 packages of chicken tenderloins
• 6 boxed of spaghetti
• 2 boxes of rotini
• 8 of the NEW cream cheese cooking blends
• 6 freezer packs of warm and serve rolls
• 3 Johnson's baby shampoo
• 6 no more tangles leave in conditioner
• 6 johnson's intense moisture cream
• 2 johnson's shea butter lotions
• 2 johnson's intense moisture body wash
• 1 Johnson's bedtime bath
• 1 package of skittles (not pictured but very good!) =)

The total savings was $135. Mostly, we needed the chicken for the month so this was a successful day for me. However, my heart has been very burdened lately (ecspecially after hearing Carrie talk about paying it forward) that my family really needs to do more to help others in need.  Now, we are by no means "well-off" but our basic needs are absolutely met. Jesus didn't comand us to give when we felt comfortable.  It's not a big deal if you do what's "comfortable" we need to just do it. So now that I have gotten decent at couponing (I plan to be MUCH better) I decided now is the time.  There used to be a time when we couldn't spare a penny but now we can.  We have set a small amount of money aside each month to use for donating. It's not a lot and I would like to do more, but we just can't right now. HOWEVER, I am determined to do the most I can with what we have and this is a prime example how. I will still do the most I can with that amount of money. What kind of example would I be to my children if I didn't? Stay tuned to see how we plan to make a big difference this year even if the dollar spent isn't grand!

To check out ways for you to save go to couponcloset.net!