I'm Back!

I’ve had this blog for awhile, but it sat and I did nothing with it for years. I ended up finding myself on WordPress – blogging over there. But I admit I don’t like all the limitations I have there right now with what I have set up. I do like the rest of the set up, just not the limitations. If any of that makes any sense at all…

What I decided is I’m going to try to blog in two different places. There will be duplicate posts. Some things are going to be in both places. I think that’s okay!

This is my way of saying – I’m back!

I really need to get better about this!

Wow, I really had hoped I'd get better about blogging, and I haven't! :(

Life's crazy and hectic most of the time.  Mark got a job a couple months after my last posting, but eventually ended up leaving it because they were only working him on the weekends. He didn't quit though until he had another job lined up.  He's working that other job now. Its been graveyard shift, but he might be switching to days. 

In January my parents and one of my nephews came down for a week. That was soooo nice having them here! The weather was unusual, lots of cloudy, rainy, cool days. We celebrated Christmas when they were down. We also spent one of the days at South Padre Island. I worked most of the days they were down, but we did what we could to make the most of it!

In Feburary we found a place to rent. We're no longer living in a travel trailer!  We drove around one of the areas we were looking at places and just happened to find this park. We called the number on the sign and we were able to look at a 4 bedroom, 2 bath trailer right then and there.  The manager was working on it with his crew. All the trailers at this park are the same rent, no matter the size. So, really it makes most sense to get one that was more space for us. Right after looking at it, we signed the lease and paid our deposit and first month's rent. We moved in a week or so later. 

We sold the travel trailer since we didn't need it anymore. That helped us get furniture and other stuff we needed.

Most of what we've furnished the house with, is used. Some new, but mostly used. One of the local Salvation Army thrift stores gave us a good deal on some of it too!

The older kids are in different schools this year, since we moved to a different town. Damon has the longest day - bus comes at about 7:15 and doesn't bring him home until around 5:30.

Things have been tight around here, my work keeps cutting hours. One week only scheduled one very short shift, but trying to see if that can be fixed. I still work at the same place, even after moving almost 30 miles away. So, that one week/shift isn't enough to really pay for me to drive to work and home again.

We're not sure when my parents will be back down again. But I wish it was sooner then it'll likely be. I was hoping that by next summer we could make a trip back to MN to see everyone else, but I don't know if it'll be possible. We'll see what happens closer to that time.

Weight loss? Well, I switched to wearing toning shoes and they really help. I don't worry about my diet, and no set aside time for exercise but still seem to be losing (even if slowly).

Jazzy could have been enrolled in Pre-K through public school this year, but she's still not totally out of diapers. Its been a difficult journey for us with her. She is stubborn and doesn't WANT to use the toilet. *grumbles*  But, I'm sure we'll eventually get there...

Its been a very long time! Some updates on life!

I haven't posted in AGES! Life's been busy to say the least!

When I last posted we were still in Minnesota, we've been living in Texas (Rio Grande Valley - RGV - part of Texas, which is wayyyyy south) for almost 5 months now! Prior to moving down here we bought a travel trailer and that is our "house" now. Tight quarters but cheaper then renting a place. We rent our lot and pay our utilities. Sometimes I wonder how all this time has passed since leaving home. Sometimes it feels like we just left... other times it feels like its been years.  Its something I struggle with daily. I miss my family and friends back home terribly! I wish every single day that I could see them. I struggle with knowing our leaving wasn't just hard on us, but everyone we left up there that are family/friends. Recently (just last week), we did get to see my hubby's mom. That helped some with the homesickness for me. In over 4 months of being here we never made it to South Padre Island, even though its not that far away.  We finally went while she was down here and it was AMAZING. We now plan to do it much more often. The kids had so much fun at the beach! We did too!

I am hoping I can remember to blog more often, but life while busy is typically pretty boring! The 2 bigger kids have school, the youngest is still home all day, hubby's not working yet, and I have a job that sometimes keeps me from seeing the older 2 kids for days at a time because of the schedules we have! They get picked up by the bus around 6:10am and don't get home until around 4:15pm!

Speaking of school, I'm incredibly impressed with the schools in our town we live in! They're quick to call with any problems, and with compliments! They take education VERY seriously. Unexcused absence? See you at "Saturday School!".  They focus a lot on their state testings, but also on the rest of the curriculum. In Minnesota it seemed like Math and Reading were the only 2 subjects they cared about. Here, those 2 are important of course, but so is every other class! 

As to the weight loss journey I've been on? When we got here - I swear a bunch of the fat melted away from the heat! I'm still losing weight, but I honestly don't know how much I've lost. I haven't used the WiiFit since the last blog post I made about it. Still don't own a regular scale either - no room for one! I quit counting calories, because I became obsessed if I ate too much one day, I'd try to cut those extras out of the next day. Causing me to get quite ill at times from lack of food. The only reason I know I've lost weight is because its obvious. Its obvious in how my clothes fit, its obvious in how I feel, its obvious in pictures... Sometimes I still feel fat, but if I remind myself on those "obvious" things, I realize while I'm not exactly where I want to be size wise - I'm not exactly fat either!  Hopefully I'll find time soon to get on the WiiFit and see how I'm doing!

Wonderful deal on diapers!

Let me tell you how I managed to get about $50 worth of diapers, for right around $25 at diapers.com

I bought 1 reusable swim diaper for $8.99, 1 Extra Large Case of size 4 Luv's diapers (180 diapers in the box) regularly $35.99 with a $1  off ecoupon attached making them $34.99, and 1 Jumbo pack of size 4 Luv's diapers (31 diapers in the pkg.) at $7.99.  That total was $51.97  Of course there are TONS of options to get you to the required $49 point to make this work, this is just what worked for us.

Then, during checkout - enter in code LILL6624 which knocks $10 off that order (first time members during the first order only, must be a minimum purchase of $49 - free shipping on orders over $49).  Finish paying for it and print off the receipt.  You're going to spend about $40 out of your own pocket to start with.  The savings haven't ended yet!


AFTER you've checked out, go to the rebate form here.


Print out the rebate form (trust me, its a rebate form!) and fill out the bottom part, and stick it in an envelope along with your printed receipt and mail it to the address listed on that rebate form.  That rebate will give you another $14.97 off!  You'll get a check in the mail for that amount in 4-6 weeks.  


So, my total was $51.97 - $10.00 - $14.97 = $27 for all those diapers!  Not to mention the savings we'll have on the reusable swim diaper instead of having to buy disposable ones!

Another awesome giveaway!

My buddy over at Being Me has an awesome giveaway!  Its for SnackTAXI.  If you don't already know, SnackTAXI makes reusable napkins and bags - sandwich bags, snack bags, produce bags, lunch bags... you get the idea. 

So many of us go through many plastic baggies every week, these eliminate the need to buying them.  Just wash and reuse.

Check out her giveaway here:
http://beingme-alison.blogspot.com/2010/03/snacktaxi-review-and-giveaway.html

YUMMY! Cowgirl Chocolates giveaway, ending soon!

My friend over at Yellow Tennessee is doing another awesome giveaway! This time for Cowgirl Chocolates!

They sound sooo scrumptious! Even if I don't win, I may have to place an order just to taste them!http://yellowtennessee.blogspot.com/2010/02/cowgirl-chocolates-review-and-giveaway.html

It's been 5 days...

Since I last weighed myself that is!  I've lost 3 lbs!  I'm hoping I can keep this up!  I didn't want to risk what my emotions would do to me if I weighed myself every day and wasn't seeing "enough" loss.

Now, as far as how... I keep changing my mind on how to go about this... I've found that eating half a canteloupe for dinner is a VERY bad idea.  It made my blood sugar skyrocket, then plummet back down really fast and hard.  It took a couple hours before I felt somewhat human again.  I've also found my stomach can't handle more than one salad a day, which is a huge change since the last time I lost weight that's all I ate for weeks, every single time I got hungry!  I've also changed my coffee drastically.  I found Splenda Coffee Flavors in the Mocha flavor is pretty good! Yesterday I did have a cup of coffee my old way and went "WOW! wayyyyy too sweet!"  Which is good I think that, because I really didn't think I'd be able to give it up so easily!

I've been having fruit for breakfast most of the time, a couple mornings I had Honey Bunches of Oats cereal.  Then I have a morning snack, either a snack bar with 90-100 calories or more fruit.  Typically a salad for lunch, or if I have Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast I'd have half a canteloupe for lunch instead - but now I'm out of canteloupe!  An afternoon snack: fruit, popcorn, veggies or snack bar. And now I've been portioning out my dinners so I can eat what I make for the family, just less of it!  I'm fine with that because I know I have another snack coming later on!  I have an evening snack, typically something I haven't had yet for the day (even if it means a bowl of cereal). 

I still occasionally have problems with blood sugar, but I've always had that.... since I had my first child anyways.  Some days I don't space the meals and snacks quite right and I do have to have a little extra of something (that time my blood sugar plummeted so hard and fast I had a snack bar, milk, and a banana just trying to get it back up).

Thanks to a great friend I found a website where I can track all my food AND my calories burned so I see what I'm taking in and what is getting burned during the day.  Its a real eye opener, and sometimes I think I'm too obsessive about it. But this early on, I think I have to be... or I'll never stay on track!


OH! And I bought 100 calorie bags of microwave popcorn, and then compared the label with a label of our popcorn we had at home already... as far as calories go - a whole bag (2.5 servings) has barely more calories then the smaller bag (1 serving) does... anyone else ever notice this????