Coupons have changed my life

i have been wanting to post this for a little while. I didnt want to share with the world my secret, sorta wanted to bask in it for a while, but really EVERYONE needs this one.
In an effort to make some long term goals and to save some $ in preparation for this baby's birth I went to a class on coupons. At first I thought "oh, great, what is she going to teach me about using coupons". Seriously, whats so hard, you see the stuff you want, you cut them out you take them to the store that week and use them. BAM, 45cents off a $5 product. Saving money right?
No sir-ee.
2.5 hours later my mind was spinning. Honestly, I was more ashamed at how much money I was wasting, and shocked at how often I was getting ripped off by simple mistakes.

I know what your thinking..."I use coupons sometimes", "I shop at a place that is already low priced without coupons" or my favorite, "I dont have time for that". Trust me friends YOU have time. If you care about your family or wanting to save $ you will find time. Just get off Facebook for an hour. :)

So, here's my 1st tid bit of the secret life of couponing....I follow a blog that tells me what to do. That blog right now is....www.hip2save.com

I went to the class in December and can tell you it helped save me $100's of dollars at Christmas. I'm stockpiling diapers.....8 packs (30-45diapers each) of organic, chlorine free diapers and 4 tubs of wipes for $32 TOTAL! Now, tell me you dont have time.

Check back soon for a fun post of one of my shopping trips....but mostly CHECK OUT THAT site. I promise you will be inspired.

Confessions from a sick pregnant lady

I'm sick. I'm sick of being sick. Had the flu in November and now a nasty cold. As if I couldnt sleep already, now I can't breathe either. ugh. Though it is a perfect day to stay home, cozy and resting. All this rain is no reason to leave the house.
It certainly feels like Christmas is coming now though. Sadly, I havent cracked open a box of my decorations. Not one.
Confession #1
Our neighbors had lights up the day after Thanksgiving. Today, December 7th, I STILL have pumpkins on my porch (leftovers from Halloween that I turned around and put fake flowers in)

Confession #2
Thanksgiving is still lingering on my back porch. I had planned on putting it all away on Friday (black Friday) but was so pooped from Thanksgiving itself that we slept in til 10 and then went shopping and then came home and napped and then went to the Mission Inn Festival of Lights. Now, I'm sick and its been a week and half and there it sits. Dont worry, all the dishes are done.

Confession #3
I put dishes in the sink, like someone else is going to wash them. We (I) purposely bought a HUGE single bowl, deep sink, so I could hide my dirty little secret until I get enough energy to wash them. See, you can't even see dinner leftovers in there. amazing. But you can see my unfinished backsplash, dead plant and guests forgotten thanksgiving dishes.

Confession #4
I'm SO over Jon and Kate. but not the way everyone else is. Yes, I think its sad, yes I think the kids are suffering but I'm sick of hearing everyone judge Kate. She freely admits that she over-reacted a lot and that the stress of having 8 kids was a huge part of it, which is more than Jon has said. All he's done is bashed the mother of his 8 kids and paraded his girlfriends around in the lime light. All I'm sayin is....film my life and chop it up into 28minute segments and I'd look like her too. (well not physically, but you get the point) Thank goodness Tiger's dirty little secrets are overshadowing the Gosselins, poor lady needs a break.

You can chalk #4 up to being sick and watching a lot of Tivo'd shows.

Confession #5
I feel like I've been very negative lately. My love language is words of affirmation. One of the traits is that I know everything wrong with me before anyone has to say anything. But really, since I've been pregnant I just have no tolerance. I have so much more to worry about and care about that I just say what I think so I dont waste anymore time. So, If I've offended you or sounded way too negative I'm sorry. Its being worked on. You can pray for me.

Lastly...confession #6
With a brief stint in the kitchen to make dinner and wash infamous dishes I've been on the couch since I came home from work at 1pm. I can just hear myself getting fatter. :)

I wish I could chalk the confessions up to being drugged and sick, but I cannot take anything to make myself feel better except sudefed and tylenol which does nothing. So, take #5 and apply here.

Happy thanksgiving and happy beginning of Christmas! :)

The Verdict is in.....

19.3 week Sweet baby.....GIRL!
The poll was 76% girl. They were right. We are having a daughter. We are still in shock a little but excited. Its becoming so real now. I can hardly believe it. She's kicking an moving tons. It mostly feels like pressure changes but now that I know what it is I can tell its HER! She likes to kick my bladder a lot. During the ultrasound she had both feet on and kicking away. only 20 more weeks to go until we get to meet her face to face.
oh boy...er I mean girl! :)

Snips and Snails or Sugar and Spice?

We go on Monday to find out if we are having a boy or girl.
Mike is pulling for a boy...you know all that coaching sports thing.
I really think its a girl.
What do you think???? Take our poll below.

What I am looking forward to

A friend asked me today what I am looking forward to about this baby.
I am a planner and Mike is sure it is a boy so we are going to find out the sex. I am convinced we are having a girl. It really doesnt matter to us we are just so happy to have this family, even for the weeks we already have! So here's my list.

~I look forward to seeing what this baby looks like, the face and the hair and all the things that make my hubby and I unique put together perfectly in another person God formed.
~I look forward to knowing his or her personality and the traits that they pick up from us.
~I look forward to seeing my husband be a father. Something he desires more than I do for him.
~I look forward to having to be selfless for someone else everyday because there are children that dont get to experience the joy of being wanted, desparately.

God is teaching me to be obedient. I know that sounds weird but its true. Be obedient in talking with and spending time with Him even when I dont feel good and want to just veg-out in bed all day. To rely on Him to change my heart and teach me patience so that the enemy has no place to hold on to.

I'm tired and nothing fits right, I have terrible skin, my nose is stuffy and bleeding, i'm starving and my tailbone hurts. Its hard growing a human, harder than I thought but its a joy everyday to be reminded of this miracle. I think I feel him or her moving every once in a while and those few seconds make it all worth it.

This morning I was brushing my teeth and thanking God for running water. When things are hard what can you find to be happy about? If you are down financially, do you have food to eat? Do you have 1 warm sweater or jacket? There is a person that asked for some help because he is sleeping under the trees. He made me be grateful for the gas in my car, shoes on my feet, flannel sheets on my bed and WARM water in my home. Nicole Nordeman sings a song called "Gratitude" makes me cry everytime, this is my favorite part.....

"Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time

Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread..."

Life...

I stole this from a friends blog. She was such a big encouragement to me when we were going through fertility testing. I find it quite fitting and will surely read it time and time again in the coming year.

Most people miss their whole lives, you know. Listen, life isn't when you are standing on top of a mountain looking at the sunset. Life isn't waiting at the altar or the moment your child is born or that time you were swimming in deep water and a dolphin came up alongside you. These are fragments. 10 or 12 grains of sand spread throughout your entire existence. These are not life. Life is brushing your teeth or making a sandwich or watching the news or waiting for the bus. Or walking. Every day, thousands of tiny events happen and if you're not watching, if you're not careful, if you don't capture them and make them count, you could miss it. You could miss your whole life." Addition by Toni Jordan

So true. Lately my hubby and I have tried to pray prayers of praise instead of asking. I feel so light after I spend time thanking God for all He has given us and not complaining about the little things. What can you thank God for today?
"Thank you God for heartburn and ever-growing body parts. Thank you for bad skin and weird pains. Thank you for tiredness, dry skin and food cravings. They all remind me of the miracle you are knitting inside me. Thank you for these daily reminders"

The Peach

We had a fun ultrasound yesterday. They were measuring the neck and checking out the growth. It was just a nice reassurance from God. The baby is about the size of a peach this week. 2.5 to 3 inches from the top of his head to the tailbone (not including legs). Since the books refer to him as a peach I say we should name him James, as in "James and the Giant Peach". No, we do not know if we are being blessed with a boy or girl yet but we both feel strongly that its a boy. A few more weeks and we will know for sure. until then....