Before I got pregnant with KJ, I wasn't too concerned about money. I mean...it was just me and Andrew who needed to be taken care of. But, once you add a new life things change. I am so careful about where every single penny goes. I budget like crazy. We have cut back on a lot of luxuries in life. I will admit, though, I haven't been able to 100% give up fast food. (You wouldn't think I'm a fast food fanatic since I'm so tiny, but I am!) It's a comforting thing for me. If I have a bad day, I do not want ANYTHING to do with the kitchen in our apartment. I don't even want to look in the refrigerator. Fast food makes me feel better. But I've been trying to find other things that comfort me.
I have a good friend who I met in Idaho named Kim. That girl is gifted when it comes to saving money. She's the one who got me interested in couponing. (She has a cooking blog, too! You should check it out-- at cookingwithkimi.blogspot.com) I did it a lot when I first got to Arizona since we were living off of our savings. But, now we've got a nice little stockpile of bathroom stuff. I really need to get back on it--couponing, I mean. I'm just trying to find a balance between all things homemaking. KJ takes up quite a bit of my time as it is! Anyway...back to my friend. She was telling me about all these different websites where you can save money. Oh, and there are even surveys that you can take! So, I wanted to pay it forward and share a few of the things that I do to save a bit of money...because every penny counts!
1. SWAGBUCKS! This site is amazing. It's basically like Google. It's a search engine. All you do is go on there and search. Every now and then, you win "bucks" or points. These "bucks" add up over time. Usually I wait until I get enough to get Amazon gift cards (AGC). The $5 AGC cost about 450 swagbucks. I earn a lot of my swagbucks from taking surveys on their website. Some of the surveys take 5 minutes and are worth 100 swagbucks! Since I've been on the swagbucks site, I've earned 12,342 swagbucks. That translates into about 27 $5 AGCS. I love it! I found out about this site because I kept noticing on facebook that there would be posts from friends saying, "(insert name) has won 10 swagbucks for searching" or "(insert name) just redeemed an Amazon gift card."
2. My favorite money saving blog. Throughout the week (Monday-Friday), she lets you know about all the great deals going on online and in stores. She's the one who "told" me about the Domino's Pizza giveaway. I won a whole pizza just because she mentioned it! I've also gotten my hair done at a beauty salon because she mentioned it! I love her! She puts so much work into her blog, and she's saved me a ton of money. I'm already getting ready for Christmas because of the great deals that she's mentioned.
3. This is a direct result of #2. It's a survey site called Ipsos i-Say. The direct site is i-say.com. When I signed up for this site, I didn't expect the payout to happen so quickly. I was looking at the rewards and it said that you needed 1,000 points in order to get a $10 Amazon gift card. This seemed harder than swagbucks. But it was pretty easy to get the points. Most of the surveys were worth 45 points, but there a few that were worth 90 points. The last one that I took was worth 200 points! That's what pushed me to having 1,000 points. So in two weeks time, I made $10. Oh, and if I didn't qualify for a survey, I was still rewarded for my time. It's pretty dang amazing.
4. This is a direct result of #2 above. It's a survey company called Pinecone. Apparently it's one of her reader's favorite survey sites because the payouts come quickly. Each survey is worth $3 and they sent out 1-2 per surveys each month. And from what I've heard, they take about 5-20 minutes to complete. When I get my first survey I'll have to let everyone know how it goes.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A New Word
A few months ago, KJ said the word that I had been waiting for--mama. A few days later he said "dada." He's said both a few times since then, but just a few times. I'm not counting it until he says it for real, for real. I will admit, though, my heart fluttered and I got all weepy when he said it.
Yesterday I was showing him a picture of himself on my camera. I said to him, "That's you, KJ. That's a baby." I then watched him as his lips formed the word. That's right, he said baby! He held the camera and stared at the picture for the longest time. And he's said the word at least a dozen times since that first time. There's just something about that word that fascinates him. It fascinates him a lot more than saying mama. I think it's probably because I want him to say mama so bad and he's all like, "I'll say it whenever I feel like it, woman!"
So now he knows how to say about five words (albeit not perfectly)--mama, dada, hi, baby, and yay. Even though he knows how to say these words, he still likes to just grunt, growl, and squeal at me.
Yesterday I was showing him a picture of himself on my camera. I said to him, "That's you, KJ. That's a baby." I then watched him as his lips formed the word. That's right, he said baby! He held the camera and stared at the picture for the longest time. And he's said the word at least a dozen times since that first time. There's just something about that word that fascinates him. It fascinates him a lot more than saying mama. I think it's probably because I want him to say mama so bad and he's all like, "I'll say it whenever I feel like it, woman!"
So now he knows how to say about five words (albeit not perfectly)--mama, dada, hi, baby, and yay. Even though he knows how to say these words, he still likes to just grunt, growl, and squeal at me.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Mirror Pictures
I had always wondered why people liked taking pictures in their bathrooms. Once I became pregnant, I found out why. It's so much easier to get a full (more like half) body shot! All I had to do was point the camera at my reflection and click--I had my picture.
Over the weekend, we tried to use the bathroom mirror to take family pictures. Didn't work so well...but, we had fun trying!
And yes, Kayson does have a little ponytail. I wanted to see how it looked. lol. He kinda looks like a Samurai warrior.
And yes, I did chop ALL of my hair AGAIN! The first time I cut my hair, it was because of Kayson. It was too hard trying to keep up with a newborn and deal with my huge fro. Guess why I cut my hair this time around. I'll give you a hint--pain. Kayson has this weird fascination with my hair. Actually, it was more like infatuation...painful infatuation. He would grab two handfuls of hair and pull. I tried so many different things to distract him from doing it. Saying "no" encouraged him. Saying "ouch" intrigued him. He just would not stop. I even tried to ignore him. He would just keep pulling UNTIL I reacted. Finally, I had enough. My poor scalp had had enough. So I had Andrew chop it ALL off. Now when KJ pulls my hair, it doesn't bother me. Now everyone is happy...especially me!
Oh forget it! Trying to take pictures of three people at once is really hard, especially if you're the one holding the camera!
Over the weekend, we tried to use the bathroom mirror to take family pictures. Didn't work so well...but, we had fun trying!
And yes, Kayson does have a little ponytail. I wanted to see how it looked. lol. He kinda looks like a Samurai warrior.
And yes, I did chop ALL of my hair AGAIN! The first time I cut my hair, it was because of Kayson. It was too hard trying to keep up with a newborn and deal with my huge fro. Guess why I cut my hair this time around. I'll give you a hint--pain. Kayson has this weird fascination with my hair. Actually, it was more like infatuation...painful infatuation. He would grab two handfuls of hair and pull. I tried so many different things to distract him from doing it. Saying "no" encouraged him. Saying "ouch" intrigued him. He just would not stop. I even tried to ignore him. He would just keep pulling UNTIL I reacted. Finally, I had enough. My poor scalp had had enough. So I had Andrew chop it ALL off. Now when KJ pulls my hair, it doesn't bother me. Now everyone is happy...especially me!
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| Round 1: Andrew looks pretty good. KJ not looking at the camera OR smiling. I look pretty good. |
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| Round 2: Andrew's mouth is open and KJ's hand is in the way. I look pretty good. |
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| Round 3: Andrew's mouth is open and his head is chopped off. KJ looks pretty good. My mouth is open. |
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| Round 4: Andrew looks good. Kayson looks mean. My face is blocked off and I'm looking at the mirror. |
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| Round 5: KJ is looking mean. Andrew's mouth is open and he's looking at the mirror. I'm looking at the mirror, too. |
Friday, April 20, 2012
I Will Admit
These things have just been on my mind...
>When I first started college, it was really difficult. There were so many students there with their parents to guide them along. Some of the parents drove their kids out to BYU-I and others flew with them. I flew by myself. When I got to school, the manager of my apartment complex is the one that picked me up from where the shuttle dropped me off. She was the one who took me to the store to get groceries and other things that I needed.
>It was hard for me to celebrate 3 years of birthdays without my family there. Thank goodness for the sweet friends I had out in Rexburg.
>I cried inside when none of my family was able to make it to my college graduation. I watched as students walked the halls with family members. I watched as students took pictures with their families. I listened as they discussed their dinner plans for the night. I bust my butt for 3 years. For two of those years, I took classes for all three semesters. It was tough. It was hard to watch as people spent money over the years to buy laptops, game consoles, new cellphones, etc, but a little money here and there couldn't be put away to watch me accept my diploma. I cried a lot inside.
>It was hard when I had to deliver Kayson without family. I heard time and time again about the parent's families coming out and helping them out. It was really tough. Add to it, I was so depressed during the months following KJ's birth. I tried so hard to keep it inside. One of the reasons why I was so eager to get out of Rexburg and get to Arizona so quickly is because I wanted to be near family.
I am so grateful that my sister (Andrew's sister by blood, my sister by marriage) and my brother (her husband) came out to Rexburg a few days after Kayson was born. They traveled four hours. They cooked dinner for us and they played games with us. It was beyond nice to have family there. It was really important to me.
They weren't the only ones who helped out so much. There were quite a few people who made dinner for Andrew and I during the times when I was extremely sick and/or on bedrest. A lot of people came by to visit us and meet Kayson. For them, I am grateful.
But, there is one who was there with me through it all--my wonderful husband, Andrew. He stuck by my side. He went with me to the numerous doctor's appointments and hospital stays. He was by my side when I was riding a roller coaster of emotions. He was there when I was mean. He was there when I was sad. He was there to celebrate my accomplishments. He was there through all the sleepless nights. He was there through the depression. He was there through all the Burger King meals that I craved during pregnancy. He was there when I questioned myself. He was there when our son was born. He has never left me. I love that man with all of my heart, and I know, without doubt, that he loves me.
>When I first started college, it was really difficult. There were so many students there with their parents to guide them along. Some of the parents drove their kids out to BYU-I and others flew with them. I flew by myself. When I got to school, the manager of my apartment complex is the one that picked me up from where the shuttle dropped me off. She was the one who took me to the store to get groceries and other things that I needed.
>It was hard for me to celebrate 3 years of birthdays without my family there. Thank goodness for the sweet friends I had out in Rexburg.
>I cried inside when none of my family was able to make it to my college graduation. I watched as students walked the halls with family members. I watched as students took pictures with their families. I listened as they discussed their dinner plans for the night. I bust my butt for 3 years. For two of those years, I took classes for all three semesters. It was tough. It was hard to watch as people spent money over the years to buy laptops, game consoles, new cellphones, etc, but a little money here and there couldn't be put away to watch me accept my diploma. I cried a lot inside.
>It was hard when I had to deliver Kayson without family. I heard time and time again about the parent's families coming out and helping them out. It was really tough. Add to it, I was so depressed during the months following KJ's birth. I tried so hard to keep it inside. One of the reasons why I was so eager to get out of Rexburg and get to Arizona so quickly is because I wanted to be near family.
I am so grateful that my sister (Andrew's sister by blood, my sister by marriage) and my brother (her husband) came out to Rexburg a few days after Kayson was born. They traveled four hours. They cooked dinner for us and they played games with us. It was beyond nice to have family there. It was really important to me.
They weren't the only ones who helped out so much. There were quite a few people who made dinner for Andrew and I during the times when I was extremely sick and/or on bedrest. A lot of people came by to visit us and meet Kayson. For them, I am grateful.
But, there is one who was there with me through it all--my wonderful husband, Andrew. He stuck by my side. He went with me to the numerous doctor's appointments and hospital stays. He was by my side when I was riding a roller coaster of emotions. He was there when I was mean. He was there when I was sad. He was there to celebrate my accomplishments. He was there through all the sleepless nights. He was there through the depression. He was there through all the Burger King meals that I craved during pregnancy. He was there when I questioned myself. He was there when our son was born. He has never left me. I love that man with all of my heart, and I know, without doubt, that he loves me.
Attachment Parenting
Before I became pregnant with Kayson there were so many things that I said I wouldn't do. In my mind, I was going to have him circumcised because that was the norm. I wasn't going to hold him constantly because I didn't want him to become "spoiled." I wasn't going to breastfeed because it was "weird." He was going to sleep in his own bed (crib, bassinet, whatever). My views have completely changed and it all started with Babycenter.
Because of Babycenter, I really started questioning circumcision. I asked Andrew and other family members for their opinions. I even asked the One who matters most--God. I was so torn about this whole issue. One day, I would say, "I can't do that to my baby!" The next day I'd say, "Well...maybe it's okay." The big issue was that I was uninformed, so I set out to find out what was best. I came to the conclusion that there really was no point in circumcising him. So many people were saying, "I wanted him to look like his Dad." Kayson has a different nose than Andrew. I wouldn't have KJ's nose altered just so that it look like Andrew's. Let's put it in this perspective. A little girl's vagina does not look exactly like her moms. Would she need to be circumcised so that she matched? It's only fair, right? The other thing that I heard was that "Uncircumcised boys end up getting more utis because they don't keep themselves clean." Um...there's nothing that I have to do to keep KJ clean. I just wipe it like a finger. I don't have to push the foreskin back or anything. That's actually how some babies get an infection...when their foreskin is forcefully retracted. It will retract on its own. And when it does, all Kayson will have to do is pull the skin back, splash it with some water, and call it a day. It's really no biggie. I'm SO glad that I didn't have him circumcised. I would probably beat myself up so much if something went wrong with the procedure. Some babies foreskin actually ends up reattaching somehow so their parents have to take them in to get ANOTHER circ. I couldn't do that to my baby. Each mother does what she feels it best, though.
Kayson absolutely LOVES to be held. He loves to snuggle. As a newborn, he would cry and cry until Andrew or I held him. It makes sense. I held him in my stomach for so long. He was used to being close to me. I want him to know that I am there for him. And I always will be.
Not many women in my family breastfed their babies. When I made the decision to breastfeed, I got comments, "Ew...you're going to let him suck on your boob." I've also heard, "You need to get that baby a bottle." Breastfeeding is the most beautiful, natural thing. It's a sure way to get Kayson to calm down when he's fussy. I love that he wants ME to feed him. We have a wonderful bond because of breastfeeding. What is so disgusting about that?
Oh, and another plus...IT'S FREE.
KJ has never liked sleeping by himself. Before his birth, we bought a travel bassinet because we knew we would be moving a few weeks later and we would have to travel. He hated that bassinet! After a few days, I gave in and let him sleep in the bed next to me. He slept so much better and so did I. He would actually go about 4-5 hours before he wanted to eat again. Now he's almost 9 months and still sleeping in our bed. He naps in his own crib, though. Since he's still wanting to nurse every 2 hours, I just thought it would be easier to keep him in our bed. The three of us fit pretty comfortably in that queen sized bed. This pretty much describes Kayson: "Frequent night nursing is characteristic of high-need children. It's like going to their favorite restaurant. The ambiance is peaceful, the server is familiar, the cuisine is superb, and they love the management. Who can blame the all-night gourmet?" (http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/night-weaning-12-alternatives-all-night-nurser) I know that eventually Kayson is going to grow up and not want me around all the time. I'm learning to enjoy the time I have with my boy. Sleep is in my future...even if it's not in my near future.
Because of Babycenter, I really started questioning circumcision. I asked Andrew and other family members for their opinions. I even asked the One who matters most--God. I was so torn about this whole issue. One day, I would say, "I can't do that to my baby!" The next day I'd say, "Well...maybe it's okay." The big issue was that I was uninformed, so I set out to find out what was best. I came to the conclusion that there really was no point in circumcising him. So many people were saying, "I wanted him to look like his Dad." Kayson has a different nose than Andrew. I wouldn't have KJ's nose altered just so that it look like Andrew's. Let's put it in this perspective. A little girl's vagina does not look exactly like her moms. Would she need to be circumcised so that she matched? It's only fair, right? The other thing that I heard was that "Uncircumcised boys end up getting more utis because they don't keep themselves clean." Um...there's nothing that I have to do to keep KJ clean. I just wipe it like a finger. I don't have to push the foreskin back or anything. That's actually how some babies get an infection...when their foreskin is forcefully retracted. It will retract on its own. And when it does, all Kayson will have to do is pull the skin back, splash it with some water, and call it a day. It's really no biggie. I'm SO glad that I didn't have him circumcised. I would probably beat myself up so much if something went wrong with the procedure. Some babies foreskin actually ends up reattaching somehow so their parents have to take them in to get ANOTHER circ. I couldn't do that to my baby. Each mother does what she feels it best, though.
Kayson absolutely LOVES to be held. He loves to snuggle. As a newborn, he would cry and cry until Andrew or I held him. It makes sense. I held him in my stomach for so long. He was used to being close to me. I want him to know that I am there for him. And I always will be.
Not many women in my family breastfed their babies. When I made the decision to breastfeed, I got comments, "Ew...you're going to let him suck on your boob." I've also heard, "You need to get that baby a bottle." Breastfeeding is the most beautiful, natural thing. It's a sure way to get Kayson to calm down when he's fussy. I love that he wants ME to feed him. We have a wonderful bond because of breastfeeding. What is so disgusting about that?
KJ has never liked sleeping by himself. Before his birth, we bought a travel bassinet because we knew we would be moving a few weeks later and we would have to travel. He hated that bassinet! After a few days, I gave in and let him sleep in the bed next to me. He slept so much better and so did I. He would actually go about 4-5 hours before he wanted to eat again. Now he's almost 9 months and still sleeping in our bed. He naps in his own crib, though. Since he's still wanting to nurse every 2 hours, I just thought it would be easier to keep him in our bed. The three of us fit pretty comfortably in that queen sized bed. This pretty much describes Kayson: "Frequent night nursing is characteristic of high-need children. It's like going to their favorite restaurant. The ambiance is peaceful, the server is familiar, the cuisine is superb, and they love the management. Who can blame the all-night gourmet?" (http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/night-weaning-12-alternatives-all-night-nurser) I know that eventually Kayson is going to grow up and not want me around all the time. I'm learning to enjoy the time I have with my boy. Sleep is in my future...even if it's not in my near future.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Nosebleeds?
Over the past few months, I had been trying to figure out what to get Andrew for our anniversary. I was going to make one of those "52 Reasons I Love You" cards, but I was too lazy! haha. Every time I sat down to work on it, KJ needed me or I needed to do some cleaning. Add to that, our printer ran out of ink and I hadn't ordered any more. It was all just too much work.
About 2 weeks ago, I got this email from LivingSocial and I saw stars! They were advertising tickets for a Phoenix Suns game for $25 each. The lower level tickets were $55 each. I was so torn about what to get, but the fact that we don't have a lot of money made up my mind for me. I bought the ones for $25. It was really hard for me not to tell Andrew what his gift was. I kept having him guess, but I didn't give him yes or no answers. I don't know how I managed to not annoy him. Shoot, I was annoying myself by asking him all of those questions, but I couldn't hemp it! I was excited!
Anywho...we got to the US Airways Center, checked in at the LivingSocial table, and they gave us free t-shirts. (Well...essentially we paid for them with that $50.) We were there about 2 hours before the game started, so we got to watch the players warm-up at the lower level seats. The game people tricked me big time. The seats at the lower level felt amazing. It was like sitting on a cloud. I was thinking, "Wow, we are going to be so comfortable watching the game."
When the warm-ups were over, we had to go to our upper level seats. We went up the escalator and into our seat section. The man that was directing traffic told us that our seats were at the top. When he said "top," he meant "WAYYYYY up high." We were up so high I thought for sure I would be able to see the gates of heaven. I kept picturing myself toppling down those hundreds of stairs. And then when sat down on those chairs, I felt my already nonexistent booty flatten a little more.
Even with all of that...it was so worth it to see the HUGE smile on my husband's face. He was REALLY happy. He kept cheering really loud and saying "oooohhhhh!!" KJ actually did really well too. He kept looking around at all of the people and clapping his hands. I don't think he wanted to sit down for a long time. There was just so much to see. It was an awesome anniversary celebration! I look forward to next year!
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| http://www.papervinenz.com/2012/01/52-reasons-i-love-you-cards-tutorial.html |
About 2 weeks ago, I got this email from LivingSocial and I saw stars! They were advertising tickets for a Phoenix Suns game for $25 each. The lower level tickets were $55 each. I was so torn about what to get, but the fact that we don't have a lot of money made up my mind for me. I bought the ones for $25. It was really hard for me not to tell Andrew what his gift was. I kept having him guess, but I didn't give him yes or no answers. I don't know how I managed to not annoy him. Shoot, I was annoying myself by asking him all of those questions, but I couldn't hemp it! I was excited!
Anywho...we got to the US Airways Center, checked in at the LivingSocial table, and they gave us free t-shirts. (Well...essentially we paid for them with that $50.) We were there about 2 hours before the game started, so we got to watch the players warm-up at the lower level seats. The game people tricked me big time. The seats at the lower level felt amazing. It was like sitting on a cloud. I was thinking, "Wow, we are going to be so comfortable watching the game."
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| Chillin' in our comfy seats |
Even with all of that...it was so worth it to see the HUGE smile on my husband's face. He was REALLY happy. He kept cheering really loud and saying "oooohhhhh!!" KJ actually did really well too. He kept looking around at all of the people and clapping his hands. I don't think he wanted to sit down for a long time. There was just so much to see. It was an awesome anniversary celebration! I look forward to next year!
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| KJ trying to whistle at the pregame warm-ups |
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Three Years
When you want time to go by fast, it seems to go slow. When you want time to go slow, it seems to speed up. Andrew and I've been married for three years now! We spent the 1st year and 7 months as just 2, the next 9 months as 2.5, and these past 8.5 months as a three. Wow. I can't believe all of this happened in a year. Here's a look back:
I'm so grateful that I made the decision to marry Andrew. It hasn't always been easy, but I don't want easy. I want something that takes hard work. That helps you to be so much more appreciative. I'm looking forward to another year of laughing so hard that you can't breathe, crying in each others' arms, kissing and making up, watching our son grow up, taking walks, sleeping in late and eating breakfast together....I'm looking forward to another year of marriage.
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| May 2008 |
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| September 2008 |
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| November 2008 |
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| November 2008 |
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| January 2009 |
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| April 2009 |
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| July 2011 |
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| December 2011 |
I'm so grateful that I made the decision to marry Andrew. It hasn't always been easy, but I don't want easy. I want something that takes hard work. That helps you to be so much more appreciative. I'm looking forward to another year of laughing so hard that you can't breathe, crying in each others' arms, kissing and making up, watching our son grow up, taking walks, sleeping in late and eating breakfast together....I'm looking forward to another year of marriage.
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