TGIF

It was a hot night at the ballpark, Karsyn needed lots of fluids!!

After a 10 hour day with the grands it is hard to find the energy to make it to Tyler's T-Ball games, so glad last night was the end of the season! I love watching the little guys play but it's just too much during the school year. I am happy that today is FRIDAY!!!!!!! I will still have Kara tomorrow but keeping up with one seems like a picnic compared to all 3. Only 4 more days of school and summer begins. I say bring it on, I am ready for some down time!

Hubby is on his way home from up north, DD#2 who is staying with us for another week will be headed out of town after school today for the weekend. It might just be that hubby and I will have a day to ourselves, little does he know the day will be devoted to garden work. I have had my eye on a yellow squash that might be ready for picking by Sunday. I am ready for something fresh from the garden. The lettuce is also coming along, I should be able to put together a salad for the weekend, yepee

The grands will be arriving soon, need to start filling sippy cups and getting breakfast whipped up. Have a GREAT Friday

Where does it end

Our big boy Tyler graduated from pre-school today. Of course we are proud of any accomplishments our grands achieve, from rolling over, setting up, taking that first step, heck some days I celebrate a good poop in hopes that fussy babies will feel better afterwards.

Call me old fashion but when did a cap and gown become a tradition for 5 year old's who's accomplishments while important, are really nothing more than what should be expected of a normal 5 year old. I am all for a little celebration at the end of the school year for families to gather and hear a sweet song the little ones have learned during the year, maybe even some cookies and punch but a full all out graduation seems a bit much to me.

Here is a few of the things that have really floored me in the past 2 weeks. The gifts some of these tiny tots are receiving blows my mind. One little boy received a trip to Disney, another a Kindle Fire, one family sent out invitations to a back yard BBQ to everyone the kiddo had ever had contact with. At today's ceremony one family hired a professional photographer to memorialize their pre schooler's graduation.

Last week DD#1 and I discussed some of the gifts Ty's friends had been receiving, shocking is all I can say. Tyler has been pretty excited to know that you get gifts at graduation. DD#1 and I decided any gifts Tyler would receive needed to be in the form of books, there would be no invitations sent out or announcements!

Tonight Tyler is having a special little cake with his family after dinner that I picked up at the store. Come bedtime he will get to choose what big boy chapter book he would like Mommy or Daddy to read that he received from each of us today. Hubby and I gave him "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, when he opened it he told me "Nanny they didn't teach us to read". That's OK big guy, Mommy and Daddy will do the reading until you learn, that's your next step in being a big boy.

I feel like things like this pre school graduation experience is where the entitlement mentality begins. Little ones are receiving ridicules inappropriate gifts and celebrations for learning to line up for playground time, setting nicely at lunch, being quiet during nap time, learning to share. Where does it end?

Do you get sucked into purchasing gifts that are out of a reasonable price range or that are against your principles just to fit in? Are you embarrassed to give a gift that might be home made or that you purchased on sale? Our Kiddo's learn from what we as parents do not what we say.

 BTW we all purchased our books at "Barnes and Nobles" using our family membership card, love that discount. We also got in on the deal for more Beach bags at $9.95, perfect for some reasonably priced gift giving. I am not embarrassed to give a gift I have picked up on sale, as a matter of fact I am very proud of my stash in the gift closet and drawers. I try to keep a little stock of some hand made things for a quicky gift. NEVER be embarrassed for living within your means.

Off my soap box now, I too will be curling up with a book in my bed, need to rest up for the arrival of the rug rats in the AM.

Bare Bones Budget

After reading this post on the "Happy Homeowners" blog  today I thought it was such a great post I decided to do a little piggy back from it. CHECK IT OUT!!

http://www.thehappyhomeowner.net/

Last year with all the layoff's hubby's company was doing I realized even though I felt like we lived well below our means it was time to do a reality check. I sat a goal of living on much less than we made, 40% to be exact. I am happy to report we pulled it off! The money we saved was shoved into our savings account a dollar at a time week after week. Had hubby suffered a job loss we would have had to cut back even more. Here is a list of things that were not necessary that we continued to do but it would have been cut out lickety split!!!

Security system
Internet/cable/phone
Cell Phone for me (Hubby's we would have kept since it has business contacts and would have been needed)
Vacations
Gifts (Very simple would have been the name of the game)
Christmas (while we did cut back a bunch we would have cut WAY back)
Boat (Fully paid but still cost $$) Happy update, we ditched that money pit this year!!
Jeep (Fully paid but still cost $$)
Harley (Fully paid but still cost $$)
My car (Fully paid but still cost $$)
Charity (Instead of $$ donated I would have found ways to donate time)

As much as any of us hate to think about a possible job loss I think it is a VERY real possibility. The US economy has not rebounded as the "experts" expected, Europe is still in a pretty nasty mess, our elected officials still don't get it, (we can't continue to borrow more than we are bringing in), over 50% of Americans are on some sort of Government assistance. The list of doom and gloom could go on and on.

I would encourage all of you to do a "Bare Bones Budget" for at least 60 days. I think it would take at least 60 days to really get a handle on where your $$ are going. Here's a list of what I found we were throwing money away at that took time, phone calls and a stash of chocolate to get cleaned up.

Homeowners insurance - We were way overpaying in some area's and others we didn't have enough coverage on. Savings of 217.00 for the year

Internet/cable/phone - I couldn't get the company to give me the price they were plastering all over TV and the papers, it was for new customers only. OK, Bozo disconnect my services I will call back in a few days. Sure enough after a few days of no service I reconnected at the lower price. Savings of  $71.00 a month, $852.00 a year. This year after the 1 year deal was over they jacked the price back up. I made the call again and told them to disconnect, instead they extended the deal for an additional year.

Exterminator service - The price was doubled from the year before, we were not having any problems with ants, spiders or bugs so I cancelled the service. Savings of $500.00 a year. Interesting, this spring we started having an ant problem again, hubby insisted I get the service back, the cost had gone down due to people cancelling the service, it's back to $250.00 a year.

Cell phone - Did a cell phone check up, I only use my cell phone for emergencies or convince when out and about, it stays in my car. I have a plan that was no longer even offered so the price was as low as it would go.

This is just and example of leaks in our spending that so many of us don't take the time to investigate. If you work full time take a day off to do a check up on your reoccurring spending, bank drafts and such, it really can pay off. Make sure and get yourself set up for a long frustrating day. Here are the tools I suggest having handy.

Notebook to write down names etc

Calculator to do quick math with. The reps are use to customer calls, they are trained to turn numbers and deals around so in the end you are not paying for what you want, be ready!! DO NOT be afraid to tell the rep you are talking to they you can not understand what they are saying, insist that you speak to someone of your own language!!!!!!!! No offence to anyone but Larry is not your name buddy who are you kidding

Beverage of choice

Chocolate

Bar of soap to wash your mouth out with,  (I'm just saying)

Last but certainly not least if you are from the US go on line to the unemployment agency site for your state. There is a tool that you can use to estimate what your unemployment benefits would be each week, keep in mind you will have to pay state and federal taxes on that amount at the end of the year! Could you live on that amount? What changes can you make now to bring your reoccurring expenses down just in case. Don't even think about putting the money you have renegotiated back into you budget, set up and auto draft and shove it into savings each month, you now have a nice little EF that you will never notice. The average US citizen are just 2 paychecks away from losing their home. I think we can all look back at the past few years and know that is not an exaggeration!!!!

Slow Day

 A few Birthday cards.

 Then a few more to use up the paper.

 Then on to some just becasue cards.

While hanging out with this little guy. Can you see those long eyelaches?

Monday was a slow peaceful day, LOVE getting one of those every now and then. No place to go, nothing that had to be done, just hanging out with my little buddy. I have had card supplies setting out in the family room since last week, I was getting tired of looking at the mess! Yesterday I worked up more cards to use up the paper I had pulled out then cleaned it all up. I still need a few more sets of all occasion cards, maybe this afternoon I can work on something simple and not have to drag it all out again.

Mason and I have a couple of errands to do today for his Mommy, I hate doing errands with a passion. DD#1 is in the last week of the school year with the kiddo's, next week is teachers only, we are almost at the end of this year but now its a sprint to the finish with odds and ends for her class as well as Tyler's last week at Pre-school. As a treat for the day ahead  Mason and I will be meeting a few friends for breakfast this morning then hopefully finish up the running around before nap time.

Girl Time

 Ended up with 6 dresses after my little shopping spree yesterday.

Before putting the new things in the closet I took out 10 things to donate for charity.

DD#2 helped me decide on what dresses I really wanted to keep after my shopping spree yesterday. We whittled it down to 6, with what I already have that will be all I need to get through the summer. Total spent $157.10, total saved $198.71. Those are numbers I can live with!!

 After the declutter challenge Carla ran in February I didn't want to overload my closet again so soon. I got busy pulling out a few summer things I knew I wouldn't wear again. I don't donate junky, stained, torn up things to Goodwill, that sort of stuff goes to the dump. Whoever has the pleasure of picking these things up will be getting a real treat at a great price. I went ahead and sorted my summer dresses while I was at it deciding what was for everyday around the house, in the yard sorta things, then moved them over to my knock about side of the closet. Tomorrow when Mason goes down for a nap I need to go through that side and pull out a few tee shirts that are pretty nasty looking, the grands have done a number on some items over the past 2 years! Ha

DD#2 and I had a fun breakfast this morning with some friends of mine that have known her since she was a little bitty girl, they haven't seen her in ages. Lots of catching up and laughter about the old days at ball parks. We then went for some girl time (shopping) DD#2 is staying with us for a few weeks until school is out for teachers before moving 3 LONG hours away. This Mama is not happy but at 30 years old she has to make her own decisions. She has 3 trips coming up in June, I thought it would be nice for her to have a few new things. I remember way back when I could go to the racks and pick up anything I liked and it would fit like it was made for me........could it have been that long ago? How fun it was to dress up one of my big girls    with no worry whether there would be lumps and bumps in all the wrong places!! While everything she got was young hip and oh so cute she will still be able to wear it all when school starts back in the fall if she throws on a little sweater. She was blown away by how much we got but what little we paid. I forgot to get the receipt from her before starting this post. I do remember the total was less than one of the dresses in particular had cost at full price, yep we were dealing. 

Then it was home for me to try and cram as much housework, yard work, laundry and desk cleaning as I could get in. While DD#2 meet up with some of her friends at that way over price coffee house, ahhh the life of the young.

It has been a VERY spendy week around here. On my ever growing list to do on Monday is total up some numbers for clothing I have bought this past week. I should still be under budget as hubby and I rarely buy for ourselves and I do include splurges on the grands and big kids in the budget. But still it can add up fast!!

A little saving

 How could it be that only a year ago the little girls looked like this?

 And now this. They grow up way too fast. Sometimes they play so nicely together.

 Other times not so much. UGH!! A little deconstruction went on yesterday. Thankfully it was just the wood they somehow detached from the window, no broken glass (yet)

Beach Bags for the big girls, now to embroider their names on them for our beach trip.

Just a year ago the little girls were enjoying tummy time together and learning to crawl. Now they run around like crazy girls and are always into something, but still oh so sweet. (sometimes) Yesterday they went from  good as gold to rotten in a millisecond. It was one of those days that I was thankful for a strong bladder, no time to turn my back for a quick pee. Kara is such a tattle tail "No, No, baby" means I better sprint to wherever they are Karsyn is for sure into something. Karsyn's reaction to the window mullion coming off was "Oh no". My reaction....I have chocolate in the house, this too shall pass.

Before Kara arrived this morning I was burning up the roads to get the errands done. I did end up taking her out a bit ago to do more shopping for the grands some beach clothes (bad me) I mean really how many purses do 2 year olds need, and floppy hats....I give up. 

I confess....... I have no control over cuteness for the grands. I get sucked in every time I walk past kiddo clothes.  Accessories, it's a lost cause. In my defense I didn't buy any of the over the top cute jewelery that coordinated with their outfits. As of now they think they are hot stuff wearing mason jar rings as bracelets, works for me I have plenty!! Just so you know I wasn't the ONLY Nanny in Gymboree today. I swear there was no lady in the place that wasn't over 50 years old. Nanny's are just pure crazy ladies with the means to blow a wad on the next generation.

Barnes and Noble was running a deal on the beach bags. Buy any 2 items in the store and get the bag for $9.99. I always have some little gift for the big girls I put on their beds at the beach house each year, seemed like a perfect little something at a good price. Once I get their names embroidered on I will fill them with a few magazines, sun screen, snacks and beach toys for the grands. I added hit the dollar store to my "to do" list for next Saturday, I should be able to score some good stuff there.

I wasn't done spending yet. I needed to return a dress to Belk this morning that was way to big (woohoo) It just so happened that they were running a 20% off your total purchase......Since the decluttering challenge in February I knew I would need a few new things for the summer. Dresses being my favorite summer wear right now I went a little crazy. Not sure if I will keep all of them, once I try everything on I will decide. I hate with a passion trying on clothes in the stores. I swear they use mirrors from a freak show in the dressing rooms, the lighting must be recycled from an operating room and they never vacuum the floors. I don't need a 3 way mirror to know whats going on behind my back. I am well aware the weight of the world has ended up on my rear end.

Card Factory

 Wednesday I set up a card factory space for Mason and I to work from.

 I am so low on cards I decided to work as an assembly line.

 Lots of stamping and inking going on.

Nothing too fancy, just simple and sweet.

How can it already be Friday!!! I never got the time yesterday to sit down to the PC and post, didn't even have the time to read others posts. The grands were in a GRAND mood, Ha. Mason is always out of sorts a bit when the little girls are around, he might be a bit spoiled having me all to himself  3 days each week.

The little girls were wild as a buck yesterday. They really need to be outside these days most of the time to burn off more energy but I can't keep up with them for more than a hour in the wide open space!! Getting them back into the house is like catching a greased pig, they are a challenge for sure. DD#1 needed me to meet up early yesterday to take Mason for his 6 month check up, OK how hard could that be? 

It was a comedy of errors. The kiddo's went down late for their naps, Kara decided no nap was needed. Taking a shower with an almost 2 year old lose in the bathroom will get your heart pumping I tell you. Mason worked up a super duper spit up all over his clean clothes,grrr. Once I got all that sorted out it was time to wake Karsyn up. We avoid waking Karsyn up at all costs, she is a Tasmanian devil if she doesn't get her nap in but I needed to get her in the car headed to Mommy.

As I walked in the room I could see her sweet little blond head sound asleep and GASP her bare bottom. Seems Ms Karsyn decided to take her diaper off at nap time, the entire bedding was wet as well as her clean outfit I put on her before she went down. There was no time for a real bath at that point so I threw her in the sink and gave her a quick wash with the spray nozzle (lots of kicking going on) Grabbed a dress I had made but hadn't sent home to the little girls yet and threw it over her head all the while she is screaming at me No No Nanny. Load them all up one at a time with hopes no one will figure out how to unbuckle the seat belts while I grab another to shove in the car, then we were off.

Once home a fixed a huge glass of water, made myself a sandwich, got  a couple of muffins from the freezer and hit the bed with my Nook until this morning. The crib clothes and blankets along with all the outfits from yesterday, mind included are in the dryer as I type. Time to pull it all together before the animal's (I mean grands) arrive again. Tonight its a double header for Tyler's T Ball team, they are calling to 80% chance of rain this afternoon. There is a chance I might get out of that little field trip!!