25 February 2013

Another way we are saving!

Is Dollar Shave Club! Such a good idea!
 
 
My husband could easily spend a small fortune on razors, even with coupons we were spending about $15-$20 a month! A friend suggested this site, I was a little skeptical, but it has a ton of great reviews and a super incentive too! No this is not a sponsored post :) I just want to share when we find a good deal that requires NO coupon clipping or hunting anything down! It's easy, you sign up for your Razor of choice (number of blades) and how often you want them, they ship them to you automatically (no shipping on most of them) and it is SUCH a savings! There is no fancy packaging or advertising so it's ALL savings! Usually we by the Fusion ones, these are the same blades and aloe strip and only $6 a month for a new razor a week! (there are other options too) Some serious savings! And I like how "Manly" and simple their website is too!
 
Sooo go check it out, and save some $$$!
 
 

19 February 2013

Budgeting Part 1

I want to share how we are working towards meeting our goal.
Money is always a stresser for me!
One of our goals for the year is to reduce our debt. It's going, slow, but going!
One issue we have is Christmas, with 3 kids, all kinds of nephews and big family we could easily go broke and undo everything we work for all year. This year, I am planning ahead!
Using SwagBucks!
I talked about it before (a few years ago) but haven't really used it since, until this year when I am being as creative as I can (desperate much?) and doing anything to help out our budget!

If you haven't used them before, it's free, a search engine that randomly gives you points for searching for your everyday things (google, yahoo, Pinterest, Facebook) but also Swagbucks for completing surveys, watching videos and for shopping, you get swagbucks per dollar at Amazon, Target and the like. Sooo sign up and start getting that Christmas money, Birthday money, Wedding money... whatever you have coming up. I spend maybe a half hour doing actual things to make my daily goal.. but it's stuff I am doing anyway.
Here is a link to sign up (and I think you get bonus Swagbucks right now for signing up!)
HERE


So I am using them again, with a plan! 100 swagbucks a day is my goal, it's only $1 BUT there are still 318 days left in the year, and $318 (minimum) is not too shabby for gifts and won't effect our budget negatively!


There is also a Widget at the bottom of this blog, and you can easily check for a swag code to earn swagbucks. Looks like this

11 February 2013

Monday.. a NORMAL Monday!


So glad to have NO sick kiddos this week!
I feel like we can get back in the swing of things. Last week was so weird, sick kids missing school, working (still getting the hang of scheduling). It was just weird!
So this week will feel so right to get back to normal, well as normal as we can!
 
~Meal Planning~
 
Monday~Chicken and Veggies
Tuesday~Tacos
Wednesday~Pasta w/ Chicken and white enchilada sauce
Thursday~Heart Shaped Pizzas
Friday~Pork Roast
Saturday~Stir Fry
Sunday~Pork Burritos
 
 
~Fun Stuff~
Pretty much just Valentines Day!
Maybe a library trip

~Around the House~
Starting my Spring Cleaning List!!!
 


06 February 2013

New record keeping for me!



I don't know about y'all but for me, the years are FLYING by, I feel like I am already forgetting little stuff here and there and it makes me sad!
I am on a mission to write more stuff down (along with taking more pictures, one of my goals for the year)
So I am going to make it part of my chore list on Wednesdays to write down as much of the cute/silly/funny/sweet/sassy stuff the kids did in the last week. What we did together, their little achievements and all the kind of stuff! 
 I want them to know how important these little things were to us when they get older.

No idea where this came from but I Love it!


I have a journal for each kiddo and they are in the cupboard in the kitchen with the office stuff, so it won't be difficult to drag them out and DO IT! When I am old (like in 6 months hehe) I will be glad I did this kind of stuff.
Any other suggestions for keeping records like this? Do you make time each week? Month, everyday? Spill and help a mama out!


05 February 2013

Bookshelf turned Mud Area

Now that it's a week + later than I was expecting it to be. Sick kids and a weekend trip will do that.
 It's as done as it can be right now, as long as I am sticking to my budget anyway! I still need a couple things to finish it up and I am sure the more we use it the more things will need to be altered or added. But for now it's working!

We used to use the bookshelf in our bedroom, then moved it to the garage and it just became a dumping spot for everything! Once I cleaned up the pantry I could move our teeeny tiny stock pile inside and off the bookshelf.

And the shoes were outta control in the little cupboard, now they each have 2 shoe bins, top one for everyday shoes, bottom one for play shoes (rain boots and old trashed sneakers) and umbrellas!
This made room inside to organize all the board games the kids got over the holidays.




They each have a spot to hang their jacket(s) and backpack. They were able to use it for about a week already and it made a difference. The backpacks don't come inside and that means I don't have to ask them to put them away 3 times, or step over them to get inside!

The top little baskets, once I find another, are the perfect spot for hats and mittens, more room in their dressers inside. We can always use more clothes room! 

I got this sweet little mail basket a while ago, was using in the pantry for snacks, but it just wasn't working. So now I am trying it out here.. perfect for lunch money, permission slips and the every other Friday Popcorn money requests! I usually just drop them in their folders but sometimes they come back home with them. I suppose if they are putting them in their backpack they better be able to find them once they are school a little better!




Took apart the other bookshelf that was here.. it was just a dumping spot for me! I was bad with it, random things for Goodwill, screwdrivers, spider spray and a plethora of other things. Took it apart (it was broken in one place) and the area feels more open! The garage is my next project! Some bins are going inside, need to organize the kids outside stuff and everything else I am in charge of out here! Friday job maybe?!



01 February 2013

$2 Valentine Banner

I wanted to make another little banner, I had some leftover pink bakers twine, grabbed a piece of felt, and my glitter puffy paint.. and went to work!




Just cut strips of felt, cut the triangle tip, glittered some little hearts and hot glued the love notes down! Took just a little time and really I had everything but the felt.. but I did have to drive to get it!