Oct31
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Oct29
I lie
Obviously I’m not going to be back to regular posting. We’re “under the weather” here. Having a sick baby isn’t fun! Being sick yourself and having a sick baby is a little tougher.
Maybe one day soon! I’ve got Halloween and a 6 month update coming later this week, permitting Jonathan and I feel a little better by the weekend
Oct26
Finally On the Upswing
Jonathan will be six months old in less than a month (holy cow). However, the past few weeks have been quite reminiscent of his newborn days (hence the hiatus from posting). Most nights we were up multiple times for feedings and the naps…well, they hardly existed.
The past few days though, things have been on the upswing. Nights have been back to one feeding and naps are working themselves out for the first time. Praise. The. Lord!
Now that I have a little more time, maybe, just maybe I’ll get to post more 
For now, I will leave you with pictures of my cutie!
Oct10
Simple ways to earn & save money
Since becoming a stay-at-home-mom and losing one income, I have felt the desire to find others ways to help our family…financially speaking. There is always the option to make things to sell on Etsy, to do craft shows, etc. But who am I kidding? I don’t have the extra time to do things like read the 50 magazines stacked up in my kitchen waiting be read. So I’ve been trying to find other ways to help out, even if it’s just a few dollars here and there. Here are a few things I’ve found, that may help you earn & save a few extra dollars too!
Vindale- So far I’ve had pretty great results from Vindale as far as survey/study participation is concerned. For every $50 you earn, you’re paid out by cash. I prefer this over gift cards. Money I earn will either be put used to pay down (college loan) debt faster or be put in Jonathan’s savings account. This is definitely my favorite way to earn a little extra money here lately! I, personally, don’t do the surveys that require you to purchase something. So yes, it is possible to still earn money without having to do those!
Ebates- Why did I not do this sooner? I do a lot of our shopping online. Ebates is super simple and pays you when you do your shopping online. It’s super simple. Go to Ebates.com, find your store and access it through the Ebates site. That’s it! Your purchase can get you as low as 1% cash back up to what I’ve seen as %40 (it may be even higher on some purchases!) Why not?
Swagbucks- I’ve gotten away from Swagbucks for a while out of pure laziness, but no more! Too many missed opportunities to use Swagbucks in order to earn gift cards, etc. My favorite that I used to get was $5 Amazon gift cards! They definitely add up, and as much baby stuff as we’ve bought from them, shame on me for being so slack! Super simple to earn points!
Daily Feats- I found Daily Feats from Money Saving Mom’s newest e-book that will be released soon. I struggle with getting certain things accomplished during the day/week/month. Daily Feats is a fun little way to keep track of my goals. And by doing so, I can earn points. Earn enough points to cash them in for free things like gifts cards, discounts, and merchandise!
ThredUp- I LOVE ThredUp! It’s an online baby/kids consignment store that sells gently used, higher end clothing for cheap! You can get $10 towards your first purchase for signing up. Check RetailMeNot for additional coupon codes to save even more money! Also, if you want to sell/consign your gently used baby & kids clothing, you can request a postage paid bag. It’s really, really simple and such a great deal! I hear they pay a higher % than most consignment stores do. Check out their website for more details!
Zulily- Ok, when I feel the occasional need to splurge on something discounted, yet not on clearance for Jonathan, I always check Zulily’s daily deals! I have gotten his “Fart Factory” onesie from there, a few baby/toddler neck ties, and a few outfits as well. Zulily sells baby, kids, and women’s clothing/shoes, as well as home goods. Sometimes you can find designer label clothing for up to 70% off.
RetailMeNot- Before you make a purchase from a store, especially online, check out RetailMeNot’s website for coupon codes. I’ve gotten free shipping and up to 40% off before! Why not save yourself some money?
CouponMom- Coupons are like cash. Each time you use one, you’re saving your hard-earned money! It is easy to hop on here and print off coupons for your grocery items! Coupons are restocked at the beginning of each month. Once the limit on a coupon has been reached, it is no longer available. You’re also allowed to print off 2 coupons per computer.
Coke Rewards- You could say I’m a Coke addict. Except it’s the legal stuff…Caffiene free diet Coke to be exact. For many years now I’ve been entering my coke cap & box reward codes. I’ve cashed them in for countless things including magazine subscriptions, Shutterfly products, and my favorite, free 12 packs. Its awesome when Harris Teeter runs specials Buy 2, Get 3 free on 12 packs. I can get 5 cases for the price of 1 if I time it right!
Pampers Gifts to Grow- I have a confession to make. I’ve been using gifts to grow since long before I had a baby. I would see codes posted on many deals websites, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and sign up and start earning rewards. Since then, I’ve had a baby and rack up the points with each bag of diapers and wipes. I’ve only cashed them in once, since it takes longer to earn.
Sell your stuff! We have enough books in our house to start our own library, but not nearly enough space. I’ve weeded through my books & found that one of the local used book stores will buy books for cash, not just store credit.
*Please note that some of these links are my referral links. When you sign up AND participate, there is the possibility that we may receive benefits to our account.
Oct5
Sleep, oh how I love thee
It’s a beautiful thing when my child sleeps. It took us months of sleep deprivation, hallucinations, exhaustion, etc to get to a point where Joe and I finally feel like we’re human again. But don’t get me wrong, we’re still having our issues.
Thankfully the night-time thing seems to be down. I’m looking forward to the day Jonathan drops his last feeding. Getting up at 4 am to feed and pump, and then for the day at 6 is starting to wear me out. A few mornings ago I grabbed the monitor to check on him at 6. I decided that since he was just talking to himself, I’d leave him be. I fell back asleep and woke when I dropped the monitor on the floor. Yesterday morning I could barely keep my eyes open.
Our goal for the past few weeks has been to get Jonathan to take his naps in his crib. Some wonder what the big deal is. Well, my kid can wake at the sound of someone breathing, so napping in his crib is beneficial in so many ways! I can shower!!! Dishes can be washed, floors can be swept, bathrooms can be cleaned, my disastrous sewing room can be reorganized. And maybe, one day, I can even take a nap too!
This past week, though, we’ve finally started to make progress toward a nap time routine. Each time naps have rolled around, Jonathan has, willingly, went to bed in his crib. Most naps have lasted no longer than an hour (with the exception of the first one, which was three hours). But I know routines take time. I’m just thankful I have a few moments to grab a shower, do a few dishes or laundry, tidy up or make a phone call.
Oct1
Love my 5 month old!
Jonathan,
You never fail to bring Joy to your daddy and I! I can’t begin to tell you how much we love you and how thankful we are the Lord has entrusted you to us. This past month has been filled with huge milestones for you and for us. You’re growing up so fast. I can’t believe we are celebrating five months already! I know in the blink of an eye you’ll be turning a year old, and then grown up before we realize time has gone. I pray that we show you the love of Christ and that you grow to worship the Lord each moment of your life!
Here are highlights from this past month:
~Your first road trip! We drove to NJ early this month. I don’t think you really enjoyed being away from your bed. You definitely did not sleep well but that could have been because of another first…
~Your first ear infection. We realized this after you fussed a lot on the journey up to NJ and most of the first day. Tylenol wasn’t really cutting the pain for you. Thankfully we were able to get you some antibiotics to help you feel better.
~You went to the beach for the first time. And you hated it. It was probably because you weren’t feeling well. We didn’t try to let you get in the ocean though. The water was very choppy from a hurricane that was off the coast.
~You got in the pool for the first time. Daddy took you in and mommy snapped pictures and took video. We’re not sure if you liked it or not because you gave us no reaction.
~You met lots of your family! You met your aunt Theresa, cousins Katie, Danielle, and Jeremy. You got to meet your great-aunt Loretta, extended cousins Jessie, Chris, and JT. You saw your grandma and great-aunt Pat again too. You covered your aunt Pat in lots of spit up, a signature move for you!
~When we came home, we gave you solid food for the first time. Rice cereal, and you ate it like a champ! So far you’ve had rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, and green beans. Squash has been your favorite!
~You finally rolled over! And now you’re unstoppable! You’ve not only mastered rolling from your back to your tummy, but you’re also getting a hang on rolling from your tummy to your back. The only problem is that you’re rolling into the side of your crib at night and waking yourself up or rolling and playing, getting your arm or leg stuck in between the crib slats. You definitely aren’t liking that and scream until we come rescue you.
~You’re finally sleeping through the night, or at least most of it! Praise the Lord! You’re falling asleep around 7:00 and either waking up at 4 to eat and then going back to sleep until almost 7, or staying asleep until 6. You couldn’t find a happier mama!
~You have found your toes and you LOVE to suck on them!
~You love to take your burp cloth and cover up your head to play peek-a-boo! You crack yourself up every time you do this!
~You & your daddy love to crack up together! I’ve captured great video of the two of you and it melts my heart watching the two of you together
~Today, for your 5 month birthday, you finally decided to take a great nap…in your crib! Not only was it a nap, it was a super nap! 3 hours long! You’re still trying to figure out naps, but we’ll get there.
~You’re having a good time in the nursery at church. In fact, you let me sit through an entire worship service. Thank you!
~We opened you up your first bank account. We hope to get you started on the right financial foot and teach you how to properly save and spend, differentiating between needs and wants.
And at home, when it’s just the three of us, we can often describe you with these two phrases:
Baby boy, your mama and daddy love you and can’t wait to be there with you through all of the big milestones that lie ahead of us! Praise God for the blessings we have been given through you!
