I started writing to Jackson in February 2009 - yes, a whole 7 months before he was born. Before we knew he was a "he". Before we had a car seat or knew how our lives would change. Those letters in that little notebook detailed his beginning, and every so often I'll break out the notebook and write him a letter and a prayer that's specific to what's going on at the time. This may not be in the book yet - but here's today's:
Dear Jackson,
Your smile makes my day. I stand back and watch you as you play with your police cars, ride your scooter and choose your own snack. It's hard for me to believe that in 3 short years you've gone from needing me for everything, to wanting to do it all yourself. Admittedly, there were nights when you were a baby that I prayed you'd fall asleep in your crib without me having to rock you for an entire hour. Now all I wish is that I could do it one more time.
I tucked you in tonight and saw my baby in your "big boy" face. I ended up kissing you goodnight just one more time because of it. You still want a pacifier and your beloved blankies. I'm told you should give these things up. I believe there is plenty of time for that. One day you'll ask me to pack those blankets away. The ones you've slept with since you came home from the hospital. The ones that have seen all the spit up, blow outs, tears and laughter. The blue one was given to your dad while he was in Korea for a year. That's your favorite one to keep in the car right now. I'm not ready to put them away.
You always ask for "5 more minutes" and if that doesn't work, you ask for "2". I'm not sure you actually know how long that is, but you fully understand that you get more time to wrestle with your dad, watch your favorite television show or just avoid having to get into bed that minute. You can always have 5 more minutes.
Today I asked you to take off your shoes and put them on the rug by the front door. You said "ok, Mom". I took mine off and set them by the stairs. You came by and offered to put mine away as well. Thank you for thinking of me, and thank you for showing me that I asked you to do something that I didn't do myself. Of course that was small scale, but I had the realization that I will always have to be the person that I want you to become.
Your love for broccoli, salad, salmon and water amazes me. I've never met a preschooler who chooses a bottle of water over juice, or has a very difficult time choosing between a kids meal at Chick Fil A for the Franklin book, or getting the salad since that's what you actually want to eat. I've bragged about your food choices to anyone who will listen - but mostly because I don't eat any of those things and I admire you for it. I encourage it. I hope it stays with you. I'll continue to eat my cinnamon roll in private so you don't realize that I truly think the smell of steamed broccoli is disgusting.
I know it hurts your heart to say goodbye to your dad so often. You don't know how many times he tells me how bad he wants a job closer to his family. We pray about it. We beg for it. But for now, this is our life and you're such a champ for going with it. I choose to talk about your dad everyday because I want you to know how important you are to him. He works for you. He works so hard so that I don't have to be away from you as well. He gave us that gift and I'll always be forever thankful for him wanting me to be with you. Not everyone has a dad like you. He's special. I hope you always adore him the way you do now. The way I do.
The other day you were fake shooting some geese. I told your dad we must be the worst parents in the world because you'd rather pretend to be hunting or using your tool set than doing other little kid things. However, the more I thought about it, you spending time with your Papa and Dad in the garage fixing cars and building things is the best thing you could ever do. Soak up everything they have to tell you. Remember the smell of the dirty car parts and how you got to hand them tools. You'll never regret choosing to be with them over playing with matchbox cars.
You amaze me. You make me better. You're my everything.
Monday, January 28, 2013
To-Do's
A good conversation got me thinking. One of my very best friends will be living apart from her husband for half the week each week for a few months. She has more kids than I do, more stress than I do, more to-do than I do, and more courage than I do - but she asked me how Jonathon and I are able to live apart for so long and not go crazy.
My response is, "I'm no pro!". Then I started thinking of how we actually survive. How our marriage survives, how Jackson survives, and how we make life go on even when we're not together.
"Lists." I told her. "I make lots and lots of lists. Sometimes everything on that sheet of paper gets done, sometimes 2 things get done. I never frown at my failures that day, I just move them to the next day, or next week depending." Wow, she just asked my advice and I told her to make a list? Great, Natalie.
Really though, in all honesty, it's calming for me to write down everything that should be getting done. I usually make a list of 10 items to do the following day. They can be as big as detailing my car, or as small and specific as making sure the garbage can gets to the curb. I also said to throw in some things you KNOW you have to do, such as feed your child lunch. Take it to a new level and plan out the meal as well.
There's also a specific day for everything at my house. A day for errands, a day for grocery shopping, etc. Look, if I'm going to stay at home, I want to be the most efficient at what I do.
Another thing I said to do was not think about it. Geez, I'm getting great at the advice...
When Jon was in Korea, I felt like I had days that it crippled me that I was doing everything alone with no break. I noticed that on those days, when Jackson was hysterical and we were living with my parents instead of having our own space - I really over thought the situation. I was angry that he had CHOSEN to go to Korea. That's just the truth. And the more I thought about the fact that I was volunteered to do this alone made it worse. I was only allowed to miss Jonathon after Jackson was in bed and I had already gotten though the day.
Sounds simple, but plan on everything being my responsibility and I won't be disappointed when no knight on a white horse shows up to help me. Knowing this made life tremendously easier. It made me be able to miss my husband without being so angry about it.
I also said living apart sounds harder than it is. Ok, yes, there's days that it totally sucks. But I found my own routine, enjoyed my quiet time after 8pm, and I've lived to tell the world my experience.
My response is, "I'm no pro!". Then I started thinking of how we actually survive. How our marriage survives, how Jackson survives, and how we make life go on even when we're not together.
"Lists." I told her. "I make lots and lots of lists. Sometimes everything on that sheet of paper gets done, sometimes 2 things get done. I never frown at my failures that day, I just move them to the next day, or next week depending." Wow, she just asked my advice and I told her to make a list? Great, Natalie.
Really though, in all honesty, it's calming for me to write down everything that should be getting done. I usually make a list of 10 items to do the following day. They can be as big as detailing my car, or as small and specific as making sure the garbage can gets to the curb. I also said to throw in some things you KNOW you have to do, such as feed your child lunch. Take it to a new level and plan out the meal as well.
There's also a specific day for everything at my house. A day for errands, a day for grocery shopping, etc. Look, if I'm going to stay at home, I want to be the most efficient at what I do.
Another thing I said to do was not think about it. Geez, I'm getting great at the advice...
When Jon was in Korea, I felt like I had days that it crippled me that I was doing everything alone with no break. I noticed that on those days, when Jackson was hysterical and we were living with my parents instead of having our own space - I really over thought the situation. I was angry that he had CHOSEN to go to Korea. That's just the truth. And the more I thought about the fact that I was volunteered to do this alone made it worse. I was only allowed to miss Jonathon after Jackson was in bed and I had already gotten though the day.
Sounds simple, but plan on everything being my responsibility and I won't be disappointed when no knight on a white horse shows up to help me. Knowing this made life tremendously easier. It made me be able to miss my husband without being so angry about it.
I also said living apart sounds harder than it is. Ok, yes, there's days that it totally sucks. But I found my own routine, enjoyed my quiet time after 8pm, and I've lived to tell the world my experience.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Being Thankful
I'll do something I NEVER do - I'll let the whole world know (ok, maybe the 5 of you who read what I write..) about a specific fight Jonathon and I had.
Ok, well, this is embarrassing. I don't even remember what we argued about. Honestly it doesn't matter. It wasn't the disagreement that brought on the profound idea I had.
These last couple years, we've known too many people be diagnosed with illnesses, pass away, suffer loss of a child, and really just get a sucky, raw deal. I've been stewing on these ideas and circumstances for a very long time, honestly probably a few years.
It's always in the back of my mind that illness is always a possibility. I see that accidents happen.
I listen to the fundraisers for St. Jude Children's Hospital. I cry. A lot. Prayer has gotten to me more and more over the years. I used to pray as I fell asleep in high school and I'd joke that God gets tired of listening to me so he puts me to sleep. Now, I pray while I'm fully wide awake so I don't miss a single thing. There's a saying, "What if you woke up today with only the things you prayed for yesterday". Holy! I take that one to heart.
At the beginning of the year, I was on my way to get breakfast when my favorite radio station was broadcasting live at the fundraiser for St. Jude's. I honest to God cried my whole way home. Needless to say, we now make monthly donations to that hospital, and pray we never need to go there ourselves. Jon had a family member receive a cancer diagnosis and it REALLY hit home for me. The odd thing was, I didn't know this family member too well - but it didn't stop me from going infront of my church, with full on tears asking for our Senior pastor to lead the 400+ congregation in prayer for this special person.
First off, I don't do things like that. I am a silent observer and I keep my faith very close to the vest. I talk to God all day long, yet asking my church to pray with me was so foreign. Anyhow, these kids in these hospitals have such a special place in my heart.
Then there are the kids who don't have enough to eat. My child complains when we're out of Goldfish, and there are actually children starving. I think about all the parents out there who are honest to goodness good people but they lost their job and have no clue how they'll feed their kids.
I think about the kids who don't have a forever home. They're lonely, confused, angry and they have every right to be.
Back to the fight. I told Jon that he complains too much. I'm an avid believer if you want more trials and tests on your plate, then complain. It's like a challenge to God. Let's not challenge God. I know he DOES NOT punish, but he TEACHES and sometimes those lessons are ROUGH. I looked at my amazing husband and said, "At some point, you need to look around and be thankful that our child is healthy, and happy, and secure and safe. He is smart and perfect and the most gorgeous kid I've ever seen. Be thankful you have a job and a home. We have food on the table every night". He looked at me and just said, "you're absolutely right". Whoa.
That's the cool thing about marriage. I'm able to remind him of all the things we have and he's able to teach me lessons I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. Let's all put more into our marriage than what we take out. Do you want to win or do you want to be married?
As for me, besides my amazingly perfect child, I'm thankful that I have such a great husband. I'm thankful that we've made it. I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about how we'll pay our bills or keep the heat on. I'm thankful that I have an all loving God to turn to when I'm happy, sad, angry, confused, lonely, thankful, or just need a friend. I'm thankful to have such amazing friends. I'm thankful that I've been blessed in every area of my life and I know it's only going to get better from here. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.
Ok, well, this is embarrassing. I don't even remember what we argued about. Honestly it doesn't matter. It wasn't the disagreement that brought on the profound idea I had.
These last couple years, we've known too many people be diagnosed with illnesses, pass away, suffer loss of a child, and really just get a sucky, raw deal. I've been stewing on these ideas and circumstances for a very long time, honestly probably a few years.
It's always in the back of my mind that illness is always a possibility. I see that accidents happen.
I listen to the fundraisers for St. Jude Children's Hospital. I cry. A lot. Prayer has gotten to me more and more over the years. I used to pray as I fell asleep in high school and I'd joke that God gets tired of listening to me so he puts me to sleep. Now, I pray while I'm fully wide awake so I don't miss a single thing. There's a saying, "What if you woke up today with only the things you prayed for yesterday". Holy! I take that one to heart.
At the beginning of the year, I was on my way to get breakfast when my favorite radio station was broadcasting live at the fundraiser for St. Jude's. I honest to God cried my whole way home. Needless to say, we now make monthly donations to that hospital, and pray we never need to go there ourselves. Jon had a family member receive a cancer diagnosis and it REALLY hit home for me. The odd thing was, I didn't know this family member too well - but it didn't stop me from going infront of my church, with full on tears asking for our Senior pastor to lead the 400+ congregation in prayer for this special person.
First off, I don't do things like that. I am a silent observer and I keep my faith very close to the vest. I talk to God all day long, yet asking my church to pray with me was so foreign. Anyhow, these kids in these hospitals have such a special place in my heart.
Then there are the kids who don't have enough to eat. My child complains when we're out of Goldfish, and there are actually children starving. I think about all the parents out there who are honest to goodness good people but they lost their job and have no clue how they'll feed their kids.
I think about the kids who don't have a forever home. They're lonely, confused, angry and they have every right to be.
Back to the fight. I told Jon that he complains too much. I'm an avid believer if you want more trials and tests on your plate, then complain. It's like a challenge to God. Let's not challenge God. I know he DOES NOT punish, but he TEACHES and sometimes those lessons are ROUGH. I looked at my amazing husband and said, "At some point, you need to look around and be thankful that our child is healthy, and happy, and secure and safe. He is smart and perfect and the most gorgeous kid I've ever seen. Be thankful you have a job and a home. We have food on the table every night". He looked at me and just said, "you're absolutely right". Whoa.
That's the cool thing about marriage. I'm able to remind him of all the things we have and he's able to teach me lessons I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. Let's all put more into our marriage than what we take out. Do you want to win or do you want to be married?
As for me, besides my amazingly perfect child, I'm thankful that I have such a great husband. I'm thankful that we've made it. I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about how we'll pay our bills or keep the heat on. I'm thankful that I have an all loving God to turn to when I'm happy, sad, angry, confused, lonely, thankful, or just need a friend. I'm thankful to have such amazing friends. I'm thankful that I've been blessed in every area of my life and I know it's only going to get better from here. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Here it is
If you know me, or rather know me well, you'll know my plan was to become a writer. Not just write in my spare time and call my hobby "writing", but rather have a desk at a job that actually pays me to write for them. I wanted to be known for my work, and possibly even have a pen name.
The plan was to live in New York, and only come home for the holidays. I'd live alone, and decorate any way I wanted because I was the only one I had to answer to.
Then, out of absolutely no where, during a trip to Florida, the total unexpected happened. Jon walked back into my life. He was my first relationship, my first love and my first heartbreak. He walked back into my life as simply as he had walked out 3 years before. I NEEDED to be with him again. I felt it in the depths of my very being that I HAD to be with him. I was nervous to trust again, and after making him wait a few months, we were back together.
Add in a few years together, a beautiful wedding, a difficult deployment, facing so many negative forces, learning to be adults, living on our own far away from anything familiar and finding our path for our marriage - it was a crash course in "life".
Fast forward to what this post is actually supposed to be about. My sister told me I was pregnant. You read that right. I didn't know. Honest to God the only thing I can actually say looking back is I was so tired around Christmas and on New Years Eve when I tried to have a glass of wine, it tasted horrid. By the 3rd of January, I found out I was pregnant. From that minute, even thinking about my child in day care - this little embryo - terrified me. Jonathon and I talked for a long time before deciding I'd stay home with our child. It was thought out, calculated, discussed and discussed some more.
My plan for my life had already fallen apart by marrying a military man. I loved the new plan. But now, the old plan was a million miles away from my reach. I'd be a stay at home mom - the very thing I didn't want right away. Yet, I couldn't imagine the other option - saying goodbye to my perfect child each morning and missing their day. Let me say, there is NOTHING wrong with working mothers. I think it's amazing to juggle so many hats in the family. However, it wasn't for me. I play the guilt card far too often and I knew it'd eat me alive to not be with my baby for every minute.
Even on hard days, I wouldn't trade it. All the stigma of staying at home is still there in the world, but I can say with a glad heart that this is best for my child, and for our family. There are days I think about my cute, tiny New York apartment, but it doesn't even kind of compare to looking into Jackson's face each morning knowing he's my teammate in life. He is my helper, and my dose of what's good in the world.
I came into being a stay at home mom really nervous. Now, I really love serving my family - more than I ever could have imagined. I take pride in Jackson's manners, how much he enjoys reading and that he still wants to hold my hand as he falls asleep.
I enjoy that my husband can come home from work with a massive basket of dirty work clothes, and leaves with a pile of fresh ones. I enjoy cooking meals I know he'll love or picking up the necessities he needs. I like that he can call me during the day and ask me to handle something he just can't get to, or doesn't know how to do.
For some women, the term "serving" may be outdated or possibly even offensive. By serving my family, I'm also serving God. I'm preparing my son to be a man of God and a future husband and father. I want to enjoy the ONE childhood he gets. I need to pack so much into these precious years. If that means that my old dreams stay just that, then I'll be ok. Because you know what? My life is full.
The plan was to live in New York, and only come home for the holidays. I'd live alone, and decorate any way I wanted because I was the only one I had to answer to.
Then, out of absolutely no where, during a trip to Florida, the total unexpected happened. Jon walked back into my life. He was my first relationship, my first love and my first heartbreak. He walked back into my life as simply as he had walked out 3 years before. I NEEDED to be with him again. I felt it in the depths of my very being that I HAD to be with him. I was nervous to trust again, and after making him wait a few months, we were back together.
Add in a few years together, a beautiful wedding, a difficult deployment, facing so many negative forces, learning to be adults, living on our own far away from anything familiar and finding our path for our marriage - it was a crash course in "life".
Fast forward to what this post is actually supposed to be about. My sister told me I was pregnant. You read that right. I didn't know. Honest to God the only thing I can actually say looking back is I was so tired around Christmas and on New Years Eve when I tried to have a glass of wine, it tasted horrid. By the 3rd of January, I found out I was pregnant. From that minute, even thinking about my child in day care - this little embryo - terrified me. Jonathon and I talked for a long time before deciding I'd stay home with our child. It was thought out, calculated, discussed and discussed some more.
My plan for my life had already fallen apart by marrying a military man. I loved the new plan. But now, the old plan was a million miles away from my reach. I'd be a stay at home mom - the very thing I didn't want right away. Yet, I couldn't imagine the other option - saying goodbye to my perfect child each morning and missing their day. Let me say, there is NOTHING wrong with working mothers. I think it's amazing to juggle so many hats in the family. However, it wasn't for me. I play the guilt card far too often and I knew it'd eat me alive to not be with my baby for every minute.
Even on hard days, I wouldn't trade it. All the stigma of staying at home is still there in the world, but I can say with a glad heart that this is best for my child, and for our family. There are days I think about my cute, tiny New York apartment, but it doesn't even kind of compare to looking into Jackson's face each morning knowing he's my teammate in life. He is my helper, and my dose of what's good in the world.
I came into being a stay at home mom really nervous. Now, I really love serving my family - more than I ever could have imagined. I take pride in Jackson's manners, how much he enjoys reading and that he still wants to hold my hand as he falls asleep.
I enjoy that my husband can come home from work with a massive basket of dirty work clothes, and leaves with a pile of fresh ones. I enjoy cooking meals I know he'll love or picking up the necessities he needs. I like that he can call me during the day and ask me to handle something he just can't get to, or doesn't know how to do.
For some women, the term "serving" may be outdated or possibly even offensive. By serving my family, I'm also serving God. I'm preparing my son to be a man of God and a future husband and father. I want to enjoy the ONE childhood he gets. I need to pack so much into these precious years. If that means that my old dreams stay just that, then I'll be ok. Because you know what? My life is full.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I know I'm a parent because...
This is simple. I have so many reasons I know I'm a mom. Sitting and thinking about how my life has changed brings up so many memories that seem so far away. I'm different now. I might be more boring now, but overall, it's made me such a better person.
I'm the first to say that Jackson is a miracle. He's something we didn't even know we needed, but I know Jonathon and I could never live without him. He makes us whole. He fills a huge space in my heart that nothing and no one else could ever fill. Now that you're assured I love him and wouldn't trade him for anything, here are a few reasons I know I'm a parent - and maybe some misconceptions about labor, delivering a child, having a newborn and raising a toddler. Warning: I'm going to be honest here.
1. I've never been more pissed off in my life than the time the night nurse told me that I should try sitting on an exercise ball to ease the pain of a contraction. Lady, I've been in labor all night. These contractions are getting worse - I don't want to sit and bounce on a ball. I'd rather rip your face off and then ask for some medicine.
2. I've never been happier in my life than when above mentioned nurse had shift change and my new day nurse greeted me by wheeling in a cart of meds, saying hello and then giving me a shot of I don't know what - but it made my day, and ultimately her day, a lot better.
3. Yes. Delivering your child is a miracle. The baby is a miracle, everything is super blessed. I get it. No one tells you that after delivering a baby, it looks and feels like a terrorist just bombed and blew up your private parts. Just the truth.
4. I never heard that after delivering said miracle, you go home and still look pregnant. Obvs, I didn't think I'd drop 30 pounds in the delivery room, but good grief, I thought I might have Jackson's twin stuck in my uterus because I really still looked pregnant.
5. Babies don't sleep. Yup, we know this. But did you know that they cry for absolutely no reason? Then when you call your husband after listening to the crying for 2 hours, he stops home to help and the child falls asleep as husband is pulling in the driveway. Seriously? That's shady.
6. Kids are tricky. Things that worked yesterday, or this morning for that matter, do not work right now. Bananas are his favorite food, you buy a bunch of bananas. He decides bananas are disgusting and would rather go hungry and cry and make you cry because you should have known.
7. You are a parent now because you and your husband discuss poop more than once a day. Someone else's poop for that matter. Suddenly, poop is a topic that has absolutely no stigma attached to it and it's talked about freely. It becomes need-to-know information. Um, when did that happen?!
8. Kids go through a hitting stage. I've been hit, and while I proceed to promptly put him in time out, he looks at me and cries and hugs me because I've now offended him somehow by punishing him for clocking me in the side of my face. Great. I feel like a jerk. Time out happens anyway and I stand around the corner feeling horrid.
9. Everyone has an opinion on how you should raise your child. And guess what? You're always doing it wrong.
10. At the end of the day, tucking my sweet boy in bed, hearing him call me "mom", feeling his hugs and kisses makes every one of these things worth it. And, you may just want to do it all again.
I'm the first to say that Jackson is a miracle. He's something we didn't even know we needed, but I know Jonathon and I could never live without him. He makes us whole. He fills a huge space in my heart that nothing and no one else could ever fill. Now that you're assured I love him and wouldn't trade him for anything, here are a few reasons I know I'm a parent - and maybe some misconceptions about labor, delivering a child, having a newborn and raising a toddler. Warning: I'm going to be honest here.
1. I've never been more pissed off in my life than the time the night nurse told me that I should try sitting on an exercise ball to ease the pain of a contraction. Lady, I've been in labor all night. These contractions are getting worse - I don't want to sit and bounce on a ball. I'd rather rip your face off and then ask for some medicine.
2. I've never been happier in my life than when above mentioned nurse had shift change and my new day nurse greeted me by wheeling in a cart of meds, saying hello and then giving me a shot of I don't know what - but it made my day, and ultimately her day, a lot better.
3. Yes. Delivering your child is a miracle. The baby is a miracle, everything is super blessed. I get it. No one tells you that after delivering a baby, it looks and feels like a terrorist just bombed and blew up your private parts. Just the truth.
4. I never heard that after delivering said miracle, you go home and still look pregnant. Obvs, I didn't think I'd drop 30 pounds in the delivery room, but good grief, I thought I might have Jackson's twin stuck in my uterus because I really still looked pregnant.
5. Babies don't sleep. Yup, we know this. But did you know that they cry for absolutely no reason? Then when you call your husband after listening to the crying for 2 hours, he stops home to help and the child falls asleep as husband is pulling in the driveway. Seriously? That's shady.
6. Kids are tricky. Things that worked yesterday, or this morning for that matter, do not work right now. Bananas are his favorite food, you buy a bunch of bananas. He decides bananas are disgusting and would rather go hungry and cry and make you cry because you should have known.
7. You are a parent now because you and your husband discuss poop more than once a day. Someone else's poop for that matter. Suddenly, poop is a topic that has absolutely no stigma attached to it and it's talked about freely. It becomes need-to-know information. Um, when did that happen?!
8. Kids go through a hitting stage. I've been hit, and while I proceed to promptly put him in time out, he looks at me and cries and hugs me because I've now offended him somehow by punishing him for clocking me in the side of my face. Great. I feel like a jerk. Time out happens anyway and I stand around the corner feeling horrid.
9. Everyone has an opinion on how you should raise your child. And guess what? You're always doing it wrong.
10. At the end of the day, tucking my sweet boy in bed, hearing him call me "mom", feeling his hugs and kisses makes every one of these things worth it. And, you may just want to do it all again.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A few things..
I recently posted on Facebook that I unpacked a box full of free goodies. I don't mean samples of shampoo that I get in the mail, but rather normal items that we buy but get a great deal on. I was flooded with inbox messages on my "magic", and the reality is: there isn't any!
In a previous post, (2 posts down..) I highlighted one shopping trip. The real idea is that it takes time to stock up on items for a "stock pile". I don't need to go all Extreme Couponing and buy 200 bottles of mustard, because that doesn't make sense for my family, so even if it's a good deal, it's a waste of money for us.
However, when Jonathon was in the military, he had to shave every other day. He and I both have sensitive skin, so we never bought cheap razors. Luckily, the expensive ones are usually the best deal. I can get them for about $1 a piece, rather than the $6-$8 they normally cost. This IS a good deal for us. Decide what your family needs, and look for deals on those items. Don't get caught up in a good deal, because if it's not something you'd normally use - it's a waste. The exception to this is, if it's free and can be donated to a battered women's shelter, humane society, needy family, etc.
I find most of my deals at Target. They have coupons on their website (http://coupons.target.com/#?lnk=nav_t_spc_13_inc_13_16) that you can stack with manufacturer coupons. This means awesome deals on most items. UTILIZE THIS! I recently got Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Dora's Memory Game, Don't Spill the Beans and a card game ABSOLUTELY FREE at Target because of a stacked coupon. Same with Play Doh. I have at least 100 containers of the stuff - some of them the cute tiny tubs. These will make great party favors. I also bought about 50 bottles of Flinstones and One A Day vitamins because instead of spending $6-$9 (depending on the bottle), I spent a whopping $0.30 each.
The razors for example usually have a $3 coupon in the P&G insert of the newspaper (once a month). Target runs gift card deals, where if you buy 2 razors you'll get a $5 Target gift card. Ok - so if you buy two razors at $6.50, you have (2) $3 coupons, and you get a $5 gift card back, you're only paying $1 each. That's when I buy 20 of them because this deal may not come around for another 6 months. I do count gift cards back as money, because I can spend it the same.
Another way is rebates. I just received 4 rebates - PAM cooking spray, Feline Pine cat litter, Arm and Hammer cat litter and Lysol wipes. I have a few more sitting on my counter to be submitted. In any case - I got every single one of those items for free, or the cost of a stamp rather. It's nice to get money in the mail box instead of just bills.
A few months ago, IAMS had a coupon for $3 off of any bag of cat or dog food. I like my cat and dog, but I REALLY don't want them to cost me money. The trial size bags of IAMS at Target happen to be $3 each. Between that deal, and a similar Purina One deal that was too good to pass up, I can feed my cat for approximately 18 months. I wish I could say the same for our dog, but we do buy his food at Sam's Club.
The paper towel deal was simple. Target made a coupon that said $1 off of ANY Up&Up paper towel (their brand). Not a good idea on their part! Their single rolls were only $0.98 each, and if you have the right cashier (meaning some teenager who really doesn't care), I made $0.02 cents each, which isn't a ton - but I got 75-100 rolls for free plus some overage for buying it. The older cashiers would price adjust the coupon to the $0.98, whatever. Not bad! I know we'll use them, so it's not a waste.
Look for holiday clearance. At Halloween, Wal Mart was clearing all their Halloween stuff out 2 days after the 31st. They had BOXES of Hefty plastic party cups - the ones that come 30 to a bag and cost around $3. I took a shot by asking the manager if they were clearing those out, too, since they were orange and black cups. She said absolutely and gave them to be for $0.30 a bag. I have two boxes in my basement now, ready for a party - and not even a Halloween one. Either color could be used for almost anything. I would have gotten more, but I felt bad for the kid who had to price adjust every single bag.
The last thing I really utilize is writing to companies. I give them feedback, good or bad, and in many cases, they send you coupons in return. This is GREAT, because honestly, the coupons the companies send you are pretty rare. Lots of free item coupons. I complained to Windex for a faulty bottle that leaked - they sent me (2) FREE vouchers for new bottles - but they had a value of $4.99 each, which means I got the massive refill sizes for free. But the same goes if you give positive feedback, I have gotten LOTS of coupons for free stuff by saying I loved it. It takes time, yes, but when I do this, I try to do 5 a day. It honestly takes 20 minutes or so, and my mail box gets flooded with free or cheap stuff. Stay away from Proctor and Gamble or Kraft - unless you have a complaint. They'll send you coupons if you hated something - but nothing if you liked it.
I also try to share with friends and family, and we donate pet food to the shelter. I believe I have been given the knowledge to do this for a reason. Not only to keep my family living comfortably, but to help others who aren't so fortunate. Do the Lord's work!
Look for blogs who lay out scenarios for you. They'll give you step by step instructions on what your transaction should look like, no guess work!
The key thing to remember (for me anyway) is that it's not about getting a large quantity in one container - these trial size bags of IAMS were only 14 ounces each. But, they were FREE! Get to the check out with spending as little money as possible! Sometimes, getting the trial sizes is a great deal simply because you put no money into it.
Happy shopping!!
In a previous post, (2 posts down..) I highlighted one shopping trip. The real idea is that it takes time to stock up on items for a "stock pile". I don't need to go all Extreme Couponing and buy 200 bottles of mustard, because that doesn't make sense for my family, so even if it's a good deal, it's a waste of money for us.
However, when Jonathon was in the military, he had to shave every other day. He and I both have sensitive skin, so we never bought cheap razors. Luckily, the expensive ones are usually the best deal. I can get them for about $1 a piece, rather than the $6-$8 they normally cost. This IS a good deal for us. Decide what your family needs, and look for deals on those items. Don't get caught up in a good deal, because if it's not something you'd normally use - it's a waste. The exception to this is, if it's free and can be donated to a battered women's shelter, humane society, needy family, etc.
I find most of my deals at Target. They have coupons on their website (http://coupons.target.com/#?lnk=nav_t_spc_13_inc_13_16) that you can stack with manufacturer coupons. This means awesome deals on most items. UTILIZE THIS! I recently got Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Dora's Memory Game, Don't Spill the Beans and a card game ABSOLUTELY FREE at Target because of a stacked coupon. Same with Play Doh. I have at least 100 containers of the stuff - some of them the cute tiny tubs. These will make great party favors. I also bought about 50 bottles of Flinstones and One A Day vitamins because instead of spending $6-$9 (depending on the bottle), I spent a whopping $0.30 each.
The razors for example usually have a $3 coupon in the P&G insert of the newspaper (once a month). Target runs gift card deals, where if you buy 2 razors you'll get a $5 Target gift card. Ok - so if you buy two razors at $6.50, you have (2) $3 coupons, and you get a $5 gift card back, you're only paying $1 each. That's when I buy 20 of them because this deal may not come around for another 6 months. I do count gift cards back as money, because I can spend it the same.
Another way is rebates. I just received 4 rebates - PAM cooking spray, Feline Pine cat litter, Arm and Hammer cat litter and Lysol wipes. I have a few more sitting on my counter to be submitted. In any case - I got every single one of those items for free, or the cost of a stamp rather. It's nice to get money in the mail box instead of just bills.
A few months ago, IAMS had a coupon for $3 off of any bag of cat or dog food. I like my cat and dog, but I REALLY don't want them to cost me money. The trial size bags of IAMS at Target happen to be $3 each. Between that deal, and a similar Purina One deal that was too good to pass up, I can feed my cat for approximately 18 months. I wish I could say the same for our dog, but we do buy his food at Sam's Club.
The paper towel deal was simple. Target made a coupon that said $1 off of ANY Up&Up paper towel (their brand). Not a good idea on their part! Their single rolls were only $0.98 each, and if you have the right cashier (meaning some teenager who really doesn't care), I made $0.02 cents each, which isn't a ton - but I got 75-100 rolls for free plus some overage for buying it. The older cashiers would price adjust the coupon to the $0.98, whatever. Not bad! I know we'll use them, so it's not a waste.
Look for holiday clearance. At Halloween, Wal Mart was clearing all their Halloween stuff out 2 days after the 31st. They had BOXES of Hefty plastic party cups - the ones that come 30 to a bag and cost around $3. I took a shot by asking the manager if they were clearing those out, too, since they were orange and black cups. She said absolutely and gave them to be for $0.30 a bag. I have two boxes in my basement now, ready for a party - and not even a Halloween one. Either color could be used for almost anything. I would have gotten more, but I felt bad for the kid who had to price adjust every single bag.
The last thing I really utilize is writing to companies. I give them feedback, good or bad, and in many cases, they send you coupons in return. This is GREAT, because honestly, the coupons the companies send you are pretty rare. Lots of free item coupons. I complained to Windex for a faulty bottle that leaked - they sent me (2) FREE vouchers for new bottles - but they had a value of $4.99 each, which means I got the massive refill sizes for free. But the same goes if you give positive feedback, I have gotten LOTS of coupons for free stuff by saying I loved it. It takes time, yes, but when I do this, I try to do 5 a day. It honestly takes 20 minutes or so, and my mail box gets flooded with free or cheap stuff. Stay away from Proctor and Gamble or Kraft - unless you have a complaint. They'll send you coupons if you hated something - but nothing if you liked it.
I also try to share with friends and family, and we donate pet food to the shelter. I believe I have been given the knowledge to do this for a reason. Not only to keep my family living comfortably, but to help others who aren't so fortunate. Do the Lord's work!
Look for blogs who lay out scenarios for you. They'll give you step by step instructions on what your transaction should look like, no guess work!
The key thing to remember (for me anyway) is that it's not about getting a large quantity in one container - these trial size bags of IAMS were only 14 ounces each. But, they were FREE! Get to the check out with spending as little money as possible! Sometimes, getting the trial sizes is a great deal simply because you put no money into it.
Happy shopping!!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
I'm here!
Hi, I'm Natalie and I'm a terrible blogger. I can't seem to keep up these days. Where have I been?? Well, life has changed A LOT!
Let's start at the top. Jonathon is now home from Korea and officially out of the military. Admittedly I really didn't want that to happen at first, but I really came around to the idea of being a civilian family. There's a significant difference in the pressure and stress we feel - a change for the better! I miss little things, like washing Jonathon's uniforms and shopping at the commissary. However, I also know that the military really turned into something different than it was the day Jonathon signed up. We always thought we'd be a career military family, but I really believe that God has his own timing.
I had Jonathon home for 2 solid weeks before my dad called from North Dakota saying he's short handed and really needs Jonathon. It's an opportunity we couldn't turn down and within days he was on a plane. For those of you who don't know, my dad is a land surveyor with over 30 years experience. He's worked in Alaska (every picture of him from those days makes him resemble a yeti with him covered in snow gear) and Saudi Arabia and tons of places in between. He's been working in the oil and gas industry since I was in high school - which brings us to North Dakota now. He's an office guy now, but needed extra field guys - and so with that, Jon was his #1 pick.
My dad is an amazing teacher, so it's perfect that Jon needed teaching. He's absolutely loving his new job and I'm loving hearing enthusiasm in his voice again. It's been a long time coming! Jonathon works 3 weeks on (in theory, sometimes more) and 1 week off. He's enjoying being outdoors all day, working in a relaxed environment and seeing all the pheasant that he'll hunt later this year.
In the mean time, Jackson and I moved a few weeks ago to a house in Windsor, Colorado. It took FOREVER (not kidding!) to find a suitable place. I might be a tad picky, but this was getting ridiculous. I looked at about 25 places, and by the time I'd look further into them, I'd find out they were already taken. Great. Finally after upping the budget (boo!) and expanding the location search, I found this home. It's spacious, has a nice yard and it's in a new subdivision. Having a new place surely has it's perks. Jackson is enjoying a jetted garden tub now. :)
All of the changes have just been such a blessing. Trusting God to just give me what I need has become easier with each passing year. I THANK Him for all that I have, and all I ever will have. Mostly for Jackson and for keeping him healthy, happy, secure and safe. It's amazing to me how much I can love one tiny little person. It's amazing to me that we haven't ever had to worry where his next meal is coming from or how we'll buy him new clothes. It's easy to take for granted that we've been so incredibly blessed, but I'm reminded that not everyone has that luxury and while we look for ways to give back (I've found a few charities that I really love recently) it's also important to pray for those families and thank the Lord that we have so much.
That last paragraph may be a bit disorganized, but it's just my heart spilling over with gratitude. During our 6 years together, Jon and I have experienced so many twists, turns, disappointments, obstacles and struggles - mostly from being a part for so long - but we've made it. No outside influences, or negativity, or even the thousands of miles that have separated us in the past have beaten us. We're here, still standing -stronger than ever - and that is something to be proud of.
Let's start at the top. Jonathon is now home from Korea and officially out of the military. Admittedly I really didn't want that to happen at first, but I really came around to the idea of being a civilian family. There's a significant difference in the pressure and stress we feel - a change for the better! I miss little things, like washing Jonathon's uniforms and shopping at the commissary. However, I also know that the military really turned into something different than it was the day Jonathon signed up. We always thought we'd be a career military family, but I really believe that God has his own timing.
I had Jonathon home for 2 solid weeks before my dad called from North Dakota saying he's short handed and really needs Jonathon. It's an opportunity we couldn't turn down and within days he was on a plane. For those of you who don't know, my dad is a land surveyor with over 30 years experience. He's worked in Alaska (every picture of him from those days makes him resemble a yeti with him covered in snow gear) and Saudi Arabia and tons of places in between. He's been working in the oil and gas industry since I was in high school - which brings us to North Dakota now. He's an office guy now, but needed extra field guys - and so with that, Jon was his #1 pick.
My dad is an amazing teacher, so it's perfect that Jon needed teaching. He's absolutely loving his new job and I'm loving hearing enthusiasm in his voice again. It's been a long time coming! Jonathon works 3 weeks on (in theory, sometimes more) and 1 week off. He's enjoying being outdoors all day, working in a relaxed environment and seeing all the pheasant that he'll hunt later this year.
In the mean time, Jackson and I moved a few weeks ago to a house in Windsor, Colorado. It took FOREVER (not kidding!) to find a suitable place. I might be a tad picky, but this was getting ridiculous. I looked at about 25 places, and by the time I'd look further into them, I'd find out they were already taken. Great. Finally after upping the budget (boo!) and expanding the location search, I found this home. It's spacious, has a nice yard and it's in a new subdivision. Having a new place surely has it's perks. Jackson is enjoying a jetted garden tub now. :)
All of the changes have just been such a blessing. Trusting God to just give me what I need has become easier with each passing year. I THANK Him for all that I have, and all I ever will have. Mostly for Jackson and for keeping him healthy, happy, secure and safe. It's amazing to me how much I can love one tiny little person. It's amazing to me that we haven't ever had to worry where his next meal is coming from or how we'll buy him new clothes. It's easy to take for granted that we've been so incredibly blessed, but I'm reminded that not everyone has that luxury and while we look for ways to give back (I've found a few charities that I really love recently) it's also important to pray for those families and thank the Lord that we have so much.
That last paragraph may be a bit disorganized, but it's just my heart spilling over with gratitude. During our 6 years together, Jon and I have experienced so many twists, turns, disappointments, obstacles and struggles - mostly from being a part for so long - but we've made it. No outside influences, or negativity, or even the thousands of miles that have separated us in the past have beaten us. We're here, still standing -stronger than ever - and that is something to be proud of.
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