tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91703702014293910312024-03-13T05:32:07.965-07:00The Duggan FamilyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-18082092392616719262014-08-29T20:33:00.003-07:002014-08-29T20:33:27.129-07:007 months?!WOW.<br />
<br />
I fell off the blogging bandwagon hard core.<br />
<br />Last 7 months as a recap:<br />
<br />
Tax season came and went.<br />
<br />Spenny completed Kindergarten.<br />
<br />
We had a fun summer--Tball, Blast ball, Icub games, ice cream, birthdays, weddings, etc.<br />
<br />
School has started again.<br />
<br />
Spencer is a 1st grader. FIRST GRADE! He has now lost 4 teeth and is 4 feet tall. He is reading well, is a math WHIZ (seriously, he does multiplication already!) and is such a happy, fun, boy. He's really into playing his video games, reading the Fly Guy books and learning how to do things around the house--taking Lola out, doing dishes, fixing his breakfast and purple breads. He enjoys hiking and playing at the park and is REALLY into Pokemon.<br /><br />Emerson started pre-school. He is 40 inches tall, wants to do everything his brother does, is very independent, smart and hilarious. He loves music, dancing, painting, play dough and cutting "poopons" with Mommy. He loves to help with everything--fixing dinner, setting the table, putting laundry away. He likes to read books and tells stories. He really loves ice cream and cheese. Sidewalk chalk is a huge hit and we like to play Hop Scotch as a family.<br />
<br />
I decided to stop wishing I would have went to law school and to do something about it. I enrolled in the Paralegal Certificate program at DMACC. I'm only taking one class at a time so it will pretty much take forever to get done, but I'll get there. I've had one class so far and I think it's going to be a fun, interesting class...Legal Research and Writing I. I get to spend time at the Drake Law Library and write papers and learn legal things that will help me at work as well. Oh, and work is paying for it too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-37942087627232065382014-02-01T13:02:00.000-08:002014-02-01T13:02:02.497-08:00Tax Season has begun...and Recap for Spending StrikeTax season is here.<br />
<br />
That means longer hours for J which translates into longer hours for all of us really. So far, so good. Only one sick kid and they are pretty much better already (fingers crossed it continues!) and playing video games and being silly so hopefully we're in the clear!<br />
<br />
I got lazy on tracking, if you couldn't tell. I did end up splurging and getting us Chinese food one day about a week ago. It was soooo worth it and honestly, it was about $18 and fed both J and I for 2 meals each, so really it wasn't that bad when you break it down. In total, we only ate out 3 times in January. I don't even know how that compares to last January (I tried to compare to our January 13 statement but the bank doesn't store them and I didn't want to know bad enough to track it further than that.)<br />
<br />
I <i>do</i> know, however, that this month, we spent around $570 at Target/Fareway/Walmart/Hyvee. That includes dog food, cat food, groceries, pull ups and the like. I know one of the trips to Walmart, we needed dog food, litter and Monster. That alone added up to almost $50 for that trip.<br />
<br />
Now on to the GOOD part.<br />
<br />
I made it from each payday to the next with money in my account. Like a decent amount of money. I was able to pay for the renewal on my tags. I was able to pay for a week of daycare ($292 that normally comes out of J's account) AND leave money in savings. We got a hair cut (Emerson) and bought a book. We bought EXTRA groceries when they were on sale (93% ground beef for $3/lb instead of $5, Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts for $2/lb instead of $3) to put in the freezer. I made a trip to Aldi's and picked up a bunch of canned goods. I bought 10 boxes of pasta when it was on sale at HyVee 10/$10 (with Fuel Saver points!). I paid some extra on our energy bill. I caught up our cell phone bill since we had gone over on our data around the same time Christmas came. I paid an older medical bill. While I may not have as much in savings to prove that we really did save the money, we were able to feel it in other ways.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I'm ready to do it again. Our pantry is in decent shape and our freezer has a decent amount of meat. I've been batch cooking and meal planning to help prevent the last minute eating out. We've re-watching what we own instead of buying new movies on Amazon. We're catching up on different series that we stopped watching a while back (Breaking Bad, Dexter, Big Love). J is teaching me to play EDH. We're organizing things little by little.<br />
<br />
Other impacts we've seen is that our budget billing went down for our energy (which I didn't realize until after I paid the bill hence the extra) because we've been conserving here and there--running the dryer less, space heater in the boys' room, running the dishwasher/oven/etc while we are home to keep the temp up instead of running the furnace, turning lights off when not in the room...ya know, common sense type stuff that we're not very good at executing. Granted, I know this isn't just from January, but I'm guessing that by us working on this for the last few months, it will have had an impact on us when it was so cold earlier.<br />
<br />
As far as totals go, I am going to post an estimate, since there is no real way to know since I for one, changed my mind set, and two, got tired of keeping track when I avoided something.<br />
<br />
Days 20-31<br />
Spent: $20 eating out<br />
Money saved: $50-100 (mostly avoiding eating out, or at least getting cheaper options, avoided a couple of cute shirts I saw on clearance etc)<br />
Total Spent: $95 And remember, $40+ of that was my snow boots, which are really more of a necessity.<br />
Total saved: around $400<br />
<br />
Not too bad for a month.<br />
<br />
My goal is to save close to this in February as well to be able to put towards some savings. More on our savings goals later.<br />
<br />Have a wonderful weekend!<br />
<br />
<br style="background-color: #558822; color: #efffee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-70240504990676487002014-01-19T14:00:00.001-08:002014-01-19T14:00:59.657-08:00Spending Strike 15-19 and a new obsessionYeah yeah...I know. I should be doing this daily since but sometimes life just gets in the way. I did start to blog on Thursday night during a slow moment but it got busy and that was that.<br />
<br />
Wednesday I went from work to the hospital to meet a dear friend's little baby girl. Macy is for ADORABLE and slept the whole time, hardly made any noise until she thought it was time to eat. I left the hospital at 7 and since J and the kids had already eaten, I thought long and hard about stopping at a fast food place on the way home ($5). I called my mom and that distracted myself enough that I got home, at some pancakes that J had made and then was good to go.<br />
<br />
Thursday was TOUGH. Someone had FRENCH FRIES ($3 for an order). They smelled SO good I couldn't get my mind off of them and I knew that my soup wasn't going to cut it. I ended up avoiding it, however, and had a slim fast that I had stashed in the fridge last week and made it through. On the way to my car in the ramp I got invited to the Jason Aldean concert and was <i>thisclose </i>to saying YES!!! but decided that it just wasn't the night for it. I came home and ate something (I think it was a salad but I honestly don't remember) watched some TV with J and went to bed.<br />
<br />
Friday was my early day so I had to be at work at 7 am. This was after coming home late from the night before (left work late then the roads were terrible due to our surprise blizzard/snow squall). I got up earlier than normal to make sure I could make it to work on time. While I skipped the Thai order ($10) I did have a piece of pizza (using my gift card!). After work, J went to hang out with some friends up in Ames so the kids and I hung out. We had to go to Target to get some essentials (Speaking of...I use the CartWheel ap and the RedCard--I was not one that was hacked oddly enough since I shop there all the time--and actually save myself quite a bit of money. I make my list of things that we need and then search for the things on the cartwheel. Sometimes it's only 5% off an item, but then you get another 5% with the RedCard which adds up. Since I've started using the Cartwheel I've saved over $50 and I'm not exactly sure on the RedCard because it doesn't show up on my receipt anymore but I would guess that it's somewhere around $20. Every little bit adds up, for sure!) While I was there, I had to REALLY talk myself out of a couple sweaters. They were on the 70% off rack and in colors I don't have. One was a nice purple color (which even looks good on me!) for $6 and then other was a sweatshirt cardigan thing that would look super cute with some leggings or even jeans ($6). I even went so far as to see if they were on the cartwheel, hoping it would make them less than $5 each, but no such luck. I ended up walking away from them and calling it good. We then ran to Fareway and grabbed a roast. I was only asked about 3 times if we could stop for fast food and I'm not going to lie, I was tempted, but I told the kids they could pick out something and we ended up with lunchables for dinner. ($15 saved!). I did, however, cave when J called to say that he was going with his friends to Village Inn to play cards after the store closed. I <strike>demanded</strike> asked him to bring me home a piece of pie ($3) because I really needed a pick me up of sorts and that usually fits the bill.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I didn't even leave the house. We had lunch plans but those fell through, which ended up being ok because I was exhausted and ended up taking a nap when the company would have been here. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, frozen pizza for lunch and then for dinner, Pepsi Roast. Since I had these ideas all on the menu it wasn't a big deal and easy to stick to. I even went so far as to declutter part of the kitchen and make the menu/grocery list for next week. J spent the afternoon organizing his cards and ended up getting rid of a bunch of them that aren't of any value and he doesn't need/want/use anymore. I listed some things on the local swap site and have a couple "bites" of people who are interested so we'll see if anything pans out.<br />
<br />
Here's the totals:<br />
Money Spent: $3<br />
Money Saved: $45<br />
Total Spent: $75<br />
Total Saved: $326.50<br />
<br />
I've also been addicted to reading a blog that I came across, <a href="http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" target="_blank">A Slob Comes Clean </a> and I'm starting to implement some of her ideas. One of them is making sure the dishes are done every night. Another is the 5 minute pick up. I also make myself do something...anything...before I can read it. So far I've cleaned off my dryer, returned trash cans/recycle bins where they belong, went through the boys' overflow clothes bin and sorted into donate, handmedowns, put up for next year etc. As I've been putting away Christmas decorations, I've been organizing the storage room a bit. Each time I go to a different room/floor, I take something that belongs there so it's not out of place. Small changes that may or may not seem to make a different now, but hopefully become a habit and make a difference in the long run.<br />
<br />
With all that being said, I am going to do what I originally logged on here to do and that it to look up my sewing machine manual so I can get the bobbin/thread like it's supposed to be to sew up the Lola bed per E's request.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-60621772969481771072014-01-14T20:10:00.000-08:002014-01-14T20:10:17.810-08:009-14...ooopsI know, I know. It's been a few days.<br />
<div>
had </div>
<div>
But I have several excuses, none of which really count for anything much but life's been busy. And when I'm not busy, I'm lazy. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, in the interest of getting the totals up to speed:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thursday had quite a few challenges...first off, I work 10:30-7. I SO wanted to order Jimmy Johns($10) when a group was putting in an order. It would have been SO worth it to have thinny chips. I swear. I even considered asking someone to add just the chips onto their order, however I stayed strong (barely). Then at right around 3:41 in the afternoon, I had a WICKED craving for chips. Every Thursday between 3:30 and 4 pm, like clockwork, I crave chips. I don't know if it's because I think that a salty snack will tide me over better until dinner, eating my lunch later than normal makes me crave salt rather that sweet or if my sodium, for some reason, dips inexplicably and insanely low for no reason and I have to eat something NOW but I want chips. So much that when I said, Hey Jaime! (my cube mate and dear friend) It's 3:41! Guess what I want more than anything in the world! She was able to reply with CHIPS! I was to the point of even digging up change in my <strike>flower pot</strike> change holder. I got up to go to the printer and lo and behold, on the "tables up front" there were two big bags of chips, left over from our food day the day before. I grabbed a plate from my desk (only used to carry my soup bowl back) and had a nice serving. It was pretty much perfect, curbed the craving and money spent! Oh, and not buttery fingers like when I had a half a bag of popcorn last week (Saved $1). After that, I got through the rest of the day at work and on my next challenge. I am usually too starving to fix anything at home when I get off on Friday and the rest of the family has eaten much earlier, so I usually hit up a drive through or stop at Casey's to grab a slice ($4) to eat on the way home. This week tho, I knew that I was going to Target to stop and pick up some filler groceries (Emerson is having a growth spurt, I swear, he eats more than I do sometimes) and some other essentials. I did see a massive 70% off sign in the women's section. I allowed myself to wander over there (with a basket full of juice, yogurt, apples and bananas mind you) and looked at the items. I found several cardigans (which I wear year round, especially the Target ones) and even picked one up to deeply consider it. However, I decided it didn't REALLY need a new one with sequins/rhinestones/fleather so walked away. I did take a quick swing at the 70% off hanging clothes to see if they had any camis for $2.70 but they didn't so I walked away. (Saved $7.50 on the sweater).<i> Full disclosure, I did end up buying a Twix bar. (less than $1) however you know what they say about Karma...it was gross...the caramel was dry and off tasting. I ended up tossing after a bite from each stick.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
Totals:</div>
<div>
Money Spent: $1</div>
<div>
Money Saved: $21.50</div>
<div>
Total Spent: $65</div>
<div>
Total Saved: $211.50</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Friday came and went. I really really wanted a snack from the vending machine ($1) however I avoided it. I also asked J what he wanted for dinner and his answer was Tacos. (Honestly, anytime you ask him what he wants for dinner, it's pretty much the only answer you'll get). I got off work at 3:30 and asked J if he wanted me to swing by the store, if we should go together or if he wanted to go. All we needed was ground beef, lettuce and some seasoning, etc so could be a quick trip ($15) but a reason to get out of the house. He replied back to me and said "If we don't have the stuff, let's eat something else...that's the point, right?" Hard to argue with that one when you are both <strike>suffering</strike> working on this together. We ended up eating things we had at home so no money spent. </div>
<div>
<br />
Totals: </div>
<div>
Money Spent: $0</div>
<div>
Money Saved: $16</div>
<div>
Total Spent: $65</div>
<div>
Total Saved: $226.50</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Saturday I got up, cleaned the kitchen, started some laundry, took some Christmas stuff down, etc. I did some grocery shopping fixed dinner and sold some jeans on the local garage sale site. (Made $8!!!). I didn't stray too far off my list shopping either, only picking up some bacon at Fareway while getting the hamburger they had on sale. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Money Spent: $0</div>
<div>
Money Saved: $0</div>
<div>
Total Spent: $65</div>
<div>
Total Saved: $226.50</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday we got up and did some things around the house. J walked the dog, we ate lunch and worked on Spencer's Star Student poster. We then went to the Iowa Energy game (tickets were free through work) and only spent $7 (popcorn and a soda to share). It helped that I had dinner all ready to cook so it would only take me a few minutes to get dinner done when we got home. </div>
<div>
<br />
Money Spent: $7</div>
<div>
Money Saved: $15+ on snacks at the game</div>
<div>
Total Spent: $72</div>
<div>
Total Saved: $241.50</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yesterday was date night. Yesterday was a terrible day at work. Terrible enough that it normally would have translated to Old Chicago and beers ($40) however since I had planned ahead, we had Tacos (I put them into the menu so it wasn't impulse spending this time (planning ahead and still getting what you want is a success in my book...plus it was nice to have tacos on a night that the kids wouldn't fight over being told to eat them when they have suddenly decided they no longer like hamburger or cheese or whatever ingredient they have decided is gross. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Money Spent: $0</div>
<div>
Money Saved: $40</div>
<div>
Total spent; $72</div>
<div>
Total Saved: $281.50</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today was pretty standard. Outside of the fact that EVERYONE ordered Jimmy Johns (I seriously saw 5 different people with it) I survived. It helped that there was leftover catering in the break room. Dinner was planned so it was mostly just throwing it together and done. I'm calling the totals the same today as yesterday.<br />
<br />
$281.50 saved since the beginning of the month on eating out and impulse purchases. That's like saving $20/day. I'm excited and yet a little depressed. What if we had been saving that $20/day for the last several years? Where would that have left us? $7300/year. If you take that over 5 years, that's over $36K. That's some serious debt we could have gone.<br />
<br />Now we're going to work on budgeting our savings. Immediately we will be addressing some debt and starting an emergency fund, but also a vacation fund and maybe even putting some away for me to get my paralegal degree and maybe be able to make some extra income from that.<br />
<br />
Thanks for bearing with me if you're at the end of the post!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-90020764853571450822014-01-08T18:49:00.001-08:002014-01-08T18:49:16.987-08:007, 8 shut the gate...Yesterday was a standard run of the mill day. I did eat lunch out but out was on a gift card. I did spend 75 cents on a soda, but that was in my change cup so didn't count ;).<br />
<br />
Today was a struggle. J had plans with a friend (spending some but it's out of his cash stash and will likely be less than $20). Whenever he is gone for dinner it makes me want to pick up dinner ($15ish). I overcame it though and we had leftovers. <br />
<br />
I've started noticing changes in the way I think...today I overheard a co-worker say something about going to the mall and spending $100 on some jeans and make up. This same co-worker was telling me the other day that they were broke. As in barely making it from paycheck to paycheck broke. I thought to myself just think if that $100 had been applied to bills, savings, fixing up the house...granted, I would never spend that on make up but I do love myself some good deals so I get the "need" to spend but the fact that I am recognizing the fact that I'm overspending. The fact that I was able to transfer $100 in to my savings today and not be nervous with coming close to the limit next pay day. The fact that I don't have stuff to spend money on things just to have things. I'm slowly unsubscribing from the different sale emails....do I really need 25+ emails a day advertising things I don't need?<br />
<br />
Since I'm lazy I'm doing totals together :<br />
<br />
Money spent: $0<br />
Money saved: $15<br />
Total spent: $64<br />
Total saved: $190Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-77828221379135089162014-01-06T20:08:00.000-08:002014-01-07T05:48:27.159-08:004-5-6Ok, I didn't fall off the bandwagon, just was busy :)<br />
<br />
Saturday we mostly stayed at him, baked some cookies, got some stuff done around the house...laundry, dishes, getting rid of junk, freezer organization, getting stuff ready to post on the Facebook sites etc.<br />
<br />
We did spend some money, but it was on my snow boots, which we discussed as a necessity. They were on sale though so at least I saved some. I figure the savings on the other things made them pay for themselves. I did, however, avoid all the Christmas clearance and bulk candy.<br />
<br />
Money spent: $46<br />
Money saved: $5-10 (I usually buy candy and have a terrible time with Christmas clearance)<br />
Total spent: $63<br />
Total saved: $120 (rounding)<br />
<br />
Sunday J and Spencer went to Ames but before they left we had lunch together (normally E and I will grab Jimmy John's for $10 and J and Spenny hit a drive through for close to the same.) Emerson and I went and got his hair cut (preplanned) and then bought groceries to finish up the week's menu. We stayed on task with the only extra spending being a pack of gum ($1). I had Christians clearance items in my cart but realized I would never use the things they were and put back the items (5-6 various things, $10 worth).<br />
<br />
Money spent: $1<br />
Money saved: $30<br />
Total spent: $64<br />
Total saved: $150<br />
<br />
Today it was freezing. Went to work, had soup for lunch, no vending snacks or soda. No real temptation because I left my card at my desk and had no change. I did see some frames at the card store and stopped to look but then quickly walked away without even checking prices. Dinner made at home tonight(scalloped taters and sausage) instead of take out ($25 saved, when it's this cold we get Chinese and eat at home).<br />
<br />
Money spent: $0<br />
Money saved $25<br />
Total spent: $64<br />
Total saved: $175.<br />
<br />
I'm feeling pretty good about this. Even with including my boots in spending, were still doing a lot better we would have. While I'm bummed that I won't be able to put this all in savings, I'm happy that we're at least getting a chunk saved up.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-91166503433292072982014-01-04T12:44:00.001-08:002014-01-04T12:46:01.665-08:00Day 3Spending Strike day three was a little more difficult for several reasons:<br />
1. Pay Day. Always seems to be more temptations when there is the most amount of money available in your account.<br />
2. Thai Day. There's a group of us that always orders Thai on Fridays which sets me back around $10 after delivery fee and tip.<br />
3. It was COLD again. Which means I wanted more warm beverages from the sky walk coffee joint I usually go to. ($3.50)<br />
4. Friday nights we always get some sort of take out on the way home. It might be from a fast food company. It might be pizza or chicken. Sometimes it's Chinese. (If we're all eating at home, anywhere from $15-30, depending on where we order from).<br />
5. We watch a new movie while eating our takeout ($10-15)<br />
6. To add yet ANOTHER challenge to our plate, J's mom took the kids unexpectedly. Whenever we don't have the kids we take that time to go out to eat and maybe even have a couple beers, usually at Old Chicago ($35-40 including drinks and tips).<br />
<br />
We successfully avoided almost all of the above.<br />
<br />
Due to a minor mis-communication, I ended up ordering Casey's pizza ($12). (We were discussing frozen pizza over the phone--what to get, what kind, from where--and he ended up saying something about Caseys. I thought he meant ORDER Casey's pizza but what he said was that Casey's has frozen pizza...whoops...although I'm sure with gas station prices I only paid another $5 more than I would have). I also ended up making a quick run to HyVee because it's close and I had a coupon for Kraft Mac N Cheese that was expiring soon and we were out of juice which we would both want in the morning. While I was there I also picked up some Capri Suns (Spencer takes them to lunch) and some ice cream ($3) that should last us another week or so.<br />
<br />
(PS: We didn't end up getting any movies, we just watched a few episodes of Breaking Bad and hung out and spent time with each other. I even turned my phone off for a portion of the evening so it really was just us...no facebook/instagram/pinterest...just us).<br />
<br />
I also had to get gas and J bought E some snow boots but we consider those necessities are are not counting them towards our total. I usually only need gas about once every 2 weeks or so and I didn't NEED it need it yet (I still had just under 1/4 tank) but with the arctic temps ahead, I decided to get it when it was only 25 degrees instead of -40 windchill like they are predicting for Monday when I would have NEEDED it.<br />
<br />
With all this being said, yesterday's totals:<br />
<br />
Money Spent: $15<br />
Money Saved: $43.50<br />
Total Spent: $18<br />
Total Saved: $108ish<br />
<br />
$108 dollars in 3 days folks. Even with spending some on Pizza and Ice cream, I still call this a win.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-54913237553317635572014-01-02T20:30:00.005-08:002014-01-04T12:45:31.165-08:00Spending Strike day 2Today I went back to work. I did go to the chiropractor however I consider that a medical expense, more of a need than a want. <br />
<br />
For lunch I had a canned soup, snack a break room bagel and for dinner I have some leftovers (taco meat in a salad). I started to buy a book on amazon but then remembered ($8.54 saved!) And wanted a chai because it was so cold (-3°, Chai $3.50ish).<br />
<br />
J and the boys didn't leave the house and no money spent online for him.<br />
<br />
Totals:<br />
Money spent today $0<br />
Money saved: $15ish<br />
Total spent: $3<br />
Total saved: $65ish<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-68468740453894893342014-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:002014-01-01T19:37:40.253-08:002014!2013 was a tough year, physically, financially and (as a cause of the first two) somewhat emotionally.<br />
<br />
We made it through. We're happy, stronger and doing ok but definitely looking forward to a better 2014.<br />
<br />
Couple things I'm hoping to work on this year is getting myself healthier. First step to that is starting a lemon water "cleanse". I put cleanse in quotations because I'm not sure I believe that by drinking a warm glass of lemon water every morning is really gong to act as a cleanse, but it's a healthy habit. Gets in some vitamins and a glass of water to start to day off on the right foot if nothing else. If it does, in fact, have other health benefits so be it. I'm also hoping that this will eventually break my Monster <strike>habit</strike> addiction, but no promises there.<br />
<br />
I'm also continuing my decluttering efforts. Today I took a bag of things to my in laws (shirt that didn't work for me and I couldn't return, leftover containers from Christmas etc) and got rid of some kitchen utensils that were ruined (cracked wooden spoon, broken salad tongs). Broke down boxes for recycling. Over the weekend I took everything out of the cupboards and inventoried the pantry/tossed expired food. Avoided buying a new tote to put baking goods in by finding an almost empty one in the basement.<br />
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We're also joining in on the Spending Strike that is taking over the Blogosphere. We are always tight in December/January where the overspending from the holidays collides with the end of J's salary and this year is no different. We did better, much Bette actually, throughout the year on spending in some ways but buying a new car, medical expenses and the like took their toll. Our goal is to cut out excess spending and only buying necessities. This means I won't be ordering Thai on Fridays (sob!) this month or grabbing chai out donuts for breakfast. I am still spending a gift certificate I got for lunches at my favorite local pizza place, but other than that, no eating out for lunches. I have yogurt, oatmeal, cheese sticks and the like for breakfast. I'll buy my Monster at Wal-Mart where it is half the price of the gas station. No vending machine purchases or clearance racks. When I <i>do</i> have to buy something, we have to <i>need</i> it. Groceries. Gas. Snow boots (Emerson hit a growth spurt. His boots don't fit at all anymore. Mine have a crack). Date night will be spent at home, watching breaking bad and eating something we make instead of grabbing take out. I will, however, let myself spend any money I make on the garage sale sites or from my crafts. <br />
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Totals:<br />
Money spent today: $3 (we got invited to dinner at the in laws, we picked up drinks on the way)<br />
Money saved: $50 (we normally go to a movie on NY day as a family, we stayed home today)<br />
Total spent: $3<br />
Total saved: $50<br />
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My plan is with the money we save to put half in savings and the other half go towards miscellaneous things...car registration, medical bills, new computer fund.<br />
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What are your new years resolutions/goals? Would you consider a spending strike for you and your family?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-11001766060873577752013-10-19T08:34:00.002-07:002013-10-19T08:34:59.552-07:00Ooops...I fell off the wagon again...Hello!<br />
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A little over 7 months has gone by since I've blogged apparently. It's mostly because we have been BUSY!<br />
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We'll start with the big news and go from there.<br />
<br />This tax season was a rough one. First off, we were down to one car thanks to the Intrepid's transmission taking a nose dive. We ended up buying a new car (Nissan Xterra) at the end of March which we love and I use the Mazda as my main commuter car since it's little, paid for and good on gas.<br />
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We also got a PUPPY! His name is Maverick. He's adorable. It took me a while to warm up to him, but now I don't remember our life without him. He's a beautiful French Brittany Spaniel, black and white. Full of personality and love and has the potential to be a fantastic hunter. Time will tell :) Everyone loves him except for Lola and Viktor who like to team up on him, but at least they have each other :)<br />
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Another big change this year is that J's Crohn's was acting up. A lot. He spent most of the spring/summer sick. At the end of July we had a surgery called a re-section. This is where they went in a removed approximately a foot of his sigmoid colon. He's been doing much much better since then, so it was worth it, for sure! He also ended up getting his wisdom teeth out around Labor day.<br />
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Spencer graduated from the Montessori program in the spring and has been going to the local elementary school. He's been doing ok there. Some things to work on..being quiet, finishing homework, motor skill stuff...but overall, he loves it, his teacher, classmates and that's what's important at this time.<br />
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I have been working, crafting, etc...you know, the usual. Still doing about a pin a week...be it an outfit, a meal, craft project or maybe just thinking about a quote or downloading a book. Some weeks there are more, once in a while I don't get to do any but I'm trying :) My newest addiction is an ap by Target called Cartwheel. You get a certain amount of "slots" to choose different deals. So far I've saved over $10 on things that I was going to buy anyway--a couple of Christmas presents, dog treats, etc.<br />
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Still making my own laundry detergent, packing lunches for Spencer's school. Making lots of food from scratch. Saving money where we can and working on spending money on things I don't need/won't use.<br />
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All in all, life is good, but busy. Now that it's colder, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things on here :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-43951366438620075362013-03-16T17:34:00.000-07:002013-03-16T17:37:28.110-07:00Laundry Soap UpdateYou may remember about a year ago, I decided that I would try to <a href="http://dugganfam.blogspot.com/2012/02/laundry-detergent.html" target="_blank">make my own laundry detergent.</a> I am continuing to make it, however I decided that the liquid was much more of a pain than it was worth. I use the powder and make triple batches at a time so I don't have to make it often.<br />
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For the powder you use:<br />
1 cup Washing Soda<br />
1 cup Borax<br />
1 bar of Fels Naptha<br />
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All of these items are in my Wal-Mart's laundry aisle. The boxes of Washing Soda and Borax are about $3 each and the bars of soap are about $1.<br />
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I use my food processor to grate the soap (I've done it by hand before...trust me, you'd much rather use the food processor). I then pour it in a bowl then switch to the chopping blade. I then add in a cup each of the soda and Borax then start slowly adding the soap. I mix this until the grated soap (which looks like cheese, I'll take a picture next time) turns crumbly. I have a big container that I use to store this in so I just dump it all in. The soap will settle after time, so it's a good idea to make sure your container seals tight so you can shake it every so often.<br />
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Use about one tablespoon (more or less, depending on load size and how dirty the clothes are). I use plain white distilled vinegar in my softener holder and away we go. I hardly ever have to use my dryer sheets anymore!<br />
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I do still use All on our "dress" clothes, mostly because J's undershirts were getting dingy. When I bought him new ones, I decided to use the regular detergent to keep them whiter without having to bleach anything. I think I've been using the same container of All for over a year now though, since I only use one or two loads a week, if that.<br />
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I even got my mom, who was an powder hater, to start using this. She agrees that it smells very fresh and it's hard to beat the price. My grandma uses it in her top loading HE machine without any issues. I have noticed that sometimes it'll leave a little residue if I put the soap in on top of the clothes, but I've had no issues since I've started putting it in right after the water starts and wait a minute or two before adding clothes to the water.<br />
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What is your favorite laundry soap? Would you consider making your own to save money?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-70944225539119384442013-01-28T11:31:00.001-08:002013-01-28T11:31:24.204-08:00JanuaryMan. This January has not been kind to us. Don't get me wrong, it could always be worse, but it's been tough.<br />
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First off, the tax rates/health care increases have changed our income by about $70 a month. Not enough to kill us, but the difference will likely be felt.<br />
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Then my car died. Specifically, the transmission. I've had her for about 7.5 years. She's been paid off for about 4 years. We knew it was happening and had made plans to replace her after tax season. Apparently she had plans of her own. One day she needed a little more gas to "go" out of the parking ramp. The next couple of days she ran mostly fine. Then Saturday came and she made some weird noises, but nothing bad. I went to go get some Lucas Transmission "stuff'" to help me out since I thought it might be a fluid issue. Alas, it was not. On my way to get the fluid, she refused to leave 1st gear, go over 10 mph and only when we were at 5000 rpms. I put the fluid stuff in, and it seemed ok for a couple blocks, but then when I cam home from the store, it was evident that she was just done. If you've ever driven through Ankeny going 10 mph, you'll feel my pain. It took me 30 minutes to get across town with both kids going "Moooom, why are those people honking/passing/staring/passing judgement?" (Ok...so they may have just asked about the people passing us, since I had my flashers on most people seemed to give me some lee-way.) Thankfully, my dad is letting us borrow his car until we are able to come up with something, which is pretty awesome of him.<br />
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The rest of things aren't big at all,but certainly inconveniencing Tax season started, Emerson is back in daycare, Spenny is still going to school. Today Spencer is sick. Emerson got a fever and had to come home. He has a nasty cough, drippy nose and we are waiting for a dr's appt this afternoon.<br />
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On a positive note, I have lost about 6 lbs, which is nice since I've joined my job's Biggest Loser challenge. Winner gets the pot, which is around $225 or so. That'd be awfully nice to get ahead on some things (or buy myself something...like smaller jeans! lol)<br />
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I've also been teaching myself to sew and been pinning away...even doing a lot of what I've pinned. I've been working on my Silhouette some, even dabbled in some vinyl which turned out to be way less scary than I thought. I've also been taking a lot of tips from a lot of organizational blogs and been decluttering, getting rid of stuff. I've turned my hangers backwards in my closet and started purging clothes. I've cleaned out under the island and got rid of stuff we've never used/will use/don't need. (Seriously, I apparently kept a ton of sour cream/yogurt containers that we never use...recycle!) I've cleaned under the bathroom sink and got rid of some hair products/make up. I've gone through the medicine cabinet (I had stuff that expired in 2009-10 in there!) I've been planning Spenny's lunches better and making things easier on us by filling snack bags with a serving of crackers/pretzels/cookies. I've been keeping up on the laundry AND putting it away. I'm trying to go into this tax season more prepared, so we shall see how it goes.<br />
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For now, I must get off of here and see if I can get logged back into my work site and get some work done before we have to go to the dr.<br />
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Hope this finds you all well and healthy.<br />
<br />
CassAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-8412004868421542292012-12-15T10:57:00.001-08:002012-12-15T10:57:45.969-08:00With a heavy heart...Yesterday there was another shooting. Specifically, another school shooting.<div>
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It was a in town in Connecticut. I quit reading the stories, as they were all confused and convoluted, but the gist of the matter is that a 20 year old man killed over 25 people. 20 of which were kindergartners.</div>
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20 kids that are Spencer's age. 20 innocent lives that were likely very excited about Santa coming, getting the "big" present, maybe thinking about being a doctor, an astronaut, a solider, a police officer or a ninja. </div>
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20 sets of parents who never dreamed that when sending their kids to school on that terrible Friday morning that the rest of their lives would be changed for the worse. </div>
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I cried at my desk all day as the news stories rolled in. A friend of a friend lost their nephew in the shooting. He was 6. </div>
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We had our Christmas party at work last night and our CEO made a small, tasteful statement regarding the shooting, saying our thoughts and prayers were with the families and communities that were impacted. I know that there were very many eyes that watered up just at the simple statement.</div>
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The news has sensationalized this...Yahoo Shine! posted this morning on their facebook page asking if the surviving students should be allowed to be interviewed on TV. So many of the comments I read were a very simple NO!. Other's were appalled that they would even ask a question regarding this. Apparently some news outlets have been there since right after it happened, they have pictures of students being lead out by teachers. They are saying that the shooter was mentally ill (ya think?!) and I've seen Autism, OCD, Multiple Personality Disorder all tossed out there as possible reasons as to why he did this. People are crying out for more gun control, that we should restrict the ability for people to own guns. </div>
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So many of these items are too close to home. We have a kindergarten aged child. We have several guns. We have family members with Autism, Schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.</div>
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<br />Now is not the time to be discussing if we should have more gun control, however. Now is not the time to blame the school for not having better security. </div>
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Now is the time to grab your babies. Give them hugs. Give them loves. If they are old enough to understand, explain to them, gently. Send your thought and prayers to the community that has been effected in this terrible, terrible situation. Now is the time to let the area grieve. And thank your lucky stars that you and yours are safe.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-33277336707918916942012-08-24T06:51:00.000-07:002012-08-24T06:51:17.937-07:00Bucket List UpdateI figured since today is a special day...(ahem..J's 30th Birthday) I would take a quick moment to update MY 30 things to do before I'm 30 list and show any progress.<br />
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4. Go to Ikea.<br />
I completed this on July 21, in Denver. Kim and I decided last minute to stop and shop. I didn't get much, but she got a super cool bookshelf that she is going to use for a bench. I can't wait to go back when I don't have to try to fit everything in my carry on!<br />
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8. Travel More<br />
I got a start on this one when I went to Colorado. We went up Pike's Peak. I went to a concert at Mile High Stadium. I visited an Air Force Base. I ate local food. Sounds like a good start on the travel front! What's next?<br />
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15. Go back to school.<br />
I'm working on this one. I don't have an exact plan yet, but I've been researching schools and trying to figure out where to go from here.<br />
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16. Random Acts of Kindness.<br />
I try to do one of these every week. I'm sure there are times where I don't get any in, and other times I do multiple. I'm not trying specifically to document each one, because to me, it feels like it kind of defeats the purpose.<br />
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19. Read 50 Books<br />
I've gotten in a few more, bringing my total to 6. Most of them are just quicky reads, but I also joined a book club at work and am in the process of reading a few that are in series'. I think this one will be easier than I originally thought.<br />
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21. Rewatch SATC<br />
I just finished Season 1!<br />
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22. Catch up on filing at work<br />
I have started a process on this. I've been scanning my new ones as they finish right away so they don't add up. As for the old ones, I have been spending time each week, sometimes on multiple days, getting it scanned and sorted. Changing processes is hard, but I'll get there! Hopefully sooner rather than later.<br />
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24. Eat at 50 of the top 100 in Des Moines (10 out of 50)<br />
I'm including one's I've already been to, as there are several I'd very likely NOT go to:<br />
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19-The Big Steer<br />
I've only been here a time or two, food is good, but a little pricey. Not somewhere we would go on a regular basis.<br />
22- Hickory Park<br />
YUM. One of my favorite places to go. Food is so good and reasonably priced.<br />
26-Smokey D's BBQ<br />
Also yummy. I've only been to the Skywalk location, but the burnt end sandwich is my favorite..and their potato casserole! TO. Die.<br />
35- Court Ave Restaurant and Brewing Co<br />
It's been quite a while since I've been there, but the food was good.<br />
44-Gateway Market Cafe<br />
I really like this place. It's a quick drive from work (could maybe even do it on your lunch break if you got it to go). Food is fresh and delish.<br />
50-Palmer's Deli<br />
I eat here on a regular basis. I love their sandwiches or often get a luncheon salad. And the soup is great. and the Snickers Salad? YUM.<br />
53- Thai Flavors<br />
Pretty yummy! I'm always scared to try new things, but I do love their fried rice!<br />
70- Okoboji Grill<br />
Been a while since I've been here, but usually love their appetizers or get a sandwich.<br />
97- Mullets<br />
I've only eaten here once. For breakfast after a 5 k. But the food was good and the mimosa was YUMMY.<br />
98-Chips<br />
We just ate there last week! They have a great selection. Hamburgers, Wood Fired Pizzas, Pasta, Fish, Steak...and serve these yummy homemade chips. Decent priced and not usually overly busy. Not sure why we don't go there more often, actually.<br />
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27. Doing Hair and Make up<br />
If you know me, you know I'm veeery low maintenance. I shower. I brush my teeth. I brush my hair. I put my hair in a pony tail/messy bun, get dressed and go about my day. Very rarely do I do more than that. I've started doing my hair at least a little bit. Pinterest helps. I've youtubed videos on how to do my hair and tried it. I wear make up from time to time. I'm getting ready to cut my hair off so I don't constantly put it back/up either.<br />
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All of this seems like a decent start on my bucket list, hopefully I'll keep at it!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-73854558142847904282012-08-05T13:16:00.009-07:002012-08-05T13:16:56.586-07:00We have a 5 year old!!Ok, so we've had one for a couple weeks, but life's been hectic. Spenny woke up to Balloons at his door and then above his spot at the table. We got around for the day and headed out to the Zoo. Some of the pictures below are from my phone and several are from his new present--his CAMERA! He also got Hulk Hands from us and seemed to have a great day. We love our little 5 year old and couldn't be more proud!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-72394027844082054962012-07-15T16:18:00.001-07:002012-08-05T12:35:51.914-07:00Sunday Boring DayIt's been a fun week at the Duggan house. First off, I had my birthday. The boys got me a BluRay player and the Lord of the Rings movie. We had hamburgers, hot dogs and enjoyed some pie from Village Inn while watching the movie. (78//////////////////////////////////////////////////gtfvnhvcszvxd3z$a --Apparently, Viktard likes to blog too). <br />
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Wednesday night I made a new recipe, from <a href="http://1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/07/anything-you-wanna-call-it-casserole.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I first mixed up the "cream of" stuff in a container. I think I figured out the recipe will make something like 9 "cans" of soup and I had almost everything on hand that I needed. <br />
My Adapted version:<br />
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1 cup non-fat dried milk<br />
3/4 cup cornstarch<br />
1/4 cup Chicken Boullion <br />
4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley<br />
1 teaspoon pepper<br />
(For the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup, mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water. Cook until thick)<br />
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For the casserole, I ended up using:<br />
1 cooked chicken breast (I cut it in chunks instead of shredding),<br />
a few slices of bacon (I cut it up using my kitchen shears prior to frying, so much easier that way and they seem to cook more evenly).<br />
Equivalent to one can of soup (about 1/3 cup mixed with 1 1/4 cup water, cooked until thick).<br />
2 cups of macaroni, cooked<br />
Cheese (I used a handful of mozarella mixed in with the noodles etc, then sprinkled some cheese on top while it was baking).<br />
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I baked it in the oven just until the cheese was melted since everything was hot when I put it together, and it was so yummy. The left overs were good too, I had some for lunch the next day. My vegan friend said it looked/smelled good, and he recommended putting some buttered breadcrumbs on top next time (Hey, he wasn't always vegan!)<br />
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Our friends, Aaron and Julia had their baby on Tuesday as well, after something like 30 hours of labor, Theo Maximus Bazal is here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theo Maximus Bazal 8 lbs 14 oz and 22 inches long. Beautiful baby boy!</td></tr>
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We got to visit with them on Thursday night for a couple hours, eat dinner and snuggle with the little guy. He is beautiful and I can't wait to see him grow up! He even let me take a couple pictures of him with his eyes open! Julia and Aaron are taking on their new roles as parents like champs.<br />
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The rest of the week was pretty low key, Friday night we just hung around the house, Saturday J and Spenny went and had lunch and got a haircut for J while E and I hung out at home, at lunch and took naps. When Daddy and Spenny got home, I went and ran some errands before we went to see Papa Dave's church band play at Ankeny's Summer Fest. We got to hang out with our friends Baby Liam and Stacey, Nana and Papa, as well as Carrie, Tim and Nolan. Good weather for it, it was hot, but there was a breeze and we all came prepared with snacks and juice boxes to keep everyone entertained. Today we just hung out at home, I organized the laundry area some, cleaned a bit and made some dry laundry detergent. I read a short book I got on my Kindle that talks about ways to declutter and organize, and one of the goals is get rid of 10 items a day from your life. Sounds like a lot, but really, when you start the process, 10 items goes pretty quickly. IE: I went through my "Mail" pile, which is really just a bunch of coupons, mailers and a couple odd bills that I need to sort and never want to. I did that first thing this morning though and ended up getting rid of about 15 items, just like that. When I cleaned up the laundry closet I was able to get rid of even more items, so it sounds like a big, daunting task, it's really not. And also, the 10 items isn't necessarily to throw away, but can also be to donate, recycle, sell, etc.<br />
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This week should be another busy one, we are in the process of figuring out what Spenny wants for his birthday, and what he wants to DO for his birthday. I'm thinking either Incredible Pizza or the Zoo, we'll see what the weather is like before we decide likely. Then, Saturday morning <strike>bright</strike> dark and early, I am flying off to Colorado to spend a long weekend with my cousin Kim, so excited! We're going to see Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw in concern and I have no idea what else will be in store for us!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-61880660071173294562012-07-09T20:24:00.001-07:002012-07-09T20:24:15.284-07:00last day of 27It seems weird that I'm turning 28 this year. It doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal, but it's really only TWO years from 30. Not that excited about 30, but looking forward to see what 28 brings me. And really excited to go to Colorado in a couple weeks, hopefully losing some more weight over the next year and trying new things. <div>
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Last year on my birthday, I lost my Grandpa Fran. He was a huge part of me growing up and he lived a wonderful, long life. Even when he was dying of cancer, he was the most positive person I knew. I remember one time we were talking and I said I was sorry he had cancer. His response? "Why? If it's not me, it would just be someone else; might as well make the best of it!" Before going into surgery, he was all grins, during his treatments, he would call me from the center where he was staying to tell me about how great the nurses were, the people he was meeting and how he felt so lucky to have the experience. (Really? LUCKY to have cancer Grandpa?!) I remember at his funeral we were talking to all of the people that knew him from all different aspects, neighbors, co-workers from the YMCA, church friends, horse people, everyone had a happy story to share, and I honestly don't think there was a person that knew him that didn't like him. I would like to think that Grandpa Fran and Grandma Sharon are up there singing their songs, and maybe he'll visit Grandpa Emory at an auction. I also hope they are growing a garden, for fresh green beans so his whiskers keep growing and he is riding one of his horses. Grandpa, you were a wonderful man and I miss you so much. I wish I would have taken more advantage of spending time with you when I had the chance, but thank you for helping me be who I am today. I know I got my (mostly) positive outlook from you, and I appreciate it. </div>
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Happy birthday to me, hopefully this year I'll have someone to share it with :) More news on that tomorrow, I hope!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-80471111725539241222012-07-04T14:48:00.000-07:002012-07-04T14:48:32.639-07:00Bucket ListI'm turning 30 in 2 years and 6 days. A while back I decided I was going to do a bucket list of 30 things to do before I'm 30 and started writing the list. Some of these I'm working on (I only have a few sodas a week now, since I've been drinking tea, I have my plane tickets already for my trip to Colorado, I've been doing the RAoK on a regular basis, I'm almost done with Season 1 of SATC...) and some will be harder to cross off, but I'm hoping that I get get at least the vast majority crossed off :)<br />
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1. Go vegetarian for 6 weeks. (Can't go vegan...I'd miss my cheese!)<br />
2. Quit Soda<br />
3. Lose 15-20 pounds<br />
4. Go to Ikea<br />
5. Run a 10K<br />
6. Sing Karaoke<br />
7. Learn to Sew (With my new silhouette, that should be fun!)<br />
8. Travel more.<br />
9. Get my passport<br />
10. Meet my newest niece.<br />
11. Start College Savings funds for the boys<br />
12. Get another Tattoo<br />
13. and another.<br />
14. Pay off all of our non-mortgage related debt/student loans<br />
15. Go back to school<br />
16. Do a Random Act of Kindness a week<br />
17. Make photo books for the boys, one for each year<br />
18. Get Married <3<br />
19. Read 50 books (3 down!)<br />
20. Hang pictures on our walls. (Don't laugh, we've lived here 18 months and have like 5 things hanging on our walls. In the whole house. And one of them is a clock.)<br />
21. Re-Watch all of the Sex and the City episodes<br />
22. Get my filing at work caught up (I haven't been caught up since before I went on maternity leave with Emerson....don't judge.)<br />
23. Finish various projects that I have started up but not finished for various reasons, most of which aren't good ones<br />
24. Hit at least 50 of the <a href="http://data.desmoinesregister.com/mmx/top-100-des-moines-restaurants/" target="_blank">Top 100 in Des Moines Restaurants</a><br />
25. Have drinks on a patio with my friends<br />
26. Do more things as a family<br />
27. Start doing my hair and makeup<br />
28. Start wearing sunscreen on my face every day<br />
29. Take a class for fun (Yoga, sewing, etc)<br />
30. Be overall happy :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-83583497786164812112012-07-04T14:34:00.001-07:002012-07-04T14:57:04.695-07:00Happy 4th of July!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Fourth of July is </span><i style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">probably</i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> my favorite holiday. I say probably, because it's hard to decide which excuse to dress up, decorate, etc is truly my favorite, but I've always loved it because it is A) in the summer B) My hometown made a big deal out of it C) It means my birthday is less than a week away D) Fireworks...ok, I could probably go on and on but I'll stop. :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Today we headed over to Newton, J's hometown, to watch their parade. It's a long parade, but it's usually a lot of fun even if it is hotter than Hades. They start it off at 9:30 and I think today we left at 11ish, just as it was finishing. We hang out with J's mom's side of the family and just have fun. The kids love the candy and the little flags that Grandma brings for them to wave. It starts off with a tribute to the veterans. Every year it makes me a little misty eyed. I personally know a lot of veterans and I just don't think they always get the recognition they deserve. When they march through the town though, every stands and claps. The pride on the veterans' faces gets me. It's hot, the parade is long and they just keep marching. They even have floats for the ones that can't/don't want to walk. Some have what war they were a part of on the floats, others just march together, but, goosebumps and tears every time. This year I could blame it on my contacts ;) </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Anyway, the boys got some candy and they each ended up with a die cast car from the speedway and overall, had a great time. </span></div>
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The rest of the day has been kinda lazy, the heat wore us out. While the boys were napping I spent a little time sunbathing (like 15 minutes...it was too hot!) and then took a nap. After that, I took a shower and decided to make a DIY workout shirt that I found on pinterest from <a href="http://rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com/diy-workout-shirt/" target="_blank">here</a>. Turned out pretty cute, not too bad for a first timer! </div>
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I think we're going to find something to fix for dinner and then maybe early to bed for all of us. Feels weird to be off in the middle of the week, but back to the grind tomorrow.</div>
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Hope everyone else has had a happy and safe 4th!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-11658661566452299802012-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:002012-07-04T14:58:31.370-07:00Oh, for the love of...vinegar?Lately I have been OBSESSED with using vinegar for so many things.<br />
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First, it started with cleaning the dishwasher. It seemed to help make it run better, dry faster and even degrease it some. (You know, the filter in the bottom gets "gunky" it helps clean it).<br />
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Then I read it works great in the laundry. First thing I did was use it to clean my washer. Our fabric softener thing in the middle was kinda gunky as well. I poured some in the softener hole and ran an empty load. It was still kinda gross, so I figured out how to tear it apart, scrub it and put it back together. Now every load I wash, I pour a bunch in the fabric softener holder. I don't actually measure, I just pour until its full, and sometimes, I even pour until it's overflowing. Doesn't hurt anything, in fact, it's pretty good for the laundry! I know some people wonder, does it stink afterwards? Because face it, vinegar doesn't smell the best. Well, when you first open the washer, there's a very good chance you will smell it. HOWEVER, by the time the laundry is dry, either in the dryer OR hung to dry, there is no trace of vinegar smell. I will say the first couple times I used it on my towels, they seemed more scratchy than normal. I did some research (ok fine, I just googled it) and apparently that is very very normal. It's because it's breaking down the softener residue that's been left over from the other softeners and dryer sheets. A couple runs thru and they stopped, or you can keep using the dryer sheets with it. (I use them for the static stuff more than anything).<br />
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I recently have determined what a wonderful stain remover it is! Of course you would believe me better if I had before and after pictures, but I don't have any so you'll have to wait until next time I get a good stain. HOWEVER. For father's day, J got a light gray shirt with Darth Vader on it. Then for dinner we had ribs. and Emerson had red jello cake. Emerson's Jello cake ended up all over J's gray shirt. I thought for sure it was ruined after one wear, and I think that J believed it as well. But I made him take it off as soon as we got in the house. I took it upstairs to the laundry area (Seriously, I hope to never have to have my laundry anywhere but on the same floor as the bedrooms again...sorry, side tracked...) and poured a tiny bit of laundry detergent on it and scrubbed. All that it was doing was making a bigger mess so I kinda panicked. <i> </i>I then put a towel under the shirt and poured some vinegar on as a last ditch effort and tossed it in the washer with some towels. Because honestly, if that Jello is gonna end up all over everything, it better be my towels and not my clothes!!! But...low and behold, I pulled it out of the washer and it's GONE! I even hung it up to dry because I was worried it would magically reappear, but it did not. I also got some mystery grease stain on my favorite t shirt (it's my 5k shirt the Court to Court...It's American Apparel, so super soft). It had most likely been washed and dried on there so I was bummed, but thought, well, you never know, it might get rid of it. I put a little laundry detergent on again, just in case, then poured vinegar over then washed it. Also hung to dry and sure enough, no more mystery stains! I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to try it out with two little boys, so I'll see if I can find some pictures for us.<br />
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It also works great as an air fresher, and I include it in all of my homemade cleaners, like the Shower Magic, Homemade 409 and the magical shower head cleaner. You can also use it to clean your garbage disposal (freeze it in ice cubes then chop them up) and all kinds of other things. Recently, I even used it on the kitchen floor, by the door was pretty dingy, so thought I'd try it. Sprayed it on straight from the bottle and let it sit and it is VISIBLY cleaner with only a small amount of scrubbing. Overall, it's my new miracle product. The best part is, it's super cheap, and no harsh chemicals, so I feel safe using it around the pets and children.<br />
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What do you use vinegar for?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-83809753996118131442012-06-18T18:02:00.002-07:002012-06-18T18:02:38.128-07:00Busy Busy!Summer is in full swing here at the Duggan household. Boys have been enjoying their time with Daddy. So far they've been to a few parks, visited Papa Leo, Grandma Jean, Nana and Papa, gone bowling, fishing, learning some school stuff, played with lots of toys, frisbee...the list goes on and on.<br />
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Last weekend Grandma Rory (Lori) and Aunt Sissy came to visit. We went to the farmer's market, the sculpture park and just spent time together. We also made supercool "acid" washed shirts using my Silhouette and some bleach. I found a couple links from Pinterest and they were super easy.<br />
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I think overall we had a great time. I know the boys enjoyed spending time with them. They were pretty bummed out when they woke up from their nap on Sunday and they were gone. Daddy was at a card tournament and got 2nd place and had a lot of fun hanging out with his Iowa City friends he doesn't get to see very often.
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Last week pretty much flew by and we spent the weekend being pretty low key. Farmer's Market on Saturday, followed by lunch. The boys then took a nap and I ran and got groceries and some last minute purchases for the father's day gifts for Daddy. We spent the evening playing, watching tv and then after the boys went to bed I went for a run and then played with my Silhouette some more. Really digging it!<br />
<br />I read a lot of reviews about what interfacing to get and decided to go with HeatNBond. My first cuts turned out great!! Unfortunately, I haven't put the pictures on my computer yet, but they are on my facebook if you are interested. I can't wait to actually work on a project I'm making for Kim.<br />
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I need to get off of here and get some stuff done around the house and get some actual work-work done, but hope everything is well for the rest of you :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-1454226320893698432012-06-03T16:15:00.001-07:002012-06-03T16:15:04.598-07:00Sunday EveningBusy weekend here in Dugganville.<div>
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Quick Recap:</div>
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Friday night I picked up the boys from their last day at daycare. They've been going there this time since January, however before J took last summer off, they had been there for years. Emerson since he was 6 weeks old and Spenny since he was about 8 months old. It was bittersweet, as the boys love their friends and it's always hard to say goodbye, but overall, it's the right decision for our family right now. Afterwards we ran some errands, got some groceries and did a swing through Dollar Tree to see if they had anything worth crafting (I didn't see much, but of course left with two bags of stuff...funny how that works!)</div>
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Saturday we got up and around early enough to head to the farmer's market downtown. We love it...lots of people watching, food and just time out of the house and around a different atmosphere, music, food, smells...you know, typical farmer's market stuff. Unfortunately, we didn't actually make it. The Dam to Dam was winding down when we got there and we literally spent 30 minutes just trying to turn around to come back home. I had checked the roads the day before and everything to my ramp was supposed to be open, buuuuuut....it wasn't. Oh well. We ended up at the baseball fields and the park instead, followed by a trip to Dahl's and home for an early lunch. After the boys napped, we got around to go to Nana's surprise birthday party. She will be 50 next week, and Carrie did a wonderful job at the party. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins and we got to visit with some people we don't see often. </div>
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Today we went to my dad's for an impromptu birthday party for my younger brother. We were going to try to get with my dad last weekend, but we all ended up with different plans and it didn't work out so we rescheduled for today. My brother had also made plans with Dad and needed to resched, so it worked out best for all of us to be there at the same time. My brother brought along his girlfriend Ashley and our Grandpa Larry, who we don't see very often at all. The boys had a great time running around in the yard, playing Frisbee and kickball and just being crazy maniacs. Emerson learned he doesn't like flies and tries to scare them off with a Super Sonic Screech (It doesn't work, but it seems to make him feel better.) Spenny enjoyed spending time with Uncle Cody, climbing on him, playing with him and just overall having a great time. We got home a couple hours ago and have just been relaxing.</div>
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I started working on a new craft project and left it outside to dry while we were gone, however when we got home, it was gone. If anyone sees a Gum Drop colored cookie sheet around, lemme know as it probably came from here! I don't know if it blew away or if a neighbor kid now has a lavender shield, but the Diet Coke box I used as my drop cloth was still where I left it, so who knows. </div>
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I'm going to fix a light dinner for the kids and then bath time. Tonight is the AGOT season finale, so hopefully the boys will be ready for a decent bed time so we can enjoy it without having to pause a million times to break up fights and lay them back down. </div>
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Have a good week!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-67004603226211857582012-05-30T19:55:00.001-07:002012-05-30T19:55:26.492-07:00Random Acts of KindnessA couple weeks ago I was shopping at Walmart. An older gentleman was in line a head of me and kept looking at the gum, trying to decide if he wanted any, and eventually gave up, paid and started to leave when he saw what he was looking for on the rack in the aisle next to us. By this time, I was in the middle of my cart full of groceries and there was at least one other person behind me in line. He patiently got to the end of the line, with his son waiting with the cart full of the already purchased groceries (I wold like to point out that I was smiling while I saw what he had chosen earlier, the usual...veggies, fruits, vitamins, meat, some juice, a box of Good and Plenty's and some Skittles.) I waved him up to where I was and told him I would get his gum for him. He thanked me and then tried to pay me. I told him a couple times that no, I just wanted to get the gum for him and he was like, but I haven't paid for it yet. Finally I said, "Sir, I'm just trying to do something nice, can I please pay for your gum?" He took a step back, blinked a few times and gave me a stiff old man hug.<br />
<br />His son also offered to pay me, and shooed him away as well. He asked me why, and I said, honestly, I wanted to do something nice, he reminds me of my grandpa and I understand the importance of gum (I actually had 4 different packages of it on the belt at the time). He thanked me and while they were walking away, I heard the old man tell his son, Can you believe that? She didn't want ANYTHING for it!<br />
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It kind of made me sad that people find it so shocking that someone wants to do something nice for someone else. Here, I paid $1 to save a man waiting in line for 10 minutes and to let him have a treat. I have also paid for coffee for the person behind me a few times (in the drive through at Starbucks, in line at Friedrich's). Tonight I helped a couple of women that were lost in the skywalk find their way to their hotel. They said they were going to be in town for a conference for a few days so I also showed them a few places to eat and to get coffee/drinks along the way as well.<br />
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A friend of mine had a birthday earlier this year and what she asked for from her friends and family was to do a Random Act of Kindness. I believe she found the information somewhere in reference to The Birthday Project online. She had everyone put on her FB event's page as to what the RAOK was. I don't know how many she got, but mine that day was to jump start someone's car in the parking garage at work that day.<br />
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I think that we should all try to do at least one RAOK a week. It doesn't have to cost anything...It may just be holding the door for someone, offering to take a cart back, smiling at someone you meet on the sidewalk, or in my case, the skywalk. Buying a glass of lemonade from the girl on the corner (Side note: Our neighbor girl put up a stand this past weekend. At some point, she had made enough money that she had to go to the store, get more lemonade and was even able to upgrade from a pitcher to a Thermos with a spout at the bottom AND top. She's so stinkin' cute and it's only a quarter. Her chalkboard sign in front says "Zoe's Pink Lemonade Stand 25 cents per cup! :)" How can you walk away from that!). Sometimes I think we are so caught up in ourselves, our phones, our lives, that we don't take a moment to just live.<br />
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IN other non-related news, Spenny declared to me last week that he has a girlfriend. Her name is Tessa, she is beautiful and she has fast shoes. He really loves the frisbee and tonight told me that cousins are the very best friends ever and that you should love your cousins and tell them. He's super sweet, has a great smile and is honestly a really good kid. He always puts others first, especially his little brother and best friend. He likes Frisbee's right now and is getting more perceptive all the time.<br />
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Emerson is adorable. Mouthy. getting a deep voice already. He loves his fish (We're on Doug #3 and I gave up on Rock for now...he's on vacation if anyone asks). He loves morning cuddles, bed time hugs and to eat all of my salad. He loves playing with my camera on my phone and sending pictures to instagram. He told me the other day he is Duffenswirtz (or whatever hsi name is...the bad guy from Phineas and Ferb).<br />
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With that being said, I'm going to bed. Good night all :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-29579889468714707012012-05-25T19:02:00.002-07:002012-05-25T19:02:37.085-07:00Post from Last SundayApparently I forgot to hit "publish" so here's last week's post.<br />
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It's been a while, so I'll try to update.<br />
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First off, I had a wonderful Mother's day. J told the boys that it was Mommy's Day, which means that Mommy got to do whatever she wanted. We picked up some plants I've been looking for, had some lunch, relaxed and just spent time together as a family. I also did some crafting. I got some stainless steel measuring cups that I have been eyeing and then J got me the motherload (no pun intended) of crafter's delight.<br />
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He got me my very own Silhouette Cameo. (Insert "Oooohs" and "Ahhhs" here.) Ok, I know most of you probably don't even know what that is, but it is similar to a Cricut cutting machine, but does a little bit more (it not only cuts paper/cardstock, but fabric, heat transfer paper, vinyl and apparently rhinestone paper...which I wasn't even aware existed until earlier this week). It also has an advantage over the Cricut in that I don't have to buy cartridges for things to cut. I can either design something on my own, download files online or purchase things in the Silhouette store.<br />
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So far, I've only cut one page. I put several things on the same page just to see how it worked and LOVE it. The lines are crisp, the curves are smooth and it was great! I've been playing with the design program quite a bit and just really love it.<br />
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J's been out of town this weekend, he's on his way home currently from the Twin Cities. He participated in a card tournament and won first place. Gratz, dood! The boys and I had a great weekend together, we hung out at home yesterday morning, they watched TV and played while I did the dishes, some laundry and worked on the basement. We then headed to Kohl's where we got some super cool lawn chairs for the boys at a great price ($10 each instead of $20 each) and some new sandals for mommy (I even threw away two pairs in exchange for this one!). We then took our pop cans back and grabbed some groceries. While Spenny was laying in bed with me yesterday morning, he again asked me for a pet. [This has been an ongoing thing lately, he wants a pet. "Mom, can I have a pet for me?" What kind of pet? "You know, like a dog." We have a dog, her name is Lola. "Mooo-oom, I want a REAL dog, you know, a BIG one!" Sorry, Lollers, apparently you're not big enough for an almost 5 year old looking for a pet.] I suggested a fish. He was SO excited and asked if he could name him Rock. Sure thing, buddy.<br />
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We picked up a tank, some supplies and a couple fish (Popcans paid for most of it even!) and they are now swimming happily in their new home on our kitchen counter. Emerson also got a fish. His name is Doug. Pictures to follow later.<br />
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We spent the evening in Huxley, we had a picnic and spent over an hour playing at the park with our friends Julia and Murddoch. Fun times were had by all.<br />
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Today I got up, made muffins, did more dishes (I miss our dishwasher!) and did some more cleaning (I'm going through things, getting rid of clutter) and more laundry. The boys picked up the living room as part of their chores and Spenny volunteered to vacuum. He did a decent job for his first time, and I think he was proud knowing that he did something new and that he was helping. I'm sure he'll be hitting me up for money for his piggy bank soon enough.<br />
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Have a wonderful week!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9170370201429391031.post-6116150919887743022012-05-04T20:58:00.002-07:002012-05-04T20:58:45.094-07:00Storm SeasonI love your typical Iowa thunderstorm just as much as the next person. I love how it cools everything down, the thunder and lightning is relaxing, everything smells so fresh. It's great for sleeping, and gives everything a clean slate. However, when the storm turns into more than just your average storm, I start to get nervous and usually want to bunker down in the basement.<div>
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Last night my hometown was hit by a tornado. Thankfully, everyone is safe. Some people lost their homes, some farm buildings and although they haven't really said on the news, I'm sure there was some livestock/poultry that was lost.</div>
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My mom and youngest sister still live there, but they were safe and had no damage. They went to the basement, which is a scary little place, so I know it had to have been bad. We weren't able to get in touch with them right away, something about no power and dead cell phones, but my grandma, uncle and cousin drove over to make sure they were ok, and let them call me.</div>
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I've been looking at pictures on the different news sites like <a href="http://thegazette.com/2012/05/04/aftermath-of-the-wayland-tornado/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Wayland-Police-Chief-I-Saw-a-Tornado-150120305.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.kciiradio.com/2012/05/national-weather-service-to-assess-storm-damage/" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kgan_vid_11029.shtml#.T6Sg7_FPnvA.facebook" target="_blank">here</a> (and of course, facebook) and it warms my heart to see the community come together to clean up. The school gave the high school kids the day off for volunteer work. People were helping load turkeys after a shed was destroyed, they made lunches for the volunteers, offered prayer, gave donations and overall, I'm just impressed. </div>
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I can't imagine having my home/farm/livelihood being literally ripped from me, and my thoughts are with those that suffered the damages. </div>
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Let this be a reminder to us all to get our emergency kits ready (Flashlights, batteries, water, first aid kits, etc) because you just never know when you may need it.</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13002220684041414896noreply@blogger.com0