Saving Money #3
So a few months ago I become frustrated that we kept going over on what we'd allotted for our grocery budget. We have a little bit of squiggle room in the budget, so it wasn't like an emergency- but it was still something I felt I needed to tweak. So that's when I started doing the couponing, and I started also just brainstorming.
How do YOU save money at the grocery store? I wanna know!
I would love more ideas. Everything I came up with requires more time which may be difficult for the full time worker, but I'm trying to swing it. Here is what I have tried so far....
1. I no longer buy baby carrots. I buy a cheap 2 lb bag of carrots for like 78 cents and peel them and slice them up myself. Easy, right? It's also cheaper and I think they taste better.
2. We started shredding our own cheese (Oh, that's what the cheese grater is for....) and buying block cheese unless there is a good sale on shredded. I am also thinking of not buying string cheese any more since the price per ounce is a lot higher. Though yesterday I got a pack for half off with a coupon ( I love coupons! ) but without a coupon it's more expensive than a block cheese. I just use the cheese slicer and slice a bunch of slices for sandwiches or Mateo's snacks.
3. I love the bulk section at WinCo. I buy a lot of things in there like rice, beans, nuts, spices, etc. I have found it to be cheaper than buying a bag of the item. Especially spices!! I buy the tiny plastic spice containers and some of the spice and voila!
I'm not going to make everything from scratch, but a few extra prep tasks can make a difference.
On a side note.... despite the tantrums, short naps, and picky eating, and just pure ankle biting tendencies, ..... Mateo is a lot of fun. I'm so lucky to get to be with him every day. I say that today, b/c it has been a pretty decent day. Tomorrow I may say, "Get me out of here!!!!!!" He's starting to "pretend" play more and it's been pretty cute to just see how he's interacting differently with kids at play group and at the gym kid watch. He was feeding the stuffed bear "milk" from this little tiny bottle, giving it kisses, and moving his hand and saying "hi".
We built a cardboard fort out of a gigantic box downstairs. Actually, Grandpa made it for him :) It even has a skylight and a window. It's pretty fun.
That said, it is often challenging to occupy a one year old with Mateo's temperament. He's not a naturally independent child. We try to train him to be a little more independent and play by himself a little more, but he just seems to want a lot of snuggles and interaction. That's why I love love love that I have a gym membership this year. The ladies there LOVE him and he really seems to love them back. Especially if they have a ball. Mateo loves balls. SO I get an hour sans baby to exercise, and Mateo gets attention by somebody new and gets to play with new toys. Lifesaver. And did I mention that the gym has cable? :-)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Coupons
Saving Money #2
The last couple of months I have been learning and doing the "extreme couponing" thing. My favorite site thus far to help is.... http://thekrazycouponlady.com/ They are, of course, on facebook too! I also like http://dealseekingmom.com/.
Basically, it's combining different types of coupons on sale items to get them for cheap (and sometimes FREE!) Looking at our budget for the month of September compared to October, I wanted to see how much of a difference in spending there was in the categories of toiletries and groceries. I did a LOT of shopping in October. Turns out.... we spent just $15 less in October than in September. Doesn't' seem like much of a difference, but by spending a little less, I was also able to stock up on all those things in the picture below
So as you can see.... I have a year plus supply of whole wheat spaghetti and pasta, body wash for Aaron, dish soap, and dental floss (in the red box). I'm hoping that as I learn new tricks and get better that we will eventually be spending even less. But I'm happy with it so far.
I will admit I was very skeptical at first b/c there is the reputation of extreme couponing on food to be only on the unhealthy processed stuff. And much of it is. You just have to be strategic to find coupons and sales on the things your family uses and eats. I decided to focus more on toiletries to start with since I found food to be a bit harder.
I was also skeptical b/c I've been a WinCo shopper ever since I started doing my own grocery shopping. You'd never find me doing my grocery shopping at Safeway. It's expensive!! WinCo has the lowest prices. UNLESS....and here's what I'm learning. WinCo has the lowest prices....unless....you can find something on sale at another store and also use a coupon on it.
SO yes, this is more work. You actually have to pay attention to the ads and clip some coupons. I don't know that I would have the time and energy to do as much as I have if I was teaching full time. But regardless of whether you work 2 jobs, 1 job, part time, or are home full time.....I think most everybody is looking to save a little money. And coupons can help.
One of my favorite deals this last month was the Nivea body wash that I got for Aaron. He loves body wash, but it is expensive. There was a $3.00 off of one coupon and they were on sale for $2.50. This means...that the product is FREE!! Now since I only had one paper, you can actually go and get extra coupons from newspapers on eBay. Since you can't legally buy coupons, you are technically paying couponing services. Crazy, huh? So that's how I have about 40 boxes of pasta that I paid 13 cents each. And why I got 20 packs of dental floss for free.
Another nice thing about having your "stockpile" of items you've gotten for free or inexpensive....is that you have some extra to give away when you know of people who need it. And it's not a huge financial burden b/c things in your stockpile were bought at the lowest prices you know of. So being generous is fun :)
The last couple of months I have been learning and doing the "extreme couponing" thing. My favorite site thus far to help is.... http://thekrazycouponlady.com/ They are, of course, on facebook too! I also like http://dealseekingmom.com/.
Basically, it's combining different types of coupons on sale items to get them for cheap (and sometimes FREE!) Looking at our budget for the month of September compared to October, I wanted to see how much of a difference in spending there was in the categories of toiletries and groceries. I did a LOT of shopping in October. Turns out.... we spent just $15 less in October than in September. Doesn't' seem like much of a difference, but by spending a little less, I was also able to stock up on all those things in the picture below
So as you can see.... I have a year plus supply of whole wheat spaghetti and pasta, body wash for Aaron, dish soap, and dental floss (in the red box). I'm hoping that as I learn new tricks and get better that we will eventually be spending even less. But I'm happy with it so far.
I will admit I was very skeptical at first b/c there is the reputation of extreme couponing on food to be only on the unhealthy processed stuff. And much of it is. You just have to be strategic to find coupons and sales on the things your family uses and eats. I decided to focus more on toiletries to start with since I found food to be a bit harder.
I was also skeptical b/c I've been a WinCo shopper ever since I started doing my own grocery shopping. You'd never find me doing my grocery shopping at Safeway. It's expensive!! WinCo has the lowest prices. UNLESS....and here's what I'm learning. WinCo has the lowest prices....unless....you can find something on sale at another store and also use a coupon on it.
SO yes, this is more work. You actually have to pay attention to the ads and clip some coupons. I don't know that I would have the time and energy to do as much as I have if I was teaching full time. But regardless of whether you work 2 jobs, 1 job, part time, or are home full time.....I think most everybody is looking to save a little money. And coupons can help.
One of my favorite deals this last month was the Nivea body wash that I got for Aaron. He loves body wash, but it is expensive. There was a $3.00 off of one coupon and they were on sale for $2.50. This means...that the product is FREE!! Now since I only had one paper, you can actually go and get extra coupons from newspapers on eBay. Since you can't legally buy coupons, you are technically paying couponing services. Crazy, huh? So that's how I have about 40 boxes of pasta that I paid 13 cents each. And why I got 20 packs of dental floss for free.
Another nice thing about having your "stockpile" of items you've gotten for free or inexpensive....is that you have some extra to give away when you know of people who need it. And it's not a huge financial burden b/c things in your stockpile were bought at the lowest prices you know of. So being generous is fun :)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Budget Smarts
I am back to e-blogger! The thing I liked about Xanga is no longer available- so here I am.
Saving Money #1
I've decided to write about budgets and saving money for a while. I find the topic very important. It's very near to my heart. I'm not sure quite yet WHY it is, but it is. I see so many people hurting financially. I hurt with them. I see so many moms that want to stay home but can't. My heart breaks with them. Of course there are plenty of moms that DON'T want to and I can see why. Believe me. I can see why someone wouldn't want to do that, hehe. But for some reason, I do. And many other women do, too. Yes, there are moms who are the sole provider or are single, etc. But there is a small part of me that thinks that more moms (that want to) could stay home if they made some changes in how they used their money.
For me it isn't that hard b/c I've always been a saver. When my sister and I were kids, we would get Christmas money from Grandma. I would save mine. She would spend hers. I don't know why, but part of me is naturally frugal and a saver. I'm being honest when I think that's just how God designed me.
When Aaron and I got married, we set up a computerized budget not long after. It was good and really interesting to see where we were spending our money. You can categorize your budget however you want and there are a lot of options. Some of our categories are groceries, gas,savings, eating out, utilities, toiletries, rent (then mortgage), etc. Some new categories we've added recently are a BABYSITTING fund b/c it really is nice to get out of the house just the two of us a couple times a month and since we don't have family in town, we have to pay a sitter. We also added a hospitality fund for hosting things or bringing food to events so it didn't seem like a burden and was more of a privilege. I got that idea at a women's conference recently.
Regardless of what categories one chooses, the important thing is to know how you're spending your money. Look at your income, then allocate money to bills and different areas accordingly. If you do this, you aren't spending money you don't have. It can keep you from falling into the trap of our country and going into DEBT!! I hate that word. Debt really is restrictive. If you want to be a SAHM (Stay at home mom) or just want to stop being mastered by your finances, get out of debt ASAP! Start a budget!
Take into consideration that I am ultra conservative with money at times. Not always, but in some sense, yes. Which is good b/c Aaron works hard to bring home a paycheck every month and I work hard to spend it wisely! And when I was working and we lived in our apartment, we tried to live off of just one income in preparation for having a baby and save as much as possible. God has really blessed us us.
That said, If I had a debt to pay off (college, car, credit card, etc.), I think I'd rather go without certain things (like cable, smart phones, nice clothes, new danskos, a trip to Japan, etc.) and put that money towards the debt. I know, I'm WEIRD!! A very low percentage of people would actually do this. But what if....... people really did this??
What if we lived within our means?!?! Imagine what could happen. Interesting concept. More to come. This is one of my favorite verses in regards to how God would have us use our money:
"Honor the Lord with your wealth. With the first fruits of all your crops; then your bars will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10
What does honoring the Lord with your money mean? Could be different for each person. Not something I can tell you. But I think I know what it looks like for us right now and we continue to pray to be wise stewards of our resources and money.
Saving Money #1
I've decided to write about budgets and saving money for a while. I find the topic very important. It's very near to my heart. I'm not sure quite yet WHY it is, but it is. I see so many people hurting financially. I hurt with them. I see so many moms that want to stay home but can't. My heart breaks with them. Of course there are plenty of moms that DON'T want to and I can see why. Believe me. I can see why someone wouldn't want to do that, hehe. But for some reason, I do. And many other women do, too. Yes, there are moms who are the sole provider or are single, etc. But there is a small part of me that thinks that more moms (that want to) could stay home if they made some changes in how they used their money.
For me it isn't that hard b/c I've always been a saver. When my sister and I were kids, we would get Christmas money from Grandma. I would save mine. She would spend hers. I don't know why, but part of me is naturally frugal and a saver. I'm being honest when I think that's just how God designed me.
When Aaron and I got married, we set up a computerized budget not long after. It was good and really interesting to see where we were spending our money. You can categorize your budget however you want and there are a lot of options. Some of our categories are groceries, gas,savings, eating out, utilities, toiletries, rent (then mortgage), etc. Some new categories we've added recently are a BABYSITTING fund b/c it really is nice to get out of the house just the two of us a couple times a month and since we don't have family in town, we have to pay a sitter. We also added a hospitality fund for hosting things or bringing food to events so it didn't seem like a burden and was more of a privilege. I got that idea at a women's conference recently.
Regardless of what categories one chooses, the important thing is to know how you're spending your money. Look at your income, then allocate money to bills and different areas accordingly. If you do this, you aren't spending money you don't have. It can keep you from falling into the trap of our country and going into DEBT!! I hate that word. Debt really is restrictive. If you want to be a SAHM (Stay at home mom) or just want to stop being mastered by your finances, get out of debt ASAP! Start a budget!
Take into consideration that I am ultra conservative with money at times. Not always, but in some sense, yes. Which is good b/c Aaron works hard to bring home a paycheck every month and I work hard to spend it wisely! And when I was working and we lived in our apartment, we tried to live off of just one income in preparation for having a baby and save as much as possible. God has really blessed us us.
That said, If I had a debt to pay off (college, car, credit card, etc.), I think I'd rather go without certain things (like cable, smart phones, nice clothes, new danskos, a trip to Japan, etc.) and put that money towards the debt. I know, I'm WEIRD!! A very low percentage of people would actually do this. But what if....... people really did this??
What if we lived within our means?!?! Imagine what could happen. Interesting concept. More to come. This is one of my favorite verses in regards to how God would have us use our money:
"Honor the Lord with your wealth. With the first fruits of all your crops; then your bars will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10
What does honoring the Lord with your money mean? Could be different for each person. Not something I can tell you. But I think I know what it looks like for us right now and we continue to pray to be wise stewards of our resources and money.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
xanga
I decided to switch back to Xanga! I miss it and think that it has better features than e-blogger.
If you wanna keep reading- come see me there: http://gabalonias.xanga.com/weblogpreview
Adios!
If you wanna keep reading- come see me there: http://gabalonias.xanga.com/weblogpreview
Adios!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Happy Birthday Mateo
It's Mateo's birthday and Grandma and Grandpa are coming up and we're meeting Dad for lunch. If I'm feeling ambitious later then I might take him to the carousel. We'll see!!
Tomorrow Mateo goes in for his 12 month well baby check but a few days ago he was 20 pounds 5 ounces and I'm feeling every pound. I feel eager for him to start walking so that I don't have to carry him as much- but I know that I'm supposed to enjoy every stage. He did start crawling a few weeks ago finally- so that's good.
I guess I didn't crawl 'til I was almost a year old, too, so maybe we are just late crawlers in my family. My niece (full term) didn't walk 'til she was 14 months. It will all come soon enough! I need to baby proof the kitchen. His record number of steps by himself is 8- although it was more like running, lol. The living room, hallway, and his and our bedroom are fine for him (unless he crawls under something and gets stuck) The office is off limits unless we are right by him b/c that is like our junk room and there are lots of things to get into. I vaccum and sweep quite a bit- but I'm starting to be OK with him eating a piece of dirt, crumb, or even a bug here and there (he tried to do that this morning- but fortunately I snatched it quickly.)
I suppose my next blog post will be reflections on the first year of motherhood. But the biggest thing I think I've learned is that we are not in control of everything like we sometimes want to be or think we are. God is sovereign and mighty and he is not just passively letting things happen. He is working in the hearts of his followers. It's not always fun- but he never promised things would be fun. He did promise that He'd never leave us and that I've found to be true.
Things aren't always fair on earth. For example:
You can be a smoking mom who doesn't get prenatal care and have a healthy baby or you can be a healthy mom who takes all the precautions and have a preemie (sounds familiar ;)
You can eat healthier and exercise more than any of your buddies and still struggle with your weight b/c that's just your build (thinking of the hubs- but he's lost almost 50 lbs. since we got married and I'm really proud of him!)
You can floss and brush and not drink soda and still have a mouthful of cavities....or you can never take care of your teeth or go to the dentist and be fine.
You can have a great sleep schedule, awesome routines, and a peaceful environment and still get a cranky baby.....or you can live in complete chaos and have the happiest kid on the block.
What I'm striving to do is to stop asking "WHY?" all the time and just count my blessings. It's often not in our realm of powers. It's not always our fault. Luke 13:1-5 or so was illustrating this to me last week.
Of course many things that happen to us are consequences of our actions. Say your house goes into foreclosure. Could be that you made poor financial decisions and used your money unwisely. Could also be that you lost your job with no fault of your own.
I will always wonder why Mateo was born so early. I try not to wonder too much or too often, but there will always be a part of me that wants to know. I get asked that question a LOT and I really don't know what to say b/c I really have NO explanation for the event. We are praying for (potential) kiddo two even before I'm pregnant. Praying hard. I'm also studying up on VBACS (vaginal birth after c-section) to possibly avoid another C-section if it's not necessary. Lots to learn.
But now it's time to go love on my little baby who's really not that little anymore and who will be a toddler before I know it. Being a stay at home mom has been harder for me than I ever thought it would be...but I'm really thankful, too.
Today is all about being thankful to God. He's brought Mateo so far. I hate looking at the NICU pictures. It breaks my heart all over again. But I know that Aaron and I will probably look at them later anyways...and praise God.
Happy Birthday, Mateo! There were times when I didn't think I'd live long enough to see this day, lol. :p
Tomorrow Mateo goes in for his 12 month well baby check but a few days ago he was 20 pounds 5 ounces and I'm feeling every pound. I feel eager for him to start walking so that I don't have to carry him as much- but I know that I'm supposed to enjoy every stage. He did start crawling a few weeks ago finally- so that's good.
I guess I didn't crawl 'til I was almost a year old, too, so maybe we are just late crawlers in my family. My niece (full term) didn't walk 'til she was 14 months. It will all come soon enough! I need to baby proof the kitchen. His record number of steps by himself is 8- although it was more like running, lol. The living room, hallway, and his and our bedroom are fine for him (unless he crawls under something and gets stuck) The office is off limits unless we are right by him b/c that is like our junk room and there are lots of things to get into. I vaccum and sweep quite a bit- but I'm starting to be OK with him eating a piece of dirt, crumb, or even a bug here and there (he tried to do that this morning- but fortunately I snatched it quickly.)
I suppose my next blog post will be reflections on the first year of motherhood. But the biggest thing I think I've learned is that we are not in control of everything like we sometimes want to be or think we are. God is sovereign and mighty and he is not just passively letting things happen. He is working in the hearts of his followers. It's not always fun- but he never promised things would be fun. He did promise that He'd never leave us and that I've found to be true.
Things aren't always fair on earth. For example:
You can be a smoking mom who doesn't get prenatal care and have a healthy baby or you can be a healthy mom who takes all the precautions and have a preemie (sounds familiar ;)
You can eat healthier and exercise more than any of your buddies and still struggle with your weight b/c that's just your build (thinking of the hubs- but he's lost almost 50 lbs. since we got married and I'm really proud of him!)
You can floss and brush and not drink soda and still have a mouthful of cavities....or you can never take care of your teeth or go to the dentist and be fine.
You can have a great sleep schedule, awesome routines, and a peaceful environment and still get a cranky baby.....or you can live in complete chaos and have the happiest kid on the block.
What I'm striving to do is to stop asking "WHY?" all the time and just count my blessings. It's often not in our realm of powers. It's not always our fault. Luke 13:1-5 or so was illustrating this to me last week.
Luke 13 Repent or Perish
1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."Of course many things that happen to us are consequences of our actions. Say your house goes into foreclosure. Could be that you made poor financial decisions and used your money unwisely. Could also be that you lost your job with no fault of your own.
I will always wonder why Mateo was born so early. I try not to wonder too much or too often, but there will always be a part of me that wants to know. I get asked that question a LOT and I really don't know what to say b/c I really have NO explanation for the event. We are praying for (potential) kiddo two even before I'm pregnant. Praying hard. I'm also studying up on VBACS (vaginal birth after c-section) to possibly avoid another C-section if it's not necessary. Lots to learn.
But now it's time to go love on my little baby who's really not that little anymore and who will be a toddler before I know it. Being a stay at home mom has been harder for me than I ever thought it would be...but I'm really thankful, too.
Today is all about being thankful to God. He's brought Mateo so far. I hate looking at the NICU pictures. It breaks my heart all over again. But I know that Aaron and I will probably look at them later anyways...and praise God.
Happy Birthday, Mateo! There were times when I didn't think I'd live long enough to see this day, lol. :p
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
anniversary
I gotta make this QUICK. Mateo is waking up from a (SHORT!) nap so I need to go get him up in a minute. Short naps make for loooong afternoons. I understand why some moms don't want to be stay-at-home moms. But at the same time I can't imagine being away from him for 10 hours a day! His day is only 12 hours long- so that wouldn't make for much time together. We may need to get out of the house. Only thing...
Mateito has pink eye :( It's really the first time that he's been sick. I had a cold and he got a runny nose but it wasn't a big deal 'til the eyes gooped up. Poor guy but it doesn't seem to bother him too much and the eye drops are taking effect. So I will probably just take him for a walk. It's warm out! For me, 75 is the perfect temp. Much hotter than that and I start to melt.
Today is Aaron and my 3rd anniversary!! And guess who came home on his lunch break to deliver the LARGEST bouquet of purple wild flowers I have ever seen! Yup! He's such a sweetie. And I found a really long letter awaiting me on the breakfast table this morning.
It's been quite a trying year for us- but we agree that we're still the corniest couple on the block and I honestly do love Aaron more every day if that is even possible. Praise God. With him in the center everything is possible. I love, love, love having a hubby who I can pray with, read the bible with, go to church with, and grow in Christ with. It is great.
Along that note- a friend from church is gonna come over later after we put the little one to sleep and we're gonna go out on a hot date, lol. Well we are just gonna go out to dinner and walk around downtown- but it's not something we get to do by ourselves hardly ever- so we're looking forward to it.
Oh and Mateo turns ONE tomorrow! I am remembering the scariest day of my life!! Hopefully it will remain the scariest. Most people say having their babies was the "happiest day of their life" or something like that- but I'm realizing that my experience is much different than most. Oh well. That's life.
Will talk more about Mateo tomorrow...he is calling for da da right now but will have to settle for ma ma.
Ciao
Mateito has pink eye :( It's really the first time that he's been sick. I had a cold and he got a runny nose but it wasn't a big deal 'til the eyes gooped up. Poor guy but it doesn't seem to bother him too much and the eye drops are taking effect. So I will probably just take him for a walk. It's warm out! For me, 75 is the perfect temp. Much hotter than that and I start to melt.
Today is Aaron and my 3rd anniversary!! And guess who came home on his lunch break to deliver the LARGEST bouquet of purple wild flowers I have ever seen! Yup! He's such a sweetie. And I found a really long letter awaiting me on the breakfast table this morning.
It's been quite a trying year for us- but we agree that we're still the corniest couple on the block and I honestly do love Aaron more every day if that is even possible. Praise God. With him in the center everything is possible. I love, love, love having a hubby who I can pray with, read the bible with, go to church with, and grow in Christ with. It is great.
Along that note- a friend from church is gonna come over later after we put the little one to sleep and we're gonna go out on a hot date, lol. Well we are just gonna go out to dinner and walk around downtown- but it's not something we get to do by ourselves hardly ever- so we're looking forward to it.
Oh and Mateo turns ONE tomorrow! I am remembering the scariest day of my life!! Hopefully it will remain the scariest. Most people say having their babies was the "happiest day of their life" or something like that- but I'm realizing that my experience is much different than most. Oh well. That's life.
Will talk more about Mateo tomorrow...he is calling for da da right now but will have to settle for ma ma.
Ciao
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
iPod
So yes, it's been two months since I've blogged. My only excuse is that Aaron got me an iPod touch and now I really don't use the computer as much-just to update our budget, do banking, upload pics, etc. And I'm not about to type a blog post on the little iPod touch. I'm not that advanced yet. Maybe someday.
Anyways- It's June and there is anticipation everywhere for the end of the school year. I have no anticipation or stress about it this year seeing as how I'm not teaching and how once school is out things will be no different for my family. Come next school year there will be some changes, though, and I will probably choose to sub a few 1/2 days a week. Although I kind of want to work 1/2 time, I don't think I'm supposed to.
I was unofficially told about a 1/2 time kinder position in a bilingual dual language school. Yes, working in a dual language school is my dream job. But not now. And not in kinder. It just doesn't seem like the right time. I strongly feel that God wants me to focus on my family right now. He knows what I am like when I'm teaching. It partially consumes me. Although I love the kids, I'm sensing that I should be with my own kids right now. God has blessed us financially (not necessarily with lots of money- but with wisdom in financial decisions, budget smarts, etc.) and we've made it 9 months off of one income. Praise God. And we really do have all we need. There is that difference between want and need that must be differentiated.
Subbing would appear to be a good alternate source of income. It is a good hourly wage, requires no "outside" work, can be flexible, and still would allow me to use my degree and "talents" per say. On the flip side, you won't know from day to day or week to week where you will be working. That could possibly be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage.
Now the big hurdle....finding someone we trust who could watch Mateo a few 1/2 days a week...and would be flexible with scheduling. Commercial day care is out. Looking in to babysitters or home day care. I'm very picky, though, as it is my baby who I'd be leaving.
But my "baby" will be 14 months by then!! My goodness.
What else is new....
I'm co-leading a Beth Moore Bible study that I LOVE!!! It's on the book of Daniel in the Old Testament and I never could've imagined gleaning so much from God through this one book! I look forward to going every week and it is some good re-charging time away from home and with other believers.
It's my month to teach the kiddos at church- so lots of planning of lessons- trying to sneak some planning in during naps so I don't have to use up hubby time at night. We'll see how that pans out!
Mateo's bday party is approaching! Making some decor for that and planning out a healthy bday cake for him (and a non-healthy one for everybody else, lol.) Can't believe we survived a year! Looking forward to going from surviving to thriving as a parent and mama.
Aaron and my anniversary is this month! Someone also volunteered to come over so that we could go out to dinner!! Yipee! And last week we got to go see a movie. Babysitters (especially free ones) are the best!
Well I am hosting a baby play group in a little bit- gonna go make sure the living room is baby proofed :)
Will try to write more this month.
Anyways- It's June and there is anticipation everywhere for the end of the school year. I have no anticipation or stress about it this year seeing as how I'm not teaching and how once school is out things will be no different for my family. Come next school year there will be some changes, though, and I will probably choose to sub a few 1/2 days a week. Although I kind of want to work 1/2 time, I don't think I'm supposed to.
I was unofficially told about a 1/2 time kinder position in a bilingual dual language school. Yes, working in a dual language school is my dream job. But not now. And not in kinder. It just doesn't seem like the right time. I strongly feel that God wants me to focus on my family right now. He knows what I am like when I'm teaching. It partially consumes me. Although I love the kids, I'm sensing that I should be with my own kids right now. God has blessed us financially (not necessarily with lots of money- but with wisdom in financial decisions, budget smarts, etc.) and we've made it 9 months off of one income. Praise God. And we really do have all we need. There is that difference between want and need that must be differentiated.
Subbing would appear to be a good alternate source of income. It is a good hourly wage, requires no "outside" work, can be flexible, and still would allow me to use my degree and "talents" per say. On the flip side, you won't know from day to day or week to week where you will be working. That could possibly be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage.
Now the big hurdle....finding someone we trust who could watch Mateo a few 1/2 days a week...and would be flexible with scheduling. Commercial day care is out. Looking in to babysitters or home day care. I'm very picky, though, as it is my baby who I'd be leaving.
But my "baby" will be 14 months by then!! My goodness.
What else is new....
I'm co-leading a Beth Moore Bible study that I LOVE!!! It's on the book of Daniel in the Old Testament and I never could've imagined gleaning so much from God through this one book! I look forward to going every week and it is some good re-charging time away from home and with other believers.
It's my month to teach the kiddos at church- so lots of planning of lessons- trying to sneak some planning in during naps so I don't have to use up hubby time at night. We'll see how that pans out!
Mateo's bday party is approaching! Making some decor for that and planning out a healthy bday cake for him (and a non-healthy one for everybody else, lol.) Can't believe we survived a year! Looking forward to going from surviving to thriving as a parent and mama.
Aaron and my anniversary is this month! Someone also volunteered to come over so that we could go out to dinner!! Yipee! And last week we got to go see a movie. Babysitters (especially free ones) are the best!
Well I am hosting a baby play group in a little bit- gonna go make sure the living room is baby proofed :)
Will try to write more this month.
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