I think May is my favorite month. May brings flowers (once the April showers let us go). May brings warmer weather and more sunshine. In May of 2006 I married my amazing husband. I still get butterflies when his hand reaches over to grab mine from the driver’s seat. I still blush when he compliments me. I feel like a schoolgirl when I get ready to go out on a date with him. Even though those dates look much different than the dates we went on 6 years ago! In May of 2010, I celebrated Mother’s Day by delivering my sweet Lennon-boy. Though labor started 50 hours earlier, Lennon held out to give me the greatest Mother’s Day gift I could have ever imagined. He is truly the light of our lives. One of those sweet little grins paired with his vibrant blue eyes melts me every time. Forget the alarm clock I much prefer waking to “mum-mum-mum-mum” coming from the next room.
Last night, Josh and I sat in the living room floor after Lennon had gone to bed and we were cutting and hot-gluing on cardstock. It took me back to May of 2006. I have often joked that Josh helped me glue 1000s of flowers onto the cardstock programs for our wedding “back when he used to like me.” I guess he still likes me.
Yep, May is my favorite month. So many happy things to celebrate. This weekend may not be my first Mother’s Day, but it will be the first Mother’s Day I will celebrate as a mother that did not involve giving birth. For that I am thankful!
Subscribe To Letters to Lennon
Posts
All Comments
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
COUPONS!
If necessity is the mother of invention, then raising a family on one (not very large) income is the mother of couponing. Over the past 18 months, I spent 4 months on bedrest awaiting Lennon's arrival, then 3 more months on maternity leave. Upon our move to Northern Kentucky, Josh was unemployed for 7 months. This took a toll on our savings account and we learned how to be frugal. Very frugal. We have cut back in many ways. I frequent consigment stores, thrift stores, and yard sales. My sewing machine has been put to good use. We have become cloth diaper fanatics. But, I was very reluctant to dive into couponing because I was under the impression that you could only use coupons to buy junk food. I was wrong!
Today I got soy milk, bagged salads, fresh artichokes, grapes, frozen green beans and broccoli...all using coupons. I won't be on Extreme Couponing any time soon. I didn't "buy" 150 candy bars or 80 boxes of cereal. I only bought what my family would eat in a reasonable amount of time. Where in the heck would I put 80 boxes of cereal? I didn't get $200 worth of groceries for $3, but I did save over 70% on my grocery bill.
How? I'm so glad you asked...
First, research. There are several websites (savingslifestyle.com is my personal favorite) that show you how to use your coupons and your local sale bills to get the most out of your money.
Second, organize. Take that wad of coupons in your purse and get a binder. I use a small zippered binder that is for holding business cards. I have seen others with 3 ring binders filled with trading card pockets. Just make sure that your coupons are easy to find.
Third, be ethical. Don't try to cheat the system. Why do you need 150 candy bars? Even donating them to charity doesn't fly with me. I mean, what sort of nutritional value do Butterfinger bars carry? As a wise cricket once said, "let your conscience be your guide."
Finally, reasearch some more. Talk to your cashier. Today I learned that Meijer doesn't publicize it but cashiers have the ability to price match competitors' sale ads. Also, my local Meijer will accept competitors' coupons. Ask for a copy of your store's coupon policy and then follow the rules.
Even if you don't have a Meijer or Kroger in your area, ask if your local grocer will match competitors' sales. You never know until you ask.
Some of the highlights from my shopping trip today include FREE Dole bagged salads, FREE gallon of milk, FREE Dannon yogurt, FREE Green Giant steamables frozen veggies, Silk soy milk for $0.50 per 1/2 gallon, 5 boxes of cereal for $4.75, and Perdue naturals all white meat chicken nuggets with whole wheat breading for $0.75.
Here is my full list:
Chicken nuggets (24 count)
Almond Milk (1 gallon)
Bananas (2lbs)
Bertoli Pasta Sauce
Frozen Juice Concentrate (4 cans)
1% Milk (1 gallon)
Dannon Yogurt (4-6oz cups)
Artichokes (2)
Seedless grapes (2lbs)
Penne Pasta
Frozen Broccoli
Frozen Green Beans
Frozen Broccoli Rice and Cheese
Dole Bagged Salad
Diced Tomatoes
Shredded Italian Cheese
Peanut butter (2 small jars)
Cereal (5 boxes)
Cough Drops
Hormel Compleat Meals (3 Chicken and pasta w/ veggies)
And a 20oz Coke that my dear husband needed
TOTAL (before coupons) $72.33 (after coupons and store discounts) $21.17 71% SAVINGS!
Today I got soy milk, bagged salads, fresh artichokes, grapes, frozen green beans and broccoli...all using coupons. I won't be on Extreme Couponing any time soon. I didn't "buy" 150 candy bars or 80 boxes of cereal. I only bought what my family would eat in a reasonable amount of time. Where in the heck would I put 80 boxes of cereal? I didn't get $200 worth of groceries for $3, but I did save over 70% on my grocery bill.
How? I'm so glad you asked...
First, research. There are several websites (savingslifestyle.com is my personal favorite) that show you how to use your coupons and your local sale bills to get the most out of your money.
Second, organize. Take that wad of coupons in your purse and get a binder. I use a small zippered binder that is for holding business cards. I have seen others with 3 ring binders filled with trading card pockets. Just make sure that your coupons are easy to find.
Third, be ethical. Don't try to cheat the system. Why do you need 150 candy bars? Even donating them to charity doesn't fly with me. I mean, what sort of nutritional value do Butterfinger bars carry? As a wise cricket once said, "let your conscience be your guide."
Finally, reasearch some more. Talk to your cashier. Today I learned that Meijer doesn't publicize it but cashiers have the ability to price match competitors' sale ads. Also, my local Meijer will accept competitors' coupons. Ask for a copy of your store's coupon policy and then follow the rules.
Even if you don't have a Meijer or Kroger in your area, ask if your local grocer will match competitors' sales. You never know until you ask.
Some of the highlights from my shopping trip today include FREE Dole bagged salads, FREE gallon of milk, FREE Dannon yogurt, FREE Green Giant steamables frozen veggies, Silk soy milk for $0.50 per 1/2 gallon, 5 boxes of cereal for $4.75, and Perdue naturals all white meat chicken nuggets with whole wheat breading for $0.75.
Here is my full list:
Chicken nuggets (24 count)
Almond Milk (1 gallon)
Bananas (2lbs)
Bertoli Pasta Sauce
Frozen Juice Concentrate (4 cans)
1% Milk (1 gallon)
Dannon Yogurt (4-6oz cups)
Artichokes (2)
Seedless grapes (2lbs)
Penne Pasta
Frozen Broccoli
Frozen Green Beans
Frozen Broccoli Rice and Cheese
Dole Bagged Salad
Diced Tomatoes
Shredded Italian Cheese
Peanut butter (2 small jars)
Cereal (5 boxes)
Cough Drops
Hormel Compleat Meals (3 Chicken and pasta w/ veggies)
And a 20oz Coke that my dear husband needed
TOTAL (before coupons) $72.33 (after coupons and store discounts) $21.17 71% SAVINGS!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Count your many blessings...
This week I have been reminded of a hymn we sang as a child. "Count your many blessings, count them one by one. COunt your many blessings, see what God has done..." When Lennon became sick Sunday night/Monday morning, I was feeling pretty sorry for my little guy and pretty sorry for myself. I hated that he was sick and I hated that he kept me up all night. I cried with him as I held him and rocked him trying to find something to soothe the discomfort of his ear infection. I had another pity party as I drove to Children’s Hospital to take him to his first breathing treatment and then the subsequent breathing treatments. On Monday evening I saw a FaceBook post from a friend. Not someone I even know very well, but a sweet girl I am glad to count as a friend nonetheless. She too is a young mother with a sick baby. But her sick baby isn’t getting better. This morning Lennon was wriggling out of my arms when we got to daycare so that he could go play. He felt good. When I visited them at the hospital last night, I was humbled by the way this young mother, who has to be absolutely terrified on the inside, bravely asked the questions that needed answered, learned how to vent his feeding tube, and comforted her precious baby boy. Her “gift from God.” As I watched that sweet tiny baby smile and play with his toys, I was reminded how thankful I should be. I have been blessed beyond measure. I ask that today, as you go about your plans and your routine, that you take minute to send some prayers, some good thoughts, and some well wishes up for this sweet baby and his brave little mama!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Sickly
So I was really hoping that we could make it to Lennon's first birthday without ever needing antibiotics, but we didn't. Ever since we started day care he has had the tale-tell snotty nose of day care, but it just wasn't getting better and he was running a low grade fever off and on. We tried all the safe homeopathic remedies to no avail. Finally the straw broke the camel's back on Sunday night when he woke up screaming around 3am and screamed straight on through til daylight. Nothing could soothe him. So we went to see Dr Bishoff on Monday and it turns out that the little guy not only has a double ear infection, but also bronchitis. He has had 2 nebulizer treatments and 3 doses of sickeningly sweet pink amoxocillin and he seems to be on the mend. I stayed home from work again today to give him some more snuggles and peaceful naps and then its back to the grindstone tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ch ch ch changes...
Okay, so I have been a bad blogger-put me in the corner and threaten to send me to bed with no dinner-but now I’m baaaaaack. So since we chatted last, Lennon has had his 9 month well-baby check up. He weighed in at 22 pounds and 9 ounces. He was 34 inches long. I am sure he has grown some since then, but at that time he was in the 41st percentile for weight and in the 97th percentile for height. I look at him in awe trying to remember days I swore I would never forget. He was once so tiny and new and fragile. Everyone warned me how quickly those days would pass, but I never believed it. I was not going to forget every sound he made, every baby scent, every sleepless night. But I have. Not all of them, but there are several days and even weeks that I can’t remember. He is now a mobile, tough little guy, full of personality. He LOVES to make us laugh- and he’s pretty good at it too.
For days I kept telling Josh that I could feel his teeth coming nearer to the gums. For whatever reason, Lennon won’t let Josh put his fingers in his mouth to check it out. I kept feeling around and insisting that those little sharp points had forced their way through his gums. Finally, while playing with a metal spoon, I heard the little “tink” of sharp teeth and knew they finally had. Lennon is the new owner of both his bottom front teeth now joined by his upper right tooth. Now my kiddo can really do some damage.
About a week ago, I ordered a mei tai baby carrier off ebay. I LOVE it. Lennon does too! It is great because I can carry him in the front if he is sleepy/sleeping, on my hip, or on my back. I can’t wait to use it this spring/summer for walks, short hikes, trips to the farmer’s market, the zoo, and the aquarium. One of the best baby purchases I have ever made. I also re-stocked our cloth diaper stash. Before Lennon was born and Josh and I decided we wanted to cloth diaper, I bought tons of various styles to try out. All used and at bargain prices. When we were diapering a newborn, I preferred prefold or flat diapers (think what your grandma would have used) closed with a snappi (diaper pins with out being so “pokey”) and a PUL or wool cover over them (upgraded rubber pants). There were a few fitted diapers that were so cute that we also used. When he was an older baby, we used a pocket diapering system. They were easy to use. Went on and off with Velcro and worked much like disposables. As we are nearing toddler-hood (I cannot believe my baby is nearing the toddler stage), the pockets just don’t do the job for my heavy wetter. It is nearly impossible to properly fasten a prefold or flat diaper around a squirming 10 month old, so we have found mad love for fitted diapers. My favorites are really soft microfiber velour with velcro closures. The really work just like a disposable. Then slip on a water proof cover (I am seriously thinking about dusting off the sewing machine to make some of my own) in a cute print and away we go. Simple. For less than $75, Lennon is diapered until potty training! Beats the heck out of $7-10 a week for the cheapest sposies!
Okay, now for some even bigger news than teeth, baby carriers, and diapers. Josh got a new job! This is good news. Yesterday I spent the day scouring the web for daycare reviews. Trying to find a place that had an immediate opening for a 10 month old. I found one. It is almost exactly halfway in between home and work for Josh and I. It reminds me a bit of the daycare I went to as a child. I took Lennon in and sat in the floor of his new classroom with him and a few other kiddos and played. He never would let go of me. He would play with a new friend, Ty, all the while holding onto my shirt with his left hand. He never cracked single smile the whole time we were there. I know I am being a little dramatic about this. I know I am that mom, but this is hard. I am watching him play in the living room floor and wishing I could somehow prepare him for the fact that his world is about to turn upside down. All the days he has spent at home playing with Daddy are coming to an abrupt end. He will now be sharing the attention of 3 adults with 6 other children. He will learn to nap in a crib with noise all around him and overhead lights above him. It is going to be a rough week. I think that tomorrow we will have a test drive. I will take him to daycare in the morning on my way in to work and Josh will pick him up around noon. It will only be about a three hour stay. I don’t know if the little guy is capable of comprehending this yet, but I am hoping that he will realize quickly that just because we leave him there, we will return to pick him up. The truth is, I am sure Lennon will adjust quicker and easier that Josh and I will.
For days I kept telling Josh that I could feel his teeth coming nearer to the gums. For whatever reason, Lennon won’t let Josh put his fingers in his mouth to check it out. I kept feeling around and insisting that those little sharp points had forced their way through his gums. Finally, while playing with a metal spoon, I heard the little “tink” of sharp teeth and knew they finally had. Lennon is the new owner of both his bottom front teeth now joined by his upper right tooth. Now my kiddo can really do some damage.
About a week ago, I ordered a mei tai baby carrier off ebay. I LOVE it. Lennon does too! It is great because I can carry him in the front if he is sleepy/sleeping, on my hip, or on my back. I can’t wait to use it this spring/summer for walks, short hikes, trips to the farmer’s market, the zoo, and the aquarium. One of the best baby purchases I have ever made. I also re-stocked our cloth diaper stash. Before Lennon was born and Josh and I decided we wanted to cloth diaper, I bought tons of various styles to try out. All used and at bargain prices. When we were diapering a newborn, I preferred prefold or flat diapers (think what your grandma would have used) closed with a snappi (diaper pins with out being so “pokey”) and a PUL or wool cover over them (upgraded rubber pants). There were a few fitted diapers that were so cute that we also used. When he was an older baby, we used a pocket diapering system. They were easy to use. Went on and off with Velcro and worked much like disposables. As we are nearing toddler-hood (I cannot believe my baby is nearing the toddler stage), the pockets just don’t do the job for my heavy wetter. It is nearly impossible to properly fasten a prefold or flat diaper around a squirming 10 month old, so we have found mad love for fitted diapers. My favorites are really soft microfiber velour with velcro closures. The really work just like a disposable. Then slip on a water proof cover (I am seriously thinking about dusting off the sewing machine to make some of my own) in a cute print and away we go. Simple. For less than $75, Lennon is diapered until potty training! Beats the heck out of $7-10 a week for the cheapest sposies!
Okay, now for some even bigger news than teeth, baby carriers, and diapers. Josh got a new job! This is good news. Yesterday I spent the day scouring the web for daycare reviews. Trying to find a place that had an immediate opening for a 10 month old. I found one. It is almost exactly halfway in between home and work for Josh and I. It reminds me a bit of the daycare I went to as a child. I took Lennon in and sat in the floor of his new classroom with him and a few other kiddos and played. He never would let go of me. He would play with a new friend, Ty, all the while holding onto my shirt with his left hand. He never cracked single smile the whole time we were there. I know I am being a little dramatic about this. I know I am that mom, but this is hard. I am watching him play in the living room floor and wishing I could somehow prepare him for the fact that his world is about to turn upside down. All the days he has spent at home playing with Daddy are coming to an abrupt end. He will now be sharing the attention of 3 adults with 6 other children. He will learn to nap in a crib with noise all around him and overhead lights above him. It is going to be a rough week. I think that tomorrow we will have a test drive. I will take him to daycare in the morning on my way in to work and Josh will pick him up around noon. It will only be about a three hour stay. I don’t know if the little guy is capable of comprehending this yet, but I am hoping that he will realize quickly that just because we leave him there, we will return to pick him up. The truth is, I am sure Lennon will adjust quicker and easier that Josh and I will.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Slumber Party
Part of me can’t believe I am about to do this and the other part of me can’t believe I haven’t done it already. This weekend, Lennon is going to spend the night with his grandparents without either of his parents. This is a big deal.
Last night, I kept hearing the wind howl and thinking that it was my baby crying in his crib, so I kept getting up to check on him. I finally gave up trying to sleep around 5:30 and my mind began wandering. I was thinking about the weekend and how much fun I am going to have with my girlfriends. Wine tasting and yummy dinner celebrating a great gal’s birthday. No baby crying or fussing or needing my undivided attention. It will be liberating. Then I began to tear up as I was thinking about Lennon seeing someone else when he opens his eyes on Saturday morning. Falling asleep without his goodnight story and kisses from Mommy and Daddy. It almost makes me want to cancel my plans. Almost.
Josh and I are planning to attend the Bonnaroo Music Festival this summer. It is in early June and Lennon will be 13 months old. He will be staying with Gramma and Grandaddy for 4 nights while we are camping out at the festival. This weekend is our trial run and only one night. I have a feeling that the luxury of sleeping in will not feel so luxurious and I will be up at the crack of dawn and headed to my parents to see my little guy. I am hoping to plan another trial run before ‘Roo, but we will see how this goes first. As many second thoughts as I am having about one night away, I am glad I haven’t spent $300 on our Bonnaroo tickets just yet…
In other news, Lennon has his 9 month well baby check up on Friday. I am anxious to hear how much he has grown since his 6 month appointment. At that appointment he weighed 16 lbs 9 oz and was 29 1/2 inches long. He has grown and changed so much in the last 3 months. I am expecting 22 lbs and 32 inches long. I’ll let you know. Before I had a child I had no idea how much excitement well baby check ups would bring! Don’t get me wrong, I hate the shots, but I love hearing from the doctor and nurses about how cute he is and how he is growing perfectly. It gives me some sense of pride and accomplishment that I have not only managed to keep this tiny little human alive, but that he is thriving. I also realize how fortunate I am to have a little guy that is the perfect specimen of health. I have friends who have dealt/are dealing with a baby that has health problems and surgeries and feeding tubes. I have certainly been blessed!
Last night, I kept hearing the wind howl and thinking that it was my baby crying in his crib, so I kept getting up to check on him. I finally gave up trying to sleep around 5:30 and my mind began wandering. I was thinking about the weekend and how much fun I am going to have with my girlfriends. Wine tasting and yummy dinner celebrating a great gal’s birthday. No baby crying or fussing or needing my undivided attention. It will be liberating. Then I began to tear up as I was thinking about Lennon seeing someone else when he opens his eyes on Saturday morning. Falling asleep without his goodnight story and kisses from Mommy and Daddy. It almost makes me want to cancel my plans. Almost.
Josh and I are planning to attend the Bonnaroo Music Festival this summer. It is in early June and Lennon will be 13 months old. He will be staying with Gramma and Grandaddy for 4 nights while we are camping out at the festival. This weekend is our trial run and only one night. I have a feeling that the luxury of sleeping in will not feel so luxurious and I will be up at the crack of dawn and headed to my parents to see my little guy. I am hoping to plan another trial run before ‘Roo, but we will see how this goes first. As many second thoughts as I am having about one night away, I am glad I haven’t spent $300 on our Bonnaroo tickets just yet…
In other news, Lennon has his 9 month well baby check up on Friday. I am anxious to hear how much he has grown since his 6 month appointment. At that appointment he weighed 16 lbs 9 oz and was 29 1/2 inches long. He has grown and changed so much in the last 3 months. I am expecting 22 lbs and 32 inches long. I’ll let you know. Before I had a child I had no idea how much excitement well baby check ups would bring! Don’t get me wrong, I hate the shots, but I love hearing from the doctor and nurses about how cute he is and how he is growing perfectly. It gives me some sense of pride and accomplishment that I have not only managed to keep this tiny little human alive, but that he is thriving. I also realize how fortunate I am to have a little guy that is the perfect specimen of health. I have friends who have dealt/are dealing with a baby that has health problems and surgeries and feeding tubes. I have certainly been blessed!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Resolve
This year, I made two New Year’s resolutions. I decided that I was finally going to attack the squish around my mid-section and lose some weight. Fortunately I only gained about 18 pounds during my pregnancy. That was all gone before I left the hospital. I can’t blame this on Lennon. This is the extra fluff I had before I was pregnant. I need to lose 30 lbs. So, I started with a bang, losing 4 lbs during the first week. Since then, I have faltered and cheated. A LOT. But, I am geared up and ready to tackle this fluff for good!
My second resolution has been a bit easier to keep, but I am sure that is not going to be the case for long. I resolved to not purchase anything new for the entire year. My only exception would be consumable goods and undergarments. I am really excited about this. It is going to be tough. There are going to be many times that my resolve will be challenged, but I think we can do it. I am going to take Lennon from his 8th month to his 20th month solely in hand-me-downs and second hand bargains. We will celebrate his first birthday with handmade and second-hand gifts. People have told me that it’s good to do it now, because he “won’t even know the difference.” You see, I want him to know the difference. In a disposable world, I want Lennon to know that as long as something is still usable, it still has value and shouldn’t be tossed into the garbage.
All my Christmas shopping will be at second hand stores and ebay bargains. When my wardrobe needs to be updated, I will have to search the racks of thrift stores. There are tons of options when it comes to purchasing used goods. There are used bookstores and second-hand children’s stores.
I know this is just a resolution I made for 2011, but I hope that Josh and I can learn a lesson and a new lifestyle that we can pass on to Lennon. Kind of like the velveteen rabbit, the more an item is loved, the more love it has to give.
I'll keep you posted.
My second resolution has been a bit easier to keep, but I am sure that is not going to be the case for long. I resolved to not purchase anything new for the entire year. My only exception would be consumable goods and undergarments. I am really excited about this. It is going to be tough. There are going to be many times that my resolve will be challenged, but I think we can do it. I am going to take Lennon from his 8th month to his 20th month solely in hand-me-downs and second hand bargains. We will celebrate his first birthday with handmade and second-hand gifts. People have told me that it’s good to do it now, because he “won’t even know the difference.” You see, I want him to know the difference. In a disposable world, I want Lennon to know that as long as something is still usable, it still has value and shouldn’t be tossed into the garbage.
All my Christmas shopping will be at second hand stores and ebay bargains. When my wardrobe needs to be updated, I will have to search the racks of thrift stores. There are tons of options when it comes to purchasing used goods. There are used bookstores and second-hand children’s stores.
I know this is just a resolution I made for 2011, but I hope that Josh and I can learn a lesson and a new lifestyle that we can pass on to Lennon. Kind of like the velveteen rabbit, the more an item is loved, the more love it has to give.
I'll keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)