Viva mom returns!

It's been too long since I've posted! May was crazy with school and being horribly sick in my first trimester. By June I was feeling better and ready for a productive summer. Well, quite a few summer plans fell through when my hubby ended up getting a work detail for two months in Southern California.

 

We travelled almost every weekend to see him and then I drove to Montana with the kids for two weeks in July.  While in Cali, we got to go to the zoo, aquarium, Legoland, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and the beach. The per diem Ryan received helped fund our fun. We researched coupons and deals and packed our own snacks and lunches where we could to save money. 

We found out in late July that I am having another girl. Due date January 4, but for me, that means around Christmas!  I saved all of Amilia's baby things, so we are mostly set for our needs. 

One thing I did accomplish this summer was making more homemade bath products. I successfully mastered homemade body wash, deodorant, and lotion! I attempted shampoo but it was not good for my hair. It works well for the kids, so it won't go to waste. I will just have to splurge on store shampoo. I was able to do a few classes for my little side business and I am excited to start my first Stamp club in a few weeks!

I have continued to struggle with trying to get rid of Austin's recurring wart on his thumb. After 4 dermatologist visits, it is still there. I also had to file a complaint with my insurance due to the Dr trying to charge me for both a dr visit and surgical procedures (apparently putting two drops of blister beetle juice on a wart is a surgical procedure)! Thankfully, they resolved it, but even with the $20 copay per visit, I paid way too much for a problem that could be treated with a $5 remedy!  After researching remedies and trying oregano/melaleuca with no result, we found that apple cider vinegar was the answer! Simply dip a small piece of cotton in the ACV, place over wart, cover with a small bandage and secure with duct tape. Do this each night for a few weeks, the wart will turn black and can gradually be scraped off. 

In August, we welcomed Annie into our family. She is a Yorkie-Maltese mix puppy. The kids just love her and we have been working on training her and establishing a routine to get ready for the new school year. 

For the first time in my career, I did not go in to work before my contracted start date. I am also going to try very hard to get out on time at the end of the day. I will need this time to run home and let the dog out and take care of a few chores before picking the kids up. 

I spent all last week making mixes and meals to have on hand:

*Baked 8 small loaves of French bread to freeze

*Baked two loaves of whole wheat bread, one for this week, one to freeze for next week

*Made brownie and chocolate pudding mix to have desserts on hand

*Made pancake mix along with a large batch of pancakes to freeze for breakfasts

*Made 2 large pans of lasagna and enchiladas for freezer meals 

*Made homemade pasta sauce and froze in pint size mason jars

*Made homemade chocolate sauce for making chocolate milk

*Made a double batch of laundry soap and dishwasher soap

I also stocked up at Costco on good snacks/lunch box items on coupon. Great deals on Gogurts, Snack Packs, Capri Suns, Rice Krispies treats, and fruit by the foot!

What's for dinner this week?

Monday: we ate out to celebrate Amilia's birthday and surviving the first day of school

Tuesday: freezer enchiladas 

Wednesday: chicken stir fry

Thursday: freezer lasagna with French bread and salad 

Friday: pizza and movie family night

Saturday: crockpot chicken and dumplings

Sunday: Crockpot beef stew (I made a roast last week and shredded the leftover meat and saved the liquid from the pot to freeze and use for another meal)

Soo ready for summer!

This was me last week!

Between my students at school being in rare form, Austin being sick again, and Amilia getting into everything, I lost several of my marbles this week! To top it all off, Ryan spent several evenings painting the exterior of the house. He finished Saturday, but I'm glad he was able to finish before it gets too hot. Oh, and then we smelled gas in the house and it was coming from the oven which had started doing weird things, so that needed to be replaced. 

Austin had a low fever and was sent home from school last week. Ryan stayed home with him and the next day he still had a temp and was very tired so he stayed with Ryan's mom. Apparently he had too much fun because that night I said he was probably well enough to go to school but he said "No, my brain really hurts when I shake my head".  Ok fine, one more day. 

Savings:

*I got a membership to The Joint which is a chiropractic place. I was a year overdue for an adjustment but the place I went was quite a drive and a $20 copay. Now I get a weekly crackalackin for $12 and the place is on the way to get Amilia from the sitter. I am feeling so much better!

*Made pancakes and breakfast muffins for the week. 

*I trimmed my bangs and waxed my brows and face. 

*Ryan found us a great deal on an oven at the new Sears outlet that opened close by. It was $500 less than comparable models at Lowes/Home Depot. His dad helped him pick it up and install it so we were only out an oven for one night. 

*Austin needed shorts and shoes for school. I searched coupon codes and store coupons and was able to get some stuff online and in store. I bought his shorts a size bigger in elastic waist so he can also wear them in the fall. Having school uniforms has saved a great deal of money on clothes for us!

*I baked 2 loaves of whole wheat bread. 

*Made a double batch of laundry soap and dishwasher detergent. 

*Took the kids to the free HomeDepot kids workshop on Saturday. The project was a flower pot and they also got a free plant to put in it. We had a great time!

*Handmade several Mothers Day cards to send out this week. 

*Got some free oils from my DoTERRA rewards points with my monthly order. 

*Visited my friend and got more lettuce and green onion from her garden. Made a pasta salad with some of the chopped green onion...very tasty!

Dinner Menu:

Monday: Cinco de Mayo!! Chicken enchiladas, chips, salsa, and guacamole!!

Tuesday: daddy grill night, polish sausage, boiled potatoes, and asparagus

Wednesday: stir fry with quinoa

Thursday: crockpot chicken and noodles

Friday: cheese pizza 

Saturday: lemon Parmesan penne with steamed veggies and chicken (recipe from theprudenthomemaker.com)

Have a wonderful week!

Responsible savings and oils to the rescue!

We had hoped to go to Hawaii with the kids this summer, but we made the responsible decision to put the money toward a vehicle to replace our truck we have had for nine years. I am sooo happy to have that beast of a truck out of my life and garage! 

We wanted to invest in something that will last and will hold more passengers, so we got a 2013 Durango. It has very low miles and great features.  With the truck trade-in and down payment, we still have a steep payment, but it will fit into our budget nicely because we won't be paying tuition for Austin next school year. 

My other savings:

*Did a massive stock-up at Costco and Winco to fill the pantry and keep us out of the stores. Also stocked up on Capri Sun drinks for 99 cents at Smiths. These will be good for our summer pool trips. 

*Baked whole wheat bread and buns. I used the double recipe but took 3/4 of the dough to fill my huge bread pan and it finally produced a good sized loaf. I was able to make 6 buns with the leftover. 

*Made more pancake mix and pancakes to freeze for the week

*Made granola bars 

*Ry cut Austin's hair

*Made a batch of homemade tortillas 

*The windy weather kept us indoors most of last weekend, but it calmed enough that we could take the kids out to fly a kite I bought on clearance a few years ago. The kids had a great time. 

*I had 2 workshops last week for my side businesses. I did a card class and lip balm class. I had a great turn out and am excited to keep growing!

*I fought my allergies and cold last week with the doTERRA oils and did not have to use any medications. Lavender calmed my sneezing, Breathe helped my wheezing, and I added honey and 3 drops of lemon essential oil to hot water to soothe my throat. I experimented and added a drop of On Guard protecting blend to the mix and it added a nice little spice flavor and will help fight the germs. 

*The baby had a bad diaper rash from overnight BMs, so I added a few drops of lavender to a tbsp of fractionated coconut oil in a container and rubbed some on.  It cleared right up! I wish I started doing this a year ago when I was spending a fortune on various creams. 

*Took Austin to his last dermatologist apt for his wart issue. The oregano/melaleuca blend I have been using made a huge difference. There was one last little bit that needed removal so now I need to be diligent with the oils so I can save the gas and co-pay in the future. 

*My friend gave me some lettuce from her garden! Yum!!

*Ryan is getting ready to paint the exterior of our house.  He is doing the work with his dad's help which will save a ton. It's hard to believe we have been in this house for 9 years!

*I have been diet soda free for over a month! I confess I did sneak a sip last week but it was disgusting! I drink sprite if I am out with the kids so we can all share. That way we are all only having a small amount. 

Spring Break and Easter savings

Had all sorts of fun ideas planned for this week, but for the first five days, someone in the house was sick! Amilia had a fever again and had no appetite and was very cranky. I had a horrible stomach bug, then hubby got it, then Austin!  Mid-week I was feeling better, so I cleaned the whole house with DoTerra Purify and On Guard, changed all the sheets and did multiple loads of laundry.   I made a flu bomb treatment in a veggie capsule to take using 2 drops of each: lemon, melaleuca, on guard, and frankensense to fight off my sickness. 

This whole time the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so finally on Thursday the kids were well enough to go to the park and enjoy a nice picnic. The water play area was on and they had a great time!

Savings:

*Made Easter crafts with things on hand at home

*Made several loaves of bread

*Registered the kids for summer swim lessons with City of LV. They have the most reasonable prices for quality lessons. I was able to find a time when Austin could do a lesson while I did a parent-child lesson with Amilia so I only have to make one trip. This will save plenty of gas $!

*Made two pans of lasagna and froze one for a future meal. Had some leftover ingredients to make 2 lasagna rolls for work lunches. 

*Made breakfast muffins and pancakes for the week. 

*Made crepes from scratch for Easter breakfast and put strawberries on them that were 97 cents a lb at Albertsons. 

*Used a $10 off coupon at Kohls to get some denim capris that were also on sale. 

*Waxed my brows and did my own nails. 

*Worked on designs and prep for my Stampin Up workshop. 

*I'm now making 2 meatless meals a week.

*Made homemade spaghetti sauce and placed in mason jars to freeze. Was able to get 6 pints for the price of a #10 can of tomato sauce from Costco plus a few other ingredients on hand. 

Dinner menu:

Monday: chicken enchiladas (these were frozen ahead from the last time I made them)

Tuesday: baked potatoes and veggies

Wednesday: lemon Parmesan penne with chicken and broccoli 

Thursday: ground beef tacos 

Friday: cheese pizza and veggies 

Saturday: crockpot chicken and noodles

Cute and Simple Easter gifts and crafts!

Here are some super simple, inexpensive, and cute Easter crafts or gifts for the kids!

1. Wax crayon eggs

Draw an egg shape on wax paper and fill with shavings of used crayons. Place a piece of wax paper on top and then sandwich the wax papers between some cardstock and then lay a towel on top. Iron on high for a few seconds until crayons are melted. Cut out the egg shape, punch a hole and add yarn or ribbon. 

My little guy had fun with this!

2. Egg shaker people

Place some rice or beans in a plastic egg and glue it closed. Draw a funny face with permanent markers. 

3.  Pipe cleaner bracelets

String pony beads on a pipe cleaner and then string the excess sides back into the beads to form a circle. 

4. Stick puppets

Use whatever you have on hand to decorate animal faces on felt circles. Cut a circle out of thin cardboard for the middle and glue the felt on both sides with the stick tucked inside. 

Survival

This was me today. It's been a rough few weeks! Ryan has been working major OT and has been out of town working for the past week. Took the baby to the ER with a high fever last weekend and had to keep her home so I called in sick at work which means I am no longer in contention for earning 4 personal days. But I can still get 2 days if I use less than 5 sick days in the year, so I took today off and went to the chiropractor for an adjustment that's been about a year over due! It was so nice to be alone after being a single mom all week!!  Four more work days until Spring Break!

I have also been busy with my little business ventures with DoTerra and Stampin Up!  My first event was a great success and tomorrow is my first paper craft workshop. 

We drove to where Ryan is staying Saturday night so we could visit him. I took care of his grocery shopping and laundry and we got to do a little swimming. The place we went also had an awesome Dollar Tree nearby so I stocked up on some great finds!

I made these amazing homemade peanut butter eggs and took some to Ryan. They were unbelievably delish!!  

Link to the recipe here  The only thing I did differently was add coconut oil to the chocolate instead of shortening.

Savings for the past few weeks:

*Baked pancakes, muffins, wheat and French bread

*Made granola bars, dry soup mix, and pancake mix

*Trimmed my bangs, forget saving $, I don't have time for a hair cut anyway

*Austin has been wanting sack lunch 3 days a week now so that saves $9 per week on hot lunch

*Made sugar scrubs and gave them to some of my coworkers. 

*Made lip balm with my new lime and citrus bliss oils

*I gave up diet Pepsi and have been off it for three weeks!

*Made homemade tortillas 

*Friday nights have become pizza and movie/Wii dance party night

*Made a big pot of potato soup and froze some in jars so I have some decent lunches at work this week

*Ryan bought some jeans and work shirts before he left town at Kohl's.  He earned $30 in Kohl's cash which I used to put toward his birthday gift.  He is getting ANOTHER wedding band since the original was lost in the ocean last summer and the one he got for Christmas is too big.  This time he tried a few on so they fit and he will be surprised with which one I chose for him.

*Been using a blend of oregano and melaleuca essential oils diluted with fractionated coconut oil for Austin's wart on this thumb.  Hoping it will finally get rid of it!

*I have been rubbing Breathe essential oil blend on the kids every night and diffusing it in their rooms while they sleep and have not needed to break out the allergy meds.  For me, a dab of lavender on my nose keeps the sneezes away.  Much cheaper than Allegra!

*I have been diffusing On Guard blend in the house afterschool and Purify on the weekends to clean the air in the house and support our immune systems.  

*For myself, I put 2 drops of each: oregano, On Guard, and Melaleuca in a veggie cap every night because I cannot afford to get sick right now!

Menu for the week:

Last week was a bit of a disaster with being on my own, so nothing was organized.  However, I am back on track so that my kids don't get too attached to mac and cheese and chicken nuggets!

Monday: tonight we had italian casserole and I froze half of the ground beef

Tuesday:  we are eating out so that my clean house is not destroyed for my Stampin Up workshop

Wednesday: tacos with the frozen beef

Thursday:  one pot pasta with chicken

Friday:  pizza

Saturday:  chicken and noodles with vegetables in the crockpot, I use the same chicken and dumplings recipe but use whole wheat egg noodles instead and it is equally as good

Sunday:  we are going to visit daddy and start our SPRING BREAK!!

My dream is coming true!

When I shared my goals for the new year, I mentioned that I wanted to look in to being a consultant for DoTerra and demonstrator for Stampin' Up.  Well, I am officially on my way to achieving that goal!  I signed up with DoTerra at the end of February and I will be getting my registration for Stampin' Up processed next weekend!  

I am so excited to start this journey!  For several months I have envisioned a way to mesh the two businesses together in a creative way.  So I came up with the name "Paper and Potions".  I will be having two monthly clubs; the Paper Club will be exclusively Stampin' Up and each participant will make 2 cards and a treat holder and the Potions club will involve learning about oils and making homemade health and beauty products using DoTerra and introducing Stampin' Up with making fun packaging to give one of the products as a gift.  

I have my introductory class event set for next week and I am beyond excited to start my clubs, meet new friends, and create!!

In the midst of setting all this up, I was still able to hold down the fort at home and get plenty of stuff done (and have some fun, too).

Accomplishments and savings:

*Made a big batch of pancakes and more pancake mix.

*Made homemade tortillas and made 2 pans of chicken enchiladas for future meals.

*Made 2 loaves of bread on Monday afterschool which turned out great and they were both gone by the weekend.  I made 2 more loaves on Sunday but they didn't rise right, I think I killed the yeast. I will cut it lengthwise to get sandwich sized bread.

*Made dry cream of chicken soup mix.  I have been making soup once a week and using this as a base.

*We did not eat out all week.  Austin had great behavior, so I took the kids for ice cream at the Burger King playplace one day afterschool and another day afterschool we got ice cream from the McD's drive thru and went to the nearby park to play.  

*We went on a family outing to the Springs Preserve on Saturday.  I made a picnic lunch for us to take with us.  It was gorgeous weather all weekend!

*I got free tickets and took Austin to a magic show at one of the casinos on Fremont Street with my Houseseats membership.

*Made a lime cheesecake with some cream cheese that was close to expiring and added 2 drops of lime essential oil and took it to my in-law's for Sunday dinner.  It was delicious!

*I've been using lavender oil to help with my allergies this week.  I rub some on the bridge of my nose and diffuse it in the house.

*I made my own natural perfume with an oil blend cut with coconut oil.

*I ordered some glass spray bottles online and made some sanitizing sprays with DoTerra OnGuard and Purify oils.

*Ryan cut Amilia's hair, there was some uneven growth so it was getting a little wild.  I attempted to trim it first but she was moving all over the place so, it didn't go so well, so he fixed it while I held her.

Menu:

Monday:  Chicken enchiladas that I made over the weekend.  Ryan can throw these in the oven while I'm heading back from Austin's dr appointment across town.

Tuesday:  chicken parmesan and salad

Wednesday:  creamy vegetable soup with bread

Thursday:  hamburger stroganoff and salad (cook 1 lb of beef, use half and freeze the other)

Friday:  pizza  (We are going to do this every Friday night because everyone enjoys the crust I have been making.  I think it kinda tastes like Little Caesar's.  All the recipes I found called for oil in the crust, so I played around and came up with my own oil-less crust)  I add 2 tsp yeast and 1 tsp sugar to 1 cup warm water and let it bubble.  I pour it over 3 cups unbleached flour and mix and knead.  I spray my pan and sprinkle corn meal on it then roll the crust over the corn meal and add the toppings.  Bake 400 degrees for 

15-20 min until cheese is lightly browned.

Saturday: crockpot baked potatoes (peel potatoes and toss with a little olive oil, parsley, and garlic, cook on low 6-8 hours) serve with toppings and a salad for the side.

Sunday: in-laws