Weekend Wrap-up

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  Mine was pretty uneventful, which is pretty good in my mind.

Yesterday I tried to get clothes switched over from spring/summer to fall/winter.  I still left a few warm weather outfits as the upcoming week is supposed to be in the 80s. I did manage to pin all of Miss E’s 18 month/2T summer clothes on hangers to be ready for the spring/summer consignment sale.  I also went ahead and removed some 18-24 mo. fall/winter clothes that are getting a little snug for her and pinned them as well.  There is another consignment sale in November, so I’ll attempt to sell them then. (I’ll do a post tomorrow about how much money I made from this current consignment sale.)

The work I did yesterday was the same as last weekend… I feel like I did a lot, but if you were to look around the house, it doesn’t appear as though much got accomplished.

This morning I made our menu for the week and grocery list.  I got to go grocery shopping by myself this morning as well!  It was GLORIOUS! Unfortunately Hubs was sick, so he stayed home from work, which was the only reason I was able to go alone.

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Here’s what’s on the menu this week:

Sunday: Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread, and sweet potatoes
Monday: Chicken fajitas, corn
Tuesday: OMG Chicken, bread, green beans
Wednesday: Spaghetti, bread, raw veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery)
Thursday: Chicken and veggie stir fry, rice
Friday: Crockpot Chicken Parmesan, green beans, bread, spaghetti noodles
Saturday: Mexican Stuffed Shells, corn, chips

That’s our (my) goal!  I think I can… I think I can.  These are all recipes I have made before, and most of them are enjoyed by more than just 1/4 of the family.

What’s on your menu this week?

Consignment Sale

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Ever since Miss C was little, I have visited consignment sales twice a year.  This year is no different, except that it will be first time I go without my mom.  This year I am going with two co-workers. I’m looking to have a good time with them!

One thing I did this year that I have never done before was sell clothes at the consignment sale. When I went through E’s winter clothes at the beginning of spring/summer, I pinned them on hangers. When the consignment sale came around, all I had to do was type up the tags, print them out, and pin them on the clothes! It was easy peasey!

I have two main reasons to sell these things.
1.) Get things out of the house!  We have SO. MUCH. STUFF! I know that once we get the basement done, we will move many things downstairs and it won’t feel as full. But right now the clutter is driving me nuts!!
2.) To make some money! The money is all just fun money. I did not count it in my budget, as I don’t know how much I’ll make.  My goal is $100.  At this sale there is a $10 selling fee that they take it out. Also, you make 65% of your total sales.  It’s not a whole lot, but again, it’s more than I had before.

As of right now I have sold $20 worth of stuff. My actual profit (after the $10 and the percentage taken out), I have made a whopping $6.50.  There are a few items that were Miss C’s, and I told her that if they sell, she will get the money from them.  The consignment sale just started today, and it will go through the weekend. I can check the website and see what has sold, which is super fun!

How are some ways you make a little extra money?

Monday Money

I’m hoping that if I blog, it will be the push I need to get more things done today.  I had a lot of motivation yesterday, but today it has dwindled quickly. I feel like I got a lot done yesterday, but if you were to visit my house today, you would laugh at that thought.

Yesterday I did laundry.  And more laundry.  And more laundry. I think in total I did 6 full loads. I folded 4 of those loads. I have all of Miss C’s clothes folded in a basket and waiting for me to put them away.  I have two loads of Hubs’s and my clothes that are ready to fold and put away.  I have a load of Miss E’s clothes that are folded and ready to be put away.  Why is putting it away the hardest?

I took today off work so I could get all kinds of things done, but that hasn’t happened.  Miss E and I went to Target to get groceries and other miscellaneous things.  It was one of those trips that end up costing a lot more than expected because it was a stocking up trip.

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Here is the breakdown of my trip:

Diapers: $54.50 (Buy 2 boxes, get a $10 gift card– total ends up being $44.50)
Cleaning Supplies: $35.64 (Buy 2 boxes of dryer sheets, get a $5 gift card, plus 10% off laundry pods with Cartwheel app– total ends up being $29.10
Clothing: $33.62 (All items were on clearance- 2 shirts for me, 2 dresses for Miss C– they will probably be Easter gifts– and 2 pairs of play shorts to go under dresses for Miss C)
Groceries: $139.54 (This included food and some Ziploc bags that we needed.)
Health/Beauty: $20.73 (All items were on clearance- two bottle of face wash for me, rubber bands for Miss E and hair clips for both girls)
Christmas Gifts: $33.74 (All items were on clearance- 1 game for Miss C and 2 craft/coloring items for Miss E)

All in all, it wasn’t too bad of a trip. The original total almost made me gag, but looking at the breakdown it makes a lot more sense. Here’s how it works:

Diapers: We put away $40 a month, although the two boxes of diapers plus the ones we still had will last for over a month. This is how we can spend more than $40 a month on diapers.  (P.S. I am counting down until we don’t have to buy diapers anymore!)
Cleaning Supplies: We put aside $20 a month for cleaning supplies. We won’t have to buy laundry detergent or dryer sheets for at least a month now. I also know that we have a stock of fabric softener, dishwasher detergent, and other cleaners that we need.  We will be able to save up our $20 a month for a while until we need more!
Clothing: My clothes ($15) will come from my MAD money. I have the cash and will redeposit it in our checking account.  Miss C’s clothing will come from our Easter savings account, since it will be gifts for that.
Groceries: I budget $130 a week for groceries, but had $11 left over from last week, so we came in under budget on that one.  I will just deposit the $10 bill that I had in our envelopes for groceries and that will square us around for that one.
Health/Beauty: I put $20 aside a month for toiletries. This will come out of that.
Christmas Gifts: We have our Christmas budget at the max that we were hoping for. I will transfer out the $33 from there into our checking account to cover that. I also think we are getting pretty close to being done with gifts for the girls for Christmas.

So there ya have it: a breakdown of our shopping trip today.  Now to update my budget spreadsheet and find some motivation to get more things done today!

How did your weekend budget shape up?

It’s Sunday!

Good morning!

Wow!  That’s all I can say.  I can’t believe the outpouring of love from my friends and my readers after my last post.  I really didn’t think anyone would read my post, but I’m blown away by how many people visited this site yesterday.  Thank you!

I have spent the past hour updating all of the sidebars and the pages on this blog.  I couldn’t believe how long it had been since I updated them last. 

Today is a catch-up day.  I have so much laundry to do and quite a bit of cleaning.  The house is a disaster, and I’m anxious to get started cleaning!  I also plan to menu plan later today.  I am toying with the idea of ordering groceries online and having them delivered today. Last week when I took my two sweet, darling daughters with me to the grocery store, it was a disaster! I texted Hubs and said I was never taking them with me again.  If I can get my act together today and get my menu planned and grocery list compiled, then I may look into having groceries delivered!

That pretty much wraps up my day.  Hubs works weekends, so it’s just me, the girls, and Bandit.  It’s always an “adventure” to clean while there are children around.  If I have a chance, I’ll try to check back in later tonight and let you know how things went!  Wish me luck!

What’s on your to-do list today?

I’m Back…

Wow!  It’s been a very, very, very, very, very long time since I have blogged.  I hadn’t really thought about starting it back up until a few of my co-workers thought it would be a good idea for me to start back up. Many things have changed since I last blogged.  I figure this first post back would be a bit of an overview of tings that have changed since my last post.

It has been almost 2 full years since I posted.  2 years ago, this is what my life looked like:

• I was a second grade teacher
• I was a mom of two (an almost 4 year old and a little 8 month old)
• I was a mom to two furbabies (Bandit and Rose)
• We were deep in debt, still clawing our way out
• I was deeply depressed and in denial of it
• I was struggling with anxiety that was fueling my perfectionism and obsessive compulsive tendencies

Here is a glimpse into how my life looks now:

• I am a math test development assistant for an organization called ATLAS. We make alternative assessments for students with severe cognitive disabilities.  We are a small organization that is growing quickly.  I have met 5 of the most wonderful people by working there, and I enjoy getting to spend my workdays with them. (Although one of the 5 has recently abandoned us to take a job that will provide more opportunities for him.)
• I am still a mom of two, but they have grown so much!  The oldest started kindergarten this year, and the youngest will be 3 in January.
• We are down to just one furbaby: Bandit.  Unfortunately we had to re-home Rose. Cadence was trying to get Rose to go outside and was pushing her from behind.  Rose turned and snapped at Cadence and bit her forehead.  It was not a bad bite and was more defensive than aggressive, but it was enough that we knew we needed find her a home with a family that didn’t have children.  We took her to the Humane Society, and she was adopted by a couple within a month. I still miss her, but we are going to remain a one dog family. Bandit is an old man with more white fur than brown fur. We estimate that he is about 12-13 years old, so we don’t want to stress him out with a new dog in the family… (And Hubs doesn’t want another one right now).
• We are no longer in debt!  Due to our budgeting, frugal living, and a some unexpected monetary gifts, we were able to pay off all of our debt, aside from our mortgage. It is amazing to no longer be in debt!  The most interesting thing, though, is that it is harder now to stay really disciplined and stick to our budget because we have more wiggle room. I’m hoping that by blogging again, it will help with the accountability in this area.
• Last year I spent some time in an inpatient facility due to my depression.  I was suicidal and really struggling some areas of my life. I was able to get my medication adjusted and learn some great coping mechanisms.  I feel that my mental health is better than it has been in a very long time.
• Along with my depression, I was diagnosed with general anxiety.  This was exhibiting itself as perfectionism and obsessive tendencies.  I was so incredibly hard on myself anytime I didn’t do something right or if I didn’t live up to the impossible standards I set for myself.  Again, spending time in a behavioral and mental health facility was the best thing that happened for my mental health.  I am in a much better place now, and I have been a big advocate for mental health.
• One thing I had always wanted to do, finally came into fruition in March:I got a tattoo to help signify my struggle with mental health and my continued growth.  Here is the explanation behind it all:
  • I got the word strong to help remind me what I have been through, and that I am strong enough to get through anything else.
  • The arrow: An arrow is always pulled back before it launches forward.  For the longest time I was pulled backwards and didn’t feel I was making any strides forward.  This reminds me that no matter how much I feel life is dragging me down, it is preparing me for an amazing ride that is coming up.
  • Semi-colon: To the left of the word strong is a semi-colon. The semi-colon movement has been going around social media quite a bit. It is a symbol recognizing the struggle with mental health or suicide. The semi-colon is used when an author could end a sentence, but chooses not to. It is a reminder that my story is not done.

So, there ya have it!  I quick(ish) glimpse into what I’ve been up to the past couple years.  I’m not sure if anyone even reads this blog anymore, but I do miss blogging. If anyone does read this blog, let me know what you would like to see!  If this is your first time here, feel free to poke around and see what’s here.  I can’t say it’s really interesting, but I like my little corner of the internet.

(My first goal will be to update the progress bars and the different pages on this blog.  Hopefully that will happen sometime today.)