Hobby Lobby Finds

As I said in my last post, Saturday we were in Minot with a few hours to kill.  We went to some thrift stores, out to lunch, and to Hobby Lobby.  My sister was in the market for wall decor, now that our remodel is FINALLY almost completely done, and everyone should have their own space back within the next few weeks.  She didn't end up buying any wall art, but that didn't stop Elliott and I from finding stuff we wanted. lol

Thrift Store Finds

Saturday my husband had all day conferences as part of his continuing education requirements for his EMT job.  He had a long dinner break at 5, so he wanted us to eat with him, since he was just in Minot, and hadn't seen Elliott much at all during the week.  Elliott had a game Saturday at eleven so we had to figure out what to do for the 5 hours in between, so we didn't have to drive all the way home for just a short amount of time.

So we decided to go thrift store shopping.  We don't shop at thrift stores very regularly, mainly because of time constraints.  We are usually only in Minot once or twice a week, and one of those days is Sunday for church.  Most thrift stores around here are closed on Sundays.

Planning Elliott's Birthday Party

It's hard to believe that my baby will be seven on Friday.  We have a big birthday party planned for him on Saturday.  We somehow forgot to send out the invitations until Friday, but we've still already received confirmation that 5 kids are coming, and I'm sure we will continue to receive more confirmations throughout the next few days.  And if it's anything like last year, there will be some kids who show up, that we didn't know were coming until they arrive.

This year we invited everyone in Elliott's class, plus the three kids from his basketball team that aren't in his class.  We're having the party at a pizza place in the same city that we play basketball in.  The party will be shortly after his basketball game ends, so I would say a lot of his basketball friends will show up.

Wii Fit Totals January 25, 2013

Today I had a decent workout.  I could have continued on for a while if I had time.  My husband and I had some quality together time this morning, and lost track of time, so I only had time for a 30 minute work out, plus a shower before I had to go get Elliott from school.

I ended up burning 224 calories in the 31 minutes I worked out on my Wii Fit today. 

I don't think I will be doing any more tonight, but that could change.  Elliott and I are planning on practicing basketball a little bit in the basement tonight after the show he's watching is over a few minutes.

My total for this week was  107 minutes and 660 calories.

Weight Loss Check In January 25, 2013

My weight loss goal is to lose at least 40 lbs by the time we leave for vacation at the end of June.  My ultimate goal  though, is about 25% of my current weight.  That would put me within just a few pounds of the weight that my doctor and I agree is great for my specific body type.

So for my blog posts, I'm going to use percentages off my starting weight, plus percentages off my weight from just the week before.

My doctor said I could safely lose about 1-1.5 percent each week, so my goal is at least a half percentage each week, but hopefully closer to a full one. :)

 This week I lost .85% of my weight from last week. 

That brings my total weight loss over the last 2 weeks to 1.48% of my starting weight.

Wii Fit Totals January 24, 2013

Motivation was extremely hard to come by today, for just about everything.  I just felt really tired, and a little off all day, even though I went back to bed after Elliott went to school and slept quite a while.  I don't think it was TOO much, but it should have definitely been enough!

I got on my Wii this afternoon, but gave it up after 15 minutes.  I ended up pushing myself to do some more after Elliott and Darla were in bed, but gave up after 16 minutes.  30 minutes is enough, right? :)

I ended up working out for 31 minutes and burning 170 calories.

So for today and yesterday my total time was 76 minutes and my calorie burn was 436.

Weekly Grocery Spending January 18-24

Before last Friday my family had only spent $66.99 on groceries for the year.  That definitely changed over the last week.

Friday I went to the commissary to get some things we needed, and some things on sale, and ended up spending $180.38. I detailed some of my best deals, and showed pictures here.

My sister also went to the grocery store in Minot on Friday, and spent $18.70 on canned veggies and fruit.  I'll admit that I'm not normally a big fan of canned fruit, but it's growing on me a little bit.  My sister loves it, and eats it almost every day.  It's easier and quicker than making something with frozen fruit, and doesn't hurt my teeth the way frozen fruit does by itself, so I've been eating it more.

Wii Fit Totals January 23, 2013

When I got on my Wii Fit a little while ago and it told me I hadn't been on for 3 days, I decided I needed to do something about that.  I'm lacking motivation in a major way right now.  I'm not sure if it's because I have so much other stuff going on, or what, but either way, I felt so much better when I actually took the time to work out.  So I decided that maybe my best way to STAY motivated is to do a daily post about how long I worked on on the Wii Fit and how many calories it says I burned during my work out.  If I know that people are reading it, I'm more likely to make myself do it even if I don't want to. 

Today I used my Wii Fit for 45 minutes. I did a combination of exercises from the Aerobics section and the Training Plus section.  According to the counter on there, I burned 267 calories during that time. 

I think my goal is going to be at least 1000 calories a week, according to the Wii Fit, and at least 3.5 hours.  I'll revisit that when it gets warm enough (and the ice melts enough) to walk more outside.  Since my official weigh in day is Friday, I think my Wii week will run from Saturday-Friday.    So this week my goal will only be 500 calories and 90 minutes.

Wordless Wednesday: Meet Snoopie

Last week I posted Trixie at bedtime, so this week it's Snoopie's turn to be the star!  Elliott bought these glasses at Dollar Tree, and Darla thought Snoopie would look cute in them.

Encouraging a Love of Reading

My son loves to read.  He has a library at home larger than that of his classroom, and he is always asking to add to it.  For Christmas Santa brought him the first 43 books books in the Magic Tree House series (we had already read 5 or 6, but he was super excited to have them all), along with 3 Skippyjon Jones books, and a few others as well.  We also did 25 days of books at our house for Christmas, where every night, Elliott got to open a new book that I had wrapped up, and then he read that one to us, as well as a Christmas book or two.  It was a big hit, and we all really enjoyed it.  He ended up with even more books on Christmas from us as, and a set of 3 from an aunt, for a total of about 90 all together for Christmas.

Because he loves to read so much, finding books he will like is relatively easy.  However, finding books that are age appropriate, as well as challenging can be a little more difficult.  He's only in first grade (he will be 7 next week) but already reads on an upper fifth grade level.  He loves everything from easy picture books, to chapter books.

Commissary Shopping

Friday I finally made it to the commissary.  The last time I had been to the grocery store for a big stock up was before Christmas, so it was definitely time.

I ended up spending $180.38.  I know better than to go shopping without eating, but I honestly didn't even realize I was hungry until I was shopping. lol  It was a nonstop day anyway, so that probably played into it, too.

I only ended up using $6 in coupons.  I thought I had my coupons with me, but then when I was looking for them later, discovered that I had left them at home.  So there were a few things I had planned on buying but didn't, but it didn't change my shopping list much.  I haven't had much luck finding coupons for things we use and need lately.

Weight Loss Check In January 18, 2013

My weight loss goal is to lose at least 40 lbs by the time we leave for vacation at the end of June.  My ultimate goal is a fair amount more than that, though, and is about 25% of my current weight.  That would put me within just a few pounds of the weight that my doctor and I agree is great for my specific body type.

So for my blog posts, I'm going to use percentages off my starting weight, plus percentages off my weight from just the week before.

My doctor said I could safely lose about 1-1.5 percent each week, so my goal is at least a half percentage each week, but hopefully closer to a full one. :)

Last Friday was my first weigh in, and since then I have lost .64%.  It's not as much as I was hoping for, especially since my doctor said I might lose even more weight the first 2-3 weeks, but it's a start. :)  And as always, a move in the right direction is always a good move.

I'm currently down .64% of my start weight, with a goal of 25% total this year.

Weight Loss Goals

It seems like every year, I make a weight loss goal, and then end up only losing a few pounds and giving up, because I can't make any more progress.  I've been to the doctor in the past about it.  I have a couple of different health issues that make losing weight harder, and it seems like I'll try something, and it will work for a while, and then it will stop working.

Well, my doctor and I have decided that 2013 is going to be the year that I lose the weight. :) I've had a lot of weight issues, and without getting into all of them, I'll just say that I need to lose a lot of weight.  My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for several years, and while I am currently at a weight that my doctor finds acceptable for pregnancy, I would still like to lose more, before considering any outside help with a pregnancy.  We've pretty much come to the realization that getting pregnant completely on our own isn't going to happen.  But I would like to lose another 40 lbs or so before even considering any medical intervention.  I just turned 30 in August, and my son will be 7 in less than 3 weeks.  If we are going to have another child of our own, we need to get pregnant THIS year.  Elliott is already spoiled rotten, and I worry about how he will really feel when he goes from being an only child to a big brother.  So I would love to do this as soon as possible.

Weekly Grocery Spending

I still haven't made it to the commissary yet this month.  I had planned on going Tuesday, but then Elliott had basketball practice.  He also had basketball practice after school yesterday,too, so I didn't get there then either.  Today he has to finish a school project (because we haven't had enough time to work on it this week because of basketball) that is due tomorrow.  So it looks like tomorrow will be the day I finally make it to the commissary.  I would have gone without him, except that I promised him that he could look around for new lunch boxes ideas this time.  We are definitely in need of a trip to the commissary, though.  We are out of one or two of the items that I need for most of the meals that I've wanted to make lately.

Saturday after his basketball game, we did do some shopping, though.  We went to Walmart to get oil for my husband's truck, and also bought 4 avocados for $.78 each ($3.12).  Then we headed to Marketplace to buy a few things that were on sale, and get some produce.  We ended up spending $46.47.  That included 12 cans of kidney beans on sale for $.49 each ($5.88 total) and 12 boxes of macaroni and cheese for $.28 each ($3.36).  We don't actually eat all that much of either of those items, since I prefer to use dried beans, if I plan early enough in advance.  And I prefer my own homemade mac and cheese, too.  However, these are both things that I keep on hand for quick meals, plus they make great donations to food pantries. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Bedtime for Trixie

I don't talk about them a lot in my blog, but I have three little furry princesses that I love dearly.  This one is definitely my Mommy's girl.  I came back into my bedroom from the bathroom last week to find Trixie fast asleep.

Yes, that's my bed.  And yes, that's even my pillow.  She's spoiled rotten.

2013 Financial Goals

I've already admitted that I didn't track my spending well at all in 2012.  I have no idea how much money I ended up spending on groceries, clothes, or anything else for that matter.  I did track pretty well on Christmas, birthday and other special occasions, but I just have a fairly close grand total, not individual.  This year, I only plan on tracking groceries closely.  I figure I need to start slow so I will stick with it better. :)

What I do know about my spending last year is that it included several big, expensive expenditures.  For instance, we bought my husband a 1998 Toyota Tacoma in the fall.  We also spent about $4000 on a basement remodel (ripped out walls, put up new ones, replaced some old wiring, replaced the ceiling, etc), that we finally finished in November.  Then there was the new sleep number bed we bought in October, and paid almost $2500 for, by the time it was all said and done.  Add in a trip to Missouri, and a road trip to Washington (including stops in Spokane, Seattle, and right on the coast), and it was an expensive year.

Elliott's Clearance Finds at Old Navy

Saturday after Elliott's basketball game we needed to run to Target for just a few things, so we decided to go to Old Navy, too, while we were already at the mall.  Elliott got several giftcards for Christmas this year, and Old Navy was one of them.

Of course anytime we walk into Old Navy, the first place we head is to the boys' clearance section.  The only item I was specifically looking for was another pair of pants for Elliott to wear over his gym shorts on practice days at school, and to and from basketball games.  We lucked out and did find a pair of fleece pants that will work nicely for that purpose, on clearance for $3.47.  Elliott found several other things he wanted as well, but ended up narrowing it down to just 2 long sleeve shirts ($6.49 and $4.49), and an Angry Birds hat ($4.47). 

Elliott's clearance clothing was $14.45 before tax

Another Vacation?

We go on vacation every year, and have for a while now.  In my opinion it's important for our family.  I know not everyone agrees with me, but I think I personally need the time away from home to recharge, and spend more time enjoying my family.  Even when our vacations are just to my parents' house in Missouri, it helps us recharge and relax.   Plus of course, it's awesome to see family.  We live 1100 miles from "home" for both my husband and me, so we don't get to see our families nearly as often as we would like.  Elliott and I do manage to go home every year, and Carl is with us most of the time, but sometimes he's just not able to take the necessary time off from work.

This year, we were planning on just going home again.  We were  planning a trip to Kansas City for a few days.  Our parents live in the Springfield area, so Kansas City isn't that far away, but we had planned on spending 2 or 3 nights there anyway, so we could do more stuff.

However, my husband recently found out that he will almost certainly not be allowed to take any leave next summer (2014) if we are still here.  He will most likely either be sent to another base for a while, or will be left here, where they will be obviously short manned because so many will be elsewhere.  We were planning another Florida trip for next summer.  My son is really into Super Heroes and Lego blocks, so we were planning on doing Universal Orlando and LegoLand, while he still loves those things.  However, we have been talking over the idea of doing the Florida trip this year instead.  We normally have a pretty extravagant Christmas, and my whole family is on board with the idea of clearing out our Christmas savings account in late June for a July vacation to Florida.  We were also planning on buying a 3D TV within the next few weeks, and have decided instead, to put that money toward a Florida trip as well.  So if we can come up with another $500 by the end of March (about halfway between now and the trip), without cutting into debt repayment, or any of our other savings goals, it looks like the Florida trip might happen this summer!

Weekly Grocery spending January 10, 2013

I obviously missed the first Thursday of the month when it comes to tracking my grocery spending.  That's ok, though.  We didn't buy any groceries during the first three days of the month.  My husband made his first grocery run of the year this week, and bought produce, bread, juice, water, and a few things for his lunches at work.  He spent $17.40.  He didn't use any coupons, and our receipts don't calculate what we saved by buying sales items, so I'm going with a $17.40 total for $17.40 in stuff, so a 0% savings.

Our goal is under $100 each week for a family of 3 adults, one child, 2 dogs (one is a senior and on a more expensive food, along with special vitamins), and a cat.

2013 grocery spending: $17.40

Tracking Goals

I know I hadn't been around much lately, but I didn't realize it had been quite so long.  Wow.  I took some time off for Christmas to spend with my family.  My husband's shifts at work have been crazy, so family time has been hard to come by.  It was nice to get plenty of it over Christmas break.  We played board games, read books, watched a couple of movies, and just spent a lot of family time together.  It was nice. 

Elliott's been back in school for over a week now, though.  I just started a medicine that I've been on in the past, but it seems to be kicking my butt worse this time.  Maybe I just don't remember the early days from last time. :)  Anyway, it seems like I want to sleep every chance I get, so I haven't done much of anything online lately.  I'm starting to adjust to it a little better now, so I'm hoping to be online more.  I have several goals this year that I'm excited about, and I plan on blogging about them.  One of them kind of goes against the goal to get out of debt, but I think it will help motivate us for several other things, so I think we will stick with it.

One of my goals this year is to track all of my grocery purchases.  I'm amazed that some people are able to track everything they purchase through  out the year, but I don't think I'm ready for that.  In fact, I'm already not sure how much money I spent on Christmas clearance stuff at a few different places in the last two weeks.   I'm planning on writing a weekly post every Thursday that details how much I spent on groceries each week, so I can better keep track of it.  There will be weeks that just include a running total, since we don't go grocery shopping every week, but I think by posting the same day every week I'm more likely to remember to do it.  My goal this year is less than $100 a week.  That includes 3 adults (my sister, my husband and myself), and my soon to be seven year old.  It also includes two dogs and a cat.  There are just a couple of dietary restrictions as well.  We live in an area with a fairly high cost of living.  It's not like NYC or California or anything, but prices are pretty high because of the oil boom.  We do most of our shopping at the commissary, but it's small, and doesn't carry everything we need, so we obviously have to go elsewhere sometimes.  Also, nowhere doubles coupons, and we don't have any big chains with excellent sales (we have a Walmart, and two regional chains of grocery stores).