***Edit: The original post was written when I wasn't quite coherent, so instead of leaving my ramblings posted for all to see, I'll leave this...
One of my biggest fears at the moment is that our freedoms are being chipped away (in small increments of course) until finally we'll be left wondering what in the world happened. I'm not an irrational person, but I believe that our current president has surrounded himself by some pretty shady people and is making some awful decisions for our country. Quite frankly, some of these decisions scare me. For that reason, I am so thankful for the freedom we have in Christ and for the power He has over any human ruler.
Enough midnight rambling. In the last few minutes of Veteran's Day, I'm going to leave you with this video clip because, as lame as the Gaither Vocal Band can be, this song never fails to give me chills. David Phelps is one of my favorite male voices, and this is one reason why.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday's List: Fall Fashion and Accessories
- Layering tees. I just stocked up on some J. Crew long-sleeved tees for this very purpose. They make spring/summer clothes last through fall.
- Scarves. Love love love.
- Ballet flats. I love heels, but they don't love me. Therefore, I love flats even more! Here are my favorites:
- Hoodies. I live in these after school, and they're pretty much my favorite item of clothing. I guess that's the tomboy in me that's never quite gone away.
- Turtleneck sweaters
- Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Candles from Bath and Body Works. Those count as an accessory, right?
Okay, it's your turn. What are your fall favorites?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Weekend Update
I'm supposed to be grading papers right now, so shhhhhh. Because what I really want to be doing while grading said papers is lying on the ground banging my fists on the (still dirty because I haven't had time to clean) floor while screaming in my best toddler-temper-tantrum voice, "Did I not teach you anything for the past four weeks in which I figuratively held your hand and walked you through the entire process step-by-step?!?!"
But alas, I'm thinking this might be a betterdistraction outlet for my energy. Here's our weekend wrap-up in (mostly) pictures.
Matt had to work late at a choir fundraiser, so we were going to get a (very) late start to Austin. In the meantime, I went with the parents to celebrate Nick's birthday. Hey, they said Babe's. How do you say no to that?
Saturday we got to spend the WHOLE day with Candie, Ricky, and Jacob! We went to the Round
Rock outlets, and I think I was a little too excited because we spent waaaay too much money. However, in all fairness (to myself of course), I hadn't been shopping in over a year (maternity clothes don't count). I did land three pairs of shoes, two cute Gap sweaters, four layering long-sleeved t-shirts from J. Crew, and some a-mazing J. Crew jeans (on sale for $18 thankyouverymuch). Okay, fine. I admit it. I bought more clothes for Avery. But The Children's Place had THE cutest dresses on ridiculous clearance, and then the Gap Baby outlet had a super sale, and they have a Carter's STORE, and well, let's just say I don't have enough willpower to go to outlets.
Avery and Jacob had fun though.
I think we wore them out. I did get to snuggle with Jacob for a few minutes though, and he is itty b
itty. He's smaller than Avery was even at birth, so it was a new experience for me to hold someone that small! He is a sweetheart though and I think I approve of this arranged marriage between him and Avery. (Although she's a major cougar right now seeing that she's 4x his age!)
We really enjoyed our time hanging out with Candie and Ricky. We only get to see them once every few months, so we're already looking forward to our next get together (New Years Eve with Tiff and Ross! Woohoo!). Friends like them are hard to find. We love you guys!
When we got home, I was so uninspired to grade papers that I did this:
Kitchen is clean, Avery is sound asleep in bed, the blog is updated, and those papers are still waiting for me. This is one date I'd really like to stand up.
But alas, I'm thinking this might be a better
Matt had to work late at a choir fundraiser, so we were going to get a (very) late start to Austin. In the meantime, I went with the parents to celebrate Nick's birthday. Hey, they said Babe's. How do you say no to that?
Saturday we got to spend the WHOLE day with Candie, Ricky, and Jacob! We went to the Round
Rock outlets, and I think I was a little too excited because we spent waaaay too much money. However, in all fairness (to myself of course), I hadn't been shopping in over a year (maternity clothes don't count). I did land three pairs of shoes, two cute Gap sweaters, four layering long-sleeved t-shirts from J. Crew, and some a-mazing J. Crew jeans (on sale for $18 thankyouverymuch). Okay, fine. I admit it. I bought more clothes for Avery. But The Children's Place had THE cutest dresses on ridiculous clearance, and then the Gap Baby outlet had a super sale, and they have a Carter's STORE, and well, let's just say I don't have enough willpower to go to outlets.Avery and Jacob had fun though.
I think we wore them out. I did get to snuggle with Jacob for a few minutes though, and he is itty b
itty. He's smaller than Avery was even at birth, so it was a new experience for me to hold someone that small! He is a sweetheart though and I think I approve of this arranged marriage between him and Avery. (Although she's a major cougar right now seeing that she's 4x his age!)We really enjoyed our time hanging out with Candie and Ricky. We only get to see them once every few months, so we're already looking forward to our next get together (New Years Eve with Tiff and Ross! Woohoo!). Friends like them are hard to find. We love you guys!
When we got home, I was so uninspired to grade papers that I did this:
Kitchen is clean, Avery is sound asleep in bed, the blog is updated, and those papers are still waiting for me. This is one date I'd really like to stand up.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Friday Five.
I love...
2. ...the fact that research papers are due today, and although that also means I now have to grade all of them, I don't even care as long as the end is officially in sight. Bonus: Up on my board I wrote the order that everything needed to be organized in their turn-in folder (obsessive compulsive much?), and I snuck in "chocolate so I'm in a good mood when I grade your paper" to see if they noticed (joking of course! or, uh, not joking so much; it's relative), so I now have a mini-fridge full of Kit Kats! Now when I'm done grading papers, I will also fit back into my post-pregnancy-still-a-little-fat jeans. Wait, that's not a good thing? Dangit.
3. ...that we're driving to Austin tonight to see Candace, Ricky, and Jacob! We've never met the little Jake-O-Lantern, and we're so excited to spend some time with some of our favorite people. Not to mention that they live very close to some amazing outlets. Score!
4. ...Thanksgiving. It's coming up so fast, and I cannot WAIT. A whole week off= a wedding weekend, catching up with the in-laws, family pictures with Allison (she's amazing, check her out if you're looking for a photographer), Thanksgiving at Nana's (yum!), movies in an actual theater (vs. the good ol' RedBox standby), shopping, decorating for Christmas, and spending the whole week with Avery and Matt. Those moments truly are priceless.
5. ...Google Reader. It lets me continue my blog-reading obsession much more quickly than going to each individual blog. Side note: If you only read my blog on Facebook, you're missing out on a super-cute layout (that I'm actually looking to change up a little once I get the hang out the poor man's version of Photoshop, aka Paint.net) and links to some awesome blogs (seriously, check 'em out on the left side of my blog). Oh, and while you're there (or, uh, here), leave a comment. I like to know who my stalkers are. :)
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
All About Avery
This post is officially two days late, but Happy 4-Monthday, Avery! Daddy took you to the doctor yesterday, mostly because I couldn't handle watching you get shots again. Your doctor was very impressed with how smart you are (that's to be expected though, considering who your parents are! hehe). You're already...
- Blowing raspberries
- Rolling over (tummy to back AND back to tummy; and you're an ambiturner! Zoolander would be so proud.)
- Talking all the time
- Following Mommy and Daddy's voices
- Grabbing on to and holding everything
- And growing like crazy!
You are now...
- 26 inches long (and off the charts for your age!)
- 16.5 pounds (the perfect weight for your height-- plus you just have the cutest little cheeks)
You're growing up way too fast!
We love you,
p.s. Onesie stickers are from this site.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Shopping Report
Tuesday's list has taken a hiatus until there's a topic I feel is worthy. Hopefully next week. Until then, check out my grocery scores from last night!
Matt and I go on a grocery date every other Tuesday night. Yes, we're dorks. It is a fun (and productive) way to hang out though, and we always have a blast. It doesn't hurt that we eat at Chick-Fil-A before the shopping commences. Full tummy=Happy Heather. Plus, Tuesday night is family night, so you get a free kids meal with a meal purchase (and I just eat the kids meal anyway, so yippee!). Now I realize that many of you are completely disinterested in my grocery purchases. Totally fine. However, I saved a lot of money by only putting in a couple hours' work, so if you're looking for some inspiration, here ya go...
First stop: Costco.
- I was a little disappointed because this was the first time I haven't had a formula check to use on the Similac. Sad day. It's still significantly cheaper to buy it at Costco (vs. Target, Walmart, etc.) though, so all is not lost.
- Also, note the massive amount of ground turkey. I LOVE ground turkey now and substitute it for ground beef in pretty much everything. I'm pretty sure it's healthier (I'm sure my mom and/or Kati will correct me if I'm wrong), but it's also cheaper and lasts us FOREVER. Good bulk purchase.
Total: $51.20 (Note: these bulk purchases last us a really long time, so don't freak out too much at the total)
Second stop: Target.
- In the past I've been able to scan as many diaper coupons as I had and they all counted, but apparently I've been outsmarted by a computer (don't you hate it when that happens?). So, the 3 packs of diapers I was going to get for free ended up costing $26 (which is still better than the $37 that they were).
- Toothpaste: $0.89
- Cereal: 4 boxes for $1.47 each (on sale and with coupons [normally $3.29 each])
- We cheat. We really like having a fire in the fireplace, but we use *gasp* fire logs. I had a sweet $12/2 coupon that I'd been waiting to match up to a sale. Sooo, $20 box on sale for $17, minus $6 coupon = $11 a box!
Total: $62.25 (not too shabby for including 3 packs of diapers and 2 boxes of firelogs)
Overall savings at Target: $43.79
Third stop: Kroger.
This is where I planned to do the majority of our food shopping since A) they double and triple coupons and B) they were having a serious sale. We got so much that it needed two pictures...
There is way too much food for me to go into a detailed list of savings, so here are some highlights:
- Larabars: On sale for $1.25 each, $0.40 coupon that double to $0.80, so $0.45 each. These things are totally natural (made from dates, Kati! I ate them!), and SO yummy.
- Rotel: Free (with sale and doubled coupons)
- Coffeemate creamer: $0.75 each with coupons
- Turkey lunchmeat: 3 tubs for $2.50 total (manager's special + coupons)
I can't remember the rest of the pairings, but our coupon savings alone were $23.85, bonus coupons (doubled/tripled) were $7.18, and sale stuff worth $30.75 for a total savings at Kroger of $61.78.
Total: $91.87
If you looked at the previous pictures, you would notice there was a serious absence of produce. That's because we got it all at Sprouts. I.LOVE.THAT.STORE.
Third stop: Sprouts.
It's a lot of produce. It GOOD produce, and I can't wait to eat it. I've already had one of the apples and ohmygoodness it is so much better than what is typically at Target and HEB (and I used to love HEB's produce).
Total: $16.89 (except I did have to explain to the cashier that yes, I gave him $27 in cash on purpose because I didn't want ones back. Sigh.)
GRAND GROCERY TOTAL: $138.58
TOTAL GROCERY SAVINGS: $69.07
I know that there are people who save twice that much in a given trip, but I'm giving myself a pat on the back for saving almost $70 without spending hours over the Sunday paper with scissors or shelling out money for a company to do the hard work for me. I figure it took a maximum of 3 hours (over the course of about a week whenever I had a few minutes here and there) , which is equivalent to making $23/hr.
Not too bad for easy work and a date with Matt and Avery.
Matt and I go on a grocery date every other Tuesday night. Yes, we're dorks. It is a fun (and productive) way to hang out though, and we always have a blast. It doesn't hurt that we eat at Chick-Fil-A before the shopping commences. Full tummy=Happy Heather. Plus, Tuesday night is family night, so you get a free kids meal with a meal purchase (and I just eat the kids meal anyway, so yippee!). Now I realize that many of you are completely disinterested in my grocery purchases. Totally fine. However, I saved a lot of money by only putting in a couple hours' work, so if you're looking for some inspiration, here ya go...
First stop: Costco.
- I was a little disappointed because this was the first time I haven't had a formula check to use on the Similac. Sad day. It's still significantly cheaper to buy it at Costco (vs. Target, Walmart, etc.) though, so all is not lost.
- Also, note the massive amount of ground turkey. I LOVE ground turkey now and substitute it for ground beef in pretty much everything. I'm pretty sure it's healthier (I'm sure my mom and/or Kati will correct me if I'm wrong), but it's also cheaper and lasts us FOREVER. Good bulk purchase.
Total: $51.20 (Note: these bulk purchases last us a really long time, so don't freak out too much at the total)
Second stop: Target.
- In the past I've been able to scan as many diaper coupons as I had and they all counted, but apparently I've been outsmarted by a computer (don't you hate it when that happens?). So, the 3 packs of diapers I was going to get for free ended up costing $26 (which is still better than the $37 that they were).
- Toothpaste: $0.89
- Cereal: 4 boxes for $1.47 each (on sale and with coupons [normally $3.29 each])
- We cheat. We really like having a fire in the fireplace, but we use *gasp* fire logs. I had a sweet $12/2 coupon that I'd been waiting to match up to a sale. Sooo, $20 box on sale for $17, minus $6 coupon = $11 a box!Total: $62.25 (not too shabby for including 3 packs of diapers and 2 boxes of firelogs)
Overall savings at Target: $43.79
Third stop: Kroger.
This is where I planned to do the majority of our food shopping since A) they double and triple coupons and B) they were having a serious sale. We got so much that it needed two pictures...
There is way too much food for me to go into a detailed list of savings, so here are some highlights:- Larabars: On sale for $1.25 each, $0.40 coupon that double to $0.80, so $0.45 each. These things are totally natural (made from dates, Kati! I ate them!), and SO yummy.
- Rotel: Free (with sale and doubled coupons)
- Coffeemate creamer: $0.75 each with coupons
- Turkey lunchmeat: 3 tubs for $2.50 total (manager's special + coupons)
I can't remember the rest of the pairings, but our coupon savings alone were $23.85, bonus coupons (doubled/tripled) were $7.18, and sale stuff worth $30.75 for a total savings at Kroger of $61.78.
Total: $91.87
If you looked at the previous pictures, you would notice there was a serious absence of produce. That's because we got it all at Sprouts. I.LOVE.THAT.STORE.
Third stop: Sprouts.
It's a lot of produce. It GOOD produce, and I can't wait to eat it. I've already had one of the apples and ohmygoodness it is so much better than what is typically at Target and HEB (and I used to love HEB's produce).
Total: $16.89 (except I did have to explain to the cashier that yes, I gave him $27 in cash on purpose because I didn't want ones back. Sigh.)
GRAND GROCERY TOTAL: $138.58
TOTAL GROCERY SAVINGS: $69.07
I know that there are people who save twice that much in a given trip, but I'm giving myself a pat on the back for saving almost $70 without spending hours over the Sunday paper with scissors or shelling out money for a company to do the hard work for me. I figure it took a maximum of 3 hours (over the course of about a week whenever I had a few minutes here and there) , which is equivalent to making $23/hr.
Not too bad for easy work and a date with Matt and Avery.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sunday's Friday Five
My posts seem to be most effective (and regular) when I have a purpose (i.e. the Friday Five, Tuesday's Lists, etc.). I still need to come up with a few more, but you get the idea.
I missed Friday, but instead of just doing the usual weekend roundup (which will probably become Sunday's staple), here's my five:
1. I wore size 4 pants today. I probably shouldn't be bragging about this because I definitely muffin-topped in them, BUT they buttoned and that's all that matters, right? Okay, so maybe I still have some work to do, but this is progress!
2. This has been a busy busy week for Miss Avery. She has been blowing raspberries like nobody's business, and I'm pretty sure this is the only time in her life that it'll be cute, and it is pretty cute. Along those lines, she is also talking up a storm! She hasn't quite developed an extensive vocabulary yet, but she has become quite proficient at high-pitched squeals, and varying tones of "aaahhh" and "uuuhhhhh." And the most exciting milestone of this week is that she is ROLLING OVER! She's been kinda rocking back and forth for a couple of weeks, but she always seemed to get stuck on her side (that dang arm just gets in the way!). But on Thursday night, she finally did it. She rolled from her back aaalllll the way over to her tummy. That was about as far as she got because she HATES being on her tummy, so we'd flip her back over and she'd do it again. CUTENESS. Then today she surprised us by rolling from her back to her tummy and she just kept going on to her back again! If you're not a parent, you probably think I'm way too easily entertained, and I was going to defend myself, but I think you're right.
3. This Friday can't come fast enough. I'm teaching research right now, and papers are due on Friday. I don't even care that Friday means I'll have 150 papers to grade, I just can't spend another day answering the same question over and over (after I've already explained it 17 times). Argh! I should have some memorable quotes to post from them while I'm grading, so something to look forward to...
4. Friday is also the day that Avery will meet her future husband. :) Hehe! We're going to visit Candie and Ricky and Jacob. He's only a few weeks old (she will have to get over being the older woman), and we just can't wait to meet him. (Oh yeah, and we're excited about seeing his parents, too.)
5. Tonight is menu-planning and grocery-list-making night, so after our trip to the store on Tuesday evening, I should have some pretty spectacular deals to report.
I really need to find a hobby.
I missed Friday, but instead of just doing the usual weekend roundup (which will probably become Sunday's staple), here's my five:
1. I wore size 4 pants today. I probably shouldn't be bragging about this because I definitely muffin-topped in them, BUT they buttoned and that's all that matters, right? Okay, so maybe I still have some work to do, but this is progress!
2. This has been a busy busy week for Miss Avery. She has been blowing raspberries like nobody's business, and I'm pretty sure this is the only time in her life that it'll be cute, and it is pretty cute. Along those lines, she is also talking up a storm! She hasn't quite developed an extensive vocabulary yet, but she has become quite proficient at high-pitched squeals, and varying tones of "aaahhh" and "uuuhhhhh." And the most exciting milestone of this week is that she is ROLLING OVER! She's been kinda rocking back and forth for a couple of weeks, but she always seemed to get stuck on her side (that dang arm just gets in the way!). But on Thursday night, she finally did it. She rolled from her back aaalllll the way over to her tummy. That was about as far as she got because she HATES being on her tummy, so we'd flip her back over and she'd do it again. CUTENESS. Then today she surprised us by rolling from her back to her tummy and she just kept going on to her back again! If you're not a parent, you probably think I'm way too easily entertained, and I was going to defend myself, but I think you're right.
3. This Friday can't come fast enough. I'm teaching research right now, and papers are due on Friday. I don't even care that Friday means I'll have 150 papers to grade, I just can't spend another day answering the same question over and over (after I've already explained it 17 times). Argh! I should have some memorable quotes to post from them while I'm grading, so something to look forward to...
4. Friday is also the day that Avery will meet her future husband. :) Hehe! We're going to visit Candie and Ricky and Jacob. He's only a few weeks old (she will have to get over being the older woman), and we just can't wait to meet him. (Oh yeah, and we're excited about seeing his parents, too.)
5. Tonight is menu-planning and grocery-list-making night, so after our trip to the store on Tuesday evening, I should have some pretty spectacular deals to report.
I really need to find a hobby.
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