Chewy Spaghetti

Friday November 6, 2009

2009-11-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

It's not even 3 pm, and I am ready for the day to be over. Nothing has really worked out the way that I wanted today. The Rusty Knight missed his bus, and so we had to drive him to work since Princess Stomping Foot has dance early today. I thought that would be ok, because I had a lot of places at that end of town that I wanted to hit, but I forgot to bring my list with me and so I will have to go back. I have to go back anyway, a certain drugstore is offering a $25 giftcard for transferred prescriptions and I didn't realize that the one I was trying to use didn't have any refills left on it. I had to call the pharmacy it's at to have them call the doctor, before I can transfer it. We came home for lunch, and I had gotten a 15% off coupon for the shoe store where I found the boots the other night. We ran over there after lunch, but they were gone. I did score a dress on the clearance rack at Target. The Rusty Knight has a Christmas Party for work that requires cocktail wear, and of course I have nothing. I was thinking that I could just wear an old pair of shoes and bag that I already have and snazz it up with a necklace, but now I'm not so sure.

Here's what I started out wearing today (it warmed up and I had to change):

Converse- $35 on sale at Famous Footwear

Micro Check pants- $16 on sale plus a coupon at JC Penney's

Cowl Neck tunic- $6 at Susie's Deals

Denim Vest- $18 on sale at Sears

Amber Bracelet- bought so long ago that I don't remember where or how much

Boyfriend Watch- $10 at Target

GRAND TOTAL= $83

Thursday November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Last night, I picked up my white shirt from Penney's. It needs a wash/press, but it fits nicely. The knot detail is nice, and makes it a little less boring. This is one of those pieces that will allow the rest of my wardrobe to really function. I can already see myself wearing it with so many things. I tried on a coat at Penney's, too. I loved it, but even at half price it is way more than I want to spend. The weird thing is that it was a petite and it fit perfectly. The sleeves on things are often long on me- especially coats. But, the torso on petite garments is usually too short. I guess I will have to explore petite coat options, since this one fit so well. At the mall, I took a little spin through some of the other stores. I tried on a coat at Forever 21, but it wasn't anywhere close to fitting across the bust. I looked at Sears, but didn't like any of their coats. Our local mall is about 75% teen shops now. Every time I go in, there is a new one open. Not a lot of choices for those over 21. I checked out the Famous Footwear, and I found a pair of knee high boots on clearance that actually fit me and were comfortable. With 16" calfs and wide feet, that doesn't happen often. I have a $5 reward certificate from them, and if there is a coupon in the newspaper this week I am going to go back and hope they are still there. I headed to Ross after the mall, to see if they had any coats. I didn't find any coats that I liked, but I tried on a tunic sweater that I loved. It was brown and fuzzy with a deep V neck and was toasty warm due to some angora fiber in it. I adored an August Silk flyaway cardi in chocolate brown with a leather clasp at the waist, and found a cozy pair of micro fleece PJ's. I'm going to try and go back for the sweater and PJ's- those are items that I need for winter.

Wednesday November 4, 2009

2009-11-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

My silk long underwear came yesterday. They are very sheer and lightweight, but feel like they will add a nice amount of warmth. They fit perfectly, and now I am kicking myself for not adding the sleeveless top, too. I can see that I will be getting a lot of use out of these. My shirt was just delivered to JC Penney, so I am going tonight to pick it up.

After my great shops this week, I am definitely giving up my Grocery Game membership. I think that I do just as well on my own- especially if I track prices. I can get coupon match ups for Target, CVS and Walgreens on Never Pay Retail Again, and grocery store lists for free on Pinching Your Pennies. I will still read the Grocery Game message boards, because there is always good info there. I was really excited when I got the store ads yesterday. Stater Bros has the Clementines on sale, canned veggies, and Jennie O Turkey (which I have coupons for), as well as a baking deal. Vons has apples, blue and black berries, pot roast, free items with a $25 purchase, and a turkey deal. I am actually excited to plan my shopping this week. Plus, the kids need their prescriptions refilled and I am going to do some transfers for more giftcards.

I usually don't have much of a Christmas list for myself, but this year there are several items that I want- just to make my life easier, or need to replace. The first one is just a second freezer. I am using the freezer part of the old fridge, but I want a whole freezer to fill- and fill it, I will! I also want a faster waffle iron: this Belgian one. I want a stove top popcorn maker, and a new crock pot. I'm worried about more pieces of the crock breaking off since Wonder Teen chipped off the handles. I'd love to have one that comes with a mini crockpot. I was thinking that I'd like a double or triple one, but then I realized that they are only 2 1/2 quart size. I need the big one. I also need a new digital camera, since I broke mine. That's quite a list for me. Oh, and the boots that I want, too. I have all kinds of "wants" right now for my feet- not that most of them will get satisfied. I'd love a chestnut pair of ankle boots to wear with jeans, and a suede pair of slouchy boots in a nude tone.

I've been cooking a lot today. I made a double batch of waffles, and a big batch of bean and cheese burritos- all for freezing. For dinner, I am making a fruit salad with the bargain pineapple that I picked up and some omelette's. I think that I am going to go window shopping tonight. I'm not in the market for buying anything, but I just need to get out of the house and go somewhere besides the gym.

I don't think that I blogged about them, but when I re-orderd my Bass Freeway's I also got some Bella Vita Vera's in brown suede. The soles on there are very comfortable, and the width seems good. They were a little snug on the tops of my big toes (weird spot to be tight), but I think that I have managed to stretch them out enough to be comfortable there and I am looking forward to wearing these. If these are as comfortable as I think thay will be, I will seriously consider duplicating them in another color.

Tuesday November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

I had a very sweet comment from Michelle yesterday, who said that I inspired her to go back to Weight Watchers. Congrats on your decision Michelle- I wish you the best of luck on your weight loss journey!

It's funny- I have had a couple of different comments (both online and IRL) asking if I am at my goal yet. Honestly, I'm not anywhere near my goal yet. My current weight is just passed the point of "obese" according to the BMI calculator, and that is not where I want to be. My next mini goal is to cross over and get into the "overweight" category (how sad is that- overweight is my next goal LOL). It feels like I've been working on that for some time now. It took me a year to get where I am now. I am only halfway to my goal, so I think that it will be another year to get there.

I had another good shop last night. We stopped at Vons to get some fruit, since they had some good deals. I got a 5 pound box of Satsuma Mandarin oranges, a pineapple, a bunch of bananas, and a bag of Gala apples for under $10. Not bad. I was thinking that even if I had paid cash at Stater bros and CVS (instead of having a giftcard and voucher), my total would still be under $60 for all of my shops yesterday. I'm actually thinking about cancelling my Grocery Game subscription and going it on my own. With my new coupon binder, I have a lot of coupons other than the newspaper ones to use. I can get most of the same information on free sites, so why pay?

I'm so bummed- 6pm.com had these boots that I have been in love with for some time on sale for $21.95 today, and now they are sold out of my size. Not that I was going to buy them today, but sometimes when they have a really good sale they repeat it again. I will just have to watch and see if they go on sale again. Maybe they will get more in stock. I'm not even sure they would fit my calves, but for $22 I would try them out. I also found a coat at 6pm that I kind of love. I'm going to go and look at Kmart this week. They have coats 40% off, and they have layaway. Last year, I found a nice cream colored puffer coat at Kmart for around $40 because it was 40% off. It's really warm, and decent quality. I'm hoping that they will have something that will work for an everyday coat for me. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a coat that might not fit next year.

Angie of You Look Fab did a blog post today about her fall Mom on the Go formula #4, so of course I have to put some of those looks together for myself. The formula is:

jeans+ tunic sweater+ leather/pleather jacket +ankle boots (with numerous variations)

First, a look that sticks strictly to the formula-

Sudini heeled ankle boots, DKNY Soho bootcut jeans, patterned tunic sweater, chain link necklace & pleather jacket

with loafers-

pewter loafers, Levi's, teal tunic sweater, polka dot scarf & pleather jacket

with Converse and non sweater tunic-

Converse, Levi's, striped tunic, floral scarf & pleather jacket

With a blazer and ballet flats-

Sofft ballet flats, Levi's 505 jeans, cowl neck tunic top, thrifted blazer and stone choker from World Market

I like some of these better than others, but it's a starting place.

Monday November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Monday again. My weight is actually up a pound from last week (Halloween candy!), but in the month of October I lost 4 pounds, and that is right on track. I was hoping to bump that up until Thanksgiving, but I am just happy to be losing again at this point. My measurements are exactly what they were last month, so no change there. This last week was really difficult for me. On the cold days, I found that all I wanted to do was eat. I'm not used to being hungry like that. I'm sure that as colder weather sets in, I will have to make some adjustments.

I wore my new Levi's 505 straight leg jeans yesterday. I wanted to see if they would stretch out like many non-premium jeans do. I had them on several hours, and I didn't notice a stretch. They were so comfortable that I forgot that I had jeans on. The rise is nice and high, and there is just enough stretch. They were on the loose side, and way too long even though I bought a Short inseam- so I washed and dried them on hot last night. Now they are perfect.

I'm wearing the jeans again today since we have grocery shopping with multiple trips to do. I went to CVS first, since I had a $25 giftcard from them. I had high hopes of rolling that giftcard into even more money with ECB's, but this week it just made more sense to pick up anything off my regular list that they carry. So, I came home with 2 loaves of bread, 2 dozen eggs, half gallon of milk (for potato soup), a bag of dried apricots (for Princess Stomping Foot), a bottle of vanilla, a box of freezer bags and a bottle of ibuprofen- for FREE! I still have a couple of dollars left on the giftcard, too. Then I went across the street to Albertson's and got Turkey Italian sausage and cat food. I both were on sale, and I had $1 off coupons for both. My total for that was around $7. Not bad for my first trip of the day.

Here's what I am wearing:

Converse all stars- $35 on sale at Famous Footwear

Levi's 505's- $28 on sale plus coupon at Kohl's

Green Top- $8 on clearance at Old Navy

Fly Away Cardi- $15 on sale at Old Navy

medallion necklace- $10 at World Market

GRAND TOTAL= $96

I had to take the cardi off before we even left the house- it was too warm. It's really nice today. Next trip out, I hit Stater Bros. and Winco. I don't have Grocery Game lists for either of these stores, so this was just deals that I figured out on my own. When The Rusty Knight brought our recyclables in, he got a voucher for Stater Bros. I knew that I didn't want to spend much more than that voucher, and it worked out well. They had Bar S hotdogs on sale for 69 cents a pack. It's a really good price, but I had two $1/2 packs coupons so I ended up getting those for 19 cents each. They also had flour and sugar on sale- $1.49/5 lbs. I bought two each of those and also picked up a bag of shredded cheese that I needed. I paid 39 cents for the whole thing. We picked up the rest of my needs list at Winco- for $13. I still have a pineapple and mandarin oranges that I want from Vons. We can get those on the way home from dance tonight. I will probably have to pick up some things on Friday, but getting the bulk of the week's groceries for under $25 is pretty cool.

Friday October 30, 2009

2009-10-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what I wore yesterday:

Pewter Loafers- $22 on sale at 6pm.com

Skinny Jeans- $16 clearance plus coupon at Old Navy

Striped Tunic- $8 sale plus coupon at Old Navy

Long Sweater Vest- $8 on clearacne at Target

Turquoise Necklace- $10 at World Market

GRAND TOTAL= $64

I missed my gym time yet again this week. I can see how hard it's going to be to drag myself to the gym in the wintertime. Thursday, we left the park around 3:30 with errands to run on the way home. We didn't get home until 6 o'clock. I stopped at Kmart to pick up some soda that they had on sale, and only realized as I was putting it in the car that it was the wrong kind and I will have to go back and exchange it (didn't want to do it at that time). We made a snack stop at a yogurt place. It's a fun and relatively healthy snack, but it gets expensive really fast. I told the kids we could stop if they could have a small yogurt, rather than a gigantic bowl full. This place charges by the ounce, so they only stock huge bowls. If you just put a small amount into it, and get a sprinkle of toppings- it's a healthy portion size and doesn't cost a lot. I told the kids that I would be more willing to stop there again since they were able to do that. All three bowls only cost us $6. Next on the list was Target. I had promised Princess Stomping Foot that she could make some pumpkin cupcakes to bring to therapy group on Halloween, and I thought they might have the cake decorating items that we needed on clearance. They didn't have what we needed (luckily, because I had a big brain fart and forgot that my oven is not working and there is no way that I could have baked cupcakes). They did have the sweater that I am wanting in stock, so I got to try it on. I definitely want it, but I have decided on the dark brown color. It would go with all of my tops, and so I would get more use from it. They only had the raspberry color in stock, so I didn't buy it. They also had just the tights that I have been looking for, but not in the size that I need. None of the other Targets seem to have these. Then we made a second stop at CVS. I had seen a coupon in their ad for a $25 giftcard for transferred prescriptions, and Wonder Teen has a new scrip for allergy meds. I had brought his new scrip to Super Target earlier this week with the intention of transferring it to get the G/C. The pharmacist almost didn't give me the card because it is a new prescription, but I told her that I had it transferred so she did. The scrip cost more than the G/C. We're up to $70 a month on prescription meds for the kids. My migraine meds are another $30 if I start taking them again. I think that I got a bad batch the last time, but I haven't talked to the pharmacy about it yet. That's $100 a month for medicine- *after* our insurance pays it's part!

Wonder Teen had found some Yugi Oh! cards that he wanted at Target, but since I didn't buy anything he didn't get them. I told him that we would stop at the other Target on the way home so that he could look there. I found two nice scarves on clearance for under $4, and I picked up some Halloween candy. I found a bag of candy that neither The Rusty Knight or I really like (no chocolate). I can't believe that I hadn't thought of this trick before. Now, we have candy for Trick or Treaters, but we won't be tempted to eat it all. I have to remember to do that every year. By the time we got home, I couldn't make it to my class at the gym.

Even though my Shopping Ban is supposed to go to the end of the month, I am officially calling it "over". I found an online coupon for JC Penney's, so I ordered that white shirt. It's on sale right now ($21.99 down from $36), and with the coupon I got it delivered to my local store for under $18. It's a good price, and it will be a workhorse piece. I just hope that it fits. I also bought those jeans. They are on sale right now, and I had a coupon for an extra 15% off. It makes the price pretty good, and it's another item that I will wear to death this winter. I found the tights at another Target, and ordered silk long underwear on clearance. I'm waiting to see if Target gets the sweaters in the color that I want, and then I will go back on a shopping ban for November- sans baselayers, winter loungewear/gym wear, undergarments and hosiery. I'll also except a coat, since I really need one.

Here's what I am wearing today:

Denim Jacket- $25 on sale at Target

Engineer Boots- $30 on sale at Target

patterned hose- $8 on sale at Target

BCBG Dress- $27 at Ross

Borwn Cami- $5 ons ale at Old Navy

Turquoise Necklace- $10 on clearacne at World Market

GRAND TOTAL= $110 (without jacket-$85)

Wednesday October 28, 2009

2009-10-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

I realized yesterday that my Shopping Ban will be over on Sunday! I did pretty well- only buying some shoes that I hadn't accounted for (but really needed- and got a great deal on). The Rusty Knight had wanted me to extend it through November with the caveat that I could get an outfit for Thanksgiving. I don't really need an outfit for Thanksgiving, but I do need several basics that I can toss together into an "outfit". I'm thinking of making that deal with him. Here are the pieces that I have my eye on:

twist front button down shirt in white from JCP, Levi's 505 straight leg jeans in a dark blue wash from Kohl's, a wool cardigan in teal from Target. I really want a pair of boots too, but I'm not going to push my luck. Maybe I can get those for Christmas. That's the first pair of boots that I have found that may actually fit both my foot and my leg, is real leather, and has styling that I like- oh and costs less than a new car.

Actually, that *would* be a great outfit- and I could wear my new turquoise necklace with it. Of course, it would probably be too warm still on Thanksgiving, but maybe for Christmas.

We had wind advisories yesterday, and today there are frost advisories. I feel bad that our outside cat still has no house (Rusty is supposed to take care of that), but there is a playhouse that he can go in to get shelter. He's been breaking into the patio, and Rusty will not be happy- but maybe it will cause him to get the house built.

Tuesday October 26, 2009

2009-10-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

It never fails- if I find an easy recipe for something new, one of the kids will hate it. I had something planned for dinner last night that needed to be baked in the oven. When I got home from the grocery store, I realized that the oven is not working and I would have to make something else. I had found a recipe for crock pot lasagna, and had bought ingredients to make it later in the week. I decided that I would just have time to make it if I cooked it on high. I took some jarred pasta sauce and poured enough to cover the bottom of the crock pot. On top of that, I placed a layer of oven ready lasagna noodles, a layer of frozen Italian style vegetables (squash, broccoli, cauliflower and baby carrots). I combined a container of Mascarpone Cheese with half of a block of Mozzarella cheese (shredded) and a couple tablespoons of Italian salad dressing. I placed that on top of the veggies, added another layer of noodles, the rest of the pasta sauce and the rest of the shredded cheese. I cooked it on high for about three hours, and it was good to go. I was surprised that it cooked so well- just like a regular lasagna, but a little harder to serve. The rest of the family really liked it, but Wonder Teen hated it. I served it with just a salad, but maybe next time I will make garlic bread and Italian sausage so that Wonder Teen can have that instead. I think that I'll try fat free cream cheese instead of the Mascarpone next time. I'm thinking of dipping my toe into the world of canning, and if I do- I will try some homemade pasta sauce.

Today is windy here. Yesterday, it was in the 80's, today is supposed to be in the 60's. What's funny is that yesterday morning it was freezing in the morning, and today it wasn't cold at all when I got up. It's supposed to be even cooler tomorrow, but then back up to 80 on Sunday/Monday. I guess we should enjoy the last of the nice weather before it really gets cold.

Here's what I am wearing:

Snakeskin Print Ballet Flats- $18 at Kmart

Skinny Jeans- $15 clearance plus coupon at Old Navy

Button Down Shirt- $12 at Sears

Boyfriend Cardigan- $17 on sale plus coupon at Old Navy

Medallion Necklace- $10 on sale at Cost Plus World Market

GRAND TOTAL= $72

Angie at You Look Fab's blog post today (by a guest blogger) is about her Fall MOTG Formula #3= dress, tights or hose and tall boots. I am a bit shy on hose and boots in my wardrobe (and making a note of it), but here are some variations that I pulled together for myself:

Paisley Dress

Boyfriend Cardi

Textured Hose

Brown Boots

Chain Link Necklace

Blue Wrap Dress

Brown Cami

Textured Hose

Brown Boots

Turquoise Necklace

and for some reason, the photo of my last outfit didn't take-

giraffe print dress

denim jacket

bead necklace

textured hose

brown boots

Monday October 26, 2009

2009-10-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

Monday, Monday......

It's weigh in day again. I am down a lousy .4 lbs. I shouldn't complain, since The Rusty Knight brought home pizza AND a coffee cake from Costco last night (and I ate some of both), but I was hoping for more of a loss.

We spent yesterday evening getting the new fridge and washer/dryer situated. The fridge sticks out a lot more than the old one, and is slightly wider. The freezer doesn't really hold any more (although it's much more organized), but the fridge part does. The door shelves are nice and big. I had one whole shelf full of Rusty's olives. It was a little ridiculous, and I pointed it out to him. He agreed, and tossed out a bunch that he was never going to eat. All of the condiment/sauce bottles fit on the door now, and there are two large crisper drawers and a smaller drawer. This should work well for us. The old fridge is on the patio now. We have to find a better placement for it, but it doubles the room. It will be really nice for Thanksgiving. We're putting the new washer/dryer through their paces, too. We have a lot of laundry to catch up on.

Last night, the house was kind of a mess from the weekend, but the kitchen was really a wreck. The kids forgot to do their bedtime chores last night, due to all of the commotion. I knew that it was going to take the better part of the day to deal with cleaning up the mess and getting through the laundry, plus we have our normal stuff to do. Princess Stomping Foot has dance at 5, which means that dinner had better be made before we leave for dance, and I also need to go grocery shopping. Rusty asked me to come and get him early at work so that he could keg his beer, and I was really upset. He was pretty persistent, until he figured something else out in his head. His taking the bus sucks, but when he interrupts my day to have me come get him, (which he has done a lot lately) it really affects my ability to get done what I need to around the house. He doesn't understand that it takes me most of the day to get everything done. I don't get my housework done and then sit around for several hours. We get up and do morning chores, try to fit our Yoga in, take showers and get dressed, do schoolwork, do housework and errands, and then it's time to start dinner.

Here's what I am wearing today:

Navy Converse- $35 on sale at Famous Footwear

Micro Check Pants- $16 on sale plus coupon form JC Penney's

Threadless T- $5 on sale

Denim vest- $18 on sale at Sears

Bead Necklace- $10 at Cost Plus World Market

Boyfriend Watch- $10 at Target

GRAND TOTAL= $94

Saturday October 25, 2009

2009-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

You know how everything around the house breaks down all at once? Yeah. We're going through that. The dryer has been pulling buttons off of clothes and making holes by things getting caught on broken pieces of the seal on the door, the washing machine completely gave out, the dishwasher is on it's last legs, the oven won't turn on, and the car is leaking oil. The Rusty Knight is on his way home from picking up a side by side fridge and washer/dryer from Craigslist right now. This will give me some extra room in the freezer, and a working washer/dryer at least. That's good, because I made some vegetable broth in the crockpot last night, and rice crispy treats today- all for the freezer. I can't make enough waffles to keep up with the kids demand for them, and I still haven't found a great granola bar recipe. Some days I get so tired of cooking.

But, I did have a good CVS shop last night. I went into the store and scanned my card- it printed a $5 off a $15 purchase coupon. I already had a coupon for a free item (either chocolate bar or disposable toothbrushes), and some Extra Care Bucks. So, I grabbed a huge bottle of Excedrin Migraine (I was out and that's what I was there for). It was $16.79, so that gave me a high enough total to use the new coupon. I found the free chocolate bar, and played both of my coupons and all of my ECB's. The shelf price would have been $19.31, but I paid $4.82 out of pocket. That's a good feeling. The Rusty Knight went and turned in the cans and bottles that we have been saving and got a voucher for one of the grocery stores. I want to see how well I can play that one, too. I think that I am going to Ralph's this week- they had the deals that seemed to work for me, but I also need to go to Target. They have Viva paper towels on sale, and we really like those. They are great for cleaning

I have been getting my newspaper at The Dollar Tree since I found out that they carry the Sunday paper (for one dollar- 50 cents less than anywhere else). When I stopped to get the paper, I picked up a couple of stocking stuffers for the kids. I found squishy balls and heads, magic tricks and decks of cards. I ordered t-shirts for them when Threadless was having their last $5 sale, but I am hoping they have another one to get some for the cousins as well. I also picked up $5 DVD's at Target a few weeks ago. I keep scanning the Dollar Spot at Target for things- I found a totebag for Her Ladyship. I ordered a puzzle book from American Girl for Princess Stomping Foot's stocking. They were having free shipping, and this book was on sale for $2. My total was $2.18 to have the book shipped and everything. That will probably be here Tuesday, along with the shoes that I ordered. Last week I picked up some games that were on sale at Target. I told the kids they were gifts for their cousins, but I may change my mind. One of the games is the new Rubik's puzzle, and Wonder Teen was pretty interested in that. It might find it's way into his stocking. I don't have a lot yet, but it makes me happy to at least have a start. I was hoping to go to Michael's tonight and see what they had. There is a 15% off coupon that is only good today from 4-8pm. I might be able to find some more stocking stuffers.

Wednesday October 21, 2009

2009-10-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

Can this week just be over yet?

Hormones and stress are really flying, and I would just like a long Sunday afternoon to get over them. I'd also like to borrow a supportive spouse for the weekend, because mine just isn't getting it right now. I told the Rusty Knight that I am so stressed out that I am having physical symptoms, and all I got was a blank stare and the sound of crickets. Thanks for that support, honey.

We had Wonder Teen's follow up appointment at the doctor today. His X-rays were fine, but his blood test was positive for Rheumatoid Factor. It's possible that means nothing, but with his other symptoms the doctor wants him to see a rheumatologist, and I want him to see a pediatric specialist. We're already waiting for everything to fall into place for an appointment at Loma Linda. He can go to the same clinic that Princess Stomping Foot goes to for her GI specialist. Yay- more stress!

I haven't been sleeping well lately. The other night I was headed to bed early, and I asked The Rusty Knight to make sure that he shut down the computer and took the dog out on his way to bed. He guffawed loudly as if I had asked him to do a high wire act instead of a couple of routine actions. I mean, seriously- shutting the computer down?!? I love him, but his parents did not do right in raising him. He had been having problems with his new bus schedule in the morning. He missed the bus one time, but several other days he has ended up not eating all day because he didn't have time to get food for breakfast or lunch before he left. I actually had to tell him that he needs to get his things ready the night before- iron his shirt and get his clothes out, pack his backpack and make his lunch. He is an intelligent man, but he does not know how to organize and prepare for his own life in the most mundane ways. Sometimes I wonder how he survived before he met me. This morning, I found his snack from last night still on the side table in the living room, his coffee cup in the bathroom, his plate on the keg-o-rator, and his cereal box on the kitchen counter. He thinks it's funny when he forgets to pick up after himself. I don't think it's so funny.

I got to wear my new necklace today:

Navy Converse- $35 on sale at Famous Footwear

Micro Check Pants- $16 on sale plus coupon form JC Penney's

Teal Button Down Shirt- $12 from Sears

Turquoise Necklace- $9 on clearance at Cost Plus World Market

Fly Away Cardi- $12 on sale at Old Navy

Boyfriend Watch- $10 at Target

GRAND TOTAL= $94

Tuesday October 20, 2009

2009-10-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

We go back to the doctor tomorrow to get Wonder Teen's test results for his back. Last week I was able to get him to actually do the Yoga poses, and he has not been complaining about his back. I pointed that out to him, and he isn't protesting so much about doing it. We're using a video from Baron Baptist, and it is very similar to my classes. It's challenging, but also easily modified.

I just got a letter from he post office that they are "providing" us with a central lock box for our mail. I'm so mad. Our block is one of the few around here that doesn't have one of these, and we really wanted to keep it that way- so did our regular mail carrier. This was his only exercise, as the rest of his route is all lock boxes. Our lock box is not even on our block- it's going to be such a pain.

I onlt had my clothes on for a couple of hours yesterday, so I slightly modified them for today:

Leather Boots- $40 on sale at Target

Skinny Jeans- $15 clearance plus coupon at Old Navy

Striped Tunic- $8 sale plus coupon at Old Navy

Suede Belt- gifted

Gold Wire Wrapped Necklace- $10 at Cost Plus World Market

GRAND TOTAL= $74

Monday October 19, 2009

2009-10-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

It's Monday- weigh in day. I am down a pound from last week, but since I was down 2 pounds most of last week that kind of sucks. I had a glass of wine last night (Port- Rusty actually found a wine that I like!), and a piece of fudge, so if I am back down tomorrow I will just count that.

Yesterday, we had to go to the mall. The lens from Princess Stomping Foot's eyeglasses fell out and we lost the screw to put it back in. They fixed it up at the eyeglass shop no problem, but since we were at the mall we wanted to look around. I needed new running shoes for the gym. My hips have been bothering me again, so I knew that it was time. Unfortunately, they didn't have anything available in a wide width. I think that what I found will be fine, since they are very comfortable.

The Rusty Knight wanted chocolate, so he and the kids picked out a bunch at the candy store. I was good, and didn't get any (although I did have that piece of fudge). The kids wanted to look in the Halloween store (creepy!), and the book store. I found little sets of magnetic bookmarks that I will probably go back and get for the kids Christmas Stockings. Every year they get a bookmark in their stocking, but they still never have one to use, somehow. I found one for me, too- it's a miniature Persian carpet.

I made The Rusty Knight stop at Cost Plus World Market on the way home. I told him that instead of candy, I wanted a necklace from there. I have been watching a turquoise one since they first got it in. It started out at $25, then got marked down to $19, and now was half off of that. I found a couple other necklaces that I liked, a throw blanket that I want for the couch, and some dining chairs that I like (all of which I left there). We signed up for their emails, and I have a 10% off coupon from them. I will probably use that for stocking stuffers for myself.

A while back, I ordered some pewter loafers from 6pm.com. I really loved them, and tried to make them work. After wearing them a few times, I realized that they are just too big. I've been waiting for them to go back on sale and yesterday they did. This time, they were even lower in price. I ordered a half size smaller in those, and a pair of brown suede ballet flats. I am starting to realize that my feet have shrunk up a little bit again and most of my shoes are not working so well for me. Sometimes I feel like I will never find a pair of shoes that are comfortable for more than an hour.

Here's what I am wearing today:

Snakeskin print ballet flats- $18 from Kmart

Gray leggings- $6 on sale at Kmart

Striped Tunic- $8 sale plus coupon from Old Navy

Suede Belt- gifted

Gold Wire Wrapped Necklace- $10 at Cost Plus World Market

Boyfriend Watch- $10 Target

GRAND TOTAL= $52

MOTG Fall 09 Formula 1

2009-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Angie at You Look Fab did a post devoted to the first formula of her 10 flop proof series for fall. I decided to put some of my own wardrobe into this formula and take pictures of the combinations.

Here is what I came up with:

DKNY Soho jeans (which I think that I have finally decided to hem)

Teal button down

Khaki fly away

Turquoise necklace

snakeskin ballet flats

Pewter Loafers

Skinny Jeans

Boyfriend Cardi

Graphic T

Flower Pin

Pewter Loafers

Boyfriend Jeans

Graphic T

Boyfriend Cardi

D)
Snakeskin Ballet Flats

Soho Jeans

Gauze Top

Khaki Fly Away

Watch

Leather Belt

E)
Bronze Ballet Flats
Soho Jeans
Print Gauze Top
Boyfriend Cardi
Watch
Leather Belt

Friday October 16, 2009

2009-10-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to figure out how to get pictures from my camera to the computer. I've been working on my Coupon Binder, so I thought that I would share my progress and ideas about that today.

I had heard people on different blogs/message boards talk about coupon binders, but I really didn't know what they were until I saw a video on the Pinching Your Pennies site. I was sold within the first minute. Even though The Grocery Game has you file full coupon inserts and clip the coupons only when you are about to use them, I still end up with coupons that I print from the Internet, find in packaging, or get on register receipts. I also sometimes end up with clipped coupons because my list store was out of an item. This system will allow me to see all of the coupons that I have quickly and easily, as well as storing the full inserts for use with The Grocery Game, and store specific coupons.

The only item that I am still missing from my binder is tabs. We may have some somewhere, but I haven't found any yet and I haven't been to a store that carries them. Here's what I have so far:

Zippered Nylon Binder

I found this at Big Lots for $9. It has a zippered pocket on the outside, a detachable strap, pen slots and a pocket on the inside. It's a sturdy nylon and I think that it will work well.

Zippered Pouch

I wanted a place to keep scissors, calculator, and and highlighters. I found this one at Target for about $1.50

Sleeve Protectors

I wanted some page sleeves to keep oversize coupons, store specific coupons/rainchecks, etc. I also have my full coupon inserts in these (arranged by date) at the back of my binder. We happened to have these around the house.

Baseball Card Pages

These are really the key to the organization. I found a pack at Target for under $2. The card slots are the perfect size to slip a single coupon into, and since they are clear you can still see what the coupon is for. I have mine arranged by category- dairy, meat, oral care, etc.

When I get my tabs, I am going to have a section for each store where I can pull out the coupons for the week and put them in the store's tabbed section. Everything will be pre-pulled before I get to the store and that will make it easy-peasy.

Wednesday October 14, 2009

2009-10-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Rusty Knight has started his Pre-Thanksgiving cleaning frenzy. He does this every year. He will let things pile up and not put them away, and then instead of actually going through and tossing/filing/donating, he wants to just put boxes full of stuff to be gone through in the garage. Good plan (not!). Yesterday, he had me come and pick him up from work in the middle of the day so that he could home and bring firewood into the house before it rained. I wouldn't call what we got "rain", or even drizzle. It was a thick mist, at best.

Rusty also cleaned up our bedroom of most of the boxes, piles and extraneous stuff lying around. Now there are just a few things left to tidy up, and it will be presentable, but all of the stuff that he took to the garage still has to be gone through. Rusty's dad always wants to use our computer when he's here, and it's in the bedroom. It would be nice if, someday, we can just learn to keep our bedroom clean on a regular basis. I've been trying different methods for the last 15 years or so, and nothing seems to work. *sigh*

I have still been looking for a good granola bar recipe. I got some baking chips on sale (cinnamon and peanut butter), so I tried a new recipe for Low Fat Oatmeal Bars last night. It's more of a cookie bar than a granola bar, but these have come out the best by far. I had to add an extra egg, and use a smaller pan, but they are really delish! I added some cinnamon apple raisins that I bought and the kids wouldn't eat, along with the cinnamon chips. These do have 309 calories per slice as I sliced them, but I think that I could spread the better into a larger pan and make more per batch and thus have fewer calories per bar.

I found another great recipe last night. It was kind of a crazy day, what with having to go pick The Rusty Knight up and all. I wanted a quick and easy meal, but I also have been hankering for some good biscuits. I found recipes online for the biscuits that they serve at that colored crustacean restaurant, and decided to try those. They use a baking mix, which I usually don't buy. They have come out with a lighter version of baking mix, so I bought that to try. These came out really well (even though I made them with soy milk), and the kids want me to make them for Thanksgiving. I made a big batch, and am saving the rest to have with soup later this week.

On the Grocery Game message boards this week, they were talking about becoming a price snob. I find myself doing this. I will be walking through a grocery store, and glance at something that is being advertised as a hot special, and think "That's not even a good price!" I do the same thing with non-grocery items. I am on Kohl's email list and sometimes get coupons from them. I haven't gone to the store for a while, even though Wonder Teen needs bigger jeans. There hasn't been a time where the jeans he likes are on sale, I have a coupon, and they are doing Kohl's Cash. Only when those three things line up do I go there. That is the cheapest price that I can find for them.

Last night when we were talking, The Rusty Knight tried to extend my October Shopping Ban for an extra month. No way, Buddy. I don't plan on going crazy, but I do plan on finding a good pair of jeans for flats, a white shirt, and a new coat before winter hits. I also really need to get going on the gift shopping.

Tuesday October 13, 2009

2009-10-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I stopped at Target. Sure enough- they had Ziploc bags on clearance. I found some sandwich bags that had suns printed on them for $1.63/120 bags. I picked up three boxes, and when I get the $5 rebate back from SC Johnson, they will have paid me 11 cents for 360 bags. Thanks Johnson!

I also found a $10 waffle iron. I have been on the lookout for one, because my kids eat toaster waffles like they were their own food group. I figure that if I can make some and freeze them rather than buying them- I should be able to save enough to send the kids to an Ivy League College.

I'm still working on getting pictures off my phone, but that won't get done today. I have to go pick up The Rusty Knight from work in the middle of the day. I'm not sure why he couldn't just take the bus home, but when he asks I say "Yes, Dear" as much as possible (since that's what I expect him to do for me). I still haven't finished cleaning the bathroom from yesterday, or done the grocery shopping, but tomorrow's another day.

Monday October 12, 2009

2009-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's weigh in day again! I am down 4 pounds from last week. It's not surprising, since my weight ballooned up over Sunday night, and was back down a couple of pounds by Tuesday. Still- it's a loss, and I will take it. I feel like I am in a good range calorie and exercise wise, and the weight will continue to come off if I stay careful. I'd love to make 65 pounds by Thanksgiving. I have to loose 2 pounds a week to do that.

This is my first week grocery shopping on Monday night, and we didn't quite make it through the week with enough food. I had to run to the store yesterday to get something for dinner. Princess Stomping Foot and I have dental appointments this morning, and I am going to hit a couple of stores on the way home. We will need something else for dinner tonight.

I found a big binder at Big Lots last night, and I am going to set up a coupon binder like I have heard other couponers talking about. I probably will take a couple of weeks to get all of the supplies and get it all organized, but I think that it will be so much easier.

Here is a great rebate offer from SC Johnson. If you buy 3 of their products, you get $5 back. You can do this rebate three times, so this is a good one. I'm planning on using it with Ziploc bags, which are on sale this week anyway.

Saturday October 10, 2009

2009-10-10T20:45:00.001-07:00

I'm holding true to my Shopping Ban, but I am adding some heeled oxfords to my post-ban shopping list, along with a white button down shirt and jeans. The Rusty Knight found a memory card that should fit into my cell phone. I just have to figure out how to work that, and I should be back to wardrobe photos.

Friday October 9, 2009

2009-10-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a kind of hectic day. The doctor ordered bloodwork and a spinal X-Ray for Wonder Teen, and I couldn't do it right after his doctor's appointment because we had an appointment to get pictures taken (which we have been trying to do for the last month), and then we had to pick The Rusty Knight up from work so that I could get to my gym classes. We had to squeeze it in before the park yesterday. We have missed the last two weeks of park day due to Princess Stomping Foot's Upper Respiratory Infection, so it was really important to the kids to be there. Of course, we had to go to two different labs, and when we got to one lab we found out that office didn't have an X-ray machine and we had to go to a different one (making it three labs in total). We made it to the park in plenty of time, left from park to pick The Rusty Knight up from work, and got home just in time to slap together some dinner. I left for the gym a few minutes early to drop off Wonder Teen's new allergy med prescription. I did my Yoga and Zumba classes at the gym- 64 people in my Zumba class! After the gym, I stopped back by the pharmacy and picked up both Wonder Teen's prescription and Her Ladyship's. I didn't even make it through an episode of Lost before I was ready for bed. Today we are going on a field trip to a power plant. It sounds like it will be a really interesting trip. I hope that the kids can pay attention and learn something.

I still haven't worked out my camera issues. At first, I was having the kids take pictures with my cell phone, but I haven't even been doing that lately. I'm having fun making outfits form my fall clothes, and also realizing where the gaps in my wardrobe are. I really need another pair of jeans, so once I am off mys hopping ban I will start looking for a good deal on something. Angie at You Look Fab did a blog post on Flop Proof MOTG Fall Formulas recently. I loved her summer series, and I was really looking forward to this post. I was a little disappointed with the formulas though. Part of it is that I am missing some key pieces- like jeans and ponte knit pants, and that is no fault of Angie's. A couple of the formulas are combinations that I just won't be wearing- formulas 2 and 8 for example. I don't know, these formulas are just not as mind blowing as the summer ones were for me. I think that it's just because we have already seen pictures of and talked about most of these combos on the forum.

Wednesday October 7, 2009

2009-10-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

I am down to a new low weight this morning! YES! It's not official until my weigh in Monday, but that brings me up to 52 pounds lost. I don't want to say it, but- plateau busted? I have been having the kids do some Yoga with me in the mornings, and it is really nice (even though Wonder Teen spends most of the time complaining and intentionally falling down).

We have a busy day today- a Dr. apt for Wonder Teen and then we are finally finishing the kids photos at a local park. I also have to run to the back and go to the pharmacy to pick up Princess Stomping Foot's new medicine.

We saw a picture of one of Her Ladyship's dance costumes this week. It's cute- a ruffly button front top and a fringe skirt with fishnets. It also has a wide black waist cinch- I'm not so fond of that piece, but at least it covers her whole body. They are dancing to Pennsylvania 6-500, so it has a retro look. That is always my biggest concern with those costumes- just let them be covered and not be too sexy. And, of course- let them not be too expensive. I think this one is going to be on the expensive side. The class has multiple levels, so the choreography is split and so are the costumes. One group will have pants and the other has the fishnets and skirt. The pricing came back for all pieces for each costume at $130. They are waiting for another quote, but I am wondering how much they are going to knock off for just the pants. I can't imagine that it will be more than $30, so it will still be around $100 for that costume. Luckily, she only has two costumes this year. I haven't seen what her other one looks like yet. We just paid our first costume deposit for the year- $25 per costume. Another one is due in a month, and then the balance is due in December. I noticed that we are supposed to order a hair bow and dance shorts for the Winter Concert. We already have the shorts, but I need to remember to order the bow. Of course, the teachers will want them to have some kind of same shirt that we will have to buy, too. It's just always something for dance. I was writing down all of the extraneous fees for the year, just to see how much they are (not counting tuition) If we do all of the competitions and shows, we will spent about $1000 for the year- above and beyond tuition. I'm going to start trying to sock away a little bit each week for dance stuff. Then, when things come up for dance- we already have money put away. I may have to wait until after the holidays to do that, though.

I guess it's a good thing that I am lowering our grocery bills. The new medicine that Her Ladyship needs has a $50 co-pay per month. Our insurance didn't even want to cover it, but this is what her doctor thinks will work best for her. I'm trying to get started on my holiday shopping, but all of these extra expenses that are coming up are killing me. My grocery bill is going down, but there's always something there to replace it.

Tuesday October 6, 2009

2009-10-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Alecia from Size 10 Chronicles just posted her measurements. I measured myself yesterday as I do on the first Monday of every month. I am actually smaller on the top half of my body than she is (a couple inches on both chest and waist), but everything else is very similar. I would never have thought that from looking at her- she looks much smaller to me. The weird thing is that she is walking around in jeans two sizes smaller than I wear. Size comparisons are bizarre. I dropped 3 pounds overnight. Which means that I am down a pound from last week's weigh in (why couldn't that have been yesterday?). I think that means my new calorie range is on target. I hope so!

Now that the fall TV season is in full swing, we have downsized our Netflix subscription and are watching a couple of reality TV shows online. We're following The Amazing Race (Go Team Zev!), Survivor, and Dancing With the Stars (UFC Champ Chuck Liddell is a favorite with the boys). The kids and I also watch Ugly Betty. We wish that The Big Bang Theory was available online, but can only find clips. I'm trying to catch up on last season's Desperate Housewives so that I can start the current season, and The Rusty Knight and I are re-watching the whole series of Lost so that we can watch the last season with a fresh memory. We've re-watched Lost several times already. The first time through, it's a sit on the edge of your seat and don't blink kind of show. There's so much going on that you are afraid to miss something. At this point, it has turned into a bit of a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We talk back to the characters, give everything away when the other person draws a blank, and generally get raucous and silly. It's a whole new experience, and I still don't know if I will remember it all when we get to the end.

I wanted to share an easy crock pot recipe that I made yesterday:

Crock Pot Beef Stew

This is one of the easiest and best crock pot dishes that I have made.

Cut up 3 potatoes, 5 carrots and 3 ribs of celery, and half a large onion and place in bottom of crock pot. Put a package of beef stew meat on top of the vegetables and cover with sauce. (Sauce= 1 can tomato paste, a squeeze of brown mustard, a dash of paprika, a capful of Liquid Smoke, Spike seasoning to taste, and enough vegetable broth to give it a liquidy consistency- cooked over low heat until combined) Cook on low all day and enjoy.

No leftovers=good meal

Monday October 5, 2009

2009-10-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's currently 34 degrees. I guess this is what they mean about the desert being cold at night and hot in the daytime. Still, it was pretty nice yesterday and is supposed to be the same again today. I could do without the wind. You can't have everything.

It's weigh in day, and I am embarrassed to say that I am up two pounds this week. But, I've lost two inches from my waist in the last month. Last night, the Rusty Knight and I were able to sit down and re-work our schedule. I'm not getting up at crazy hours to go to the gym anymore. We worked out three days that I can go get two classes in back to back, so that will have to do for now. I've changed my calorie range on my nutrition tracker to reflect this and hopefully it will get my over this plateau. It's great to know that I can maintain, but I am still only halfway to my goal.

Sunday October 4, 2009

2009-10-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS- they had my coupon organizer with all of the coupons in it at the grocery store!

BAD NEWS- my digital camera died.

I am finished with my grocery shopping, and I am worn out! Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest, but I get up early to get the newspaper, do back to back classes at the gym, come home and shower and have lunch, and then I organize my shopping materials and hit the stores. Today was a smaller shop for me- I didn't even go to the drug stores, but I did hit Super Target. One of the stores had apples for 49 cents a pound this week. I got four big bag fulls because Wonder Teen eats 4 or 5 apples a day. A lady asked me what I was going to do with all of those apples. I said that I am going to hope there are still a few left at the end of the week.

I've been taking pictures on my phone, but I don't have any way to upload them as of yet. Here's what I wore today:

Clarks Unstructured- $35 on sale at 6pm.com
Skinny Jeans- $15 clearance and coupon from Old Navy
Safari Dress- $18 on clearance at Target
Stone Choker- $10 on sale at Cost Plus
Boyfriend Watch- $15 at Target

GRAND TOTAL= $93

I was a good girl at Target. I didn't even look at the clothes, except for the bra and panties that I was after. Thank God for cheap Target bras that are comfy and fit. I've dropped another cup size, and there's no use investing in nice bras right now. I'm hoping the panties that I bought work as well for me. Lately, my underwear just don't fit right. The ones that are tight enough to not fall down when I bend over don't cover my ample backside. Instead of a boy short, they end up being a Tanga on me. I spotted these higher rise boy shorts with a longer leg at Target and wanted to give them a try. It hurts to have to pay $5 for one pair of drawers when I am used to getting them on sale for under $2 each, but if if keeps me from tugging at them all day then I guess it's worth the price.

Capsule Wardrobe Challenge Day 5

2009-10-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of the capsule wardrobe challenge!

It was fun to do, and even more fun to see what everyone else wore. I'm glad that I participated, and I'm glad that it's the last day- only so that I can dress for the crazy weather without feeling like a cheater. Sunday is supposed to be cool (high of 68!), and I am looking forward to wearing something new and cozy.

Yesterday, I did a bit of pattern mixing with the striped tunic and floral scarf. Historically, pattern mixing is not something that I do. I sometimes like the look on others, but it is one of those looks that I am picky about. I don't wonder why this is. I grew up in an area that was populated with many refugees from Vietnam (my classmates), and this was a look that they often wore. I think that part of it was just cultural, and part of it was that many could not afford to be very choosy. Either way, it was a look that was negatively associated in my formative years and I have a hard time shaking that. I am trying to get over it, though.

Here's my last capsule wardrobe outfit:

Madden Girl Glads- $18 at Famous Footwear BOGO sale

Clamdiggers- $15 at Lands End online overstocks (altered)

Cord Tunic- $10 on sale plus coupon at Old Navy

Boyfriend Watch- $15 at Target

Leather Belt- $10 at Gap Outlet

Wood Bead Necklace- $5 at Payless SHoes BOGO sale

GRAND TOTAL= $63

Wonder Teen insisted on a "funny" shot today.