The Veleber Chronicles

I have moved!

2010-05-06T01:26:00.002-04:00

please refer now to http://www.loveinourhome.wordpress.com

it's our new blog!

Nica

2010-04-25T18:10:00.002-04:00

Read and see pictures here about Todd and I's mission trip to Nicaragua last week.

Springtime

2010-04-11T18:07:00.004-04:00

Springtime in our house means Easter, Brock's birthday, new beginnings, a garden, and lots of sneezes and itchy eyes!

This is my first year for a garden (from seeds!)

Brock's 11th birthday- and Cole started walking on this day!

First egg hunt

Jakey finds some eggs (lots of them)

Through the ups and downs of our earthly lives, the joys, the tears, and all the discoveries our family has yet to come upon, we trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He is the reason we have life and have it abundantly. We will not truly discover all he has in store for us until we are in Heaven with Him, but he has a plan and a purpose for our daily lives as we seek to find how it is that we are to serve Him and others.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

It's Go time

2010-03-28T09:13:00.002-04:00

Todd and the boys enjoyed running in the Gate River Run! Todd ran the 10k, Brock did the junior run (1 mile) and the little boys did the baby races. It was fun :)

Brock crossing the finish line

Daddy helping Cole make a run for it

The men proudly display their awards

The whole family together

Top 'O the morning to ya!

2010-03-17T14:28:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: well, all my cut and paste pictures from google images are now question marks... will have to redo this post with my own material i guess!

Even though we are feeling a bit under the weather around here, St. Patrick's Day is here and I like to do a few fun things with the kids!

I hope to make these today... you can find the recipe at FamilyFun.com aren't they so cute! And cheap!

I also found a recipe for organic homemade play dough that I want to make too! The boys will love this!

While I was surfing, I always find cool craft websites. Check this one out:

Has lots of handmade stuff, sewing stuff, and kid's craft ideas...

http://thelongthread.com/

Finally, I printed out this cute coloring page for Jake and maybe Cole to color. Even if we don't get to the cupcakes or the play dough, I know I can handle getting out the green crayons!

Here's an article on St. Patrick from the History channel (we have to have a purpose in doing all this stuff and learn something while we're at it!)

http://www.history.com/topics/who-was-saint-patrick

Things I've sewn

2010-03-07T17:31:00.005-05:00

I'm fairly new to the sewing hobby, but I just finished Cole and Jake's matching outfits and had to show them off! I thought they came out cute, and were fairly easy aside from a few mistakes requiring a seam ripper. I made the shorts reversible. That was difficult, and I will jab out my eyeballs before going for reversible again!!

Jake and Cole patiently modeling the clothes

I did not make the t-shirt (duh) but I did make an applique out of the shorts fabric and heat n' bonded it to the shirt along with a satin seam around the edge.

I made these pretty burp cloths a while back for some friends expecting little girls

This apron was made from a friend's pattern, Darby, who I love to read about what she is sewing and see if I can do it too!

Excuse the Christmas morning pj's and hair, but I made the little boys travel pillows out of fleece. (fleece is not the best fabric to work with)

There's a couple more things, a travel pillow for Brock, rice heat therapy bags for my family for Christmas, bean bag eye packs. I am really enjoying making things, but it really bugs me to have something sitting around waiting to be finished, so I usually end up staying up really late to finish. Oh well, I can sleep when I'm dead huh????

Go Pink Team!

2010-03-02T15:14:00.004-05:00

If you haven't been watching NBC's The Biggest Loser this season, go check it out! My dear friends are the pink team this time. Ashley and Sherry have been on a very long journey since last October on the show and they have done awesome! I know them through my life long friend Cyndie, who is their daughter and sister. Cyndie and I were best friends since 7th grade and were in each other's weddings etc. She is my children's "auntie".

The show comes back on tonight since the Olympics are over at 8/7c on NBC.

here's a good link to catch up on who they are:

http://www.guesswhowins.com/Biggest+Loser/Ashley%20Johnston

Go Pink!!!

Love in the Home

2010-02-23T16:25:00.002-05:00

“Love in the Home”

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in it’s place,

But have not love, I am a housekeeper --not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,

But have not love, my children learn cleanliness—not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love is present through the trials.

Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child,

Then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Love is the key that opens salvation’s message in a child’s heart.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I rest in God’s perfection of HIS glory.

As a mother, there is much I must teach my child,

But the greatest of all is love.

----Author Unknown

When you can’t see above the mess, look into the eyes of your children. Take their cheeks in your hands and look at the details of their faces. When we’re caught up in life, we miss their faces.” Then remember what the Lord says: “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Cowboy Birthday

2010-02-15T14:41:00.005-05:00

Can you imagine being one year old and wanting to eat the whole cupcake in one bite?

My sweet little cowboy had a party yesterday. He ate his cupcake with delight. The WHOLE cupcake!

He also really enjoyed opening presents and gifts!!

Me, the mom of course had to decorate for the occasion:

We had fun eating cake and hanging out with grandparents, uncles and an aunt that could come celebrate with us!

Yesterday at church, Todd had the privilege of baptizing Cole. It was a very special and unique moment in our family. We are so thankful for all of the Lord's wonderful blessings to us.

Happy First Birthday Cole

2010-02-05T15:00:00.004-05:00

One year ago today we welcomed our third angel into our family. I have since then thanked the Lord for such a wonderful, happy, sweet baby. Cole has been such a joy to take care of and watch grow. If only I could freeze these moments with him and put them away for later (like when puberty sets in!). I guess I'll have to enjoy them while they last.

He is like this pretty much 95% of the time. The other 5% is either sleeping or hungry. (the child can EAT!)

Happy First Birthday my precious angel. Mommy loves you! ( I promise I'll read this to him later!)

Walk down memory lane and check out Jake on his first birthday:

Digital photography had not made it's debut when Brock turned one, but he is a little carbon copy as well!

Happy Birthday Todd!

2010-01-27T22:18:00.000-05:00

We LOVE you!!

From your family

Garage Salen'

2010-01-27T21:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not a die-hard when it comes to garage sales, but man they are fun to scope out! It always amazes me that people flock to google over other people's junk. I came across this darling white rocking chair for $1.50 at a neighbor's sale. YES that is correct, one dollar and fifty cents. I snatched it up and hurried to pay for it before they changed their mind! It was fun! (the rest of the stuff there really was junk)

These photos depict my desire to take wonderful professional looking photos, but reveal that I have a point and shoot camera that I have no idea how to mess with the settings... therefore the pictures come out looking grainy, then, I mess with them even more in iphoto and the blurred edges start to make them look slightly cheesy! Oh well! some one please give me a few pointers!

Vote for Them!

2010-01-22T22:11:00.005-05:00

I entered my little angels in a modeling contest. A mother has to gush and do silly things like this!

*UPDATE: after further looking into the rules, the winners are not picked from votes, they are picked from the agency. (like a real modeling contest should be!) Hopefully they'll catch the judges eye!

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

11 months down, one more to go!

2010-01-19T15:29:00.003-05:00

Sweet Coley Bear is 11 months old!

He is such a joy and is loved by all.

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-23T14:00:00.003-05:00

This year for my birthday and Christmas, my dear husband surprised me with a trip to New York City! It has always been a dream to be able to go see all the sights. Especially around Christmas time! Boy did we see everything! From all the sights in Manhattan, to Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx! We were really familiar with the subway system by the time we left!

Rockafeller Center

In front of the big tree

Radio City Music Hall

Christmas Stockings

THINGS 1, 2, & 3!

So you see we have been busy but we have been up to some fun while we're at it!

From our family to yours, have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

Sing along

2009-11-09T16:25:00.003-05:00

Jake and Cole are having a good time with the froggie,then a surprise from Jake at the end!

Another year under our belt

2009-11-04T12:05:00.004-05:00

We trick or treated the boys this year. It was a strange mix, Joker, Robin, and Superman. Batman was not around this year! Brock insisted on riding his bike along with the wagon that I pulled. He wanted his cape to "float". I knew it would get caught in the wheels but I decided to let him figure this one out. He spent the night doing a standing style ride to keep it from ripping off! Jake wanted to stop and eat every piece of candy that went into his bucket. His face was covered in chocolate when we got back home.

This being Cole's first year to dress up and go out with the big boys to trick or treat, he sat by patiently and accepted his bag of goldfish gratefully!

This is Brock at his last game of the season. (sniff sniff, no more 4 day/week practice!) He is #12, he is quarterback and keeps it for a running play. Please note, this is not ESPN and I am not a professional videographer! Here's to another wrap up to sports. Basketball starts in T-minus one month and counting!

Worth Mentioning

2009-11-04T12:00:00.003-05:00

I thought this was worth mentioning in the scheme of all things going on around here. Cole is MOBILE! Just last week he went from flopping around like a frog to making his way across the room by way of crawling. The honorable mention goes to when I didn't realize he could move, he was in the floor, and I went to open Jake's door after he woke up from nap. When we came back 30 seconds later, I found this:

Not only did he make his way over to the table, but he climbed on the shelf and had a seat! How cute!

It's Fall Ya'll!

2009-10-19T23:11:00.005-04:00

The little boys got to explore the Pumpkin Patch today. Jake was really excited about all the pumpkins he could carry, throw, step on, and fall over. Cole really liked the straw on the ground. In every picture, he is eating some he picked up off the ground whenever I would sit him down.

Oh and the wagons. I guess they are supposed to be for really big pumpkins that you buy and have to haul to your car. But Jake and a couple of his buddies put as many little pumpkins in the wagon as it would hold and lugged it around the lot! Oh well, makes for some good cheap entertainment! After all the gathering, I asked Jake, "do you want to pick one of the little ones to take home?" He said "naw, but i gotta potty," and pulls his pants down right there and starts to tee tee! I quickly herded him over to the nearest bush where hopefully we were out of sight. (Although I think the cashiers saw us because they were snickering when we finished with the bush).

It was a chilly 45 degrees this morning. FINALLY some fall weather ya'll!

Coley bear. Eating straw again.

Don't you love wagons?

2009-10-19T23:00:00.000-04:00

#12

2009-10-09T15:27:00.001-04:00

Here's Brock in his uniform before a game. He's been doing great at his games and really loves football.

Momma's boys

2009-10-03T21:37:00.001-04:00

Jake's Birthday

2009-10-03T21:18:00.002-04:00

Jake had a few friends come over and play for his party...

I made him a "pizza" cookie bday cake.

All his family came to see him.

It wouldn't be a September Saturday in Tallahassee without a shout out to the 'Noles...

Football Season

2009-10-03T21:11:00.005-04:00

There's a new football player in town

Brock's first season of tackle football is officially under way!

He has started off the season strong, playing defense, full back, running back, and quarterback already. Today he scored his first touchdown. He is so excited. Here's to a fun season. Go Raiders!

Hey Folks!

2009-09-12T20:54:00.004-04:00

Hello to all of you wondering what is up with us... we're here! There is much to update you on:

The boys are up to their usual monkey business

Cole has turned 7 months and is sitting up now (he will still topple easily though)

He is still a precious angel.

He is doing his "frogger"

this is his first stages of crawling- putting his knees up like a frog and bouncing. I am not anxious for him to be mobile. Take your time little boy... take your time.

Brock started his 5th grade year, and Jake stared 3 year old preschool. We're back into the swing of things!

Cole's 1/2 birthday

2009-08-05T23:11:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe it's been 6 months since this little angel was born.

Playing with toys in his bed

Jake, Cole

Reed, Cade

good buddies!

Rock and ROLL

2009-07-21T22:33:00.002-04:00

Jake skated today! It was his first time and he was a pro toddler-skater by the end. Yes, he had the skates that go over your shoes, but don't they all start out that way? We went to a friend's birthday party so he got to try it out with all his good little buddies. Cole "hung" out and watched the skaters.

Jake loved to watch the big kids skate. Cole patiently looked on!

The skates came off in the end and were fun to roll around by themselves

Some of the good buddies

Cole is 5 months!

2009-07-21T21:43:00.003-04:00

Well he has been 5 months since July 5th, but he crossed a big milestone yesterday. His first solid food! What a big boy! Ok, not really. He's not really sitting up yet so I had to recline the high chair back. But he slurped that baby cereal down in the blink of an eye! He was so ready to eat. Pictures to document the occasion:

This was what was left after his first bowl.

He was so serious about eating, but he was all smiles when he finished the second bowl!

Of course brother Jakey had to put his two cents in. He wondered why I set up his chair for Cole. He wanted to sit in it and eat the baby cereal. I gave him a bite of the baby cereal and he made a yuck face and said "I don't like that". That was the end of wanting Cole's food! (for now)

In case you were wondering...

2009-07-07T20:26:00.005-04:00

Between blogging from vacations, I have been doing LOTS of stuff! For one thing, I finished spring cleaning back in May and have struggled to keep it half way decent since then! We have had a few nights of dinner guests, and I have been putting in my few hours at work every week or so. Jake is in most of the pictures because he is who is home with me all day. The baby is around, but he mainly sleeps like an angel in his bed. Bless his little heart.

We got out the fingerpaints today since it was raining. Surprisingly, not too big of a mess!

Jake wanted to wear an apron like me when we were making the cake batter

My version of "puttin' up corn". I had a little dish for dinner and it was delish! The white corn is the best! I had shucked some ears but had not cut and milked it yet in this pic.

My version of turkey meatballs. Nothing special, made with ground turkey. But they are really low in fat and more healthy than regular. They still taste great though!

My version of Strawberry Cake. Technically it is supposed to have blueberries up in the top left corner to resemble and American flag, but I was fresh out. So we had a starless cake. Cake tester Jake gave it two thumbs in (you can see on the left side where he stuck his thumb in before the pic)

Lastly, the blackberries. We tried to go pickin' blueberries, but went to the wrong place. They had blackberries instead which I am not too fond of, but I said what the heck, I'll pick some! Then, we found out the blueberry place was closed. Oh well, I'll have to settle for imported pints at Publix!

The Fourth

2009-07-06T20:22:00.003-04:00

After hitting the beach for some much needed R & R last week, we came home to celebrate the fourth. Just in time for fireworks!

Jake and Brock celebrating with "harmless" fireworks.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:14:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to my dad. From where I get half my looks and half my personality! You have been one of the sweetest men in my life and have taken good care of me through the years. I love you Dad!

Happy Father's Day to my sweet husband who also happens to be a wonderful father. I love you!

Update from the past month!

2009-06-13T17:13:00.005-04:00

We took our family vacation last week and had a really great time. We went to Orlando and visited Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. They were two great parks and the boys got to do a lot of fun things. Here's the highlights!

Jacksonville zoo

Swimming. We did lots of swimming. When it's hot in Florida, what else is there to do?

Cole got in on the swimming action too. His first time in the big pool!

Jake is still learning to swim, but he is so brave. Jumping in off the side is no big deal! Hopefully he'll be a regular Michael Phelps by the end of summer!

After two theme parks in two days, this is what the boys looked like the morning of the 3rd day. (Todd and I looked very similar)

I'll admit to thinking this before I saw the sign... then I couldn't resist the picture!

Woody Woodpecker... he had a GIANT head!

We love Dr. Seussland and the Cat in the Hat!

Jakey- he's non-stop (really he doesn't stop)

Here's to a great kick off of summer! We're looking forward to more swimming, lazy days, hot dogs, and watermelon!

Just Pics

2009-05-12T14:30:00.002-04:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day with my boys! Still working on the spring cleaning so I can't write much these days but there are plenty of pics to go around! Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-07T16:03:00.003-04:00

Spring Cleaning

2009-05-06T10:32:00.003-04:00

I posted a few weeks back about how my house was in total disarray after the new little one arrived. Now that he sleeps through the night (yes, it's a miracle!) I figured it was time to get my house in top shape for the summer break! I am doing a sort of spring cleaning party and I am following an organized schedule to try and get it all done. I didn't take before pics, but there were some before pics a little while ago! If you want to check out the system, visit simplemom.net and she'll walk you through the plan!

The "Right" way

2009-05-01T09:04:00.002-04:00

Be sure to visit my friend Autumn's blog. Mrs Right politics has what you are looking for for "right" conversations about the latest in the political world!

Jake

2009-04-26T22:08:00.003-04:00

Our Easter Pics

2009-04-19T09:40:00.001-04:00

Easter Story Cookies

2009-04-11T15:49:00.000-04:00

I have a very creative friend Darby and she posted a cute cookie recipe for Easter and if you have kids (or not) it is a great illustration for the cross!

Good Friday

2009-04-10T23:13:00.000-04:00

As the Holy Week draws to a close, tonight we can reflect on the work that Christ did on the cross for all of us. It was this day about 2000 years ago that God's son Jesus was tortured and died on a cross and paid the price for our sins. He did this so that we could have eternal life.

But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Todd and I enjoy listening to Pastor Mark Driscoll out of Seattle and he did a great sermon on Easter last year. You can watch it here.

Great discovery

2009-04-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across a new blog that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and thought I may share it with anyone interested! Simplemom.net. It is essentially a home management type blog that includes anything from kids, to money, to menu planning, to composting. This is especially helpful to me right now trying to figure out how to balance this life that can seem very out of control at times (since I can look at my day and say "what did I do for 14 hours?").

Here is a link...and I have added it to my fave blogs. Enjoy!

http://simplemom.net/resources/new-start-here/

Funny Mom stories

2009-04-10T09:33:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine has a sister that lives in Texas. She wrote a hilarious post on early Motherhood and I thought it related very well to the stage of life that I am in! You can read her post here

or I have posted the funny part for you to laugh at (or with) me!

Whine and Cheese

Whine: Two children. Six weeks. Five ear infections. Eighty doses of antibiotics. One bottle of kiddie Motrin. One bottle of something else. . . . (I mean Sprite, for goodness sake. What kind of mother do you think I am?)
Cheese: SPRING! It’s here. In Texas, these are the BEST DAYS ALL YEAR. I had almost forgotten there was a whole ‘nother world out there. Filled with non-television-ways to entertain my children. Too bad it’ll be over by May 1st and we’ll have to head back inside lest we all melt directly into the sidewalk. But that’s ok, because today IT’S SPRING. Which is why I took my kids to the movies and sat inside today.

As a SAHM (isn’t that a sassy way to say stay-at-home-mom? I don’t really think so either, I’m just too lazy to type it out) I often get asked The Question. It used to bother me when someone asked me. Mostly because I would look back on my day and have absolutely nothing to show for it. I’d have no idea where those twelve hours of my life had gone. It both confused and terrified me to wonder what had happened to that day in my life. But, alas, after doing this for almost four years, I have found my answer. If someone asked me today, I think the conversation would go something like this:

Innocent Questioner: (trying very hard not to offend but still very curious) So, what is it exactly that you DO all day?

Me: We go to the doctor.

IQ: No, really. I mean, I think I’d just go crazy being at home all day.

Me: Yeah, me, too. Good thing I’m never at home and I’m always AT THE DOCTOR.
Or on the way to the doctor. Or on the way from the doctor to the pharmacy. Or sitting up in the middle of the night taking someone’s temperature and wondering how early I can call the doctor. Or sitting at home within arm’s reach of my phone waiting for the doctor to call to tell me when I can come in and see the doctor.

IQ: (looking baffled and not sure s/he believes me) Oh.

I’ve been told (and I’m sure this is correct) that this stage, too, will pass. I’m sure it will. Only to be succeeded by the drive-them-to-school-and-sports-and-music-practice-and-the-orthodontist-and-because-they-forgot-their-lunch phase. Where are we on developing those alternate fuels, anyway? I’m going to be broke.
But don’t worry, I hear that they eventually get their own drivers’ lisences. Then they drive themselves places. (Still on your dime, of course). But at least then we can finally sit at home and enter the oh-my-gosh-she-hasn’t-called-where-is-she-is-she-in-a-ditch phase, which I’ve heard is the phase that actually never ends, even when they’re 65.
This mothering gig is never going to end, is it? Oh well, at least I have good benefits

Then she has pics of her cute kids "the benefits".

Just too cute

2009-04-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

My sweet little boy- this pic was too cute not to put on here. Just for the heck of it!

Ten and Two

2009-04-05T22:52:00.000-04:00

The boys are ten, two, and two months. Brock turned 10 on April 1st. Cole turned 2 months April 5th. Makes the range of age for parenting very far! Dealing with diapers and loose tooths all at the same time!

Cole 2 months

two-year-old Jake being "Mr underwear head"

"Taympaa" aka Grandpa with Jakie and little boy

Brock opens gifts, Jake helps

Ten candles (one leaning chocolate cake) courtesy chef mom

Museum or Zoo

2009-04-05T22:26:00.001-04:00

We visited the Tallahassee Museum for the first time this past week. Yes, I know we are weird because we have lived in Tallahassee for 4 years and are just now making it out to the place, but I am busy people! It feels kinda funny calling it the museum because there are mostly animals there with a few old buildings, so it's the museum/zoo. Better known around here as the "junior museum". Nevertheless, it was a fun day!

Cole enjoyed himself as he slept the day away

Jake doing his usual bit- running away. (the child needs a leash)

Brock making friends with "billy"

This is why I felt like taking the boys to the zoo, museum, whatever

Cole slept all night (8 hours) in his own bed in his own room!

Everybody playing (or standing and smiling) at the park by the farm area

A quick visit from Uncle Brad!

Got Meat?

2009-03-27T22:46:00.001-04:00

What should you do with left over roast?
you can reheat it, or make sandwiches, but the best way I like to have it is to make Roast Beef Hash!

Ingredients:
approx. 1/2 lb leftover Chuck Roast (with juice) chopped
(or 1 can of Roast beef)
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 C water

mix flour and 1/2 C water together in a separate bowl. then mix all other ingredients in large skillet and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. just before potatoes are done, mix in flour water to thicken sauce.

pair this with any free or cheap veggie and you've got yourself a frugal meal!

Great treasures

2009-03-18T22:01:00.000-04:00

I make a trip to the One Week Boutique every year to sell the kid's junk I am done with and pick up great treasures with the money I make from it! There are tons of good stuff for cheap, including these outfits I picked up for Cole and Jake. Whoo-hoo for frugal bargains for kid's clothes!

Feltman Brothers, Carriage Boutique NEW: $7.00

Kelly's Kids, Ralph Lauren, $5.oo-$12.00

All these were $3.00 each!

You might be a new mom if...

2009-03-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

Your bedroom has become your new living quarters around the clock

Who needs toys when you've got a pillow tent?

The Top Ten reasons my house has been in disarray:

10. It takes more time getting ready to go out than going out itself
9. Your new wardrobe consists of breast pads and granny panties
8. You have to decide how much is too much milk or poop on an outfit before it needs changing
7. All the meals that were brought to you are gone and you can't remember how to cook
6. Cleaning up means you picked up the clothes off the bed so you can lay in it
5. You counted changing 100+ diapers in the last 4 weeks
4. Your maternity clothes are slightly too big, but your regular clothes are WAY too small
3. Everything you try to put on to wear smells like sour milk
2. You only do things in 3 hour intervals, including eating, sleeping, and grocery shopping
1. It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon and you haven't showered yet... (that's no so bad until you realize it's your 3rd day without one!)

I am not a first time mom, this is my 3rd time. But I think every new mom goes through these new changes... with every baby! It does get easier with each one though...

"pay dums Mommy!"

One of my loves

2009-03-17T21:49:00.000-04:00

Is jewelry! I have been a Cookie Lee jewelry consultant for 5 years now.
Contact me to learn how to earn this jewelry for free
brookeveleber at comcast dot net
Check out Cookie Lee's website here
or leave a comment!

Deals

2009-03-17T16:57:00.001-04:00

Papa and Jake (with hair-do)

Excited about the deals I will get this week! ha ha

My CVS trip: saved 50%

My Target trip saved 50% on all the Quaker items

I know it looks like a lot, but I did leave some for the rest of you this week! There are TONS of Quaker bars, cereal, oatmeal, and rice cakes left!

I got the Gillette shampoo/body wash totally FREE

To see all the deals, check out my friend Ashley's new and improved website:

Frugal Coupon Living

Family visit

2009-03-16T15:46:00.000-04:00

We had a fun time visiting with grandparents this weekend!

The kids, Nana, Papa, and Grandmama lady

My Granny, aka "Lady", meets baby Cole for the first time!

Due for more...

2009-03-12T16:13:00.001-04:00

When life with 3 abounds, there are bound to be crazy days ahead. Adjusting to 3 has had it's ups and downs, but we are slowly getting the hang of it. I have had the camera out to snap a few precious moments of this first month with baby Cole. Big brothers help out with one of his first baths! Who knew bathing a baby would be so fun (and something to fight over as well!)

I do love the new baby wrap I got- a "Sleepy Wrap... it is so so comfortable and Cole loves being in it (despite the pic where he is crying!) I have had all carriers from a Snugli, to a Baby Bjorn, to a one shoulder sling, to a Hip Hammock, and I rate my Sleepy Wrap five stars!!!!!! Sleepywrap.com

The double stroller- we have already been enjoying walks in this and it is very nice to maneuver around the neighborhood. It's no too wide and has comfortable handles. I haven't tried it out on errands, but am sure it will be good.

Mclaren Twin Techno I think...

My children have a premature balding thing they go through. Cole lost all his hair on top at about 3 weeks old. Now he has the old man/clown wig hair style. I don't mind the hair falling out, I just wish it were all of it or none. It looks strange when it is just the top! It will grow back in about 9 months. Until then, it's hello comb-over!!

Cole at 1 month

2009-03-09T17:07:00.001-04:00

Tallahassee coupon mom on Dr Phil!

2009-03-01T12:34:00.000-05:00

Don't miss my friend Ashley on the Dr Phil show on Monday March 2! She will be sharing her knowledge of coupon-ing, saving money, and will be helping a family cut their grocery bill in half. We are praying this will also be a wonderful opportunity to share her faith!

Her blog is FRUGAL COUPON MOM and is listed to the right in frugal blogs. Go here to see the details.

Cole at 2 weeks old

2009-02-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

Valentines and Bike rides

2009-02-22T16:04:00.001-05:00

Brock gets excited about his treats for V-day

Cole looks on wishing he had teeth so he could eat some candy

Jake with a mouthful of chocolate laughs hysterically at his little dog that flaps it's ears and sings

Yummy Valentine brownie treat for the boys (and for me!)

Daddy and Jake on my bike with the baby seat attached. This seat was purchased at a garage sale for $8. It was a deal. We just now have put it on! I haven't been able to ride for a while of course, but I can't wait to take little Jake on a ride. When Cole is old enough, he'll have his turn too!

More pictures of Cole

2009-02-08T13:29:00.000-05:00

We made it home!

Big brothers check out little brother

My delivery team

Newborn picture time

Mom and Dad moments after the birth

He is precious and has been a very good baby. I am truly blessed to have him here and he is perfect!

He's here!

2009-02-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

for more pics. check out the link to the right that says "todd"

Happy Birthday Todd

2009-01-28T16:55:00.001-05:00

The hubby celebrates 33 years today. I feel very lucky and blessed to have him in my life. Especially since he continues to work hard all day, then he comes home and helps pick up the extra slack that I am not able to do right now. What a sweetheart!

We threw him a little home celebration last night since he has Wednesday night commitments. He got a new hose pipe. It was what he requested. I guess when you hit mid-thirties, you start getting more and more practical with the gifts! (Actually he has always been this way!)

It was somewhat difficult preparing for the small celebration because I have been put on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy for high blood pressure. But I had plenty of help from Brock, who loves getting ready for a party and a surprise!

Brock helped decorate while I cooked for the festivities.

I got out of bed and made a cake for him. Yes, it's wasn't part of my bed rest orders, but I had to make myself useful for something! I promise I got right back into bed after we finished celebrating! The cake was good and moist and so worth getting up to make!

Name Games

2009-01-22T15:21:00.000-05:00

This is the cradle we will be using for the new baby. It is very special because it was given to me from my grandmother when I was born. Several babies have spent their first nights at home in this cradle. Including my brother, some cousins, and both of my children. I don't know how old something has to be to consider it an heirloom, but I am going to call it my heirloom cradle! Above are all the names of the babies in my family that slept in it so far.

Speaking of names... our little boy officially has been named:

Cole Hunter Veleber!

I absolutely love these feather boa wreaths. Especially to welcome a new baby instead of a fake satin bow with little plastic babies and bottles on them. (no offense if that is your style!)

I saw how expensive they were to buy in a gift shop and decided to make my own instead.

I was so excited to see that it came out looking very similar to the gift shop version! We'll use it to greet visitors then hang above his crib for a while.

What have the rascals been up to?

2009-01-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Brock started his second basketball season... go buddy!

Brock and Jake helped me figure out how my new baby wrap works.

Since we got potty training out of the way a few months ago, I decided to go ahead and try the big boy bed with Jake. He loves it so far. He stays in bed all night too! If I can just figure out nap time, we'll be set.

The last rascal picture is courtesy of the dog, Angel Grace. She got a hold of a party blower and had her own blowout.

NIne months... almost there!

2009-01-19T15:49:00.001-05:00

We are making some preparations around here! (finally)

The guest room before making room for baby

The baby's "area" until the little boys move in together

Jake is demonstrating proper car seat use

Made it to the ninth month. Technically I have another 4 weeks from this point(36 weeks)... but hopefully it won't be that long!

Stats: baby is in head down position

weighs about 6 pounds

pounds gained: just about 30 lbs

cravings: now it is just plain junk food with the occasional healthy snack. it's bad

cervix: 4/60/-2 (don't be alarmed if you don't know what this is)

contractions: occasional to frequent. nothing to get excited about yet

Making room... the extra closet. now baby's closet

Nine month pose

God, will you tweak my to-do list?

2009-01-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

I have been doing more praying and talking with God over the past 6 months. I did a 40 day devotional (that took me about 6o days or more to do!) and God showed my many things. I have tried to commit daily time either in prayer or in His word or both. Todd gave me a new devotional Bible that I am excited about because it allows me to get in the Word in a small manageable time frame. I know once the baby gets here I will be struggling with this time until a routine is in place.

Anyways, the email devotion I read today is a great example of what I am praying I don't become. I can get way too enthralled with the little tasks of the day (errands, cleaning, carting kids around) and find myself just getting through the day without any real connection with my children or my husband (which is the most important thing to me). With a new baby coming, yes, it will be a little chaotic for a couple weeks, but I am striving to live daily on what He gives me and what it is that He wants for me. In other words, I am asking God, "will you tweak my to-do list"??

Go to this blog

and check out what the writer has to say about women and moms who think they are striving to please God paired with too much in their lives.

Baby Face

2009-01-08T14:58:00.001-05:00

35 1/2 weeks

The technology we have available these days amazes me. Pretty soon we'll be able to stick a little thing on our belly and watch our baby on TV! Yesterday I went to the doc for a weekly ultrasound (I have to do weekly checkups now) and after she was done checking on little sweetie, she whips out another ultrasound probe and his face pops up on the screen! It looked so life like. I have never gone and paid to do the 4-D ultrasound, and saw a quick snip of Jake with it when he was about 5 months. The tech probably laughed at me when I left because when she showed me, I blurted out, "it's a real baby!"

We are getting closer to deciding on a name. We have it narrowed down to Cole or Caleb. We'll see which name prevails!

PREGNANCY BRAIN MOMENT:

I ran into Publix to pick up 2 bottles of V8. That was it, so I walked up to the front to pay. I was walking to the parking lot when I thought, "why don't I have a bag?" I had walked right out and forgotten to pay!! When I sheepishly went back in and paid, I told the cashier what I had done and she was like, is this your first child? I said no, my third. She just laughed. She must know it gets worse the more you have!

Happy New Years 2009!

2009-01-02T14:38:00.001-05:00

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Frugal Christmas Crafts

2008-12-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

I decided to make these frugal gifts for friends and family. They were easy and very inexpensive to make. A few of my friends and I decided to follow our friend, Darby and make the really cute chocolate covered pretzels. I also made little bags of brownies for our neighbors and tied ribbon around boxes of cider spices. They are so cute and I am proud of myself for taking some time out to make some fun and crafty gifts!

Camping Trip!

2008-12-22T22:06:00.001-05:00

Nothing like a good old fashioned campout in the back yard to get your Christmas spirit going! This is what the boys decided to do tonight. Jake was out for a little while, then came in to go to bed. The real men (Brock and Todd) are going to brave the freezing cold for a while until Brock gets too cold. Then they'll come on in the house.

8 Months

2008-12-18T22:30:00.001-05:00

This picture was appropriate to take in front of our Christmas tree. It's not only to be festive, but to illustrate how I am feeling at this point. Very large near the bottom, and decorated with "new" ornaments. Or one really big round belly.

The stats:

baby weighs 4 lbs

has decided to turn head down (yay!)

21 lbs gained so far (not bad)

blood pressure: good

swelling: not there yet

cravings: cannot get enough chocolate (this is not different from when I am without child!)

energy level: pretty good (except for the nasty 2-week cold I just got over!)

cervix closed (if you don't know what this is, don't worry about it!)

8 more weeks to go and this being my 3rd of course I have not prepared the house like you do with your first or second. His things are currently in the attic. Check back next month for what I have actually done to get ready for this child! AND maybe he will have a name by then!!

Some things worth blogging about

2008-12-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

Jake at his preschool Christmas Program this morning. He did fine standing up there, but did not sing. Instead he saw daddy and "reached" for him the whole time! It was still cute as pie. This outfit was passed down from his older brother Brock who wore it when he was two and looked just like Jake in it!

This was my birthday "cake". It was a slice of Dulce Le Leche cheesecake... yum.

Me and the boys on my birthday. Yes, I made them match and pose with me. Hey-it was my birthday! Todd was trudging through the snow in Germany that day. He was on a mission trip!

Brock as "Ferris Wyler" in his Christmas musical at church. Can you tell he was supposed to be "very intelligent". Or you could say a nerd.

One of our Christmas Photos for this year.

Merry Christmas from the Velebers!!!

New Couponing website

2008-12-06T12:30:00.001-05:00

Be sure to visit my friend's new couponing website when you are looking for freebies and deals. Her name is Ashley and she has been a frugal for many more years than me!

http://www.frugalcouponmom.blogspot.com

The Advent Season is here

2008-12-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed this short devotion on Advent...

The word “advent” means “to come.” So the advent season we are entering is a time of preparing for Christ to come. Figuratively, we are to see ourselves in the place of those who sought the newborn Savior: the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna. This season becomes a time to turn our hearts towards the practice of seeking Him. And indeed, during this festive time on the calendar, many hearts are turned, and many intentions renewed. This is part of the excitement of Christmas!

In the gospels, Jesus refers to the Church as His bride. He speaks of a day when He will come for the Church and there will be a wedding ceremony like no one has ever seen! In the midst of a struggling economy, failing marriages, and brokenness everywhere I look, that is a vision that motivates me beyond my circumstances. And yet, is it a vision that is kept within the confines of Christmas? Or can we look for Jesus to come all year?

When Jesus used the marriage analogy to describe His relationship with His people, He knew that His listeners would attach certain cultural perceptions about marriage to this word picture. In Biblical times, it was common for an engaged couple to spend a year apart. The bride would spend time with her mother and other women she respected, learning to run a household and getting prepared, becoming a student of the desires and expectations of her groom. She took this time very seriously as she readied her heart and life for what was to come. The groom also spent time preparing. He would spend his time making a home for them to live in, the place he would bring his bride to with pride. Both parties had a pivotal role to play.

What a beautiful picture this is for the Church and her Bridegroom! Christ has, as promised, gone to prepare a place for us. While we are apart, we can trust that He is working to build something beautiful. But we have an equally important role to play. While we are apart, we must learn what it takes to be His bride. We must study Him, learning how to keep His house in a way that pleases Him. This is not merely a suggestion, but an expectation. We can’t lose that expectation in the shuffle of changing times and cultures! We know that He keeps His promises, so we can trust that He is building our house for us. Don’t we want to be a bride who is prepared?

~Marybeth Whalen

Battery central

2008-11-22T22:36:00.000-05:00

I have enough Duracell batteries to last me 5 years. And they were all free!

Tonight at CVS and Walgreens, I saved $113.79 and only spent $21.94. CVS had a deal on batteries :buy $20 worth of Duracell batteries and get $15 Extra Care bucks back. This was too good to miss, so I got my $20 worth and headed up to pay when the lady told me I could do this 3 times, I got $40 more worth! I had gift cards from prescriptions to pay with, so I paid $0 for $60 worth of batteries. Yes, it was glorious. I picked up some 2 liters and cheap toilet paper at Walgreens and that's where I spent the $21.94. Anyways, it was a good night. Here's to next week's deals!!!

7 months

2008-11-19T16:09:00.000-05:00

We're on the home stretch! I have made it to seven months. Everything is still going well with the pregnancy. I had an ultrasound yesterday to check growth, and he weighs 2lbs, 2 oz! What a little squirt he is for my stomach to be this big! I have a long ways to go still. I did better on the weight gain, only 4 pounds this month. But, watch out! My pound-gaining has yet to hit it's peak! Stay tuned for more updates.

FYI- I am into the pregnancy picture thing. What better way than to capture the memories of that huge lump than to take some fun pictures. I had a friend take these and then edited them to look more professional. I guess you could say my frugal ways are seeping into other areas of my days!

My Frugal Friday Trip

2008-11-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

Walgreens trip

Publix Trip

Yesterday at Walgreens and Publix, I did pretty well. My original total would have been around $270 and I only spent $88!

At Walgreens:

Original Total $174.76

Saved $71.62 in coupons and store savings

Used $ 62.92 in gift cards

Paid $ 40.22!

At Publix

Original Total $95.29

Saved $46.90 in coupons and store savings

Paid $48.39!

I recently subscribed to Leaving Excess.com and this was a quote from her shopping exerience:

"My philosophy: keep it simple, make it quick and limit the trips necessary. If I am using my time, gas and energy to hunt down every deal, I wind up tired and leaving too much undone at home."

And I totally agreee! I spent about an hour and a half at both stores together. And I had my list and coupons ready. I didn't buy anything but a couple items that were not on sale/have a coupon or both. Not only is it fun saving money, but I enjoy being a good steward of God's resources He has given our family. It is a blessing for me to be able to work very little and stay home most of the time to take care of our children and home. I want to do everything I can to make the most of the income we are bringing in. This not only allows me not to have to bring in much extra income, but we are able to give our money to others, support different ministries, become debt free, and save more. Yes, this grocery game is more time consuming that just walking up to the store, but I would rather be using my time and energy to save us money than using my time spending it!

You can do this! Just go to some of the frugal blogs on the right and start making your list and printing your coupons!

Happy Shopping!

Insightful devotional

2008-11-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

I get a devotional email everyday from Proverbs 31 and really enjoyed the truths this one had to offer:

Even a Great Husband Makes a Very Poor God
Lysa TerKeurst <http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/speakingministry/speakerteam/LysaTerKeurst.php>

“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God…”
Leviticus 18:2 (NIV)

Devotion:
I’ve often wished I could travel back 16 years ago and give my “young bride self” some advice. But since that’s not possible, I love sharing what I’ve learned with others.

Recently, I had dinner with a 28 year-old friend who would love to one day be married. During our time together the conversation flowed freely about all sorts of things. Blogs. Writing. Leaving your comfort zone because God said so. Biscuits. You know, girl stuff. And then we moved on to the subject of relationships and marriage.

I shared with my friend that when I was single I thought marriage was all about finding the right partner. I thought if you find "the one," you'll be happy, secure, and fulfilled. I do think it's good to have a list of standards that you look for in a spouse. However, it can never be with the expectation that if you find that special someone, he'll right all your wrongs and fill up all your insecurities. The problem with this thinking is the pressure it will eventually put on your spouse.

To expect another person to make you feel happy, secure, and fulfilled will leave you disappointed at best and disillusioned at worst. Even a great husband makes a very poor God.

Only God can settle those deep heart-needs. A man can never do this. If a husband could meet every need his wife had, we'd have no need for God. Therefore, instead of just focusing on finding the right partner, let God work on your heart to help you become the right partner. The time to start working on becoming a wife is now. Before the white dress, delicate bouquets, unity candle, bacon wrapped shrimp, and reception punch, there is some heart stuff to consider:

Getting married doesn't instantly make you selfless... it makes you realize how very selfish you can be at times.

Getting married doesn't make you feel loved... it makes you realize love is more of a decision you make than a feeling you feel.

Getting married doesn't take away loneliness... it makes you realize true companionship comes not when you demand it but rather when you give it to another person.

So, what does marriage give?

A beautiful chance to make the choice to ...

Laugh whether or not the jokes are funny.

Love by folding his collar over his tie every morning.

Pretend like you don't need flowers, but delight when he buys them anyway.

Cheer him on through both failures and successes.

Tell him he's a great man everyday.

Thank God for the privilege of being his wife.

After our time together, my friend thanked me for our talk. She said it gave her a lot to think about. To be honest, it gave me a lot to think about as well.

Dear Lord, only You can fill my heart, right my wrongs, and make me feel loved. I pray that You would show me how to keep my expectations of my husband in check. Help me to be the wife he desires. And help me to remember that marriage was never meant to make me happy all the time. Marriage is a decision to honor You by honoring the one you’ve entrusted to me to be my husband. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Click here to visit Lysa’s blog <http://lysaterkeurst.com/> today and read about how she met her husband.

Capture His Heart <http://shopp31.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5> by Lysa TerKeurst… perfect for those married or those just thinking about marriage!

The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained <http://shopp31.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3> by Lysa TerKeurst

What a Husband Needs from His Wife <http://shopp31.com/whatahusbandneedsfromhiswife.aspx> by Melanie Chitwood

Application Steps:
If you aren’t married yet, think of some ways God might want to work on your heart before marriage.

If you are married, think of a way you’ve tried to get your husband to fill a need that only God can meet. Pray and ask God how you can rely on God for this need instead of your husband.

Reflections:
Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I could be a great wife if only my husband would…”? Or, “If only I was married, I could really be…”

Remember, it is impossible to control what another person says or does. Therefore, waiting for your spouse to change in order for your relationship to get better, will only cause frustration. If, however, we take responsibility for our own actions and reactions, God can help us make real progress.

Power Verses:
Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)
Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (NIV)

Money Tree

2008-11-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

After looking at my spending habits over the last few months, this is what I feel like I am growing in the back yard! I was so excited today to find I had saved 50% in my grocery shopping! From mid-August to mid-September I spend $487.79 at Walmart on groceries plus whatever else I bought there (junk). From mid-September to mid-October, I spent $272.99 at Publix! Wow! That is cutting my bill in half. My goal is to become an even better steward of our grocery money and spend even 50% less per month! Apparently, it is possible with wise shopping and deal- seeking! Who knew it would be so fun and such a challenge while doing it!

Pantry looksie!

2008-11-03T15:29:00.000-05:00

Publix: spent $2.94 cash (saved $27) forgot the 3 cans of biscuits in this pic

So I felt weird at first posing pictures of food on my table, but saw other blogs that did it and was so proud of my purchases, I did it anyways. But now I feel really weird putting a picture of my pantry on here. I had several people in response to my "deals and couponing" conversations ask me, "what does your pantry look like!!" So here it is, not overflowing at this point, but it is well stocked. Notice the 8 boxes of cereal in the bottom, the many cans of Muir Glen tomato sauce (all free) in the middle, and the very cramped top shelf with all the pasta, rice and potatoes at the left. The freezer looks similar. I try to keep the fridge open so I can store leftovers from meals. I only cook about 2-3 times a week now which is lovely since it is not my favorite domestic duty. But we don't eat out very much and we do eat dinner at church on Sunday and Wed, so that makes up for not eating out at restaurants. I will do a survey of the last 3 months grocery bills and compare to the previous months before that to track my progress. This has been not only a frugal adventure, but a fun one!

Mr Pumpkin

2008-11-03T15:01:00.001-05:00

Typical- Trying to be good pumpkin carvers and hold still for a picture

Our Mr. Pumpkin

Isn't he cute? We all pitched in and cut, scraped, and dug out the insides, then Todd did the carving with the knife (the kids are too young and I am prone to accidents of this nature)

Then... the next night was Halloween!

This is the "team" all dressed up. Strange combination but it worked for us! I dressed up as a nurse. I worked earlier in the day and didn't even have to change clothes! I was SO creative this year. They boys had lots of fun and got a ton of candy. Good thing Jake isn't old enough to eat very much of it- I get to "help" him and eat what he is "too little" for!

This was the boys last Halloween, Jake had just taken a few of his first steps. They have changed so much!

Walgreens

2008-10-21T16:03:00.000-04:00

This week at Walgreens I came across a few deals to share:

These are simple to do... you may get different coupons in your area.

No pics today, but you can picture these items in your head :)

At Walgreens:
The Pampers sale seemed like a good deal to me too. I got 2 packs of Pampers jumbo size for $7.50 ea
Sale for $9.99
Use a $1.50 off Manf coupon.

Phantom Fusion Power Men’s Razor $.99 (HAS to be the one in the picture in the weekly ad)
Sale $8.99
$4.00 RR
Use $4.00 off Manf coupon from a Sunday paper (no idea which week, maybe this week)

PERT make a $1.00!
Pert 2 in 1 on sale for $3.49
Use easy saver coupon for $2.50 off
Use coupon in paper (this week I think) for $2.00 off

I got the Alka Seltzer Plus Cold w/$5 RR no problem (FREE)
I read on a blog where it had to be the original formula- and it worked!

Cheapest Gallon of Milk :$3.49
Mac and Cheese $.69

The diapers made my OOP total a little high, but still saved $24.92 and spent $13.54 on my sale items.
I will be getting $42 back on my gift card for next month's deals! My goal is to only use gift cards for the month, so I need to pace myself better!
Don't forget Walgreens is offering a $25 gift card for each transferred prescription right now.

Our "thyme" at Rosemary Beach

2008-10-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

We stayed in the little green house behind this big house

Brock making a "stadium"- this was his choice instead of castles this trip

One of the gorgeous views from my chair

Jake standing in the stadium

Todd and Brock caught a crab. When we took a good look, we discovered it was a she and was carrying eggs. She got to go back safely to her sandbar home.

This past weekend, we had the privilege of visiting a friend's beach cottage in Rosemary Beach. The weather was gorgeous and we did get to enjoy the beach. It was a tad chilly with the wind blowing, but the boys hopped right into the surf anyways. I of course relaxed under the umbrella with my chair and magazine. Jake really loved the ocean and wanted to "squmin". We had a great time just getting away for a couple days. Hope not to stay away too long!

PS Did I mention I love, love, love my new digital camera? It's an ELPH Cannon Power Shot, like the one in the commercial with the tennis player and her cute dog. It takes great pics and I can push the button and the camera captures the moment! Wow! It is a big step up from the Kodak Easy Share and well worth the few extra bucks.

Progress- 6 months!

2008-10-19T21:24:00.001-04:00

At 24 weeks, we have hit the third trimester! It has not been too tough I guess. Being pregnant is a lot different when you have a two year old. I feel a lot more worn out. When I am tired and need a minute or two to rest, NOPE! I have to keep someone out of the pantry or from escaping out the back door or something. It was much easier the first and second time around! All is well though and we are still discussing name possibilities. I have a favorite name, but we are going to ponder and think for a few more weeks before making a final decision!

*Late entry* Went to my check up today. Everything looks good now except I gained 10 pounds in a month! I had lost a couple pounds last visit from being sick, but still! My midwife was like, Wow! I am going to have to save some calories for the holidays! I was trying not to gain over 25 pounds this time b/c I anything over that is extra blubber I will have to work very hard to get off after baby comes. But my appetite is up now and Halloween candy is on sale. It is a situation I deal with everyday! Will update you next month, and no, I will not gain another 10 by then!

Dentist

2008-10-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

Jake had his first check up at the dentist today. He did great! The dentist and the assistant were amazed he did so great and kept still. I was amazed too! I remembered back to Brock's first dental experience and he was not so cooperative. Brock did have a pretty bad injury to his front teeth before going, so I'll give him the "traumatized" card for that. Jake was so cute because first she cleaned his teeth with a tooth brush, then she went for the electric buzzing toothbrush. I thought he would freak out for sure, but he didn't. Before going, I was just talking to him about the dentist and said when you sit in the chair, you open your mouth really wide. We practiced together at home. I didn't think he would have a clue what was going on when we got there. When he got in the chair, he sat down and opened just like we practiced! I need to give him more credit! Both boys have healthy teeth. That is the good news. Bad news; both will need braces in the future! Better start saving all that cash I am not spending at Walgreens and Publix!

Wags Today

2008-10-10T17:03:00.000-04:00

Cleaning supplies: $0

I'm a cleaning fool. Or at least I should be after having all these cleaning products! I heard about a great Walgreens deal today and I printed my coupons and headed straight for the sale. I am a sucker for free stuff now. This deal was so easy, any of you can do it. You only have today and tomorrow, so go try it! I found all instructions and printable coupons on this website: http://www.iheartwags.com

Happy couponing!

Baby Names

2008-10-02T22:28:00.000-04:00

So Todd and I are thinking of a name for our third boy, but haven't had a clear agreement on anything. I am having a hard time thinking of some names! Todd is having a hard time finding time to think of names! Anyways, leave some comments with your vote and/or name suggestions!

Vote:

Cole

Luke

John

Brady

Baby Aubrey

2008-10-02T22:21:00.000-04:00

I had the privilege to be my friend Julie's nurse again! She was having her second c/section so I came to work to take care of her during her surgery. I was her nurse 3 years ago when she was having her first child and since then we have become great friends. Her little girl Aubrey Elizabeth was born Oct 1 at 7:47am and was 7'9 and 20''. Mom and baby are doing great. Congrats Julie, Brian, and Ellie!

Publix and Walgreens run

2008-09-30T16:44:00.001-04:00

Today was a great day for Publix and Walgreens for me. My Publix items are above on the left side. The Walgreens items are on the right.

Publix

Original Total $28.04

Saved $ 21.77

Paid cash $6.27

Walgreens

Original Total $ 160.40!!!!!!

Saved $ 78.36

Used in FREE Gift cards $87.23

Paid Cash $8.02!!!

Park Party

2008-09-30T16:36:00.003-04:00

Jake had a fun time at the park with his friends yesterday! He had a small birthday party with his friend at the park. They played and ate some snacks. Jake was happy to see all his friends that came!

Nilla Wafers and Motos

2008-09-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

Jake has an obsession right now with Nilla Wafers. He knows the yellow box and goes into the pantry and gets out a box to chow down on. He found 3 boxes on this particular morning. I had gone to Publix and stocked up on the buy one get one free deal. This is one deal Jake would thank me for if he could talk!

His second obsession is Motorcycles. He has one in his grip at most all times. When we are riding down the road he will scream "MOTO!" if a motorcycle goes by. Jake says-Thanks Aunt Sam and Uncle Troy for my new riding moto!

Jake's Farm Day!

2008-09-28T15:52:00.000-04:00

Jake had a great day at school on Thursday. It was "farm" day. They had some animals brought to the school and the children got to ride and pet them. Todd went with him and said he wasn't scared of any of the animals and walked right up to the horse to get a ride!

Flag Football season is here!

2008-09-22T15:52:00.001-04:00

The good sport

Coach Dad, Brock, and Jake to cheer them on

This season started off with a tie game. Brock scored twice and did a great job at quarterback this time. He really enjoys the game and Todd is enjoying the coaching! Jake was not as "wanderous" as last year and actually stayed by my chair for most of the game instead of running into the playing field! Go Giants!

Jake's 2nd Birthday!

2008-09-22T15:37:00.000-04:00

Jake's new scooter

He was very happy with just a balloon!

EGG FREE birthday cookie cake! (he has an egg allergy)

My precious Jake Taylor turned two yesterday September 21st. We had a big day on Saturday to celebrate with all his family. We had grandparents and aunts and uncles there along with 3 dogs and the three of us that live here. We had about 10 people here! It was wonderful to see everyone and they all enjoyed seeing Jake for his birthday. We started off with outside riding of his new scooter, then in for lunch and nap. After nap, the rest of the fam was here for dinner, presents and cookie cake! Last year on his first birthday, after eating his first bites of cake and icing, Jake broke out with hives and swelling and had to be rushed to the ER. It ended up being an allergy to eggs, so no birthday cake this year! He was perfectly happy with the cookie and even kept calling out, "cayke"!!

Publix Today

2008-09-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

All this food for FREE!

I met my goal of saving more than I spent today at Publix. Did pretty well on the Bogos even though I didn't have coupons to go with all deals. We eat lots of spaghetti so I stocked up on noodles and sauce. There was an Activia yogurt deal I came across in the store and thought it would be good to share. The lady handing out samples had a $1.00 off a 4pk of yogurt. They were on sale for $2.00 ea. so I bought 2 and used 2 coupons. Voila! Got one pack for free! I eat yogurt like 2 times a day and so this was worth it for me! I got to use my $10 off $40 purchase Walgreens coupon which was perfect! And had one $2/10 CVS. I got all needed grocery items that we will eat in the next week to 3months. I am loving Publix now! I haven't stepped foot in Walmart in about 2 weeks- not missing it at all!

Original Total: $84.71

Total Savings with sales and coupons: $53.53

Total spent out of my pocket: $31.18

Coupon Giveaway

2008-09-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

If you like Weight Watchers products, and have a blog, you can go here and enter to win tons of coupons!! This woman lost 72 pounds over the last year and is hoping to get to a goal of 100lbs! For every pound she loses between Sept 7th and Oct 18th, Weight Watchers will donate a pound of food up to 1 million dollars to Action Against Hunger and Share Our Strenghth, No Kid Hungry. So pop on over and check it out!

Can't stop going!

2008-09-12T15:22:00.001-04:00

This blog has turned into free stuff and coupon central! But, oh well. I am saving $ and having fun!
So a coupon for $10 off a $40 purchase at Walgreens popped up yesterday after I got home with my Wags purchases, and since I have not gotten my free after rebate stuff, I decided to go back today!
I spent $27.76 on items that I will get back in free rebates (+ make 10%)
I spent $12.97 on items that did not have a sale or rebate (like milk)
Then my total came to around $40.55.
Used my $10 off $40
To get my other items for 2.97!
What a deal!

Couponing Tutorial

2008-09-11T16:56:00.001-04:00

Couponing Tutorial

This is an explanation that a friend of mine came up with that will help you get started in your budgeting ventures!

Here are the basics of “extreme” budgeting that I have learned in the last few months. I save lots and lots of money every month and have lots of items to give away. I have always been frugal, but I was going about it in the wrong way (buying items on sale when I saw them, but not being strategic about almost always buying items on sale). I learned almost everything from the budget blogs (moneysavingmom.com is the best, but there are lots to reference).

To get started, organize your food and toiletries. Figure out what you use on a regular basis (food items, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.). Unless you are completely out and cannot do without, do not buy more until it goes on a good sale, preferably with a coupon match, and then try to stock up until at least the next good sale. Not every sale is a good sale. Figure out the cheapest amount for which you can purchase each item that your family uses. This takes time, but you will figure it out. I have not paid for toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, etc. since I started. I also don’t pay more than a dollar for cereal and I have ten boxes in my pantry right now.

This is basic, but a big change for our family and the biggest money saver…eat all of your food and use everything until it is absolutely empty. If a food is about to go bad, look on the internet for a recipe that incorporates it and freeze it for later.

The more brand flexible you are, the more you will save. Think about what brands you have to have and what brands you just buy out of habit. Often, you end up with nicer brands than you used to buy.

Don’t go to Wal-Mart or Target without a very specific list that you stick to…those “cheap” items add up to hundreds per month and instead, you can use this plan to save hundreds per month to use for more exciting things.

Get coupons from neighbors, etc. and save them by date. The blogs will tell you when you need them. I do clip the coupons for items that I definitely use.

Mail your expired coupons to the follow woman who sorts them for use by military families:
Cherie Searles
183 Bolton Center Rd.
Bolton, CT 06043

The blogs list rebates and coupon matchups. I get any rebate for products that I can use or donate. It is fun to try new products and I have developed a stockpile just from rebates. Very often, you get paid to try something when you use a coupon.

You will also have lots to donate, so keep this in mind when you are making your lists. Sometimes I buy items just to donate.

All of the sale and coupon matchups are found on the blogs. Moneysavingmom.com is the best that I have found. Study this blog. I set up bloglines, which is a webpage that will show when a blog has a new post.

Store Specific Information
Don't make unnecessary trips. Organize your trip and you can hit a bunch of these stores quickly and without wasting much gas.

Publix
Sales start every Thursday.
• The best deals at Publix are BOGO (buy one, get one). You can use TWO coupons when you BOGO, often making the total for both items very low.
• Check http://fiddledeedeeblog.blogspot.com/ and http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/publix/ for the weekly deals.
• Publix takes ANY coupons, including coupons from other stores. Anytime CVS has a $2/$10, you can use one coupon per $10. I keep a wad in my coupon holder.

CVS
Sales start every Friday.
Every week and month, CVS has items that give the purchase price in store credit (also known as Extra Care Bucks or ECB’s). If you have a coupon, you get overage, which you can use towards other items. Using this strategy, you can get lots of things for free at CVS.
Read more here:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/cvs-101.html
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/qa-making-cvs-w.html

Walgreens
Sales start every Sunday.
Every month, Walgreens has items that are free after rebate. They are listed in a monthly coupon book. If you put the items on a gift card, you get 10% more back. If you have a coupon, you get that amount of the coupon back too. Use the money from last months rebates on this months rebates and after the first month, you gets lots of items for free with no more oop (out of pocket).
Walgreen also gives register rewards (RR) that are store credit. If you have coupons, you can get more RR than you originally paid.
Read more about Walgreens here:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/ive-been-shoppi.html

Target and Wal-Mart have occasional deals. Monitor the blogs, but you probably won’t be there much.

Making my rounds: Walgreens

2008-09-11T14:58:00.000-04:00

Today at Walgreens was another chance for me to work the deals and see how much money I could save while buying some necessities and a few grocery items.

I think I did pretty well for being fairly new at this. I missed a couple coupons that I discovered were available after I left, but made out of there pretty good!

This was my first transaction:

bought 3 bottles Robitussin for $3.99ea on sale

used (3) $3 off coupons

bought crest mouth wash for $4.49

used $.75 off coupon

This made my total $7.05 with tax

Total savings: $16.25

Both products had Register Rewards

Robitussin $10

Crest Wash $ 4.50

But when they didn't print I was like, oh no!! Then the lady figured out the RR printer was out of ink!! Yea! So I just went over to the next counter to redo that one and do my next transaction.

On my second one I had a coupon or 2 for each thing I bought. Or, it was just on sale and very cheap.

My original total was: $50.24

I saved in coupons and RR: $40.25

Spent $9.99 with tax

I will get a full rebate on the Pert Plus 2in1 shampoo.

This amount would have been smaller had I remembered about the Chex coupons later. Would have gotten those for free. And, the raisins were on sale for $2. No coupon for those. On a couple items the check out lady was like, "wait, if you use both these coupons, it is free" I was like, "yes, that is the point!"

So there it is! This was not hard and didn't take me too much time. My goal now when I go into stores is to have my list w/coupons and only shop for that stuff. It is fun and has become a challenge for me. I of course have to buy stuff like milk, ground beef, veggies, and other things we eat on a weekly basis, but I am saving lots by shopping this way and didn't know it was possible. Hopefully soon I will be saving so much, Todd will wonder if I even go shopping anymore!!

Target Deals

2008-09-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you that have been asking me how in the world I am making these deals happen, I am still figuring it out myself!! But, this is what I do 2-4 times a week and It is worth it so far!!

I get coupons from a neighbor’s paper.
I don’t go to all stores every week- just the ones w/the best deals.
I make a list of what to get before I go
I get a list from the blogs+looking at what coupons I have to go w/the deal
This is new to me too, but it is so fun, I cannot wait to look for deals or go to the store to NOT spend money!

There are only 2 printed Target “store” coupons they don’t take- they took my printed Kashi coupons.

I went to Target tonight and this is what happened:
I got a prescription filled so I got a $10 gift card back.
I got the 4 Kashi products $11 -(2) $2/1 coupons = $7.00 got $5 GC back
(2) box of Luvs diapers $30- $10 prescription GC -$3.92 GC - $1 coupon =$16.96
Electrasol tabs $3.09 -$2.25 coupon= $1.08(paid for w/kashi gift card)

The deal was for 2 Luvs packs (they are regular $27.50ea!!), and I only got one at first, so I totally messed up my 1st transaction and had to void it. But then the Lady rang up the Kashi deal, and I had no gift card to use yet (from the Luvs) so I paid 7.00
Then got a GC from that and used it to pay $1.08 for the tabs. (which were not $2.79)
After I got the LUVS straighted out, I had the $5 GC left over from that transaction and was totally annoyed that I couldn’t use it on the Kashi transaction because I had already done it!!!!

So, I did make out pretty good though.
Original total w/o sales or coupons: $79.09
Paid OOP: $22.40
Saved: $ $56.69
Plus have a $5 gift card now!

Getting used to the idea

2008-09-07T15:49:00.001-04:00

Ready for football season...

Progress- 18 weeks along

Wrestle-Mania!

I guess you could say I am getting used to the idea of a small herd of boys. I love that they are usually very simple and can be happy throwing balls or crashing hot wheels. Mine are prone to wrestle, some, uh, no most of the time! All the cushions and pillows end up all over the floor and all the stuffed animals join in for some WWF in my living room. The back door is especially attractive to bounce balls against. Usually beach balls but the occasional soccer ball or basketball has been know to fly by my head. As for drama, it is mainly some one not getting their way, but nothing a time out can't fix! It would be fun one day to buy dresses and make bows, go to ballet lessons and play Barbies. But for now, I am excited to be blessed with another cute, rambunctious, sweaty little beast to call my baby boy.

Will there be a 4th child? Only the Lord knows what's in store for us. At this point, I have all I can handle. If he blesses us again, I know He knows exactly what we need. He will be giving me strength and helping to build up the courage to effectively manage four children. And if it happens to be another boy, then I may have my answer in God's plan for me to have a daughter! We'll see!

More Freebies- I heart bogos!

2008-09-06T21:55:00.000-04:00

All this for $.067!

I love bogos!So I went to Publix to pick up a prescription and guess what? Got more free groceries! Yep, except today was really great because I only paid $.067 out of pocket! It was not totally Bogos and coupons, but I got a $25 gift card for transferring the prescription. So,

my original total was $47.17

I saved $21.50 with bogos and coupons

then used the $25 gift card and voila!

$0.67 was my new total!

I guess I am getting the hang of this! My rebate card from Walgreens will be coming sometime in the next few weeks. It will have close to $50 on it and I cannot wait to see what kind of deals I can get! Who knew saving money and clipping coupons was so fun!

Rachel's baby shower

2008-09-06T21:48:00.001-04:00

Rachel is the 2nd from the left, blue and white dress

the rest are all the pregos at the shower!

Today was my dear friend Rachel's baby shower. She has been blessed with her first child- a boy! She threw a precious shower for me when I was having Jake. It was fun to share the excitement in her turn today! Rachel is a nurse at the same hospital I work at and she takes care of the mom's and babies after I get them labored and delivered! She will make an excellent mother and we can't wait to meet the little guy!