The return of the chubby girl posts

Yes, I know. I'm not as chubby as I once was (still have the 50lbs off, but no more than that) but I still fall in the chubby girl group. Here are some new revelations that I've observed particularly in the exercise world:

1. Just because you are working out doesn't mean you can wear spandex. Here's a guideline if you can still see the cellulite pockets on your back side don't wear them period.
   
2. If you are going to the gym wear your good bra...I don't want to keep my eyes closed the whole time I'm on the treadmill.
3. Know your limits. Just because skinny girl can run 5 miles doesn't mean you can...yet.
4. The floaties at the pool are for working out not to save your life. Before you float to the top chubby girl will take on a lot of water and sink.
5. And basically because it bears to be repeated leave those holy sweatpants at home before going to the store.
   

First Week of School Done

It was a lot more trying than I anticipated. Not to mention completely exhausting. Let me try to paint the teenage picture for you from my point of view:

• Monday...no school, but no added extra break either. We did the fair thing. Now I mention this because getting her ready for any event isn't a 5 min ordeal. Yes she's older so she gets herself ready of course. My part comes in on helping find the right shoes, necklace, earring, etc. Plus me helping with the hair and still yet the make-up. For these events she wears more make-up but doesn't want it to look that way. See how all this plays out. Now after the day is done getting the teens to bed isn't even close to easy. An added bonus we got to see Heather & Gabe so it made the fair a lot better for me.
  
• Tuesday...first day of school. They run on pure adrenaline, I of course take an immediate power nap. They come home filled to the brim of high school "stuff" for lack of a better word. Brandon seems to have a good first day; he is my child I worry about with social skills. Maddie did not have a good first day, oh happy happy day. I had book club that night, and I couldn't have been happier to get there.
• Wednesday...the question comes up why do they have to sit us alphabetically? I have no idea. Homework starts coming in. Brandon has all honor classes so he actually pulled out books, I was impressed seeing how I've not seen him actually study before. Maddie does some hw before drivers ed and the rest when she returns. Drama has been present for two days so it didn't surprise me that she didn't want to talk about it.
• Thursday...I wanted to bury my head in the sand. I had to reschedule a driving appt. I followed all rules and gave more than a 24hr. notice but it seemed that they gave Maddie a hard time the night before and when I called they gave me a very very negative report on her driving. Now if it was her driving so to say fine, but they reported on her attitude. After they replayed the previous evening I was not convinced that it was Maddie's attitude as much as the instructor. I was polite, but it was a touchy subject all day. I explained to Maddie on what was expected of her and told her that you were going to find people like this out there in life, sadly. Then we had to quickly get ready and go back out to the fair. It was a long night and she didn't get her hw done to well in the night. Bub had spent the evening at the vet with Grammy & Lily, but his hw was done.
• Friday...everyone was super tired but quiet. We were all in bed early.

It was an emotional roller coaster ride all week. I'm hoping for better results this week. The week looks full already, but hopefully we learned some things last week that worked and didn't work. Plus I'm putting crock pot meals back in since they all have different evening schedules. Next weekend is labor day and we are packed full all next weekend with festivals, but we will have a good time. Have a good week everyone. On a side note this is our bean tree I never knew it was there till the other day, how sad is that. The kids favorite apple tree was hit by lightning the other night and had to be cut down, very sad.

First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of school. I thought it would go smoother...I was wrong. I tried to be organize, but I missed the mark here a little bit. The teenagers just kept throwing one obstacle after another. By now we have a school routine in place from years and years. This year is obviously about change...I missed that memo.

My baby boy started his freshman year yesterday I was so busy that I forgot to stop and have that little moment of "where have the years gone". I don't have little kids anymore...Maddie is a junior this year, and Brandon is a freshman. It's funny how you blink and lose 5 or 6 years.

Almost every year on the first day Brandon wears a sports jersey. He's always cared about his appearance, but now he fights for bathroom time and mirror time. He is my kid that will want jeans ironed and uses a lint roller before walking out of the house. His change this year is he want up earlier....5:15 am instead of 5:45, bigger lunch, and finally after all these years doing homework right away. When he tells me about his day he goes class by class and tells me one good thing and at least one bad thing. Then right before bed any situation he encountered throughout the day and retells me and asks what would you have done mom.

Maddie will stress about any new rule that the school has added on. This year she has her first study hall. I thought with her added college class she might want it. She's not super impressed at this point. This should have been a walk in the park kind of year. So far not quite the case. She's upset that her brother has the same lunch as her, upset that over half of her friends are at ehove or bg. She is my child who likes to be super organized, and if her organization isn't just so she freaks out.

Sometimes when the kids are talking a million miles a minute, I stop them tell them to take a deep breath and continue. I found myself saying this last night, but it was me taking the deep breaths and them continuing. I did find a lovely alternative to covering the books...a roll of packaging paper. This worked out so much better. I was flying through covering them books. Yes, they should cover them themselves, but the first week of school I still do it.

Freebie Week

After all the shopping, paying bills, etc. there is no room for the extras. (Sticking to a budget is the phrase that runs through my mind every time I leave the house) So this week is 'freebie week', only purchase the items I can get for free. Now some items of course have tax, so only money spent is the loose change. Here is what I got for free this week: 2-12pk. rolls of cottenelle toilet paper; 2 huge bottles of pert plus shampoo/conditioner; revlon nail polish; 6 protein bars; loaf of bread; osu men's t-shirt; 4 folders; 300 printed address labels from a copy place; cpn organizer; 4 sharpies; 6 notebooks; package of pb to go (loving this item); plus all my samples that are coming in the mail. Now I have some more free items to pick up, but sticking to the budget also means that I double up on gas trips. Meaning if I go into Norwalk there has to be multiply stops to make not just getting my freebie stuff, lol. So these additional items can wait.

The Fesitval With Rain

I am not a huge rain fan as an adult. Most of the time heavy rain brings on my migraines, of course since the shingles I haven't had a migraine (knock on wood). I seen rain of the forecast and bought some golf umbrellas just in case. I was told over and over again that rain didn't get in the way of these parades. (I knew better) My husband kids me all the time about Eeyore rain cloud stays over me a lot w/the rain. So when we all meet up and I ask about the rain everyone looks at me like I'm crazy says there hasn't been rain all morning. (WHAT?) I even confirmed with the kids about the rain, they agreed. (I thought I might be going crazy)

So off me went to North Ridgeville for the corn festival. Everything went well except for the downpour during the parade. A lot of walkers during the parade didn't participate, but the floats followed though. Some of the other floats were highly prepared with matching umbrellas and those clear slickers. Our girls smiled through it and didn't act like it was raining at all....until they got off the float and w/their parents. Dresses were wet, complaining of course, and the ever so nice run to the car yelling behind them 'mom unlock the doors'. (Back in my day there was no button that automatically unlocked the doors I tell this to the girls, but they act like I'm talking about the dinosaur time period) Now because of the rain most of the activities were shut down which is Brandon's favorite part of a festival day. Not only that Brandon didn't even get any corn at the corn festival.

The start of the the morning before we left I made chili and had it slow cooking in the crock pot for when we returned. Brian had went up the road to get corn and when we arrived home the house smelled great. Everyone changed grabbed their plates headed for the table and was talking a mile a minute. It's the little moments like that that make me smile.

School Shopping & Coupons

I'm exhausted. It's been a full weekend with shopping etc. and I still have to attend a festival tomorrow.

I have two teenagers 16 and 14. A junior and a freshman. The junior has a college class this year and the freshman has expensive taste. That being said let me tell you about the school shopping part of the weekend.

Maddie I started a couple weeks ago I found great deals and purchased quality bras, undies, socks, jeans, and a few tops for $50 (I've never done that good before). Today she picked up a pr of sneakers for $18 and a jean skirt and top for $20. A book bag that I'd never seen before for $11. She needed a graphing calculator this thing has been driving me crazy looking for deals. I priced matched one from Target to Staples. $125 originally priced matched it to $90 and used a 15% off pass to make it 76.30.

All pens, pencils, folders, binders, white out, notebooks, and paper I've been watching and using coupons all summer. The total after today is $15 and that should last all school year.

Now for Brandon my expensive taste child. He hit a growth spurt mid summer and required all new jeans so for the time being he didn't require any new ones. One pair of jean shorts $7. He doesn't like fancy book bags he wanted a plain duffel bag cost $10. He purchased some jerseys this summer so I only needed to buy some plain color t-shirts cost $6 for two. Price matched and couponed undies & socks $14. The shoes which had to be bought at the mall I checked ahead of time and downloaded cpns for possible stores he wanted. Total with tax $62. Bonus signed up for email and get a $10 coupon that I can take the receipt back in w/in 7 days and use that cpn. so brings the total down to $52.

I did better this year than ever before. My kids are getting older and even though their things cost more they take care of their things and make them last longer. Growth spurts never come when their is a sale, and losing weight only makes clothes hang on you. So I do the best I can along the way.

My little coupon world

Couponing is a staple for me as of late. I discovered a very relaxing time of day when I'm printing and cutting my coupons, lol. I'm not an extreme couponer not even close, but I do like to save at least 50% every transaction. That includes everything from groceries, household needs, make-up, clothing, and extra activities. If I don't have a coupon it usually doesn't get bought. I'm a couponer of the next generation. Yes I still get the Sunday paper and clip, but I also print them off from online. (I even coupon my printer ink) I even price match from store to store. So for example when I go to Walmart I have about 5 other store ads in hand to price match items at the register. The kids love the benefits from coupons they even want store coupons when they go to the store for themselves, but they hate going to the grocery store with me and my coupons and price matching. I do spend some time with this, but so far I think it's worth it.

I also am getting to the point where I get free samples in the mail, and by watching the ads and clipping the coupons there is a lot of items I get for free right at the store. Some highlights this month have been free full size toothpaste (I don't pay over a quarter for toothpaste anymore), free lotion again don't pay for lotion anymore, name brand make-up for less than $3, hair dye for less than $3 a box, most of my laundry detergent is free or pretty close to it, I have enough school supplies for the entire school for less than $10.

The groceries are down to 50% but I have to really watch here because I have to stick to things my family will actually eat and not be tempted by prepackaged foods.

My extended family (mom & pooh) are not embracing my couponing mind set. I call them the anti-coupon, lol. They tease me something fierce, but I keep on beating to my own drum.

Some of the festivals

Since Maddie became queen we spend a lot of time on the weekends at festivals. The irony to this is we are usually not a festival kind of family. Since we all started eating healthier the food at these places are not as appealing as they once were. We get up super early on a festival day to dress in full gown and try to prepare for the day the best we can. There is usually a breakfast, lunch, or dinner to try to attend followed by a parade line up, the parade itself, a introduction and thank you speech, and then more meet n greets. Now so far I'm able to swing back at some point and pick up Bub, but at some of the farther out festivals Brandon will be traveling with us. It is a long day with several sunscreens reapplications. I was worried that we may spend a lot of money at these festivals, but I was wrong. The kids take the festivals as a job and have fun with their friends.

The pictures are from our firemen's festival, basket festival, and the erie co. fair. It was a special treat for Maddie & Sierra to meet Miss Ohio and Miss Vacationland. Maddie is looking forward to watching the Miss America pageant in Jan. to see Miss Ohio.

Lots of New Things

There is lots going on at our house lately. I have jumped head first into couponing and freebies. Saving lots of money and loving the freebies and activities we are getting to do very cheaply. (which I will be posting about)

Brian has been jumping all over the place with different shifts so it keeps things a little complicated with time slots in family life.

Brandon is a growing teenage boy who is eating me out of house and home. He will be a freshman this year, where has the time gone. He is growing into a young man that I am very proud of. I was worried with Maddie getting queen and going to all these festivals that there may be some jealousy. It's quite the opposite. He asks like her big brother not little brother and goes out of his way to help her and me. He does a lot of observation at these festivals to give ideas and such.

Madeline well she's my busy bee right now. The tomboy is still in her, but I am seeing the lady qualities that I've tried to teach her her whole life coming out now. Besides the festivals she's working on getting her license (we are almost there w/her hours). She's also checking on different scholarships that she needs to apply for her junior year.

We are meeting all kinds of wonderful people and learning so much lately. (I feel like I'm a preschooler absorbing the world around me like a sponge.) I will be blogging much more just because there is so much to share w/my extended family, and I don't want them to miss it either.