Okay, so the title is deceiving. I love having a 5-month old. He is cute and cuddly. I don't like one thing about the fact that I had a baby in August... My hair falling out.
When I'm pregnant, I barely lose any hair. It is awesome. About 4-months after I have the baby, my hair starts to fall out... by the handful. It totally sucks. I really want to shave my head and be done with it, but then I would probably lose the stubble all over the place... I wish I remembered when the hair loss stopped.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Fun With Coupons
I've never been a real planner when it comes to grocery shopping. I always figured out what I wanted for the week and then bought it. Since we're trying to save to move and put Squirty into preschool next year, I have been starting to coupon. I'm not just using the ones in the paper to buy my weekly groceries, but I'm watching the sales. I'm not an "Extreme Couponer" like my friend JB (http://centslessdeals.blogspot.com/) who bought her Thanksgiving dinner for like $10. I am starting to pay attention to sales and stuff.
I mostly shop at Giant Food. They seem to have decent prices and produce. They double coupons under $1. They also give you a nickel bag for your personal bags. I got some good deals, too. This week they had dried fruit at 2/$4. I had a 75 cent off coupon, so I got a bag of dried cranberries for 50 cents. Ragu was 3/$5 and a coupon for $1.25 off of 3. Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta was 2/$3 with a $1 off coupon. So, with my ground beef I got at Costco for $2.99/lb (88/12), I can make dinner for about $5. Oh, and let's not forget my 2 16oz containers of Breakstone's sour cream for $1.29 ($2.29 each normally, BOGO and a $1 off coupon). My best deal won't pay off for a few weeks. I had a mail-in rebate for Pediasure. That's $10 in nutritional milkshakes for Squirty that will only cost me the stamp and envelope. All in all, I spent $56.31 and saved $38. That is a new record for me. My goal is to beat it. Lest you think I'm just buying junk, I bought vegetables, fruit, whole wheat bread, etc.
My amusement of the day is that my receipt is longer than my 2-year old son is tall.
Oh, I forgot... Giant also pays you gas rewards. Yesterday, we got 50 cents off each gallon at Shell.
My goal for the year is in one trip to the store, I'm going to save more than I spent :) I hope I can do it.
I mostly shop at Giant Food. They seem to have decent prices and produce. They double coupons under $1. They also give you a nickel bag for your personal bags. I got some good deals, too. This week they had dried fruit at 2/$4. I had a 75 cent off coupon, so I got a bag of dried cranberries for 50 cents. Ragu was 3/$5 and a coupon for $1.25 off of 3. Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta was 2/$3 with a $1 off coupon. So, with my ground beef I got at Costco for $2.99/lb (88/12), I can make dinner for about $5. Oh, and let's not forget my 2 16oz containers of Breakstone's sour cream for $1.29 ($2.29 each normally, BOGO and a $1 off coupon). My best deal won't pay off for a few weeks. I had a mail-in rebate for Pediasure. That's $10 in nutritional milkshakes for Squirty that will only cost me the stamp and envelope. All in all, I spent $56.31 and saved $38. That is a new record for me. My goal is to beat it. Lest you think I'm just buying junk, I bought vegetables, fruit, whole wheat bread, etc.
Oh, I forgot... Giant also pays you gas rewards. Yesterday, we got 50 cents off each gallon at Shell.
My goal for the year is in one trip to the store, I'm going to save more than I spent :) I hope I can do it.
The Thing I Dislike the Most
Good morning. It is not that early here, but I wish I was still sleeping. I'm watching Milk Dud roll around on the floor blowing bubbles and Squirty is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I just did my least favorite thing about being a nursing mom... I pumped a bottle to leave when we go out tonight.
I DESPISE pumping. Squirty was almost 7 weeks early and I pumped for 3 months almost exclusively with him. It was one of the most tedious things ever. I hated having to hook myself up to a machine every 3 hours. It was painful in the beginning and boring... I give definite props to those who either exclusively pumped or managed to make it to a year or more pumping while at work.
Some people set nursing goals. "I'm going to nurse a year." When you are pumping, your goals are shorter. "I'm going to make it through this week." I always say it is 5 times harder to pump than it is to breastfeed traditionally. You have to set up your pumping equipment, pump (which takes longer and is less productive than nursing), store your milk and clean up all of the equipment. THEN, you have to feed the baby and clean those supplies. It SUCKS.
As I pumped the one bottle I will probably have to do this week, I realized how thankful I am that I don't have to do it all the time. I was blessed with a healthy full-term baby this time. I'm also blessed with a husband who works hard and is able to make enough to allow me to stay home. All of you who have to pump or did in the past, give yourselves a round of applause. It is SO much work to give your child the perfect food that way. You are awesome for doing it.
I DESPISE pumping. Squirty was almost 7 weeks early and I pumped for 3 months almost exclusively with him. It was one of the most tedious things ever. I hated having to hook myself up to a machine every 3 hours. It was painful in the beginning and boring... I give definite props to those who either exclusively pumped or managed to make it to a year or more pumping while at work.
Some people set nursing goals. "I'm going to nurse a year." When you are pumping, your goals are shorter. "I'm going to make it through this week." I always say it is 5 times harder to pump than it is to breastfeed traditionally. You have to set up your pumping equipment, pump (which takes longer and is less productive than nursing), store your milk and clean up all of the equipment. THEN, you have to feed the baby and clean those supplies. It SUCKS.
As I pumped the one bottle I will probably have to do this week, I realized how thankful I am that I don't have to do it all the time. I was blessed with a healthy full-term baby this time. I'm also blessed with a husband who works hard and is able to make enough to allow me to stay home. All of you who have to pump or did in the past, give yourselves a round of applause. It is SO much work to give your child the perfect food that way. You are awesome for doing it.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Greetings
So, I've started a blogspot blog. I don't know what possessed me, but I figured I would. My name is Alyssa. I'm not anyone special. I'm the mom of a 2-year old and a 5-month old.
I often joke that I am "Trapped Under a Milk Dud" because I'm a breastfeeding mom. I am very proud of this fact. I worked very hard with my first son to get anywhere with it. He was born at 33-weeks and spent 13 days in the NICU. I almost exclusively pumped until he was 3-months old. Then he was able to nurse and did so until he was 17-months old. I only weaned him because I was pregnant again and it made me very nauseous.
I'm not sure what I will blog about. Probably whatever interests me from day-to-day. I'm big on couponing, finding a preschool for my sons and Baltimore Mommies.
I hope you enjoy my lame ramblings.
I often joke that I am "Trapped Under a Milk Dud" because I'm a breastfeeding mom. I am very proud of this fact. I worked very hard with my first son to get anywhere with it. He was born at 33-weeks and spent 13 days in the NICU. I almost exclusively pumped until he was 3-months old. Then he was able to nurse and did so until he was 17-months old. I only weaned him because I was pregnant again and it made me very nauseous.
I'm not sure what I will blog about. Probably whatever interests me from day-to-day. I'm big on couponing, finding a preschool for my sons and Baltimore Mommies.
I hope you enjoy my lame ramblings.
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