Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

Though I am thankful all year long for the many blessings in my life, I'd like to take the time to do my 30 in 30 for Thanksgiving 2013. The 30 in 30 is thirty reasons to be thankful in 30 days of November.

1) Aiden. My energetic, brilliant, mechanically inclined, sweet, loving, caring, helpful, hopeful son who's smile is a beam of sunshine into any cloudy day. His eyes light up the room and I thank him for being the beginning of a beautiful handful of children.
2) Ambria. My sweet, sensitive, caring, girly, shy, quite, lovable, beauty queen. She is all girl and a perfectionist in her own little way. She sees the world through a different looking glass than everyone else seems to use. She is so unique and so helpful. Always worried about the happiness of others, she is definitely a gem in my life.
3) Aralynn. She is one tough cookie. The only child brave enough to tell me "no", and witty enough to charm her way out of any trouble. She is the best cuddle buddy and a great hugger. She always offers to help (reminding me about her pending reward) and is such a beautiful, wide-eyed firecracker always adding excitement to my day. I love her so very dearly.
4) I am very thankful to have Cory in my life. He is my rock, always able to take on the weight of my world. He is always there to kiss me and offer me loving words of encouragement. Without him, I would be lost. He has shown me the true meaning of love and companionship.
5) My Mom. My mother is my biggest fan and best support system. She is my best friend, my advisor. She never says "I told you so" and always says "I'm proud of you". She is wise beyond her years and I hope she sees herself in my actions every day.
6) I am so very thankful for my Dad. He always has all of the right answers and most logical way to solve any issue. He is the smartest, craftiest man I know and a wonderful, loving friend. I have so many fond childhood memories with him and many more as an adult. I look forward to the years ahead, creating many more with him.
7) My Grandma because she is always there to cheer me on in any endeavours I may take on. She always knows the answer to all of life's problems and has always been a pillar of encouragement in my life.
8) Brianna. My sister loves my children like they are her own and devotes a large portion of her time to spoiling them individually and giving them that special Aunt love. You know, the love and fun of a best friend but the discipline of a parent? It's the best combination.
9) Tyler, because of the humor he brings to the lives of everyone he meets.
10) Renee for being such an influential support system for me and sharing that mother/daughter bond with me despite the separation of our families. I love her dearly and she always offers such positive, loving advice whenever I need it.
11) I am so very thankful for my best friend Nikki. She is my favorite and most reliable confidant, partner in crime, crafter, reader, cosmetologist, dreamer, and so much more. I love everything about her and the fact that she loves everything purple was just one of the millions of perks that comes with being her friend. Regardless of how much time passes, we can always pick up right where we left off as though not a single day has passed. I truly love this girl and hope she will remain a big part of my life for years to come.
12) My dear friend Lainy. We spent years building one another up and supporting each other in our endeavor of being the "perfect" stay-at-home wife and mom. We've stayed up late together, crafted together, laughed together, cried together, and managed our households together. Time and circumstance has made our get togethers painfully infrequent but I know she is still there for me as I am for her.
13) My step parents for stepping in and filling a parental role that they never had to.
14) All of my extended family for being a family community and being a great support system to help me get to this point in my life.
15) I am thankful to have a small, closeknit ring of friends. I don't have many but the few I do have are near and dear to me.
16) I am thankful for my health. Though it has its ups and downs, I don't suffer from any fatal health conditions and that's something to be very thankful for. "Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account." -A. Schaef
17) I am so very thankful for my home which offers security and stability to my entire family in this chaotic economy.
18) Though I have already listed my children, I would also like to mention that I am thankful for motherhood and the opportunity to have offspring. These miniature versions of me are my whole world, my motivation, my happiness, strength, my determination, my drive to be a better person, and so much more. They have altered my life in so many ways and I am a the woman I am today because of them.
19) Though we are always broke, I am so thankful to somehow always come up with enough funds for bills and food. The family is maintained, everyone has everything they need and most of the things they want.
20) Arizona sunsets. I am thankful to get to witness some of the most beautiful sunsets in the nation.
21) I am thankful for beautiful flowers. I love flowers and try to keep several vases full of fresh live flowers as well as fake flowers. They add a bright, cheerfulness to any atmosphere.
22) My big beautiful blue eyes are my favorite physical attribute and though I may not have 20/20 vision, I am so thankful to have this coveted, rare color of iris.
23) I am thankful for the opportunity to have and use the internet. An infinite amount of knowledge and information is now within reach to anyone who cares to possess it and I consider myself lucky to be able to research anything I want.
24) I am thankful for Lefsa. It signifies a several generations long tradition of family and unity, coming together to make and consume this wonderful Norwegian treat.
25) I love, love, love arts and crafts. What's more, I love working on arty, crafty things with my kids.
26) Therefore, I am thankful for Pinterest which is where I get most of my ideas and inspiration for activities with my young ones.
27) I am thankful for cellphones. Computer, internet, phone, calculator, alarm clock, camera, recipe book, infinite info on hand, GPS, social outlet, game console and tons of other great things all crammed into one compact little piece of technology. Need I say more?
28) I am thankful for music
29) I am thankful for slow cookers. Toss some (or tons) of ingredients into a pot, cover and walk away. Like magic, a delicious meal will appear in hours... or whenever you recall its existence. Mine saves SO much time and makes the house smell fantastic.
30) I am very thankful for opportunity. Not a specific opportunity, just opportunity in general. There is so much out in the world that awaits you. Get in, and hold on and see how far you can go!

SAHMs vs SAHWwC

Stay at home moms versus stay at home women with children. Yes, there is a difference. I have respect for stay at home mothers. There is a negative stereotype that lands on these poor women - that they are lazy and sit at home watching soap operas while their kids run wild or that they play on the computer all day while their children are planted in front of the television. This, however, is not the case. A stay at home mother efficiently manages and interacts with her home and children. I am fortunate to know mothers as well as women who have children (because there is a difference), and though I am no professional, I can offer my own insight.

Stay at home mom:
Maintains a clean, functional home
Serves 3 full meals and optional snacks
Provide a stimulating learning environment for children
Efficiently manages a budget (with spouse if applicable)

Women who stay home with children:
Do not maintain a clean home
Do not cook or opt for fast food on a regular basis
Do not focus on child development and offer an unregulated amount of television time
**Has reckless spending habits or leaves the budget to someone else

    **This may or may not apply. Some women who stay home can manage a budget just fine.

In my opinion, to be considered a stay at home mother, she must meet at least the first 3 criteria, otherwise she is merely a woman who stays home with her children.

I have spent countless hours and energy maximizing my efficiency with my home and my children. I have done so as a wife, later as a single mother, and now do so with a significant other and his child in the mix. Together, we have 4 children: 2 four year olds, a three year old and a two year old. Every single morning I serve a healthy breakfast and immediately follow with dishes. I also provide an age appropriate homeschooling regimen to each of the children for about 60 minutes every day. At this young age I believe they would start to lose focus if we studied any longer. The kids help me with laundry (we have 1-2 loads each day) and then are free to play in their rooms, the play room, or color at the activity table while I vacuum and do a quick walk-through to take care of any messes. While each day varies, we also play in the back yard, do arts and crafts, go to the park, ride bikes/trikes/scooters... anything active and fun. Then I serve a healthy lunch which is followed by the kids picking up their play room and a nap. I generally use their nap time as prime cleaning time even though there isn't a whole lot of cleaning to do. I have taught my kids to clean up their own dishes, pick up for themselves downstairs, and I don't allow toys downstairs (we have 900 square feet upstairs for toys to be strewn about). I also make the most of my time by multitasking as often as possible. Each day during one of my bathroom breaks I spend 20 seconds wiping down the counters and mirror. During another break I scrub the toilet - yes, daily. I maintain and do mini tasks in the kitchen every time I cook. The kids clean up all their toys upstairs every night before bed. The chores that need to be done a few times a week instead of daily such as mopping, dusting, baseboards, vacuuming the staircase, windows, etc... I do during nap time. I try to always let the kids help me make dinner and we usually have it ready by the time my significant other gets home from his day at work. Weekends are always devoted to family time. While I understand the daily routine of every person is different and would vary greatly from mine, I still believe mothers are different than women with children and a positive, clean, enriching environment is paramount in raising happy, healthy children.

A New Chapter

The saying is true. Once you hit bottom, the only place to go is up. That is exactly where I found myself at the closing of 2011. I was unhappy, my family was irreparably broken and I felt lost and alone. I spent months wallowing in my own self pity and sadness. My marriage was no longer salvageable, I had no job, no finished degree, and no clue what to do next. Friends and family tried to pull me back to my feet and help me stay positive but (for a lack of better words) they could only lead the horse to water. 

At some point I looked at my situation and realized that I was not the only person affected. Three beautiful, innocent children looked up at me waiting for direction, guidance, and stability. So I knew the first and most important thing for me to do was to maintain a stable home for them and I began applying for every job I came across (some several times). After 4 months of bombarding thousands of companies with copies of my resume, I landed a few interviews and was eventually hired on at a home security company in their corporate office. With a job soon starting, I scoured the city for a daycare for my kids. Easy right? NO! I didn't want to just leave them in a stranger's home. I wanted them to be in a safe, educational environment with several adults and cameras in place to guarantee they wouldn't be neglected or abused. This left centers and daycares to choose from but most weren't open the hours that I needed. A large majority of child care centers closed around 6pm but I was scheduled to work until 8pm. Eventually I found a center open until midnight that was in the ghetto of town (so bad I wouldn't normally even drive there in the dark) but it was almost affordable, so I enrolled the kids there. 

I still remember my first day at work: February 6th, 2012. I was bombarded with the entirety of my position within a 4 hour period - furiously taking notes and willing my mind to record every fiber of information. My hair looked great, my bosses were power-drunken dictators, the sales reps were mostly perverted swine (so I was told and advised to ignore), and then time froze. It was the end of my shift, the front door opened, a light shined down and everything ceased to move. My breath caught in my lungs and my heart choked in my chest as he walked through the door. Honestly, I'm not even sure what drew me to him with such fervor. He wasn't as tall as I had imagined "the perfect man," his head was shaved, every inch of his visible skin (head and face aside) was covered in tattoos, his ears were gauged and he smelled of cigarettes. I knew I had to have him. In May, he needed a ride home after work one Saturday and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. From there he requested more rides, we eventually started hanging out, dating, going out and by summer we were an item. Now he lives with me and still gives me butterflies. My kids love him and he loves them. My family likes him. I'm smitten. My relationship is so much different than any I've ever experienced and it has given me a new hope in romance. I'm also proudly employed and supporting my children on my own without help from their deadbeat father who also refuses to see them. I feel accomplished - and it feels great.

un-Super Size Me!

I'm a diet fanatic. I feel like I have tried every single crazy idea that's out there and nothing works. In 2004, Morgan Spurlock shocked American's with his film Super Size Me. He showed us all that anyone who eats fast food is an ignorant lardo who can't make proper decisions for themselves. While I do agree that frequenting fast food restaurants is a poor decision for several reasons, I do not believe that choice makes people ignorant and it's obvious to anyone who isn't blind that not EVERY single fast food customer is obese. In fact, I recently watched a film debunking "Super Size Me" and learned a lot of interesting information. The film is called "Fat Head" and is headed by former nutritionist Tom Naughton. It's great. You should watch it. I did and I was inspired. Thus, I am going to diet according to his theories/facts. I just won't be eating much fast food.

Holy Hiatus!

I have really missed blogging here. I have been so busy with the business (which is good) that weekends have me tied up at swap marts, craft fairs, and other art shows and weeks are spent cleaning the house and loving my babies. I was able to attend a webinar yesterday that made a huge impact on me and my business decisions. I think the information I learned will really help me to reach some of my goals. Sadly, it requires that I start using word press for my business instead of blogger.com since it's better for seo. This breaks my heart. I feel like I am betraying my favorite blogging site. Don't take it personally, blogger.com, it's just business. Anyway, sales are up and that means my online "homebase" needs to get up and running. For now, I need to try to learn some HTML while the kids are napping so I can figure out all of this marketing stuff for CCJ. Much love to my followers!

March Madness!

I have been such a busy girl I haven't even had time to update me (now lonely) blog! I've been staying on top of housework, and working 20-30 hours a week for my own business. I make and sell jewelry at several locations. If you are interested in coming out to see the wares, just let me know! My babies are progressing wonderfully! Both my 1 and 2 year old can count to 10. They are alphabet pros and my 2 year old is perfecting his shapes. My 5 month old is going far, fast as well! The house is undergoing lots of changes as well! We've installed recessed lighting, replaced the sliding glass door with French doors, put a security door in the front and a few other upgrades. We have been going full speed! We even got a deep freezer so I'll be going grocery shopping on Thursday to stock up! Look for my monthly meal plan!

Real Life - Day Six

Today has been a train wreck, but a manageable one. If you've been following, you know my dogs killed a cat yesterday. I was in the middle of doing laundry when I heard a knock at the front door. It was my favorite neighbor! Then my excitement to see my neighbor dropped through the floor when he asked if I had seen a white cat because his girlfriend's cat had gone missing. I didn't even know how to respond. I instantly knew that poor kitty covered in dirt and blood was theirs. I didn't want to tell him because I remember the bag that the cat's body was in was now in a garbage can covered in dog poop and yard debris. I didn't want him to see their dead cat like that but I couldn't lie. It wouldn't be right. I took him to the back yard and he dug the bag out and tore it open. He confirmed that it was their cat, took the lifeless body and left. I stood in my house with Ambria just staring at me. Aralynn was sleeping and Aiden was playing at his Grandma Cathy's house. I checked on Aralynn, picked up Ambria and walked next door. Before I even made it to their front patio, I could hear Christine (the girlfriend) screaming and crying. My heart sank. I felt so bad. How could my sweet, loving dogs be such cold-hearted murderers? They get along great with our cat. I rang the bell anyway. Benny answered and I dished out the best, most sympathetic, genuine apology I could and offered to replace the cat. Such a bad day. I don't look forward to any repeats.

Real Life - Day Five

7-810am: Aiden woke me up and asked to watch Caillou. Instead we played quietly in the living room while Daddy slept in. I checked our bank account and found out our tax return had been deposited, YAY! Time to start calling places and pay them off.

820-10am: I called Surprise Court, Arrowhead Court, the IRS, our HOA and a few medical places to resolve our balances with them. All I have to say is I hope I never need to call the IRS again! I was on hold listening to elevator music for 25 minutes before I even got to speak with a representative who took nearly a whole minute to tell me she couldn't take payment over the phone and I would need to go to a local office. Fantastic.

10-1030: Rework remaining return balance to verify we have enough to buy the things we want. Everything is golden!

11am-1230: Ambria was in desperate need of a nap so I laid her down and Aiden asked for lunch so I fed him and tried to figure out why my card reader for accepting credit and debit cards isn't working on my phone. Turns out I just need new software. After Aiden finished eating I packed his backpack and got him dressed to run a few errands with Ian. We heard an odd noise come from the back yard. The dogs were making weird sounds. Upon investigation, they had killed a cat that must have wandered into the back yard. It was really sad. Luckily, I am the wife and I don't have to deal with dead animals. Ian scooped up the dead cat and cleaned up the dog poop in the yard while I fed Aralynn a bottle. Then the boys gave me kisses and hugs and off they went!

**EDIT**

I never did finish this post for the day. Can't even remember why. Darn!

Real Life - Day Four

640am: Aralynn kept stirring in her cradle and for some reason this kept waking me up. I finally stayed up at 6:40.

7-730: Aiden woke up and came downstairs at 7 (we no longer have the knob locks on his door) and he brought his little leapfrog laptop downstairs so I played with him and then I put on Caillou for him so I could blog and wait for Ambria to wake up. As soon as she wakes up we can eat breakfast. :)

730-815: I got all 3 babies changed and dressed Ambria and did her hair. We went on a Mommy-Daughter date because she was frustrated this morning. I love taking the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with my babies. I woke Ian up and Ambria and I went out the door!

820-1010am: Ambria and I perused around Wal-Mart. I bought each of us a sausage mcmuffin and we went shopping! We had such a good time. She laughed, said hello to EVERYONE and thoroughly enjoyed herself. Our outing really helped to release all of her frustration and she went from a sour apple to a perfect peach!

1015-1035: Unload and put all groceries away.

11-1120: Put new sprayer together and spray weeds in my neighbors yard. I'm not sure why but for some reason our neighbors think that using a weed whacker to cut the weeds back (instead of killing them) is a good idea. To me it just looks lazy and trashy. So I'll help them out. Honestly it helps me out too because our front yards merge together and if their yard looks good, so will mine.

1120-1145: Put Ambria down for a nap. Shower

12-115: Lunch for Aiden, chat with Ian, tried to wake up Ambria for her lunch. BAD IDEA! She's been crying for 10 minutes and refuses to come downstairs. She has 4 molars breaking through so I'm not going to hold it against her.

2-3pm: Ambria ended up falling back asleep so Aiden and I hung out and played with his leapfrog letters. Ambria woke up around 2:30 and came downstairs asking for lunch. Lunch was served and now we are folding/playing in laundry.

330-540: Laundry wasn't progressing so I put the girls in the double stroller and Aiden in the wagon and we headed off to the park and to check the mail. I posted a few pics on Facebook. I even let Aralynn feel the sand between her toes. Everyone had a good time.

545-7: Kids ate a nice and easy dinner - leftovers. A bath was in desperate need so the oldest two showered while Aralynn got a nice warm bath.

7-723: Fixed some of the HTML errors on my website and did a little FBing. Now time for dishes!

730-815: Did a load of dishes, brushed the kids' teeth and tucked them into bed. (with kisses) It sounds like Aiden is not quite ready for bed judging by the singing coming from his room.

820-1030pm: Pulled up Netflix to watch episodes of Dollhouse while folding laundry. Took a break from laundry around 9pm to start seasoning the steaks and to peel potatoes. After I got everything in the oven I returned to my several loads of laundry that were waiting to be folded and finished them up while watching Dollhouse. Aralynn didn't seem to be feeling well and was really fussy so I'd have to break to cuddle her for a while. Eventually she fell asleep and I laid her down in her cradle.

1120pm-1am: Ian got home, changed out of his work clothes and sat down to wait for his dinner. I plated us, served us, got our meds and we turned on Prison Break to entertain us while we ate. After we finished eating I fed Aralynn and we headed off to bed.

Real Life - Day Three

Unfortunately I have been going non-stop all day and haven't had the opportunity to actually sit down and blog so I can't remember exact times but I can write down what I accomplished.

Baking

Redesign organization of garage

Worked on website HTML for CCJ

Vacuum all of downstairs

Hand-washed dishes too big for dish washer

Played video games with Ian after dinner

Even though I didn't get a lot done, the day was actually really enjoyable. The kids and I had so much fun that they didn't even nap! Of course Ambria crashed around 7 but we still had an awesome time playing.

Casey Castle Jewels - Update!

My business is coming along nicely. I'm even expanding to include rings in my inventory! My lovely Grandma and I were chatting at my last sale and decided it'd be fun to try making a few butterfly wall hangings to sell and if they do well perhaps I'll expand to include an entire butterfly line. Now to do some research and come up with some ideas and blueprints for crafts. I am really hoping Ian can get around to working on my website. I bought my domain name months ago and still haven't done anything with it. On the plus side, now Casey Castle Jewels can accept credit/debit cards while I'm at expos thanks to Ashleigh from Kiss Me Designs.

Real Life - Day Two

630-730am: Wake up, shower and get ready to go, feed Aralynn and get her in some cute garb. Then load her into the car so we can get to our appointments.

815-Noon: We got to Aralynn's appointment 5 minutes late because the traffic on Grand Ave. wasn't as grand as I had hoped it would be. After sitting in the waiting room for what seemed like 47 years we were finally called back. Aralynn weighed in at 16lbs, 8oz and is 25 inches long. Her double ear infections were cleared up so they gave her all of her 2 month vaccinations (even though she's already 4 months old) and gave her the once over. Her doctor said she's ahead of her age group on all of her milestones. Then wrapped everything up. After her appointment I fed her and drove to my appointment. Unfortunately my appointment didn't go as well as Aralynn's did, however, on a positive note it could have been worse. I have 2 discs in my back that have issues. L3 is bulging and L4 is deteriorating. L4 is the effect of what she presumes is arthritis in my back. She can't really cure it and back surgery is not an option for me so she prescribed me a machine that I will wear and it will attach to my back. It will emit electrodes into the lumbar area of my back and numb the nerves in instances of severe pain. I really hope it helps because the next step is weekly injections into my spine. My orthopedic doctor doesn't want to do that on a patient as young as me because apparently it will just make the arthritis worse and it will progress faster. So I am hoping the machine will be my magic cure.

1230-430pm: Played upstairs with the babies. Then Aiden said "out Mommy!" so I left them to their toys and went downstairs to get their lunch ready. I peeled 4 cooked eggs, chopped them up and added miracle whip and sweet relish, plated it and gave each a side of peas. They gobbled it up but Aiden ended up using some of his as hair gel so he took a shower after he finished. Both babies went to their rooms for nap time and Ian and I busted out the bread maker to play and practice making a loaf of french bread.

5-6pm: Dinner for the kids

6-630: Inventory orders for CCJ.

630-8pm: Nighttime routine with the kids. Baths, brush teeth, lotion for Ambria, kids clean their own rooms, then pick out books for Mommy to read.

8-11pm: Ian played video games while I sat bored next to him. Around 11 I got so bored that I decided to go to bed.

Real Life - Day One

Hello everyone! I'm a busy lady these days. Well, busier than usual. The past two days I have been selling jewelry at an Arts and Crafts expo from 8am-6pm on Saturday and 8am-6pm on Sunday! That's a 20 hour work weekend. I'll be doing several shows a month now that my display is ready to rock and roll. Though I do work outside the home on the weekends, I still consider myself a stay at home mom. A very busy, dedicated stay at home mom who strives to maintain my house and children as well as making my husband's life as simple as possible. After all, he works 40hr work weeks as the main bread winner for our family. So, it's the least I can do. I've decided to keep a 7 day blog log (hehe) of my life and what goes on during the day at my house. Follow me through my routine in the Casey Castle. I'm starting on Monday because I was gone all day Saturday and Sunday.

Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

2am-5am: Aralynn wakes up crying and continues for 3 hours. She could not breathe at all through her nose. Had to get some saline and a suction bulb to finally help her breathe. Poor thing. Then I fed her 4oz of formula to help her fall back to sleep.

530am-8am: Disaster recovery in the house. Brianna stayed the weekend and Ian got home early on Sunday. The combination was devastating to the cleanliness of my living room. I assume that's where they spent all their time. About 7:45am I started baking some Valentine's Day cookies. I continued cleaning while they were in the oven.

815am: Woke the 3 kids up and fed them breakfast.

845am: Friend Tim stopped by

950am: Sent the kids to the play room to play. Ambria has a new car to drive around upstairs and she absolutely loves it! I wish her and Aiden could both ride in it together. I suppose I'll have to get him one too!

10-1030am: Rocked and cuddled with Aralynn until she fell asleep. Then emptied all the trash cans in the house, took the trash to the dumpster, pulled the dumpster to the curb and checked on the kids upstairs.

FYI: This will be edited throughout the day to reflect what we are doing.

1040-11am: Blog while Aiden & Ambria eat lunch

1130-1240: Play at the park!

1245: Contacted Events Coordinator and scheduled another show for March 5th!

1: Bottle for Aralynn

120-155: I wanted to do something educational with the kids and normally we practice letters, numbers, colors, animals, etc. Today Ambria brought a book and asked me to read it which spurred a book reading session like no other. I read every book they have (some of them twice) until finally they started to get bored.

2pm: Take Valentine's Pics for Daddy

230-4: Nap Time for all 3 kids while Mommy finds more business contacts for future shows.

4-5: Dishes, Vacuuming, Create and print V-Day Card for Ian and plate his gift.

5: Ian gets home. I drove all the way to the mailbox (which is several blocks away) and found the Valentine's Day card Ian hid in the passenger seat. I retrieved the mail and headed home. When I got home Ian asked me to get my jewelry stuff out of the trunk because it was rattling around really badly while he was driving to and from work. Upon opening the trunk I was surprised with a dozen white roses and this bread maker! I've wanted this thing for SO long now! I'm more than certain this bread machine will be on my personal list of super tools. It also makes jam. How lucky am I! Then the kids ate some leftover lasagna for their dinner.

7-930pm: Ian, the kids and I went shopping at Lowe's, Home Depot, & Wal-mart. Lowe's and Home depot we were able to shop and compare prices on the new security door we have budgeted into our tax return fund. We compared prices at all three stores on UV film for the windows on the house to help reduce cooling costs in the summer. I didn't realize how cheap it would be! I had budgeted to spend $200 but it looks like we'll be able to do the whole house for about $80! That'll be an extra $120 to put into emergency savings.

945pm: Got home and put the kids to bed

10-1130pm: Started Fiery Dragon Soup for dinner so Ian and I could eat. We watched an episode of our beloved Prison Break (Wentworth Miller is my love!) and then I changed Aralynn and we headed off to bed.

Dog Food

I LOVE saving money any way that I can. Today I was going through my shopping receipts to find the item that happened to be the most expensive. The most recurring culprit? Dog food. That's right ladies and gents.. my 2 dogs go through over 80lbs of dog food every month. At $20 per 40lb bag, that adds up! That's almost $500 a year just to feed them! So I decided something must be done. Surely I can make a healthy dog food all by myself and save a few dollars along the way. Right? And so my quest for knowledge began. I did a bunch of research on nutritional needs, types of food and recipes.

I ended up baking my own batch up. Time to see if they like it! Sadly, it isn't cheaper to make your own dog food if you use quality ingredients. I used chicken breast. So I guess I'll just have to pay Pedigree to keep manufacturing my dog food. Some day I hope to find an alternative.

**EDIT**

The dogs did love the dog food and I have found some other recipes to try that look more friendly to my wallet. I'll play around with a few of them to see what works and what doesn't.

Child Labor - The Fun Kind

My oldest baby turned 2 in September so I guess that makes him nearly a 2 1/2 year old now. Surprisingly we are all somehow surviving the "terrible two" stage of his life and honestly, he deserves the most credit for it. He's a pretty good kid. That and I'm the best parent that nature could create. Ha! Just kidding about that last part. Although being the best parent you can possibly be does help to nurture an awesome kid. Responsibility is an important lesson for kids to learn and the sooner the better. Aiden has spent his entire life watching me maintain our home and recently asked me for his own chores and I happily obliged. Now his chores are cleaning his room and feeding the dogs. Granted, he often spills the dog food and needs several reminders to stay on task when cleaning his room but it's still a good learning experience for him. Ambria enjoys cleaning up her own toys but I think 1 year old is too young to have mandated chores. I'll let her enjoy life another year.

Making Money Work

Just about everyone has been affected by this recession so what do you do when there just isn't enough work for the money you need? You make your money work for you. Those of you have been reading for a while know that I am a fan of saving money whenever possible. To those of you who haven't followed my blog very long, don't get me wrong. I do enjoy nice things. I do have nice things. I do understand that every now and then, it's okay to splurge on things that everyone can enjoy... as long as I get a good deal on it :) We have an amazing 61 inch Samsung flat screen that my family enjoys on a daily basis. We have a PS3, an Xbox 360 laptops, expensive android phones and other luxuries. However, we bought our TV brand new for 50% off, Ian traded in some other gaming consoles to get the PS3 nearly free, we bought the 360 used and sold a bigger laptop to buy the two we have now. The phones we were able to get discounted with a new contract and we used our tax return from last year. The key is not to waste money where it doesn't need to be wasted. I know too many people who actually spend money on these things on a regular basis:

-Eating out/fast food

-Pest Control

-Landscaping

-Weed Control

-Going Out

-Clothing

-Electricity

I'm sorry to offend anyone but eating out on a regular basis is not only a HUGE waste of money but it is SO unhealthy. I was capable of cooking food when I was 7 so none of you have any excuses, unless you no longer have your hands. Quit being lazy and cook something! Actually you can even remain lazy and still cook. There are things like hamburger helper and the Betty Crocker and Banquet Meal in a box. All you do is add water and heat! It's definitely cheaper than eating out. It's usually healthier too. Just to show you how stupid eating out really is, here is some math:

When eating cheap fast food you can expect to spend at least $3-$7 per person. If you are a family of four that one meal for your family will be AT LEAST $12-$28 plus tax. For ONE unhealthy meal.

If you eat at a restaurant you can expect to spend $8-$23 per person. If you are a family of four, that single meal just wasted somewhere around $32-92.. depending on where you eat. I know there is a huge expanse between $32 and $92 but that's the difference between Red Robin and a Steak House. The prices vary.

If you are smart enough to cook at home:

1lb ground beef (97/3%) = $1.99 1lb pasta = under $1 and a can of spaghetti sauce = $1. That's a whole meal for that family of 4 for $4 and there will likely be leftovers. Don't want spaghetti? 1lb ground beef = $1.99 hamburger helper (in any flavor) $1. That's a whole meal for about $3. Meatloaf will run you under $2.50 to make. Don't want to eat ground beef? AWESOME Chicken is even cheaper and you can do a whole lot more with it. Catch my drift? Do you understand why eating out is not only stupid, but wasteful? On to the next waste...

Bug and weed control. If I could find someone who would come spray my yard for $20 and give me a 100% guarantee that I would not see a singe insect nor a single weed, I'd be the first one on that gravy train. $20/year for me to not have to lift a finger and still reap the reward of no pests and plants - AWESOME! Unfortunately, no one can commit. So, we buy bug spray that guarantees no bugs for a full year (black widows only guaranteed for 6 months) and weed killer that guarantees a full year of no weeds. Each costs about $20 per bottle but the bug killer lasts 3 years and the weed killer lasts 2 years. You don't even have to spray the bug killer in your house (unless you have an existing problem) and this stuff is potent! We had a major issue with crickets and black widows. We sprayed along the house foundation outside and along the wall in the back yard. Nowhere else. Not only did it kill everything it touched instantly (the bugs twisted and contorted before dying - creepy!) but we never saw another cricket or widow since then and this was back in October or November. Also, it killed all the bugs in our neighbors' yards as well. I know because they told me. The only insect I have seen since then is the occasional fly outside but it doesn't stay long. Spraying the weed killer we only do once a year and the bottle doesn't lie, we truly never see a single weed all year long! This stuff is amazing!! If you are interested, text me or send me a comment and I can go find out the brands for you.

Landscaping is kind of a toss up. I don't feel like it is wise to spend money on landscaping but I do realize there are some circumstances that require it. I have NO idea how to trim and shape a bush and I don't know which branches to cut from trees but I can figure out a lawn mower. Therefore, my back yard is grass and my front yard is gravel. There are a few bushes in my front yard and one big mesquite tree. The tree I keep to help shade the house (reducing our energy costs in summer!) and my bushes are low water, low maintenance bushes. One never has to be pruned, my myrtle needs a good trim once a year, my lantanas die in the winter and grow back so I never do anything with them. I DO pay for landscaping ONCE a year. Not from a nice company. I pay the hispanic, minimal English speaking man who is going door to door $25 once a year to trim the tree, trim the myrtle, blow the leaves and seed pods out of the gravel and remove all debris from my front yard. Money well spent since I don't have a blower, trimming shears or the know-how needed to shape a bush into a well formed dome. What bothers me are the people who pay for landscaping every week/biweekly/month to come mow their lawn and trim plants that aren't in dire need of it. My only exceptions are again if you are missing appendages or have like 3 acres of yard to maintain. Somethings are understandably unmanageable.

Going out is a big one. BIG ONE. If you are single, fine. Blow your money. I don't care. If you are a couple. Again, I don't care... it's yours to waste and you can suffer alone if you can't afford to pay your power bill because you just HAD to go to that stellar concert, dude. If you have kids... grow up. Going out should never (unless you are filthy rich) be a regular thing. I do understand that it is necessary to keep the Mommy-Daddy relationship "alive" so a date night once or twice a month is understandable and medicating. Going out once or twice a week (or more) when you have young kids is stupid, selfish, and completely irresponsible. (Unless you have oodles of extra money that is just itching to be spent) Find things to do at home or if you MUST go out to keep from going stir crazy... find something free to do. Go to the park, walk the mall (without buying!) do a scavenger hunt with your kids. There is tons of stuff just waiting for you (not your wallet) outside.

It never ceases to amaze me how much people love to buy clothing. My younger sister (for example) "cannot survive" without buying new articles of clothing each and every month. What does she do with the old stuff? Throws it away or gives it away. She doesn't keep it because wearing it twice a month for an entire year apparently isn't cool. I don't care that she gives it away because I usually get it (WIN! Free clothes!) but if you don't live at home with your parents and their endless wallets, quit buying so many clothes. If you just can't bring yourself to accept hand-me-downs then at least shop on clearance. If you are spending more than $7 for a shirt - I am totally laughing at you. Daily. When I do buy clothes which is VERY rarey, I buy them at Wal-mart... on clearance and you know what? I still achieve "Freaking Hot!" status.

Finally, your electricity. The television should not be a babysitter for your kids and you don't need to be watching TV all day every day. Lights don't need to be on during the day. People waste so much money on electricity it astounds me. I am on the noon-7 plan with APS. That means my electricity is cheaper from 7pm-noon. I do all of my high energy usage chores before noon or after 7pm to help save money. Also, during the day (unless Ian is home) our television remains OFF with the exception of the kids watching Sprout shows while eating. I never use lights until it gets dark out unless there is no window in the room (bathroom) and at night I only use enough light to keep from falling over furniture. In the summer the AC stays at 80-83 and winter the heater stays between 70-73. Both are uncomfortable but it saves money... and you get used to it.. just wear less clothing in the summer and bundle up in winter.

Yes it's nice to spend money on stupid luxuries, but if you don't have the money... it's time to wise up and put it to better use! I have a mortgage and bills just like everyone else. In 2010, we made a measly $15,000. Guess what? We are still enjoying life. I've made that money work for me. I stretch the life out of each dollar and we are just as happy and have all the same things that people making $40-60k a year have.

How the Queen Got Her Crown

Recently I have had several people say to me "I don't know how you do it." I know I had previously posted a blog about some of my super powered super tools. Today I was thinking about it to myself while dinner was going and I was folding laundry and I decided to divulge the rest of the secret: a tedious amount of organized multi-tasking. My entire day is planned around tasks that I can do at the same time to make my use of my (very) limited time more efficient. I also like to minimize our energy usage in an attempt to save as much money as possible so of course high energy tasks like laundry, dishes, baking and baths/showers for the kids must be done during our off peak energy time. I keep a notebook readily available that I write down they entire day's "to-dos" to help me stay on track. Some things need to be done every single day such as dishes, laundry, vitamins/meds, teeth, baths, and feed dogs. Yes, I DO include things like vitamins, teeth, bath, and feed dogs because in a house with 3 babies, things can sometimes get hectic and I would never want to forget any of those things. I personally like to do vitamins with lunch and meds with dinner then baths and finally teeth. I usually do baths and teeth while dinner is baking. If dinner needs to be cooked on the stove top, of course I wait until the kids are taken care of. I can multi task dishes, laundry and stove top dinners all around the same time. I drop in a load of laundry, start a load of dishes and then cook up dinner. By the time dinner is done, the dishes are also done and I can move the laundry to the dryer. I feed the dogs during the kids outdoor play time which is nice because the dogs can clean up any lunch that the kids have thrown to the floor. After outdoor time the kids usually take a nap or draw/color so I can use that time to vacuum and clean down counters. I try to always be doing 2 or more things at a time. It's super important to allow yourself rewards throughout the day though. My reward is usually time to check out facebook :) I also keep calendars and other lists to help me stay organized as well. Today's to-do list is pretty easy:

Design a Potty Chart for Aiden

Feed Dogs

Dishes

Teeth

Vitamins

Meds

Work on Book

3 Loads Laundry

Change Bedding on All Beds/Crib

Write Grocery List

Dust

Vacuum Downstairs

Bake

I've already got a few things and 2 loads of laundry done, I just need to sort it and put it away. Time to get back to work!

Let's Go to the Bathroom... and CLEAN!

Today at the Casey Castle, the bathrooms are being deep cleaned! Even under the sinks will be reorganized. It feels like the space under my sinks become a catch-all so I like to take the time to clean them out and reorganize every now and then. I do scrub and sanitize the toilet bowl a few times a week so I don't consider that deep cleaning but today I will also be scrubbing doors, walls, and the shower. Join me in keeping your bathroom clean today!

Purging 50

I told you I would post my list of 100 things. You don't necessarily need to throw it all away. You can give it away or sell it as well. Believe it or not, this was actually a harder task than I had anticipated it being. That being said I had to cut my 100 item goal into 50 items. Here's what I've got... or... no longer have :)

1) Baby outfit

2) Baby outfit

3) Baby outfit

4) Baby outfit

5) Baby outfit

6) Baby outfit

7) Underwear

8) Underwear

9) Boxers

10) Boxers

11) Boxers

12) T-Shirt

13) Dress Shirt

14) Lip Gloss

15) Lip Gloss

16) Mascara

17) Bedskirt

18) Baby shirt

19) Baby shirt

20) Baby shirt

21) Baby shirt

22) Baby shirt

23) Baby shirt

24) Baby overalls

25) Mason Jar

26) Book

27) Book

28) Video game

29) Video game

30) Video game

31) Bracelet

32) Candle

33) Candle

34) Cookie Jar

35) Collar

36) Toothbrush

37) Cookie Sheet

38) Lotion

39) Sippy Cup

40) Mixing Bowl

41) Jar of Candy

42) Jar of Candy

43) Thermometer

44) Salt Shaker

45) Pepper Shaker

46) Toy

47) Toy

48) Toy

49) Toy

50) Toy

51) Cutting Board

52) Bottle

53) Towel

54) Towel

55) Towel

56) Toddler Spoon

57) Toddler Spoon

Purging

I purge, you purge, we all purge for ice cream! Wait, that's not how it goes. However we all should do some purging now that the new year is upon us. I'm setting a goal to get rid of at least 100 things that I don't absolutely need. This will help declutter and give me more room for new stuff! HA! Just kidding about that last part. (or am I?) I got the idea from a fellow blogger at http://ablondesdiylife.blogspot.com. Anyway, you should join me in this feat because purging is cool! In this sense of the word at least. Your 100 things can be anything of any size. Good luck and have fun! I'll post a list of my 100 purged items when the task is complete.