this week {1.4 - 1.10}

~ i overslept on my first day back in the real world ~

~ the pedometer challenge began ~

~ i shopped at harris teeter (twice), cvs, food lion, bi-lo, target, belk, and hobby lobby. super double coupon week at teeter ~

~ i successfully resisted the urge to get starbucks ~

~ i designed a daily sign-in sheet for AJ ~

~ i printed all facebook status updates from 2009 ~

~ i did seven loads of laundry ~

~ i ordered the new 89 cent 5-layer beefy burrito from taco bell (it was bigger than i expected - very yummy) ~

~ matt forgot to pay child support, leaving me to do it again ~

~ i prepared for and attended our january hoa board meeting ~

~ i blogged about couponing and christmas ~

~ i did a lowe's store visit for work ~

~ i reviewed a copy of our hoa management contract ~

~ spencer got new basketball shoes and coleman got new shoes ~

~ spencer had his first basketball game. they lost. really lost. ~

~ spencer got elbowed during the game and got quite the shiner ~

~ i returned a christmas gift and bought new skinny jeans and a sweater ~

~ aj bought coleman some new PJs (which can be seen here...they must be comfortable) ~

~ spencer's school shared information about the upcoming drug and puberty programs. fun stuff. ~

~ spencer had his first archery practice and did very well ~

~ matt and i went out with scott and cameron for matt's birthday ~

~ we left sherry in charge of the boys...mistake? ~

~ i ordered matt's birthday gift online ~

~ matt did some hard core cleaning in the house. much needed. much appreciated ~

~ coleman took five steps in a row ~

~ we went to the in-law's to eat lunch on sunday (cake for matt's birthday) ~

~ i got these picture messages from teddy. him having a cell phone is kind of fun ~

~ i took a nap. yes, a nap. woohoo. ~

~ i got these cute picture messages from AJ at daycare ~

~ i created a digital layout!!! ~

~ i took two videos which you can see here and here. i actually took three but the one from spencer's basketball game was all black with only sound. not sure what happened there! ~

{grocery savings summary}

spent $193, saved $161 (45%)

{pedometer challenge recap}

~ proud of myself for remembering to wear it every day ~

~ recorded steps for 6 of 7 days (pedometer didn't work correctly one day) ~

~ lowest step count: 5786 ~

~ highest step count: 8863 ~

~ 5 day average: 7407 we only have to do 5 of 7 days for the challenge ~

digi layout {they named me coleman...}

Tonight, when I should've been doing laundry, cleaning, and balancing the checkbook...I made this digital layout instead. But ya know what? I needed to do it. It's good for the soul to just say it's *ok* to let some things slide.

So, the idea for this layout has been in my head for many, many months. It felt good to "get it on paper". One day I just thought "it's funny how many things we call him that aren't his name." It's also an easy way to capture some cute, random photos.

All papers/embellishments are from a free kit: "Just for You" by Christy Skaggs at GoDigitalScrapbooking.com; Used a free template (source unknown)

{christmas 2009 in photos}

as is usually the case, our christmas celebrations are strung out for several days. i took a million pictures, as did my family. i've grabbed some of their shots already, but not nearly all of them. my weekly recaps could never capture the true essence of our holiday, so here are some storyboards that i put together. all christmas photos can be seen here on my flickr account: christmas season 2009. you can also click on each of the storyboards to see more detail.

christmas eve isn't a big deal in our family, probably because we don't ever have spencer with us, and therefore intentionally don't have any big family celebrations. matt, coleman and i went and visited with my in-laws for a bit in the late afternoon. after we got home, mom came over for a visit. we played with mom's cricut and coleman loved playing in the scraps! this also happened to be coleman's 10-month birthday.

christmas morning: since matt had to work on christmas day, i thought it'd be pretty depressing to stay at home. so, as soon as coleman and i were up and at 'em, we headed over to sherry's house. we got there just in time to see the boys open their gifts. there was the annual silly string war, of course! mom was there also and coleman got his gifts from her and sherry. coleman got a cool tunnel, a ride-on rocket, and a real camo bib. of course, he was most entertained by some votive candles aunt sherry had set out. that afternoon, i picked spencer up and we hung at sherry's for a while longer.

blackwell christmas: spencer, coleman, mom and i went by our house for a brief stop - some quick baking, let the dogs out, etc.then we headed over to matt's parents' house (where matt met us). we had a yummy meal and exchanged gifts there. spencer got some games and a gift card. coleman got toys and books. matt got a new video game and i got some boots and jeans.

our christmas eve: we do our christmas eve traditions on christmas night. basically we repeat the whole thing for spencer. we have several traditions for this night and i love them all. first we each open one gift which are new pjs for everyone. after we change into them, spencer opens one more gift, which is always a new christmas book. he then reads it aloud to us. afterwards, we put out milk and cookies for santa. and lastly, some treats in the yard for the reindeer. then it's off to bed so santa can come (he makes a special trip to our house a day late for spencer).

our christmas morning: so our christmas morning is actually the day after christmas. thanks to coleman, all of us except spencer were awake and downstairs before 5:30. we were impatient like a bunch of little kids and woke him up not much after that. he, of course, checks to see how much santa ate. santa left the boys a neat letter this year, with a piece of his coat fur for good luck. we always begin by opening our stockings - helping cooper and rio (and now coleman) with theirs. spencer (and coleman) work their way through the gifts from santa. and then all of us open our gifts from one another. we always go overboard and everyone has so much great stuff. i can't even begin to list all the goodies we got. coleman was much more into the wrapping paper, bows and tissue paper than anything, but he did play with some of his new toys. spencer's big gift from us was a laptop and he was quite pleased!

breakfast for dinner: later that day, after the mess had been cleaned up, we had my family (basically just my mom and sherry's crew) over for dinner, which was actually breakfast food. we made pancakes, waffles, bacon and sausage. very simple. very easy. very casual. very relaxed. get the point? there were a few more gifts to be exchanged.

couponing {weekly preparation}

For a while, I have wanted to do some posts in regards to my couponing - not just noting what I saved, but more about my processes. I have at least three post ideas floating around in my head, so I decided to finally create one today.

Today's focus is on the process I use to create my shopping lists each week, and how I decide where to shop. Let's start with some basic fundamentals:

• Grocery ads come out in Wednesday's newspaper (our Food Lion ad arrives by mail on Tuesday)
• Drug store ads come out in Sunday's newspaper
• For grocery stores, I shop at Harris Teeter, Bi-Lo, and Food Lion. We have some Lowe's and Bloom stores, but they aren't very convenient so I don't bother with them.
• I shop at all three major drug stores: CVS, Walgreen's and Rite Aid.
• No, I do not shop at all six stores every week. More on that later.
• You need to know who doubles coupons and up to what amount. For me, Bi-Lo and Harris Teeter double coupons under $1.00 every day (Bi-Lo's policy varies by area). Food Lion doesn't double at all, but they offer store coupons (printables online) that can be stacked. Drug stores do not double.

The absolute core to all of my couponing is one website: Southern Savers. Everything I know about couponing, I have learned from her website ("her" is Jenny). I also arranged for her to do a workshop in my town several months ago. For anyone that lives in the southeast, I'd highly recommend using this site as your couponing foundation. I try to visit her site as close to daily as I can. Of course, that's often unrealistic, so I just catch up when I can. It's a blog-style site, so you could stay on top of things using a feed/reader.

The process I'm going to detail below is the same for grocery stores and drug stores. I do it twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays, obviously). I have been couponing for about 6-7 months now, I think. I've tried various things and so far this works best for me.

 - First, I go to the Southern Savers website on the appropriate day and look for the three relevant posts. The grocery stores are always posted by Wednesday morning. The drug stores are usually posted ahead of time, so you could actually do your preparations before Sunday if you wanted.

this is what the top of one of her grocery posts looks like:

- I highlight all of the text from the post, copy it and paste it into a Word document. I do this three times (one for each store). I save this document with a dated file name. The original file is going to be huge, but we will fix that later. This week's was 22 pages when I first started.

- At the top of the Word document, I create a "Need" and "Watch" list. I will open last week's document and copy it over to the new week. Since couponing is about buying what's at it's best price, you often are not purchasing what you actually *need*. Therefore, I keep a short list of items at the top that we truly need in the near future. The *watch* list are items that I want to try and get soon, but I can wait a little bit to get a good deal. These are usually items that either we are out of but don't need immediately, or things I've noticed we're low on. I still keep a paper grocery list in our kitchen drawer where we write down things as we think of them. This is when I'd take that list and add those items to the need or watch lists. Later, as I work through the grocery store ads and coupons, I will make notations by each item if I have a coupon or if there is a particular store I should purchase the item.

here's what the top of my list for this week looks like right now:

- Now it's time to dwindle down that obnoxiously long list into something more manageable. The list from Southern Savers does not necessarily include every item from an ad. She tries to focus on things that are truly a good deal. Stores are bad about advertising "huge savings" when it's really just 10 cents cheaper. She weeds out that stuff for you. She also pairs any existing coupons for you. Here is what a section might look like:

The item, size and price are in black. Underneath each one, in red, are coupons that apply to that item. If they are from a newspaper insert, she will note the type and date (RP 11/15 is the Red Plum insert from the November 15th newspaper). If it's a printable, she includes a link so that you can easily go print it. (Note: these links will still be active when copied into Word). Sometimes, she will note what the final price would be after sale/coupon, particularly if it's a really good deal. The only difference for drug stores is that rebate type deals are listed as well (ECBs for CVS, RRs for Walgreen's and SCRs for Rite Aid).

- So, now I begin working my way through the list. First, I delete the information lines at the top of each post because I already know that stuff. I typically will delete the category headers as I work my way through, as I have not found them to be terribly helpful in my shopping. On the actual product lists, there will be tons of items that I will not need or want to purchase and I just delete those lines immediately. This may be products that we would never use (like Depends) or it may be something that I have a big stockpile of. Some items I might have to think about for a minute. It might be an OK deal, but not a great deal. I will leave it or delete it based on the level of need. If I have two bottles of mustard already, then I'm not going to buy another unless it's a really good deal. But if we are almost out of ketchup, I'll settle for an "OK" price. Note: For the most part, I don't do anything with the coupon information at this point. However, if I notice a printable listed that I will probably use, then I will go ahead and print it at this time. *When I completed this step, my list was down to only 5 pages (and this was a week that includes Super Doubles at Harris Teeter).

- I have noticed that some things will tend to be on sale at multiple stores at the same time. Sometimes the deals are the same, so it's just a matter of what store you ended up shopping. But, I always review my list for duplicates because often times, an item will have a better deal at one store. Keep in mind the coupon policy as you are doing this. For instance, this week Yoplait was on sale at Food Lion and Bi-Lo for the same price. I have a $0.40 coupon so it makes more sense for me to buy the item at B-Lo because my coupon will be doubled there.

- I typically do not spend much time reorganizing the lists in any particular order. The lists usually are not that long, so it's not really worth the effort. However, if it's a "big week" (like triples or super doubles), I may spend more time making the list easy to shop with.

- Most weeks, I will take just a few minutes to leaf through the physical advertisements for each store. The only reason for doing this is to see if there is something featured that's on my need list. If it's not on the Southern Savers site, it means it's not a great deal, but if it's something that I need anyway...better to save a little bit if I can.

- This is the point where I need to try to decide at which stores I will try to shop this week. There are weeks when I will try to hit all three grocery stores, but only if absolutely necessary. I rarely hit all three drug stores.

***The previous steps shouldn't take long and are pretty mindless (easy to do while watching TV or something like that). This next step is a bit more tedious. There are a million different ways to organize coupons and I'm not going to go into that now. I keep mine in a binder by type (i.e. beverages, cleaning, frozen, etc).

- I now go straight down my list in Word, checking my coupon binder for coupons that might work with an item. Off to the right of the item, I note whether there is a coupon and the details. Once I've done that, I delete the coupon related information provided by Southern Savers. Deleting these lines helps tremendously in creating a shorter list. This week, my list was only 2 pages when I was done!

Here are my notations:
    NC = no coupon
    $1.00 (or any dollar amount) = the value of a coupon that I have
    $0.50 (D) = the value of the coupon and a note that it will be doubled
    $0.75 x2 = the value of the coupon plus a note that I have multiple coupons that I want to use
    $1.25/3 = a note that the value of the coupon is based on buying a certain number of items

- As I'm doing the above step, I'm also pulling the coupons I find out of my binder. I have an envelope for each store and coupons for that store go into the appropriate envelope, which makes shopping much easier. Keep in mind, I try to only pull coupons for stores I'm planning to visit. There are times when I pull them for 2 or 3 stores and don't end up hitting them all, but I try not to waste my time if possible.

and here is what a portion of my condensed list looks like:

- I print this list when it's complete and put it in my binder. When it's time to go grocery shopping I usually take my entire binder. Primarily I only use the envelope and my list, but I like to have my binder handy "just in case". When I go drug store shopping, my lists are usually very short and I only take it and the envelope. Once in a while I will find that I need a different coupon when I'm in the store. Since the stores and parking lots are small, it's not a big deal to just run out to the car and get what I need.

So...that's my process. And though it seems complicated, I've got it down to a science and it runs pretty quickly and smoothly. Plus, it can be broken up into smaller tasks and doesn't have to be done all at the same time.

Super Doubles + Triples
Since it's Super Doubles week, I thought I would address these *special weeks* really quickly. Harris Teeter, on occasion, will have a week for one of two special coupon offers. Remember, they double coupons under $1.00 every day, always. SUPER DOUBLES is when they double coupons under $2.00. TRIPLES is when they triple the value of coupons under $1.00. Both are awesome ways to save big money and get lots of free items. There are only a few things that are different about these weeks...
1) HT only doubles 20 coupons per day. Normal shopping doesn't usually take me near that mark, but with these special offers, it does.
2) Shop early and often. Inventory can really be an issue on the items that are a great deal. Unless you are there when they open on Wednesday morning, you're likely going to miss out on something you want. So, your best bet is to make multiple trips if possible. This allows for more inventory to arrive, and also you can hit that 20 max over and over. I've heard a recommendation to go on Tuesday night before the next ad hits. The stores will most likely have restocked for the following week, but the special offers are still valid.
3) Southern Savers will put together special lists for these weeks. It will include items that are free or very good deals. These might be duplicates from items in the ad, or it might just be that the doubled/tripled coupon makes the item a fantastic steal from the regular, everyday price.
4) I follow all of the steps for a normal week like I detailed above. But then I go through my binder and look for coupons that I might want to use. It might be something that we use a lot so I should take advantage of the extra savings.
5) These special weeks take a little bit more time for preparation, but it pays off because the savings are tremendous.

this week {12.28 to 1.3}

~ i shopped at wal-mart (twice), food lion ~

~ i only did five loads of laundry ~

~ i cleaned our me and matt's closet and took 4 bags of clothes to goodwill ~

~ we took down all of the christmas decorations ~

~ i only went into the office one day ~

~ i returned our library books ~

~ i sent in volunteer information to the new middle school that spencer will go to ~

~ i finally firmed up spencer's january schedule ~

~ we finalized childcare so that matt and i can go out to celebrate his birthday ~

~ i worked on the neighborhood website somewhat ~

~ my sister had a birthday ~

~ i renewed my flickr account ... can't imagine living without this! ~

~ i emailed our accountant with some questions and worked on our tax prep form ~

~ i listened to my new kris allen cd ~

~ i picked up my pedometer for the pedometer challenge. more on that later ~

~ cassidy and giada came over for a visit ~

~ dad, cynthia, michelle and maggie came into town and came by the house for a visit ~

~ michelle, maggie, coleman and i went grocery shopping together ~

~ coleman and i went to sherry's house to celebrate her birthday ~

~ coleman threw up after almost choking on a piece of birthday hat ~

~ i finished making handprint ornaments for my family ~

~ i picked up spencer from his mom's on thursday (nye) and got coleman from daycare early ~

~ spencer had a new year's eve party/sleepover at a friend's house ~

~ coleman and i spent the night at sherry's house for new year's eve (matt had to work) ~

~ sherry, michelle, maggie, teddy, rob and i played caboo. ~

~ coleman woke up right before midnight so he was awake to ring in the new year with me ~

~ i did a 2009 review blog post and a 2010 looking forward blog post ~

~ we watched the ball drop..."we" is only me, michelle, coleman and teddy. no one else made it. ~

~ i picked spencer up from his sleepover, woke matt up and headed back to sherry's for her oyster roast (on new year's day) ~

~ i ate yummy oysters. lots of 'em ~

~ we cleaned up the house for our bowl party ~

~ we had family and friends over to watch the gamecocks get beat up by uconn ~

~ matt let me sleep until 9 a.m.!!!!!! ~

~ we ate lunch at matt's parents' house on sunday ~

~ spencer had a basketball pep rally to kick off the season ~

looking forward {2010}

 

www.wordle.net

{prologue}

i'm not a big fan of new year's resolutions. i am not entirely sure why, but i think it may be the stigma of failure attached to them. several years ago, jimmy buffett and martina mcbride did a song called trip around the sun and i chuckle every time i hear this line: "i'm going to make a resolution to never make another one."


however, i must say that i love the concept of resolutions. the timing of a new calendar year is perfect. the hustle and bustle of the holidays comes to a close, usually with a bit of a lull...perfect for contemplating the future and setting goals. i feel i'm at a spot in my life where i need this transition. i need goals (not resolutions, mind you). i believe you reach toward goals and technically can not fail, but instead you continue to strive toward them. it seems *resolutions* are more concrete and therefore more susceptible to failure. if this sounds like crazy-talk, maybe this example will make some sense. a resolution might be to "lose 10 pounds by summer". if june rolls around and your muffin top is still hanging proud, you've failed. however, if your goal is to "eat healthier and exercise more"...that's an ongoing lifestyle improvement with no concrete "failure point", and ultimately should benefit you more.


as you may have already gathered, this is going to be a long post, but i know it's important because the words kept coming in my head all day. when things continue to float around my little brain, that's when i know it's time to get them "on paper". i'm starting this post on sunday, december 27th. i plan to continue processing all of the thoughts, feelings, urges and passions that are consuming me right now and gradually grow this post until new year's day. that's kind of funny. i'm already long-winded as it is...let's see how wordy i get with a full week to drag it out! i'm not a big fan of blog posts without pictures, but this will be one of those.


so anyway, today was a much-needed slow day...the first day with no christmas activities. i believe it was this slow-down that allowed my mind to wander to places that had been pushed aside by prepping, planning, shopping, wrapping... you get the point.

{looking back}

it goes without saying that 2009 was a *big* year for me and for our family. other than 2002, there is not another year that could even hold a candle to it, as far as 'life-changing' goes. (fyi: 2002 was the year matt and i got married, i became a stepmom, bought our first house and adopted our dog, rio).


this post is going to be long enough without any musings over 2009. there will be a time and place for that. but i will say that coleman coming into our lives is the most amazing and wonderful thing - more so than i could have ever imagined. and of course with that blessing came challenges and changes. i feel like it is these things that lead to most of what you will read below. of course, some of them are lingering issues that were around long before coleman was even a dream of ours.

********[minor goals]********

these goals are more specific in nature...possibly even could be called "resolutions" (gasp!). i consider these minor in comparison to what's listed below. however, as i think of all the things ahead of me, these things cloud my mind, so i feel i need to include them.

{project 365}

no, this is not a sad attempt for a third year to take a photo a day. i need to finish the 2009 project. the supplies couldn't be more basic. i certainly did not take a photo everyday, but i did take a ton of photos. and i'm sure i took a lot that i wouldn't normally have done if i didn't have this project in my mind. unfortunately, i failed miserably at keeping the physical project up-to-date. i don't want this to weigh me down as a big item on my to-do list, but i also do not want it to go unfinished.

{coleman's first year}

another scrapbooking project. actually two. my sister couldn't have made life simpler for me when she made me a "first year" snapshot album (on a carousel). seriously easy. wanna guess if i've kept up with it???? of course not. tsk. tsk. no excuses. this is the only goal to which i'm assigning a deadline. this must be done by coleman's first birthday party. i want to put it on display and there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't be done!!!


as i said, the above is a 'snapshot' of his first year. there are so many photos and details, it's insane. i have done a good job of keeping (very sloppy) notes about each month in a notebook. thankfully. at least the information is captured. i purchased a cute photo album and i have some plans for a full-detail first year album. would it be awesome to have this done by his birthday? heck yeah. will it happen? heck no.

********[major goals]********

these goals are much more conceptual in nature. they do not have a specific beginning or end. they are simply areas of my life that need some continual attention. if someone (myself included) were to read this post, it seems incredibly overwhelming. i understand that it is a lot. but, life is big. if this list was short, it wouldn't be real. a good life is a full, busy life. and i'm real. i'm flawed. this list is all-encompassing. as i said before, it is a combination of things that have always been an issue, plus things that are newer challenges based on recent life changes (or somewhere in between). for me to live a happy life, i need to be continually striving to be a better me. life is all about living, loving and learning. it wouldn't be surprising to consult this list in a year to find that many of these should be on my list for 2011. the important thing is to acknowledge them and take baby steps to gradual improvement. that journey alone will make me stronger, wiser....better.

{patience + attitude}

to clarify: more patience, less attitude. these could've been split into two goals, but for me personally, i think they are tied directly to one another. as my patience wears thin, which happens all too quickly...my attitude increases. and i'm not talking "you-go-girl sassy" attitude, i'm talking "dang, she's a bitch" attitude. not a good thing. anyone that knows me well, knows exactly what i'm talking about :)


so, with my life being crazier than ever, it seems my patience is tried more frequently. and as it's often said, those that we love and are closest to us, are the ones that get the bulk of the punishment. and this is so very true in our home. matt, spencer (and yes, even coleman) probably deserve a good bit of my attitude, but definitely get plenty more than that.


i don't have any master plan on how to improve this, but just totally *get* that it's something of which i need to be more aware and work toward improving. as coleman gets older, i'm sure my patience will be tried on levels i can't even fathom right now...so i might as well try to get it together now!

{balancing}

i'm sure this is a popular goal for parents around the world - particularly working parents or those with a handful of children. a few weeks ago, i thought to myself: how in the world do families with several kids and two working parents manage???? Having just two can sometimes be a handful (and that's with one not even being with us full-time). With school and sports and all that jazz...I can't imagine having several school-aged, involved children.


i want to strive to find a balance between the big things in life: my career, being a mom, stepmom and wife. and still find a way to include the just-as-important, but not "under my roof" things: being a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, scrapbooker, etc.

the next three goals are all related to scrapbooking and creativity.

i debated the best order and i believe this is it.

{regain control of my scrap studio}

i have mentioned in a previous blog post that i need to regain control of my scrap studio. though i'm blessed to have such a room dedicated to my creative endeavors, it rarely gets used for such things. i seriously barely ever scrapbook now. the room is a catch-all for various things, plus it serves as an office of sorts and is the "technology hub" (aka - all the computer junk is there).


i believe the first step to complete this is a serious purging. i have so much stuff that i never use and i need to realize that much of it will continue to sit unused. and therefore, it's totally ok to let it go. i honestly think i'd be able to create more easily and in a more relaxed manner if i simplified my stash. this will be a huge step for me.


the second step is to create a "flow" that fits my lifestyle. as a working mom, i have to accept that hours of scrapbooking in a row are a thing of the past (not that i got much of that before coleman was born). instead, my area needs to be able to accomodate several open projects that can easily be tackled in fifteen minute intervals. i have a feeling that figuring this out will be on a trial-and-error basis, and eventually will have a profound affect on my ability to complete layouts and projects.


the third step is to make the room child friendly. my time in this room came to a complete halt when coleman was past the point of being strapped down. i look forward to the day when he can have his own creative table in my room, like spencer did when he was younger. but for now, i just need to make it possible for him to be in there without killing himself.

{library of memories}

if you aren't familiar with the "library of memories" concept, you may just want to skip this part, because i'm not going to go into the details here. i believe i officially started this process about a year and a half ago. it's been almost a year since i took the online course from stacy julian. i am so far from operating in a true LOM form, but i honestly did get a lot accomplished during the class last year (which corresponded with my maternity leave). the 2010 class starts in february and it's a blessing that "alumni" are allowed to follow the class for free. i'm partially intimidated to be tackling this big project again, but i'm also excited about it. this is directly related to the second step of "flow" that i mentioned above. stacy is a working mom of FIVE, so it doesn't take much convincing for me to have faith in her suggestions!

{creative outlet}

as i mentioned before, i rarely scrapbook now. this is not an exaggeration. the little bit that i'm able to get done is usually at dedicated crops with my family (a few times a year). pretty depressing! i will make one sidenote: i have taken up digital scrapbooking somewhat. i could never give up paper crafting in its raw form, but digital scrapping allows me to capture memories (which is totally the point) in a manner that better fits my lifestyle. it's hard to tuck myself into my studio after not seeing my family all day. but creating something on my computer in the den while watching tv with my hubby...that's a bit more realistic. though i enjoy this and love that i purchased PSE7, it does not replace true scrapbooking for me. it's just different. i need the hands-on outlet of creating things.


it's easy to figure out life's basic priorities. but there comes a point where some very important things often get pushed off of that 'basic' list. i need to put creativity back on that list. i think it's imperative for my mental stability and emotional happiness that i *schedule* creative bites of time in my life.

{weight loss}

seriously cliche, i know. but, i'm not going to fool myself (or anyone) and claim i will start exercising five times a week and eating all healthy foods. i know myself. not gonna happen. but, the truth is that i have to lose some weight. i have a closet full of clothes i can't wear and it's time. time to stop wasting those clothes. time to feel good about myself again. and of course, time to get healthy.

so, realistically...my goal is to eat somewhat better. for me, this probably means cutting out some unnecessary fast food (ok, maybe more than "some"). and just watching what i snack on and things like that. little things. as for exercise. this has always been a tough area for me (seriously tough). my goal here needs to be more basic...trying to walk more (particularly when it starts to warm up). i have an elliptical machine and i need to dust it off (literally) and use it. this will be hard, but so necessary. short term, i'm participating in a pedometer challenge, which i plan to blog about in a separate post.

{couponing simplification}

this is just a quick simple one. about mid-2009, i began truly "couponing". as i do most things, i jumped in with two feet, gung-ho. as a result, i over-complicated things. though i've saved a ton of money, i have spent a ton of time. it has gotten to be a burden. i have to realize that my time is also worth money (figuratively) and that i need to balance my couponing efforts. i believe that i can still save a lot of money without wasting a lot of time.

{refocus at work}

this year at work has been tough. very, very tough. it's been the first time during my time at henkel (five years) that i've questioned what i'm doing, why i'm doing it, and all of that. after returning from maternity leave (in may), my job responsibilities changed significantly. since then, i have lost my passion and enthusiasm for what i do. it would be easy for me to blame this on having a baby and extended home responsibilities. yes, i'm sure these contribute. it's impossible to fully separate these aspects of your life. but, the true problem does not lie there. i'm so very blessed to work for a good company, with good people, and in a flexible situation that allows me to work from home somewhat. truly blessed. i have to look deep within myself and find that old drive. henkel pays me for 40 good, strong hours a week, and that's what they are going to get in 2010.

{spirituality}

this is a hard area for me to discuss publicly. i am disappointed in us (matt and i), that we have not done a better job of raising spencer in a faith-driven home. we do not attend church regularly and do not share enough about our faith with him. i have vowed that i will not let this happen with coleman. but it's hard. you must teach and lead by example. right now, matt and i are not setting good examples. while pregnant, i swore we would find a church home. we didn't. and we only visited one church. now, coleman is ten months old and we are no closer to finding (or even attempting to find) one. matt does not share this same need to find a church, so it's a hard battle and one i must give much consideration and discussion (within myself, as well as with matt).

from an individual perspective, i need to do more to have personal time with god each day - something i've neglected. i used to do this, and have deviated. on my christmas wish list was a daily devotional of some sort. i did not get it, so i hope to purchase one soon. a *guide* of some sort is very helpful in keeping me focused in things like this.

{financial}

this is kind of a personal topic, so i will keep things general here :) matt and i participated in dave ramsey's financial peace university over the summer. it was a good program, but we've lost steam on it. plus, we spent way too much money on christmas spoiling the "babies". and we have lots of those fun *annual* bills due in january. so, all-in-all, we just need to refocus on pinching some pennies and making slightly wiser money choices. a big one for us is eating out. need to cut back there (even if it's just fast food or pizza...it adds up quickly).

{friendships}

since leaving college, i have not had a lot of *girlfriends*. drama and cattyness annoy me. but i missed the closeness and comadarie of them. in the past year or two, i have been able to build some of these relationships, which i value immensely. however, with a new baby and a busy life, it's so incredibly easy to let these things slip to the bottom of the "to do" list. there are a handful of ladies out there that i promise to move up that list and give them the attention that adequately represents how much i truly value them. [cassidy: i know you read my blog, and you are so definitely one of these ladies. love ya!]

{this blog}

it may seem silly, but yes, this blog is a *priority* for me and needs to remain so. i love to write. i love to journal. but it's something i have never been able to successfully stick with. this blog is the only time i've been able to continue writing and expressing...for over three years now! it is an outlet for me that i truly love and i feel it's good for me, very good for me, to have such an outlet. for the few of you out there that take the time to read it...thank you. i welcome all comments and hope you'll keep coming back.

{in conclusion...}

wow. what a post, right? i know i don't hide much on my blog (or ever), but this is really putting it all out there, huh??? oh well, i don't think very many people actually read this silly blog of mine anyway :) so, i guess the biggest thing for me is how to incorporate all of these things into my daily life in a way that they just mesh and flow and do not add more stress to my life. i know it's possible and i have faith that if i commit to it, i will figure out how.

this post is being wrapped up (finally) at 8:30 p.m. on January 2nd...after a very busy week. I'm looking forward to the year ahead: the possibilities, the changes, the growing. hello 2010...here i come!!!

{happy 2010}

i have a super-duper long new year post in progress. i was hoping to have it up today but i haven't had time to finish it and we have a busy day ahead. so, for now...happy new year, happy new decade, happy 2010. well wishes to everyone!

photo credit: DanOhh Designs

year in review {2009}

as i've been working on my post about looking forward to 2010 (coming soon), i just didn't *feel* right to post that without acknowledging the year that we are wrapping up today. so, here we go....

2009: the good, the bad and the ugly

obama: first black president ~ bailout + recession ~ social media: facebook + twitter ~ financial struggles + unemployment ~ continuing sacrifices of armed forces overseas ~ the passing of michael jackson ~ kris allen wins idol ~ terrorists ~ sarah palin: scandal + media + book ~ going green ~ swine flu ~ our governor's many antics ~ jon + kate breakup ~ healthcare debate ~ tiger woods ~ glee

1. Mark Sanford, 2. Glee Cast Don't Stop Believin', 3. Tiger Woods, 4. How Does Being Uninsured Harm Individuals and Families?, 5. swine flu, 6. Save the Earth Tote -Pink, 7. Can't wait!, 8. Kris Allen, 9. RIP Michael Jackson's Star On Hollywood Blvd, 10. Unknown U.S. Soldier, 11. dollar$ and ¢ents, 12. Barack Obama - Realistic Portrait - 1 -

2009: our personal piece of history

~ spencer plays basketball ~ fourth grade with ms ayers ~ carolina bowl game ~ matt turns 41 ~ scrapbooking ~ ultrasound ~ baby shower ~ colton is born ~ valentine's day ~ ikea opens ~ coleman's birth ~ art space studio ~ st patrick's day ~ easter in conway ~ spencer plays baseball (x2) ~ porch parties with neighbors ~ michelle's 40th ~ dhf golf tournament ~ gamecock ladies football clinic ~ 7th anniversary ~ cassidy's baby shower ~ come see me ~ cooper + rio ~ tummy time ~ white horse ~ first mother's day ~ new haircut ~ usc baseball game (new stadium) ~ beach vacation ~ baby food ~ matt's first father's day with two ~ daycare at aj's ~ reading logs ~ holly turns 31 ~ fifth grade with ms gamble ~ safety patrol ~ red, white and boom ~ kings mountain ~ brotherly bonding ~ monk dinner party ~ scrapbooking convention ~ gamecock fan appreciation day ~ mccrea's first birthday ~ glencairn gardens ~ spencer turns 11 ~ giada's baptism ~ bo's cross country ~ pumpkin patch ~ finding the best photographer ~ halloween ~ teething ~ christina + johnathan ~ christmas festivities

inspired by a suggestion on stacy julian's blog, i chose only twelve photos from 2009 to represet the year.

irst, let's take a look at the year culturally...