Just when I thought....

We are in full swing of potty training adventures at our house! Both with my 2 year old and our 3 mos. old puppy. Just when I thought I was at a good stage with all the kids being so self-sufficient at most times....we take a big leap backwards when we add a puppy into the mix! She is so sweet, but a LOT of work. She is coming along really well with the housebreaking.

She is rewarded with a small piece of cheese every time she goes potty outside. My daughter, Mady, on the other hand, works for gummy bears! She has been in "big girl unders" as she calls them for about 2 weeks now and has been so awesome!

I am here to testify that my girls pretty much potty trained over a weeks time and my son, took, well, significantly longer! It's a ton of fun seeing them hit this milestone, but I need a tool belt with wet wipes, Lysol, Spot Shot, and Toilet Paper ready for action at all times! I'm fairly certain I could whip up a cute one of those in waterproof fabric and put 'em on the market :)

Hope you are enjoying the little things today!

New Year, New Goals

I am feeling the energy of a new year. I love the list making and goal setting anyway, but the fact so many others join me in doing this at this time of year is fun. I have yet to pick my "word of the year" as nothing is jumping out at me. I will get back to you on that one.

One of my goals is to stick, really stick, to our family budget. We do a pretty good job of it already, but I am using the "cash in the envelope" method. So far so good. I take out the cash needed for groceries and stick it in the grocery envelope. My weekly allowance envelope has cash I can use for more non-essential items like going out to lunch, art supplies, etc. I love seeing money left over in the envelope at the end of each week! There's something about seeing the cash versus using a debit card or credit card that makes it more real. It hurts a little more to hand over the cash, so you think twice about buying something you don't really need.

Since I'm trying to save money, I've found all kinds of interesting, some more work than they are worth, ideas for saving money on household cleaning products, cheap meals, etc. I am taking some to heart and others are pretty cumbersome that I will leave for another lovely soul to use, like shaving a bar of ivory soap to make your own laundry detergent. Maybe someday, but not with 3 kids under 7.

My first switch in the laundry department is to use distilled white vinegar in our wash machine instead of fabric softener. It works great! You don't smell the vinegar on the clothes and you get rid of the static clean and soften your clothing. The dryer sheets have left our house. I made my husband a believer after a few successful loads of wash.

What do you do to save your family money?

2 Snow Days in a Row!

Well snow was in the forecast, and snow it did! I believe we had about 9 or 10 inches, so not too bad, but baby its cold outside! I have been at home with the kids for the last 2 snow days from school. We are all in need of some fresh air.

Tomorrow I'm back to school and first day back of the Spring semester teaching. I have 5 courses to teach and all the other fun stuff that comes along with academia. I love the flexibility it affords, but with that comes long hours of preparation, presenting and grading. Can't have your cake and eat it too I guess.

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Ready for a Quick Roadtrip

My husband and I are heading to Kansas City for a quick road trip to see the Chiefs v. Ravens play off game! Not a huge football fan but going with a group of friends for a quick weekend getaway is always a fun thing....and I will most definitely try to work in some Red Velvet Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory while we're there! We have an 80% chance of snow today and tomorrow and a 100% chance of snow on Monday here. I don't know about you, but I am planning on some sledding happening soon! I just hope my parents pack a toothbrush and extra clothes in case they get stuck here with the kids and we get stuck in K.C.!

How I do love the snow! It's the ice and wind chill I could definitely do without! Guess you can't get everything your way.


Have a blessed day!

Welcome 2011!

After quite a long hiatus, I am back. I wanted to start off the new year with a renewed commitment to blog. I've been quite busy with my family, work, and trying to eek out time to create, that I have prioritized right over blogging. Funny thing is, so many times I would sit and read my dear friends blogs and smile as I felt connected across the miles. I read a little and then moved on to put out a fire I'm sure. Point is, I could have posted something on my own blog!! So here I am.

The last post was just before I embarked on the Brave Girls camp journey in July. Wow, what a wonderful experience! Highly recommended. In fact, Idaho in general is beautiful. It was my first visit there and it felt very much like the Midwest pace of life I'm used to with lavish countryside, mountains, white water rafting, etc. that Nebraska just doesn't have. I asked my husband if there were any district offices for his job in Idaho and how he would feel about a move. While it sounded fun and adventurous, home will be Nebraska for now.

More on Brave Girls Camp coming later. Warm New Years wishes to each of you!