Newest Issue

It's a sad, sad day when you no longer fit into a bathroom stall. I had to use the ladies' room at Bickford's this morning (yes, Jeff and I went out to eat for breakfast AGAIN!), and I had to kind of wiggle my way in so that I could close the door. Getting out was just as difficult. No fun people.. no fun at all.

Spending Today

See, I think I don't spend any money, but today is a fairly typical Saturday. Jeff and I had a few errands to run (an exterminator came to our house to kill the Carpenter ants that were happily munching on our wood - EEEWWWW) and we had to vacate the place with Monty for a good two hours after. Breakfast with my father (his treat) and then we headed off to Target for some necessities.



First, I filled up my Jeep with gas and that came to $39.00. Should last me until Friday of this up-coming week. Mainly because I'm not going anywhere tomorrow if I can help it!



Target - the total came to $72.07 (EEK). Going through the list I can at least comfort myself with the fact that it was mostly necessities. I got the following:

New Underwear (I'm fat and I've been buying super cheap undies to get me through the rest of this pregnancy)

Diaper Rash creme for Nathan (yes I realize he's not here yet, but I thought having two tubes of it on hand would not be a bad thing... you know, preventative care and all!)

A picture frame for Nathan's room (okay, this was a splurge at $16.99 but I really want to hang a picture of Jeff and I with Nathan in the nursery.... )

Facial Wash for $4

Lotion (and here I got the generic version of Vaseline Intensive Care in a SUPER large bottle for only $3.64)

Body Wash

Hair elastics by Goody

Pads

And new sandals from Target that are slightly dressier versions of flip flops for $19.99. One again, a splurge, but since my bloated and puffy feet cannot FIT into the shoes I own, this was kind of a necessity.



Got home and I ordered the following item online:

It's a 15 pocket mesh organizer for Nathan's room and it hangs on the door of the closet. It was $24.95 with shipping and it's EXACTLY what I've been looking for. If you remember, square footage in this house is at a premium and I needed to make sure we had plenty of room for Nathan's toys, stuffed animals, tiny shoes and other baby stuff. I searched high and low for something like this and finally found it on "Leaps and Bounds" website. I purchased it today.

So for a day where we didn't really do much and I actually got a free breakfast from my Dad and free lunch from Jeff (he paid for Chinese take out), I spent $135.02. That's a pretty hefty chunk of change in my opinion. Where could I have saved? Well gas you need.. you know to get to work and all that. But Target.. the picture frame and sandals were not MUST HAVES and I suppose I could have saved there. Also, the mesh organizer.. that too was not a MUST HAVE and we could have probably done without for a few months... but I would have needed something like it eventually. Or so I'm telling myself.

My faithful readers, do you find yourselves spending more than you thought your would or budgeted? Jeff and I are home for the rest of the night and we'll be doing laundry and a little light cleaning so no worries about spending now. Plus I almost never go to Target anymore - Jeff goes on Sundays with a friend and usually picks up what we need. But girlie stuff like lotion and facial wash I usually get myself... I guess the two big things that could have gone back were the sandals and frame... Ah well. Next time I'll do better!

Pledge

So when I was at my Doctor's today I was in the waiting room and they had Oprah playing in the background. The featured guest was Suze Orman. Now, I'm not a huge Oprah fan OR a Suze Orman fan (ever since I heard Suze talk about how I needed to treat my money "with respect" and this meant having it all facing the same way and neat and crisp in my wallet, I've kind of ignored her), but they had a 3 step pledge I thought was interesting. The pledge is as follows:

1. For one day spend nothing
2. Stop using credit cards
3. No going out to eat at restaurants for one month

Now I've already discussed how giving me a credit card is a BAD, BAD, BAD thing because I am a credit card companies dream come to true and as a result I do not carry them... but I found the other two pledges to be not too bad. Sometimes I *think* I'm not spending any money, but I am. A dollar here, a dollar there... it adds up. (My biggest treat is a Boston Creme donut from Dunkin Donuts in the morning... I LOVE Boston Creme donuts!!!!) So this weekend when Jeff and I go grocery shopping I am going to make sure I have plenty of snacks and drinks and all that good stuff so I can start Monday with the "No spending" plan. I would like to go Monday - Friday without spending anything. I'll document it next week so you can all see if I do well or if I fail miserably. I'm the "Queen of the Impulse Buy" and it's VERY hard for me to not spend if I want something, but I'm willing to try.

I am also interested in the "no restaurants" for a month. Though I don't know if we can realistically do that. I mean... We are fairly social (sometimes - this comes in waves where we'll have weekends on end where we have plans.. and then months will go by and we'll say things like "Do we have any friends"?), and being social with friends usually includes going out somewhere to eat, or getting take out. Maybe we could try it for a week? Or 2 weeks? Something like that? I suspect it will be MUCH easier to do this when Nathan decides to make his arrival, but I also think that might be cheating slightly. You know.. we'll be too tired to go out so we won't... not because we're actively trying to change habits.

Anyone else want to join me?

Fun at the Mall

With all the saving money and being thrifty that Jeff and I have been doing lately, I did have one small splurge. This weekend I had $40 in "fun money" and I headed off to one of my favorite stores ever. Sephora. Here's what $40 got me:

Replacement sponges for the best foundation ever, Philosophy's SuperNatural with SPF 15

Lip Gloss from Clinique called Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Grapefruit:

And last, but not least, Benefit's Eye Bright:

When Jeff met up with me on the way to the register he looked at the three tiny items in my hand and said, "I thought you had $40 to spend"? I told him I did, but that at Sephora these three things were $40. He didn't believe me, but when it rang up the total came to $38 and change. Yup... that's why this is such a splurge. Sephora ain't cheap, but oh how I still love that place!

Nursery

The nursery is slowly coming together. I'm still running back and forth to Target and Babies R Us for last minute things we need. Like, oh, DIAPERS!!! But I thought people might want to take a look at how things are progressing:

I confess to being unsure about the color on the walls when Jeff first painted the room. I remember thinking "Holy Green" when I first came home and saw his handwork. But now that we have new carpet and blinds and furniture and all that the green is looking pretty good. It's not done, we still have a bookcase to purchase and some organizing to do, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with how it looks!

Question of the day

It's your first day at a brand new job. You know nobody. You are young and female. Would you, or would you not wear short shorts?

Just curious because we actually DID have someone at my job wearing what was essentially "dressy hot pants" for her "working interview". For a minute I thought she was just wearing a really, really high cut miniskirt, but no. It was shorts. DRESSY shorts, but still shorts. Just wondering if I'm really, really old or if this is the new "business casual" attire that I have heard nothing about.

New Mind Set

I know I've been writing a lot of about money and budgeting and all that, and I hope it's not boring people, but it's really been right at the top of things that I MUST DO lately. The whole idea of having this new person in the family that is going to be completely and utterly dependent on me kind of freaks me out! So Jeff and I have started quite a bit of cost cutting in terms of shopping and when we buy and what we buy. Well the other day I was in CVS for just a few things, and if you're like me, you can turn a quick run to CVS into a $50+ shopping spree. This time though, I kept it to under $20 and left with what I went in for. Amazing. True, I forgot we needed toothpaste, but I can get that another day and for now I'll just grab a few samples from my work to hold us over.

See, this time I LOOKED AT THE PRICES instead of just grabbing the brand I wanted. I'm a brand name snob and I rarely buy the generic version of anything. This time though I got the generic version of pads (never say I don't tell all!!) since they were on sale for 2 for $4.00, and I got Suave body wash for $1.99 as opposed to the creamy Dove body wash that I LOVE for $8.99. Now this isn't a lot of money we're talking about saving, but it does add up after awhile. Or so all the finance books and websites tell me... And the Suave body wash is actually really nice smelling so I won't count that as TOO much of sacrifice. I just found it interesting that I went into CVS and did this kind of automatically.. not really thinking about it. This is brand new behavior for me since before I would automatically go for the brand I really wanted regardless of price. Oh, and last night I CUT COUPONS on diapers. I know.. maybe I'm going too far now.. but I did cut coupons. And sign up for Huggies web site so that they'll send me more coupons. Next thing you know I'll be getting a "Flowbee" (whatever happened to those btw??) and cutting my own hair!!!

Pictures

And more pictures of me. These two were taken at the family baby shower my fabulous mother in law hosted for me last weekend.

My pride hates this picture because my little sister was at my shower wearing skinny jeans and 5 inch heels. I was NOT wearing skinny jeans and I had flip flops on for my poor swollen feet. Sigh...

New Poll

I'm tired and puffy and bloated so I thought I'd take the lazy way out and steal some questions from a survey I found:
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
My credit cards - because it was my compulsive spending that got them in the first place.
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
You know this is so sad, I don't remember the last time we had a romantic dinner just the two of us.
3. How many colleges did you attend?
Just the one, Emmanuel College
4. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It was clean, it fits and it's comfortable right now
5. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
5 more minutes
6. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Wishing I will STAY asleep all night long
7. What do you miss being a child?
Not much actually!
8. What errand/chore do you despise?
I hate doing the dishes
9. Have you found real love yet?
Absolutely!
10. What do you get every time you go into Target?
Something from the Beauty Aisle like moisturizer or conditioner for my hair
11. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
No, though I never had a huge desire to get married until I met Jeff. Funny how that works!
13. Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Nope
14. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
I'd love to go back to the wineries - so beautiful. Oh, and I'd like to go cage diving with sharks!
15. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Neither... I'm pretty happy
16. Do you have a “go to” person?
Jeff
17. Are you where you want to be in life?
I am, though I'd like a little more money in my pocket and for Nathan to be here finally!
18. Over the years, what about you do you think has changed the most?
I've definitely matured, grown as a person and learned a lot about myself.
19. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
Yes and no. I definitely have some fond memories of life then, but I'm pretty happy to be an adult as well.
20. Are there times you still feel like a kid?
No
21. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
I mostly hung out with my boyfriend at the time!!
22. Who do you think impacted your life the most?
Me
23. Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out for you?
Not really......
24. Do you tell stories that start with “when I was your age”?
Not yet!
25. What is the scariest thing that has happened to you as an adult?
Living alone, on my own in my own apartment... it was so scary at first but I eventually loved it.
26. What advice would you give to someone about to get married?
Laughter is the best remedy to anything
27. What advice would you give someone starting their first job?
Be on time, learn, don't be afraid to make mistakes
28. If you could go back and change one thing you did, what would it be?
Tempting.. but there isn't any one thing I would really change. All those experiences made me who I am today.
29. If you could go back and change one thing someone else did, what would it be?
I wouldn't - you can't change other people but you can change how their behavior effects you and how you respond to it.

Not Nice Experience

Personally I think that asking someone who can no longer bend over or even SEE their own feet to pee in a tiny cup is cruel and unusual punishment. End Post.

Being a Bitch

So one of my co-workers today said she needed me to "play the bitch" at work because she couldn't. And you know, I've never thought of myself as being a bitch, at work or otherwise. I mean, I certainly have my bad days and the such, but bitch? Not really. I think she just liked the way I dealt with another person in the office, which was basically by pretending that she didn't exist. Don't get me wrong, I answered her if she had questions or if she needed to talk, but if she was talking AT me I concentrated on my job and ignored her. Easy to do when you have a phone ringing off the hook and people standing in front of you waiting for attention.

Now I've been told I can get "bitch-like" before. I had an ex-boyfriend tell me that I had a "fuck you" face that kept people, or other men, at a distance. Kind of a "don't bother talking to me because I am so not interested in any way, shape or form" thing. I don't see that either, but apparently its true.

Fellow readers of mine, what do you think? Have you see "the look" or experienced my bitchy side?? Just curious if I am not the nice as apple pie person I always thought I was!

Pregnancy Tip 129

Stretch Marks: A shiny line on the skin of the abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks that is often lighter than the surrounding skin and is caused by the stretching and weakening of elastic tissues as a result of pregnancy or obesity, for example.

Get used to the idea ladies, I'm at 33 weeks right now and I've started to notice lovely red stretch marks. I have one on each hip right now. And I've been slathering my body with enough oil, lotions and potions to grease a million turkeys. It's made not one iota of a difference. If I find a product that actually works - I'll keep you posted. But right now I've used cocoa butter, specially made "butters" for pregnancy, and even Suave lotions and nothing has helped. Stretch marks are apparently natures' way of saying "Gotcha"!!! So save that money for something that WILL help - a tummy tuck.

trip to the Grocery Store

In the interest of saving money and budgeting, Jeff and I have been cutting corners. Getting rid of all the "extras". Now to be fair to us, we really don't have a lot of extras in our lives anyway, but we have been re-evaluating things once again. For example, we are giving up Sirius Radio. Now Sirius Radio is not THAT expensive, about $30 a month for the two subscriptions. And that's why we've kept it. But now we're thinking that the $30 a month is going to be needed for such things like, oh, diapers. So it's going bye bye. This a a sacarafice, at least for me. I LOVE my Sirius Radio and hearing new bands I wouldn't normally hear, and no commercials. I really do love it, so instead I'll be making CD's to listen to during my commute time.

The other change we've made is to start taking a calculator to the grocery store, and making a list ahead of time of what we want. Today we went to the grocery store with a budget of $50, and a list. And we STUCK TO IT! In fact, we came in a few dollars under. I was pretty happy about this. We added a few things at the last minute that weren't originally on the list, but that's okay, we mostly got necessities, and even the last minute add ons weren't so much impulse buys as items we really did need. We've got a plan for dinner tonight, plan for dinner tomorrow night, and I've got my lunches mapped out to take to work this week. If you know us at all, you know we are the King and Queen of take out, so this is a pretty big change. Oh, and we stopped shopping at Shaw's supermarket since the prices there are RIDICULOUS. We've switched to Johnny's Foodmaster and while the store is not as pretty, the prices are better. Ah the things we do to be debt free!!!

Pregnancy tip #325

As soon as you find out you are pregnant run out and buy pantiliners. Lots of them. Don't question me, don't think about, just do it. You don't want to KNOW why.... just do this and thank me later.

Dog Monty

Last Thursday, Monty hurt his paw. Jeff had take him outside for his normal potty time, and when Monty came back inside he was bleeding. Apparently it looked like a horror movie was taking place in our house, blood was EVERYWHERE. I was not home at the time, but was out to dinner with my father. When I got home that night Jeff had stopped the blood. I shooed Jeff out for the night since it was his monthly night of karaoke. I put Monty in his crate so that he wouldn't keep re-opening the cut. This worked fine until he needed to pee. I took him out around midnight, and once again.. blood everywhere. Put Monty back in his crate and cleaned up all the blood. The next morning we headed out to Woburn Emergency Animal clinic.

Monty had apparently knicked an artery and also cut a ligament in his toe, so one toe is flat while the others are curled up. We got pain killers and antibiotics for Monty and we fed him both in balls of cream cheese.

Now Monty LOVED those cream cheese balls... loved them. Until he figured out that cream cheese balls hid big ol' horse pills. Now he won't touch them. So we switched to hiding his meds in Beneful wet food (Monty normally only gets dry food for his meals since Greyhounds can NOT gain too much weight, you need to be fairly strict with their diet), and wet food is a treat. Now he's back to wolfing down his meds, but here's the issue. He wants NOTHING to do with his dry food. He wants his treats. He used to scarf down his dry food like he wouldn't see another meal for weeks, but now that we normally give him these "treats", he's waiting. Like what else is he going to get that is better. Right now we've fed him dinner and there is STILL dry food in his bowl. It's crazy and boy is there going to be a shock when his medicine is done this up-coming week and the treats come to an end. There is going to be an unhappy greyhound around here!!!

Cravings

One good thing about being pregnant, and being so OBVIOUSLY pregnant means that right now I can order any food combination I want and nobody bats an eye. I had chocolate chip pancakes with EXTRA chocolate chips for breakfast today, and nothing. Waitress didn't say a word. Last night I went out to dinner with Jeff and my Aunt and Uncle and had a grilled cheese, french fries and mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate jimmies and the lady there rubbed my belly and said "It's all for the baby". I felt like saying, it's ALL FOR ME!! The baby gets no vote right now, but I let it pass. Also, if I feel like soft serve ice cream in the middle of the day people actually ENCOURAGE me to go get it. I have to say this a HUGE plus!!! Love it!!!! And I'm going to enjoy this for as long as I can!!

By Popular Demand

Here I am at 32 weeks pregnant. Jeff was kind enough to take multiple pictures of me before I finally settled on one that didn't make me want to scream. :-)

Big, Fat, Puffy Limbs

So ladies, third trimester sometimes means you retain water. And that's such a nice way of saying you will start to resemble the Michelin Man. See?

This will be you and dear lord do I wish I was exaggerating. I am not. This started for me on Thursday of this week when at work I noticed my wedding bands felt a little snug. Okay - a LOT snug. So I took them off. This irks me SO much I cannot even explain it. Don't my sausage like fingers know how long it took me to get those bands??? A LONG ASS TIME!! And now I can't wear them? It's a sick joke people. A sick joke.

But wait - it gets better. My father, the lovely man of understanding and compassion that he is took me out that night for dinner. Before dinner I was browsing "Motherhood Maternity" (the land of bows and cleavage shirts) and he mentioned my arms looked......... and his voice trailed off. I asked him, fat? My arms look fat?? No, no.... he tried to back pedal a little. Just.... puffy. Because PUFFY is so much better than FAT! Apparently my big and puffy limbs are swelling up like a balloon!!! He's damn lucky there were no sharp instruments near me because I would have stabbed him over and over again in a fit of hormonal rage. Well, and he was buying dinner. I can forgive a lot if you feed me.

And then, the worst. My feet are swollen. I don't think I need to remind people how much I love shoes. LOVE shoes. They are the best part of shopping, the best part of a bad day, and my feet are sooooooo bloated and puffy right now my shoes don't fit. I have one pair of flip flops that I've been wearing so I thought I'd head on off to Macy's and get a cute pair of sandals. You know, comfy sandals I could wear to work. I tried on two pairs and was dismayed to see all the extra fat on my feet just pushing out around the straps. It was like trying to belt buckle a marshmallow. I kid you not. My feet are so swollen I cannot wear SHOES! SHOES!!! I'm not asking for a lot, I wasn't trying to cram my feet into a pair of 4 inch heels, I just wanted some cute sandals. I was even look for PRACTICAL.... and COMFORTABLE.. which we all know I never look for in a pair of shoes, so I was compromising. No compromise is allowed.. my mishapen feet are rebelling and I left the mall shoeless. That's a sad, sad day people. A sad day.

I cannot WAIT to find out what else is in store for me... and since Jeff is now sighing at me and telling me we need to go get dinner I'll sign off!