Deals At Michaels

Okay well Michaels (www.michaels.com) is having dollar days this week. Sorry to tell you so late in the week but I usually do my shopping on Friday's so I was just getting around to looking at the ad. They have lots of stuff dirt cheap needed for school supplies or craft projects. They have stuff like:

15 foam paint brushes for $1
4 ribbon spools for $1
modeling clay for $1
Acrylic paint 2/$1
Crayola Art Supplies 3/$10

This is just a super small sample of what they have for sale in my area, go check it out!

Latte

McDonald's fund's Gay agendas

Well I have to post this. We are boycotting McDonald's (probably should have stopped eating there years ago cuz the food is so bad for you) They have started to put money into Gay and Lesbian agendas. Now usually we don't concern ourselves too much with boycotting places because we know the agenda is something that a letter to the company would easily solve, like with the subway and homeschool issue a few months back. But the spokesperson for McDonald's has said that those that oppose same sex marriages are motivated by hate! Get that hate....they could not be more wrong!

Luke 19:¹⁰For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

And they are lost! Both the bible and nature are very clear that a man and a women are to be one!

And we can not support that McDonald's gave $20,000.00 to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. That means *if* we eat their my money goes to this agenda.

While we know my money probably unknowingly is spent on Gay agenda's, we will never willingly do so. Our family has made a stand on this...if you want to as well please go here and let them know you take a stand against homosexuality-especially when they force it on us!

Latte

Back To School Deals!!! Stock up now!!!

Okay if ya want to get some pretty great deals on items for back to school visit THIS lady's website and get a list of places that are selling back to school items for FREE, .01 cent, .05 cents, and a dollar or 2-3 dollar stuff!!!! I got 24 - 70count collage rule spiral notebooks for $1.20 !!!! That is right .05 cents each!!!! I wrote down the list of items stuck it in my purse and when I am out near those stores I will be geton me some deals!!! So go check out her blog!

Latte

Tagged?

6 thingez about me! That are weird...ha

Well I have been tagged. I did not really ever think I would get tagged...but I did. I am up for a good laugh are you? I will not invade other bloggers out there by tagging them (not that I am against tagging...just don't like to force my fun on others,lol) however if your my blog friends (look on the left sidebar) consider yourself tagged and follow the rules. That is what ya get for being my frindz!

Okay the rules are Link who tagged me: To see her blog go here She is a great gal that lives near me...and I owe money to for some blocks that I have yet to get...sorry I will get them soon if ya haven't already sold them, again sorry.

Here are the rules of the tag:
Here are the rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged me.
2) Mention the rules.
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.
4) Tag 6 other blogger´s by linking to them.
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

Okay 6 Quirky Things about me!

1. I love to research things...If I could get paid to do it I would!
2. I think it's cool I can laugh like this:

I don't know why I like it, I have not shared that info with anyone except close friends and family...until now! I just think it's too funny!

3. I Love loving things my husband loves...even when I hated it before. I know some people think it's too dependant but I just get hooked by HIM. Like him quoting the Ace Ventura movie (mind you this was some years ago) he use to act out the scenes from that movie and I would be crying I was laughing so hard even though I did not like that movie before I could not wait until he started horsing around and quoting it again! I still love it when he starts doing that with other movies!!!! It's super dorky but so dang cute. I also get involved in HIS sports, HIS ways of thinking like with money, etc. And yet I can never remember his favorite dinners, to do his laundry, or to vacuum every other day!
4. I have a huge fear of lions!!! Almost more so than bad guys or spiders...That is very quirky!
5. I really do love the differences in everyone (aside from the gays and bad guys and such) I love when people are hippy like, or frilly like, or silly like! I love each person’s differences and truly embrace their differences when around them. Like when I am around my BFF Salted Girl I talk in a real girlie talk, and when I am around my family my southern accent come shining through. Or when I am with REAL folks (that means people who let it all hang out instead of only showing their good side) I adore watching them and learning to be a little like them each day. I don’t mind when people are not like me…but I am always shocked when they are not. For some reason I walk around thinking if I like it surly others will, stupid I know!
6. I wish bible studies lasted hours and hours. I actually hate when they end!!!! Truly if I had it my way we would have one every day and once a week it would be pretty much all day!!!

Well there ya go. I don’t know if they are quirky or not but I don’t share this kind of stuff much and I know others don’t seem to see eye to eye with me about this stuff…I mean who would really admit they like to laugh like Janice!!!!!! I should call this post Dorky things about me!!!! LOL

Latte

Weight Loss Week 2

Okay let me tell you...I was bad this week. I only did my work out 2 times!!!! I did not avoid sugar like I should have!!! I also did not drink enough water, though I did do well to add more water to my diet! Well I need to do a lot better this week!!! It is getting so close to my goal date of August 26th!!! Just so ya know I made a pack with myself before I turned 30 that I would lose this baby weight so I have until the 26th to make that deadline. So today I am starting my fast again. Only fruits and veggies most of the week with the protein at the end....I will probably add some small amounts of protein each day to curb the light headedness. I think fasting is so good for your body...I think God knew that, or better yet he made it that way on purpose! Well anywho!

My Goal weight : 125
My Start weight : 155
My 1st wk weight: 151



And this week...no drum roll please

My 2nd wk weight: 151.5

Okay so to recap I need to lose 26 more pounds in 4 1/2 weeks! That is about 6 pounds a week...boy oh boy it is sure going to be hard to reach my goal now...okay okay out with the latte's at least until the 27th! I want one on my birthday!!!!! So lets pray shall we cuz I'm super addicted to them!!!

My challenge this week:

No latte's (after I finish this one)
Water Water Water
Workout every day 2 miles in 30 minutes-broke into mini workouts
Cabbage Fast again with extra protein!
Do more stuff with the family that gets me movin!

I just need to remember this diet thing is only for a few short weeks and then I can go ahead and learn to eat normal healthy meals with super small treats.

Latte

Weight loss Challenge week 1

Okay so last week I did the diet for 5 days and then I got fed up. Not at the diet but I lost 5 pounds on day 2 and then on the morning of day 6 I still had only lost the 5 pounds. I thought what the @@#$@!!! So I said no more. I also COULD not work out because the detox made me way to light headed! I am anemic and if I don't get my protein I go kuku!!!

This week my challenge is:
*Drink lots of water at least 8 glasses a day!
*Jog 2 miles every day - 2 - 15 minute tread mill jogs
*Go for bike rides and walks w/the family
*Eat smaller meals!
*Try...try to cut back to one Latte a day or maybe two small ones
*No sugar or carbs (man made carbs like breads and pastas) other than the one latte

Okay my weight goal is 125 last week I my weight was:

155

and this week.................drum roll..............................

151!! So I lost 4 pounds!!! I actually gained 1 pound back after going off my diet..But I am glad for a four pound weight loss in one week...lets see if I can keep going!

To recap:

Start: 155
week 1: 151

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement! It means a lot. I also pray this helps you! Now I am off to clean that playroom!!! That will be a work out!!!

Latte

Buying a new home? Please read this first

Okay America now that things are getting bad with the house buying my husband and I are going to lay down some simple steps to not getting caught in the lies lenders give! We have always wanted to do this before things got bad we just never had a place to do it...now that we have this blog we can. We pray this helps you!

#1 Never ever trust a lender. They will tell you "with your income you can afford a $100,000.00 home" all the while they did not figure in your electric bill, car payment, water,food, etc. When we first bought our home they told us we could afford a $75,000.00 loan. My husband did the math and laughed he said "sure if I don't want to eat or have heat in my home"

Of course these lenders do consider these things however they leave NO ROOM for any extra money. Meaning no money for movie night, no emergency funds, etc. Do the math make sure you leave loads of room for extras! It's a must! A few years back we had our air conditioner go kuput and we had to shell our $4000.00 for a new one! Think if we had bought a $75,000.000 home we never would have had that in savings! And guess what because we bought a home at less than the lender said (and my husband got a few bonuses, raises, and higher positions) we had a small amount left in savings after that big purchase. sweet~

#2 take the smaller (lesser value) home to pay it off faster. Sure it stinks to not get the big home with the perfect kitchen but get this. My husband and I got a 2 bedroom 1.5 bath home and as we got more income we used it to add on. Now we have a 3 bedroom, 1 office, 2.5 bathroom, with a formal dining room, mudroom, and soon we will have an entry way, car port/garage new driveway and extras. And we have upgrades done and left to do. And all the while we have paid more than double the house payment towards the house payment. Meaning our house payment at the moment is $400ish and we pay an extra $500ish towards the principle. So in one year our house will be paid for 21 years early!!!!!!!! Plus the cars will be paid off then...so do ya see the $$ that we will have in one year. I think we will have well over $1600 to play with every month!!!!! Okay I am not trying to brag I really want you to see how nice it is to save for a few years to have no debt and a nice income each month. Now before you go and buy a smaller home do consider add on potential. Some places don't allow many things so check into it...and don't trust the first person who says oh sure they allow add ons only to find out after you bought it that the county you live in does not. Trust facts like a going to city hall our the county office and seeing there building codes.

#3 Understand your loan...and then really pray about it! Okay so many people get these wonderful "arm" loans. Where the interest fluctuates but the loan officer makes it sound like its never that much at one time. And yes one month it can only go up so much...but after a year or two of going up up up you start to feel the crunch! Don't fall for these, yes they have a nice sweet low interest to start off with but if you cant afford the current interest then your buying over your head! Always get the fixed interest its just so worth it in the long haul!

#4 Make sure you leave enough to save. I think they say to have at least 6 months worth of income in savings...is that right? Well I think you should! Even if it's divided up into savings, 401K, stocks, and other extra monies you would have should you lose your job or have an emergency. Of course the savings needs to have the bulk of this money. So before you buy that dream home spend a year or two in a small cheap apartment (or with the parents=) saving and saving! It's really worth it. Emergency's are not cheap! My husband got sick recently (as you may have read in older posts) and having little in savings sure did make things get tight around here. So be sure and save. We are lucky and can afford to shell out payments each month...but it's rare you can do this so save!

#5 Know your income and expenses. Add + all that you make subtract - all that you spend (everything includes movies, trips to Come and Go, that daily latte, groceries, bills, lotto tickets) plus subtract - all you invest in (savings, 401K, investments). The see what is left = is what is left enough to cover a house payment, taxes, and insurance with room for extra? The extra is what I like to call unforeseen expenses like a higher electric bill, or other expenses related to the purchase of a new home! My husband and I tell everyone take one month or two and keep all your receipts ALL OF THEM even the ones to get a slurpy! Then take your income and subtract those receipts and your bills. Then subtract investments and savings. This will give you an idea of what you will have left each month. A bit of advise on remembering to keep all of the receipts is where you keep your money/credit card/checks keep an old receipt there and when you go to grab the mulla you will see it then remember to add the new receipt to it. I usually don't have any trouble remembering this...I have trouble writing down debit card payments as I always think of them as credit card payments, duh! I probably need to wrap a note around that darn card!

#6 please give it all to the Lord. Really look to the Lord for how to best do everything. Make sure he approves any home you look buy. We did and we are so happy we did. God is such a blessing in our lives! Not because of the home (it's just a material thing of no value to the kingdom of God) but because of how we have grown in the Lord from this experience. Always remember that when doing anything...it really takes the pressure off!

Love, Latte

We don't usually go to church because this kind of teaching is everywhere and where it's not there are usually some doctrine from back in the day that does not line up with scripture and you can't tell anyone different (using sound scripture) because that is what their mamma and dadda and preacher believed so it must be true even though they have no proof. Read scripture outside of any teaching...you'll see.

Latte

Okay well I have tried a few ways to save some mulla to help off set the fuel costs and they worked! So I'ma gunna pass it on to you gals (and guys=)

Tip # 1 I take a piece of paper and at the top I write my grocery budget on it then below it I listed the places I shop. When I am writing my check that piece of paper is right there on top of my checks (and in front of the credit card) so I can write down the amount I spent right then. At a glance (if it's a good day and I can count lol) I know how much money I have left at the next store. I usually get essentials first and then if I have money left over I can get extras on the next shopping trip.

Tip # 2 Grill Out! Boy o' boy that stove sure heats up the house and then the air kicks on agh! So I try to not turn the stove on all summer! Of course I do from time to time but for the most part my gas, charcoal, and smoker work their booties off. Yum!

Tip # 3 Indoor line drying! I take my hangers put most of my wet clothes on them and dry them in the laundry room ala natural! I don't like the smell of the outdoor line drying soo I do it in the laundry room. To help the cloths smell good I add fabric softener to each load.

Tip # 4 Homemade laundry soap. I think I figured it up and it runs me 7 cents a load to make my own soap and it smells yummy! I buy homemade Lye soap (you can get some online or at local Amish stores) that costs around 3.25 a bar. I buy a box of Borax (laundry isle costs about $3ish) and washing soda (laundry isle of your grocery store-don't look for it at Wallie World -costs about $3ish) I melt the bar of soap in a sauce pan of water then add it to a 5 gallon bucket, put in 1 cup of borax and one cup of washing soda and fill with water to about 3-4 inches from the top. Makes 60 loads 3+3+3+1(for taxes and cents) so for $10.00 you can get 6-60 loads and when I did the math last time it came to around 7 cents.

Tip # 5 Turn the air down! Sad but true we keep our air at 75 all summer. In years past it was around 70-72 but not anymore.

Tip # 6 colder showers! I love to burn my skin when I get in the shower but now I go as cold as I can.

Tip # 7 Make it yourself! Okay if ya know me ya know I loveas me some latte's but at $5 a drink Star Bucks can look like a ripoff! So I bought me a latte machine (around $30) and make them at home for about .70 cents a cup...much better! Same goes for blizzards, breakfast burritos and anything else a fast food place can come up with that I love.

Well that is all, what about yall! My savings have totaled in the hundreds! That is sweet! Of course I am totally not perfect and I still splurge or go over budget but every bit helps aye?

Latte

I am on a mission to lose a little weight before August 26th. I want to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 125! I know I like that weight, it's my healthy weight, and my dear husband liked that weight too =) So I am doing what This Lady did and posting my weight and goals each WEEK! I cant wait each week to see how well she did, heck it's just so much fun so then I though 'well how much more fun would it be to see how well I do each week!' Maybe that is an overstatement but I am up for the challenge.

Okay first my goals for this week:
30 minute workout each day - 2 - 15 minute 1 mile jogs
Cabbage soup detox...only I will be adding lattes =(

That is all, other than I want to be more willing to get up and chase my kids around instead of making them come to me.

Okay now my weight...well if you checked out the link above with what my fellow blog lady is doing you saw she posted a picture of her scale, okay okay so my scale is not as cool as hers but here is my pic and weight err....

So my current weight 155 and my goal is 125 so...I have 30 pounds to lose in 6 1/2 weeks! Thats 4.6 pounds that has to be lost each week! I pray that doing the detox the first week or two will help me lose more than that to start off with. Last time I did the detox I lost 12 pounds in 7 days, boy that sure would help.

Goal:125
Week 1: 155

Okay I am actually nervous to hit the add entry button to this post! I hate committing to anything anymore because I usually flake out due to the fact that it's so much weight! In years past it's always been about a 10 pound weight loss but now it's 30! I do pray I get in better shape! I also pray that my experience can help anyone else out there that suffers from being over weight/out of shape. And that it can help bring your body to an acceptable 'temple' weight, and or shape. So will you join me?

Latte