The Beginning

The time has come and I have decided to give blogging a whirl. Why Blog?? Well, I have friends and family all over the place and can never remember to update everyone so I figured this would be a good place to release my thoughts and share our adventures. Some of the things I'd like to include in my blog are parenting, being environmentally friendly, & saving money.

I currently work full time, I am a wife, and a mom to 2 boys 7yrs old and 22 months old. Everyday is an adventure and there are never enough hours to complete everything that needs to be done in a day.

My dear husband(DH), works full time as a Quality Control Manager. He wakes up cruically early to go to work every morning and picks up the kids from the sitters every evening. DH has lots of hobbies which include bowling, poker, gambling, games, & fishing. He bowls on a league every Monday night, this has been his hobby since long before me, one night a week is not to bad but when I've had a rough day the thought of him leaving makes me bitter. He also bowls in tournaments which usually turns into a weekend get away for the 2 of us or a mini vacation for the family. I enjoy watching him bowl when I get the chance to go with him but I really like to watch other peoples reactions when they see him bowl recreationally. Let's just say he stands out in a crowd when it comes to bowling. DH also plays poker on a league which meets one Saturday a month. I resent when that Saturday gets close cause I know he will be gone all night into the early morning (and I don't sleep well without him there) but he will usually wake up with the kids the next morning since I had to deal with them all night and let me sleep in. He has always enjoyed the Casinos and he has convinced me they are kinda fun to. We are very responsible gamblers that usually have money set aside to play with and never take bill money to gamble. He goes fishing with my dad or his dad when he gets the chance but that is not very often. Although, he would love to go more there just isn't that much free time in our lives. We LOVE to play games. We have a closet that is overflowing with cards and board games we like to play whenever we get the chance. Occasionally, we will have another couple come over for a game night but most of our friends (OK his mine don't live close enough) are single or don't have kids.

My oldest dear son (referred to as Ry) just started 2nd Grade and we are hoping to have a great yr. Ry was diagnosed with ADHD last year and was put on medication which has been a struggle to regulate. Prior to that diagnosis Ry would get in trouble every day at school and we noticed he had a very short attention span, unless it was something he enjoyed doing like playing video games, then he had no problem focusing. Ry's grandparents encouraged us to have him tested as this was something they were much more familiar with and well what can I say?? They knew what they were talking about. I on the other hand was in denial. Today was the 2nd day of school and Ry really likes his teacher and hasn't been complaining about school work or anything, which is a great sign.

My youngest ds (who will be referred to as Gav)is wonderful. I worry about him because he is so rough, constantly getting bumps and bruises, a true boy. He is not even 2 yet and has decided on his own to start potty training. That is a real shocker for me cause Ry had no interest til he was almost 4, I expected Gav would do the same but he has been in undies for 2 days at daycare with no accidents. YAY!!! Gav's vocab has exploded, he cracks me up with the things he says. His favorite shows are Caillou and Blues Clues. He can sing the theme song for both and loves to dance along to the music.

For over 2 years now, I've been striving to live a more green lifestyle. I can't exactly pinpoint an event that made me make this decision, but today it is something I feel very pationate about. It seems that the public in general is jumping on this bandwagon with all the new environmentally friendly products available in the market today, there is really no reason not to be green. It's just about how much effort each individual wants to put into this lifestlye. I still have alot of room for improvement but am doing a little more everyday to achieve this goal. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!

In January I made a resolution, this is not the first time but like most people I usually don't stick to them which results in failure and another years resolutions forgotten. This year, however, I was determined to give it my all and I'm happy to report I have stuck to it and been very sucessful. My resolution was to save money and become a smart shopper. Since I am a full time working mom I never really put any thought into shopping. I'd walk up and down the aisle looking for things I might need or want to cook for dinner that week and throwing it in the basket. This usually resulted in sending DH to the store for last minute items once I found a recipe to make. We wasted alot of money on groceries that sometimes spoiled before we ever used them. Since January, I am much more aware of the price of products and can spot a deal much more easily. I also match coupons up to these sales and am building a stockpile so I don't have to buy products unless they are a great price. I've saved hundreds doing this for the past 7 1/2 months and would encourage others to learn more. This is something that anyone could do with a little effort and alot of dedication.