Break Down

I'm going to hide in a hole now and will need some supplies. There is something for everyone at  Costco.

By after school  yesterday, I was just spent.  Lack of sleep and unexpected events, had caught up to me.  I just wanted to curl up and bed and cry.  But I couldn't.  My husband was at a meeting and I had to get the kids fed and my daughter ready for play rehearsal.  So I sat there and cried while I finished fixing the costumes I had to complete and while trying to help my daughter make mac and cheese from a box.  Of course she didn't read directions and it had been a while since we made it together.  I started the water boiling, and before I could stop her she added the pasta and the cheese sauce into the boiling water.  So I told her she would have to eat it that way.  She did, but ended putting shredded cheese melted on top of it.  Did she learn her lesson on the fact that you need to read directions?  I doubt it.  We go over this all the time with her math homework.  Eight year old thinks she knows it all with out having to read directions.  I'm glad someone in this house thinks they have it all figured out.

Yesterday all I got done was re altering costumes for play, I bought foundation, and I had my interview.  I think my interview went good, and I hope they call this week if they are going to give me the job.  Today I will need to get done with everything I didn't get done with yesterday, plus I need to fix my daughter's costume because she hasn't been gentle with it and the waist band is coming off.  I also really need to get my running in, so I want to look into getting a treadmill.  The hardest part will be getting it home, because I will need to borrow my sister's van.  I really like running outside but to run 5 miles it takes about an hour and a half at this point.  After all the rain and storms this weekend, the trails were in bad shape, especially in the tunnels.

Today 5 am looked better than 3.  I still feel tired but I think I will make it through today.  If I can go to Walmart between dropping off kids, I can accomplish some shopping.  I can go to Aldi's after I drop off my daughter and then go to Costco.  When I get home I can run and then sew up the costume, and hopefully make dinner in between there, so I can go to the library after I get the kids from school.  I'm going to try really hard to not get McDonald's because that is the easy way out.  I asked my husband to get the water softener salt since it is his day off.  He said he would try to work it into his plans.  Give me a break.

Yesterday:
Money spent: $23.94 ($8.46 on Chinese take out for two, $15.48 on groceries)
$20.11 at Walgreen's on makeup
Miles: day off
Water: 64 oz

Can't Sleep, Clown Will Eat Me

Bed Bath and Beyond Bedding I liked.

Or maybe this one from JCPenney's.

Every time I can't sleep I think of the line from the Simpson's when Bart got a clown bed: "Can't Sleep Clown Will Eat Me."  Not being able to sleep makes me feel really juvenile sometimes because even a baby knows how to do it.  Lately I have been on a vicious cycle.  I'm tired so I go to bed by 10pm, but then I am up at 3 or 4 am, but still tired.  I have all these thoughts of things to do or emotions in my head and they won't stop.  Yesterday I was up at 4, but then went back to bed about 5:45 and could barely wake up by 7:30 to get everyone running around to leave by 8 for school.  Yet here I am again, up at 3:30.

My to do list I posted on Sunday for Monday, I got all of it done except for working one hour on misc clutter and rummage.  I was already having trouble sleeping when the water softener kicked on and my husband mention we probably need more salt.  Geez, thanks for adding to my to do list while you go back to sleep like a log.  (Am I the only one who feels like smacking their husband for sleeping too soundly next to them while they toss and turn from feeling overwhelmed.)

Today's to do list:
return books to the library
need new foundation
interview for job
trip to store for daughter's costume
re alter costumes for play
get water softener salt
trip to Costco for: juice boxes, string cheese, razors for husband, and coffee
I need to pick up furnace filters and make sure to measure for size before I go
grocery shop

This week still need to:
clean bathrooms
mop floors
hang curtains in daughter's room
work on rummage/Goodwill items
go through paper work piling on counter in kitchen
dust
plant vegetable garden
apply for my 2 jobs this week for unemployment

I'm going to fight hard to not go back to sleep today because I also want to research job interview question, practice my typing skills, and make a grocery list.  I only have 4 hours till I need to leave and take kids to school.

Yesterday:
Money spent: $0 (used a gift card)
Miles: 5.51 miles
Water: 36 oz

It's a New Week

I think last week was pretty successful for me for the most part.  I didn't go over budget too much and didn't go out to eat.  I spent $41 in groceries, but I do owe my sister $10 for when we went to Costco and she paid.  I also was below my $40 in gas because I only spent $38.23, which it helped when my husband put gas in when I was out of town.  I also was able to run/walk 11.3 miles this week, and I actually did run all the run times on the schedule I set for my Friday run.  I did end up having to spend $6 on paint to make helmets for my daughter's play.  Next week is going to be harder because my daughter has play practice all week, but this is the week before performance.  I will need to make sure she has snacks to eat while there, but I do have granola bars and rice crispy bars on hand.

Some things I want to keep working on:
flossing
hydrating my face and changing pillow cases to keep my face clean
drinking water
not spending money excessively
cleaning and organizing (need to keep up with following Noni's ebook)
I need to make a chore chart and motivate kids again

I do have things I would like to spend money on especially when I get a job, in order of greatest importance to least:
New running shoes ~$100
Treadmill (used) ~ $100
Robot sweeper $130.00
George foreman grill $42.00

Since I have already paid and signed up for a marathon in the fall, the shoes and treadmill are on the top of my list.  I could really use a robot sweeper because I don't have any carpet and with a dog, my floors need to be swept every day.  This vacuum would save me some time and keep the house clean (let me know if you have any experience with these things).  I just kinda want a foreman grill because it slants and runs off fat, but maybe I can prop the griddle I have up and do the same thing.  Saturday night as soon as I started grilling the storm hit and I was outside in a complete downpour.  (Of course it stopped when I was done cooking, go figure.)

Tomorrow I have a lot to do:
get kids to and from school
put laundry away and tidy up living spaces
dishes and sweep floors
work 1 hour on rummage and misc clutter
son's t-ball practice
daughter's play practice
finish costumes for play
return items to store I don't need
wax my eyebrows
run 5 miles

We will have to see what I actually get done and what I decide I can put off for another day.

Money spent today: $0
Miles ran today: 0

Spending Update

It has been a crazy busy week.  I have been so busy lately that I keep feeling like I'm forgetting something (I'm sure I am).  I have so many ideas and plans I want to get done in my head, but my thoughts are so frantic I'm not able to focus.  Tuesday night we went to a school book fair/pizza dinner.  I did buy some books totaling $14.98, then that night I went to a hip hop class with a friend.  I am still sore in my legs from the class, but I was having so much fun at the time.  Wednesday I had my test and it was raining like crazy.  I was the first one done which makes me really nervous, but I knew I didn't want to over think my answers.  Today I went to work, then  came home and discussed employer medical benefits with my husband.  It would cost him an extra $600 to have me on his insurance, since I can get my own through my work.  Many companies are doing this these days so spouses can get their own through their company.  I'm just worried because I'm thinking about changing jobs and would like to have insurance.  The good thing about my job now, if I stay on part time they have benefits for those associates as well.  My son had no school today so we went and got a running waist pack for my sister and then picked up my daughter. (She is paying me back, but that was $26.50). I helped with my daughter's brownie troop meeting and then my husband made burgers and I cut up lettuce for a salad for dinner.  I made lunches for school tomorrow and made sure dinner is ready for.  My sister and her family will be here later on in the evening and my parents will arrive about the time school gets out.  One of these days I hope this will settle down but I don't think it will be until about Feb or maybe even April of next year.

Totaling It All Up

$4.99/lb tilapia from Fareway

So I thought I would recap what I spent on everything this weekend.

Hy-Vee: $9.99+$10.27= $20.26 large can of almonds, generic Velveeta, coconut water, and soup
Fareway: $42.14 meat, ect
Aldi: $7.44 milk, chips, and
Bread Outlet: $4.16 3 loves of bread, hamburger buns
Halloween Express: $11.70 black wig
Redbox: $1.06 Hoodwinked Too
Apple Orchard: $25.61 balloon animal, paint squash, a "Queen's Apple",wine, apples and a root beer
Walmart: $61.99 costume, fabric, toy bow and arrow
Earl May: $5.47 pumpkin painting
Total: $179.83

Wow, when you put it that way that's a lot.  I still have to make shirts for a race that my sister is going to be in and some small presents for my twin nieces birthday coming up.  I'm sure there will be more too, Tuesday is a book fair dinner for my daughter's school.  I have been good that I haven't eaten out since I used a Groupon two weeks ago, unless your counting a meal that my sister bought for me.  I'm going to try to be better about not buying things, but I'm just not that good at it.

First Day of School

So one of these days I'm going to get more organized and stop stressing.  Today isn't going to be that day, but I thought I would have a blog post anyways.  Today was my daughters first day of school, but my son wont start for two more weeks.  Tonight we had the crispy southwest chicken wraps.  They were good and fairly easy to make.  I didn't put in the green onion, cilantro, pepper or lime, but I did put in homemade salsa my sister gave me.  I have also cleaned up the living room, and emptied and refilled the dishwasher today, along with some work in my basement room.  It has gotten out of control again and I really need it back in order.  Today I also spent $1.99 plus tax on a burger king happy meal.  I didn't realize that they are competing with the McDonald's in the areas for this deal on Wed and I think it also said on Sundays.  I need to think more about finding snacks for me and my kids, so I don't end up eating out all the time once I start my class on friday.  One healthy thing I did today was walk to my daughter's school and back.  It wasn't too bad even though it was a hot day.  My four year old thought it was pretty far, but we did make it on time before the bell rang.

Money

Today I needed to get milk, so I did go to Aldi's.  I wanted to spend $10, but by the time I was rounding the 1st corner I was already nearing that amount.  I ended up spending$17.85:
Chicken nuggets $3.89
2 12" pizzas $4.58
Apple juice $1.49
Skim milk $2.79
Toilet paper $1.29
Bleach $.99
Cereal $1.49
Tortillas $1.19
plus tax $.14

I also purchased some items at walmart.com
10' USB printer cable $5.17
(It was this or buy a $50 wireless thingy, I was getting tired of carrying my printer around with my laptop)
Math Workbook $2.45
(I'm sure there is going to be bribery involved to get my daughter to work on this)

So with my $5 kettle corn from Sunday, my total is $30.47 for the week, which is only $7.62/day.  Not too bad, but the weekend is usually what gets me over budget.  I have a three day weekend, plus my husband works the whole time, and with me toting the kids around it adds up a lot.  This weekend we have my parents coming into town, my son't t-ball game on Saturday, and free yoga on Sunday.  I do need to put a down payment on my daughter's birthday party, but I'm going to exclude that and use the $100 I got from selling some old rims I had in the garage.  I have been holding onto this money for about a month, just trying to figure out what to do with it.  If I can last till Saturday without spending any money, then I will have $39.53 to spend.  If I do have overage I plan to put it toward the next week, so I have cushion when I need it.

Too Busy or Too Lazy?

I didn't get a meal plan together this week.  Last weekend was my son's birthday party and we had family in town.  On top of that I had a take home test in Bio, and homework and a test today in Chem to study for.  So far this week I got Little Caesars Pizza on their Monday special of $3.99 each, today I think they can survive on hot dogs and baked beans, and we will have spaghetti on Wednesday.  I haven't quite thought further ahead than that, but spring break starts this weekend for my kids.  We will be going out of town half the time so I will need to plan around that obstacle as well.  I also need to budget for when my husband has his job transition.  We aren't sure how much he will get paid for the first two weeks so money could be tight.  I will have to attach a rubber band to my wrist to snap every time I think about spending money.  Stay tuned for more updates.