Growing Up

I think my husband and I have been trying to ignore the fact that Owen is growing up and getting bigger. Yesterday, I received a startling text message from Adam while I was in class. "Owen climbed out of his crib and woke me up this morning." What?! Oh crap. I was hoping that this day wouldn't come any time soon.

I now have one more thing to worry about. Now I will be thinking about Owen falling out of his crib and coming into our room in the middle of the night, or worse, when we are catching some rest while he is supposed to be napping. This is not a good thing.

And to add to this, we have also gotten Owen his own potty. We are not technically potty training, but we wanted to get him a potty so he could get used to it. He is so fascinated by the big potty that we thought it might be a good idea to get him his own so he can "go" like mommy and daddy. The first time he sat on it, I almost cried, and Adam and I clapped and took pictures. Of course, his pants and diaper were still on, but we were still so proud of him. Owen got a big grin on his face and clapped along with us.

I am just so afraid that I am going to miss things with him because I am always so busy with school. I really wish I could slow things down so I can make sure and have more time with him. The realization that he is now getting out of his crib really took me by surprise today. I forgot that he is almost two years-old, and that he is getting to the age where escaping from his room is possible.

I try to tell myself that once I graduate next fall I will be able to spend more time with him, but I just think about the precious moments I could miss until then. All I can do is try to make more time for him and to really pay attention when I am spending time with him.

I really just wish he would stop growing up so fast, especially because I really enjoy my rest time when he's "napping."

I Love Saving Money

You can call me cheap, frugal, or a penny-pincher; I don't care. I love saving money!

Yes, I am one of those coupon users you will see walking the aisles of grocery stores with a bulging binder, flipping through pages of coupons and scanning the shelves for the latest deals.

In the past year, with the airing of the reality show Extreme Couponing on TLC, the use of coupons has soared in popularity. Even though more people are using coupons, coupon users still have a bad reputation. There is the popular assumption that coupons really don't save you any money, cause frustration to cashiers, and are only available on items that people generally don't need. If you've ever really taken the time to use coupons the right way, you will know that these assumptions are simply myths.

Coupon Myth #1: Coupons do not save you much money.
The Truth: Coupons do save you money if you use them the right way.
The Trick: Collect coupons from Sunday's paper; print them online and hold on to them. Each week, check the sales ads. As soon as there is a good deal on something, pull out your coupons for those items to get an even better price. Also, Check couponing blogs such as TheKrazyCouponLady.com and CouponDivas.com where the work of matching up sales to their corresponding coupons is done for you. The blogs will even tell you which date's newspaper contains the coupons you need for the sale.
Tip: Some grocery stores, such as Albertsons and Brookshires, will double and triple coupons of various denominations (i.e., coupons up to .39 will triple the value; coupons .40-.50 will double the value. Pairing this with a great sale makes for an even better deal.

Coupon Myth #2: Coupons only cause frustration to cashiers.
The Truth: Coupons can be frustrating to cashiers, especially if there is a problem with it scanning.
The Trick: Be courteous and polite to your cashier. I find that a smile and explaining to the cashier up front that you have coupons will help put him/her at ease. If there is a problem with your coupon scanning or with the store's coupon policy, be patient. Most times the cashier will be able to resolve the situation without calling for a manager.
Tip: Know the store's coupon policies. Most stores have their policy online. Print it out and keep it with you at every trip. If there is a problem, you can show the policy to the manager.

Coupon Myth #3: Coupons are only available for items most people do not need.
The Truth: There are coupons available for all kinds of things, even organic items.
The Trick: You can get coupons from many sources, especially online. Look in the Sunday paper, online on sites such as coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com and couponnetwork.com. Even check on the websites of your favorite stores, such as Walmart and Target, to find coupons for items.
Tip: Have a favorite brand? If you are unable to find coupons on the items you use, email or call the manufacturer to see if there are coupons available. Many times, companies love to send out coupons, sometimes even samples, to customers in order to get them to use their products. Also, check Facebook. Lots of companies are now using social media sites to get people interested in their products by offering coupons.

By following these simple tricks, I have saved hundreds of dollars a year on my family's grocery bill. I have even been able to create a stockpile of at least 6 months' worth of tolietries, condiments and frozen meats just from using coupons!

Using coupons is easy for anyone looking to reduce his/her grocery budget! But be careful, saving money is addictive!

The Past

This Saturday, October 15, is my birthday. Besides having dinner with my husband to recognize the occasion, I do not plan on doing anything special. I actually have not had a formal celebration since my 27th birthday, nor do I want one. I am hoping that if I ignore my birthday, it won't come. I am already having a rough time this semester, and it just depresses me that I have one more thing to worry about: getting older. I know that early thirties isn't necessarily old, but I am still wondering where my twenties went.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the past and all the crazy things my friends and I used to do when we were young, single and childless. I would never want to go back to those days because I am happy with who I am now, but I sometimes think back to my former life. I can see myself as a silly young girl wearing a leopard print cowboy hat, glittery black tube top, chugging Coors Light, as I danced with my girlfriends to "Back That Ass Up" until the wee hours of the morning.

However, looking back, I didn't always make the best decisions. I spent most of my time worrying about what outfit I would wear, what would be the best club to go to, and wondering whether I would meet anyone special that night. I was funloving and carefree, but I sometimes found myself in bad situations. Thankfully, I figured things out and have moved passed those days.

Although I sometimes wonder how things went by so quickly, I am happier knowing that I have grown up and left those crazy days behind me. I had a lot of fun then, and I am thankful for the memories I made, but I am glad to be where I am at now. I feel that even though my twenties are behind me, I have learned some valuable lessons that I can apply to my life now and in the future.

Perfection

This weekend I have ignored all school responsibility and spent some much-needed time with my family. Friday evening I went shopping with my mom, and then we went out to each. On Saturday, I spent the entire day with my son, Owen. We went to my nephew's birthday party at a nearby park. I enjoyed watching Owen run around the park as he examined his feet walking across wood chips, stared at the other kids, chased after a dog, and ate birthday cake and Cheetos. That evening I watched a movie while Owen bounced around on the couch and scooted across the room on his truck.

Since this semester started, I have not been able to relax and just simply enjoy watching Owen be a little boy. Although I had a wonderful time with him, I could never get homework off my mind. I felt incredibly guilty for not keeping up with my work. I tried to ignore that nagging voice in my mind and just be with my son, but I could not completely focus on him. I usually like to use the weekends to catch up on homework, but, being a mother, that is not always possible.

However, even though I was beating myself up for not doing my homework, I never worked on any of it. I just let my work sit in my book bag while I laughed and played with Owen the entire day. I don't know if that makes me lazy or if maybe I am coming to terms with the fact that sometimes I have to just be a mother even if that means sacrificing my grades. I am trying to learn that I do not have to be perfect 100 percent of the time.

Although I am still a responsible student, I am learning that it is okay to let my school responsibilities slide a little for the betterment of my family. My son will be two years-old in January, and I do not want to miss a thing. I want to better his life by getting my college degree, but I am not willing to miss the precious moments in his life that go by too fast. I am trying every day to tell myself: "I am not perfect, but that's okay."