Prayers Please

My sister's best friend has a beautiful 2 year old girl named Morgan who desperately needs your thoughts and prayers at the moment.  She has been in the hospital for almost a month now fighting to get her kidneys to work.  Unfortunately it looks as though things are taking a turn for the worst.  Please send up positive thoughts and prayers to this sweet princess in the hopes that she will recover.

Cute Clothes Galore!

I am officially addicted to this thredUP site now. They have the absolute cutest clothes on there for C. I wanted to share a few that I bought for her recently.

 

 

They're all 18-24 months so she can't wear any till next year but I'm still so excited for when she'll be able to fit into them.  She is going to be one cute kid!!  I didn't pay more than $5.50 for any of the outfits I bought.  In fact the skirt was only $3.99.  I can get cheaper prices at Goodwill but it's very hit-or-miss at that place.  Sometimes I'll find lots of great things and other times I won't be able to find anything in her size.  I'm debating about whether to order anything for myself.  I prefer to try my clothes on before I buy because things seem to never look good on me.  Though hopefully in a few months I'll be needing a new wardrobe.  I've already lost 3 pounds for the Healthywage challenge and 6 pounds have been shed from my all-time highest weight.  Let's hope we keep rolling downhill on those numbers :)

Becoming Her Own Person

Over the past few months C has transformed from a tiny crying baby to a chubby little person.  She has SO much personality and it's awesome to watch her grow.  She's stubborn and very strong willed.  Some of her habits concern me while others are just adorable.  Her birthmom said she was a thumb sucker till she was about 12 so we weren't surprised when C started to go that route.  In the past month she went from only sucking her thumb during sleep (and only on her tummy) to sucking it all.the.time.  Honestly we're not concerned, even though people constantly remind us about the dangers to her not-yet-there teeth.  Our birthmom sucked her thumb and had perfect teeth while Brandon was never a thumb sucker and has horrible teeth.  I feel it has more to do with genetics than anything else.  Besides, we offer a pacifier but it just falls out and she's not at the point where she can get it back into her mouth on her own.  The hand-thumb coordination however is spot on.

Another thing we've noticed is that C does not like strangers.  At all.  We thought this "stranger danger" phase wouldn't appear till around 9 months but it started at 3 and she hasn't shown any signs of changing her mind about people.  She's always been such a serious baby from the beginning but just a smile and a wave from a stranger can cause her to cry hysterically.  I'll admit that it bothers me a bit.  I don't feel comfortable leaving her with a baby-sitter or childcare provider, though I've used drop-in daycare twice when I had to.  It's hard to tell strangers, especially older folks, out in public to please not interact with my daughter.  I'm thinking about buying her a onesie that says "Don't make eye contact with me.  I consider it a sign of aggression."  I'm just kidding.

But seriously.

I have found that she prefers to sit quietly in my lap or her car seat and just observe the people around her.   After that she will sometimes interact with people and sometimes she'll just flip out.  I guess it depends on her mood.  I'm still trying to figure her out and trying to decide whether to schedule 6 month pictures or not.  Because paying for pictures of a screaming baby doesn't really seem worth it. 

We started her on baby food a week ago right at around 5 months.  We did pureed avocado that I made and she really enjoyed.  Unfortunately I think we let her have too much (about 2-3 tablespoons at a feeding) because the blowouts and subsequent diaper rash were HORRIBLE.  So after three days we stopped the baby food and went back to strictly formula.  Now we're back to giving oatmeal cereal with her formula and trying to combat the diaper rash and runny poop that doesn't seem to end.  I'm hoping that if things ever get back to "normal" in that region that we'll try baby food again.  This time it would be sweet potatoes.

10% Challenge: Day 1

Today is the first day of my HealthyWage 10% challenge. I signed up earlier this week but because my weight had to be verified I just got around to doing it today. I found that none of the health clubs nearby wanted to weigh me in and I was too impatient to make a doctor appointment. So Brandon and I uploaded our video verifications today.  I have to lose 20.9 pounds in 6 months.  If I lose the weight early I just have to keep losing or maintain the weight, I cannot weigh out early.  I can, however, weigh out up to 2 weeks before the 6 month period is up.  Unfortunately I'll still have to get through the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays first so I have to be extra careful not to derail my progress.

I plan to start exercising this week by walking.  I had been dieting and exercising for a few weeks and already lost 3 pounds (that don't count toward the 10%) but on Friday I pinched a nerve in my back.  It was so painful that I could barely walk or pick up C.  Brandon was had been out of town all week, only a few hours away, but he was able to come home early and my friend stopped by to help take care of C while I went to the chiropractor.  It was my first time going and I was a bit skeptical but by Saturday morning I was feeling 100% better.  I still want to give my back a break for a few more days though.

Brandon has been super supportive and is doing the challenge with me.  He is technically overweight so he can stand to lose about 20 pounds to get back to a healthy BMI.  As for me, I would have to lose 55 pounds to get to a healthy BMI but right now I just want to get the first 20 off.  If anyone is interested in joining the challenge with me, check out the HealthyWage website (and I did my research, they are legit) and use referral code 7487033078.  For every person I refer my prize goes up by $20 but if I don't reach my 10% goal then I get NOTHING!  So referrals give me a greater motivation to succeed!!  I've decided that I'm going to spend my $150 winnings on a new wardrobe while Brandon wants to spend his on an e-reader or tablet.  It won't be easy but we're prepared to go the distance.  Wish us luck!!!!

Awesome deal on ThredUP!

Ok moms, this deal is too good to not share. Visit thredUP and get $10 off your first purchase. It's like an online consignment store for nice name brand clothes. You can sell on there too but you don't have to. The discount doesn't apply to shipping so make sure you spend all $10 on clothing or it's kind of a waste. Shipping is $2.98 for the first item and $.99 for every item after that. Spend $50 and the order ships for free. I spent $3.98 on shipping and got these two nice outfits for C but in hindsight I realized that it's best to buy one outfit for $10, that way you only pay $2.99 for shipping. Still, that's just as good as finding them at Goodwill!! And if parents or grandparents want to take advantage of the deal, even better :)  If you don't have kids, don't worry, they do sell women's clothing on there as well.  Sorry men, you're out of luck though.

5 Months Old and Other Updates

C is just a few days away from turning 5 months and I'm left wondering where the time went.  It seems that overnight she went from being a serious baby with a furrowed eyebrow to a happy squealing infant.  Her best buddy is still Oso (by a long shot) but Brandon and I can get her to laugh and smile as well.  We introduced her to the exersaucer which she hated at first but has now become her favorite toy.  She's rolling over both ways and trying very very hard to crawl.  But while her legs know what to do she doesn't seem to realize that her arms need to be involved.  So instead her legs will be doing the army-crawl while she sucks on her arm or thumb.  Speaking of thumb, C has become a champion thumb-sucker, just like her birthmom was when she was a kid.  I have to admit, seeing C laying on her tummy with her thumb in her mouth just melts my heart.  I love this little girl so much.

We plan to start solid foods in the next couple weeks so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.  I have a baby food maker and plan to start with mushed avocados, then sweet potatoes.  After introducing a couple veggies I'll start with fruits, maybe peaches or pears.

I'm trying to work on losing some fat.  My weight has hit an all-time high and therefore my self-esteem has hit an all-time low.  One of my bucket list items was to climb Mount Fuji by my 35th birthday.  Since the birth of C I've had to re-think that goal and find something that's equally challenging but a little closer to home.  So I've decided to run a half marathon.  This is going to be particularly difficult for me considering I've never ran in my life, let alone 13 miles.  But I've got 2-3 years to do it.  I'd like to run in the Disney Princess Half-Marathon in February 2015 but I could get it pushed back to 2016 and it will still be before my 35th birthday.  Today I walked on the treadmill for 70 minutes (60 at an incline) and I feel like I accomplished quite a bit.  My goal is to run a 5k this fall, a 10k next year and then the half-marathon after that.  It's going to require some serious dedication and I'm hoping that I can find a few close friends and family members to support me and give me that "push" that I need when things get rough.

Also this week my friend Sarah is helping me to host my first Pampered Chef party.  It's the online catalog version so if you're a fan of PC products and would like to place and order you can follow the link here.  Orders can be placed through June 9th.   

As you can tell, life around our house has been pretty quiet.  A year ago that would have bothered the heck out of me and I would be making plans for a new vacation or hobby.  Today, however, I'm perfectly fine with quiet :)

Fearlessly Frugal Loves Her Apps **UPDATED**

Since losing my job three months ago I've been looking for new and creative ways to save money.   I've been doing lots of research on new money-saving techniques as well as getting back into couponing.  I would love to share some new FREE mobile phone apps I've discovered that I simply love.

The Ibotta App

How it works:  The ibotta app lists a couple dozen "offers" that you can take advantage of.  It's like a coupon in that you get a monetary value refunded back to you when you purchase that product.  Just buy the item and when you get home you scan the barcode, upload of a picture of the receipt and in about 10 minutes the money is credited back to you via your Paypal account.


The Pros:  The offers can be used in conjunction with coupons.  So a $2 item with a $1-off coupon and $1 ibotta offer would essentially be free.  The money is credited quickly, generally within 10-15 minutes.  And you can earn "bonuses" on top of your offers.  For example, if you redeem 4 offers in the month of May you receive a $2 bonus.  That's like adding an extra $.50 onto each of the 4 offers you redeemed to get the bonus!  Also, the ibotta app now has new store offers which are offers that are redeemable only at specific stores like 7-Eleven, Target and Walgreens.  The downside is that you're forced to shop at specific stores but the upside is that they have more offers available.

The Cons:  You cannot cash out your balance until you've reached a $5 minimum and it's currently only available through Paypal.  While there's about 2 dozen offers available at any given time I've found that many tend to be the same offer over and over again.  I'm hoping that some new brands will come on board with the ibotta app and start offering coupons.


The Endorse App

How it works:  Like the ibotta app the Endorse app offers cash back on purchases made.  Unlike the ibotta app the offers are a percentage of cash back, not a set amount.  For example, get up to 50% cash back on any brand of diapers or 20% cash back on Diet Sierra Mist.  Offers aren't the same for everyone either.  Your friend may have a different offer that they can share (via Facebook).  Take advantage of their offers and share yours as well to maximize the amount of offers you have.  Offers are updated weekly and you can buy multiple items to take advantage of one offer.  For example, I had an offer of 50% cash back for 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew, up to $1.50 back.  I purchased 3 2-liter bottles and got cash back for all three.  Just make sure they are all purchased on the same receipt.  Plus there is no need to scan the barcodes of the items, just upload the receipt through the app.

The Pros:  50% cash back can be an excellent deal, especially since Endorse has many offers that aren't as specific as the offers on the ibotta app.  You have the option to cash out via Paypal or receive a check.  This app works with just about every kind of smartphone, not just the Apple products.

The Cons:  It takes a bit longer to get your money credited to you, sometimes up to 24 hours.  The average wait for me has been about 6 hours for them to process a receipt.  Also, the minimum balance to cash out is $25 and the Endorse app only has about 8-10 offers each week.  While the Endorse app can also be used in conjunction with coupons you only get the cash back off the net amount of the item.  So a $5 product with a $1-off coupon will only receive cash back on the remaining $4.


The Shopkick App

How it works:  The Shopkick app is by far my favorite.  Earn points, or "kicks", every time you enter a store, scan items on the shelf, make purchases or browse through "lookbooks" within the app.  Redeem the kicks for gift cards or other items.  No purchases are required to earn kicks but your purchases can help earn kicks faster.  

The Pros:  Easy, you get points just for being in stores you would go into anyway!  The app has to be open to get the points for walking in but you can earn up to 700 points for walking into a store and scanning a few items on the shelf.  I've had this app about 2 weeks and already have over 1,100 points.  500 points gets you a $2 giftcard, 1,250 gets a $5 giftcard and 2,500 kicks gets a $10 giftcard.  This app also offers bonus kicks when you match a trio of like items.  For example, scan all three of the Coffeemate items they list and get an extra 75 kicks.

The Cons:  Kicks you earn for purchases aren't credited until the refund period has passed.  For places like Target that amounts to a 60-day wait to receive your kicks. It takes a little while to figure out the app and how to earn little bonus kicks but once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy to use.   

**UPDATE** Today, 5/24/13, the Shopkick app is having a Black Friday sale.  Get 200 kicks for EACH walk-in at a participating store.  A quick trip to the mall could earn you about 1,000 kicks!  Plus the app sometimes offers coupons, mostly for Target, but I did find an offer at Macy's for 15% off your purchase, valid 5/22 through 5/27.
    

If any of you ladies have other apps or money-savings techniques you'd like to recommend, please share them!  I'm working on some other creative ways to make money and will post about them once I've figured all the the ins and outs so stay tuned.

Not Going to Hawaii

Brandon finally got ahold of the detailer on Thursday after waiting and waiting for a copy of his orders.  It turns out that we are likely NOT going to Hawaii anymore.  Just as soon as I had gotten myself mentally prepared for it too.  Oh well.

It turns out that we were right.  The detailer said this job required a 3-year service and Brandon is not willing to extend for another 18-months.  That would mean another deployment, putting off school, etc.  No thank you!  So Brandon's still going to get the orders, which he'll reject, and then the detailer will assign him to a boat within our "current geographical location".  Not sure if that means the base he's already at or anywhere in the Northeast.  We'll have to wait and see.

Either way, no more Hawaii and two more years of the Northeast.  At least this means we can finally visit Vermont, Nova Scotia, Martha's Vineyard and other places we haven't gotten to see yet.

In other MUCH more exciting news, head over to Single Infertile Female's blog :) 

Blizzard Update

This blizzard hit us hard in Connecticut. I estimate we got about 23 inches of snow. Article Number 3 has been published on Yahoo, click here to check it out. Please share it as well, I get paid based on the number of page views! And below are a few pictures I took from this morning. Needless to say, we are NOT going anywhere this weekend :P

An Adoption Fundraiser!

Remember my dear friend Lindsay who began the adoption process at Reece's Rainbow only to lose the little boy they had chosen?   Well I'm excited to report that they have decided to continue the adoption process for another little special-needs boy in the same country.  She is hosting a Scentsy fundraiser on her blog which also supports the Special Olympics!  Please stop by and consider making a donation to help her bring little Pacey home.