Oh to be a great thrifty shopper!

I am really working on becoming a MORE thrifty shopper! Boy, is it hard! Especially if you are impulsive at times like myself..But I am getting better I promise you!

Flashback 8 or 9 years ago....I was living the single life, in college, had a good paying job that allowed me to go clothes shopping at least once a week and no I didn't shop at the clearance racks either!! Gasp! I know you are probably thinking how much money I could've saved for times like today when my family is surviving on one income...a good lesson learned, trust me! But that is exactly what I did..I learned.. as the saying goes "you live and you learn"..I could waste my time thinking of how things could be different if I would'nt have bought those expensive Doc Martin sandals or the trendy sweater from The Express..but they both were oh so comfortable and looked darn good!  So looking back I do realize that I have changed for the better, I mean I have 3 other people to consider now, not just myself.. but there are times that I have weak moments, but the good outweighs the bad.  

I do enjoy a good bargain, especially if I can find jeans that fit me like a glove and I don't have to pay a mint for them! But I truly believe the saying "you get what you pay for"! For instance, I once bought a $15 pair of jeans..and they might have lasted a year and they didn't look that great on me.  Another time I bought a $50 pair from The Gap to be exact, and I still  have them up in my closet from over 6 years ago!   Just like w/ lysol wipes..I love them! But they are expensive and we use them up pretty quickly..so one time I thought I would give the "off brand" disinfectant wipes a try and they were crap!  They fell apart and didn't seem to wipe things up as nicely as the lysol brand..so again "you get what you pay for".  However, my husband just informed me that you can't always go by that saying...hmmm..is he right??  I could list so many name-brand items that rock in my book.  How about I do a list of name-brand vs. off-brand and you guys let me know your opinion as to which is better?! And please give me a list of your fave name brands and non faves!

1.Glad Ziploc bags vs. Off Brand bags  

2. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese vs. Off brand Mac & Cheese (Is it really necessary to compare? I think you know the answer to this one!)

3. Victoria's Secret undies vs. Fruit of the Loom undies (I have to say that I still have vicki secret undies from 7 years ago, fruit of the loom doesn't even last me a year!)

4. Yankee Candles vs. Off Brand candles

5. Desitin diaper cream vs. Target's Up & Up brand or another generic brand

6. Pampers Cruisers/Huggies vs. Parent's Choice, Up & Up, etc. (Less out of the diaper explosions w/ Pampers Cruisers!)

7. Juicy Juice vs. Great Value brand (my son gives juicy juice two thumbs up!)

8. Nike/Adidas/Reebok shoes vs. Off brand shoes (still have Nike's from years ago that are in decent condition)

9. Hershey's Chocolate Baking chips vs. Off brand chips (Hershey's are more fresh)

10. Ugg boots vs. Emu boots (this is a case where I prefer the Emu boots over the overpriced Uggs!! Btw I purchased a pair of Emu's from amazon.com for $43 originally $90! And free shipping!!  Compare that to a $100/110 pair of Uggs that may or may not be authentic!) Can you tell that last one got me really excited??!!

 


So after making this list I see that there are some off brands that I do like and some that I do not, actually only one off brand...but there are some that I haven't listed.. I am mostly a name brand girl though and sometimes I wish that I wasn't...its almost like comparing a homemade meal vs. a frozen one! Maybe that's a little extreme?....

Breastfeeding bumps along the way...

Breastfeeding is something I really enjoy doing..so many wonderful benefits for baby and mommy..if i could be a wet nurse I would! ;)  Just knowing that you are providing food through your body for your child is a wonderful feeling...but it hasn't been easy let me tell you and I have wanted to quit on more than one occasion and at times caught myself fantasizing about mixing formula and feeding them a bottle... but I kept/keep pressing on..and thankfully my husband has been extremely supportive, without his encouragement my son would have been formula fed by 4 months because I was tired of the pain and frustration!  But it did/does get better, trust me!! This post isn't meant to scare anyone or turn them away from breastfeeding..I just want everyone to know the struggles sometimes associated with it, because I had NO idea that these problems could arise..I was shocked and wished somebody could've prepared me more.


Thrush http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_thrush.html definitely put a damper on my experience w/ breastfeeding..with my first child, we had numerous encounters w/ it and unfortunately the first time i had it..i had no idea what it was and thought he was not latching on properly or simply that i wasn't doing something right...so because of that, i dealt w/ pain and bleeding for a couple of weeks until my la leche lady.. (who is amazing!!) diagnosed it as thrush..and for those of you who are breastfeeding and are in the chambersburg, pa area and need guidance, let me know and i will hook you up with her number!!
But unfortunately this wasn't the only obstacle i encountered w/ breastfeeding w/ my son..Mastitis reared its ugly head when he was about 2 months old and I thought my boob was going to die and fall off! And the rule of thumb is that you are still supposed to nurse them even though there is an infection going on in your breast..crazy!!  http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T022200.asp
Thankfully antibiotics cleared it up and I was pain free....


So since the birth of my second child, I figured I had breastfeeding in the bag and that I would know when something wasn't right...haha..boy was I wrong!!  Thrush again came to visit!! and because the medicine prescribed, nyastatin didn't do well w/ my daughter I had to endure a considerable amount of pain...even worse than w/ my son...I cried every time she latched on and dreaded the time she was ready to eat again...but thankfully diflucan worked..yes they even had diflucan in a liquid form for Sofi..however, it took a total of 3 weeks from start to finish...and to this day I still have a line under my nipple where the gash was..i thought at one point that i was going to need stitches!! haha...and no i won't post a pic..that would be awful! 


But a new issue has come up in my experience w/ breastfeeding and that is a possible breastfeeding strike! 
http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Breastfeeding/Becky/strike.html Yesterday while my husband and son went to church I googled to get some info as to why my daughter refuses my breast..she is happy as can be..but doesn't want any part of breastfeeding... and would scream when I would go to feed her as if I was trying to poison her!  Now, she doesn't refuse to eat all day..maybe a feeding or two but still it is extremely frustrating! I mean my son would have never of refused my breast..he ate constantly and consistently..and it showed! He was almost 17lbs at 4 months!!  I keep thinking that maybe she is getting ready to teethe or that my milk doesn't taste as good..i do not believe that she is starving..maybe she is just tired of the boob and wants a break?? One thing I did read was to be persistent so I am going to do just that!


All this to say is that breastfeeding is an amazing journey w/ lots of bumps, bruises, gashes, tears..but so worth it if you are able and it is OKAY if you can't...whatever is best for both mom and baby..I welcome opinions from moms who formula-feed and/or breast-feed.

I'm a Rookie...

My husband Ryan thinks that I should create a blog where I can journal my thoughts and feelings, struggles, triumphs, excursions, retail therapy, sales, not so good sales, fears etc..At first I thought he was a little crazy..
But since he is starting an NFL blog (one that I hope lots of people will check out..he is brilliant when it comes to football knowledge..completely Einstein-ish)..;) I figured, why not?

We've been through quite a journey during our young 5 year marriage. God definitely thinks we can handle some of these "situations" He has thrown our way. Often I question Him, but instead I should be accepting and embracing the fact that He believes we are strong enough to handle this! I am still working on embracing and accepting..it's a work in progress..or shall I say that I am a work in progress..Anyways, I will be writing about alot of these "situations" in my blog..so stay tuned..well "tuned" may not be the best word..but you know what I mean!

As my daughter just spit up on me I am realizing that this may be a good thing..this blogging thing! I know there are a lot of mothers out there doing the stay at home thing and the working 40hrs+ thing...I totally commend both! And I hope to hear from both! We juggle quite a bit as mothers and are still expected to take on more at times..look what i am starting..a blog! A blog that will definitely take up some time and add more things to my plate..but I welcome it..welcome blog! I am ready to put my thoughts out there..some at times may not be so nice and warm..but one thing I assure you is that they will be honest and raw..open and real..inexperienced and experienced..a "melting pot" of thoughts, if you will!

One thing I ask of you all is that you too are honest and open with me...I love a challenge and I love to hear people's stories and where they are coming from. We can help each other out!

I also promise to NOT always use the best punctuation or spelling..I don't really have the time to proofread everything I write..so just have some patience w/ me..like I said this blog is going to be raw and real..maybe, just maybe my husband will want to proofread for me..on special occasions that is...:)