Preparations: Stocked Up

We went to the store tonight. I had one goal in mind: stock up! Stock up on everything that I will need to feed my husband and myself for a while.

This week, my store seemed to heed my prayers because EVERYTHING frozen was on sale. A lot of what wasn't frozen was still on sale and at a stupid retarded low low price of ....

$0.99

Yes.

No 10/$10 mix and match nonsense.

Just a shit ton of items on sale for $0.99

I love that they put the weekly circular on the website. I love that you can create a shopping list online. I love that you can print it off, and it will GIVE YOU THE PRICE so there is no reason you should go over... unless you buy shit that's not on your list, then of course you will go over.

It doesn't take into account tax, but if you are buying all/mostly food/essentials then there isn't any tax.

Anyway. I saw that this week frozen breakfasts in particular were on sale. So was everything Stouffer's (that included Lean Cuisine as well).

Here's what I loaded up on:

Frozen juice from concentrate (.99)
Aunt Jemima frozen breakfasts (.99) - I got pancakes with sausage links
Homestyle frozen waffles ($3.50) this was a huge 24 count box.
Cereal
Milk
Cheese
Stouffer's french bread pizzas (5/$10)
Hot pockets (5/$10)
Tyson crispy chicken strips
Tyson grilled chicken strips
Lifesavers hard candies + Dum Dum lollipops (for the hospital)
Granola bars (for Brian at the hospital)
Lunch meat
English muffins
Marie Callendar's frozen entrees for Brian.

We spent $68 and saved $20 just by buying things that were on sale. Our weekly budget is about $75 so we did really good!

Our freezer is jam packed full of goodies. I still need to tackle the pantry next. I've got enough frozen meatballs + spaghetti noodles + sauce to make 4 batches. I also want to pick up some more mac and cheese, Alfredo sauce, soups, instant potatoes, instant rice, frozen chicken breasts, canned tuna, bread, and frozen veggies. Basically I want to get all the items I need for quick meals such as spaghetti, chicken alfredo, chicken salad, tuna salad, tuna noodle casserole, baked chicken. I also need to stock up on some toilet paper and dog food.

I might use Amazon for the toilet paper and dog food. They have a subscribe and save feature where you can buy items and have them shipped every x amount of days to your house for free. If it's baby items, I save 30% (on diapers, wipes, etc) if it's anything else, it's 15% at least.

Imagine never having to run out for toilet paper or dog food or laundry detergent. How cool. Have I mentioned I love the internet yet? Yay for internet!

Oh Baby! Furniture Shopping and Baby In Utero

Well I am officially looking for baby furniture hard core! You would not believe the amount of hours I've spent scouring the internet and local ads for baby furniture.

I found a nice second hand set that someone listed on Craigslist for $45 but, it's probably sold by now. I called the owner and they said that they had someone cancel on the sale, did I want to come look today? I said I did and then they told us, well, we just had another offer, so if they cancel on us, we will let you know. Damn.

It was a nice set too, and one of those "fancy" convertible cribs. It came with a mattress, even. And all the hardware! So whoever gets it is very lucky to say the least. I hope it goes to a family who really needed it.

I made a list of "brand new" cribs that I wanted too. The most I'd ever spend on a crib would be $150 and that is only if it's a convertible crib. Wal-Mart had some really nice ones for $120-160 that fit the bill. Free shipping to the store, too.

$120- converts from crib to toddler/daybed

$140 converts from crib to toddler/daybed. This is my fav. And the most expensive. Go figure.

I found another new one that was $100 and it was a convertible crib and it got great reviews, also from Wal-Mart. I read all the reviews too, and the negative ones were like "damaged during shipping to home" so it wasn't a complaint on the quality of the item.

This one converts to a toddler bed too! Hurray! Brian thinks this one is ugly :(

I want to get a crib before the babe arrives, because I don't really need a stroller if I can use one of those baby wearing carriers (at least for a while) so that is next up on my to buy list. I'm scouring Craigslist every day for any new additions.

Mom and Gamma: Seriously, if you can find one, BUY IT!! I will pay you back. I've got a baby fund going now, so I'm stuffing away any extra money I can into a baby bank and using it to buy a crib/mattress/whatever. And I have the crib/mattress listed on my registry, for that slim hope that someone will just buy us one :)

Brian is getting super excited about the baby too! He's really getting into looking at baby furniture and stuff with me. I think it's because I felt the baby kick for the first time the other night. He said that it seems real to him now. The first signs of a new life (wait... wasn't that the heartbeat?!) I can't blame him though, for not thinking it's really happening to us. After all, I hardly believe it either! It's so sweet how he is acting! I get loads more hugs and kisses, and even the baby bump gets hugs and kisses too. Aww! Not to mention all the extra attention I am getting. "Are you ok? Do you want/need anything?"

I'm officially 20 weeks (by the last menstrual period) and 18 weeks (by the actual conception date) I'm half way through the pregnancy now, so here is what the baby looks like this week!

Taken from Babycenter.com. I totally look like that too.

Not sure why it had to point out where the vagina was, I'm pretty sure I knew where that was located. Other weird points of interest? Baby skin and baby bowels. Uh.. yeah I think that comes standard on all babies. Or is it just me? (For reference, it's letting you know that baby's bowels are there and working, but are still in stasis. Also its covered in a cheesy wax.)

This week, Baby is the length of a banana! Weighing in at 10.5 ounces, it's 66% of a pound! Weee! The little bugger has been kicking and swimming, doing flips and shit all day today (and yesterday). In fact, I can pretty much tell you that any time I'm sitting still for more than 15 minutes, it starts kicking hard. Like, "GET UP MOM!" A preview of my life to come.

And just for kicks and giggles (like the baby is doing to me right now) here is what fraternal twins look like in the womb. I'm pretty sure we're only having one, but you never know! I haven't been to an ultra sound yet (next month!) so anything can happen.

Also taken from Babycenter.com 

We've picked out the final baby names too, one for a boy and one for a girl, even though we are pretty sure it's a girl. Or a boy. It's one or the other. 

Alexis Nicole for a girl

Drake Lee for a boy

My parents have also picked out their names! Mom is Grandma Boo and Dad is Grandpa Boo! LOL :) 

Tracking Tuesday

Allow me another blog to brag. I told you I had diarrhea of the keyboard!

I finally said to myself "Self," I says, "self, you need to get back on tracking!" And that is what I did with my Self today. I put her on a strict plan of "you bite it, you write it" just to see where I am at. And the numbers aren't fantastic, but they are definitely better than they were last week.

Breakfast: Weight Watchers French Toast and Turkey Sausage - 7 Points+. I could seriously eat these all day.
Lunch: Wendy's Jr Bacon Cheeseburger- 8 Points+
Weight Watchers Chicken Fettucine 7 Points+ (This was eaten an hour later when I realized that - duh!- the cheeseburger left me hungry!)
Dinner: Stouffer's Meatloaf and Gravy, 2 loaves (5P+ each) with 2/3 cup instant mashed potatoes (4P+) 14 Points+
Snacks: Quaker True Delights Pomegranate Blackberry 13 crisps- 3 Points+
Weight Watchers Chocolate Brownie ice cream 6 oz cup ($1!) 4 Points+

Now if you add that up you will see I went over my points. I get 35 a day, and I ate 43, so I had 8 points more than I should have... what was 8 Points on my meal log... the Wendy's! UHM COINCIDENCE? Not!

I'm proud of myself.... because I ate mostly at home today .....because I drank a lot of water .....because I did not have 4 cups of coffee creamer with a smidgen of coffee (lulz) .....because I tracked! ....because I made smarter choices. I could beat myself up saying what a horrible failure I was... but I am not. It's my first day back on tracking. And no one is perfect their first day. Least of all me.

I'm also impressed with Wal-Mart lately. This is where I made my ice cream run at midnight. I normally shop at Meijer, and while Weight Watchers are on sale this week at my usual store... I made a startling discovery. They are cheaper at Wal-Mart!!! What?!?! Also, more variety?! That 6 ounce ice cream was not at Meijer. Also my favorite tortillas- you know the Mission Low Carb tortillas that are only 2 points??- they are almost $2 dollars cheaper at the Wal-Marts versus Meijer. Meijer- $4.50 for 10 soft taco sized tortillas. Wal-Mart- $2.68 for the same package. I'll be shopping there from now on! POM juice was cheaper too. So I bought a small bottle to supplement my iced tea and to use in my smoothies.

I'd also like to point out that my ice cream wasn't necessarily a bad choice. Sure, 4 Points+ seems like a lot for 6 ounces of ice cream, but Brian got Haagan Daz, and his was way more points!

Haagan Daz Rocky Road:

Serving size 1/2 cup (4 ounces)
Calories: 290
Total fat: 17 g
Carbs: 29 g
Protein: 5 g
Fiber: 1g

Points+ Value: 8!!

Weight Watchers Chocolate Fudge Brownie:

Serving size 6 ounces
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 1.5 g
Carbs: 33 g
Protein: 4 g
Fiber: 5 g

Points+ Value: 4


Also to my new friends, thanks for dropping by! Make sure to leave a comment so I can find and stalk you back :)

Reeling It In

 I bought a few new bras and a pair of jeans through Fashionbug.com, mainly because they were having a huge sale!! I needed new jeans, and I definitely would love bras that fit properly. I spent a few hours (not even kidding) measuring out everything and double and triple checking sizes online before settling on a pair of 18 petite jeans in their "right fit" style and a few bras. According to the size charts, I am a 16 in the waist, and an 18 in the hips. Makes sense, because a pair of the jeans I have are 16Ws and they don't fit so well. They are a little snug. I can get them on, buttoned, zipped, and my hands in the pockets, but they arent really comfy to move around in. I am hoping the 18Ps will fit perfectly- at least for a little while. The Petite inseam measures to 27.5 inches and mine is 25". Damn you short stubby legs! I'm seriously a ball with stubby arms and legs. Like if you take a medical glove and blow into it, how the palm area swells up and the finger areas are little sticks? That's me.

Women's clothes are so tricky. Men have a bit of an easier time when it comes to clothes shopping though I know they have measurement discrepancies too .

March 10th, which is a Thursday, I am going to see Disney on Ice with my friend! We are going to see the Princess Collection show, or whatever it is called. It will have Belle, Ariel, Snow White, Aurora, and Jasmine in it. I am so excited! Belle has always been my favorite! I made us "princess headbands" that we can wear to the show! We also got pretty good seats for only $11.50! Not a bad deal at all. And since its on a Thursday, there won't be a lot of people there (or children!)

I also have to start shopping around for my bridesmaid dress this upcoming month. BFF wants me to have it purchased by mid-April, in case any alterations need done. I'm sure there will be some needed because I am going to lose weight. I don't want to be the "fat friend stuffed in a taffeta* dress" for her wedding. Her other two bridesmaids are thin (of course) so even if I do lose 20+ lbs for her wedding, I will still be the heaviest by at least 40 lbs. I'm already going to feel self conscious, so I might as well give it my best effort. What do I have to lose? But I don't want to say " I want to lose 20 pounds by July 8th" because that is only setting me up for failure. I want to say "I am going to lose pounds and inches by July 8th" but that is the easy route. I would only have to lose 2 lbs and 2 inches for that goal to be successfully met. Also- I only have about... 4 months! Talk about pressure. If I could just lose a lb a week, I would be 16 lbs lighter. God that would be awesome.

*Side note: she is actually not making us wear taffeta. It's open ended. It has to be a certain color (lapis- which, oddly enough, is a dark purple, instead of blue like the name implies) and it can't be satin. So I have to do some thinking.

Well that is pretty much it! Resolve 4.0 in effect. Lets hope I don't need to update my firmware for a while

A Really Bad Day

I had a crazy bad day after my last post. I mean I was all excited I was finally stickin' it to the credit card companies.... then... well lets just say it went all down hill.

First, I went to the library to pick up my books I had on hold. They were all available when I placed them on hold on line- 4 total. There were only two. When I checked out (they have a self-checkout like at a grocery store) it said I had 3. But I went and looked, there wasn't a third. Damn. Anyway. So I see my hubby and it turns out he's got a bad day going too. I won't get into it. But its annoying.

Secondly, I went to the store to pick up a few things. Mostly a gallon of filtered water. The water in my city is irradiated- no seriously, they pump it so full of chemicals and minerals to change it from nasty green to a filmy white. Yeahhhh.... I'm not buying a Brita filter either, I don't WANT that water anywhere near me.

I also happen to notice the meat counter is putting out- get this- 1 pound portions of ground beef for $1.79- saving $2.00 a pound. I grab one thinking I'm such a bad ass. I decided to get a bag of red kidney beans and 2 boxes of Jiffy corn bread mix. I also pick up a small, pie pumpkin (not pumpkin pie, don't get confused) for Brian. He likes roasted pumpkin seeds and he also like pumpkin-anything so I decided I could make muffins or something out of the rest of it.

When I got home I noticed I left the gallon of water in my cart- because it wasn't in my back seat. I decided to put the rest of my groceries away and call the store and let them know. They told me to bring my receipt and it should be no problem.

Well on the way up to my apartment I got accosted by my next door neighbor. She's 65, German, and very very mean. Always in everyone's business then bitching and complaining about it. She makes a call to the city on a daily basis demoralizing something or other. I'm not kidding. Anyway, she asked me if I was mad at her, I said no, I've just been very busy lately. She said that I have been acting like I am going to kill her and she's told her husband that she's afraid for her life. I am not shitting you. She seriously accused me of attempted murder. I asked her why she thought that, and she said that I shot her a death-look yesterday.

Apparently she must have X-ray vision because I didnt leave my house yesterday. At all. I didn't even get the mail.

She then argued this point so I said whatever, lady, I have to put away my groceries. She said she was going to call to the city and complain about something or other, and I told her good luck with that, and went inside. I was fuming!

Seriously. I can't make this shit up.

Then I call the store, hop in the car and drive back to the store. I'm low on gas. I get there- no receipt. No receipt! I lost it at this point and just boo-hooed in my car and sat there for a while then went home. I didn't even bother. Eff it. I came home and carved up my pumpkin.

Hubby gets home and then offers to go to the store. He goes and they didnt even check his receipt, but gave him the water. Nice.

For dinner, I had turkey bacon, pancake, and egg beaters with cheese for dinner for 10 points. I realized I hadnt eaten all day at this point. I still havent eaten anything else.

I roasted the pumpkin seeds too, and then I scooped out all the pumpkin ...flesh? and pureed it, so now I can add it to muffins and stuff. I need more sugar though. I'm out.


Now I've been reading the Pennypinchers Almanac by Readers Digest. I found it online for like $7 but why pay that when you can get it from the Library for free? I also have the Complete Tightwad Gazette and thats a pretty hefty book.