The Devescovi's

Exhaustion and Nausea and Bloating, Oh My!

2011-11-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

You guessed it. We are expecting our 6th and absolute final baby. Haha, I know we have said this before, but this time I am SERIOUS! I never saw myself as a mom to so many children. It wasn't what I set out to do and truth be told, we had decided to stop. I had an appointment coming up next Monday to determine our next step. Well, we were just a little too late. I am not sure how far along I am because I was nursing Alaina, our 11 month old and I have not had a post-partum cyle as of yet. If I had to guess I would say between 6 and 8 weeks. My first appointment will be December 5th and I will find out then.
All the questions people have for us, like how in the world do you find time to make a baby? How do you afford all of them? How do you give them enough attention? WELL...we just do. I get asked these types of questions very regularly with our 5 and I am sure with 6 it will be even more frequent and invasive. But, the truth is, most days I don't feel like we have a ton of kids. We get along just fine. They are kids, so they have trying moments and fighting and being bull-headed, but they really are really good kids. We discipline and teach and train and spend time with them trying to create good, solid individuals. We are not perfect, but we do our best to meet each person's needs.
We were not expecting to be pregnant. In fact, I signed up for 3 classes in the spring to get a little ahead. HAHA. Now, 2 is definitely the max for me for a while. I may actually have to take summer off. It does throw a curveball into my plans because I had planned to begin practicum next fall and TA for a class. Now, I don't see how that would be possible.
I was a little sad at first because I am a planner. When things go off course a bit, it throws me for a loop. But, that's life, right? I have thought about it and so what if I finish a year later than planned? Or so what if I get an EdS instead of a PsyD? My true job is to raise these little people and that is what matters the most to me.
I will still finish! I say that because I am a mom, but I also have other dreams and I fully believe that is a-okay. Also, quite honestly, when they are all teenagers and beyond, I have no doubt we will need me to have an income. Babies are cheap! Big kids are expensive!!!
We are so blessed though and are able to provide for these children emotionally, mentally and physically.

So, December 5th we shall find out how far along we are and when we are due. I will also plan my tubal...no ifs ands or buts this time!!! We are at capacity for our home and our van. I am hoping to go in there and be 12 weeks already. If so, I will find out what we are having at our next appointment! How cool is that?

So, be happy for us and think we are crazy if you want. We are happy and maybe even a little crazy.

The last 7 weeks...

2011-06-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

Are a blur! I have been in graduate school taking my very first class...Marriage and Couples Therapy. It is a PhD level course and whew! I was very worried about my skill level for such a course so many years after having been in class.
Here is what made me worried: 60% of my grade: 2 papers up to 21 pages each, a reflection paper on my family that I have to find and COUNSEL, yes, counsel. 15% of my grade: 1 1/2 hour presentation. 10% of my grade participation in class discussions. 15% of my grade: content of discussions.
Yes: All of my grade is writing in some form or fashion...which must be done in APA format. APA who?
Counseling....that is a tough one for someone with absolutely no counseling background or previous classes in theories.
Presentation: 1.5 hours...that is a long time to talk!

I have been spending about 4-5 hours a day/night working on school work. Yes, in addition to my regular life responsibilities.

BUT: I am halfway through the class and I have an A. I spent the last 3 days on campus for our residency portion. I feel very confident now. The fear is gone. I know I am capable. I have decided to pursue my PsyD!

I thoroughly enjoyed being in class...contributing ideas, listening to other ideas, learning from some great minds.
I am a great wife and mother (most of the time). I am a capable (barely) keeper of our house, a pretty decent cook, a pretty decent friend.
But...I am also a student...a woman with ideas. I am so excited to be on this journey.

I am on the downward slope of the class. ONLY 1 paper, 3 more counseling sessions, 7 more discussion questions and the reflection paper left! I will make it and I am determined to get an A.

Remind me of this next semester when I might be rethinking all of this, haha. I am taking School Psych Ethics (Yawn, boring...but necessary) and Cognitive Assessment (hopefully slightly more interesting). And...I have to wean my poor, sweet baby at 9 1/2 months because I will be on campus for 7 days straight in October. But...if I can stick it out and do 2-3 classes a semester, I will be one of a few PsyD School Psychs here in FL...which will make me a hot commodity, especially if I want to teach at the University level!

Life is never boring folks!

Mom of Many

2011-04-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Who am I? How did I become this woman I am today? I was reading a blog on a well known baby website about a lady who has 6 children and her journey to have them. Her story is so similar to mine. Originally, Tony and I did not really think or voice to each other at least, how many children we planned on having. We had Lexi less than a year after getting married and she just fit right in. Birth control has never been something I have been good at. I joke that I would not be a good druggie because I have a difficult time remembering vitamins. ;-) I took the mini pill though and thankfully nursing kept my fertility at bay until, well, I became pregnant again when Lexi was 13 months. This time, I was nervous. One child changed our lives, but we were doing well with it. I was not losing any sleep...Lexi was a dream baby. No dividing attention. I worked outside of the home. We still were able to eat out often. 2 babies...well, it rocked my world! Sleep deprivation, nursing, keeping up with a toddler and a newborn all while working outside of the home. It was too much for me! Realizing that I wasn't making that much money and I was very stressed with how our life had changed caused me to quit my job. Alivia was a high needs baby for me that stayed high needs for quite a while. (She is a very sweet, helpful child now). I had no doubt we were done. I actually bottle fed her and was on the depo shot (no need to remember a pill daily ;-) Then, doubt creeped in....hmmm...maybe I didn't feel done afterall. When Alivia was 2...and I like to say that she had terrible two's from 6 months until 3....we decided to try for another. The first time for us actually thinking about and trying for a baby! Allie fit in perfectly from the start. She was a great baby and it was almost too easy adding her to our family! But...we still longed for a son! Is it crazy to want another baby after 3 already? Could I be a good mom to more than 3? After wrestling with this for a bit, we realized our family was not complete. This was the point of no return. We knew we were going to be different than most at this point...and you know what, it is so freeing not caring what the majority thinks anymore! Domenick was another easy transition. Though not a good sleeper until well after a year old, he fit right in. Having a boy has been so much fun! It really is a whole different perspective and I do love it! He is such a momma's boy, so snuggly at one time and rough and tumble at another. You'd think I would be satisfied, right! We should be done! Well, 22 months later Lainey joined us. This time, I was supposed to have a tubal after birth. 5 is bordering crazy right!?!? And we all have to bed done at some point! My doctor, however, got involved in a complicated procedure and was unable to perform it. 6 weeks post partum, supposed to have the surgery again...did not work out again! Lainey has been such a blessing to our family. All the kids just dote on her and she is such a smiley little baby! At 3 1/2 months old, she is already sleeping all night! She is just a chunky roly poly. So, now we're done right...though no surgical measures have been taken? Well...not exactly! I know...if you are reading this...not sure anyone does anymore...I am not a regular blogger... If you knew me growing up, I was soooo not a kid person. If you knew me in college, I was going to be a professional with possibly 2 kids. Haha! Like the blogger I read, I do not feel our family is complete. I feel as if someone is missing. I would love to be able to give Domenick a brother. I know I am not in charge of that part and either way, boy or girl, I do feel we are just not finished. I know this may seem crazy to some. It's okay...a large family is not for everyone. I respect other's choices in family size. For us, though I absolutely love the chaos, the hugs and kisses, the kid's love for each other. I love my life...and yes, as crazy as it seems I am a mom of many!

Happy Birthday Alexis!

2010-12-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

8 years old today!
Daddy works late tonight, so we had pizza for dinner and she is having a friend sleep over. They are doing crafts and playing little girl make believe.
Tomorrow night we are doing family birthday dinner...our tradition is you get to choose anything you want and I will cook it. She has scoured the cookbooks and decided on tuscan white bean soup (Giada recipe), steaks with a olive and balsamic glaze (Giada) and sauteed broccoli....she is definitely her parent's child. ;-)
We are also, finally, decorating our tree while enjoying some hot cocoa and Christmas music. It's actually cold enough here in FL to have hot cocoa!!!
And...for the grand finale...(we make big deals about birthdays at the Devescovi house!) on Sunday we are having a treasure chest party for her friends with a treasure hunt, pin the treasure on the ship, decorating treasure boxes and a treasure chest pinata...along with a weanie roast and homemade treasure filled cupcakes.
After the friend portion, our families are coming. My father-in-law's and niece's birthdays are tomorrow, so we will have a big celebration for everyone. I am making Emeril's recipe for a fresh ham, Giada's parmesan baked mashed potatoes, baked ziti, salad and bread! Do you see a running theme here....FOOD!!!

All of this rests on little Lainey staying put at least through the weekend. Now...I have never had a baby early, but you never know!

Mom, Wife, Friend, Chef, Maid, Taxi Driver....

2010-11-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Of course I wear many hats these days...those are just a few.

And, as of May I will also be a student again. I got accepted into the Master's program for school psychology today!!!!!

I am relieved, excited, nervous...and I am sure the list will grow as May approaches.

At one time...many, many years ago, I thought I would get my master's in psychology or possibly my PhD. Well, life took me in a totally different direction...one I couldn't possibly have known or prepared for....marriage and 5 children. I have absolutely no regrets about this path. I love being a wife and mother and all that entails.

For the past 6 years I have been a stay at home mom and that has been a huge blessing for our family. Here and there I have held side jobs, such as my current babysitting gig...but, basically my priority has been to stay home for our children. I honestly never seriously thought about going back to work or going back to school for a career. However, that's the new path my life is taking. And, I really am so excited!

I am not naive. I know it will be difficult to juggle everything while in school and once I start working (4 years down the road). But, I have a great support system....and I really can't wait to be involved in some really thought provoking, challenging, intellectual studies.

Reflections of a Mommy

2010-11-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

This year my Alexis informed me that she would love a pedicure for her birthday, which is in 2 weeks....not just her toes painted, but a real pedicure. She will be 8 and is not too many years away from being taller than I am. Well, it just so happens that this weekend my other children are with my parents, since Lexi has a swim meet in Orlando.

So, last night Lexi and I got a date night. We each had a pedicure, which she loved! Then, we went to a pizza place that is similar to Chuck e Cheese and had dinner and played a few games. What a nice time we had.

She really makes me so proud and I admit that I don't tell her often enough. I am constantly making sure she remembers manners, remembers to pick up after herself, remembers homework, is respectful....so many things that I do feel are so important. But, I don't want her memories to be of only those things. I want her to remember how much I really love her and love spending time with her. She is blossoming into a child any parent would be proud of. I pray she continues on the path she is on. She has such potential! I also pray the years slow down a little ;-)...these last 8 years have flown by. In the next 8, she will be driving a car! Yikes! The days go slowly sometimes, but the years just go too fast! I am in no hurry for my little girl(s) and boy to grow up! The chaos, messes, headaches, busyness...is nothing compared to the giggles, hugs, kisses, love.

In the Next Month..

2010-11-17T12:03:00.001-08:00

I will be on maternity leave from babysitting this time next week for 12 weeks!

Thanksgiving will have come and gone...this year we are going to a friend's house. I am so excited! We have done Thanksgivings with family and by ourselves. This is our first year going to Keli's house. The kids will have a ball and all I have to bring is an appetizer...thank goodness for not having to make a full meal!

All my Christmas shopping will be done. I am close to being done now!

My oldest daughter will turn 8 and we will be having a pirate/treasure hunt party!

I should have received a decision regarding admission into the school psychology program.

I will have had our last baby and a tubal. 28 days from today if Lainey hasn't come on her own, I will be induced!

What a crazy, busy, lifechanging month ahead of us!

Cheesy Augratin Potatoes

2010-10-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe yesterday while trying to think of something else to do with potatoes for a side dish for dinner. It was given 2 thumbs up by our whole family!

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/creamy-au-gratin-potatoes/Detail.aspx

Super easy and really good. I changed it to 6 servings and we have enough for leftovers tonight!

8 weeks and counting!!!

2010-10-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Seriously...that's all the time I have left before our caboose baby arrives. Crazy how fast time has flown. Although, as busy as we seem to always be, I guess it's not that crazy.
I am so ready physically to be able to sleep on my belly again, to not be uncomfortable when I stand or sit or lie down, lol. I am ready to not see the numbers on the scale continually climb.

I am not quite ready to be up all hours of the night...Domenick didn't start sleeping through the night until he was 14 months old!!! I pray this one has mercy on me and doesn't take that long to sleep all night. I am nervous about all of our extracurricular activities and the running around they entail and having a newborn. I am super duper nervous about having a tubal. I have made it 31 years without a surgery....and now I feel it's necessary.

I know God doesn't give us more than we can handle, with his grace. I have done this 4 times already and the difficult times are a blur compared to all the great times each one has brought to our lives.

Proud Mommy Moment!

2010-10-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

I had a phone conference with the school psychologist, school counselor, Alexis' teacher and the gifted teacher today. I had already received the results from Lexi's psychological/iq tests that she had this summer. She scored very high, 139 on the nonverbal portion of the tests, still higher than average on the verbal as well. Apparently geometric shapes, numerical sequences...things of that nature are her strong point as well as memory exercises. According to her former teachers and current teacher she is a very intellectual child....or as the counselor said...a smart cookie. ;).

The gifted teacher will basically have Lexi all day on Wednesdays and has designed a program specifically to suit her strengths. She will be in class with other 1st and 2nd graders and they will get to do some group projects as well.

I'm so proud of my little girl and hope she enjoys this program.
So...yeah, I'm bragging about my oldest daughter...but it's my blog, right?

Back to School

2010-10-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well...I talked to a school, Argosy University, out of Sarasota (about a 2 hour drive). I am speaking with the head of the Psych department on Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Then, I think I am going to go ahead and start the application process. Wish me luck! I have considered many avenues....from nursing to teaching....and I feel this will be my best option. The good news is they offer 3, 4 and 5 year options for the school psych program. I can do most of it online, having to report to campus a few times each semester. The bad news....it's going to cost me an arm and a leg. Seriously! But, for our family I really feel the best option would be for me to continue my education and have a job in the school system. I want the holidays off and summers off with my kids and I want a normal schedule. If I do this Tony can either keep doing what he's doing, if he chooses, or at least have more flexibility to choose a job that offers better hours than a restaurant.

No quick fix...that's for sure! But, hopefully I will be in school as of August of next year!!! I am excited and nervous at the same time. I haven't had to be a professional or a student in so long I am not even sure I remember how. I haven't had to write anything to be read seriously in so long I may need help remembering the rules! But....I really am excited!

My world...

2010-10-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

What's going on in my world lately? Obviously not a whole lot of blogging, lol. I am much too lazy for that. ;-)
Let's see: Alivia just turned 6...how crazy is that?!? We had a great birthday party for her: puppy themed, with tons of games and a fabulous pink poodle cake. Alivia loves all things puppy..pet shops, pillow pets, puppy clothes...you name it. She is in kindergarten this year and is doing very well. She loves her teacher and other than the occasional irritation over homework, seems to really like school. Her teacher, Mrs. O'Neill seems to be a great fit for her and has nothing but positive things to say about Liv. Livia is still dancing away, her 3rd year in dance with the same teacher.

Lexi will be 8 in December and not to be outdone by her sister, is already busy helping to plan her own spectacular party. She was tested for gifted this summer and will be starting that program here in the next few weeks. Amazingly she has an off the charts aptitude nonverbally. I can say, she didn't get that from her mama. ;-)...verbally, well that would be a different story.
She is on the swim team and is doing very well. Her backstroke is unbelievable and her dedication is admirable. I hope she continues to love swimming and competing. The meets, which are a couple of times a month are nervewracking (for me) and rewarding for her.
Lexi's teacher isn't my favorite...while good at teaching her subject areas, she's as warm as a piece of ice. I guess not everyone is warm and cuddly. Regardless of her personality, Lexi is doing well and we are so proud of her. She is making good choices and above and beyond her good grades, she is kindhearted and has good manners (which, let's face it...is a rarity).

Allie Cat is in K-3 this year 3 days a week, doing gymnastics and her first year of dance. She is just precious in her little leotard and seems to enjoy it. She is learning and loves her new school. At this point, her favorite part is the playground. She is having a tough time being 3...a battle of the wills right now. She'll get through it though. She loves babies. She is currently enthralled with all things Dora. I have no idea why...she never watches it on tv. She wants anything and everything advertised on tv. She learned how to swim this summer and can jump in and swim all over our pool.

Domenick...keeps us on our toes. He's heck on wheels most of the time. He is currently in love with balls and trucks. He loves pretending to cook in his little kitchen. If you give him a handful of cookies, he will stuff the entire handful into his mouth at once. He loves playing outside and has recently learned how to go down the slide by himself. He loves giving kisses and says "wub u" now. He is now sleeping in a big boy bed all night! He's so different from my girls and I love that I get to experience being a mama to a boy too.

I am 10 weeks away from giving birth to Lainey and getting my tubes tied! Yikes! I am still babysitting for 7 more weeks. I am doing well and have enjoyed having Tony home for the last 10 months, minus his few deployments. I am organizing a consignment sale for March of next year and planning on starting online classes for a master's in school psychology in August.
Tony just started a new job with TooJay's deli as a manager...just, as in Monday...so we'll be getting used to him working lots again, though not as much as when he worked at Chili's. At least he won't be gone for 4-5 weeks at a time though, and employer benefits are such a plus to have again.

So...that's what's going on in our world for now. In 10 weeks there will be more...and Christmas will be only 10 days away. ;-) And next year there will be even more still. I am so thankful for my family and friends though and if being busy and having a lot on my plate are my biggest issues...well, I surely can't complain!

Dinner and a movie

2010-07-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Friday night I took Lexi to see "Ramona and Beezus." What a cute movie! We really enjoyed it! It was nice to have a mommy/Lexi date night...I really enjoyed talking about what she liked, her favorite parts of the movie. She's really growing up! (Sniffle, tear).

After the movie, we went to Outback, which happens to be her favorite and enjoyed a nice meal. She's been having a tough time this week, missing daddy, so this was just what the doctor ordered.

Flying solo again..

2010-07-22T12:52:00.001-07:00

After 4 weeks home with us, Tony is yet again on the road....this time in Minnesota. Not sure how long he will be gone, but looking like maybe 3-4 weeks again. This is of course the hard part for all of us, but he has the potential to make enough $$ this time to ease my worries for quite a bit....and to make himself a valuable asset to his boss. Yay! The down part is obviously him being gone and the fact that more than likely he won't be back until school is starting back. But, God is answering our prayers and taking care of our family.

IT'S A ......

2010-07-20T08:21:00.001-07:00

Baby girl! We are expecting Alaina Paige to join the Devescovi family mid-December. She is healthy, and very active. She looks perfect! She was a little stinker though...did not want to show us her goods. It took the poor u/s tech 45 minutes to figure her out...she was very modest!

We are excited to be expecting another healthy baby girl. She'll fit right into our pink little world, lol. So, baby Domenick is blessed to have so many girls to take care of him and to take care of. He and Tony will definitely have to stick together against the raging girlie hormones.

Slacker Blogger/Busy Mom

2010-07-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged lately.....and let's see why?

I have all 4 kids home for the summer all day and Tony a lot of days and I babysit 2 boys.

Keeping 6 kids out of trouble and productive/busy is a full time job, not even accounting for all the messes they make for me to clean up, laundry they create.

Feeding 6 kids constantly is a full time job.

Being pregnant during the hottest part of the year is EXHAUSTING. I am feeling much more human lately though.

A week's vacation at the beach. No blogging there...too busy soaking up the sun, enjoying everything about being there.

Well, you get the picture! Summer is busy! In 5 more weeks, the school year will start here again, and well, I'll be just as busy/busier, but it will be more scheduled/structured. Alivia will be starting kindergarten this year, unbelievably. Lexi will be in 2nd grade....and Allie Cat will be going a few days a week to pre-k 3. Guess what that means? At least a few days a week with only me and Domenick....well, until December when this new little one arrives. Speaking of which, we find out what we are having next Monday, the 19th.

The goings on...

2010-06-17T10:36:00.001-07:00

Today I had my 2nd doctor's appointment for this new little Devescovi. It is such a relief to hear that heartbeat each time...surely helps to set the mind at ease. It was just a beating at 150 per minute. Other than reviewing my labs, which were all normal, as expected..the appointment was pretty boring, thank goodness. In about a month we should know the gender of our caboose baby.

Tony comes home a week from today...after having been gone a total of 3 weeks...a praise surely! He may have to head out again in another week or so after our vacation...but thank goodness he'll be heading home!

We are leaving that Saturday for our annual beach trip...this time sharing a condo with good friends of ours in Reddington Beach...never stayed there before, but CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Iowa...

2010-06-14T12:49:00.001-07:00

is where my husband is and has been for the last 10 days. If you have followed my blog or know me in real life, Tony is now a Catastrophic Insurance Adjuster. He has done training after training and classes and is on half a dozen rosters. He is independent, and has been waiting for an opportunity to go and make some $$. Well, our friend's dad, who is giving him an opportunity, when most companies require 2 year's experience, and will probably only call him in the event of a major hurricane...called him out to Iowa. He has trained for a bit with another adjuster and will get to actually do some of his own claims and earn some $$. What this has really done for him though is to show him that he can indeed do this and to give him the confidence that he has needed. He is doing an awesome job and will now get called out again from this company.

What this has done for me is to show me that I can make it when he has to be gone...and it has eased some of my fears about $$.

Praising God...He continues to show us that we have made the right decision. And...let me just say how proud of my husband I am. He left the only career he has ever had, one which had many bad aspects, but did provide well for our family. He took a chance and a risk in order to ultimately provide better for our family and to be at home more! I really couldn't be more proud!

13 weeks...

2010-06-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Saying good-bye to my 1st trimester this week! Woohoo! Hopefully the end of my exhaustion, heartburn, food aversions, and nausea.

So, here's an update on my pregnancy so far: I am not quite showing yet, though my clothes don't fit so well anymore. I don't really look pregnant though, but more "chunky" in the middle.

I have gained between 4 and 5 lbs so far...which is totally because I have been eating things I don't normally eat and constantly eating because I feel better when I am eating...the nausea seems to subside. So, I do plan to curb this quite a bit in the near future. I do think I gained almost this in my first trimester with Domenick and still stayed at 28 lbs for the total weight gain...so hoping to do that again this time.

I have my 2nd doctor's appointment on Thursday and will schedule my "gender" ultrasound oon that day. Woohoo! I can't wait to know how we will complete our family.

Anyway...so far this pregnancy is flying by....totally could be the fact that I am super busy with all the kiddos and life in general.

First Swim Meet

2010-06-06T13:27:00.001-07:00

Alexis did outstanding! She really has a gift for this sport. She finished 1st in her heat for freestyle and 2nd in her heat for backstroke...for 8 and under girls. I am just such a proud mama. This summer is going to be a busy one and really keep her active. 3 nights a week swim practice and meets on Saturdays. I am a little apprehensive about swim meets when Tony is gone and I have to take 3 other kids to sit for 3 hours....but I promised myself that I would just figure it out...I don't want to say no to things the kids love (within reason) just because they have a larger family.

Pictures to come soon...it's be forever since I posted any.

June 1st

2010-06-02T05:02:00.001-07:00

was the first day of hurricane season. Here in FL, that means people, especially those on the coasts will start preparing by buying extra water, batteries, canned goods, etc to have in the event of a major storm/power loss.

For us, it means my husband should get to work a lot and really get his feet wet in this new career choice. It probably means Tony will be gone for an extended period of time....possibly months.

While everyone else is going to be paying attention to weather stations and radars in hopes that this will be a quiet season, we will be paying attention and hoping for an active hurricane season. Forecasters have predicted anywhere from 12-25 named storms, with as many as half of those being major hurricanes.

Now I know how this makes me sound, heartless...but I am praying for at least a major storm or two so that my husband can work and this career change he made proves the right one. There is nothing I would hate more than Tony having to go back to a job working a million hours a week, working every weekend, being stressed to the max and doing all this with little to no appreciation.

My girlies...

2010-06-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

They were beautiful in their play/dance recital this past week. Alexis had several lines in her spring play and did such a great job. Alivia had her last dance recital of the year...and really, is there anything cuter than little girls dressed up in leotards and tights, in costumes and shaking their hips. I will miss this preschool for her next year...the nurturing nature of these ladies is different than her school next year. I so wish we could afford private school for our girls. There are many good things to be said about our school here, but nurturing/Biblically based are not 2 adjectives to be used.

Lexi also tried out for swim team and made it! She has always been my little fishy. The coach said she has a very advanced stroke for her age! And...most importantly, Lex really enjoys swimming. It is just a summer swim team, so we will see how it goes before deciding if this is something she would like to continue.

Alexis is also being tested for gifted. She loves school and is reading faster/comprehending more than a 3rd grader. She also loves math right now and is adding/subtracting triple digits. It blows my mind what they learn in 1st grade these days.

Anyway...I am just so proud of my little mini-me's. Above all, they are sweet-natured, really well-behaved (most of the time), respectful kids. I do believe that a lot of that is due to the fact that we are very selective about what tv they are allowed to watch...basically only pbs and sprout...no big kid shows at all. Also, I am not tolerant of a sassy attitude in the least...so we are very consistent about discipline when we encounter that.

The last few weeks of school...

2010-05-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

We are so busy right now! This week we had Alivia's last gymnastic's performance, our last soccer practice, 2nd grade orientation....all on Monday.

Tonight Lexi is trying out for the summer swim team, which if she makes it, practices on Tues/Thurs and has meets on Saturdays.

And...Thursday night I have Lexi's spring program and Alivia's last dance recital. Lexi has to be at school at 5:50 for a program that starts at 6:30 and at 7:10 I have to leave there and rush across town for Alivia's dance recital at 7:30. Yowzas!

Then Saturday is our last soccer game/awards/picnic. Afterwards we leave to go to my mother-in-law's house for the weekend.

And...on it goes until the 9th, when Alivia graduates from vpk and school's out for summer.

Pregnancy Update

2010-05-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am almost 10 weeks pregnant, and experiencing mad heartburn/nausea. I have not gotten sick though, so that's a plus...and the nausea comes and goes. I have gained 2 lbs, mostly since I haven't gotten sick and to combat the nausea I am constantly eating something.

I can still fit into my clothes, but they are getting a bit uncomfortable and I have bought a few "in-between" outfits.

I am a bit cranky, but not horribly so.

I have gone to the doctor already, 2 weeks ago and got to see the baby on the u/s and the little heart was beating away. My next appt is at 13 wks.

I am just trying to make it until 12 weeks and hoping I have more energy and less nausea/heartburn. So...2 more weeks, til I hopefully have some relief.

Honestly, I am so glad this is my last time being pregnant. I am trying very hard to hide the symptoms from the kids and give them my best...but some days the exhaustion makes this difficult. I am getting my tubes tied this time because this will complete our family and I just really can't imagine another pregnancy...though of course it is worth it in the end.

Tony lost another 3.5 lbs last week. He's doing an awesome job! And...gets to add another carb in this week...yay!

Monday: shepherd's pie...low-fat version: ground turkey instead of ground beef, mashed potatoes, corn, low-fat cheese.

Tuesday: chicken sausage with onions and peppers on a roll with sauteed veggies

Wednesday: chicken and veggies with penne and tomato sauce

Thursday: grilled shrimp, skewered veggies, rice pilaf (brown rice)

Friday-Monday our friends will be here!!!
Friday: carne asada, pico de gallo, guacamole, grilled bbq onions

Saturday: Busch Gardens for the day

Excitement!!!

2010-05-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

This week is going to be a good one! Well, minus all the cleaning and the construction going on and the nausea ;-). Tuesday night my mom comes to stay over for Alivia's Mommy/Grandma and Me Tea. It is absolutely the cutest thing ever. They get dressed up and come ask you to join them for tea and sing the sweetest songs about mommies. I love it!
Then...my friends come into town on Friday!!! My friend/roommate Amanda, her husband Josh, and their son Tyler. Yay! We love it when we get to see them. She is really just one of those once in a lifetime friends, where you pick up where you left off no matter how long you have been apart. I just love her and really wish she lived closer. That type of friendship is so rare. And...how nice is it to have someone around who really knows you...warts and all...and loves you still. I clean and clean, but let's face it, she knows I am not a neat freak. She lived with me...I will say my standards are much higher than when I was in college, but nope, still not a neat freak. Do I put lots of extra love into my cleaning before she arrives? Absolutely, but I am sure I miss things that someone who is more of a neat person would not miss....but I know she doesn't care...she loves me anyway...and won't run from my house screaming or gossiping about me to all her friends. Truly, not many friends like that.

Anyway...we are spending our mother's day weekend together! We are taking all the kids to Busch Gardens (in the Extreme Florida heat) on Saturday. Sunday Josh and Tony are cooking us breakfast, lunch and dinner and we plan on sitting by/in the pool most of the day. Monday we are taking the kids to Disney World. We did the volunteer a day program and are stoked to have another cheap trip there. Lots of laughs, good food, girl talk and kids playing.

Did I mention how excited I am?

Food, Food...

2010-04-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have had some major cravings this week... I'm either nauseous, eating, or craving something. Geez! I'm 6 1/2 weeks along and better get a handle on this or I'm gonna gain astronomical amounts of weight. If I don't eat often the nausea is unbearable...I'm trying to feed myself with smaller and healthy meals...but what have I been craving? Burritos, Olive Garden's soup, salad and breadsticks, chinese, arby's beef and cheddar...so, not exactly the healthiest things. Ugh! And...I don't know if those of you who have been pregnant before remember or experienced this...but it is a STRONG craving...like this force that pulls you to whatever the food at the time might be. I would say it's all in my head....maybe it is...but we do not usually eat out often. In fact, maybe one sit down meal a month if that, probably every other month, rarely fast food, and an occasional delivery meal....so these cravings do not jive with our lifestyle at all.
Well, hoping this and the extreme exhaustion move along quickly!!!

Construction Zone!

2010-04-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

We are boxing in our dining room this weekend. Now, you would probably assume this is for the new baby or one of my older babies...but you'd be wrong. My baby sister, Krissy is going to move in with us for a bit and FINALLY start school. The kids love her, it will be nice to have her around when Tony is travelling...and ultimately I think it will be good for her. She is going to start school in August and work when she's not in school. AND...she is welcome to stay as long as possible...but when she does move out, we will either use it as another kid's room or a den. A formal dining room has never been something we need. We are not really formal dining room type of people.

The Cat's out of the bag...

2010-04-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, already. I kept it a secret on Facebook for a week and a half, lol. I told you so...I am no good at secrets, lol.

I am SO exhausted right now. Funny, how we forget the symptoms so soon after giving birth. It always makes me wonder, how in the world did I do this so many times?!?! I have to take at least a cat nap everyday...and I am not just sleepy, but physically exhausted, where I feel like I just can't do anything.....which if you know anything about my household is just not possible.
Between my 4 children and the 2 boys I babysit, and running my house, there is no rest for the weary.

Today, I felt queasy for the first time...oh no! At not quite 6 weeks, this is way early for me. With my girls I had all day sickness, not just queasiness from 8-14 weeks. With Domenick, just that uneasy queasy feeling off and on the first trimester. I am praying it is the same as with Domenick again....that is much more manageable.

And....nothing sounds particularly appetizing...except Taco salad, lol.

Anyway, in the grand scheme of things, time flies so fast, and these next 6 weeks surely will be over before I know it...so, I am gonna try and enjoy it and if all else fails, take my naps, eat my taco salads and stay busy with my kiddos and I'll be 2nd trimester in no time.

P90X Menu Week3

2010-04-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

Tony has done so good so far...he has lost about 8 lbs in 2 weeks....so this diet/exercise plan is definitely working. In fact, we had a cheat day yesterday and he has had heartburn all day from the unhealthy food we ate.....and has not experienced heartburn the entire 2 weeks on this menu...so, the changes are good. I hope they will help to keep my weight in check this pregnancy as well.

Sunday: steak, "healthy" twice baked potatoes (skim-milk, low-fat cheese, low-fat sour cream, turkey bacon), roasted red/orange peppers, broccoli, collard greens

Monday: chicken/spinach sausage (this is a new one for us...hopefully it's good...only 4.5 grams of fat), mushrooms, peppers, onions, a bun, and mixed veggies

Tuesday: grilled chicken with bbq sauce, wild rice, steamed veggies

Wednesday: grilled fish, veggie kabobs, couscous

Thursday: roasted pork and veggies, healthy smashed potatoes

Friday: turkey burgers, baked sweet potato fries

Team Forest

2010-04-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our soccer team, debuting Tony as soccer coach extrodinaire, has won all 3 games so far. I know, it's about the fun...but winning does make it a little more fun. ;-) Lexi actually got a goal yesterday too. It really is so exciting watching all those little ones run back and forth trying to get the ball into their goal. And...I must say...Tony is a great coach. He was nervous about trying to coach such little ones, but I think we have found a hidden talent. He is so patient, organized, fun....and he tries to teach them some of the concepts instead of just kicking the ball back and forth.

5 1/2 weeks ...

2010-04-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

And I love that my girls are so interested this time in "our" baby. They keep wanting to see pictures on the internet of what the baby looks like. All day long I get asked how big the baby is, where is the baby, when is the baby going to be out of my belly. I love it!

Lexi, who mind you, has been a big sister 3 times already seems so excited this time.

Right now, the baby is the size of a sesame seed and looks more like a tadpole than a baby. The girls thought that was pretty funny.

Honestly, I don't feel pregnant at all except for being so, so tired. I have had to take a catnap every day this week. Thank goodness, naptimes of the kiddos have coordinated so that I have been able to. I know this will subside a bit once I get further along...but when it is so early, I know I have a couple months of this.

I have made my first appointment. They don't see you here until you are 10-12 weeks, so I won't go until June 7th (2 days before summer break!)

So...I was gonna keep it a secret...

2010-04-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

But, it is a well-known fact that I am no good at keeping secrets. If I buy you a gift, you usually know or at least have an idea of what it is by the time I give it to you. I am terrible at lying or evading truth.

So, only those who happen upon or follow my blog...and my family and close friends will know this for now...

We are expecting our caboose baby. I know, I know. I have said this before, with Domenick. But, this time I am serious, lol. I am going to more than likely get my tubes tied this time because my husband is likely to chicken out of this surgery again.

I know, it is highly "different" this day and age to have more than the 2.2 kids per family...but we don't mind being different. We are doing Dave Ramsey, so we are used to being different.
I am sure many people have many opinions on the size of our family. Let me make this completely clear: we believe God is in charge of our family and will not give us any more than we can handle. While, this was not our timing, we are perfectly comfortable that all our needs will continue to be met. We take care and love our kids to pieces...yes, we make sure to spend time with all 4 of our kids...yes, we try to do one-on-one time with them. They are so excited about having another baby.

Well, guess that's about it....if my calculations are correct, we are due mid December....which happens to be Lexi's birth month....so, our oldest and our youngest should share the same birthday month....pretty cool. Anyway, it's way early, so other than the extreme tiredness that led me to believe that I was expecting, I should still have at least a few more good weeks before all the symptoms start.

p90X Menu Week 2

2010-04-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, Tony weighed himself and has lost at least 2 lbs...he didn't weigh himself before the diet, so I think he's lost more, maybe 4-5....so it's definitely working.
So, gotta keep the dinner plans diet friendly and kid friendly...sometimes those two do not mesh well together.

Sunday: (Free Day) Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Black Beans and Yellow Rice

Monday: Leftover Chicken, black beans, roasted mixed veggies (broccolli, mushrooms, zuchini, potatoes, red pepper...mixed in a tblsp of olive oil, garlic, and Mrs. Dash)

Tuesday: grilled shrimp, wild rice, mixed green salad

Wednesday: pasta primavera with grilled turkey sausage (since it was such a hit last week)

Thursday: grilled pork loin chops, grilled mixed veggies, baked potatoes

Friday: Black bean burgers, sweet potato fries, salad

Saturday: Steak, sauteed veggies (tbslp of olive oil, cup of chicken broth), potato of some sort

Recipe to try...Diet friendly and Kid Friendly

2010-04-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

Pasta Primavera with Grilled Turkey Sausage

For our family size and Tony's diet we used 2 turkey sausage links...they grill up very fast and make a nice crispy casing. While that is grilling, put a pot of water on to boil and chop up your veggies. I chopped a yellow pepper, 2 zuchinis, and a 1/2 container of mushrooms...but you can use whatever you like. I sprayed pam in the bottom of my wok and sauteed the garlic in that, then added a tblsp of olive oil to cook the veggies. I added a few tblsp of pasta water when it needed more liquid. I cooked a whole box of whole wheat pasta. I used penne until al dente. I just used jar sauce, but if you have fresh that would be even better. I mixed the sauce, veggies and pasta all together and put the cut sausage on top.

This got 2 thumbs up from our kids...especially after some of the other "diet" dinners we have had.

No wonder America is overweight

2010-04-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

This diet is expensive to say the least. Tony has to have 9 servings of protein, a shake, a protein bar, 4 dairy, 1 carb, 1 fat, 4 veggies, and 2 fruits a day.
Let's see what the cost of that is for a week? 9 servings of protein at 3 0z each...3/4 a carton of egg white egg beaters and 3 oz of fat free turkey is only 2 servings of protein....the pack of 4 egg white beaters were $5.34!!! Lunch meat is well, not cheap either...the package of 12 oz is 4 morning's worth and is about $3.00. Let's not forget that is just for him...there are 5 other people who I have to feed!!! The protein powder is maybe a month's worth at $25 and the protein bars are about a month's worth at $20. Not to mention going through about 2 gallons of milk a week just for him. Last night, he still had 4 servings of protein left, so he ate 12 oz of chicken......so that means going through our meat supply faster as well. And...for the veggies, they either have to be raw or basically flavorless because he only gets 1 fat a day!!!

So...I am praying we get through this 90 days without going broke. ;-). I do wish him well on losing weight and getting in shape. There is nothing better than feeling your best and looking your best.

P90X Menu Plan

2010-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday: pre-diet dinner of grilled chicken, asparagus, potatoes

Sunday: Pepperoncini Roast sandwiches, tomato salad, green beans

Monday: Grilled pork, sweet potatoes, mixed fresh veggies

Tuesday: Broiled fish, wild rice, green salad

Wednesday: Turkey sausage, mixed fresh veggies, fruit salad

Thursday: Grilled chicken, asparagus, pasta with marinara

Friday: Tony's birthday dinner: Flank steak, fresh pico de gallo, tomato salad

P90X

2010-04-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

My husband's birthday present came in and he is starting this diet on Monday (unless he has to travel for work...which looks to be happening soon...praise the Lord).

To really get the most out of this program, you have to follow the diet as well. So, being the supportive wife I am, I made a list of things he can have and went shopping for him. I am also going to try to buy less prepackaged stuff (even though it is cheap ;-), and healthier stuff overall. For him to be really successful, we all have to be in on it and there can't be a lot of temptations in the house.

Let's just say this makes my bargain hunting job that much harder! I was doing so well, but staying out of the middle aisles for the most part really limits the coupons. I stocked up on produce and got a few other things at Aldi for the kid's breakfasts to the tune of $30. Then, went to Sam's for his protein stuff and spent $130...yikes...on produce, some meats he can have, his protein shakes, bars, some ibuprofen, milk, egg whites...well, not nearly a basket full for that amt. Crazy! He assures me this stuff will last him a while, so I sure hope so.
In the good news department, I have my list for Publix and after coupons I should spend less than $5 there. But that makes a grand total of $165 for groceries....which I have not spent in a LONG time....and hope not to spend at once for another Long time.
Why is healthy food so much more expensive?!?!

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sure started off on a good note and some fun plans...but those plans got derailed. We spent one night camping in a tent in Silver River State Park....got eaten up by buggies, woken up by a deputy looking for a bear (Holy Cow!), and my husband had a horrible allergic reaction to nature. He has allergies and I just didn't even think about it, but we ended up packing camp the next morning after a 1.5 mile hike, and Tony spent the rest of the day in bed. Now, I don't know if it was allergies, actually, or we were all coming down with something because I have had the WORST sore throat ever for the last few days. Tony is still not quite well. Alivia has been feverish for the last 3 days. Ugh! So, instead of going to my parent's house and taking the kids to Busch Gardens, we are recuperating at home. The best laid plans....

Holy Mother of Fantasticness!!!

2010-03-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

The bacon and the pork chops from our butchered meat...the BEST I have ever had!!! Can I emphasize that some more. You know what that means? I am buying another freezer and getting more, lol. So, ya'll stop on by...we will be having pork and beef coming out of our ears ;-). And, of course that makes me happy! Food is such a mood booster for me...well, that, well-behaved kids, a happy hubby...and bargain shopping. Guess I'm pretty simple really. ;-)

Fun, Fun, Fun

2010-03-30T17:16:00.001-07:00

Pre-Spring Break BBQ tomorrow with friends....
Thursday...Allie has an Easter bunny brunch at the park
Friday is Allie's 3rd birthday (seriously, where does the time go?!?!)...which is also a school holiday, so we are taking the kids to Chuck-e-Cheese and Tony is making the birthday girl dinner.
Saturday we are going to a local Easter egg hunt with games and prizes, going to Easter service at church and dyeing the easter eggs
Sunday we are having Easter at our house, with a yummy, non-casserole type menu ;-) (My husband is not a fan of the casseroles typically served at holiday dinners)... Instead the menu is: smoked ham, rotisserie chicken, homemade scalloped potatoes, baked mac and cheese, grilled asparagus, and yeast rolls.

Plus, I am making this : http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=47191&WT.ac=BakeOff_HP_Feature_Recipe3 for dessert. YUMMO!

Monday we are recuperating, packing for camping...Tuesday/Wed/Thursday we'll be roughin' it.
Friday/Saturday Tony gets to go to a few sporting events, and I will be taking the kids to my parents.

Whew! So much fun coming up and I am just beside myself with anticipation....not to mention this is the 1st time ever...that Tony has gotten to participate in Spring Break festivities. So glad he changed jobs!

Going without a plan...

2010-03-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

Publix, on a Sunday, with the whole family, and a so/so list/coupons is not a great idea for saving the most $$. This is especially true if you do this right around lunch time and everyone is hungry. ;-) I saved 65% this week, so not terrible, but I already spent $52 and I am not done for the week yet...with Easter at our house, I still need some things....not to mention forgetting yogurt and milk! I guess the good news is that this month's budget is done on Wednesday.

I guess I can give myself a little slack too because it is also Allie's birthday on Friday and of course they get to have whatever dinner they choose on their birthday, and of course my children always choose either shrimp, steak, or spaghetti and meatballs. ;-). What can I say? They have good taste. So, she chose spaghetti and meatballs. Tony's meatballs are famous in these parts...they have 2 kinds of ground meat, lots of fresh herbs and spices, garlic, onion, and about a lb and a half of italian salami, proscuitto, pancetta, and some other kind of meat. They are FANTASTIC...but so not a bargain. ;-)

So this is what it's like...

2010-03-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

We are still getting used to having Tony home on the weekends...for the more than 8 years that we have been together, he has always worked weekends. I'll be honest...it's AWESOME!
Before, he got a few Sundays off a month, but only a Saturday if it was a really special occasion or he was on vacation.
How nice it was today to be like a normal family. We took the kids to a friend of ours' house to watch her husband steer wrestle. It was pretty interesting to say the least, and the kids had such a great time on the tire swing, playing with sticks, having a jeep ride...just enjoying the outdoors. We took the kids to lunch and then went to check out the park where we will be camping. So nice! There is a great park there so we let the kids play and swing.
By the time we got home, after a quick stop at the store, we were all exhausted....but happy! It was a GREAT Saturday....and I see many more of these in our future!

Flying by the seat of our pants...

2010-03-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

When your pantry, freezers, and fridge are all full...due to couponing/stockpiling...some weeks it is nice to just pick a dinner idea the day of...no menu plan....and to have all the ingredients for that meal already!
Monday we had flatbread pizzas...super duper easy and super duper cheap...the flatbread was bogo a week earlier and I was afraid it was about to go bad...so saved us from wasting.
Tuesday we had simple dinner of grilled chicken, some of the peas from my grandma's garden, mixed fresh veggies, and rice a roni.
Wednesday we are having italian sausage sandwiches with onions and peppers and baked fries.
Thursday I think we are having chicken taco soup in my slowcooker....because Alivia has a program at school.

In fact...I think I am skipping the big shopping trip until next week since this week's ad runs through Easter. I will have to go get diet cokes, milk and a few veggies/fruits...so maybe $15 for the week....all because I have been stockpiling/couponing! This is a first for sure!

13 days...

2010-03-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

That's how long until we attempt camping outside in a tent! Anyone who knows me, knows that sleeping in the outdoors is not really my thing. I hate bugs, I don't like to be hot or cold. I love all the creature comforts of home....or a really nice hotel! But, we are trying something new. We have a son now and want to start doing things that boys like to do (and girls). It's also an inexpensive getaway and hopefully a fun adventure.

We are staying about 20 minutes from our house in a National Park (no KOA for us...hopping in big time!) I have my list (bug spray is top) ready! Of course, neither one of us have been camping as adults, so who knows what is missing from that list. We will have shelter, light, fire, and food. That's all we REALLY need, more than we need, if you watch Survivor, right.
We plan to go hiking...with all 4kiddos, so probably more like a longer walk ;-), make smores, let the kids just run and play around the campground and possibly fishing. There is also a museum on the premises, so we'll check that out.

Anyway, I was just reading about a friend following Dave Ramsey's (the financial guy) program, which we are and have been following...and well, this represents this new, simpler lifestyle we are choosing. Come on...even 3 years ago, we were charge it/ pay it later, live it up, have the newest, best, who cares about a sale because I want it now...kinda people. Coupons? Nope, thought they were a nuissance. Camping? Nope, we didn't even really shop around for hotel deals...Can you say J.W. Marriott in peak season? So, this really does represent all the changes and the long way we have come in changing our mindset.

T

A new way to shop...

2010-03-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

A great way to save $$ in the long run, if you have it available to you, is to buy the meat at it's absolute freshest. You know, free range, not fed antibiotics and steroids and local.
And...the best way to do this is to buy a cow/pig and have it butchered for you. Now, I know this grosses some people out...but for the bargain hunter...it is actually WAY cheaper to do this. You can google your area for more information on this. We have friends who introduced us to this new way (to us) to buy meat.
So...for $1.00 a lb we will have enough pork (ribs, pork chops, bacon, boston butt, sausage) for hopefully a year (we split a hog with my parents). Can you get baby back ribs in the store for 1.00 a lb? No way! Sausage? No way!
We are also getting a side of beef, splitting with our friends. For $2.00 a lb we will have enough beef for AT LEAST a year. You can't even get ground beef for $2.00 a lb anymore around here! We will have steaks, roasts, ribs, etc for $2.00 a lb.

So...I only have to buy chicken and any seafood we eat. If you divide it out and take the amt from my monthly food budget...it is still ample when you consider I will not have to buy hardly any meat...... Now if only my garden will take off and I will save $$ there too!

It's a great week

2010-03-18T07:21:00.001-07:00

...to be a Publix shopper! Seriously! I got $170 worth of stuff for $50...not too shabby. I will still need diet cokes (yes, need!!), and milk. I spent $10 at Aldi yesterday and bought bread and some produce, so we are set on everything else. So, it is probably another $70 week ( I try for $50), but I bought some stuff to be used for our camping trip!

The Loot:

12.5 lb bag of Matchlite (for camping: on sale for 7.99, had a $2 coupon and a $2 coupon off meat when I bought it)
2 bags of Tostitos and 2 jars of salsa(2/6, had $1 off each one and $3 off salsa when I bought it, salsa was bogo...so basically spent $4 on all of that)
2 bags of Wise chips (for camping: was bogo and had .50 coupon off each one)
Cottonnelle toilet paper (on sale with a CVS and manf coupon, which made it cheaper than buying in bulk this time)
Sirloin Tip Roast(on sale and had the $2 off, so spent $3 for a decent sized roast)
2 bottles of wine (bogo and has a MIR)...I love cooking with wine
2 containers of Friendship Sour cream (.99 each and had a 1/2 coupon)
Sue Bee Honey on sale for 1.99 (had a $1 off coupon)
First Aid Travel Kit (for camping...they paid me $1.07 to buy this)
2 Oreo Cakesters (bogo with a .50/2 coupon)...my indulgence
2 Edy's Fruit Bars (raincheck making them bogo and Walgreen's coupon for $1 off each)
Sandwich Bags
Danimal's Collision Yogurts (.55/1)
Blue Bell Ice Cream (3.99, had a $1 coupon and returned nasty Publix ice cream from last week...so free)
2 Oscar Meyer Weiners bogo at 3.19
2 Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets bags (had Publix and Manf coupon for each, so 2 bags for 1.99..regular price is $5.99 for 1 bag)
2 6-packs of applesauce 2.33
2 packs of vitamins (with coupons, they paid me $2 to take these)
Dove Shampoo, Conditioner and 2 Styling Products (had $6 in coupons and the styling products were free with purchase, so all this for $1.5)
McCormick Garlic Pepper Grinder (free with coupons)
6 boxes of Muellers' Pasta ($2.40 with coupons)
2 lance crackers (for Lexi's school....89 for both packs with coupons)
2 Wishbone salad dressing (.39 for both with coupons)
2 College Inn Broths (.59 after coupons)
Sure Men's Deodorant (the paid me .11 to take this after coupons)
Parmesan cheese

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2010-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Nope, we are not Irish...more like 1/2 mutt, 1/2 Italian ;-). In fact, last year we celebrated with Irish cuisine, and will forgo that this year, as our taste buds are not fans. We prefer celebrating with green clothing and keeping the food Italian. Cabbage...blech....tried it the other day. We aren't afraid to try new things here, but it was awful. We tried corned beef last year and that was awful as well... It is quite possible that I need lessons on how to cook Irish food and it may indeed be me who is making it taste so blech.

Anywhoo...Happy St. Paddy's/Wacky Wednesday!

Weekly Meal Deal X2

2010-03-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

Black beans and rice

Ingredients: 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion (.25), about 5 heads of garlic(.10), 1 can of tomatoes(..50), bag of dry black beans (1.49), ham bone if you have it on hand or 1/2 pack of ham steaks (2.50 for pack at Wal-Mart, so 1.25). I serve this over brown or yellow rice, depending on what we have onhand.

If you had to buy everything for this meal it would cost you 3.59 or .60 a serving for 6 servings. If you had to buy the rice as well, it would cost another 1.69 for white rice or another .28 per serving. I only had to buy the beans, as I had everything else on hand and a hambone left over from Christmas in my freezer...so this meal cost me 1.49 to make or .25 a serving.

Directions: This is just how I do it, there are many ways. I rinse the beans and put in my crockpot on high for 4 hours and then set to low until we are ready to eat them. If you are leaving your crockpot for the day, put LOTS of water, as they soak it up. I chop the onion and garlic add some salt to taste, and put the ham in. I add the tomatoes about an hour before we eat. I serve this over rice. Sometimes I also make cheddar biscuits or a homemade bread.

Enjoy!

I forgot to add that we almost always have leftovers of this...so we get a whole other meal out of it. I use the leftover beans and mix them with the leftover rice and make burritos for another dinner during the week. So you get two cheap meal deals.

Ingredients: 1 lb of chicken or beef (1.79 at Sam's Club), red and yellow bell peppers cut up...about 1/2 of each (1.00 at Aldi), garlic (.10), onion (.25), 1/2 jar salsa (if you had to buy a new jar about 2.00...I wait until they are bogo and stock up), shredded cheese (1.25), sour cream (.50), 1/2 can of corn (.25), tortillas 1.50. If you had to buy all the ingredients it would cost another 8.64, or 1.44 a serving for 6 people. I always have all of this on hand, other than tortillas, as they go fast...and I never pay full price for any of this.

Directions: Put enough oil in the bottom of a pan to coat, and add the onions, garlic and peppers. Once these have cooked for about 5 minutes, add the chicken or beef. I usually use chicken for this recipe. I add salt and pepper and once the chicken is done I put it in my food processor with the onions and peppers. Put it back in the pan, add 1/2 jar of salsa and the corn. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave. Put the meat mixture, a scoop of the rice and bean mixture and cheese. Roll the tortillas and put cheese on top. Put in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and any other fixings of your choice.

Random Thoughts Tuesday

2010-03-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

I am tickled pink that the swingset that my husband and friends have helped to put together is finally going to be done today!

I am so excited about Spring Break this year. It is the first one ever that my husband will get to enjoy with us. It is jam packed with stuff: Allie's 3rd birthday, Easter, camping for two days (in a tent for our first time ever!), a ball game for Tony, a trip to my parent's house, and Busch Gardens!

I can't wait to get my garden started.

I am both anxious and excited for Tony to get "deployed" soon for his new job. Financially, it would be great if it is a longer job, but emotionally, it would be nice for a smaller one for his first one.

We are about to be full speed ahead with swim lessons, soccer practice, soccer games, recitals, Spring programs, etc...and I can't wait!

I spent 2 1/2 hours cleaning up today before picking up the preschoolers from school and found a million Spring cleaning things I need to do...and 1 hour after the kids are home it doesn't look quite like I left it. ;-)

Domenick is almost walking...he is cruising and has mastered the getting up and getting down, he just has his balance to get down pat now. Alivia has grown an inch in a month. I won't be surprised if Allie has next month with the way she is eating. Lexi will be taller than me by the time she is a pre-teen.

I am the happiest I think I have ever been. I just absolutely love having Tony home. It has been so great for our family dynamics.

The things we do for love...

2010-03-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Tony, my dad, and my cousin spent an entire day working on a new playground for the kids. It is not nearly done yet, so Tony has been out there all morning working on it and will probably be working until tonight. I try to help, but really I am not much help. I don't know what the parts are and well, someone has to watch our children and continue the "normal" chores.

Sometimes we put ourselves through misery for these little people, but of course they are worth it. I just hope this one holds up. Our last one lasted 4 1/2 years, but it is possible the hurricanes took a little off of its life expectancy.

Woohoo for the weekend!!

2010-03-12T11:23:00.001-08:00

Why does it always seem that we are living for the weekend (except in summer when everyday is grand ;-)? It's true...I try to enjoy Monday-Thursday, I really do...but when Friday comes, I am just in the best mood. Nothing (even 7.5 inches of rain and chilly temps) can get me down.
This weekend is no different. Tonight is pizza night(homemade by yours truly of course) and either family game night or movie night.
Tomorrow is a full day of fun: taking kids to the park for a picnic, having company to help build a playset for the kids, cooking dinner for everyone. I love having my family come for a visit...and one of my favorite things to do is to feed people ;-).

This week's Savings..

2010-03-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

I will be honest here...I still have to go to Sam's...we are having company on Saturday, so I will still need to spend a little more $$...not a lot, but probably another $20, which is still in line with my budget. I will also hit up Aldi and the produce stand to probably spend another $20...some weeks it just works that way! So, I will have spent about $75 bucks for the week.

This week I saved $75, and spent $32 (70% savings). Not too bad, considering I didn't have any dollar off coupons or any real overage on items.

So, for that amt I got: 2 packs of Hebrew National Hot Dogs (for camping on Spring Break), 2 4-packs of Frusion yogurt smoothies, 4 boxes of Nabisco Graham Crackers (donating 2 boxes to Lexi's classroom), 2 boxes of Barilla pasta (don't need pasta, but couldn't pass it up for $.69 for 2 boxes), 2 bags of Eight O'Clock coffee, 2 4-packs of yoplait yo-plus yogurt, 1 container of Helluva Good Dip (free with manf coupon), 2 blocks of cabot cheese (isn't freshly grated cheese so much better), a bag of dry black beans, 2 plum tomatoes, 4 containers of vitamins, 1 Sure Men's deodorant, bag of red potatoes, pack of brown gravy, pack of au jus, 2 containers of pepperoncinis (not a bargain at 2 bucks a pop...but oh so good on top of my roast), 1 container of fruit chillers, 1 box of dannon yogurts, 2 flatout flat breads, oscar meyer turkey hot dogs, head of cabbage, head of broccoli, and 2 pouches of tuna fish.

Yowzas!

2010-03-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

My poor son has not been sleeping well...we did cry it out for a week and finally had a week when he didn't wake up at all. Did I mention he is 13 months? He has only had a couple handfuls of nights when he has not woken up at least once. We were on the right track and then he got sick with a cold...got through that and now he has 6 teeth coming in at once. OUCH! Poor little guy! So...the waking up at night has started again. Of course, I let him cry last night...but I had no idea he had so many teeth coming in until I checked his mouth today. I just feel awful for him! So, teething tablets and tylenol are on the menu for him tonight...and if he cries, I will get up with him...

Scratch that...menu, that is.

2010-03-09T05:22:00.000-08:00

Do you ever write out a menu for the week and then decide nothing really sounds good? Haha, well, I do all the time.

Monday: We had chicken pesto, which is a great all in one easy meal: chicken, bowtie pasta, jar of pesto, zuchini, broccoli, garlic. Sautee chicken pieces and garlic until done, and set aside. Use the same pan to sautee the veggies and garlic. In the meantime, cook bowtie pasta until al dente. Combine pasta, chicken, and veggies into one large bowl and pour the pesto on top. I also save a little pasta water and put a jar full of that too (helps to get every drop of pesto out of the jar) YUMMY! Our kids give this two thumbs up!

Tuesday: I cooked 3 lbs of chicken last night and saved half for dinner tonight. We are having chicken cobb salad.

Ingredients: romaine, iceberg, boiled egg, cheese, bacon, cucumber, tomato, avocado, black bean and corn relish, and the chicken, topped with homemade croutons!

Wednesday: black beans and rice

Thursday: stuffed cabbage (a first for us)

Friday: homemade pizza

Saturday: by special request, we are having pepperoncini roast beef sandwiches (this recipe is the bomb!!!), and potato salad.

Weekly Menu

2010-03-08T05:17:00.001-08:00

Monday: Chicken parmesan, pasta, salad

Tuesday: stuffed red/yellow bell peppers, homemade bread

Wednesday: grilled pork chops, sauteed broccoli, scalloped potatoes

Thursday: steak/veggie stir fry

Friday: homemade pizza

Saturday: grilling out with family: burgers, oven fries, salad

Spring Fever

2010-03-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

Spring fever has hit the Devescovi home full force. I am ready to garden, spruce up our yard, play outside, swim, sit on our patio...just be outside! We are planting a veggie garden this year and I am ready to get started. 70 degree days are just heaven sent. I love sitting outside watching our children enjoy fresh air and use their imaginations.

Praise the Lord for a BEAUTIFUL spring weekend that let us enjoy outdoors. We are going camping for spring break...for our first time ever....with all the kids....because I am itching to be outdoors so much. We have had COLD temps for a FL winter and I am beside myself with excitment for the warmer temps.

Spring Fever has me sigining kids up for soccer, planning gardens, planning camping trips, getting kids a new playground for outside, cleaning up the patio... Seriously, spring, early summer, and fall are the best!

Publix trip 3/4

2010-03-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

I saved $98 and spent $41...not quite as good as last week, but I have a lot to show for it. It was extremely irritating, as I got a "coupon hater" for a cashier.

But, anyway, this is what I got: 2 boxes of frozen pancakes, hershey caramel syrup, hershey strawberry syrup, kid's coconut shampoo, 2 bottles of vitamins, sure deodorant,
slimfast bars, 4 bags of shredded cheese, 2 packs of sliced american cheese, 5 lunchables,
4 boxes of rice a roni, 20 pack of diet coke, 4 boxes of quaker instant oatmeal, 2 boxes of cereal bars, a box of uncrustables, nutter butters, 2 bags of pizza rolls (our Sunday snack this week ), 2 jars of bertoli, 4 lbs of bananas, 1 lb of strawberries, 2 loaves of bread, 2 packs of crystal light and 2 containers of country crock side dishes.

So, what's missing? I will still only need milk this week. There is a great sale on Kellogg's cereal Sat/Sunday so I will get more of that too. We are still good on meat and produce.

Container gardening!!

2010-03-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

The perfect solution for a smaller area of land, or in our situation unfenced land with lots of wild animals. If I planted a garden here, the rabbits would eat it. So, we are doing a patio garden.
Today, I bought 2 strawberry plants that are already producing strawberries! We are hanging this in our patio and hopefully will get some strawberries off of it this year still and lots more next year!

We are planting lots of veggies in 5-gallon buckets. Supposedly it is very easy to maintain! We plan on growing cucumbers, bell peppers (red and yellow), lettuces, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions and green beans. I am so excited!

Hit or Miss

2010-03-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Not everything we try is a hit...but I love to read food blogs, peruse food network, watch cooking shows, read cookbooks, you name it to find inspiration for different menu choices. Usually we tweak the recipe a bit, to make it our own.

Last night, we tried a new recipe for homemade banana pudding from scratch...YUCKO! I would like to make another go at this one using a different recipe. It's such a letdown when dessert looks good, but tastes so blech.

I also tried Michael Chiarello's, from foodnetwork.com recipe for ceasar dressing...never made that homemade either. It is a very strong tasting ceasar and I really liked it. I was the only one in my family that did though.

Tonight, we are trying a new recipe called pepperoncini beef. I'll have to update about the flavor, but my oh my the smell is outstanding.
My husband is super excited about this one. Here's the recipe in case anyone out there wants to try it.
Slice two medium onions and lay in the bottom of the crockpot. Put a roast on top, seasoned well. I put about 5 sliced garlics on top, under, and around the roast...because, well...we LOVE garlic. Then, pour an entire jar of pepperoncinis, liquid and all on top of it. Cover, and cook 8-10 hours. (Mine was frozen, so I am cooking for 4 on high and 4 on low). About an hour or 2 before it is done, you can add a can of beef broth to make a dipping sauce for the sandwiches you will make.'
You can either take the peppers out or leave them in. Once you decide and the roast is done, take it out and shred it. Serve it on a toasty roll with provolone on top.

YUMMY!

So what will I make?

2010-02-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

When you see receipts like mine or if you are behind someone like me in line do you wonder what the hay they are going to feed their families? I didn't buy meat or much produce, no milk here... Milk is cheaper with the coupon from T.G. Lee at CVS, stocked up on meat at several sales and Sams Club, and have LOTS of produce from last week's sale. I will have to go to Aldi for a few things, but should only spend maybe $5-$10 more on this week...seriously, how can you beat spending $20 or less on a week's worth of groceries?

So for the menu with all of this...provided our household gets well quickly...otherwise, it will be lots of soups and homemade breads again next week.

Saturday: Homemade pizza...we make the dough in our bread machine. A white pizza with garlic and broccoli for T and I and pepperoni pizza for the girls.
Strawberry shortcake for dessert. (I LOVE strawberry season).

Sunday: Homemade beef stew with rice

Monday: Red beans with ham bone, served over brown rice and homemade cheddar garlic biscuits

Tuesday: Chicken burritos with leftover red beans

Wednesday: Hamburgers on the grill, salad, baked fries

Thursday: corn flake pork chops, rice pilaf, mixed fresh veggies

Tuesday

You know you are an addict...

2010-02-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

...when you go to the store even though you are SICK just so you can make sure to get all the great deals. Haha. I am addicted to couponing and saving$$ at the grocery store. Last week was a REALLY great week with the Italian sale, and I STOCKED UP, and when I say I stocked up I mean STOCKED UP on pasta, bread crumbs, beans, broth. Seriously, I have 45 cans of progresso beans in my pantry now, about 15 boxes of pasta (who can beat .29 for 2 boxes?), and lots of other stuff.

This week, while not quite as exciting as last week as far as the deals, was still worth going while sick to me ;-). I spent $12 and saved $140. That's a crazy amt of savings!! I'm stoked! I should really take pictures of all of my loot for you to see, but I was freezing and feverish and just plain SICK, so I did not.

But.. here is what I got for $12:
1 lb of Honey ham, 2 pouches of tuna fish, 2 packages of chunk extra sharp cheese, danimals collision yogurt, 2 4-packs of activia, dannonino yogurt, 1 carton of egg beaters, 2 I can't believe it's not butters, 1 20-pack of diet coke, 3lbs of bananas (we go through about 8-10 lbs a week, no joke), 2 lbs of strawberries, a package of shortcakes, 4 men's deodorants, 4 cans of diced tomatoes, 6 cans of tomato sauce, 5 boxes of knox gelatin, 2 bottles of pam spray, aunt jemima waffles, 1 pack of uncrustables, 1 lb of dry red beans, publix riccotta cheese, 2 lbs of oscar meyer sliced pepperoni, 4 bags of ritz toasted chips, 2 bags of dorito's, 1 dog treat, publix bread, 2 boxes of GM cereal, 1 colgate toothpaste, 1 20 ct of excedrin, and 2 donuts for the kiddos who had to endure the shopping trip.

We have been overtaken!

2010-02-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

The flu has overtaken our home. Alivia, Tony, and myself have been sick as dogs with chills, fever, head cold symptoms, no appetite, no energy. Oh my goodness, I don't remember the last time I have felt so bad! Thank the Lord we made it to Friday, which was touch and go for a while. Hopefully, we can spend the weekend in the house, chilling and recuperating. Thank goodness we really do have such great kiddos. They have been cuddling with us watching tv and I'm sure this weekend will watch more than their share of movies. Gotta do what it takes to survive when both parents are out for the count. This is actually the first time today when I haven't been shivering or sweating, so hoping the worst is over.

Oh Noes

2010-02-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

We have been overtaken by the sickies in casa de Devescovi. First Lexie brought it home to us last week which infected Domenick. Livia had a fever and stayed home sick Monday and Tuesday. This morning, the sickies spread to Ally, who is just plain pitiful, Tony, and me. I sure hope we are all better by this weekend. It's no fun to be sick and holed up in bed for the weekend. When Mondays start with a feverish child, you definitely know what to expect for the remainder of the week.

Head on over...

2010-02-22T04:53:00.000-08:00

To the Publix Viva Italia Sale... You don't want to miss it!!! I bought tons of groceries this week for $44 and saved $170 and I am going back a few more times.

Some great deals to note: Progresso Beans are 3/$2 . If you buy 20 cans and use 5 of the $1/4 that are on www.clickcallmail.com and one of the $5/20 General Mills items you will get all 20 for $3.33.

Muellers Pasta is bogo at $1.39 here in FL for whole wheat and $1.29 for regular. You can get 2 boxes of pasta for $.29 with the coupons on muellers' website.

Progresso broth is bogo at $2.59. There are .50/1 coupons, (no doubles here in FL), and if you buy 4 and use one of the 1/4 is a really great deal.

SO many deals this week: cheap produce, classico is bogo, cheap cereal, cheap yogurt...and the list goes on. If you were one of the lucky ones to get a $5/$30 you can get even better deals.

So, don't wait, go now...seriously, you can stock your pantry for 6 months on a sale like this!!!

The Viva Italia sale lasts through next week's ad, but the sale items might indeed change. If you want even more detailed information go to www.iheartpublix.com.

I'm crazy Ya'll

2010-02-19T04:58:00.001-08:00

I think I might want another baby! Yikes! For those who don't know...that would make 5. Haha. Coming from a girl who never thought I would have more than 2. As a kid, I did not really enjoy children. As an adult...I really just love my babies! I can't imagine a time when I will want to rush these little people out of my house. I want them to stay little and stay home forever! Of course, that's not possible and I won't have babies forever...though Tony thinks he may be getting AARP by the time we stop ;-).

Thing is...this is the first time I have ever had much help from Tony. His hours working were crazy long and his days off he was exhausted and many times still had to work. With him home more, I think I could totally add another baby to our family without upsetting the balance of our home so much.

This week is another short week...going to spend the weekend at my mother-in-law's...yippity, skippity, good food made by someone else for a few days!

Monday: Grilled chicken breasts, house salad, broiled potato wedges in olive oil and spices

Tuesday: Roast with veggies in the crockpot, Tony's homemade italian bread

Wednesday: Garlic encrusted tenderloin, mixed fresh veggies in a wine broth, rice pilaf

Thursday: Burgers on the grill, salad, sweet potato oven fries

IKEA...

2010-02-16T04:44:00.000-08:00

I could get lost for days in that store and spend a bazillion dollars on the coolest gadgets. Our little ole town does not have one of these, thank the Lord, cause I would get into some serious trouble there. ;-) While staying with my parents for the weekend, we perused the Ikea there and I am seriously in LOVE. We got a new down comforter that just feels like heaven wrapped all around me at night. I don't want to get out of bed in the morning because it is just way too comfy. I knew it was the one for me because of their "warm ratings." Seriously, they rate the warmth of the blanket from a 1-6. Of course, I need a 6 even in sunny FL. I like a big thick blanket that almost smothers me. I love that you can touch and handle the things they have there so you can make sure you really like the products first. They even have a restaurant and childcare. Amazing!

Savings, Savings, Everywhere Savings

2010-02-11T08:13:00.001-08:00

Publix today: Spent $40 and saved $97...but bought all my produce for the week there and a few non-list items that were just too good of a deal to pass up. That is still a savings of over 70%. FYI to new couponers...get a thick skin and don't go to the store in a hurry. Here, they seem to be really watching and double/triple checking to make sure you are using the correct combo of coupons, which makes for a rather long checking out process, but who can argue with the savings...definitely worth the extra time and hassle in my opinion...but it does take a thicker skin to deal with the extra scrutiny that non couponers don't deal with.

What did I buy for $40 today?

2 boxes of kelloggs cereal, 2 boxes of kashi oatmeal, 6 different bags of various trail mixes,
2 bottles of ocean spray juice, 2 bottles of gatorade, 6 packs of gum (Alivia is a gumaholic), 2 boxes of pasta, 2 cans of chili (goes great in dips), 2 jars of barilla pasta sauce, 2 bottles of kens marinades, 2 containers of crystal light, 2 jars of jelly, 4 cans of chicken broth, parmesan cheese, can of black beans, can of chick peas, 2 healthy choice mixers, container of mini sweet peppers, a bag of romaine, 2 heads of broccoli, cucumber, 2 hebrew national hot dogs, 4 4-packs of fiber one yogurt, 2 boxes of smuckers uncrustables, 2 cans of tuna, 2 spray bottles of lysol, and clorox.

Not too bad...but I just noticed on my receipt that I was not charged correctly for 2 items, so they actually owe me $5, haha.

Walgreen's trip

2010-02-10T13:34:00.001-08:00

Today I got 2 boxes of joint juice for T, lip treatment, 2 Dove men's body washes, and 10 candy bars (didn't need these, but they paid me to take them, lol), a diet coke and didn't spend any of my own money, just walgreen's register rewards and have $22 left. Cha Ching!

In My Mail Box...

2010-02-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

It was a good mail day here. I got $10 in rebates from when I bought scrubbing bubbles about a month ago. I got 6 for about $2.50, so I made money by submitting this rebate. I also got a $10 gift card to Publix from when I donated blood about a month ago. We are waiting on Tony's gift card for the same. I also got a $10 rebate check for buying 10 Nabisco products, which when combining coupons and bogos at Publix, I spent $5, so I made money by submitting this rebate as well. I also got a coupon booklet with $25 in coupons.

If you have a few moments and you are buying these products anyway, rebates are a great way to add a little to your budget.

I am still waiting on about $70 more in rebates! It is so nice to get $$ instead of a bill in the mailbox!

Tips for Shopping Frugally...

2010-02-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

I have recently changed how I shop. I have watched the sale ads and shopped around for the best deals for quite some time, but now I have added coupons and watch blogs before the ad comes out. Shopping with a list is a HUGE helper to my budget! I make sure not to do quick runs to the store for even one ingredient without a list in hand, so that I don't go in for 1 thing and come out with 20. I carry my coupons with me though, just in case there is a deal I didn't know about and I have a coupon for it.

I don't buy things just because I have a coupon, however, if there is a coupon and a sale for an item, making it inexpensive or free, especially if it is something we like or use regularly, I try to stock up. If I don't have enough coupons between our computers, the papers I buy (I buy 4 a week), and any home mailers I get, then I get more from ebay or a coupon clipping service. I try whenever possible to have a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon for items to make things as close to free as possible.

Instead of making a meal plan first...I shop with my list and coupons and then make my list based on what is in my freezer/fridge/pantry. By doing it this way, it saves me from needing something that is not on sale or needing several ingredients for 1 thing I want to cook. It takes a little more discipline, but once you get used to it and have stockpiled ingredients for a few months, you will find that you can cook almost anything you like this way. For instance, if I know we are going to want chili in the near future, I watch sales and get lots of beans and sauce when they are on sale, and then in 3 weeks when I want it, I don't have to go to the store for anything.

Saving on meats/produce/dairy is a little more tricky, but certainly doable. We do a stock up on meats at Sam's club and then watch weekly for a GREAT sale on a meat and if I have a coupon as well, then I stock up on that item even if I don't need it. My Publix will take competitor's coupons, so I use Albertson's coupons on meats where I have to buy 1 item and get 2 free.
For produce, I buy fresh as much as possible, by watching the sale ads and shopping Aldi where it is much cheaper than Publix. There are actually a lot of coupons for cheese and yogurts and recently even milk and eggs. This week I had a coupon for free milk with a $100 purchase (the price before coupons) and the egg farmers gave a coupon yesterday for b1g1 eggs.

Planning is definitely the key to saving the most $$ as well as knowing your stores normal/sale prices. Sometimes they try to sucker you into the store under the guise of a sale when in reality the sale price is much higher than you had paid previously.

Finally, don't feel guilty about using coupons because the store is reimbursed for the coupons and the manufacturer wins because you bought a product you might not have normally bought. I did feel nervous and sometimes an ignorant sales associate will try to make you feel like you are doing something wrong, but as long as you are using the coupons as intended, it is actually a win/win situation.

My Publix trip.

2010-02-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

Today, I saved $180 and spent $50 for a whole cart full of groceries...I'd list it all, but I don't know what I did with my receipt, haha. To put it in perspective though, I got 3 london broils, 2 packs of italian sausage, 2 packs of bacon, 2 packs of all beef hotdogs and a pack of ribs...which would have cost more than I spent for all of my groceries combined.

It just gives me such a high to be able to save $$ and have my pantry, fridge, and freezers even more stocked than they were before when I was spending close to 4 times as much a month. I consider this part of my job now and spend a couple of hours a week making sure I get the best deals possible!!

Happy Birthday Domenick!

2010-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Domenick is 1 year old today! My how time flies! There are no words to express how much I love my sweet baby boy and how blessed we are that we get to be his family.
He is such a smiley little guy and so LOUD. Whether he is happy or sad he is almost always LOUD.
He is not yet walking ,but has the silliest crawl you will ever see. I am in no hurry for him to be more self-reliant. He is such a momma's boy and though sometimes (ahem, at church) it would be nice for him to be more willing to be with other people, I do really love that for now he prefers momma.

Aldi's

2010-02-03T11:24:00.001-08:00

Bought all of this: cucumber, bag of oranges, bag of red potatoes, mushrooms, baby carrots, tomatoes, leaf lettuce, bananas, and bread.

How much do you think I spent?

Only $11.... Crazy, because had I bought all of this at Publix or even Wal-mart, it would have been probably double the cost. If you have an Aldi's you should definitely give them a try.

Today's deals...

2010-02-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Today, for an out of pocket of $18 I got the following things and still have ($13 in register rewards for Walgreen's).

At Walgreen's I got 2 boxes of glucosomine joint juice, blink tears, 2 lip moisturizers, a pack of gummies for the kids, and a 12 pack of diet green tea.

At Target they price matched their tostitos to the Walgreen's ad and after coupons, I got two bags of tostitos and 2 jars of salsa for $1.50

I plan on going back to Walgreen's and doing this deal a few more times with the register rewards that I have to get enough joint juice for 6 months for T and I shouldn't spend any more $$ out of pocket and should still have the $13 when all is said and done!

New Menu

2010-01-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, but I love looking back at these to get ideas, so thought I would start it again.

Sunday: Blue cheese bacon burgers, homemade mac and cheese, carrots and cucumbers with dressing.

Monday: Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, and mixed fresh veggies with parmesan

Tuesday: broiled pork tenderloin with roasted garlic balsamic glaze, sauteed broccoli, wild rice

Wednesday: chicken stir fry with brown rice

Thursday: black beans and yellow rice (Domenick's 1st Birthday)

Friday: breakfast or leftovers

Saturday: Parents babysitting (We get to eat out, just T and I woohoo!)

Sunday: D's birthday party...rotisserie chicken, ribs, roasted red potatoes, collard greens, balsamic green beans...chips, salsa, queso to snack on and cannoli cream cake for dessert

I Admit it...

2010-01-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to couponing. I am on such a bargain high lately saving $$ every chance I get. What's more is that I have gotten our grocery budget down from a high of $800 a month to a new sustainable goal of $350 a month (this includes going to Sam's every few months to stock up on items that are still a better deal there than elsewhere).

I follow several websites, but my favorites are www.southernsavers.com, www.iheartsavingmoney.com and www.iheartpublix.com. I have also begun submitting rebates and am currently waiting on over $100 to arrive in my mailbox.

If you have never explored the weekly deals at your grocery stores or given coupons a try, trust me it is so worth your time and $$. This week alone I spent $23 and saved $104 at Publix.

The New Look of the Devescovi's for 2010

2010-01-26T15:54:00.001-08:00

Well...where the heck have I been? Not sure, but a lot sure has happened here in casa de Devescovi.

My husband is no longer a Chilihead! 19 years a million hours of work and he has changed careers. Thank you Lord! Right now he is training, but he will be going out on assignments whenever there is a major catastrophe to be the liaison between the insurance company and the homeowner. It will require lots of travel and extended periods when he is away from us...but when he is home it is 24 hours a day! It is really fantastic right now. He has been home since Christmas Eve (his first that he didn't have to work) and I LOVE having him home. I never knew what I was missing before...but, boy was I missing a lot. Now, I have a partner to help me with the kids, errands, decisions, cooking, chores. We really make a pretty incredible team! He calms me and I don't feel half as stressed as I used to.

Yes, it will be another adjustment when he leaves, but so worth it to have him home way more than we ever have before.

It was a pretty scary leap of faith at first, but God has shown us in so many ways that this is the right decision and he continues to amaze us with his provisions.

In other news, I am filling out financial aid forms to start online classes next fall...will do a year of prerequisites and then probably go to school for nursing. When the kids are all in school I want to do something outside the home, but still be able to volunteer and be there for them. Nurses here work 2-3 days a week and make a decent wage...and in another life I had planned on majoring in pre-med...so it seems to be circling back around. I think I'll enjoy it, there's always a need, and after working a year or two I can go back to school to be a nurse practitioner.

Well, who knows when I will post again....so, until then...

Where did my baby go?

2009-11-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

Thursday my oldest baby girl will be 7. She is such a beautiful little girl who I love more than words. I don't know where the time has gone. Not so long ago it seems I was screaming to the doctor to do whatever she had to, but just get her out of me! Now, she is in 1st grade, talking on the phone to her girlfriends at night, reading chapter books, getting honor roll, cheering, etc, etc. She is still and will always be my baby though. Sometimes I can't believe that I am so lucky to be her mommy. She is so sweet natured and mild mannered and is just really a good kid.

We will be going to Disney World on Thursday to celebrate....of course Disney is the place to go to celebrate a birthday. We took Alivia for her birthday and they really make a big deal for the birthday girl there....it is oh so magical. On Friday my mom is taking my other two girls so that Lexi can have her girlfriends over for a sleepover. We will be making mini pizzas, decorating cupcakes, dressing up, doing nails and hair, decorating purses...and who knows what else. I am just as excited as she and her friends are! Saturday the festivities continue with a trip to Bucca di Beppo with grandpa Devescovi who will be down from New York. And it all ends on Sunday with an Italian themed celebration with all the family. What else could a girl ask for?

Dinner Menu

2009-09-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Monday: grilled chicken with terriyaki dipping sauce, rice-a-roni, carrots

Tuesday: baked turkey breast (on sale at Publix for .99 a lb) encrusted with garlic and stuffed, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash casserole ... thanksgiving dinner in Sept!!!

Wednesday: red beans and brown rice with ham

Thursday: broiled pork tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, sauteed broccoli

Friday: leftovers of sandwiches

Saturday: Breakfast...bacon, blueberry or banana pancakes, scrambled cheesy eggs

Sunday: still up in the air...grilling out either at home or with my inlaws

Anyone have any great slow cooker recipes?

2009-08-27T12:27:00.002-07:00

Since school is back in session and I am babysitting 4 days a week I would like to find some new recipes for my slowcooker to utilize it more. I am thinking if I cook 3 meals in it a week and Tony cook on his day off during the week...life would be so much easier.

I already cook roast, beans, chili, beef stew, taco soup in it.

Anyone have any other recipes to share?

2009-08-27T12:27:00.001-07:00

Domenick's 6 month stats

2009-08-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Big boy is bigger than 75% of other baby boys his age...at 19 lbs and 27 1/4 inches. He is doing everything that he is supposed to at his age and then some....and he is keeping this momma hopping. I think he is in motion costantly when his eyes are open....which is almost always! He is afraid to miss something, I guess because he also takes shorter naps than my girls did and still wakes up at night.

Well I am no longer in my 20's!

2009-08-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 yesterday! I had a fantastic birthday. My parents watched our chickadees and we stayed at a fabulous hotel and got to be a couple for a night. I LOVE date nights! We checked into our hotel room, which was a parking lot away from a huge upscale mall. So, we walked the mall and dreamed about things we don't need and probably don't really want, but it was still fun. We had dinner at Maggiano's...yummo! and dessert at Cheesecake Factory. We had conversations about dreams and really enjoyed each other's company. Not that we don't on a constant basis...but you know, life sometimes makes it difficult to have deep conversations and we are usually holding a child or a child's hand. We got to hold each other's hands. I really do love that man!

On my actual birthday...which was yesterday, we took the kids to Chuck e Cheese and had lunch and some fun. Then we hung out at home and the girls and Tony cooked for me and made me a cake. Dinner and dessert were so tasty! It is so nice to be taken care of every now and then.

What's happening?

2009-08-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well...we just got back from my Nanny and Poppy's...grandparent's house. They live out in the middle of nowhere and it was so nice to visit. Domenick just loved my grandma.

Today I registered Lexi for cheerleading with Upward Bound and I can't wait to watch her in action! It is going to be too much cuteness to handle!

I also registered Tony for his online class...it did take me the better part of a couple hours to do this...good thing he's worth all the hassle.

We are getting organized and getting all school stuff together, school clothes put in outfits, easily picked out in the mornings, school shoes out front and center, breakfast and lunch choices in the house...you know all the important stuff to start the school year on a good note.

I am buying lots of the school supplies to store for extras for the kiddos for grab bags for parties and for the year since they are so cheap right now!

We are now a wireless printer house and LOVING IT!

What else? We are getting ready for some crazy busy madness! I turn 30 on Saturday and we are going to go away for the night without our kids...woo hoo! and eat at Maggiano's...another woohoo!

Then school starts...I am back to babysitting again...and running around like a crazy mama... Domenick goes in for his 6 month shots....and Tony has a 3 day business trip to leave me to start all this on my own!

Also in the planning stages for Alivia's 5th birthday party.

I'm sure there is more going on, but that's it for now. I bring up this blog daily and have just had major writer's block lately. Facebook has been more my style...simple one liners are easier for my brain!

Weekly Menu

2009-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Monday: Stuffed red/yellow bell peppers

Tuesday: broiled flounder, rice, mixed veggies

Wednesday: Chicken and dumplings

Thursday: Chili's or leftovers...

Friday: Out to eat for my birthday!!! Maggiano's Baby!

Saturday: Busch Gardens during the day...so pizza?

Banana and Pecan Pancakes

2009-08-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

are the bomb! Mash some bananas and mix it with your pancake batter...then add in crushed pecans...

Seriously...if you haven't tried them...you should. My kids devoured them!

Breakfast for dinner rocks!

1 week...

2009-08-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

til Tony starts working towards a new career. He will be taking an online class for a month. I am so proud of him for making this big step!

Some good eats on the new Menu

2009-08-07T12:48:00.001-07:00

Friday: Homemade chicken burritos with guacamole

Easy peasy recipe: Saute chicken with garlic, onions, and multi colored bell peppers. Put chicken in food processor or chop it with food chopper. Mix back together with veggies. I also add a can of corn and about a half cup of salsa. Then layer in a burrito shell with cheese and black beans. Put in pan and sprinkle on more cheese and put in oven for 25 minutes at 350.

Saturday: Daddy works late here...so breakfast for dinner...sausage links, pancakes, eggs

Sunday: Stuffed peppers and corn and black bean salsa

Monday: Red beans and rice

Tuesday: chicken parmesan and pasta, salad

Wednesday: london broil, roasted potatoes, sauteed broccoli

Thursday: leftovers

Friday-Sunday: Travelling to my Nanny and Poppy's with the granparents

Happy Half Birthday to baby D!

2009-08-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today he is 6 months old. He is almost sitting up unassisted. He LOVES his food...mama's milk, cereal, bananas and sweet potatoes are his favorites.
Today he cut his second tooth too! He is growing up so fast...and if I do say so myself, quite a handsome little guy.
I was so scared to be a boy's mama. I know girls. I have sisters, I have daughters...but I have to say, it is great, and he has totally stolen my heart....he is my smiliest (made up word?) baby...such a sweetie!
Sleeping...well, not great...we have a few days of sleep and then he wakes up a lot. What can ya do? Eventually we'll get uninterrupted sleep again, right?

3 weeks til school starts here...and lots happening!

2009-08-02T17:45:00.001-07:00

Blech! Carlines and carpools and did I mention I am babysitting again this school year? I am! We need momma to bring home some bacon...so I am watching my friend Kelli's boys (hopefully) 4 half-days a week. Not too bad...but will definitely keep me hopping. At least I will still be able to do my Bible study each week.

I am also thinking of selling Thirty-One, which my college roommate and friend Amanda sells. I am doing a catalog party for her this month and pondering selling it on my own. Very cute stuff! And...no one around here sells it...so a chance to get some business.

And...Tony is seriously considering a career change...a complete career change!!! Did I mention he has always worked for the same company? Yep, since 1991... Carazy! You know the old saying it's not what you know, but who you know...well, in this case it is true! He may have the opportunity to do something where he has more flexibility and earning potential and a LOT less stress! We are praying about it and he will start working towards this change here in the next couple of weeks...but it will probably take a few months or so before it can happen. His workplace is honestly a place of misery right now...and he cannot do this same job forever...we need our daddy...and we need him in a place where he is appreciated.

Baby boy has cut his first tooth! He is almost sitting up and loves his exersaucer! His whole face lights up when he smiles...he is just the sweetest little guy ever!

I turn 30 the weekend before school starts back and we are going away, just Tony and I for a night at a hotel and dinner by ourselves...and I am tickled pink! I have however decided from now on I am not turning a year older anymore, but will still celebrate birthdays. :-)

Why Hello Again!

2009-07-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our annual beach vacation is over once again. We are home and recouping, from lazing in the sun and swimming...it was a hard week. :-) Life is good to be able to enjoy such great fun with our families. It truly was such an awesome week. I can't complain...we even had sunshine the entire time except for one rain storm...which is incredible considering it was supposed to rain almost every day. I have a million pictures to upload and will try to do that tomorrow. Tony already put them up on facebook...which is much easier to upload them to.

Now we have 5 more weeks until school starts and no real plans except a birthday celebration in the works for my 30th coming up. I have done no school shopping yet...so there is that too. We are thinking of a few more trips. One to see my grandparents in Georgia and one back to the beach for 2 days for my birthday.

Also thinking about some major lifechanging moves here. So keep us in your prayers.

Black bean and corn salsa or relish

2009-07-14T11:58:00.001-07:00

YUMMY! A take on Bobby Flay's and Chili's recipe:

6 ears of corn, grilled with garlic butter cut off the stalks

3 jalapenos grilled (brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper), deseeded and cut

1 can of black beans rinsed thoroughly

a bunch of cilantro chopped

the juice of 2 limes

Mix all together and add a little salt and pepper to taste. YUMMY!!!!

I love...

2009-07-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

listening to the conversations of my children between each other...especially when they are being sweet.

watching my children interact with friends and seeing them make good choices.

diet coke... :-) anytime

planning a vacation...seriously, when this one ends I will have to start planning another one!

listening to baby giggles and toddler giggles and even preschool and school age giggles.

watching Nicky eat his toes.

listening to my husband explain something to my children calmly...when I have lost all patience trying to explain the same thing.

4 more days...

2009-07-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

til I will be heading to our annual beach vacation on the white sand beach of Anna Maria Island, FL. Woohoo! There are 26 of us who will be there this year...all family. Everyone is so excited and I hope it is just a blast and a half for all.

Today I was a minivan cleaning mama. Can't go on a vacation in a disgusting van...and mine gets waaaay disgusting with all the little people I transport everywhere. There are always crumbs of some sort and spills and socks and shoes and well, you name it and you can probably find it in my van. So, today in the 100 degree weather I wiped and vaccuumed and cleaned that dirty ole van...so I can take it to the beach and junk it up again. :-)

On the agenda til we go is Chuck-e-Cheese with friends, lots of packing and last minute trips to stores to try to bring everything we can with us.

I am a HUGE procrastinator...so I don't expect to be packing up until Friday. Tony works all day and evening, so I will be packing up the van too.

We only have a 2 1/2 hour drive and can't check in until 1...but I do not want to sit at home for one skinny minute on Saturday morning. We are going to wake up, get ready and hit the road.

We have meals planned...we do not eat out...we like to cook, eat, go back to the beach again for sunset. Girlyfolk will shop one day with no kids except for little D because he is attached to me...has never had a bottle, so that would present quite a problem if I left him. Menfolk will golf one day. Maybe there will be a movie at the local theater if there is rain...but other than that I do not plan on being in real clothing the entire week. Bathing suit attire, a few sundresses, some jammies, coverups...pure HEAVEN!

I just have to make it 4 more days. You know I am as bad as a kid...the night before I will be so excited I won't sleep well. :-)

A Christmas post already?

2009-07-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Yep... Don't hate me...but if you want to use this idea, you need to do it soon. K?

Homemade vanilla...a great, fun, homemade gift idea. Now, if homemade isn't your idea of good giftgiving, just skip on by this post...but we did it last year (not the vanilla) and people LOVED it. I made homemade candles, bathsalts, and cocoa...it was a huge hit. I will be doing it again... I will be making this to add to my basket.

It takes at least 4 or 5 months to steep though.

You can order the vanilla beans off of e-bay. If you are making them for gifts, order at least a dozen. Get a big bottle of cheap vodka. Cut open each of the vanilla beans and place them in the vodka. Store in a cool dark place. Slosh it around a couple times a day at first and then whenever you remember. When you are ready, find some cute bottles and use a funnel...make a cute little tag and whala!

The longer they steep, the better...reaching their peak at 2 years for the most flavor.

Bargains..

2009-07-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Old Navy has been calling my name weekly for almost a month now. I have bought a ton of stuff and saved so much $$ there. Their $5 sale for swimwear and shorts and t-shirts...their $9 sale on capris...their 50% off of summer stuff. Ugh! I vow to stay away...except today I had to use my $20 coupon and there is even more stuff on sale. If you haven't been lately and new some new clothes for you or the kids...check it out. If you go to their website you might even snag a coupon.

Reorganization...

2009-07-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am on a mission before we leave for our vacation...purging and organizing. I did my closet yesterday and today...yeah, 3 bags, plus 2 bags of maternity clothes to donate...sick, huh? In all fairness I have had some of those clothes since college...but my body and styles have changed and I finally convinced myself to get rid of them. Boohoo...I do not think my mommy body will be fitting in those size 0's or 2's anymore...no use hanging onto them to taunt me. :-)

Exhaustion

2009-07-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

I am plumb tuckered out from all the week's festivities. Last week was a busy one...between taking care of extra kids and running around and keeping them busy and all the meal preparations and did I mention that my dishwasher is waiting on a part?
Of course then there was the 4th and company on the 5th....

Yeah...today I woke up and it's like my body knew it could finally rest...I could barely get out of bed. I am gonna do minimal cleaning...more like straightening up and tackle most of the chores tomorrow...mama needs to take a breather!

And...did I mention that we go to the beach in....12 days!