So you wanna be frugal?

People will do anything to save a buck.

Seriously, have you watched the show Extreme Cheapskates on TLC?
 

Sorry, but I refuse to reuse my dental floss or pee in a jar just to save a few dollars. Not happenin folks!

However, with becoming a one income family I have been on the lookout for ways (that are not disgusting!) to help us save some money.

I follow many different coupon sites on my Facebook and have gotten some awesome deals on gifts or household necessities from them. Some of my favorites are: Raining Hot Coupons, The Krazy Coupon Lady, and The Frugal Girls.



Groceries

The biggest part of my weekly shopping list is decided based on a blog that an awesome lady in my hometown started! Walmart is the main place to shop at in our little town and Mrs. Emily Graves learned how to take full advantage of their ad match policy. She puts out a comp list weekly (Wednesday nights) with our local competitors prices on everything from shredded cheese to diapers. I have saved so much money using this list and base my meal plan off of what I can get a great deal on that week. You can also combine the comp list with coupons! Score!

Get the comp list here

I don't consider myself a pro at using the comp list by any means but after some trial and error I have found what works for me during trips to Walmart so let me know if you have any questions!

Pinterest was a great resource (Imagine that!) when I started to meal plan. I wanted to know how to save money by planning ahead and let's be real, this momma doesn't always feel like putting a lot of effort into cooking. So if our meal for that night is already planned out or I can just throw something in the crockpot I am much more likely to feel up to the job!

The best tips I got from all of my research was to use your leftovers! Plan a leftovers night where the whole family gets their choice of what they want from that weeks meals or plan your leftovers into meals on another night. Every couple of weeks I will make a huge pot of chili and then dish out some for the fridge, freezing the rest. I will eat the chili in the fridge for lunch occasionally but then the chili in the freezer gets pulled out for other meals. We can make chili dogs or frito chili pie among other things, 3 meals in one!

Another great tip was to shop in your own pantry! I forget what I have in my cabinets half the time and the other half I used to not take the time to look, just put it on the grocery list and go. Now I take the time to check ingredients off my list that I already have. I also go through the fridge and check which items are about to expire and need to be used. I can then plan a meal around those items and save us more money!

The best site I found for meal planning was Blissful and Domestic. She inspired me to be smart when planning ahead and I have tried many of her recipes, all of them are great!

Formula

I had some complications after birth that caused breast feeding not to work out for me. It was tough at first but I've accepted it and am very happy with how formula feeding has turned out! Formula became extremely important for us but it is super expensive! Luckily I had registered on many different websites to receive free samples of Similac, Enfamil, and Gerber formula. We have received many FREE large cans of formula in the mail and I continue to get $5+ coupons from them. I never ever pay full price for formula!

Similac StrongMoms

 

Register Here

 

 

 

Register for savings

 

Clothes, accessories, gifts, and more

I spend WAY too much time shopping online for things I don't need but also have been able to find great deals! With Christmas coming up and being on a budget you always want to be able to find good quality gifts but for a low price. I have purchased many items from Pick Your Plum and loved everything I have received! I also have a new diaper bag on its way from Simple Addiction that I paid under $20 for so I'll let you know how that comes out. I have yet to order much off of Zulily but am always seeing great deals and feel tempted to spend almost daily!

Groupon is also another one of my favorites as I have found deals on gift cards (Pay $5 for a $10 gift card) and specials on tickets or activities around KC.

 

Go there now for $19 Stanford & Sons Comedy Club tickets!

Add myHeartlandLove to Facebook and be informed of great deals as I find them! I don't have much going on with my new page yet but soon it will get kicked into gear! I'm continuing to work on the items for my Etsy store but don't want to jump into this venture without making sure everything is done right! I will be revealing my creations on here and on Facebook when they are up for sale!



In other news, we are ready to Rock Chalk in this house tonight!

Ok well, some of us are... Go KU!

The Story of Us- Part 2

If you need to catch up on our story, you can read Part 1 here.

Almost 1.5 years later (Fall 2006), I was over 3 hours away from home at Barton County Community College and Kyle was still at Emporia. Both of our relationships had fizzled out but I had been so busy with dance, school, work, etc. that I hadn't been back to Emporia for awhile. In October, my sister called to invite me to come down to Emporia for her last night working at The Dugout, the best bar at the time at ESU!

I couldn't wait to get away for the weekend with my best friend in tow and let loose! This night was extremely packed at the bar as everyone loved my sister and she was a great bartender! Of course Kyle and his friends came down to bid farewell to Jen and we proceeded to flirt most of the night. At one point he was teasing me about kissing him and a friend was egging it on. I ended up leaning over and kissing him while sitting on the pool table during the chaos.




Our first picture together after I went to his indoor softball tournament in Topeka





 

From there we started travelling to see each other almost every weekend. I surprised him at his Halloween party and he drove down to watch me perform in Great Bend. It was a 2- 2.5 hour drive but I would go late at night and drive back early in the morning, making it back in time for class.

Halloween 2006

There are so many memories of how much fun we had in those few months. Competing at darts, walking to the park to swing, driving in the country, testing Kyle's sports knowledge, drinking games, "mudding" in my Ford Taurus, jamming to NSYNC in the car, Great Bend Zoo, Ben & Jerrys with movie night, parties with friends, New Year's Eve, The Dugout, and I could go on and on. We could have so much fun just sitting around either of our houses, doing nothing.

New Years 2007

Christmas 2006- We unknowingly got each other Braves hats

 

 

Kyle asked me many times to make things official and I never told him yes. I knew that a relationship with him would be serious and I just wasn't ready for that. I could tell that he was head over heels and it scared me as I had unresolved issues. We dated off and on until May of 2007 when I knew I had to call it off for good.

I remember driving to Emporia and sitting outside his college house having the goodbye talk. I told Kyle I just wasn't in it and we needed to be done. Even though Kyle was hurt he never uttered a negative word and just let me know that he really cared. I felt horrible but I just wasn't feeling it at the time and needed space to be on my own.

Visiting me at Barton- November 2006

 

 

Hanging out at Babe's during a random drive to Etown

Sister's Birthday- January 2007

I had done college visits at Emporia State but came to a decision that I was going to attend Kansas State University. My closest friends were going there and all of my friends at Emporia I had met through Kyle. I knew things would be awkward and it made my decision a little bit easier.

Looking back now I get a little mad at myself that I made that decision. I had many good times at Kstate but also struggled there and wished I would have went straight to ESU. I feel like I lost years of time with Kyle we could have had together (as I think things might have been different if I would have been living there) but then I have to remember that things happen exactly the way they are supposed to. We went through experiences that made us a better fit for each other and we learned many lessons from our relationships while we were apart that made us that much more thankful to have each other.

"I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true."

-"God Bless the Broken Road" Rascal Flatts

 
 
 
 

Winter 2006- One of my favorite pictures of us

So thankful for this man!

 To be continued...

Cheesy Chicken Goodness

 

 

I'm about to tell you about the best and easiest thing to come out of my kitchen. My husband will attest to this as he consistently asks for this meal at least once a week. He'll even take the initiative to make it himself! Yes, it is THAT easy!

 

I can't take the credit for this one though, my roommate cooked this concoction for us in our little college party house and I've never looked back!

 

We always just call it cheesy chicken stuff in this house and I thought goodness was a great description to add.

 

 

 

Bag of chicken strips

Jar of alfredo sauce

1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese

 

*I don't quite use the whole bag of chicken strips as I just make this for 2.

*I tried something new and mixed in 1/2 triple cheddar which was amazing!

 

 

 

Cook chicken strips as directed on the package.

 

After chicken strips are cooked, place in glass dish. Leave oven on! Can use a 13x9 dish if using whole bag of chicken strips.

Pour jar of alfredo sauce over chicken strips and then pour bag of cheese over chicken and sauce.

This is where you can decide how cheesy you want to make it and not use the whole bag. However, we love ours super cheesy and use the whole thing!

 

Now put that puppy in the oven and let the cheese melt into amazingness!

 

Depending on your oven this could take around 10 minutes but that's it!

 

How easy was that?!

 

 

 

Corn and garlic bread go great on the side!

 

Hope you enjoy!

Missing in Action

I have seriously been slacking on getting this blog going.

I am trying to do so many things at once and keep up on everything around the house. (Insert sigh, though I know I have no reason to complain, just a bit overwhelmed)

My college classes started back up, decorating for Christmas, Christmas shopping, trying to make inventory for my Etsy shop, and trying to take care of a 3 month old don't give me much time for anything else...

The only way I can get any crafting done and it's still hard with that adorable smile :)





But I'm vowing to get everything I want to DONE and in a timely fashion. I've always been a "list" person and it really does help so much. There's something so gratifying about crossing those things off your list you've been struggling to get done.

For a little recap of our holiday week...

Wednesday night we had a casual "appetizer" dinner at my mom and dad's house. My sister Jen and her husband couldn't make it to our big family Thanksgiving so we decided to have a night of finger foods and all kinds of dips. The food was amazing! I made monster cookie dough dip and a cheesy bread dip that I had never made before but turned out really good. Camden always gets lots of attention and loves it (especially from his Grandpa.) We're finding out that he is really starting to love looking at books and we're going to have to start packing them with us wherever we go.

Thursday morning I woke up early to get all of my cooking done and be able to give Cam his bath before we left. I tried a corn souffle (that honestly wasn't that great) and a recipe I got from a friend that her family calls "Yumminess." It is a concoction of Fritos, three kinds of baking chips, and peanut butter which doesn't sound good at first but OH MY it is amazing!

The finished product

We got over to my aunt and uncle's just in time for Kyle to catch the Lions game and eat a big lunch. Kyle has a tradition of wearing his Lions jersey to Thanksgiving since he was really young and Barry Sanders played. He insisted that Cam dress up in Lions gear with him so I decided turkey apparel wasn't needed and he could start a new tradition with his daddy.

 

These pictures were taken after we got home and it took forever to get a good shot. Kyle looks extremely tired and Camden was a ball of energy.

 

 

Going to my aunt and uncle's is always something I look forward to each year and this year was especially fun as Camden got to meet his cousin's for the first time. (And me too!) I have triplet cousins that were born in June and I hadn't got to see them yet due to having a cold while they were in the hospital. Everyone loved on all the babies and it was the funnest thing to see our family holiday filled with babes again.

 

 

After a long few days of cooking and family gatherings I wasn't too king on going Black Friday shopping but I'm glad I pushed myself to go. The girls in my family have had a longstanding tradition of going Black Friday shopping together, eating lunch, wearing silly hats, etc. The amount of us who go has dwindled but it still makes for a fun day with family! I was feeling some withdraw as it was the longest amount of time I had ever been away from Camden but Kyle made sure to send me pictures while they hung out at Kyle's work.

 

Picture from Kyle- Caption: Hi mommy!

 

 

Watching Tom & Jerry with daddy at work

 

 

We scored some great deals and didn't have to deal with any crowds. Shocker! We always shop in Lawrence which is much better than Kansas City but even then, this year was extremely low key. We did come home with tons of stuff and had to be buried in the car!

 

 

Yes, they had to dig me out when we got back!

 

 

The final part of our weekend we went for a quick trip to my hometown (which is only about 10 minutes away) to get our Christmas tree. There is a tree lot where you can walk around in the field and pick out your own tree, then get it cut down to take home. I have many memories of going with my parents when I was still the only daughter at home. We had so much fun, one year going after a big snowfall and making a snowman with a mohawk while searching for a tree. Kyle and I have gone with my parents to get our tree the past 3 years and just can't pass up a real tree. Camden wasn't having much fun as he got hungry as soon as we got there but Grandpa saved the day and kept him on the move.

 



 

So comfy in his new hat from The Rand's

 

Grandpa's boy

 

 

We hurried home so that we could make it back for the Chiefs game (which they disappointingly lost) and got the tree up. I have yet to do any other Christmas decorating but at least our tree is up and I am loving it!

 

 

We despise our star tree topper as it never stays in place so I improvised with some burlap and an ornament from Target. I love how it came out!

 

 

I am getting so excited to start family traditions with Camden and show him what Christmas is all about, no matter how old he is! 



Is This Real Life?

I wanted to share a little more about my inspiration for this blog and how I came up with the idea.

I have a select few blogs I follow on a regular basis that have always been extremely interesting to me.

Little Miss Momma

The Johnston's

Gussy Sews

Carolina Charm

Three Ladies and Their Gent
 

 

I don't love to read them because they have pretty blog designs or they give me crafting ideas. (Which they do.)

I love them because they are REAL!

Each one of them talks about real life... Whether it's love, babies, or an event that really happened.

I can always relate to them and gain insight on some situations in my life by hearing their thoughts and feelings.

Having even one person gain something from you is priceless!

 

So thank you to these ladies for inspiring me!

 

I hope that some of you become inspired by me as I develop this blog...

The Story of Us- Part 1...

In order to tell you the story of how we met and became the US we are today, I have to go all the way back to somewhere around the year 2000. No one is for sure when or where exactly we met but we both attended the same school and had to have crossed paths around this time. Maybe even before...

Senior Pic 2001

 

In 2000, I was a 7th grade girl suckered into keeping stats for the high school baseball team by my uncle. I secretly loved doing it though as what Junior High girl wouldn't love hanging out with high school boys!? Kyle was a Junior in high school playing for the varsity team and getting coached by my uncle and dad. Throughout Kyle's junior and senior years I rode the bus with the boys and attended all of their games. I can't remember talking to Kyle specifically but I knew who he was...

7th grade

Now I know what you're thinking about the age difference, a 7th grade girl and a Junior in High School? But we are actually only 3 years apart in age as Kyle was ahead in school and we never had real interactions until years later...

 

Fast forward about 4 years.

 

I was still a baseball manager for the high school baseball team and getting ready to graduate.

 

Senior Pic 2005

 

Kyle was living up the college life in Emporia, which just happened to be the same town where my older sister Jen was attending school. And "The Dugout" where Jen bartended, just happened to be Kyle's favorite bar. Hmm...

 

 

 

All three sisters at The Dugout during a visit to see Jen 2005

 

 

 

I would come up to visit Jen in Emporia quite a bit and started going down to the Dugout my senior year of high school. I would spend nights just sitting at the bar while Jen worked and a guy named Kyle Bentley, who had attended my high school, would always come chat me up.

 

I had a serious boyfriend in high school but would always welcome the attention I got from Kyle. He was always so nice and never acted like a creepy older guy preying on a high school girl. (Definitely encountered some of them at Emporia.)  

 

On my 18th birthday my sister brought me down to Emporia and took me out dancing. The only person to go with us to the club and spend all night following us around...Yep you guessed it, was Kyle...

Jen and her favorite boys at The Dugout

From left: Larry (My future brother-in-law who married my oldest sister Niki, my sister Jen, Kyle, and JRand (Best man at our wedding and still one of our closest friends)

At this point Kyle had made a drunken admission one night in Emporia that he liked me but I chalked it up to alcohol. We both were in relationships and I was getting ready to head to Barton County Community College on a dance scholarship. I laughed at him and blew him off... Little did I know...

 

Let Them Be Little...

Any other mommas have those days?

 

The ones where you look at your little one and just want start to cry...

 

 

 

It happens more often than not here. It's so easy to be overcome by the love I have for my son. The love of a new momma still feeling so surreal that she brought this little human into the world.

 

Everytime he smiles my heart just melts and I am overcome with love and pride that he is mine...

 

 

the first picture of his smile I was able to capture

 

 

Last night we upgraded Camden to Size 2 nipples on his bottles and he wore his first Size 2 diaper. Sheesh... can my 7 lb. baby boy really have doubled in weight already? I'm not ready for him to get big... and be mobile... and start talking in actual words... Because all of that means that he'll be that much closer to not being my baby boy anymore.

 

 

His cute little chubby legs around 6 weeks old...

 

 

Is it crazy I'm having these thoughts when he's only 3 months old? Lord help me...

 

I bought a book tonight I've had my eye on for awhile called "If I Could Keep You Little..."

 

 

 

I loved it and have already read it to Camden.

 

"If I could keep you little, I'd keep you close to me. But then I'd miss you growing into who you're meant to be!"

 

 

Looking adorable after his bath last night

 

 

On another note, I'm jumping in headfirst. I have so many ideas swimming around in my head and I can't wait to make them come to life. I'm overwhelmed and scared it won't go anywhere but right now I don't have anything to lose. It couldn't be more perfect timing for it. Big things are coming folks!

Baby Faves- 3 Months

 

Boogie Wipes- The last week or so Camden and I have both had runny noses and congestion. These wipes contain saline and don't irritate Cam's nose when I have to wipe it multiple times a day. I've been carrying them with me at all times and they fit perfectly in my purse.

 

Carters sleepers- I can't say enough about Carters clothes, they just seem to be made for Camden's body! He is long and skinny and Carters seems to fit him almost perfectly. He wears a sleeper almost every night and stays so cozy in them. I think we're going to be upgrading to the 3-6 month size soon though because he is about to hulk out of his 0-3 month ones.

 

Graco Nasal Aspirator- I broke down and spent the $20 on this last week as Camden sounded horrible with all the congestion in his nose. I know some people swear by the one from the hospital but it didn't work well at all for us. This baby has been a huge help with clearing out Camden's nose and he sits perfectly still while we do it. It also has around 12 tunes on it that you can play while sucking out all those nasties!

 

Carters 3-piece Sweatsuits- Again with the Carters but I just can't get enough! With it getting chillier in Kansas during the fall Camden has been living in these when we go out. We can always take off the hoodie if he gets too warm and they are so soft! My mom just bought him the exact one in the picture in a 6 month size and I can't wait to see how cute he looks in it!

 

Chicco Travel System- I stumbled across a great deal on this Chicco travel system and I'm so glad I did! The quality is great and the whole thing is so convenient. The stroller is very easy to use and moves very smoothly. We've taken it to many craft shows this fall and Camden loved to be pushed around in it.

Infantino Activity Gym- The first few times we laid Camden on the playmat he would cry and act extremely overwhelmed but now he loves to lay under it. He has just gotten to the point where he grabs at the toys a little bit and kicks them with his feet. It wasn't something we needed right off the bat when he was born but has been a great investment now.

Bumbo- Camden loves to sit up but of course can't do it on his own yet. I refused to spend $40 on one of these seats and we found a brand new one on Craigslist for $20! Talk about a deal! He loves it already and has a little more independence to sit on his own and build his muscles.

Camden- 3 Months

I can't believe my little man is 3 months old! I'm sure I will say this every single month but it's true! Time flies by way too fast with a little one. They grow and change so much in so little time.

 

Tummy time with Daddy tonight

 

 

He is getting ready to transition into size 2 diapers within the next few days and he is still wearing 0-3 month clothes. Every other brand of clothes besides Carters is wide around his body but almost getting too short. He will probably be moving up to 6 month sleepers at any time.

We did our stats at home this month since his next appointment isn't until 4 months. Hopefully they are close!

Weight: 14 lbs. (or more)- 46%
Height: 24.5"- 65.5%
Head Circumference: 42 centimeters- 90.3%

This little guy has one big head but that's ok because he's still the most adorable baby!



What's New

This month Camden has been talking so much more and becoming extremely animated. He yells for us instead of crying when he first wakes up or wants our attention. He has also started giggling alot in the last few days and likes to sit up rather than lay down. He has officially discovered his hands and likes to suck on them, very loudly! His drooling has increased dramatically and he is putting anything and everything in his mouth. He is also learning how to grip things and pulls his blanket, shirt, and washcloths up to his face. We've started doing more tummy time and he is able to hold his head up now but no rolling over! He loves to sit up and look around at everything. He seems to take in everything everywhere we go!


Eat

We have been using Enfamil Gentlease a little over a month and have been doing better with it. It seemed that Camden was less fussy when we switched to it and he is able to emit lots of gas. We continue to use Dr. Brown's bottles and are giving him around 4-5 oz. every 3-4 hours. He has started to cry and get upset as soon as he is done eating. He hasn't done that since he was eating 2 oz. and he had to move up to 3 oz. so we have started stocking up on 8 oz. bottles to make the official move to 5 oz.


Sleep

We are so SO lucky that this child was born into our family! He is a wonderful sleeper and has been pretty much since birth. We are still working on establishing a routine but right now I'm still letting him call the shots. He usually naps 2-3 times a day but usually only has one longer nap between 1-2 hours. He goes to bed between 8-10 pm each night and usually doesn't wake up until between 5:30- 7 am. We very rarely have him wake us up before 5 and occasionally he will sleep until 8. After he wakes up in the morning he will usually go right back to sleep for another couple of hours and wake up for the day around 9 am. He fits perfectly into our family because neither of us are morning people and I (as everyone knows) love my sleep! He hasn't been waking us by crying much anymore, he usually sits in his monkey and coos or yells until we wake up. Sometimes he will wake up super early and all it takes is popping the pacifier back in and he is right back out.


His Favorites

Paci, sitting up, watching TV, being held while standing and moving, riding in the car, smiling, snuggling with mom and dad, bathtime


Dislikes

Car not moving, sitting in his car seat too long, tummy time, hiccups, waiting for a bottle once his bib is on, hats, lotion, fighting sleep, showers

Some of my favorite pics from the month

Sitting in his new Bumbo

                             

First trip to the Oak Park mall- 11/14/13

                               

First time grabbing his keys on his own, snoozing with mommy- 11/14/13

Story time with mommy before the KU game- 11/12/13

Cousin Cooper's 3rd Birthday Party

Being good at IHOP

 

 

 

Cutest little minion

Reading his Halloween card from Memaw and Papaw

Holding mommy's hand during drive back from Branson

To my little man-

You have been the greatest blessing to me and your daddy! We continually look at you in awe that you are really here and WE created you! You have filled a space in my heart I never knew was there and continue to amaze me everyday! Words can't describe the joy I feel when you look at me and smile... or turn your head to hear me talk... or when someone in a store comments on how much he loves his mommy... You put me over the moon and I feel so proud that I had a part (ok a HUGE part) in creating you. Watching you stare at your daddy and cuddle on his chest absolutely melts my heart. You adore him and can't wait for him to get home from work each day. You already show a stubbornness about you and a lack of patience that reminds me of myself. Everyone says you look like your daddy, and I completely agree. You have his ears which I always tease him about and his chin. But when you smile I have to disagree, I see me and that is the coolest thing! I can't forget that you totally have become a Papaw's boy as you can't get enough of him and love when he takes you on "runs" around the house or condo in Branson. I cannot wait to see how you change and grow and who you will become as a person. On second thought, I can wait... Don't grow up too fast little boy...

Love,
      Mommy