what is it about a new vacuum....

or other cleaning tool to get me in the mood for cleaning.  I was a cleaning machine today.  I moved the huge couch and vacuumed under that.  OMG!  I need to do that more often.  It was disgusting!  I took the cushions off and vacuumed the entire couch out as well.  yuck!  I used the upholstery attachement and vacuumed off the couch.  I used the crevice tool and went around the baseboards in every room.  I shampooed the carpets and couch as well.  Then I vacuumed the stairs (which weren't bad because I just did them last week) and then moved everything upstairs and vacuumed the kids rooms and hallway as well.  I filled an entire vacuum bag already. 

I know you are not supposed to, but I emptied the bag out and put it back in.  You are supposed to just throw the bag away when it gets full but I am going to try to get a couple uses out of each bag if possible.  Might not always be possible and bags are cheap enough but if it works this time I just might try it.  The bags are small enough that I can just shake them out.  The amount of pet hair in the bag was astounding.  Yuck.  I had just used the old vacuum last night too so I am thinking that thing was not sucking stuff up very well or the pets are just shedding like crazy (or possibly because I hadn't vacuumed under the couch in awhile and that is what filled the bag up so much.  IDK but gross!)

The house feels so much cleaner now.  I still have to clean my room yet but the rest of the house is clean. 

Spent too much money over the last week

but it was all cash or debit...no credit card usage at all!

Tonight was hopefully the last of my spending for awhile.  I ended up buying a new vacuum.  I am sick and tired of the one I have not cleaning properly.  I am pretty sure it is just because it needs a new filter.  However, a new filter for this dang thing is $20!  With 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 kids, 2 adults, a gravel driveway and carpet in every room except 2 (bathroom and downstairs bedroom are linoleum and hardwood, respectively), a vacuum cleaner gets a workout in this house.  I religiously clean the filter after every use but I still end up replacing it every 3-4 months.  Sometimes I can go 6 months but not usually.  At $20 a filter, it gets expensive.  Before I bought the bagless vacuum, I had a bagged vacuum that I loved.  That thing was awesome!  I had it for 5 years or so.  I replaced it because the handle was broke.  It was still working but was annoying to have to adjust the handle all the time and forget trying to take it upstairs.  That was a nightmare ordeal.  The handle would pull right off.  The screw was stripped out and wouldn't hold the handle on.  I got tired of it and replaced it.  I didn't check the price of filters before replacing it and now wished I would have.  I learned a valuable lesson.  So today I replaced the bagless with a bagged vacuum.  Pretty much the same one I had before.  Bags are just under $3 for 3.  Previously I only had to change bags once a month or so.  Even if I have to replace them more often it will still be cheaper than buying filters for the bagless.  The new vacuum was $39.  I haven't been able to use it yet as the kids are asleep but that is on the agenda for the morning.  Can't wait!

I have a couple more things to do yet before Christmas but for the most part we are done with Christmas shopping.  No more gifts to buy other than a gift card.  What I need for my father in law's gift basket I can get at the grocery store.  I can order the gift card I want to get for my dad online so no trips to the store there.  I was originally done with my dad's gifts but he gave use $300 toward our new tv so I felt that I should give him something more for Christmas.  It will be nowhere near what he gave to us but he has stated many times that he knows we cannot afford to do that so I shouldn't worry about it.  I do though.

the madness (and deals) that is Black Friday

I got into a minor scuffle at Walmart but Dad and I had fun though. I got into a shoving match with this incredible rude and pushy lady. Dad and I got to Walmart about 3:30. We looked at the other tvs and Hubby and I had a contingency plan in place. We had discussed other TVs the night before and checked stock online of the ones we were interested in.  I would have been #2 in line for the Sony TV but they only had 5 of the stands that we wanted. We liked an RCA tv that was a bit cheaper and same size so I decided to get the RCA (no waiting!!!) and wait by the stands until the sale started. Dad was after a tom tom for mom so I didn't want to ask him to wait for me. So I told mom which TV I wanted and she had someone get it out and on a cart for me and had them take it upfront so when we were ready to checkout it was there. (my mom works at the Walmart we were shopping at.

I got over to the TV stands just before 4 am and was alone until 4:30 when another guy joined me by the stands and then a younger guy and an older woman a short time after that. There were 5 stands and 4 of us. They all agreed that I was there first and waitng so long I should get the first one. Then at 1 minute to 5 this lady comes over and SHOVES me out of the way and then rams me with her cart. I shoved her back and rammed her with my cart and said look I have been waiting here I am getting one first. There are 5 of us and 5 stands no need to shove me. Then it was 5 and the older guy helped me get one in my cart and then he got one all the while this lady is shoving and ramming the 4 of us with her cart. I gave her one really good push with my cart and yelled wait your goddamned turn (insert a not nice name here). Then I put my knee on the other boxes while I helped the lady that had been waiting with me. Meanwhile this rude lady is trying to steal the stand from my cart so this young guy that had been waiting with us grabs ahold of my cart while the older guy and I put one in the younger guys cart. HA! teach her to mess with me. The reason the stand was such a big deal is because it is over $100 off the regular price.  Yeah.....normal price was $199 and this was $89.  Not worth fighting over really but worth it enough for me to get up early and make sure I got one!

I had already got the boots ($7 and I NEED winter boots.  I haven't had a pair since middle school!) I wanted before the sale started and on my way to wait for the TV stand. One of the pallets was unwrapped and my size was right on top so I grabbed them quick before I went to wait by the stands. Then after I got the stand I walked up front, grabbed mom's picture frames ($13 for a $13 piece set) she wanted and then called dad. He got what he wanted and we were out of Walmart by 5:15.

Then it was sears (I didn't go into that one with him) then here and we set up the TV. I went to our local usually overpriced (but suprising they were not this time) store and got the HDMI cables and brought them back to hubby. 

Then Dad, the girls and I went to the big Sears. I gave the girls some change to donate to the Salvation Army Bell ringers.  K thought that was neat and O wanted to keep the money but eventually she did drop it in the kettle after a little prodding from my dad.  I got my blanket and sheets (that I had wanted but wasn't something I was going to get to Sears that early for...$20 comforter and $10 sheet set).  I didn't get the color of blanket I wanted but it's ok.  I just wanted one and the sheets are not something I would have paid full price for (the pattern is flowers and not my thing but after I got them on my bed I do like them and we needed sheets badly!).

Then to Farm and Fleet for something dad wanted and I grabbed a couple good deals (a toy for our niece, a GOOD, working manual can opener-which is a rant that I need to type up soon!, super cheap bags of popcorn for our popcorn machine and some seasonal candies).

My oldest was such a sweetheart in that store.  She had gotten $20 in birthday money from various relatives on my hubby's side.  She wanted to spend the money on a toy for herself and said that she "couldn't spend all of the money on myself.  Livy needs a new toy too and I want to buy her one." awwwww how sweet is that from an almost 4 year old!?!?!  She wanted to get her sister a present too!  K can be such a little pistol sometimes but she really does have a great heart!  and she did that all with NO prompting from me!  She ended up getting herself a Polly Pocket play set and a disney princess activity book (I let her pick out whatever she wanted and just read the price to her and told her how much she would have left).  They she led the way to the toy aisle that her sister could get something from and picked out 4 things and then she said O could pick one of those 4. O picked a baby doll that was $4.  It turned out that K spent $2 more than her birthday money but I really didn't care.  I was just so happy that she was so nice to her sister.  K has been asking for a Precious Places Swan Palace for an eternity and they had a bunch of them on the shelf.  I told K she could get one of them and she said "no momma they are too much money.  If I buy one I can't get sissy a present too."  I had told her I would chip in some money if she wanted the palace but nope she wanted to get her sister a present and that was more important that getting that palace she has been asking for.  It totally melted my heart to see my daughter being so generous!

Then it was lunch and I came home to a cleaned up house (go Hubby!) and a very happy hubby who was loving his new TV.  That made all the craziness of Walmart disappear.  It was worth it to see him so happy!

So all in all I had a great day with only 5 hours of sleep.  I have to work tommorrow so I am off to bed now.  Hope everyone that ventured out had a great day and got the deals they wanted!

and the worrying is becoming less

I was told today that I have a pretty good chance of keeping my job after christmas.  That made me smile.  I like my employer and I like my job.  I like working part time and I like my hourly wage. 

so my youngest asked for

an electronic drum set today.  While we were at Kmart we were perusing the toy section and of all the things on the shelf that particular item caught her eye.  I handed it to her and she played with it for a few minutes.  She said "I have that for kitmas? I tell ho ho?".  So Ho Ho (aka Santa Claus) will be getting Miss O the $15 electronic drum set from Kmart.  O has not asked for one thing yet for Christmas until today. 


Tonight I took a bit of alone time and went to Dollar tree.  They have some nice stiff cardboard book 2 packs for $1.  I got the girls some for stocking stuffers.  I didn't get too much there.  I also went to Walmart to get the rest of K's birthday present, a couple movies.  While I was there I looked at the bath sets because I like to pick them up on the after Christmas sale.  Wow there are some NICE sets this year.  I am hoping that they have a bunch left.  I have some pretty good ideas for Birthday gifts for neices and our nephew for next year as well as some gifts for my kids. 

started the Christmas "chores"

I started the chore of wrapping presents today.  It is my least favorite part of Christmas.  I realized I have gotten very little presents for my mom.  She is such a hard person to buy for.  I think I am just going to get her a gift card.  I have no clue what else to get her!

I was able to get the deep fryer I wanted for my brother.  I was upset at first because they didn't have any but as we were walking around the store I found an endcap with a bunch of them on it.  SCORE!  He will be pleased!


UPDATE

I finished wrapping everything that I have already bought.  Whew.  It took FOREVER!  Got meatloaf in the oven for me and the kids and chili in the crockpot for hubby.  I didn't get any housework done but at least the big Christmas chore is done.  Next weekend we will put up the Christmas tree and decorate it.  After dinner I will get the house in order....maybe.  Maybe I will just relax :)

While the man's away doing his manly thing.....

Opening day of the 9 day gun deer season is today so my hubby is out with his brothers, uncle and dad doing "the man thing".  So far this morning I haven't done much.  I perused some more black friday ads here, reorganized the ground beef section of the freezer and made breakfast for the kids. 

I reorganized the ground beef section because our local store has it on sale again.  I have been trying to keep the section almost full.  I have been leaving room for 5 lbs in case I run into a deal at walmart again on the tubed ground beef which I use for jerky since it is too fatty IMO for burgers or casseroles but if I can get it for $1/lb it is perfect for homemade jerky.  I bought one 3 lb pack of the sale meat from our local store knowing that I could fit it in the freezer.  I have room for 1 more 3 lb pack but I just might skip it.  It is not like we need it and the sale runs for 2 weeks this time. 

That is one thing I really like about this local store.  It runs 2 week ads around holidays.  It is nice because I can plan out what I need and get it one week and then not have to worry about it the 2nd week.  Less OOP money for groceries that 2nd week. 

We are so close to being debt free (besides the mortgage).  I am so proud of us.

I was going to wait to give our sitter her bonus but I couldn't.  She is having a ton of family over for Thanksgiving so I gave her the $100 bonus we have been saving for on Friday so she could use it for Thanksgiving or whatever.  I printed up a note and found a few poems online and printed them out.  I put everything in an envelope and wrapped the $100 bill up so she couldn't tell what it was.  She cried when she opened it.  She said we were too generous.  I feel like she totally deserves it though.  She has gone through so much with us this year from Hubby's layoff, to my department switch, hours being switched, last minute early start days, last minute work days, last minute days off, calling her for an emergency and having her watch K while I was in the ER with O, and never knowing if I am working 8 hours a day or 4 or 6 or however many.  Even some days where I have dropped the kids off and been back to pick them up 15 minutes later because they sent me home.  Yeah...she deals with a lot.  We pay her hourly so if I don't work, she doesn't watch the kids and doesn't get paid.  It is only fair that I give her some sort of compensation for her trouble. 

Later on, when the dense fog lifts, the kids and I are heading to Kmart.  My brother asked for a deep fryer for Christmas and they have the one I like for him cheaper than Walmart and I get a discount through my employer.  I only have a few things left to do for Christmas (a couple items on  Black Friday for the kids, making FILs jerky and gift basket, wrapping what we have already, getting something for our nephew, etc.)

Thanksgiving day (since we will be at the inlaws already and they are just a few miles from Kmart and their house is small and I will want to run away after spending an hour there with my BIL and all the kids and the rest of that side of the family except hubby's parents) I am going to Kmart for the fisher price toy deal.  B1G1F.  Perfect gifts for my little 6 month old neice. I plan on getting 4 toys total.  2 for Christmas and 2 for her Birthday.

do you "do" black friday?

This year there is really nothing that I need. Hubby and I are in want of a new TV.  The sound is starting to go on ours.  While it isn't a necessity as we do have a 19 inch tv we could use in a pinch, we are hopefully going to get a deal on an LCD TV.  It is what hubby really wants.  He wants a minimum of a 40 inch but that requires a new entertainment center as well so we'll see.  We do have the money saved for a new TV but I wasn't planning on getting one that big and I didn't save for the additional expense of a new entertainment center.  Fortunately my parents never know what to get us for Christmas and usually end up giving us cash, gift cards and socks.  So this year they are going to get us an early present of an entertainment center for our new TV.  This came about after I told hubby we couldn't get the 40 inch because I didn't budget for a new entertainment center.  HA!  So he thinks we are getting a 32 inch.  Won't he be surprised.  No worries, he doesn't read my blog so he won't even know. 

The last couple of years Black Friday has been something my dad and I have done together.  We meet at his house about 3:30 AM.  We get a drink and get our game plan paper.  We figure out our game plan on Thanksgiving.  Well, I usually have mine done well ahead of time but he waits until Thanksgiving.  We write everything down and then come Friday we are ready.  Last year was great.  He waited in line for his new TV.  I got my things and we were out of Walmart by quarter after 5.  We went to JCP and Sears then and headed home.  I got home just in time for the kids to wake up.  Hubby got up and wenting hunting and the girls and I went to a couple other stores where there were things I wanted but nothing that was necessary.  It worked out really well. 

Last year Black Friday was also when we met our dog.  I had got some towels from Walmart that were on sale and donated our old ones to the animal shelter.  While we were there, K and Sheena fell in love with each other at first sight and now Sheena is a part of our family.  This year there will be no trip to the animal shelter because Hubby promised K she could get a kitten in the spring because one of our cats died this fall.  I have a feeling if we go to the animal shelter K will fall in love with another animal and our family will grow yet again. 

I am fortunate enough to have Black friday off this year.  I had it off last year too.  I wasn't supposed to get off 2 years in a row but I switched departments and requested it off and got it.  I could just go before work.  I would still make it to work on time but I would rather have the entire day off.  This year in my department of 60 people only 3 took it off so pretty good odds that I can try again next year. 

I sign up for every Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas so really it is not a huge deal IMO. Most people want the Saturdays off and I only want that ONE Friday off. 

Finally starting to feel normal again

We have all been sick.  My energy level is starting to come back.  I am a pretty high energy individual normally but the last couple of weeks with being sick I was napping, going to bed early, and doing the basics around the house.  I was only doing what had to be done.  We ate carryout way too much from delis, subway, mcdonalds.  We had frozen pizzas and some nights just mac n cheese and hot dogs with a side of canned fruit.  I could not get my mind around cooking.  I didn't have the energy to deal with it.  It sucked.  We spent way too much money on food.  We blew our budget completely but I didn't even care. 

I am starting to feel a lot better and more like my old self...just in time too.  I have one more weekend off and then starts the Christmas rush at work.  An excellent time to make some big money and I intend to take advantage of that.  During that time the housework will fall behind but it is only 4 weeks.  We will manage.  I will be working 5-6 days a week...preferrably only 5...but doing 9-10 hour days except Saturdays which will be 4-8 hours...usually about 6 hours. Hubby will pick up the slack, I'm sure, but he is not as good about what defines clean but that's ok.  I won't complain. 

We currently have $900 in personal debt (my car and some on Hubby's credit car) and then our only debt will be the mortgage.  I intend to pay this $900 by the end of the year.  I want to start 2010 with no personal debt.  It will be an excellent way to start a new year! 

Tonight I am actually making a good dinner and I have dinner in the fridge for the crockpot for tommorrow night.  I have an appointment after work so I will be home late.  Hubby can make a side when he gets home and they can eat as I put the bowl in the crockpot and start it just before I leave for work tommorrow.  BBQ ribs.  Yum!

sorry for lack of posting..

we are still alive..just sick.  Will return to regular posting once we all recover.

is it just me or

Have your grocery ads been lacking too? 

It seems around here the grocery store sales have been a little dull lately.  It is nice for me because I can concentrate on using up our stash but on the other hand there are some things we are getting low on.  I could really use some pie crusts, cool whip, and soda.

It has been nice though because we are surprising slow at work.  I am off the next two days because we are so slow.  It is fine by me other than it adds another week or two of payments to my car.  I am paid ahead so it is not like I am going to get behind because of the lack of income but it also means I have less to spend on groceries.  Thankfully Christmas shopping is done for the most part.  I still need to get FIL's gift (making jerky and he wants a big clippers for the yard) and something for our nephew.  I have no clue what to get our nephew.  We don't go to their house ever and his mom doesn't usually like the clothes I get so I got him a personalized bath towel so far...that's it.  I am not sure why his mom doesn't like my taste in clothes.  I am a very simple clothes person as you can probably tell from the pics of my dig n save finds.  I don't go for all out wild clothes...more subtle, classic items that don't go out of style quickly.  I have always gotten their kids NEW gifts from Old Navy, JCP or childrens place.  So IDK.  I don't give used items to people unless I specifically ask (like my brother-who doesn't mind because he likes everything I get him and he knows I carefully check any used items I would get for him).  My girls on the other hand will get gently used items as gifts.  Maybe when they are older I will change but IDK.

I wish it wasn't so cold out here.  I would love to go out in the yard and clip some more but it is too cold for the girls to be outside.

I have to go out later today and get my tires rotated.  Fortunately, I don't drive a whole lot so I do not need to buy new tires this year.  I take that back, I drive...alot...but it is mostly in town so my tires don't get a lot of wear.  It isn't great for my car, all those short trips but it's not like I can walk the kids the mile to the sitters and then the mile and a half from the sitters to work every morning.  I would have to get up so early and get the kids up early and quite honestly...I am too lazy for that...especially in the winter. 

We have been discussing what our plans our for next year.  We need new doors and we are going to need a new furnace soon.  We are debating the merits of just saving our cash and waiting for it to die or replacing it in the spring.  I am for replacing it and not having to worry but hubby is more toward playing the waiting game.  If we didn't have two young kids I would be more on board with the waiting game but with the kids I don't think waiting is a good idea.  He sees my point so unless the furnace dies this winter we will most likely be replacing it in the spring or summer.  We have been wanting to re-side our house for the 6 1/2 years we have lived here but every year we have had more pressing issues; one year we did half the roof, the next year we did the other half (our roof is in two sections-the part over the main part of the house and then the part of the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom), we had to put ductwork upstairs and get central air (upstairs got so hot in the summer and got in the winter without it and we couldn't have the kids up there without some sort of climate control), we had to do a new deck because the floor in our old one was bad, Then we had the flooding and layoffs and there was no extra money for a project.  This coming year will be the furnace and hopefully the doors and then hopefully in year 8 of living in this house we will finally be able to re-side!