Some couponing and some discipline

Trying to get back into the routine of things around here, but still working more hours at work which doesn't help me get things on track at home! Also doesn't help with this cold and rainy weather, all I want to do is curl up under and blanket in front of the fire and watch TV all night.

Getting through all of the birthdays this month, we celebrated with Mimi & Grampie on Monday night and will celebrate Trevor's entrance into the teen world on Friday. Although we will be celebrating very low key as he will be taking his SAT on Saturday, so it will definitely be an early to bed night for him! He does not do well when he doesn't get enough sleep! So I think we will have a little party with friends next weekend.

Been doing a little catching up with my coupon shopping, didn't do as much during the holidays and I missed it! Although I loved shopping out of my cabinets all month and not needing to run out to get whatever we ran out of. My stockpiling has paid off, although my husband is convinced we have enough cereal and peanut butter to last a life time! (we don't!).

I went to Safeway tonight to pick up a few things . . . I got all of this for $14.63 + a $3.50 catalina for my next purchase. I was happy!


Even though that was a great deal, it was not near as good as my CVS trip a few weeks ago, I paid about $2.50 for 6 cans of Oust and a package of cookies (Daryl picked those out), which is a really good deal, but on top of that I got back $18.00 (yes, that is eighteen dollars) in ECB (Extra Care Bucks) to use on my next shopping trip, which I used a few days later.


Trying to be very strict with what I am buying now, since I do have so much, I'm sticking to my lowest prices on items that I don't need now, makes it a little bit more challenging but I'll end up with greater savings in the end.

I think that I've finally decided on my word for 2010 - I've debated between Discipline and Balance. I don't like the word discipline, it seems like a negative word, a word I don't want to think about for an entire year, yet it is the word that keeps coming to the front of my brain, I keep trying to replace it with a nicer word, but it just doesn't feel right, so discipline it is. And I figure with a little bit of discipline maybe I'll find some balance?? I'm hoping anyway. There are so many areas in my life that can use a bit of discipline . . .

*what I eat and what I feed my family, committing to planning and fixing healthy meals for us
*exercise . . . enough said about that
*how much time I spend on the computer or iPhone, reading blogs mostly, and mostly coupon or scrapbooking related, but still, time can get away so quickly
*to use my camera more and to be better about my Project 365 photos (it's no fun going backwards to try and fill up a week I've slacked off)
*writing a daily to-do list, and actually looking at it everyday
*documenting more stories of our life, making creative time every week
*a reasonable bed time - I hate going to bed and I hate even more getting up in the morning, but it is a little easier when I've gotten enough sleep

These are just a few things . . . I'm trying to be more in tune with what I am doing and how I am spending my time so that I can begin to get a better, more disciplined routine in place. I know it helps me to keep on tract and it helps the kids too, especially when they don't have a grumpy mom who is trying to get things done last minute or on a deadline.