Smart Shopping

The past few weeks have been very busy. We had a great time celebrating Desmond's birthday with some of our Kohns family who came into town. Desmond especially enjoyed his first cupcake.



A couple days later we headed up to Michigan for the annual Kohns family reunion. We made a pit stop in Detroit to catch a Tigers game. Words of wisdom: Sure, buying tickets online will cost a little extra given fees and taxes that come with online shopping. However, there is a perk you cannot overlook: you are guaranteed a seat. Keyana will forever remember this Tigers game as the one where we walked for miles. And moved from seat to seat. Despite the craziness, the game was a lot of fun and the Tigers won!

So, now that I have given you one shopping tip, how about another? I am by no means a coupon fanatic like some people I know. However, I believe in pinching pennies any way I can. This includes taking at least an hour or two each week to clip coupons. Many stores (in my case, Kroger) will double or triple coupons. This can definitely help you save lots on your grocery bill each week. Also, some stores (Kroger again) have online sites where you can download coupons straight to your shopper's card, so there is no printing or clipping involved! You can also "stack" coupons in this way. If you have a coupon for a certain product downloaded to your card, you can also use a paper coupon for the same product. Double savings!!

My last tip is something I have recently started doing. Take the time at the beginning of each week to make a dinner schedule. This has really helped our family. Instead of buying everything in sight at the store, you only buy the things you need for each meal. This has definitely helped save us money each week (no more produce/meat/dairy going bad because it isn't used for a meal), not to mention I never have to worry about what to make for dinner at 5 o'clock. It's already planned out.

Here's to hoping these tips make life a little easier...and cheaper!

Where does the time go?

At 24 weeks of pregnancy, I began to go into labor. My doctor wasn't super concerned at first, only telling me to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as possible. A couple weeks later, I went in for an ultrasound. The nurse left the room to get another nurse. When they returned, I asked them what was wrong. They just smiled and said the doctor would come to speak with me.

With Shane half a country away for work, it was discovered that my body was silently laboring and my baby was in danger of being born nearly 15 weeks early. There was a lot of rushing around. I was hooked up to monitors, given shots to stop my labor and another shot to help mature the baby's lungs. I was put on bedrest. My doctor was hoping I would stay pregnant until June.

The next three months were scary and long. My wonderful husband came home from work every day and made us dinner, washed the dishes, switched out laundry, and anything else that required me lifting more than a couple pounds or bending. I was in and out of the hospital 10 times.

Against all odds, one year ago today I gave birth to my sweet boy Desmond, who weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce.

The last year has flown by. We have adjusted to being a family of four. Keyana loves her baby brother, even though he tends to steal her toys and drive her crazy. I have felt so much more confident the second time around, and I am proud of my kids and what I have accomplished this far as a mother. I couldn't imagine my life without these two precious, amazing little people.

So today, I wish you all a happy 4th. And to my beautiful baby boy, happy birthday. Getting you into this world was scary, trying, and sometimes more than I thought I could ever handle. But in the end, you were more than worth it. I'm so thankful to have you in my life.