Helping Daddy with the Blackberries

Here are some pictures Mark took of Wyatt on Saturday while he was helping him post the blackberries. Fresh Cobbler anyone?

Organizing

Apparently, this week is all about life on the homefront, and my attempt to balance motherhood, new home ownership and the family finances with a full time job. In two weeks, I will have five days off before our long weekend at the beach (it just so happens that the Grandparents are traveling cross-country the very same week that Wyatt's daycare is closed) so, I am using the time I will have at home to make my home a bit more functional- and get some good play time in with my sweet son!

Here is a very boring list of what I am planning to accomplish: (I know you don't care, but I have to have this to refer back to, as I hate having paper littering my house)

• Hallway Closet: Organize gifts bags, wrapping paper and tissue so it is not falling on our heads every time we reach for the vacuum cleaner. Need Rubbermaid Container.
• Pantry- Pack up 4 ounce bottles and level 1-3 nipples, get rid of the 1,791 coozies. (C'mon Mark... do we REALLY need another coozie for you to remember that last turkey/deer/squirrel hunt??) Reorganize Wyatt's snacks and sippy cups
• Wyatt's Room- Store all clothes that don't fit that are still lingering in drawers and closet. If I come across one more 3-month onesie, I am going to scream. Need a bookshelf/storage space for toys and more rubbermaid containers for clothes. Also, search for pack n play- I know it is in that house somewhere, and we really need it for the beach. Also, need to return Ava's jumper and Moms On Call Book. (Lori, I am SO sorry we still have that!!)
• Master Closet- I don't even know where to begin. I have already cleaned it out once this year, and it still makes me stressed every time I walk into it. Yikes.

We will see how much I get done! I will be back with before and after photos :)

Saving Money

This month we have had some additional expenses come up, and with the beach trip looming ahead, I am on a mission to save money wherever possible.

Mark and I had completely forgotten that May is the dreaded car tag registration month (I know, I know... we should have been saving for this all along) so with another $200 going out, It was a good thing I picked up an extra week of call this month. Plus, our natural gas bill was outrageous with the cold weather we had in March...so needless to say, our groceries are being cut down to the bare minimum. We are eating deer meat and fish every night this month in order to avoid having to buy meat, I have bundled our cable/internet/phone service and signed up for budget billing with the power company in order to try and save some money on utilities.

Thank goodness my mom is taking me shopping for Mother's Day! My wardrobe is so sad this Spring... there is just not much that fits the same anymore, even though I am pretty close to the same weight as I was pre-baby... there just isn't anything left over to buy new clothes these days, so I am really looking forward to Saturday!

Also, I am SUPER thrilled that we are getting a Publix in Calera. They started construction last week, so I am reading up on all those coupon matching blogs and learning how I can take advantage of the B1G1 and become a member of Club Pub. Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Getting Organized

I have noticed lately that our house has been more than chaotic- partly because the floors have taken over a month and it has really disrupted my cleaning routine, partly because I have had to take care of Wyatt on my own (and keep him out of the construction zone) for the majority of the weekends as Mark has been working on the floors and partly because I just can't seem to stay focused and I am so exhausted that making a grocery list and organizing my coupons seems near impossible.

As I mentioned to a friend the other day, I feel like I am doing a million different things and not one of them am I doing well. I am spinning in so many directions, I just can't seem to get focused on managing our household. I just feel so overwhelmed in that aspect. Even in the past week, as I have added an exercise routine to my already jam-packed schedule, I am feeling even more disorganized. Seriously, I haven't cooked a decent meal in ages- tacos and hotdogs just simply cannot be our staples.

Well, those days are over- I am here to tell you. Although this weekend I have both Easter and a baby shower, I will also be deep-cleaning my house, stockpiling, couponing, shopping and resting (if I have time)

I am serious about learning anything I can do to stay more organized on the home-front. I have downloaded some free meal planning and grocery shopping charts, and I am starting revamp my recipe lists for some quick, healthy meals. We have a freezer full of deer meat, so I am hoping that we can tighten our budget a little and eat off of that instead of buying so much meat at the grocery store. Any recipes you have that use ground beef or steak would be greatly appreciated, as would any organization or time-saving tips- I am counting on all of my mom readers out there!