Grocery Store... and List!

When John was still an infant I use to DREAD going to the grocery store. One time he started screaming in the middle of the trip, and it just traumatized me! I was kinda surprised how quickly I grabbed the rest of the groceries on my list and got me and my screaming baby out of there!

At about 5 months John out grew his infant carrier, but couldn't sit up unsupported. This was a problem because I couldn't carry in his new car seat for him to sit it. For a while I would take in the Bobby and put that behind him.

He is getting the hang of it and, in addition to being a bigger much happier baby, our trips to the grocery store are a lot of fun! He still can't balance well in the seat, but I'm right there to prop him back up.... it's funny how he can basically crawl, but doesn't want to sit up on his own.... silly kid.

During John's nap I make my list. Then I get him up, feed him and off we go! I know most Moms think their kids are the cutest kids in the universe but... mine really is the cutest kid in the universe! And I LOVE all the compliments I get when we are cruising around the store.

I also love to tell John all about groceries (I know I look like such a nut talking to my 6 month old like he's five... but it's our little game and I like it!). Sometime I even let John explore grocery items. My favorite memory of him was when he was trying to pick up an acorn squash. He leaned over and grunted and grunted and grunted... then he gave up and lunged at it like he does everything else. He is so cute!

One not so cute (and kinda scary) moment happened with my grocery list. John was looking at it and trying to grab it the entire time. So when I got close to the end I let him play with it. After grabbing a few more things I looked down at him and notice my list was gone... but he was chewing on something. In a matter of 2 seconds he had waded up and almost swallowed the entire list! I have that kid that puts everything in his mouth!

BUT! My adorable little boy isn't the point of this post.

I wanted to share a tip that has really helped me stay within my grocery budget while I'm at the store shopping. It's so tempting to just go into the store and grab what I think I need... but if I do that at the end of the month I've spent twice the amount I budgeted for. Especially since we don't eat out anymore. I often think to myself, "Well, if I get it at the store it will be cheaper." While that is true, you can still go quite a bit over budget if you let that thought run too wild.

First and foremost I try to ALWAYS make a list! And (the important part) if it's not on the list it doesn't go into the basket. It takes some discipline but you will be grateful at the end of the month (or whenever you sit down to review your budget).

Secondly, I came up with a system for making my grocery list that NEVER fails to keep me in budget. I think I created it, but it could very well be an idea that has already been done.

When I make my list I guess the price of each item. I guess even if I don't know what the price will be.... I just force myself to put a number down. I try to keep the numbers simple and usually whole numbers... they just add up a lot easier that way. Then I sum all the things on my list and see if I have enough money to get what I want. It only adds a few seconds to making my list and it has great benefits!

So my list look something like this...

Milk (3) <<--- a little ridiculous that milk is that high!
Eggs (2)
Flour (3)
Limes (1)
Tomatoes (3)
Cilantro (1)
Jalapenos (1)
Fish (4)
Beef (4)
Stir Fry Veggies (2)
Pasta (1)
Red Sauce (2)
Oatmeal (3)
-------------
Total $30


The great part is that if something is on sale I come in under. I usually break my rule and get something that isn't on my list... usually feta, because it's not a necessity, but it's so nice to have around. But if a few items are a little higher than my guess then I know not to grab something extra. I used to drag in a calculator with me to help me stay on budget, but now if I stay within the price that I wrote down I don't have to worry about going over... or calculating up my total before I check out.

Hopefully this is a useful tip for you!

Dog Bed Cover

This week I helped a friend make a dog bed cover for her dog. She got the original one for $14.00, but she spent $9.00 on the supplies to make this one. Seems like a good deal, doesn't it?

Well, unfortunately she only got such a great deal on fabric because of some digging through clearance bins and using a 40% off coupon. It's sad but true that it's usually not cheaper to make something when you have the option of buying it at a store. Especially if you factor in the cost of your time to make it!

That being said, you can gain a wonderful sense of accomplishment and pride if you opt to make something yourself. Not to mention the fun of coordinating your own fabric or materials to make it!

My friend was very pleased with the way the dog bed turned out... and I think her dog likes it too! I even began to teach her the basics of using a sewing machine! I'm sure I'll have her completely domesticated in just a few months!!! Haha... just kiddin', Lulu!

Some pictures of John

I've been doing a lot of photo updating on Facebook. However, I know not everyone has facebook and facebook's new way of uploading photos bugs me... so here's some November photos!

This one was taken by a friend at church. We were celebrating the addition of another Pastor. It's so nice when someone else is holding a camera... I would like John to have a few photos of me with him, instead of just a ton of photos of him playing on the floor.



These next photos crack me up. I was making a grilled pizza for Steven, who was on his way home for lunch. It was a pretty cool day so I just left the door open while I ran from the kitchen and the grill. I walked out of the kitchen area to see my little boy trying to escape! John LOVES to explore! It can be difficult because he gets bored with his toys very easily... but it's wonderful sometimes because if you take him to a new place he is entertained for hours.





John is so funny about toys. He has few favorites, but he usually likes to play with things that aren't toys. Typical kid, right? Anyway, Steven gave him this old coffee container and he will chase it around the living room for quite a while. (((when I say chase, I mean, knock it with his hand and then army crawl to it so he can knock it again))) He will also chase balls around, but for some reason he really likes this coffee container.



Here is a picture of John with a little feeder I bought for him. I made some green beans for him that I didn't quite puree long enough and I was thinking that the feeder would help him not choke on them. However, he's not a fan of gnawing on half frozen green beans anymore. He has to have something tastier it it to like it... like sweet potatoes! This kid can eat sweet potatoes! I plan on using it to feed him fruit... I think that is what it was originally designed to do.



Oh Man, I LOVE this one! We came back from the grocery store and I put John down on the floor to play while I unloaded the groceries. He got kinda quite (and honestly) I kinda forgot about him. I came around the corner to see him knocked out on the floor. He's done this at a friends house as well... I guess when the boy's gotta sleep, he's gotta sleep!



John loves his Daddy... but he also likes to chew on everything, including Steven's work badge.



Here's another situation when John was being really quiet and I wondered what he was doing. I recently change out the toy basket because he's started to accumulate quite a collection. He loves this basket! However, after gnawing on it for 15 minutes or so I looked at his face and saw that it was COVERED in brown paint... we don't let him chew on it anymore.







And finally, Bath Time! We borrowed this from a friend to see how we liked it. It's a blow up bath tub and it collapses down and stores well. I like it because John can kinda sit up in it (he's figured out how to crawl anywhere in the house but he's not interested in sitting unsupported). However, Steven isn't a fan of it. He had a difficult time bathing John while I was away at New Testament Class. I really like it because he can do his oatmeal baths in it. We have some alphabet letters that stick on the wall (I think he will enjoy them more when he's older) but I let him chew on the letters of his name while he soaked. I think almost every picture I have of this kid he has something in his mouth or he is trying to get something in his mouth.

Unfinished Stitchers

A friend in my homegroup introduced me to a little quilting group.

I sound like such an old lady when I tell people that I'm a part of a quilting group. But let's face it, I AM an old lady trapped inside a 24 year old body. I sew, quilt, knit, crochet, play gin, grocery shop at 9am, garden, cloth diaper, watch Wheel of Fortune when I can, bake and mostly cook from scratch!

However, this group is not for old ladies! In fact, most girls in this group don't really prefer traditional styled quilts... in fact, I may be the only one.... haha. But! I am expanding the quilting/sewing portion of my brain and I like it!

We call ourselves "Unfinished Stitchers" and it's really nice to hang out with them every other Saturday! Steven and John have bonding time and I get to retreat a few streets over with my well loved sewing machine.

I bought a darning foot about 6 months ago (I know that because it was one of the first trips out I took after John was born.... I know, a darning foot? really?... well, I was stressed because of nursing and only a trip to Lone Star Quiltworks could fix it!) and have since been trying to master (or just get decent at) the art of free motion quilting.

They look so relaxed and free flowing in all the web videos I've found.... but let me tell you it's hard! And the only way to learn is to practice.

So... I grabbed a charity quilt from my new friend at Unfinished Stitchers.

I had to finish a few blocks (it's the row that's colors look terribly out of place) before I quilted it. John LOVED the colors in this quilt (the only time I actually let him "play" with it was when I took these pictures). The quilting was fun and definitely a learning opportunity. The best part is that it won't be hanging around the house for me to agonize over every little mistake.

A post about a quote I thought was great...

Hahaha... I should have probably thought of a better title...

Anyway.

I read a ton of blogs.

Well, I don't actually "read" all blogs I subscribe to. With the exception of people I actually know, I usually skim the pictures, titles & subtitles and then decide if I want to read it. It's how I navigate the 71 blogs I am subscribed to in Google Reader.

I found a new food blog a couple of days ago... I was probably looking for a recipe for dinner or something when I came across it. The writer lives in New York and has a little boy who started solids around the time John was born. The main site is called Smitten Kitchen. What intrigued me was her "side blog" on baby food called Smitten Kitchen Baby. I really like her attitude when it comes to feeding her little boy. Not only does she believe in very little tools (a food processor and some ice cube trays) and she strives to get her kiddo to eat what her and her husband eat, but this was on her about page:


“You’re doing it wrong!” Sad but true, sharing bits of parenting on the Internet doesn’t always bring out the most supportive community responses. “But my doctor said that if you introduce fruit before vegetables, baby will get a sweet tooth and become obese!” “This book says that if you feed your child eggs before they’re one year old, they will never get into Harvard!” and the all-encompassing, “I can’t believe you would feed your baby that! We wouldn’t feed it to our dog!”

People, I’ve heard it all and so I can nip any of this in the bud before we begin: It’s okay. You’re okay. I am not here to tell you how to feed your kid, nor do I have any desire to impart judgment. All I will be sharing here is how we started our little guy on the path that we hope will lead to him enjoying the variety of foods that we do. Also? I think you’re doing a great job.

That said, I’m a realist and fully understand that it will not matter how many hours we spend cooking down seasonal, organic, local Greenmarket produce and how delighted our little snowflakes are to slurp it up, they will eventually come into contact with a Chicken McNugget and they will find it to be delicious. And we will be doing no less of a good job because of it.

Shall we continue?


A side note: I have tried the granola bars and they were great! (so great I almost wrote a post about it, but decided this counted instead). I'm going to try the lemon cranberry scones and the apple muffins next (can you tell I'm looking for some fast breakfast options for around here?). Also, I would LOVE for someone to make this cake for me someday! And finally she does have a "tips" blog as well.