I watched Ramona and Beezus at the theaters yesterday with my girl.  We enjoyed it—a lot.  In fact, the little girl wanted to watch it again today but we’re going to have to pass on that.  Going to the movie is such a luxury–I would much rather use that money on food.  We went to the first showing and even though that was only 6 bucks (ha, only) a piece, I could have bought a nice yummy sandwich with that.  Yes, food consumes me people, get over it.

While watching the movie, I got to thinking that someday I will have Erynne babysit her little sibling when that time comes I should decide to go back to work (I’ve been very vocal about wanting to be a part of society again).  But before that will happen, I would really like to invest in a good home security system.  These are different times—gone are the days where you can easily leave your door unlocked and you need not worry about people walking in and doing God knows what.  I see a lot of ADT signs up on people’s houses so I decided to read more about it on homesecurityteam.com.  I take it for granted a lot of the time that nothing will ever happen to us but now that we’re going to have two children in our home, I think we need to step up our safety game just a bit.  Found a great site online provided by Fort Worth, PD that assists people in creating a security survey for their home.  And if that isn’t enough to help you out, you can always refer to these police security tips in securing your home—most especially your family.

I was at REI yesterday with my mom and suddenly, I had this urge to go camping.  Not that I’d ever done the real deal before (read:  sleeping outdoors in a tent, etcetcetc!).  Sure, I’d done the camps back in elementary where you bring your own sleeping bag and you sleep in bunkbeds, but I’d like to try the type of camping that entails setting up camp somewhere, building a fire (not that I know how hahaha), using a less than desirable public restroom, etcetcetc.  I sound awful, don’t I?  My fellow Alaskans should be ashamed of me.  My friend A is a lot more frou-frou than I am so she absolutely refuses to even try anything remotely related to camping.  As she likes to say, “Sue me for loving comfortable amenities in life!”  She’d be my perfect camping partner indeed!

Well, maybe not.  After my mom saw the tents set up on the sales floor, she blurted out, “Hey, how much are these?  Wouldn’t it be fun to play bahay-bahayan in the backyard?”  I just love how she downplays the whole art of camping!

Amazing the things you find these days.  I’m no smoker but seriously?  Who would have thought anyone would ever come up with e-cigarettes?  Check this out:

A USB e-cigarette!  Whaaaaattt?  Wow, gotta love that technology stuff.  What’s next, right?  I know one person who would get a total trip out of this, for sure–my FIL.  This is something to consider for next Christmas indeed.

Had the chance to meet up with a cousin and her husband this morning for brunch in the city.  Always had fun times with them when I was still living/working in Seattle and today was no exception.  Since their flight was later in the afternoon, we got the chance to hang out for a little bit at home and woohoo, I got free consultation advice on our kitchen.  Remember that post about wanting to remodel our kitchen?  Well,  my cousin’s husband gave us so many ideas (he’s a true Handy Manny — I think he was born at Home Depot hahaha) and the best part?  He made everything sound so doable for people like me and E.  So much so, I’d like to get my work gloves on sooner rather than later.  First stop?  Home Depot!

The amount of ink we spend for my mom’s business brochures is insane.  So much so I think it’s high time we just go with a catalog printing company with reasonable rates.  By reasonable, I’m talking 500 brochures for only $109!  With the cost of printer ink and nice enough paper, getting brochures done for us is the better option.  Now one might say some printing company in the Philippines could definitely beat this rate but the idea of having to spend for postage in the end is a hassle (and would probably not save much in the long run).  I’ll bring this up with my mom in the morning.

Back to my paper.

There is so much to be thankful for these past couple of days.  For one, hubby finally landed a job with a company he’s always wanted to work with.  Second, there were seats available for my mom so that she can fly back from Manila a lot earlier than her original departure date from Manila without us having to pay an arm and a leg for the change fee amount.  Third, I was able to switch my schedule around last week in order to fit Erynne’s schedule so as to avoid having to incur extra charges for daycare (no more free daddy daycare!).  My last class of the day on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays ends at the time I should already be out on the playgrounds of Erynne’s school waiting for her dismissal.  I’ve been spoiled these past couple of months because E’s been picking her up from school everyday, giving me time to work on my things.  Now, it’s all changed.  Not that I mind because we are all thankful that life is back to normal again.

Full-time school?  Half-time school?  I’ve been back and forth on this for a few days now.  If I go full-time school, we’re talking major sacrifices at home and the little girl.  If I go half-time, my heart will break.  How do you choose?  When I started all this school stuff, it was under the condition that my girl comes first and everything else second.  Now, however, my focus has shifted and it saddens me.  Do I put myself first this time?  Or continue putting my girl first?  What’s a happy medium?  That when she’s in first grade, I’ll have the whole day to continue with school but in the meantime, I can only do half-time?

I know.. there are bigger problems in the world right now.  Trivial or not, I foresee some really good wrinkle cream in my future.

How’s your new year coming along?  Thought I’d be different this year and not make any resolutions that I’m bound to break and/or not even follow through with.  Who am I kidding anyways?  I’ve broken so many resolutions in the past — why state them?  JUST DO IT.  But even that sometimes is easier said than done.  I rest my case.

My mom is in Manila right now (accompanying my uncle who went and did some medical checkups such as a colon cleanse) and will only be back at the end of February.  Our home is so much more quieter without her — she doesn’t live with us but she is only a few doors away so I miss her loud voice coming through the door when Erynne’s napping and I have to tell her to keep it down.  Or when she’s taking calls on her cell and she’s talking so loud, I’m not sure if she wants the neighbors to hear her or not.  Little things, ya know?  She’s probably so bored out of her mind as I type this.  If there’s one thing you must know about my mom, she can’t sit still.  She HAS to be doing something ALL.THE.TIME.  As in some type of work — whether that’s around the house, the garden, a project, her business, the grocery, paperwork, etc.  Her idea of relaxing, I believe, is working.  (Imagine what she must think of me for being a SAHM, ha!).  But for what it’s worth, I hope that she’s at some nice, posh salon right now as I type this, doing her nails, her hair and getting a lovely body massage and shopping the day away.  My mom needs to learn how to play hard.  FOR REALS.

Hee, bet she’s missing me too .

I am such a dingaling.  For a while, I couldn’t even remember my password and username to get this entry going.  Granted it’s been a month since I’ve logged in and attempted an entry, could this memory loss really be attributed to childbirth?  I have used that excuse so many times, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe there’s really something wrong with me.  Surely it’s not old age — I still feel like I’m in my 20′s.  Ha.

Have a few minutes to spare before I head off to class.  Trying to be as productive as possible these last two weeks of school (yes, I think this is being productive haha!) — yep yep, two more weeks and I’ll be able to kiss another semester goodbye.  So far, I’ve only enrolled in one class for next semester and with Erynne in school half of the day everyday of the week, I just may find a job.  Of course, nothing full-time.  Just something that will match Erynne’s schedule at school.  While being at home all these years has been nice and sweet, I realized I am a better person when I’m a part of society — not that I’m discrediting how important my job is to Erynne, oh no.  But she’s growing and not having another child to care for, I don’t mind being out there again.  I miss it actually.  Plus, I smile a lot more when I’m doing something for myself — and I can’t tell you how much the husband likes that .

I was in the middle of researching the best web directory for my blogs when I came across such a useful article from babycenter.com.  I just had to post it here — who knows, maybe the one or two people who read this blog can use a few of these tips.

Look for hidden waste
Can you find a cheaper cell-phone plan, long-distance phone service, or Internet service provider? Is it time to refinance your mortgage or car payments? Can you raise your insurance deductibles, which lowers your premiums? What about canceling your long distance and purchasing budget phone cards — or using a cell phone (with free long distance included) in off-peak hours? Are you getting your money’s worth from your gym membership, or could you walk, jog, or play basketball in the park instead? You may want to consider becoming a one-car family — you’ll save on gas, insurance, and car maintenance. And ask your utililty company how you can lower your payments. Even simple changes, like turning down the temperature on your water heater or installing energy-saving showerheads, can bring your monthly bills down.

Watch those credit cards
If credit card charges are eating up a big chunk of your monthly budget, look into consolidating your balances or getting a lower interest rate. Examine your credit card statements: Are there automatic charges — subscriptions or monthly fees — that could be canceled? (Get more tips on easy ways to lower your credit card debt.)

Plan low-cost family vacations
Instead of staying in hotels, consider traveling with friends and renting a house together. This is usually cheaper than hotel rooms, and it allows you to cook meals instead of going to restaurants. Other ideas: Travel locally so you can drive rather than fly. Carry a cooler full of snacks and sandwich ingredients so you don’t have to eat out for every meal. Pack up the tent and go camping. (Get more tips on saving big on family travel.)

Go co-op crazy
Form a meal co-op with friends and neighbors — each family takes a night to make dinner for everyone. This saves time, builds community, introduces children to a broader variety of foods, and saves money by allowing participants to buy food in bulk (without having to eat the same food for weeks straight).

A babysitting co-op may also be a good idea. By trading babysitting duties with other families you’re close to, you can save money on childcare and know you’re leaving your child with people you trust.

Avoid restaurants
The average American family eats out four times a week, which takes a big bite out of their budget, says Jonni McCoy, a mom and founder of the Miserly Moms Web site. You can save a lot by making relatively painless adjustments to your dining habits. On date night, leave the kids with friends and prepare a candlelight dinner at home instead of going out to eat. On workdays, bring your lunch to the office. On weekends, make a picnic and take your family to the park or the beach. Take snacks to the playground, zoo, or movie theater instead of visiting the snack bar. You can also save money by making coffee at home — those fancy coffee drinks really add up. Splurge on your favorite beans and a travel mug and take yours to go. (One Baby Center reader figured that by breaking their specialty coffee habit, she and her husband could shave $2,000 a year off their budget!)

Find cheaper entertainment
Go to matinees or rent movies instead of heading to the theater, and try borrowing videos and DVDs from your local library rather than paying for rentals. And do you really need cable television when you can rent DVDs of your favorite premium channel shows?

You can also get creative about finding ways to cut costs and create family time. Organize a family game night instead of going out, or make holiday presents together to save on gift-giving.

Become a smart shopper
Start with the food bill, McCoy advises. “This is usually the largest category of spending, and there are so many ways to whittle it down,” she says. Buy in bulk, clip coupons, and mail in rebates. (You can trade coupons with other parents on our trading post forum.) Generics and store-brand products are almost always cheaper than name brands. (Get more tips on trimming the fat from your food budget.)

For clothes, baby gear, furniture, and similar items, secondhand stores and resale shops have bargains galore, as do sites such as eBay and Craigslist. Or, if you’re buying new, purchase clothing for next year during end-of-season sales. For furniture or appliances, ask for floor models — you probably won’t notice a scratch on your new bed, but it could bring down the price significantly.

And finally, skip the pricey salon and become a beauty school drop-in. Beauty schools offer discounts on services such as haircuts, facials, and mani-pedis.

Keep a tight rein on your budget
Stay-at-home mom Heather DeGeorge uses a simple envelope system: Every two weeks she takes the cash from her husband’s paycheck and divvies it up into envelopes marked for specific expenses. So if she has budgeted $400 a month for groceries, she puts $200 into the grocery envelope every two weeks. Then she knows she’ll have the money when it’s time to go to the store. DeGeorge has envelopes for other fixed costs, as well as for luxuries. “We budget a certain amount for eating out,” she says. “If there’s no money in the ‘eating out’ envelope, we go to the pantry.”

Similarly, you can use a separate bank account to make sure you have all the money you need tucked safely away for certain fixed monthly or yearly expenses. Add up the yearly total of all your fixed expenses, divide it by 12, and deposit that amount every month in your separate bill-paying account. Once you get going with this system, you’ll never have to scramble to pay your property taxes or any other regular expense.

Put in the time
It’s time-consuming to develop and maintain a budget, find the lowest prices, collect coupons, and shop for the best deals. It takes still more time to shop and cook in bulk, and to make presents instead of buying them. McCoy figures that she devotes seven hours a week to keeping her household costs low. “That includes everything: meal planning, shopping, making meals from scratch, and keeping track of spending,” she says. “When you consider the rewards, it really isn’t that much.”