While the new year actually began 2 weeks ago, tomorrow marks the first day of what I hope will be a year of positive changes.  Some of the delay can be blamed on us wanting to get the last of the holiday food out of the house, as well as to get past Accolan’s birthday.  Much of it though can be blamed on some health issues that flared up for me.

I am, thankfully, feeling much better than I was for a while there and am looking forward to getting my life back on track.

This weeks goals include:

Starting a healthier eating regimen.  Until the growing season returns and brings with it affordable fruit, smoothies are on the back burner.  Instead Accolan will be starting his days with oatmeal and I will be breakfasting on fat free Greek yogurt with raw honey.  Lunches will have a focus on raw veggies – salad for Accolan and raw veggies with dressing for me (since I can’t digest lettuce).  Dinner will be healthy real food with smaller servings (this week’s menu includes vegetarian chili and a white bean & sausage stoup).  Snacks will be fresh fruit, unsweetened applesauce, sugar free Jello, or air-popped popcorn.

Tomorrow I plan to go to Walmart and pick up some storage boxes and bins and start on decluttering our bedroom.  This means tackling the desk and years and years of paperwork, sorting through every drawer, closet, nook and cranny.

Tuesday I start therapy. As a benefit of Accolan’s Veteran status I am able to get this free and with all the stress that we are currently dealing with (and all of the baggage over the years that I have simply stuffed down) now is as good a time as any to work on getting my head straight.

What steps are you making so far this year?  Are you excited about any particular goals?

Blessings

Jia

My theme for 2012 is RECLAIMING …

reclaiming my health (and my husband’s)

reclaiming our finances

reclaiming my spirituality

and reclaiming our dreams by working at them each and every day

Part of that reclamation work includes reclaiming a blogging life.  With 2 blogs to keep (2witches, which will focus on all things related to spirit and bladeandcauldron which will focus on the more physical aspects of life).  How, exactly, I am going to fit this in (while I continue to work 2 jobs for the foreseeable future) I haven’t yet decided I only know that it is not something I am willing to walk away from.

Happy 2012 to each and every one of you.

Blessings!

Jia aka Mama Kelly

I am finding it harder and harder to sit down, when time allows, and find anything meaningful to blog about.

I am still here.

I am still doing my darnedest to work both jobs, do them well, and have energy left over at the end of the proverbial day to put a smile on my face for my family.

I am still spending what extra time I have to peruse my favorite couponing web sites, plan out each week’s shopping, cook real food whenever I possibly can, and working on some crochet projects for holiday gifts.

I am doing everything in my power to hold on to the hope that, in the end, that Accolan’s benefits will be reinstated and that life will be able to return to some semblance of normalcy before too many more months have passed.

In the meantime I wanted to stop by and wish a Happy Halloween to the readers that are still with us (and a Blessed Samhain as well).

Jia

Friday into Saturday is usually the one night that I can try and sleep in in order to play “catch up” on the previous week’s lost and broken sleep.  Thankfully last night was one such night.  THough, truth be told, I could lie right back down and fall back to sleep given the opportunity.

I only work a short shift at job #2 tonight (4 hours), but tomorrow will be  a bit hectic as I am working 5 hours at job #1, coming home briefly, and then going to job #2 for another 4 hour shift.  Then it is a usual week: 40 hours at job # and 21 hours at job #2.

We’re managing to survive since Accolan’s disability was cut off in July.  Not everything is getting paid on time.  We are having to fall a bit further into debt each month.  But, all things considered, we’re okay.

Of course it means that my 3rd job (now that my actual job #3 ended) is very close to what I used to do when Accolan was the sole bread-winner – to make what income we earn seem like much much more.

Some of that means spending hours flipping through sale flyers, perusing couponing websites, printing and or cutting coupons, and shopping.  Shopping with multiple coupons and combining them with special sales and price matching can be a little complicated and so it is something that Accolan and I do together.

From what I’ve seen of this week’s sale flyers, I won’t be able to pull off anything close to my great deal at Acme this week, but I should be able to fill some holes in the pantry nonetheless.

Another part of my “third job” is what is always is this time of year – gearing up for the holidays.  Watching for good sales on items the girls want/need is part of it.  But, this year, much of it involves trying to make as many presents as possible. You know? With all that free time I have (hee hee hee).

So are you starting to plan for the holidays?  Do you make any gifts?

Blessings

Jia

I spent a goodly amount of time this week perusing sale flyers, my two favorite couponing websites, and printing out online manufacturer coupons.  Most of it is for my weekly price-match shopping trip to Walmart tomorrow.  But, this week also required a separate trip to Acme so that I could take advantage of a special sale (extra $5 off the purchase of 10 select items) and the ability to double coupons.

I wound up having to bring the whole family with me so that I could break the order down into 4 separate orders.  I had to make some last minute changes to my plan.  But in the end we purchased:

2 boxes Cookie Crisp cereal
2 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
4 cans Progresso soup
3 bags Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
2 boxes Betty Crocker Muffin Mix
2 bags Chex Mix
2 bags Bugles
1 box Milk ‘N Cereal Bars

8 boxes Totino Pizza Rolls
4 Individual Totino Pizzas

6 cans Grands Biscuits
2 cans Crescent Rolls
2 boxes Go-Gurt Yogurt

The Down and Dirty?

The full retail for these items would’ve been $112.51

I spent ….. $35.08 …. a savings of 69% and received a bonus $12 worth of boxtops for education that printed out at the end of my order.

But, it gets a little better … one of the items I purchased didn’t get it’s sale discount so on my way home tomorrow I will be stopping for an adjustment (and will likely get the item FREE).

Wonder how well I’ll do at my next shopping outing tomorrow?

Blessings

Jia

PS Sorry I haven’t been here much.  Jobs #1 and 2 are taking up most of my energy (and time).  Job #3 didn’t last as long as I would’ve hoped and so crazy couponing is becoming my third job.  Add to that the fact that I am trying to make a number of holiday gifts this year and it seems that even my “down time” is pretty darn busy.  I am hoping to be able to better organize my time in the weeks ahead and, at the very least, hope that each of you are well.