Dumpster Dive Report #4

We. myself and my two besties Jalisa & Ashley, went out dumpster diving last night. It was a pretty slow night I must say. The only things we found were some picture frames. That made Ashley happy because they were exactly what she was looking for. Other than that we spent most of our time out driving around and laughing our butts off at stuff. It turned out to be a pretty darn good night. We also went shopping at Wal-Mart and got something to eat as well. All in all I had a pretty fun evening with my girls =)

Things Are Back To Normal

Jaeden has returned home after his stay at Vanderbilt. It's almost like he was never gone. Things are definitely back to the way they were before just with a little less craziness. One of my besties and her fam are going to be staying with us for a while. I'm actually really excited about it all although the house is going to be very crowded with 9 kids and 4 adults once her hubby and 2 of her kids return from being in Chicago. I love hanging out with her. We always have a great time and laugh a lot. Things just feel right when she's around. Once again I feel like I'm seriously loving my family and loving my life. These days don't happen all the time so I take them as they come. Wishing every day could be like today =)

Today's Been A Good Day

I woke up early and got to school with enough time to be able to relax for a few and call one of my besties to check in on her. My classes weren't too bad today just a lot of note taking. I am a little worried about this probabilities and statistics course though. I think I'm grasping it all but I won't know for sure until it's test time, which is on the 7th. History was good...funny as always. I love my professor he always makes things sound a lot better which helps me to focus more. Now that I'm home it's time to go get the taxes done and take Adrian to the dentist. My poor baby is having 2 teeth pulled today. After all of this I will be returning home to spend time with the hubby, kids and one of my other besties, Ashley. I'm actually looking forward to the rest of the day =)

Dumpster Diving Report #3

On Sunday night my friend Ashley and I went out for a little dumpster diving. This was her first time going out. I think she must of had beginners luck on her side because we found the mother of all loads to date. At Micheal's we scored several very nice picture frames, some NFL sticker books for the kiddies and a calendar. At Bed Bath & Beyond we scored 4 Keurig machines, a Chi flat iron, a water filtration system, and a tote for storage. Not sure what else we got but those are the main things. 2 of the 4 Keurigs work, the flat iron works great and we're not sure quite yet about the water filtration system. On top of all this Ashley and I had some much needed mommy without kids time. Earlier in the day we had hit up 4 different Dollar Generals to clean them out of their Christmas clearance. We spent a total of $30 combined for roughly $150 worth of stuff. God how I love to clearance shop and dumpster dive. The only thing better than getting a great price on something is getting it for free =)

Sorry For The Lag

I've had a lot of stuff going on here at home. I am trying to juggle everything with being back in school as well. I am also trying to figure just what I should do as my posts on here. I could really use some great ideas from some of my followers.

Dumpster Diving Report #2

Tonight wasn't a really good night, sadly. I spent more gas and time than stuff I found. I did,however,find a slice-o-matic in perfect working condition. This made me super happy because I've been wanting one for a long time. I also found a perfect working coin sorter which made me happy as well. I love going out because you just never really know what you're going to find. I may not have found much tonight but I got to spend some one on one time with my boys. I think that they only like to go out with me because I buy them drinks every time but hey, this momma isn't going to complain. I love my time with them and love their reactions when we find cool stuff. That's it for this week...more to come next weekend =)

One Of The Hardest Decisions Ever

Yesterday while in an important meeting I got a call from the school telling me that Jaeden, my 7 year old, had punched a classmate so hard int he chest that the little boy had to be taken to the nurse. I thought that that was bad enough but when I went to talk to his teacher I found out that on Thursday while some high school kids were in the classroom he decided it would be a good idea to stab one of the with a pencil in the arm. The good thing was that she was wearing a coat so it didn't puncture the skin. He later said he did it simply because he got mad at her for taking the dice they were playing with away from him.We have been having increased troubles with Jaeden in the last month or so. He has always been a huge handful but lately he's been getting a lot more aggressive, lying and stealing as well. After leaving the school I had to make the decision to take him to the children's hospital to have him evaluated and admitted into the psych hospital so that his medication could be regulated. He is going to be staying there for at least a few days while they try to get everything under control. This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. He was completely heartbroken that I was making him stay in the hospital and kept pleading with me to give him just one more chance. I think my heart broke into a million pieces last night. To make matters a little bit worse I got a call form the doctor this morning telling me that one of the medications his doctor had put him on was more than likely the reason he was being so aggressive. Right now I don't have much faith in the medical community at all. Not sure what the next steps are going to be. All I do know is that I feel horrible for having done this to him.

Not So Sure Right Now

SO i'm having a little bit of difficulty here on the blog. I seem to be at a stand still with getting new followers. I really want for this to take off and be something wonderful but I'm not totally sure how I go about doing that. I could really use some good advice and tips from you guys. What would you all like to read about on here?? Couponing, dumpster diving, weight loss, coping with special needs children, etc. I really need some great ideas on what to do. I want to make everyone happy but can't seem to do that without some good feedback. Are you willing to help me out, please???

Tough Call

Today I had to make a somewhat hard decision regarding my schooling. I had been planning on taking Intro to Biology 2 online. I didn't think that I would have much trouble since I have already taken Biology 1. Boy was I ever wrong. I was suppose to have a lab due tomorrow. When I opened up the file to start working on it there was 10 pages of stuff that didn't make any sense to me at all. Being that it was an online class I couldn't very well go to the teacher, at least not easily, to ask for help. I checked a few of the other assignments and labs to see what all they entailed.Turns out they all read like Greek to me. I had read the first few chapters of the book and still couldn't manage to make heads or tails out of what we were suppose to do. Based off of all of this I decided to drop the class before I got too far ahead and suffered with my grades. The good news about all of this is that since I dropped the class before the census date I will be getting $400 back.

Joyful Nosie Review

Before I start I must say that I will not give away anything from the movie. I hate reviews that tell you the whole movie before you've even seen it killing all the magic of finding out for yourself. With that being said Joyful Noise is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton have the ability to make you laugh with such lines as "you're so old you read the bible to reminiscence." to much more heart felt material. I found myself wanting to dance and sing along with all of the music which was very lively and upbeat. There are points in the movie where you will want to stand up and cheer and others that will bring a tear to your eye(if you're an emotional person like me, lol). At the end of the movie I had to fight the urge to stand up and start clapping. Yes it was just that good. If you have not yet seen Joyful Noise you must add it to your list of must see movie for 2012.

Knoxville Again

Today I have planned a girl's day out with my best friend,Jalisa,and my daughter. We're driving to Knoxville to see my daughter and plan on taking her out to lunch and to see We Bought A Zoo. I heard that the movie is super good so I'm really excited to see it. I will be sure to do a review on it so all of you can know as well. I'm going to have a super busy day. When I get home I have a test to take online for my Biology class =(. Not looking forward to that at all being that the semester just started on Thursday. Please wish my "luck" on this test because I know I'm going to need it.

Weekly Weight Loss Check-In

I really don't have anything that I can report this week other than the fact that I have done a pretty good job at cutting back my portions and trying to get a good amount of exercise in. I need to go buy myself a scale so that I can keep track of what my weight actually is. If I could get myself to stop snacking on things after 7-8pm I would be doing a whole lot better. This seems to be where I need the most help at.I keep dreaming of being skinny again so I have no choice but to buckle down and get to it. I made a New Years resolution to lose 50lbs by Christmas and I promise that I will work my very hardest to get there.For anyone who is following me on this journey I could use all of your great advice.

A Little Bit Late

Sorry that I missed my Thursday check-in. I ended up spending some much needed time with the family. We went out to eat for dinner and had a really fun time. My first day of classes went off without a hitch. I don't know why I was ever nervous. Turns out that my American History professor uses the same materials as he did a year ago. See, last spring i took his class but had to leave for medical reasons. The good thing about all of that was that I was actually smart enough to hold on to all of my notes from his class. This means that for the next month or so I don't have to worry about writing very many notes in class which is a life saver because he is HUGE on taking notes. I'm super excited to be back in the swing of things and hope that this turns out to be an awesome semester.

Classes Beginning Tomorrow

I'm actually a little bit nervous right now I must admit. Tomorrow morning will be the first time I have been back in the classroom in a year. I have been doing my classes online because of my health. Sadly, this semester I'm forced to go to campus yet again because of the classes I have to take. First class that I must take is American History 1. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate history. The second class that I have been hog tied into is a probabilities and statistics math class. Now the only thing that I hate more than history is math. I'm so not looking forward to this semester. I know that I can make it through it I'm just curious how many brain cells I'll have left after I've fried them trying to figure out things that don't interest me in the least. Well here goes nothing....wish me luck =)

Rough Day

What started out as a not-so-bad day turned not-so-good. I ended up having a lot of issues with Jaeden today. He seems to be getting worse with his lying and getting into things. I am just beside myself with trying to figure out how to deal with him. I've done everything I can think of but yet he continues. This fascination he has with getting into stuff, especially anything powdery, is taking it's toll on me. I could really use some advice from some of you out there. How do I stop him from lying, stealing, destroying, and getting into everything??

My Dumpster Diving Trip

Today turned out to be a really great day for dumpster diving. I found so many great and awesome things tonight. One of the biggest best things I found was a Keurig coffee maker that works just fine. Another big thing I found was a kitchen utility cart. These are just a few of the things I found on my trip out. I had so much fun finding so many things tonight. It felt like it was Christmas all over again for me. I urge people to try this at least once. You never know what you're going to find. Some days I find nothing others I find stuff like today. The other thing i love about going out is that my boys love to go with me. I take them one at a time so that it gives us some much needed one on one. They love it because not only do they get to help me find great stuff but I always buy them a frosty freezie freeze (Icee). Just so that I can be clear I am not just going to random people's houses to go through their garbage....no, no, no. I go to stores like Micheals and Kmart. Had a wonderful night out with my oldest boy today. And just to think I almost didn't go out tonight because I wasn't feeling too hot today. Boy am I ever glad that I did. =)

McD's New Burger

OK. So McDonald's has a new sandwich out for a limited time. It's called the daily double. It is a double cheeseburger with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle, and mayo. My hubby seen a commercial for the sandwich and just had to have one so me being the awesome wife I am went to get him one while I was out. When I returned home he, almost greedily, dug into the burger. After about two bites he offered me a bite finally. I will have to say that McD's did a pretty good job this time around. The burger reminds me of the famous Big Mac minus the special sauce. Sadly, the McD's closest to our house somehow forgot to put the tomato and pickle on the bun but the sandwich was pretty darn good none the less. I urge any meat lovers to go try the burger for themselves and remember as I said earlier its only there for a limited time so hurry.

Making New Friends

Today I made some new friends. I'm so thrilled and excited. i can't wait until i get the chance to hang out with each of them. The best news came today when i found out that one of my fellow bloggers http://www.1busymoma.com only lives a few minutes away from me. Even better is that we have kids that are the same age who can all play together while we dish =). I would like for anyone who reads this blog to also go over and become a follower of my new friends.On a more personal note i had a very nice calm and relaxing day for the most part. These are far and few in between so you know I cherish each one I get, lol. My house is clean, the family has been fed and watered, the laundry is in the process of being done, the dog is fed and I'm exhausted...yep everything is just the way it should be.

Weekly Weight Loss Update

I have decided to start holding myself accountable for my weight loss and to use you gals as a sounding board. Today I got some great news....twice. The first was that through my insurance there is a registered dietitian that works with my doctor and I get to see her for free. The other awesome news is that I'm down about 5lbs. Each week, on Thursdays, I will going to see this dietitian and will post my results for said week. Is there anyone out there who would like to join in with me so that not only I but you as well have more support in the fight against flab??

I'm So Flippin' Excited!!!

My blog is growing by leaps and bounds! This giveaway has seemed to take on a life of its own. I never thought just a few short weeks ago that I would be a blogger let alone starting to do reviews and giveaways. I wanted to take a minute from my busy hectic life of raising 4 kids to tell each and every one of you thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm completely astounded at how many followers I have already. It truly does warm my heart and put a much needed smile on my face to know that I have so many people out there reaching out to me and caring what I have to say. Again I say thank you.

With lots of all, Jen

All My Children on Soapnet

I am so flippin' excited!!! Soapnet is running reruns of All My Children. Ever since the show ended back in September I've felt lost. I had watched the show since the day I was born, literally my mom watched it from the beginning faithfully. They have take the show back a few years so now I get to relive a lot of the greatest stories ever told. Soapnet truly rocks for continuing to air my favorite show of all time.

Lazy Day

I never made it out of the house to go couponing diving this morning because my lovely alarm never went off. I guess it's for the best because it is freezing outside today. Going to try and have a relaxing day. Getting things into place here on my blog. I'm trying to figure out how to do all the buttons. The boys go back to school tomorrow and I'm so ready for it. I'll probably go out and get coupons after I get them off to school.

Coupon Diving tomorrow

So I have found out the absolute best place to get my coupons from. I go to the recycle center just down the street from me and I just dig through all the newspapers there. The good thing is that I'm not digging through trash only paper. You wouldn't believe how many people throw out their coupons every week. If I can start getting enough coupons built up again maybe I can giveaway coupon envelopes like some other mom's I've seen. If you have a recycle center close to you I highly recommend that you go there and check for coupons as well. You never know what you're going to find but I promise that you'll never be disappointed.

Need some suggestions

I would like to know what people would like to read on here. Lately I've just been posting about my every day life as if this is kind of a journal. I know people don't want to just hear about my boring life. Please let me know what you think I should write about.

Just not my day

THings didn't turn out the way I had them planned at all today. First, my childhood best friend's family got sick so she couldn't meet up with me and mine like we planned. Then the museum we drove 40 minutes to go to ended up being closed for the holiday, which I completely had forgotten was today. Next we went out to eat at Red Robin(my 6 year olds fav place) and I ended up getting sick not once but twice. After that my bestie's little brother who had been staying over here with us started crying and wanted to go home tonight instead of Tuesday morning like we had planned. Next I decided after a day of disappointment that I would once again go out dumpster diving to cheer me up....wrong. I didn't find not a single thing tonight =(. To top everything off I have been getting sharp pains in my chest for about the last 2 hours. I really think I need to just go to bed and give up completely on this day.

Miracle by Lancome Giveaway

Up for grabs is a Miracle by Lancome gift set. the set includes a 1.7oz bottle of Miracle perfume, 2 oz tube of perfumed body lotion, a 2oz tube of bath & shower gel and A very cute pink make-up bag. This would make a great gift for you or some special in your life. Miracle perfume boasts of a light floral scent with delicate whispers of jasmine. This is personally one of my favorite fragrances and now it can be yours as well. I am hosting the giveaway through rafflecopter. You can enter using the form located at the bottom of my blog.