Toystoryduo's Journal....Moving Forward From Here

[toystoryduo]

It's a new year and I've decided to start a new journal. I feel like I have been in a rut for the past few years of my life. Not just with my weight, but in other areas of my life as well. I would like to change that in 2009. I would like to make progress. I would like to move forward from here.....

For those who don't know me, I am a 33 year old homeschooling/ SAHM to my girls, ages 6 and 8. I also help out my DH in many aspects of his business so I guess I can add the title of Administrative Assistant as well. ;) I am 5'6" and currently weigh 235.8.

My Goals for 2009:

1) Lose 40 pounds...That will put me in Onederland for the first time in about 3 years.

2) Pay off debt and save money....I'm still working on the details on this.

3) Take better care of myself so I can better take care of those around me. Still working on these details too.

Thanks for reading fellow WISHers.:grouphug: Let's make 2009 our year!!!!party: :cheer2:

~Tracy

[Amy&Dan]

Ooohhh, I am excited, I get to be the first one to post in your new journal!

You can do this Tracy, we both can. And I am working on debt too, once again, we have the same goals. Now lets have the same result: SUCCESS!!:yay:

Looking forward to working together towards good health in 2009.:hug:

[traceycooper]

i almost missed your new journal Tracy!!!
Happy New Year, heres hoping we can all meet our goals in 2009 :)
I ought to start a new journal - i think mine still says ''wedding weight loss'' & we've been married over 2 yrs now!!!

[lovinaz]

Those sound like very reasonable goals, Tracy! Do you have any specific plan for losing those pounds? Weight Watchers? Counting calories?

You can do anything you put your mind to!! :goodvibes

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Tracy: Good luck on your goals! I think it's a fabulous idea starting out the new year with a new journal. Those are some great goals, and I know that you can do it! :cheer2:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:grouphug: I'm still working on my financial and weight loss plans for the year. I have the goals....I just need to get the plans in place! ;)

We're slowly getting back into homeschooling. We did a little Science and some Phonics and called it a day. After that, we took the girls to Chuck E Cheese. They had a great time!:goodvibes

I really need to get a workout in tomorrow. Even if it's just a 10 or 15 minute workout. I've got to start somewhere right?

More tomorrow! Have a great day everyone!:grouphug:

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Chuck E Cheese sounds like fun. They have lots of games right? That would be a good way to get in activity. Or maybe you can find something that you can do with your kids. Working out doesn't have to be all work and no pay.

[goldcupmom]

I LOVE Chuck E Cheese! But then again, my motto is "aging is mandatory, growing up is optional!"

Hope you're having a good Tuesday!!

[Amy&Dan]

Count me as another Chuck E. Cheese lover. When my kids were little, dh and I could go for a late lunch or during the week, let the kids go off and play and sit there and have a glass of wine and talk! I also like their pizza, go figure!

Good luck getting that work out in today, I am right there with you, I need to do it and staring out slow is fine. Baby steps is the key, don't forget your old title, it was a good one!

[lovinaz]

Did you get your workout in? That's always a great feeling to get one of those in, isn't it?

[toystoryduo]

Good evening friends,

I've gotten a lot accomplished at home today. My workout is still on my to do list though. I'm hoping to get a 10-15 minute workout in later.

Food hasn't been all that great, but I have been pairing my carbs with protein and drinking water though. I want to look over the WW materials this evening and see if I think it's something I can do and be successful at.

I hope everyone has a great evening! I'll try and get that workout in!:banana:

[traceycooper]

Hi tracy
Hope you got the workout done :)
10 mins is definatly better than 0 mins :)

[toystoryduo]

Quick update...I managed to get about a 20 minute workout in. I just wish I hadn't eaten so much today.:crazy2:

[Amy&Dan]

Yay for you getting that workout in! I did 20 minutes too, see how good we are? Keep us posted on WW, don't let my constant non performance scare you off, its a great program.

I think you did great today!

[goldcupmom]

Great job on the workout, Tracy! Like Amy said, don't let our WW failures scare you. It really works if you do!!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday! & Stay WARM!!!

[lovinaz]

Yay getting that workout in! It's hard sometimes, but I'm sure you feel great that you got that checked off your list! :thumbsup2

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:grouphug:

Today has been a very blah kind of day. :( I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to Spring!:banana: This weather is downright depressing!:guilty:

I haven't checked out the WW materials yet. Soon.....

No workout today. Had to work for my DH and by the time we got home, it was 11:00 p.m. and too close to bedtime to workout.

Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I am right there with you on the spring thing. Every year as I get older, January-March just seems longer and more depressing! But it gives us time to get in shape before its shorts and swimsuit weather and that's a good thing!

I hope today is less hectic, getting a workout in every day isn't feasible for any of us, but there's always the next day.

[traceycooper]

Ahhh Spring - if its anything like the last 2 yrs here.....more rain!!!
They have forcast one of the hottest summers ever for this year :rolleyes:
would soon me fine - especially as we're not going away this year!


Have a great day Tracy :hug:

[goldcupmom]

Hope today was a bit better for you Tracy. It looks like you all have just been getting pounded this winter. Hang in there, spring will eventually come....but it may be in July!

[toystoryduo]

Good evening friends,

Today was a busy day...My DH had an interview for a part time job, we went to IHOP, and we made several trips to CVS and came away with lots of stuff and almost $70 in Extra Care Bucks!:banana: The weather is supposed to be pretty bad tonight and tomorrow so we plan on staying home and having either a board game marathon or a movie marathon or both....After we clean the house, of course! ;)

I hope to check out the WW stuff this weekend and to get some exercise in as well.

Have a great weekend!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Sounds like a fun weekend! Well, minus the bad weather part... My kids love board game marathons, something we don't get too often in AZ since the weather is usually pretty spectacular!:sunny:

My fingers are crossed that DH gets that job. :wizard:

Enjoy your family time this weekend!

[traceycooper]

sounds like a lovely cozy weekend Tracy :) enjoy :)

[Amy&Dan]

Sounds like a perfect weekend given your imperfect weather! And I think I might have sent that weather to you, sorry bout that!

Your shopping skills just amaze me!:worship:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

Overall, we had a good weekend here. On Saturday, we had a movie marathon and stayed home and out of the weather. On Sunday, we went to church, CVS, Walgreens, and my parent's house for dinner.

I did have a bit of a meltdown this weekend...You know that "all or nothing" mentality that seems to linger in the back of my mind? Well, I got overwhelmed with a lot this weekend: bills, non paying contractors, homeschooling, weight loss, working for my DH, tax season, e.t.c. When I get like this, I have two responses: quit what I am doing or not do anything at all. This weekend I kind of chose the second option...I did nothing. I got too overwhelmed and started to just pull completely back. I know that baby steps are the key to get things done, but I've never really been a baby step kind of person. It is such a challenge!

In any event, I pulled myself out of the do nothings yesterday by working a really good deal at CVS. The success of it motivated me to start moving forward again. (baby steps) Here's what I got:

(1) Aquafresh White Trays Tooth Whitening System: $34.99
(4) Boxes of 6 Soy Joy $24
(1) Nasal Spray $7.99 (also has a $3 mail in rebate)

Grand Total After ECBs/ CRTs and coupons: $5.99 ($5.36 of that was tax pre-coupons)
ECBs Earned: $41.99 :banana:

Today looks to be a busy day:

* Homeschooling

* Workout

* Library

* Work for DH

* Catch up on some reading

* Organize coupons

* Come up with rewards program for girls (more on this later in the week)

That's about all from here....Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Hang in there, we all have those days in the dumps. The key is that you pulled yourself out of that funk and are ready to go now!

Great deals at the store!! :cool1:

[goldcupmom]

Hang in there, Tracy! I SO wish we had CVS here in NM! That's AWESOME!!

Praying about DH interview & all the stuff you have on your plate. Take time for YOU!

:hug:

[traceycooper]

sometimes we need to take a step back Tracy, you have a lot to do - no point stressing, i'm glad you took a day to rest!
hang in there :)

[Amy&Dan]

I agree with everyone else Tracy. We all have those days and I am proud of you for coming out of it and not giving up. Baby steps are so hard to take but I do think they are the key to success! You can do it, just remember to treat Tracy as nicely as you treat everyone else. And all those things on your plate will get done. Just don't stress and do what you can. I hope tomorrow is a good one for you.

I need to go shopping with you! We don't have CVS either.:sad2:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

Yesterday was a good day despite the fact that my washer has stopped working. We have a stacked unit (washer on bottom and dryer on top) so I am hoping that when my DH gets a chance to look at it this weekend, he can fix it. Otherwise, we 'll have to buy a whole new unit even though the dryer is fine.

I did get a 20 minute workout in yesterday.:banana: I am definitely sore today!:headache:

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Work for DH

* Shovel the driveway

* Read

Not much going on here...The weather is supposed to get considerably colder throughout the day so I'm going to head out in a few minutes and get the driveway taken care of.

Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Tracy,

Great job getting that workout in! I hope your washer can be fixed, that is something has always worried me about the stackable kind. Prayers for the washer!:wizard: :laundy:

I saw the entired midwest in the deep freeze, I hope you warm up soon. Keep up your good work and stay warm!

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy
Hows the washer??
Hows the weather??? i saw on the news that its gonna be -20 around Chicago!!! (no idea if thats anywhere near you!!) & i'm moaning about -6!!!!
You know what they say ''theres always someone else worse off than you'' ;)

[toystoryduo]

Good evening friends,

I am stress eating and in a major way!:guilty: My DH called me about an hour ago to let me know he was stuck in Columbus due to the weather. He had to go to Cincinnati for work (4 hours away) and has been stuck in Columbus (2 hours away) for over 2 hours now. He had a bad day at work and this isn't helping any. :( Right now, I am taking my frustrations out on a bowl of soup and some french bread. Please send good thoughts and prayers for his safe travel. :grouphug:

I got some things accomplished today, but find myself in that overwhelmed, don't feel like doing a darn thing mode again. I'm not sure if it's because I am pre-TOM or what, but today I have been able to find something wrong with just about everything. Let's hope Negative Nelly isn't here to stay!:eek:

Hope everyone has a good evening.:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

I just spoke to my DH....He's managed to travel about 40 miles in 3 hours!:eek:

Praying the weather breaks ASAP so he can get home ASAP.....

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, praying for your husband to get home safe and soon! I feel so bad for all you folks in the midwest with this horrible weather. Negative Nellie will probably leave as soon as TOM makes its appearance! The weather probably isn't helping. Feel better sweetie, and don't worry, we all have those days!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy. :hug:

My DH made it home in 6.5 hours yesterday. The trip normally takes him just under 4.:eek: He was really glad to be home last night.:banana:

Not much going on here....It's too darn cold! :cold: Our local school district had school today, but the school I taught at did not...That means the girls are off from homeschooling today!:banana: :banana:

So, what's the plan? Stay warm! Temperatures are at zero right now with wind chills well below zero. BRRRRR! :cold:

Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Good news that your DH made it home safely.

There must be something in the air, I didn't feel like doing anything yesterday either! My kids actually had cereal for dinner (they love it when I get into those kind of funks!)

I hope things are better for you today, hang in there!

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Tracy,

Glad you got a snow day, there has to be some perk to a nasty winter! And I am so glad your hubby got home safe and sound. I knew he would but I also know how scary having someone you love out on icy, snowy roads can be. Stay warm!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

We had an interesting start to our day....The temp last night went down to -15 degrees and this morning our electricity went out. :scared: It was off for almost two hours and it got downright cold in the house! :cold: I am glad that they fixed the problem because it is supposed to be just as cold tonight.

We got some shopping done today and got some pretty good deals. I still need a grocery store trip, but that probably won't happen until I make a menu.

I've got Mom Time at church tomorrow and my DH may have to work. If not, we may go walk around the mall to get some exercise in.

Hope everyone has a great evening!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, good luck getting a mall walk in. It is so hard to exercise when its so cold. Heck at those temps you aren't even supposed to be outside at all anyway. I hope you guys warm up and I hope your power stays on!

Have a good weekend!

[toystoryduo]

No mall walk for us yesterday. :( When I got home from church, both girls were complaining that they were sick. :( DD8 was throwing up and DD6 has a nasty cold. So we stayed home, vegged out, and watched movies all day. We even watched Prince Caspian twice: once with the actor and director's dialog and once without. I'm very unhappy with Disney's decision to abandon the Narnia series. The next book in the series would make an excellent movie! :thumbsup2 I know that Disney is saying that finances came into play in their decision, but don't release Prince Caspian when two other big movies are coming out and your revenues might have been much greater. I think they should have released the movie in theaters in December of 2007 or 2008. They released The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in December 2005 and look how well it did. Oh well. it's not the first decision that Disney has made that I strongly disagree with and I doubt it will be the last. :(

Sorry about the vent.....Moving on....

Today, we will be staying home again. I'm glad football is on. As much as I like Prince Caspian, I don't think I want to watch it again today.:lmao: My DH and I may work on our budget and maybe have a Disney meeting to brighten up the girls' day. Not really planning much....Just praying the girls feel better and that DH and I don't get sick.:goodvibes

Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

A lot of things can change, remember when Disney parted ways with Pixar? That didn't last long, did it... So there is hope the Narnia series may continue after all!!

Sorry to hear everyone is sick, that is no fun! But at least you had a relaxing day to recuperate. ::yes::

[Amy&Dan]

Ugghh, vomit flu! That is the worst. I hope you and your husband don't get it! And I hope the girls feel better today.

I was bummed about Narnia too. But like Amy says, Disney does change their minds and plans all the time! Here's hoping, they are nice movies with action for the whole family.

[traceycooper]

wow -15 is COLD!!!
i didnt know Disney wasnt going to carry on with the Narnia series :(
My fav is voyage of the dawn treader & i was so looking forward to that!!
Hope everyone is feeling better!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

The girls are feeling better....Mom not so much. I didn't sleep well last night and when I woke up this morning, I started feeling like I am coming down with a cold. :( I took some Sambucol and hope that helps to ward off any bugs coming my way. :scared:

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Laundry (one load)

* Work for DH

* Research (work at home jobs....any ideas?)

I really hope Disney re-considers the Narnia thing...I think VOTDT would make an excellent movie!:goodvibes

I hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Hope you feel better soon!

Sorry, I don't have any original suggestions about stay-at-home jobs. The only thing I could think of would be a daycare or maybe making costumes for dance studios or something like that. :confused3

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Tracy,

Glad the girls are better and I hope your cold never really gets in gear! Home daycare, some sort of bookkeeping, phone sales, I have done all of that. Daycare is generally the easiest thing to find. There are always people who need that. Especially part time or drop in. Good luck, I still haven't come up with much concrete ideas for my own work dilemma! I hope you have better luck, let us know what you find out/decide.

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies....Still working on the work at home ideas...I have a book that I need to pick up at the library today that may help with the brainstorming process.

My DH started a part time job today. He'll be working early morning hours five days a week. That should really help us get our emergency fund re-funded and help us get some debt paid off this year. I really want to help with earning some money so I hope that an idea comes to fruition soon.:goodvibes

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Straighten the house up a bit

* Research

I can't focus on two major things at once (work at home and losing weight), so the losing weight thing is on the back burner for the time being. I will try and eat healthier and work some exercise into each day, but I want to focus on the work at home thing for now.

I hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I am really praying that a good solution to your work needs comes to you soon! Just do the best you can, you have a lot on your plate right now. Thats great dh found a part time job!

[traceycooper]

hi Tracy
i hope you find a solution soon,
in the meantime hope you have had a great weekend :)

[toystoryduo]

Hello ladies....Just a quick post for now....I have two science tests to prepare! ;)

We have been kind of busy the past couple of days. My DH has been working a lot, the girls and I are slowly (and I mean slowly) trying to de-junk the house, we're homeschooling, and I'm still researching ways to make money from home. Add in a few CVS trips, a trip to the mall, a trip to Walmart, and some eBaying, and you've got a very hectic couple of days!:scared: Did I mention TOM was here too? :headache:

I'm hoping that things will calm down a bit over the next few days....I'll try and come back to visit journals later!:goodvibes

[traceycooper]

wow Tracy you are busy!!!
glad your ok :)
remember to take some 'chill' time :)

[Amy&Dan]

Hey, I was getting worried about you! Afraid maybe you had gotten stuck in a snowdrift! You are one busy lady, I agree with Tracey, take some time to chill.

[toystoryduo]

Hey, I was getting worried about you! Afraid maybe you had gotten stuck in a snowdrift! You are one busy lady, I agree with Tracey, take some time to chill.

:lmao: You're too funny, Amy! Actually, I might get stuck in a snowdrift today...We got over a foot of snow in the past 24 hours and we're getting ready to go shovel my parents' driveway. (My dad was very sick last week and we're worried that he doesn't have the energy or stamina to shovel all that snow.)

No school today....Over 500 schools closed in the Cleveland area. (except the Cleveland Schools themselves :confused3 ) We're shoveling, de-junking, and working from home today.

Hope everyone has a great day! Stay warm!:goodvibes

[lovinaz]

Shoveling snow is great exercise!!!

Stay warm and hopefully springtime will arrive soon for you!

[Amy&Dan]

Oh my, a foot of new snow? You poor thing. Springtime can't get there fast enough I know. I agree with Amy, snow shoveling is good exercise. Its also hell on earth, but at least you burn calories!

Hang in there, maybe you'll warm up soon!

That's too funny, almost always when all the outlying suburbs here don't have school, Denver still will. I guess Cleveland is the same? Those poor kiddos in Cleveland knowing everybody else got a snow day.;)

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy
Hope your surviving the snow!!
we have it forcast for sunday/monday - just hope the weatherman has got it wrong!!!

[goldcupmom]

Well, I hate to be the dissenting voice, but I would LOVE a foot of snow! I'm just crazy like that, though! Always have been!

Hope you get a break, though! Stay warm!

Looks like otherwise you're doing pretty well. Hang in there, spring will eventually arrive!

Have a GREAT weekend!:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

Today has been a pretty good day so far. We slept in, my DH went to work, we went to a local flea market (found a tool for my DH for work, magnifying glasses for the girls, and collapsible clothing hampers for WDW for less than $4!:cheer2: ), got some walking in, and went to Sonic for lunch.

Since today's the last day of the month, we'll count our change in the change jar and add it to our WDW fund. We'll also check our progress and saving for our vacation as well.:goodvibes

I haven't weighed myself in a few days, but I suspect the scale will be the same or even slightly higher than my last weigh in. My clothes are feeling a bit tight. :blush: Something to work on in the days to come....

Hope everyone has a great weekend!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, good job for walking at the flea market and finding some bargains. Drink some extra water, your tight clothes may be some salt that just needs a good flushing!

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. January is gone so that means one month of winter behind us!!!:cool1:

[traceycooper]

great bargains Tracy :)
Hope the change jar is full ;)
i hope February goes quicker than January!!!!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

Not too much going on here.... Had some great shopping trips this weekend and did some de-cluttering as well. I'm hoping to continue de-cluttering right through the month of February so the house will be ready for spring cleaning in March.

Speaking of spring cleaning, we had temps in the 40's here the other day. It was downright balmy! :beach:

Still working on the work at home thing....Hopefully, the right job will come up soon!pixiedust:

That's about all from here...Hope everyone has a great evening!:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

It has been quite a busy morning already!:faint: I've gotten 2 hours worth of work done for my DH and chili is in the crockpot for dinner. I've also checked e-mails and done some rewards programs as well.

Plans for the rest of the day:

* Homeschooling

* Library

* Laundry

* Quick run to Target

* Work from home research

* De-clutter some more stuff!:cheer2:

That's about all from here...Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Wow, busy day! Hope you get some time to take a deep breath somewhere along the way. Chili sounds very yummy.

40 degrees, you need to whip out the bathing suits!:beach:

[traceycooper]

You sound on top of everything Tracy :)
can you send some of that warm sun over here :(

[lovinaz]

Mmm, I love chili in the crockpot! :thumbsup2

My DH has a bad habit of throwing all his change on his nightstand. You can't even see the surface there is so much change! And the other day DD9 wanted 50 cents for something and she asked if she could get it from DH's "junk change" pile! :rotfl2: Hopefully your "junk change" adds up to lots of WDW goodies!

[toystoryduo]

Good afternoon ladies,

It snowed...AGAIN. :( Ugh! This has been such a long winter already. My girls have cabin fever big time and are taking it out on each other. The weather is supposed to improve this weekend and I'm hoping they can get outside to play for awhile.

I'm getting frustrated too. They both have seem to hit a wall where reading is concerned. :( We're trying to work through it, but it's kind of tough at the moment.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling (in progress)

* Finish laundry

* Run errands

* Library

I did a Power 90 workout yesterday. It felt good to get my body moving again! I think my goal for February will be 3 workouts per week. This week, it will be Cardio/Weights/Cardio with one done and two to go!:cheer2:

Still working on the work at home thing...I have several ideas, but time is a bit limited at the moment. I'm hoping to spend some time over the weekend doing more research into possibilities.

That's about all from here...Have a great Wednesday! :hug:

P.S. I forgot to mention...We canceled our annual WDW trip in December this year.:sad: We decided that two trips this year would be way too much and we need to focus on savings and debt reduction. We still plan on going in September with the free dining and the $75 birthday gift card. I have been doing Sunshine Rewards, Swag Bucks, and My Points to earn for that. I might add in some eBaying eventually too. :goodvibes

[Amy&Dan]

Oh man, I am sorry about the December trip. But it sounds like you probably made the right choice. Tough times make for tough decisions that aren't fun to make!

Maybe your girls will suddenly just start clicking with the reading again. My kids have always done that, they grow in spurts and learn in spurts!

Good job setting a workout goal! And very well done doing that Power 90 workout!!:thumbsup2

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy. :hug:

Yesterday was a tough day here. I think that everyone has cabin fever and is fed up with winter. :( I think if we can swing it financially, we'll look at taking a trip to Florida next February to break up the winter blahs. Ugh. :( Did I mention the temperature was -8 this morning? :cold:

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Weight Workout

* Library

* Research

That's about all from here...Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Yuck, I don't envy your cold weather!

Great job getting that workout accomplished! Keep it up!!! :cool1:

[Amy&Dan]

I think Florida next February is a fine idea! We used to do that back when my kids were in year round school and it was so nice. I really miss that!

Hang in there with the cabin fever thing, hopefully you'll get an early spring. Your region has just been pounded this winter, you need to move to Colorado, we are 65 today.:confused3

Great job with those workouts.

And thanks for the pm, it brightened my day.:goodvibes

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Amy.:goodvibes

Quick post....I will try and get to journals tomorrow.

Three great things about today:

1. My DH won a ticket to Universal Studios!!! It was part of their promotion during the Super Bowl. The first 100,000 people to sign up won a 7 day/2 park ticket. DH was one of the winners. This may change our plans for Disney this year. :)

2. My DH got 3 checks in the mail today! It would be nice if we could get 3 checks in the mail everyday. ;)

3. I got my second workout of the week in...Power 90 weights. :cool1:

My DH and I are going to have a finance meeting tonight. Just an update type thing...Hoping it goes smoothly....

Have a great evening! :grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

That's great your dh won that Universal ticket! I just bought the 7 day tickets for $99 each for our June trip. We've never been and I want to try it out. So are you thinking switch from Disney to Universal or are you thinking you might do both? Details, details, I want them!

Have a good weekend, well done getting that workout in.

I hope your financial sit down went well, nothing gets me and my dh off kilter with each other like talking about money!:scared: :rotfl:

Keep up the good work with that exercising!:cheer2:

[goldcupmom]

Try taking the girls to pick out a 'new' book to read & one for you to read to them. Sometimes that worked for me..... then again......you never know!

I got in on the free universal ticket, too! My kids fav is universal...which is why we have only ever been to Disney twice :guilty: :sad2: :sad: Since my DNieces are teachers in FL they usually get in part of the year free to Universal & Sea World, so I'm hoping I can use it if I'm down there when they can get in free with their little ones.

Good job on the rewards stuff. It does add up. Do you do inbox dollars? PM me if you want the link. I manage to get a couple checks a year from them just reading emails & once you get your first check it adds up twice as fast.

Hope the weekend goes well & spring HURRIES!!!

[lovinaz]

Congrats on the free ticket! That will be a fun new thing to try next time you are in FL.

[Lesli54]

Just trying to catch up with you again. Looks like you are busy as always. Winning tickets sure does help stretch the vacations dollar.

Sorry, that you have to deal with all the snow again this winter. As for the reading, maybe you sould just encourage the girls to read the boxes of cereal when they eat or read a recipe that you are making. Also, let them just read comics. My older DD's had a teacher that told the class they could read whatever they wanted during free time even if it was a comic or a box of cereal. This at first didn't make sense to me, but he said that it at least keeps them reading and continues the enjoyment since you are not pushing them to just read a certain book. DD21 has always enjoyed reading, but DD19 really turned around in his class because she felt less pressure on what she should be reading. Of course, now she now reads the back of cereal (her favorite food) boxes over and over, but....... :confused3 ;) .

Have a wonderful weekend. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Amy&Dan]

Hope you are having a nice weekend Tracy. And that its not snowing in Ohio!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies!:grouphug:

As far as Disney plans go, I'm not sure what we are going to do at this point. We haven't been to Universal since we got married in 1996 and we'd like to check it out. The only thing is that going to Universal instead of Disney, will complicate the Free Dining thing a bit. Then again, it will allow us to save our tickets for another trip. Hmmmm....Lots of thinking to do! :scratchin:

Thanks for the reading suggestions! :goodvibes I'm going to try and implement some of them and see what happens.

My DH is working today. When he gets home, it's off to CVS, Walgreens, the grocery store, and the mall. Since we weren't able to get to church today, we'll do a family devotional later on in the evening. We'll also have a Disney meeting with the girls tonight. Talk about US and IOA and see what we plan on doing. Also, I received a $50 Disney gift card and $30 in Disney Dollars from Sunshine rewards yesterday, and a $10 rebate. I need to update our Disney savings stats. Right now, we have 19% of the money we need saved up for the trip. That's pretty good considering that my DH hasn't started deejaying yet!:thumbsup2 I'll have a new percentage tomorrow.:goodvibes

I weighed myself yesterday and was at 235. I weighed myself this morning and the scale read 233.4. :cheer2:

Hope everyone has a great day ahead!:grouphug:

[momof2minnies]

Hi Tracy,
Just catching up on your new journal.I have seen you on here before but never posted on yours.
First I want to say that my favorite ages of my DDs were 6 and 8- now 14 and 17.At 6 and 8 we took our first WDW trip maybe that's why.

I too am so sick of this weather but I have to say I think we are having a "Feb."thaw today- right now it is 40+ degrees already.

I get in an exercise funk this time of year too.I think I tend to hibernate!

I hope everyone is feeling better in your house.There have been so many sick people this year probably because we are all forced inside for so long.

Stop by my journal.It is fun to keep each other motivated around here.I too am trying to lose a few lbs but that darn scale must be broken-;)

Linda

[lovinaz]

Great job on the loss! :cool1:

You are very dedicated and organized when it comes to budgeting out your trips. That is a great trait to have! :)

[Lesli54]

Congrats on the lost lbs!:cool1:

Thanks for reminding me that I need to get my family together to plan our vacation this year. I guess summer is just around the corner.:beach: Let's hope that's not wishful thinking.;)

Hope the rest of your weekend is a good one. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks everyone!:grouphug:

Linda...Thanks for stopping by!:goodvibes I hope to read through your journal soon.

Today has been a mixed bag kind of day so far. My washer is on the fritz (needs new motor) and my DDs are having issues with listening today. We managed to get through homeschooling okay, but it was frustrating for awhile today.

I don't think I mentioned this, but the city is going to be doing major repairs on our street and sewer system this year. The heavy machinery started arriving onsite today. The project is scheduled to last until mid-September. No garage sale here this year. :(

We had our Disney meeting last night. We walked away with more questions than answers. I'm not sure what we are going to do in terms of dining and which parks we are going to. I'm not sure if we are going to take advantage of the US/IOA ticket my DH won either.:confused3 If we do, that adds another $300+ to our "budget" trip just so he can use the free ticket. :( We did manage to bump our savings up from 19% to 24% in the span of one week through rewards programs rewards received, change jar counted, and a couple of rebates that came in. The girls are having an issue understanding percentages so I tell them that we need 100 Mickeys to go to WDW (100% of the cost) and we have 24/100 Mickeys already. They get that. ;)

The plan for the rest of the day is to help my DH with work and continue my work at home research. I may also do some kind of de-cluttering today. Not sure what though.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!:goodvibes

[traceycooper]

I don't think I mentioned this, but the city is going to be doing major repairs on our street and sewer system this year. The heavy machinery started arriving onsite today. The project is scheduled to last until mid-September. No garage sale here this year.

I feel yah there Tracy - we have lived at our new home for over a year now & have been waiting for a proper road!!! They decided to come & rip everything up 2 weeks ago & then it snowed & they havnt been able to do any more!!! So we cant get the car on the drive & i will put money on it that the weather will clear up next week & they will turn up with their diggers, tractors etc ...why??? because thats the week i'm off school & looking forward to a lie in :headache:

Great idea for helping your DD's understand % :)

I wish i could be as good as you at budgeting!!!!
Have a great week :)

[Amy&Dan]

Wow, that will be a long project to deal with. But very worth it when its done.

You are disciplined with your trip budgeting and money in general. Once your dh starts deejaying, that percentage of Mickey's saved will go up quickly!

Best of all, congratulations on that loss on the scale! That feels so good, you have worked hard and stayed focused.:thumbsup2 :yay: :cheer2:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning,

I woke up not feeling well this morning. :( We're supposed to get haircuts this afternoon so I hope I start feeling better soon. The girls and I haven't had haircuts since before Thanksgiving!:eek: I think we are due for one. ;)

I weighed myself again this morning and the scale was at 231.2. I'm not sure how I managed to loose 4 pounds since Saturday, but I'll take it.:thumbsup2

Plans for today:

* Homeschooling

* Haircuts (if I feel better)

That's about all for now. I don't think I want to add much more to the day at this point.:sick:

I'll try and get to journals later...Have a great day!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Good morning! Sorry that you are not feeling well today. Make sure you get a little down time.

I love your Mickey percentage idea. That is really cut. Hoping that you feel better as the day goes by. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[lovinaz]

my DDs are having issues with listening today.

Be glad it's just for one day! My DS12 has issues with listening EVERY DAY! :rolleyes:

Great news that the scale is going down! :banana:

[momof2minnies]

Hi Tracy.
Oh that stinks to have all that equipment there.Just when you want to start opening windows probably.And the noise.I suppose it will be worth it when they are done.

4 more lbs that is great!I hope everyone is feeling better.

Have a great day,
Linda

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:grouphug:

I'm still not feeling 100% well yet. :( Yesterday was a tough day...I was sick and we had a major issue come up with our budget yesterday. I'm not sure how we are going to resolve the budget thing. I may end up going back to work for awhile until we can get things squared up. Your good thoughts and prayers would be much appreciated!:goodvibes

I weighed in this morning and I'm back up to 234. It's probably the 3 meals of mashed potatoes that I ate yesterday. I couldn't keep anything else down. :(

Sorry to be a Negative Nelly today...The last 24 hours have been tough.:sad1:

The good news is that our haircuts look cute, my DH's cousin and his wife had a healthy baby boy yesterday, and we had some nice weather the past two days.

That's about all from here.....Have a good evening!:grouphug:

[traceycooper]

i hope you can resolve the budget issues Tracy :hug:
Hope you feel better soon - sounds like what i had last week, so i know how you feel! :hug:

Keep on looking at those positives :)
we need to see hair pics ;) glad you were pleased with the haircuts & congrats on DH's cousin and his wife having a healthy baby boy :)
and i'm soooo jealous you have nice weather!!!

[momof2minnies]

Tracy,
Congrats to your cousin!

Mashed potatoes are a killer comfort food but if that was all you can keep down than you have to let it go.The weight will come back off when you are back on track.

Feel better soon!

Linda

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Tracey and Linda.:grouphug:

I'm still not feeling well. :( When I get sick lately, it seems to last awhile. I'm hoping this "bug" goes away sooner than later.

No update on the budget front..My DH spent the day yesterday calling around trying to get answers as to what is going on and really got nowhere. I'm hoping he gets in touch with the right people today so we can make arrangements to get this bill paid.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Coffee with a friend

I probably won't weigh myself again for a couple of days. I'm still sticking to carby, bland foods to make sure that my stomach stays settled. Hopefully once the bug is gone, I can start working on weight loss again. It felt good to have the scale go down! :goodvibes

Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

I hope you start feeling better soon. Do you take a multivitamin? That might help your body recover more quickly.

[Lesli54]

Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well........but at least the haircuts look cute, that's the important thing, right?;) ;)

Here's hoping that you can work out things with your budget and reduce the added stress that it must be causing.

As for the weight gain, let it go for now. It's mor important to focus on getting better at the moment. Hope you're feeling better soon.:hug: ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Lesli.:grouphug:

Yesterday was an okay day...We're still trying to get our former attorney to send a release so that we can negotiate with this company. Unfortunately, he is choosing not to do that. :( Very frustrating, but praying a lot...

I had coffee with a friend yesterday and we had a great time. My friend always knows what to say to crack me up. She's very encouraging and a lot of fun to be with.

Today's Plan:

* Call attorney!

* Chuck E Cheese

That's about all from here...Have a great day!:hug:

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy
How are you feeling??
hope your getting better, i have another bug too, exactly 1 week after the last one!! :(
good luck with the attorney!

[Lesli54]

Isn't is great to have a friend that can make you laugh no matter what? It's good that you took some time to allow yourself to step back a little.

Hope that you can get through to the attorney and that you have a much better day! ::MickeyMO::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Tracey and Lesli. :grouphug:

I am starting to feel much better. My stomach is still a little iffy, but I can keep food down!:thumbsup2

We went to Chuck E Cheese today. The girls treated their dad for Valentine's Day. Of course, they got to play games and have a good time as well, so I think it was a shared gift. ;)

We've made some progress with the attorney. We have to wait a few days before we get a decision. Please send lots of good thoughts, prayers, and :wizard: :wizard: :wizard: :wizard: our way!

We're headed to my mom's for dinner and then we'll come home and work on DD6's room. Maybe a movie if the room doesn't take too long.:rolleyes:

Have a great evening!:goodvibes

[lovinaz]

I bet DD is excited to get a newly decorated room! That always seems to make them happy.

Glad to hear you are feeling better, hopefully you will be back to 100% soon.

Enjoy your weekend! :goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Good to hear that you are feeling better. It's also good to see that you are making progress with the attorney.

Are you completely redecorating your DD's room? Sounds like some great exercise.;) Have a great weekend!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[traceycooper]

hope your having a great weekend Tracy :)

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Tracy, I am sorry you have been sick and had this budget issue. Hopefully that will be resolved very soon! I am keeping you and your family in my prayers, nothing stresses me out more than money issues so I know this has been beyond hard for you.

Congrats on the new baby in your family!

Just keep on keeping on sweetie. And I am sorry I haven't been around much lately, I am afraid I have been selfish and only worrying about myself the past few days! So forgive me and thanks for always being such a good friend to me!

:hug:

[toystoryduo]

Thank you ladies. :grouphug:

We had a good weekend. :) Unfortunately, I ate a lot!:eek: I weighed myself this morning to see how much damage was done....236.2 :scared1: Ugh! :( My plan for the week ahead is to get 3 days of exercise in and to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. I had a lot of pizza and pasta this weekend so I am hoping that drinking the water will flush some of that out.

Please continue your good thoughts and prayers...My DH will call the lawyer today to see if the company has agreed to work with us or not. This has been beyond stressful, especially since we thought our former attorney had taken care of this.:rolleyes: Thanks for your prayers!:grouphug:

Today's Plan:

* Clean the girls' rooms

* Workout

They have started construction (well, de-struction ;) ) of our road. It's going to be a long 6+months....

That's about all from here. Hope everyone has a great Monday!:grouphug:

************************************************** ************************************

Amy and Lesli~ We're not re-decorating the girls' entire rooms yet. Basically, we're going to de-junk, reorganize, and re-arrange furniture. Then as the budget allows, we'll let them do small things here and there to re-decorate their rooms. They're pretty excited about it. (Well, not the cleaning part. :lmao: )

Tracey~ Thanks WISH sis!:hug:

Amy~ No worries, my friend.:hug: We all have stuff going on right now. I am so thankful for your friendship.:hug: Our lives have paralleled each others since we met a few years ago and it's nice to have such a great friend to walk down the road with me. Thanks Amy!:hug:

[lovinaz]

I feel your pain on the road construction! They closed one of the intersections on my way to work on Jan 5, and it was supposed to be opened back up on Feb 5, then Feb 12, now it's Feb 26! Hopefully yours gets completed on schedule! :wizard:

[Lesli54]

Hey, reorganizing is always a good thing. It is so amazing what you can get rid of.

Don't worry too much about the weekend. Just get yourself back on track, that is the most important thing.:yay: Have a great day!::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Lesli.:grouphug:

Still no word yet...Hopefully tomorrow.

Food has been an absolute disaster today. I'm really struggling. :(

B: 3 Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
L: 2 Huge Salads with lots of cheddar cheese and crutons
S: plate full of crutons, cheddar cheese, salad dressing
D: Spaghetti with Italian Sausage, meatballs, and Texas Toast

And ya know what? The day is not over yet. :( I can't figure out if I am stress eating (crunchy crutons= working out frustration) or if I am making up from the lack of eating I did last week when I was sick. In any event, I am stressed out (over several things), feeling really fat and yucky, and just plan blah. I did manage to drink my 64+ ounces of water today, but no exercise...Maybe later.

Thank God tomorrow is a brand new day.

[momof2minnies]

Yes tomorrow is a new day and that is how we have to think about it.We can't let one day defeat us!

Tomorrow just start over and forget today.

Linda

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Linda.:hug:

After I posted yesterday, my DH asked his mom to watch the kids so we could go to the gym. I haven't been to the gym since summer due to the problems with my heel and due to the run in with some old friends of mine. I was pretty nervous going in, but I knew that I needed to work out the stress and frustration. I have to say, I am glad we went! :) I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, 18 on the treadmill, and 22 on the bike. It felt good to be there and even better to workout!:banana:

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Research

* Work for DH

* SR

* Help the girls with their rooms

We're still waiting to hear from the attorney. I hope we get an answer today. I am ready to move on and get this stuff paid off!:thumbsup2

Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Glad to hear that you managed to get in some time for yourself and workout. It really helps with the stress level. My guess, it's mainly the stress that has your eating off kilter.

WISHing you a stress free day!:wizard: ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Wish Sis,

I am so sorry things are just so cruddy right now. They will get better!:hug: In the meantime, be proud that you: posted what you ate, worked out and drank your water. I am proud on all fronts you went to the gym. I have some similar issues with some old friends (I use that term loosely) and that is one of the reasons I quit going to my gym. My bad! I had a membership at 24 Hour Fitness and all I had to do was pay $49 a year to keep that up. I let it go. So good for you for not doing an "Amy" with your gym. Don't let the wenches of your past affect your present and future!

I hope you get the stuff worked out with the attorney. Just keep doing the little steps, they all add up and get you to your final goal! Have a better day my friend!:hug: :goodvibes :flower3:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Lesli and Amy.:grouphug:

Today has been a good day so far. No word from the attorney yet and that is mildly frustrating, but I think that workout yesterday produced some good endorphins because although the situation has not changed, I do feel better today. :goodvibes

Hoping to head back to the gym later on or at least get a walk in....

Have a great evening! :grouphug:

[traceycooper]

yay for getting to the gym Tracy :)
Its a big step to go back after a break - & you did it :)
I'm so glad you felt better after going too :)
crossing my fingers on the attorney situation..

[momof2minnies]

Tracy,
That is great you got to the gym.I was a gym member for a long time then as most people do stopped going but kept that monthly payment thinking oh yeah I will go back.
I am a huge fan of spinning and used to do that 3 times per week. I really would like to do that again.Now I work out at home.I guess it does allow you more freedom to do it when you want to.

I am glad you are feeling better.Things will look up.And it is funny how things look different when we are feeling better about ourselves even though a situation did not change?

Keep up the great work,
Linda

[goldcupmom]

Congrats on making it back to the gym, Tracy!

Hopefully you will hear good things from that attorney soon. I'm praying!!!

Hang in there.. It seems frustration is everywhere lately!

Reclaiming & redoing the girls room sounds like fun. And it's always so nice when it's done.

Hope the rest of the week brings good things for you!

:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Thank you so much ladies.:grouphug:

I'm not feeling very positive today. :( Maybe because I didn't work out yesterday? I don't know. We still haven't heard from the attorney yet. It's kind of holding things up ya know? Please continue to send good thoughts and prayers...

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Library

* SR

* Work from home stuff

I am hoping that this "fog" lifts as the day goes on. I felt positive yesterday and today I just don't. :(

Hope everyone has a good Wednesday!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Exercise does improve your mood! :thumbsup2

I know it is extremely frustrating when someone doesn't get back to you, but don't let it get you down. You can't control the attorney, therefore you can't worry about it. Focus on the things you CAN control, and your stress level should go down.

Hang in there! :hug:

[Lesli54]

Still hoping that things work out soon with the attorney.:wizard:

Sorry to hear that you are a bit down today. Maybe, you are right and it is partially the exercise. Try to see if you can get a few minutes in today to test your theory. Hoping the rest of your day gets better. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Tracy,

I really hope that atty. gets back to you. It is so frustrating when somebody doesn't return calls etc. Just hang in there, this will all work out very soon! In the meantime, I think you are on to something: exericse really helps your mood and spirits. So keep that up, even if its just a short walk! Hang in there, we are all pulling for you!:goodvibes :hug: :flower3:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

Yesterday was a good day. We got a phone call from the attorney and she said that they are willing to work with us.:banana: Of course, to me it's not official until we receive the paperwork in the mail, but it is a step in the right direction. Thank you, Lord!:cool1:

My DH and I are going to have a budget/finance meeting tonight. We want to brainstorm ways to make extra money and to pay debt off faster.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Blog Work

* SR

* Laundry

* Workout

* Meeting

That's about all from here...Have a great Thursday everyone!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

It's great to hear that you heard from the attorney and things are positive.:thumbsup2 In fact, you yourself sound more positive, which is very good.

Your goals for the day look great! I will be thinking of you as we both get in our exercise.;) Have a great day! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I am so glad you heard from the atty! As you say its a step in the right direction. I am keeping my fingers crossed and keeping you guys in my prayers.

Good luck with brainstorming and coming up with ways to ease up finances a bit. Two heads are better than one and you guys are resourceful so I am betting you come up with some good ideas!

Happy Thursday, weekend is just around the corner!:cool1:

[traceycooper]

Great news Tracy :)
& if you come up with any good budgeting ideas, plz share - i need all the help i can get ;)

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

We didn't have the budget meeting yesterday. It snowed quite a bit and road crews couldn't keep up. The roads were bad and a trip that would normally take my DH 30 minutes took him an hour and a half. By the time he got home, he was worn out. :faint: We decided that it probably wasn't a good time to talk about money. LOL!:laughing: In any event, we plan to sit down on Sunday evening and talk about it then.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling (in progress)

* Workout (shoveled snow for an hour DONE)

* Laundry (fold and put away...in progress)

* SR

* Blog work

* Menu Planning

Yesterday, I noticed that I am consuming way too many calories each day. :( My mom sent over some cookies to munch on. When I looked at the calorie content, I saw that one serving had 150 calories. Well, at that point, I had eaten about 3 servings!:eek: That means 450 calories for a small snack. It was so not worth it. :headache:

My plan is to make myself more aware of the calories I am putting in my body. No big changes yet, but I will be checking labels more carefully now.

That's about all from here....Hope everyone has a great weekend!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

It is VERY easy to eat too many calories, isn't it?? I bet you will see some weight come off just from being more aware of what you are doing. And really paying attention when you are eating, and stopping when you are full.

I don't envy your snow! You can dream that you are here, the high for today is 78 and it is forecast to be 85 on Sunday/Monday! :sunny:

[traceycooper]

sorry you have the yucky snow Tracy!
definatly worth keeping an eye on calories - seems to be helping me :)

[Lesli54]

It is amazing how much those calories per serving can add up, isn't it? I think it is great that you are becoming more aware of calorie content.:thumbsup2 Keep up the great job of making a lifestyle change. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy, Tracey, and Lesli.:grouphug:

I can see the sun!:cool1: Woohoo!:yay: Even though it is supposed to snow later on today, I am so glad to finally wake up to sunshine. It just starts the day off in a good way, ya know?:thumbsup2

We have a lot going on this weekend....Work, Mom Time, shopping, a baby shower, e.t.c. We also have the big financial talk tomorrow night. We began a part of the conversation last night around midnight and lets just say that things went south real quick. :( Why oh why do we discuss things like that when we are both beyond exhausted? :confused3 As my DDs would say, "DUH!" (Where's the smack myself in the head smilie when you need one?:lmao: )

Yesterday, I went to CVS to work a couple of deals and noticed that they had some nice make up bags with lotion and body wash samples on clearance. I picked up a few for gifts. They only cost $2.99/each!:cheer2: (regularly $14.99)

Well, that's about all from here. I have some work to do for myself and for my DH before I head out to Mom Time. Have a great weekend everyone!:grouphug:

[momof2minnies]

tracy,
Just curious- how did you work out that deal at CVS?

Linda

[Lesli54]

I agree, waking up to sunshine is a great start to the day! Unfortunately, we are going into daylight savings time soon. Good bye morning sun :sad1:. At least for awhile. It's snowing here again as well.

Sounds like a full weekend for you. Good luck with your budget meeting......when the two of you are clear minded and awake.;) Hope your weekend is enjoyable.::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

We had a good weekend. It was busy, but good.:goodvibes

The highlight of the weekend was signing up for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It's a 13 week course that teaches you how to budget and save and how to control your money. My DH and I are both looking forward to this class.:banana:

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Laundry

* Cleaning

* Taxes

* SR

* Blog work

That's about all from here...Have a great Monday!:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

tracy,
Just curious- how did you work out that deal at CVS?

Linda

Hi Linda,

Are you talking about the makeup bags? They were in the clearance aisle at our CVS with 75% off. I think the manager gave me an extra discount because a couple of them worked out to 80% off. I heard that the Essence of Beauty robes are at 75% off in some locations. Those make great gifts!:cool1:

Hope this helps.:goodvibes

[lovinaz]

That's great that you enrolled in the Financial class. Hopefully that will teach you some new things and alleviate all the financial stress you've been having!

[traceycooper]

aahhh sunshine - remind me how that looks??!??

Thats great that you signed up for the Financial class, i hope it gives you lots of inspiration....that you can share ;)

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Tracey.:grouphug:

We have sunshine again today!:cool1: The problem is that it is brutally cold outside. :cold: It's supposed to warm up this week, but rain. :( I hope we can get sun and warm temperatures at the same time very soon.:cool2:

We are getting DSL today!:banana: No more dial up for us.:cool1:

Yesterday, I got a 75 minute cardio workout in: 25 on the elliptical, 20 on the treadmill, and 30 on the bike. It felt good to get into the gym and workout! It helped me with some of the stress that I am working through regarding money and work.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Laundry

* Blog work

* SR

* Taxes

* Library

That's about all from here...Hope everyone has a great day!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Good job getting those workouts in! I hope you get a weather break soon, this winter has been so awful for people in your neck of the woods.

I have read the Dave Ramsey book and he's wonderful. Dh and I haven't done the class at church yet but we hope to someday. I think you'll really like it. He's helped a lot of people get on the path to financial freedom. I hope I get there someday too!

Its so easy to lose track of calories, so good job keeping on top of that. You are taking some great steps towards lots of great goals!:thumbsup2 :goodvibes

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy.:hug:

The great thing about the Dave Ramsey class is that it is $93 to take and if we take all the classes, our church will reimburse us $50!:cheer2: We are really looking forward to it.

I finally have DSL!!!!:cheer2: It is sooooooo much faster than dial up!!! It will really help with the blog stuff.:thumbsup2

Have a great evening everyone!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Wow Tracy, I wish my church would do that! I did buy the book awhile back and am sort of just doing it on my own. Do you ever listen to his radio program? I think he has one!

Congrats on DSL! Once you get it, you never go back!!!

[momof2minnies]

Tracy,
If you look on this journal page you will find Tigertown.He has done the Dave Ramsey program too. Have a great one and you are doing a great job on your exercise.

Linda

[lovinaz]

Wow, I can't believe you have survived all this time with dial-up! ;) It will certainly change the way you surf the net, that's for sure!

[toystoryduo]

I am loving DSL!!!:love:

It has been kind of a tough day here. I found a part time job a few days ago that has super flexible hours that might work out well for me. I tested for it this morning and I don't think I did very well. :( I've spent most of the day beating myself up about it. I'm still hoping I get it, but I won't hear for sure for a few days yet. Good thoughts/prayers are much appreciated!:goodvibes

Some positives from the day:

* The sun is out.:cool2:

* We are officially under 200 days away from our trip.:cool1:

* I've been able to take advantage of the contest at SR today and have added some extra money to my account.:cool1:

I'm off to make dinner....Hope everyone has a good evening!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

:yay: DSL!:yay: Isn't it amazing how much faster that is than dial up? Now you will wonder how you ever got anything else done when you were waiting for pages to load. Just think, you will make it through all the journals in no time.

I think that taking the class is a good plan. It never hurts to step back and take a critical view of your financial planning every once in a while. The fact that you and your DH are doing this together goes along way in supporting the lifestyle that the two of you are striving for together.

Looks like you are doing well with getting the workouts in. Hope that today is a good day for you. ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Lesli.:hug:

TOM is here and I am not feeling all that positive or energetic. :( I have gotten a few things accomplished today, but my to do list is still a mile long. I'm trying not to get overwhelmed.....

We have a birthday party to go to tonight. I'm not sure what's on the menu, but I don't pan on eating much. I may or may not have a piece of cake. Just depends on how I feel.

I'm hoping I have more energy tomorrow. I have hours worth of tax stuff ahead of me.:scared:

Have a good evening.:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

I can sum up the upcoming weekend in one word....Taxes! :scared: I am about 75% done with ours, but I will probably be doing my MIL's this weekend too.

I've got a busy day ahead....

* taxes

* laundry

* SR

* blog work

* work for DH

I haven't weighed myself in a few days, but I think I will wait until TOM is over to do so. Maybe I'll get lucky and show a loss. ;)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

You're in good company. My weekend will be taxes as well.

Looks like you are doing well. Weighing yourself in a few days sounds like a plan.

Hope you have a good weekend, despite the number crunching.::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[lovinaz]

Good luck with the taxes! I finally got ours done last weekend. What a chore!

I envy the fact that you can not weigh yourself for a couple days. I am a slave to the scale, a habit I wish I could break!

Have a great weekend. :goodvibes

[traceycooper]

hope the taxes are out of the way soon Tracy! (& TOM!!)
good luck with the job - i have everything crossed for you - remember whats ment to be will be :)

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I am keeping my fingers crossed for your part time job. Very good idea to wait until TOM is over to weigh. Just hang in there with TOM, waiting to hear on the job and taxes. That's a heavy load. I hope the party was fun. Happy Weekend. :goodvibes :hug:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:grouphug: A quick post....

I got the part time job as a ChaCha Guide.

I also got the taxes done, minus the local.

I am really not feeling well....Sore throat, headache, e.t.c. I've got some work to do and then I'm going to call it an evening.

I hope everyone has a good evening!:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

I'm still not feeling well. As a matter of fact, I woke up tired. :( I guess my body is trying to fight this "bug" pretty hard. I may take a nap at some point today.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Paperwork for DH

* Work for DH

* Laundry

* Office Max and Library

* Plan DH's birthday

That's about all from here...Hope everyone has a great day ahead!:grouphug:

[traceycooper]

yay congrats on the job :)
& getting the taxes done :)
hope you feel better soon -sounds like what DD & i have had - blame the cyber germs ;)

[Amy&Dan]

I hope you took the nap! I didn't listen to my body last week and I am paying for it big time.

Congrats on the job!!! What is a chacha guide? I am excited for you. Think of how your Disney account will grow (there is a Disney spin to everything in my book ;) ),

Feel better and don't overdo!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:hug:

No nap for me yesterday, but I think that will change for today. I woke up exhausted again. :( Whatever this "bug" is, it is a tough one to get rid of. :( Hoping it goes away soon.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Work for DH

* Nap

Tomorrow we have our first Financial Peace Class. I am excited about it, but nervous at the same time.

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Congrats on the job! That should add to your financial peace! ;)

Hope you feel better soon.:wizard:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, don't be nervous, remember everyone is at that class for the same reason, to learn more about money management. I have never heard of one person who didn't come away from that class feeling like they didn't get their money's worth!

I hope you feel better soon, I guess this is just that end of winter, last hurrah, for all the flu bugs! Take a nap!!!

When do you start the new job?

Have a great day.:)

[goldcupmom]

Hope you are feeling much better! Sick is NOT fun!!

Congrats on the ChaCha guide! I had read about them last week & it sounded pretty interesting.

Hang in there & take it easy!:hug: Praying all is better soon!

[toystoryduo]

Thank you ladies.:grouphug:

A quick post....I'm running behind today.

I'm still not feeling 100%. This morning I woke up and felt cold symptoms coming on. I also didn't sleep well last night. I had a lot on my mind and spent some time tossing and turning.

Today, we have our 1st Financial Peace University Class. I'm excited, but a little nervous. :goodvibes

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Work for DH

* Blog work

* FPU

That's about all from here...I'll try and get to journals later.:goodvibes

[Amy&Dan]

Hey there, I see you are over 8000 posts!! Try to get some rest today, I think your body is trying to tell you something!;) I am so excited that you are taking this class, I can't wait to hear all about it!

Feel better soon. Remember plenty of rest is the best prevention for getting sick! Tossing and turning doens't count!!

[lovinaz]

I hope you are feeling better soon! :wizard:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Amy. :grouphug:

I am feeling a little better. The only thing is that the yucky feeling has a tendency to come and go. So right now, I feel okay. In a couple of hours, it could be a different story.

My mom sent lunch up for us so that was a huge blessing. Lunch came at the perfect time so I didn't have to make it!:goodvibes

The girls and I had to have a long talk this morning about responsibility and obedience and it was kind of draining. They seem to get it now, but that could change in a couple of days when they forget. ;)

I've got some more work to do this afternoon before we head out to our FPU class. Hope everyone has a great afternoon!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Sorry, I haven't been around lately. Isn't it great to have the taxes behind you?

I hear you on talking to the kids about obedience and responsibility. Depending on the child it seems to stick with one longer than the other. Just remember, that even if it lasts only a few days now, make sure you repeat it since you are building character for the long term. From experience, I know that my older DD's are much better individuals because we kept reinforcing these issues. Good luck!

Looking forward to hearing about your financial class. Hope you have fun.::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[Amy&Dan]

Good luck at your class tonight Wish Sis, I'll be anxious to hear about it tomorrow! That is so sweet your mom sent lunch over. Mom's are the best.:hug:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

Yesterday's FPU class was wonderful! Dave Ramsey talked about saving and how important it is. He's very entertaining and I feel like I am learning a lot from him already. My DH who was hesitant to go, is learning a lot and enjoying the class so far too. (We'll see how he feels when we do our homework this weekend. ;) ) Our small group has a nice mix of young and old, couples and singles so I think that will be beneficial to us as well. :)

One thing that struck me yesterday was that Dave said we should Give, Save, and then Pay Bills. For my DH and I, we have a tendency to flip that: Pay Bills first and then wonder what there is to give or save. He stressed the importance of the Emergency Fund and getting that setup as quickly as possible. Right now, we are at 10% of our goal. We really need to follow the Give, Save, and Pay Bills plan. We need to shore up that Emergency Fund as soon as possible and we need to learn to live on 80% of our income.

Today is my nephew's 1st birthday! :dance I can't believe he is one already. :eek: Where did that year go?

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Laundry

* Office Max, Dollar General

* Birthday Party

That's about all from here! :goodvibes Have a great Thursday!:cool1:

[lovinaz]

I'm glad you liked your class! Hopefully it helps take some of the stress off! :goodvibes

[Amy&Dan]

Yes, his plan of give and save is completely opposite what most of us do! Good luck getting that emergency fund set up. We got ours set up, then the wedding became our emergency so now we have to start all over for the most part! I am proud of you for taking the step of going to the class. :goodvibes Sounds like a busy day!

[Lesli54]

It's great to hear that you are already learning from your class. I agree, most people tend to pay bills first then try to figure out how to save later. However, if people are taking the extra to buy what they "think they need" then there is never enough to save. So begin saving first and then you don't have as much left to buy what is really not necessary.:thumbsup2 My DH and I probably don't give as much as we are "supposed" to, but we do make sure that we have enough saved and set aside. If you at least get that part down, you will be amazed at how much less stress there is financially.

Have fun with the homework! ::MickeyMo::MickeyMo

[toystoryduo]

Thanks for the encouragement ladies. :grouphug: I am very excited about the classes we are taking and feel blessed that my DH agreed to take them with me.:goodvibes I've been doing our finances for years and it is such a thrill to have him take an interest and a stake in them. He does bring home the money so obviously, he does a lot, but I so appreciate his willingness to work on this together. :hug:

We have a busy weekend ahead: DH works all weekend, I am meeting my friend for coffee, my grandfather's birthday is on Saturday, we have work to do to get ready for next week, shopping, and Financial Peace homework to do as well. We'll also sit down and look at tweaking our Disney budget too. I mentioned to my DH that we could cancel the vacation, but he was very adamantly opposed to it. He will be picking up another part time job soon and said that since he will be working 60-80+ hours a week, he wants and will need this vacation. I don't blame him one bit.

I am $0.55 away from making Super Member again at Sunshine Rewards. I'll try and get that taken care of today. :goodvibes

That's about all from here. Have a great Friday!:cool1:

[lovinaz]

Vacations are definitely an important part of anyone's life. We all need some time to get away and unwind!

Enjoy your weekend!

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I agree with Amy. Vacations are something that make all the other sacrifices and hard work worth it! I am willing to cut mine in half but out all the way, not at this time!!

Good luck with your homework, I think its great your dh is taking the class with you. Its got to be a two way street when it comes to money!

Enjoy our time with your friend and your grandpa's birthday! :)

[Lesli54]

I agree with the others, you do need to take time for yourselves. But maybe, you'll feel better if you look again at your vacation budget and just cut back on some things that you could do at another time. It may be "taboo" on these boards, but our family does not visit the parks everyday when we visit WDW. The kids like to have a day that they can just enjoy things at the resort and swim, so we save a bit on tickets.

You will figure it out, I have faith in you. But having that time away does the family good.;)

[momof2minnies]

Good Morning Tracy- what a beautiful weekend it is going to be.

Happy Birthday to your Grandpa!!!!!!!!

Jillian is tough but I love her kick in the butt she gives you.Even from a dvd over and over again you feel like she is in your face-LOVE IT!

Let me know what you think when you try it.

Linda

[toystoryduo]

Thank you so much, Amy, Amy, Lesli, and Linda. :grouphug: I really appreciate your words of encouragement. :goodvibes

Yesterday, we managed to get all of the errands and grocery shopping done that needed to get done. We saved $38.07 on our grocery bill using coupons!:banana: Also at Office Max yesterday, we got a pack of printer paper, 1 pack of Post It notes, and a box of paper clips for $0.60.:banana: (We had a $10 off a $10 purchase coupon.:goodvibes )

We have a busy day ahead of us...My DH is working for 6-7 hours this morning (starting @ 4:00 a.m.) and has a work order to complete. After that, I am going to have coffee with a friend of mine and then we're heading out to my grandma's house for my grandpa's birthday party.

I also have to copy some rebates before I mail them out, do a couple of offers on SR, and update our Disney info before I leave for coffee with my friend. Hopefully, I can get it all done.

I weighed in this morning at 232.6. That is a 4 pound loss since last week. I think it's TOM related, but I'll take it!:banana:

Have a great Saturday everyone!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Great news on the loss! :banana:

You really do well with the bargains, I'm sure you are way ahead of everyone else in your Financial class in that area! :goodvibes

Enjoy your visit with your friend and your b-day party!

[Lesli54]

Congrats on the lbs down! Take what you can get and kick those lbs to the curb for good.:cool1:

Keep up the great work you have been doing and have a wonderful day!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Lesli.:grouphug:

I've gotten quite a bit done this morning. My plan for the next couple of hours is to work on my DH's paperwork for next year's taxes and work on the Disney stuff as well. Once we get back from my grandma's house tonight, we'll have our Disney meeting and see what we can do about the budget.

Have a great afternoon!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Glad you are already getting some good info from the class.

Congrats on the loss! AWESOME!!!! Take it any way you can!!

I agree with your DH that you need the vacation, but tweaking it a bit may be helpful for the budget. You're good at that!

have a good rest of the weekend!

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I had coffee with a friend, we went to my grandparents for my grandpa's birthday party, and we walked around the block last night. We also had our Disney budget meeting and cut as much as we possibly could from the budget. Details in the days to come...

My DH had to work this morning so we were not able to go to church. Once he gets home, we'll hit CVS and Walgreens. We'll come home, drop him off so he can take a nap, and then the girls and I will head to Target and the library. If all goes well, we'll work on our FPU homework tonight as well.

That's about all from soggy Ohio. Hope everyone has a great Sunday!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Your not the only soggy one today. If this rain ever quits, I would be amazed. Our streets are becoming rivers.

It's good to see that you adjusted the Disney budget together. Looking forward to hearing what you have decided you could cut out. Hope your "homework" goes smoothly this evening.

Have a great Sunday! Oh, wait, I see the sun! If it's real, it should be making its way to you.

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Lesli. :hug:

Just a quick post....

I got my CVS shopping and Walgreens shopping done already. My DH is napping so I am going to take the girls to the library and maybe another CVS to look for clearance cologne that is reported to be on sale. After dinner this evening (chili in the crockpot), we'll try and tackle our FPU homework. If I get a chance, I'll come back later and show how we lowered our WDW budget. :thumbsup2

Have a great afternoon!:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

Yesterday, my DH and I finished our FPU homework and we didn't argue at all! ;) It was nice to have a money discussion and have it be just that: a discussion. We've got a plan in place and it feels good to be able to tell our money where to go instead of the other way around. :)

Lots to do today....

* Homeschooling (starting Health and History)

* Work for DH

* Blog work

* SR

* Laundry

* Workout (watch Chuck)

* Go to MIL's house (watch 24)

As far as our Disney vacation budget goes, we really cut out a lot. We cut out a potential 3 or 4 day stay at BCV. We also cut out buying US/IOA tickets. That saved us $1000 right there. Here's what our new budget looks like:

Pop: $947 (free dining!)
Car: $267
Gas: $350

Total: $1564

You may notice that we don't have money in there for food or souvenirs. On the way down to Florida, we will take our own food that travels well. (fruit, granola bars, maybe stuff for sandwiches) On the way home from Florida, we'll have food that we purchased with our snack credits at POP's food court. (We hardly ever use our snack credits during the week!) As far as souvenirs go, I will be getting a $75 gift card for my birthday for the "What Will You Celebrate" promotion and we'll use that for souvenirs if we buy any.

As of right now, we have:

$350/$1564

I have an SR gift card that is on it's way and I am mailing in a rebate this week for another fuel card from Proctor and Gamble. Deejaying will start soon and a portion of that money will go towards the trip and I will SR as much as I can to add even more. We'll also either head to the flea market one weekend and try to sell some stuff or we'll have a garage sale at my parent's house this summer. (We can't have one since our roads are torn up.) I may eBay a few things as well. We'll just have to wait and see.

Well, that's about all from here...Have a great Monday! :grouphug:

[goldcupmom]

Your vacation plan is AWESOME!! Amazing what we can do when we put forth an effort, isn't it?

I've never done SR, but probably should. If you get referral points, pm me a referral. it's one program I don't think I've looked at.

have a GREAT Monday!!

[lovinaz]

Wow, that is dirt cheap for a vacation for a family of 4! I am trying to budget out our upcoming trip and it is full of unknowns...:confused3

[Lesli54]

Way to go on your WDW budget!:cool1: It's great that you made a few changes that everyone can live with and still kept budget down. I am sure that you will have a much better time nowing that you had a great vacation and banked the extra savings.

One thing that I do is MyPoints (don't know if you do that). I manage to get $75 in gift cards for Rainforest Cafe which provides us a nice meal at WDW (family of 6), mainly from "reading" emails. Sounds like you have some great ideas for offsetting more of your expenses. Keep up the great work.

Hope your day is a good one.

[toystoryduo]

Wow, that is dirt cheap for a vacation for a family of 4!

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? ;)

With our WDW trip this year, we will be staying at POP for seven nights with free dining. We already have theme park tickets left over from previous vacations, plus the one day ticket we had to buy to get the free dining so we're all set with theme park admissions.

Right now, it's too expensive for us to fly (and because I am afraid to fly! :blush: ), so we will be getting a car rental instead. Since we are driving instead of flying, we'll be taking food to Florida and bringing food back with us to eat. We may stop at a Wendys or Sonic here and there which might add another $20-$40 to the trip. As far as souvenirs go, I will be getting a $75 Disney gift card for my birthday for the "What Will You Celebrate" promo. We'll use that to buy souvenirs if we decide to buy any.

One thing I forgot to mention...My girls will have their own Disney Dollars that they earn throughout the year to spend on souvenirs for themselves. Once their Disney Dollars are gone, they are gone.

I am trying to budget out our upcoming trip and it is full of unknowns... :confused3

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of unknowns? I may be forgetting to budget for some things. It is very possible that I have overlooked something. Any suggestions?:goodvibes

[Amy&Dan]

Hey girl. The thing I love about planning and budgeting for WDW vacations is that you don't have as much unknown. You know your tickets get you into the parks,you know what there is to do, and if you have the DDP (free or not) you know what you will spend on food. I think your budget looks great! I know you'll get that rest saved up!

Congrats on the FPU class and having a discussion that wasn't stressful!

And very big CONGRATS on that four pound loss! I am so proud of you!:hug:

[lovinaz]

Dirt cheap in a good way! :rotfl:

We are going to Europe and my biggest unknown is transportation costs. We are spending a week in Paris with no car, but will be taking trains and subway. I think I have it all planned out (you can get single tickets or passes that are good for so many days), but I am going to budget some extra for transportation, just in case! Food is also a biggie, I am planning on $150/day. Hopefully we won't spend that much, but they say to guess how much you will need, then double it. Who knows, maybe we will have some $$ left over at the end!

Now that you have everything planned out, the hardest part will be waiting for the vacation to actually start!:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Sounds like you are doing great on your Disney budget! Maybe you can find some coupons for those fast food places along the way.

Your idea to let the kids used their own money for souvenirs they want is a good one. We do the same and it really makes the kids think twice before they buy.

Hope your day is a good one!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug: We are very excited about our vacation!:cool1: I have to get working on my blog soon, but I have to tell you, I'd rather sit here on the boards and plan ADRs or something. ;)

Yesterday was a good day. I got an Elliptical workout in at the gym and burned about 500 calories.:cool1: I wish I could get to the gym more often, but with our schedule the way it is, we just don't have the time.

We finished homeschooling and lunch about a half hour ago. This afternoon, I need to work on blog posts. This evening, I will work on SR and help my DH with work.

Tomorrow is our next FPU class. Our homework is done and we are ready to go!:thumbsup2

Have a great evening ladies!:grouphug: Maybe I'll get back to the DIS later to do some planning. ;)

[traceycooper]

wow Tracy - super budgeting!!!
i am absolutely useless at budgeting....great at spending though ;)
congrats on the loss too :)

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I hear ya on the disboard thing. I keep coming on to research and plan in the evenings and the next thing I know its after midnight! Great job going to the gym, 500 calories burned is awesome!

Good luck at FPU tonight, that must feel so good to do that!

Educate me about SR. I am all ears (Mickey ears that is)!

Have a great day.:)

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Tracey and Amy.:grouphug:

It's only 2:00 p.m. here and I am exhausted already. Homeschooling is taking much longer since we added Health and History. :faint:

The plan for the rest of the afternoon is to take a shower, do some work for my DH, do some SR, and then head to FPU this evening. Afterwords, we'll probably get something to eat, come home and chill out for awhile, and then call it a day.

I haven't weighed myself in a couple of days. I'm kind of afraid to. :blush: Food choices haven't been all that bad, but I have been eating way too many carbs. Maybe I'll weigh myself on Saturday.

That's about all from here. Have a wonderful Wednesday!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

500 Cal at the gym is AWESOME!!! I hear you about Homeschooling...I remember how it was really a full time job when I had more than one kid at home. But it is SO WORTH IT!!!! My philosophy always was that a BAD day homeschooling was better than a good day in public school.....most of the time, anyway!

Have you tried Inbox Dollars? Basically reading emails like mypoints, & I manage to get a couple of checks a year for about $50 each. Once you get your first check, you earn faster. I LOVE basically free money!

have a GREAT rest of the week!

[lovinaz]

Hope you learned a lot at your class!

I wish I could stay off the scale like you. :worship:

[momof2minnies]

Tracy
4 lbs is great- I am a scale junky and need to learn to stay off.I get upset with the small fluctuations and I know I shouldn't.

Great job at the gym.

Linda

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:grouphug:

I'm pretty worn out today. :( I have not been sleeping well the past couple of days. No specific reason...I've just not been getting a good night's sleep.

Homeschooling has been postponed until later on this afternoon. In the meantime, I'll work on SR and maybe my blog later if I feel up to it.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!:grouphug:

P.S. FPU was really good last night. :goodvibes I am learning a lot from Dave Ramsey and my DH is too. It's nice that both of us are on the same page.:goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Glad to hear that you and your DH are on the same track financially and that the classes are helpful.

Great job at getting in the exercise. I can understand your aversion for the scale with the ok food choices but still too many cal. (not that I would know :rolleyes1 ) However, you have been adding in a lot of activity as well, so your probably fine.

Sending you some :wizard: to help you get some better sleep.

[lovinaz]

Hope you get your sleep issues fixed! I know how it messes with your day, since I just had a bout of jetlag myself...

Hang in there and have a great weekend!

[Amy&Dan]

Hi Tracy,

I hope you got some sleep! Don't worry about the scale, I am betting you haven't been eating that much. If its up, it will go back down! I am so glad the FPU class is working for you and your dh. Money is usually the hardest thing for couples to stay on the same page with! Hope you have a super weekend.:)

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

I weighed in this morning at 234.6. No big surprise there. My DH took us to a Pizza Hut buffet yesterday and they had my favorite: thin crust cheese pizza.:lovestruc I had way too may pieces, but it was good.:goodvibes

Today, my DH is working and then we will be going to my MIL"s house for a Pre-St.Patrick's Day celebration. My MIL is making corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes for dinner and several people are coming to visit since my DH's aunt and uncle are visiting from Florida.

That's about all from here....Off to DIS and do some Disney planning.:love:

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy - hope your getting more sleep now
Have a great st patricks day with your family :)

[momof2minnies]

My favorite thing to do is Disney planning!

Have a great weekend,

Linda

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Tracey and Linda.:grouphug:

Quick post...It's a nice day out and my DH is ready to go....

We've had a good weekend so far. My DH worked yesterday and the girls and I went to my MIL's house for a party.

Today, we're going to enjoy the nice weather and then head over to my MIL's house to visit my DH's aunt and uncle.:cool1:

Have a great Sunday!:hug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy,

It sounds like you had a nice weekend with family and good weather too! We had nice weather as well, I am so ready for spring, how about you??!!

Don't worry about the weigh in, its probably just water. Pizza Hut thin crust cheese, my own fave!!

Here's to successful week!:goodvibes

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy.:hug:

I fell off the food wagon and the money wagon this weekend. We went out to eat 6 time since Wednesday. :( Not only does that add a ton of calories, it also takes a lot of money out of the bank. We were doing quite well prior to this week. We just really need to focus on re-focusing.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Laundry

* Workout (maybe at home?)

* Pay bills

* Work on FPU homework

We have a semi-busy week ahead of us so it's important to get the week started off right. Again, focusing on re-focusing. I know we can do it!:cheer2:

Have a great Monday!:hug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, falling off the wagon is a fact of life since none of us are perfect! I know you can get back on track! I hope today was a good one, its a new week with a new start and new possibilities! Just keep on, keeping on.:hug:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy.:hug:

It is supposed to be sunny and in the mid 60s today....We're going to the Zoo!:banana: I'll get some exercise in and the girls will have a day off from homeschooling...A field trip if you will. ;) Fun!:cool1:

Before we leave, I have to take care of some stuff around the house: fold and put laundry away, pay some money down on our Disney trip, straighten the house up, and get my rebates in the mail.

Hope everyone has a Happy St Patrick's Day!:goodvibes

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I think you are finally getting some much needed warm weather!! I think its great you are going to the zoo. Believe me, your girls get more work done than public school classrooms do. It amazes me how much time they waste at school. So enjoy that field trip and the warm weather and walking too!

Call me weird, I mean I love the zoo, but everytime we go, I find myself missing Animal Kingdom!!

[lovinaz]

Hope you had a fun day at the field trip!

We also have those spurts where we end up eating out more than we should. I think it's just a mental break from cooking, cleaning dishes, etc. I'm sure you'll get back on track soon. :)

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy - hope the visit to the zoo was fun :)
have a great week

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies.:grouphug:

Yesterday was a good day, but a long day.:eek: I got up early, did my morning work, paid some money down on our Disney vacation, went to the zoo, went to my MIL's, watched Gran Torino (great movie!:thumbsup2 ), stayed to visit with family, and came home at 1:00 a.m. :eek: Is it any wonder that I woke up tired this morning? ;)

Since we got home so late last night, I told the girls that they could sleep in and that we would do school in the afternoon today. I wish I could have slept in. The construction workers start nice and early each morning and once they start making noise (lots of it!), I find that I can't get back to sleep. Oh well...Got up early, did my work, got a workout in (FIRM Super Charged Sculpting) and will work on my devotions in a few minutes.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling
* Workout (done)
* Devotions
* Work for DH (1/2 done)
* FPU

Blessings from Yesterday:
* Paid a portion of our Disney trip (30% paid off in total; DH starts deejaying soon)
* Received the Darden gift card from SR (can take hubby to dinner for his birthday Sunday)
* Received a grocery gift card in the mail
* Had a wonderful time at the Zoo and with family:lovestruc
* It was 68 degrees and sunny yesterday!:cool2:

That's about all from here....Have a great Wednesday!:hug:

[goldcupmom]

Sounds like you're having a good week so far. I LOVE zoo trips!!

Awesome that you have 30% paid off. You are SO GOOD!!!!

Hope your weather continues to feel like SPRING! It sure helps, doesn't it?

[traceycooper]

we got sun too Tracy :)
well done on paying off a good portion of your trip :)

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, when will they be done with that construction in front of your house? Major bummer to be woken up when you need some extra sleep! So glad you had fun at the zoo and got some money paid down on WDW. When your dh starts to deejay, that other 70% will come off fast! Good job on that workout. Hope your Wednesday is Wonderful!

Good luck at FPU tonight!

[momof2minnies]

Hi Tracy,
Sounds like everything is going well in your neck of the woods.The other day my DH and I figured we eat out about 3x/week at about $50 each time for the 4 of us- that equals about $5000 per year OUCH! That hurts when you add it up like that.

Have a good one,
LInda

[toystoryduo]

Thank you ladies. :grouphug:

We had a good day yesterday. My DH worked and then we went to FPU. Yesterday, Dave talked about cash flow planning and budgeting. I'm kind of excited about it. :goodvibes We have quite a bit of homework to do so we'll probably get started as soon as possible.

Today, we're going to a homeschool curriculum fair when my DH gets home from work. After that, we'll go to Red Lobster for his birthday dinner and then we'll head to the thrift store to buy some clothes for the girls.

Not stepping on the scale until Saturday. I have a feeling I am going to be less than thrilled with the results. :rolleyes1

Hope everyone has a great day!:hug:

[lovinaz]

Have fun at Red Lobster! My mom absolutely loves that place.

Weighing in after eating out is always a scary endeavor! :scared1: Good for you waiting until the weekend!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy.:goodvibes

We went to Red Lobster and had a pretty good meal. We had $50 in Darden gift cards from Sunshine Rewards and didn't have to spend a dime out of pocket.:thumbsup2

We also went to the curriculum fair and bought about $250 worth of books that the girls needed. We tried using a different curriculum this year and it just isn't working. The new books should be here in about 2-4 weeks. The girls can't wait to get started!:cheer2:

A friend of mine was telling me about the FIRM's new workout, The Wave. I went on their site and priced it out and it's about $100. I'm hoping to convince my DH to get it for me for Mother's Day. It looks really cool and I really enjoy FIRMing. We'll see what happens.

My DH is working now. When he gets home, we'll head out to thrift store and buy some jeans and shorts for the girls. Hoping to keep it all under $20.

Have a great evening!:goodvibes

[toystoryduo]

Happy Friday and 1st Day of Spring! :banana: I can't believe I totally forgot about that. :blush: Usually, I'm counting the days, hours, and minutes until spring begins.:flower3:

We went to the thrift store last night and spent $18 on clothes for the girls. We got several pairs of jeans and a few shirts as well. The selection of shorts wasn't all that great so we skipped that for the time being.

My DH has to work today so other plans are up in the air right now. Tomorrow, I have Mom Time at church and we're supposed to stop by my parents' house for dinner.

At some point this weekend, we'll need to work on our Dave Ramsey homework. There's a lot to do. I am very happy that we are almost done with Baby Step 1. Now that the excitement has worn off a bit, I'm a little nervous about Baby Step 2 because it won't be accomplished as quickly. We'll do our best though.

Weighed in at 236 today. :( Ugh. It's all the pizza and popcorn we have been eating this week. I was reading an article that stated you shouldn't try and accomplish two major goals at one time. For example, the author said that if you are working on financial issues, then weight loss might not be a good issue to work on as well because of the need for focus. That was discouraging. I'm not sure how these two (finances and weight loss) are going to work together though. Both require extreme focus or like Dave says, "gazelle intensity". It's kind of a catch 22. I can focus on getting our finances in order and getting that stress off our backs, but then my health suffers. Or I can focus on my health and losing weight, and our finances suffer. I'm sure that there is a way to find balance, especially since weight loss issues and financial issues are so similar. I'll just have to find a way, I guess.

Hope everyone has a great Friday! :grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Finally, I have a chance to catch up with you. As usual, you amaze me at how busy you are.

I think there is something to be said about trying to focus on the 2 major things at once. It is a bit overwhelming and you can't do either one justice. So, since you are in this class to focus on your finances at the moment, maybe that should be your priority. That's not saying that you should not worry about your health, but maybe pick a few things that will help maintain your health without worrying about the lost lbs. Maybe, just exercising at a certain time each week and trying to maintain portions rather than concentrating on how many carbs, types of food, increasing exercise, etc. would at least keep you maintaining your health until you can get the finances to the point where you are comfortable with them.

Remember, it is a lifestyle change and getting those finances in order will really help you support that change. Think of it this way, without the stress of the finances, you will find that you snack or sabatoge your eating so much and therefore lose weight as a side benefit.

Keep up the great work. You can do this!:cheer2:

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy - if you find a way to balance weight & finances pleeeese let me know too!!! ;)
have a great weekend :)

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

We have a super busy day ahead of us. I have a meeting at church, my DH has to work, we have dinner at my parents' house, we'll head out to the mall to walk around, and we have our FPU budget to work on. Plus, the girls have been asking to have a Disney planning meeting so we'll try and get that in as well.

Yesterday, the construction workers hit a water line near our house. :( Construction stopped and the water company was here until 11:00 p.m. last night. This is supposed to last through September. Oh joy. ;)

That's about all from here. Hope everyone has a great day ahead!:grouphug:

Lesli~ Thank you! :goodvibes: I really appreciate the suggestions that you have made. :) I think that I will probably end up focusing on finances for awhile and trying to make small, but lasting changes for my health at the same time. Thanks! :goodvibes:

Tracey~ Thanks! I'll let you know if I figure it out. ;) I'm trying! :)

[lovinaz]

Construction is definitely one of those unpredictable professions! Try to imagine how great the new road will be in Sept. Maybe that will help! :confused3

Have a great weekend! :goodvibes

[Lesli54]

Sorry to hear that the construction problems are already affecting your household. Sending you some luck :wizard: that the rest of the summer goes a little more smoothly until they are done.

I think your plans to make a few small but lasting changes for your health while focusing on the finances is a good one. You seem like a planner so I think you can do it.:thumbsup2

Hope your day goes well.

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Lesli and Amy.:grouphug:

It was a long weekend here. :( Lots of drama involved...I am to the point where I feel like I need a weekend from my weekend, ya know? :faint:

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling

* Walk to the park

* Celebrate DH's 36th birthday at MIL's/ Watch 24

I'm going to try my hardest to keep it a low key kind of day here. Have a great Monday!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

I love your idea of taking a weekend away from your weekend.:idea:

At least you made it through the weekend intact. Take a few moments to yourself today and just unwind.

Have fun celebrating the birthday.......with a small piece of cake, of course.;)

[traceycooper]

hope you had fun with dh celebrating his birthday :)

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, I think trying to accomplish two major goals in life is hard! I like your idea of focusing on the financies but still working on the baby steps towards your health. I think it can be done. Dh and I began a very strenuous financial overhaul in September and it took me a few months to settle in with that. Now I feel like that is more second nature and I can concentrate on losing weight and getting healthy.

Glad dh had a nice birthday, Red Lobster YUMMO!

Wow $250 for homeschool curriculum. Yikes, but well worth it of course. Kids cost money have you noticed? I keep telling dh that someday when we are done with all of this, what the heck will we spend our money on. HIs answer? Grandkids!

[pearlieq]

Hi!!!

It's so good to "see" you and see what you've been up to lately.

I also agree it's super hard to focus on more than one big thing at once. I've been told a thousand times that it's very hard (though not impossible) to work on one's weight when you're trying to juggle something else. I remember when things first got really rocky with my mom my counselor told me to just do what I could to treat myself well and take care of myself, but to focus my energy on the bigger issue for the time being.

I think Dave Ramsey's plans make a nice outline for keeping one's financial house in order and he does a nice job of breaking it down step by step. It's hard at first, but you just sleep so much better knowing that you're not constantly in a money crisis and that you're making progress toward a brighter future. I wish you guys good luck!

I hope you and the family get to enjoy this wonderful spring. Living in the frozen North like we do, when the weather finally starts to turn you just can't get enough!

I think DH is kinda sorta in your neck of the woods this week. He's bouncing back and forth between Cleveland, Sandusky, and Elyria for the first couple of days this week. I'll have him wave as he cruises down the highway. :)

Take good care of yourself, my friend. I'm rooting for you! :cheer2:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies for stopping by.:grouphug: Pearlieq..It's great to see you!:hug:

The past 24 hours have been a nightmare here. :( My DH came home yesterday afternoon and asked if I would send some paperwork to a client via the Internet. No problem right? The computer crashed. I spent 12 hours trying to get it up and running again so we could get the paperwork in. I went to bed around 2:00 a.m.

This morning I woke up early and found out that only a percentage of the paperwork went through. Back to the drawing board and two hours later, the paperwork is sent.

Guess what? I have yet another batch of paperwork to send through this evening.:eek:

Needless to say, I have been stressed. :scared:

Add to that the fact that we can't get in and out of our driveway and the fact that the construction workers broke another water line AGAIN and well, you can see what kind of day it has been so far. :(

Did I also mention that I feel like I am coming down with something and that TOM will arrive today or tomorrow? :faint: Ugh!

I canceled homeschooling today....no energy. :( I do need to get paperwork done though so I think I will work on that on the porch and get some fresh air.

At some point this week, I need to get back to blogging. I've taken almost 2 weeks off and I don't have too many scheduled posts left.

I will try and get to journals tomorrow. Have a great Tuesday!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, you poor thing, when it rains it pours!:hug: I hope today got better and that you got done what you needed to do as far as paperwork and blogging. Good job cancelling home school, school districts get time off and snow days so its only fair for you to get an occasional day off as well!

I hope things improve and that you get some rest. :hug:

[lovinaz]

I hope today is going better for you! :wizard:

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy and Amy.:grouphug:

Today is going better in terms of technology. The computer is working and the work orders have been sent out.:cheer2:

As far as other things go, well let's see....The house is a mess, my kids are driving me up a wall, and I don't feel well. :( Did I mention TOM should be arriving soon?

I am trying to look at the bright side as well.... I made some money on SR today, we have FPU this evening, and my DH doesn't have to work 16 hours tomorrow. See, there is a silver lining! ;)

We still haven't had our Disney meeting yet and the girls are "amping" for one so we'll try and have it tonight after FPU. They want to make their goal sheets and find out how many more Mickeys we need for vacation. (100 Mickeys=100% of the cost of the vacation. If we have 32% paid off (or 32 Mickeys) then we only need 68 Mickeys (or 68%) to save for vacation. Does that make sense?:teacher: I'm trying to teach them percentages and how to save up their money without making it seem like a chore, but rather something fun. I hope I'm not totally confusing them! :laughing:

That's about all from here. Hope everyone has a great day and a nice evening ahead!:grouphug:

[Amy&Dan]

I think your Mickey technique is a great way to teach percentages!:thumbsup2 I am glad things are better on the computer front. And good luck tonight at FPU!

May TOM be a nice houseguest this month.;)

[Lesli54]

Sounds like you need a break from technology.:badpc:

Glad to hear that things are working again. I hope you have fun at your class tonight and can't wait to hear what you are learning about now.

Have a good evening.

[goldcupmom]

I LOVE your Mickey's!! That is so creative & so good for them!

Glad technology is treating you better....we have a love/hate relationship here, too!
Have a GREAT weekend!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies. :grouphug:

The class was great last night! Dave talked about the debt snowball and the financial myths that we have grown up believing. It was a really good class!:thumbsup2

Today has been a pretty good day so far. I've gotten some work done for my DH, I've been earning money during Crazy Credits on SR, and my DH met with a local contractor and may have some extra work coming his way. Now if my house could magically clean and organize itself, we'd be all set.:wizard: :laughing:

Not sure what we will be doing this evening. We may go out to eat with my MIL or we may just head out to the mall to walk around a bit. We may also look into buying Financial Peace Jr. so we can teach those principles to our girls too.

Weigh-in is either tomorrow or Saturday. Not looking forward to that at all. :sad2:

Hope everyone has a great evening!:grouphug:

P.S. The construction workers hit the main water line at the end of our street. We may not have water for several hours or even a couple of days.:eek: And to think that this work will be going on until September.....:scared1:

[toystoryduo]

Good afternoon friends,

Yesterday was a good day. I went to the gym and took a kickboxing class. It was fun, but I am sore today!:scared:

Weigh-in was okay.....235.2. That means I am down .8 from last week. Since TOM is approaching, I'll take it!:thumbsup2

With all the busyness this week, I haven't had a chance to sit down and go over details of our daily schedules and stuff. I need to work on that this afternoon because the next few weeks are going to be busy.

Today's Plan:

* Homeschooling (almost done)

* SR (Made my $50 goal for the month!)

* Schedule

Hope everyone has a great weekend!:grouphug:

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy - how did WI go?
dont mention construction workers to me - we have the most useless, idol workers ever - they started our road (new build - havnt had a proper road since we moved in 15 mths ago!) in january & its still not finished!:mad:
A new build site near by did the same thing on an area twice the size in a week!!!!!
have a great weekend & i hope you get the water back on soon

[lovinaz]

Geez, you'd think someone would have done their research on where all these water lines were buried before digging! How frustrating to deal with that, this is what - the third time? Yikes...

Glad you hear your class is going well. I think it's excellent to teach kids at a young age about the dangers to living beyond your means. Sets them up to be successful as adults! :thumbsup2

[toystoryduo]

Tracey~ Thanks! :hug: Sounds like we both have construction problems at the moment. Here's hoping both sets of workers get on the ball and get these jobs done sooner than later!:wizard:

Amy~ You know what's funny? Last week, the water company came out and went over the blueprints with them on Thursday. On Friday, they hit a water line. On Tuesday, they hit a water line. On Thursday, they hit the main water line. You'd think that they would be more careful. This is starting to cost them a lot of money. :eek:

Weigh in was okay ...235.2. I was down .8 from last week. TOM is approaching so I'll take it for now. I need to find a way to lose this weight. I was very uncomfortable with what I saw in the mirror at the gym yesterday. :blush: We don't have a full length mirror at home so I don't get the "full picture" as far as my weight is concerned. Yesterday, I saw my weight for what it is and it was embarrassing and made me very uncomfortable and sad. :(

[Amy&Dan]

Tracy, don't feel embarrassed or sad. Just think of how your hard work will pay off and soon that mirror will be the woman you know you really can be! Kick boxing looks like a heck of a workout, good for you for trying!

Glad FPU is going so well. I have read his book and I was amazed at how so many things we think are right when it comes to money are so terribly wrong. Did you buy the jr. program for your girls?

Have a great weekned!

[toystoryduo]

Thanks Amy. :hug: I haven't gotten Financial Peace Jr. for the girls yet. I hope to get it soon!:goodvibes

Yesterday was an okay day. TOM hit full force and the girls are still driving me bonkers. They are fighting and picking on each other constantly. It's getting old really fast. :( I'm not sure if it's cabin fever or our wonky schedule right now, but hopefully, they will both get over their attitudes sooner than later. Sheesh!

My DH and I were talking about the possibility of adding a WDW vacation in December. I know that we said that we probably wouldn't go, but we were thinking in terms of what we always do...A week at the house with family, then 5 nights at BCV. If we choose to go the super budget route, we may be able to squeeze a one week trip in during December. I'm going to crunch some numbers today and see what I can come up with.

I need to do a once over on the house. The house is a disaster!:eek:I also need to work on schedules for the next week, invoicing for my DH, and do our local taxes. I hope to get a slowwww walk in at some point today. I'm still sore from kickboxing on Thursday.:headache:

That's about all from here....Hope everyone has a wonderful day today!:grouphug:

[lovinaz]

Kickboxing is an amazing workout, isn't it? WHen I did it a while back, I discovered muscles I never knew I had... :rolleyes1

That would be great if you could swing an extra WDW trip! :wizard:

As for the sibling squabbling, all I can say is wait until they are both teenagers! :eek:

[Lesli54]

I am you, take what you can in terms of a loss!:cool1: Especially when things are hectic.

The full lenght mirror can be a harsh reality, but sometimes we just have to see what others are seeing so that we actually come to terms with how much we have gained. I think that in our minds we tend to see ourselves as being much thinner since mentally, for the most part, we are the same as we were when we were thinner. Sometimes it is hard to process. However, you can make a change and know that it doesn't have to be this way forever.:hug:

Just make a small adjustment to add to your daily routine, whether it is adding a walk or cutting back on a snack and you will start to see a differnece. I know you are focusing more on your FPU classes so that's why I said a small adjustment.

Hope that your weekend is a good one!

[Zela]

You can do it Amy!:grouphug: One Step at a time! Have a good day!

[traceycooper]

congrats on the loss Tracy :)
i'm way impressed with you for trying kickboxing - thats hardcore ;)
keep up the great work :)
i hope you get to add the dec trip - lucky thing :)

[toystoryduo]

Thanks ladies for stopping by.:hug:

We had a good weekend despite being super busy. Unfortunately, my DD8 picked up some kind of bug and has since passed it on to me since I'm starting to feel sick too. :sick: Hopefully, this will pass quickly and avoid DD6 and my DH all together.

Since my DD woke up sick today, we passed on homeschooling. It's been kind of nice because I have been able to get caught up on a few things and the girls are enjoying their day off.

I crunched the numbers for a potential WDW trip in December and I think it is totally do-able!:goodvibes Of course, we are just now starting on our debt snowball, so we'll have to wait and see where we are at in a couple of months before we make a final decision.

Today's Plan:

* Online class

* SR

* Watch 24

* Take a nap

That's about all from here...Hope everyone has a great evening!:grouphug:

[toystoryduo]

Good morning friends,

My DD8 and I still aren't feeling well. :sick: DD8 says that she feels worse than she did yesterday. :( I am feeling somewhat better thanks to 8 full hours of sleep.

We have a busy day ahead of us. My DH has a couple of different jobs to work on today, I want to finish the online class, we'll do limited homeschooling today, and I will try and get a walk in. I also need to do SR so I can jumpstart my goal of $50 earned for April and we'll count our money jar.

I would appreciate any good thoughts you can send for our dog. She is 13 years old and her health has been rapidly deteriorating over the past couple of weeks. My DH had to carry her outside so she could go to the bathroom today. :sad1: It's so sad to see a pet we love like this.:sad1:

I hope everyone has a good day today!:grouphug:

[Lesli54]

Hope that you DD is feeling better soon. Having a sick child is never fun.

My thoughts are with you and your family as you go through this stage with your dog. My aunt just lost her dog after 13 years and I know it can be a tough time.

Hope the rest of your day is better.

[Amy&Dan]

Oh Tracy, I hope your doggie improves! Dogs are such a big part of the family. I'll say a prayer for your furbaby.:hug:

I hope you and dd8 are feeling better.

And I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed for your December WDW trip to work out. We both cancelled our fall/winter trips about the same time and I hope yours works out to go like mine did. So good thoughts for that.:goodvibes

Hope today was a good one.:hug:

[traceycooper]

Hi Tracy
hope your dog is feeling better - so sad :(
hope you & DD are feeling better too - the sick bug is doing the rounds here too - i break up for 2 weeks on friday - just hoping i dont get it for then!!!!
have a good rest of the week :)