KISSFAN1's SparkPeople Blog

Have a Surgery Date - Less Than 3 Weeks Away

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:15:04 EST

I am seriously freaking out because I have a surgery date and it's a little less than 3 weeks away. I'm not ready for the pain (have to have an abdominal surgery) or the recovery period among other things.

I don't have as much energy as I would normally due to the loss of blood for so long, but at least I do have some energy. I managed to clean out my freezer (side-by-side fridge, not a deep freeze) yesterday to see what was in there as well as organize it and throw out any freez...

Finally Got to See a Doctor Who Listens

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:36:41 EST

I finally got to see a doctor yesterday that actually seemed to care that I have been suffering for a long time.

WARNING: THIS IS RELATED TO FEMALE ISSUES BELOW:!!!

I was scheduled for an ultrasound to look at my ovaries by one doctor but I had to wait until the end of the month due to him going on vacation. I had come in a few weeks ago because I was bleeding uncontrollably and was so sick and weak. He never checked my blood (hemoglobin) or di...

Family Drama & Not Getting Better

Thu, 9 May 2013 08:22:24 EST

I got a frantic call from my father yesterday informing me that he knew that he would most probably die before my mother did and that if I didn't "make amends" with my mother, that I would most probably see nothing when he died from my mother since she is revengeful.

He told me that he had never encountered anyone as revengeful as her (as if I didn't know that?????) and that my sister and I had better start having a relationship with her or never see a penny when he dies since she ...

Feeling a Little Better - Went Frugal Shopping

Tue, 7 May 2013 08:07:36 EST

I'm going to the doctor again next week for an ultrasound (nope, not pregnant, LOL) and unfortunately won't get to talk to my doctor since he will be on vacation. I just didn't want to wait until the end of the month to get it done since I have pretty much made up my mind about the surgery I most probably will have to have if things don't change soon.

I won't go into details, but I thought for sure I would have to go to the emergency room because I know I had to be anemic as every...

So Tired

Thu, 2 May 2013 08:45:47 EST

My health issues got worse this week so I had to make an appt. to see my doctor. Let's just say it was not a pleasant examination at all and I was given two medications to help me, but feel that I really want to go radical and get the major surgery once and for all.

My social life and other areas of my life have been interfered with by this health issue, and now it's gotten worse.

Due to my age my doctor is suggesting alternatives, but I suppose that I am sick of alte...

Kids Had a Blast at Prom & Saving Money at Super Doubles

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:28:17 EST

I'm posting a quick blog today due to dealing with some medical issues again and not feeling that great.

I took my kids to their first homeschool prom this past Friday night and they had a blast. I was so happy that they had such a great time and they did as I instructed them to and just had a good time dancing and enjoying their friends!

My daughter got lots of compliments saying how beautiful she was (which I agree, LOL). Her outfit, which for the most part was thrif...

Went Thrift Shopping Yesterday

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:06:41 EST

Yesterday my daughter and I went to the thrift store after she finished her school since they were having 50% off everything. The store was picked over in the books and household items sections, so I didn't find anything there (except for one book), but we did find the following:

3 ladies' belts (2 were leather)
black dress (very simple Talbot's brand) for my daughter
scarf (for my daughter)
Hamlet book (perfect since my husband is reading through it with the kids w...

Life is So Busy, But Still Trying to Save Money & Organize

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:59:40 EST

I haven't posted in quite awhile on Spark People due to being so busy and trying to get through every day life.

I have been trying to save money in the process of that busy life and have been doing pretty good. My daughter and son are going to their very first prom ever this upcoming Friday night with some homeschool friends and so I've been trying to get my daughter prepared for that.

My husband took care of my son's clothes, and while he didn't get the greatest deals ...

I Reached 100,000 Spark Points Today on My Daughter's Birthday!

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:30:34 EST

Today I hit 100,000 Spark points! 244 104 208

It's hard to believe that I reached the highest level on the site today and to top it off it's also my daughter's birthday! 383 I also have 1128 consecutive days of sparking without missing a day, so that's pretty good considering I have had surgery, sickness, vacation, etc. in all this time I've been on SP.

Today I will be cooking a special meal for her that she requested an...

Froze This Weekend While Running Errands

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:33:45 EST

Yesterday was a rainy, very cold day but we still went out in as we wanted to get our amusement park registration done (taking pictures for our cards and getting them processed) as we wanted to be able to attend the park without standing in a long line when it actually opened.

It was long walk to the registration office and the combination of cold temperature, rain, and wind was bone chilling. We were out in it for quite a while yesterday and even my husband was cold (and he hard...

Learning to Embrace Scary & Exciting Opportunities

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:13:02 EST

I can't believe that I'm only 368 points away from having 100,000 Spark points! Wow, that's crazy!

We had a great field trip with our home school group that I set up yesterday. It was a great day and every one, including the kids, seemed to have a great time.

I picked up some teen volunteer contracts from our local library on our way home as I want my kids to volunteer there this summer. There are so many things that I want them to do that it seems like we haven't don...

Free Food At Dollar Tree!

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:40:19 EST

So I saved money again yesterday after I ran some quick errands after my dentist appt. My husband was home in time to take my daughter to her favorite book club at the library and so since I was already uptown, I did some grocery shopping.

I went by Dollar Tree and ended up using 9 coupons there. They have been taking coupons for a little while now (I think they started last year) and I ended up getting these huge El Montery burritos for FREE since my coupons were for $1 off any ...

Food Deals

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:40:56 EST

The weather around my area is driving me nuts because one day I can wear short sleeved shirts and no coat and then the following day it's coat and sweater time. Today is the first day of spring and it's not feeling like spring in the south, LOL.

My daughter and I had an appt. yesterday at the doctor's office (just a check-up) and we went to Wal-Mart afterwards to grab a few healthy items since I had the Aldi's sales flyer with me and yesterday was the last day of their sale for th...

Happy with My Consignment Sale Payout & Got Flannel Sheets for $10

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 07:44:32 EST

Yesterday I picked up my unsold items as well as my money made from the second church consignment sale I participated in. I was very happy as I only made $3 less than at last week's sale, so not too bad.

My kids for the most part have outgrown most toys and even some books as they mature and get older (and of course there are clothes that they outgrow) so for the limited amount of items I had for sale, I'm happy.

We are thinking that this summer we will buy an amuseme...

Made & Saved Some Money

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:13:33 EST

I had my first church consignment sale drop-off and pick-up last week and finally got a check from them so that I now know what I made. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy with the amount I got and feel like it was well worth my time and effort.

I dropped off at another church sale yesterday and did my volunteer hour as well after my drop-off. Here's hoping that I do just as well at this one and get rid of some of this stuff once and for all, LOL.

I went grocery ...

Funny How Life Throws Opportunities Your Way

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:49:53 EST

It has been a completely crazy and busy week for me as not only have my friend and I that own a homeschool group together been given a co-op, our group continues to grow by word of mouth and advertising.

I am overwhelmed but thrilled beyond words that we keep getting so many great compliments on how we run it. I will be honest and say that sometimes I don't have a clue what I'm doing and I'm just winging it, but I try to do research and do what I would want leaders of a group to d...

Saving Money & Spending More Money - The Balance

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 08:30:25 EST

Today is the last day I can work on tagging for one of my church consignment sales. I have a drop-off tomorrow morning and I'm still waiting on things from my daughter who hates going through her clothes and books, etc. as much as I do, but we need to get more room and make some money, LOL.

Last night I made a chicken perlo (pronounced - per-low) which is something I haven't done in years. It's a very regional food from the part of South Carolina I come from and after giving a pr...

Homeschool Class Over But Still Busy

Sun, 3 Mar 2013 09:42:41 EST

It's taken me this long to get time to post a blog as it was a very busy week for me. Our homeschool group had a geography day (U.S.) and I helped with the presentation of that as well as I gave one about my homestate, South Carolina. For that presentation I made my grandmother's pound cake (we brought a food that was normally eaten from the area you came from) and let me tell you that was a very hard temptation to avoid.

I did manage a little sliver of it (my first taste of cake...

Organizing & Trying To Feel Less Stressful

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:36:50 EST

I got a little bit of the clothes done for my soon to be upcoming church consignment sales last night. I was so busy with other things (schooling, cleaning, cooking, responding to email inquiries, etc.) that it took that long before I could get to it. 40

Today I'm going to work on my presentation for Friday's event and later take my daughter to book club.

I'm getting my recipes organized a little better so that my "go-to" recipes are easy to find. I am ...

Feeling Stressed From All the Responsibilities

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:59:45 EST

It is a rainy and dreary day today which is why I'm glad I have no where to go today. No appointments, no errands, etc. 104

I will take today to do some major organizing for the two church consignment sales I have coming up very soon. I'm practically panicking though because my daughter is not cooperating as fast as I need her to (to go through her spring/summer clothes) and I can always use the extra space and money.

I love selling these items, but hat...

Country Breakfast Growing Up

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:08:19 EST

A few people have asked me what pimento cheese is. It is basically shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (from a block, don't use already shredded cheese) mixed with a certain ratio of pimentos (red peppers that are in brine), and unsweetened mayonnaise. It is something I grew up with as I am from the south and it is something that I love and could eat happily every day.

It is wonderful melted on bread (cooked the same way you would a grilled cheese sandwich) and is something that...

Grocery Shopping & My Thoughts on What I Buy

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 08:43:32 EST

I finally felt well enough to get groceries yesterday. I'm feeling much better but still dealing with lots of coughing and congestion that won't go away. I made it a point to get to Sam's Club (finally) to get some Sudafed since they have the better price per how many you get in a package. It always makes me feel "weird" but it seems to work well, and with all 4 of us dealing with this crazy sickness, the little bit we had on hand was gone in no time.

I was very conservative wit...

Still Trying to Get Through This Sickness

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:00:41 EST

I know I sound like a major whiner, but this has been one of the worst colds/viruses that I have ever had (as well as my family). I am a little disappointed that with the healthy foods I eat, getting a flu shot, trying to get enough sleep (although not always succeeding thanks to my age), etc. that I still ended up getting so sick.

I've been trying to do the things that I have to (taking care of laundry, etc.) but it's been very hard due to lack of stamina, etc. I've been getting...

Still Under the Weather But Trying to Get Better

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:12:04 EST

There are times that I am very thankful that I stock up on things at a great price, even if I may never use them. I stocked up on some cold medications awhile back and we have been going through them like crazy since all 4 of us have some type of cold.

Those things are so expensive normally, but I got them either free or close to it. Not only that, it allowed me to not have to run out to the store for something when I'm not feeling well.

The signs of what we have show ...

Sick - Got 3-4 Inches of Snow

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 06:54:09 EST

Everyone in my household is sick and we're not happy about it. It's a weird cold that we're dealing with although my daughter has had a fever at one point. It's basically headache, drainage down your throat into your chest, sore throat, runny nose, lethargy, etc.

It snowed about 3-4 inches here yesterday and the kids are too sick to even make it outside before it melts later today.

I'm managing to get some housework done, but it's not easy. Today I feel worse than ...

We Have Snow

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:27:22 EST

We had a Valentine party yesterday with our homeschool group and boy am I exhausted. Of course it doesn't help that I was in charge (with some help of course) of most of it and not feeling great either.

We had a huge turnout though and the kids were happy anyway, so that's all that matters.

We have some snow today and it's really coming down hard. It's the first snow we've had in a few years so it always causes excitement due to that.

I need to get groceri...

Had a Great Teen Event Last Night

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:22:29 EST

We had a great tween/teen night last night with the kids in our homeschool group, but boy was it exhausting! LOL I have two teenagers and my friend who is the co-owner of our group has one, but we had a good turnout for it being our first event of this type.

The kids had a blast and there was tons of laughter and smiles, so that's what counts. It's so funny to see how far our little group has come after being split in two after a very upsetting event last year by one person in pa...

Trying to Find Time For Everything

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:19:08 EST

Our homeschool group has lots of activities coming up including a tween/teen event that is keeping me and my friend who is the other co-owner super busy. A few days later is our Valentine party as well as other events so it seems she and I are always working hard on planning, organizing, buying, etc.

I've got two church consignment sales coming up early next month that I have to get prepared for (always love selling stuff, but hate all the prep and work involved) as well as all...

Bargain Shopping With a Friend

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:08:09 EST

I went with a friend shopping yesterday. We hit several thrift stores but I had zero luck finding anything for me, which in a way is good since it means more money in the bank and less clutter, LOL. She, however, found a lot.

We packed our lunches so we didn't spend money on that, but I did find a few things at IKEA (limited time there since she had to get back home afterwards) including a nice thermos that I have been needing forever. I like to drink decaf. coffee during the da...

Decluttering the Paper Avalanche

Fri, 8 Feb 2013 10:31:07 EST

I've been really busy lately decluttering a lot of paperwork I have lying around that has been driving me crazy for a long time. I never seemed to have the time to go through them all, but made it a priority this week and am happy that I am almost done.

I will admit that a lot of my paper clutter comes from printing out recipes online over the years that seem to accumulate in piles of overwhelming and depressing masses. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little as my house in no way resemb...

Wanting to Redecorate My Daughter's Bedroom

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:45:24 EST

My daughter had piano lessons yesterday so I ran some errands afterwards with her since we were near stores I needed to stop by.

I found a free paint sample (small container) coupon from Lowe's on FB the other day so did a little bit of research and found a nice color, woodsmoke, that my daughter and I both liked for her bedroom. My husband hates painting so it's been the same color since she was a toddler, and she's now a teenager, LOL.

If we don't like the way this l...

Some of My Favorite Sam's Club Buys

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:38:55 EST

I finally got to Sam's Club yesterday to get some essentials we were running low on and one of those for me was vegetables (frozen). Since the threat of losing power was gone I made sure I got myself a new item (for me) that I had bought a week or so ago and was now out of and that was the Sam's Club version of frozen vegetables called the Normandy blend.

It has 4 bags of steamable bags inside the large outside bag and has carrots (2 kinds), broccoli, and cauliflower. I love this...

We Didn't Lose Power!

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 08:09:10 EST

We got the sleet and frozen rain that they predicted for our area yesterday, but thankfully we haven't lost power. 104 244

I was worried that not only would we be cold since the temps were in the 20's all day, but the loss of food (I stockpile) would be hard to recoup. We bought a propane heater last year when Lowe's sent us a coupon so we would have been able to stay warm at least in front of it, but we have yet to purchase a generator to run the freezer...

Bad Weather Predicted For Today & Did Well at Super Doubles Again

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:02:30 EST

My husband and I finally broke down and bought a new dishwasher yesterday. I did check prices first online before heading out and we went with the store that had the cheapest price and could get the dishwasher to us first, LOL. We saved almost $50 by checking prices first.

If it had been the higher-priced store, I had my internet print-out of the cheaper store in my hands and would have had them price match. 20

I also stopped by Lowe's Foods since they a...

Did Great at Super Doubles Yesterday!

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:06:34 EST

I had no idea that my local Lowe's Foods grocery store was having SUPER doubles starting yesterday. My routine on Wednesdays is to look at the online sales flyers since I don't get flyers from them in the mail (well I get a small/partial one usually on Friday) and that's where I found out about it.

I don't go to online sites that I used to go to before that gave you a heads up since no one really posts about the stores in my area too much, and since Harris Teeter left the area, ...

Busy Organizing & Planning for Our Group, Preparing for Bad Weather

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:38:18 EST

It's been a very busy last few days for me as I've been trying to set up group activities for our home school group, which takes up a lot of my and my friend's time. We don't get paid for all the work we do behind the scenes but we do it for our kids so they can have a nice group of kids and lots of outside activities.

I had to drive to a place where we have some of our inside activities at but it was a complicated process trying to figure out the days/dates that work best for the...

Been Spending But Saving Money This Week

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 07:26:19 EST

I'm still being very mindful of what I spend so that at the beginning of 2014 I can say I saved more money last year than the year before. Again, that's going to be a challenge for sure considering the state of the economy, the unwelcome breaking down of appliances, doctor bills, etc.

Our dishwasher recently started acting funky but my husband has it temporarily working which is a relief because sometimes we run it twice a day. We eat all our meals at home for the most part (unle...

Trying To Use Up Some of What I Have

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:12:07 EST

They are predicting snow this afternoon/night for my area which is exciting since we haven't had any in a very long time. I plan to get groceries today but not because of that, LOL. 20

I've been working on my freezer again and trying to organize and use things out of it. I have a small freezer attached to my fridge so space is limited and I want to be much smarter about what space I use in it this year.

I want to save even more money by not buying as much...

Trying to Simplify My Life

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:11:33 EST

We've had some rainy, dismal days lately, but unlike yesterday, today is rainy and cold. It makes you want to stay at home and do nothing and sip hot chocolate or coffee all day.

Yesterday after piano lessons my daughter and I ran errands and I took back some items that I knew I would never use. I hate taking things back which is why I try to think long and hard before I buy anything. That's hard sometimes when you find a great deal, but great deals require space, LOL.

Found Some Great Deals on Clothes at JCP

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 07:25:27 EST

I had a very good shopping day at JCP yesterday. I got myself two pairs of pants that were marked down to $10 each, a nice shirt (that I love) marked down to $2 244 and some others that were only $5 each. I used my $10 rewards and so paid $27 for 2 pairs of pants and 4 shirts!!!

I had no luck at Kohl's although I looked through their clearance racks and had a coupon to use too. I just find them to be higher in price than JCP and the clothes run so big, even the sm...

Accomplished Some Goals Yesterday - Going to Reward Myself Today

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 10:34:29 EST

Today I am going to go clothes shopping since I finally have a coupon for Kohl's and they have lots of clearance items. I also have a $10 rewards code from JCP so will look there too. I'm good on pants and all that, but am always looking for new shirts that are a little out of my normal look so that I can be bold and step out of my comfort zone, LOL.

I'm occasionally rewarding myself with some new clothes items (on sale of course) so that I'm not bored with what I have and actual...

Did Some Smart Grocery Shopping Yesterday

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:12:58 EST

Yesterday I had to take our new car to the dealership to get a free oil change and since I was in town I went grocery shopping. I'm really proud of myself because I found lots of great deals, but I also passed up some great deals too.

I have lots of yogurt for the kids (which they are very happy about) as we were out and I waited for a good deal. It was on sale for 39 cents a cup, I had coupons (that were doubled) and I also had electronic coupons, so super cheap!

Sam'...

Trying to Help My Son With His Weight

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 07:55:09 EST

I've been trying to spend less money on groceries lately and while I'm great at matching up coupons (digital/electronic and paper) and sales and as a result getting cheap groceries, I'm trying to cut down on the amount of groceries I buy.

My son is in dire need of losing weight and he's working on it and I'm trying to help without being hurtful. He really wants to lose the weight but he is impatient and I tell him that he can't go cold turkey as he will lose interest or resent the...

Shopping For Shoes Is Pure Torture

Sun, 6 Jan 2013 09:12:16 EST

My daughter and I went shopping yesterday to find her some shoes since she and I have the same shoes issue and therefore she only has one pair. It is very difficult to find any shoes that fit us since we have very narrow heels and to make things worse, she has undiagnosed sensory issues. You can imagine how much fun we had at the shoe store! 40

We were there literally for hours trying on countless shoes after shoes (even ugly shoes) and nothing fit us even semi-well....

Streamlining My Grocery Shopping

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 07:44:34 EST

I did my grocery shopping yesterday and used 22 coupons and 2 electronic coupons (coupons you save online that are deducted from your bill when you buy the products you saved) for a total of 24 coupons at one store.

I made sure that everything I purchased was something we would use and not end up throwing away. I got a lot of coffee as it was buy 1 get 1 free and I had $1.50 on 1 bag coupons. I also stocked up on Kleenex that was also buy 1 get 1 free and I also had coupons as we...

Working on My New Year's Goals Today

Thu, 3 Jan 2013 19:13:56 EST

So today I am working on numerous New Year's resolutions that I have made. One of them is decluttering and organizing my home and I did some of that by going through a large pile of paper, receipts, etc. I recycled some items, threw others away, and organized the rest.

To save more money than last year, I printed, cut out, and sorted online coupons. I got all my grocery shopping sales flyers matched up online with items that my family would eat/use as well as pulled coupons to m...

Time to Declutter & Think Through Purchases Thoroughly Again

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 07:30:11 EST

My daughter and I went shopping yesterday for shoes (which is pure torture for both of us as we both have extremely difficult feet to fit) and while we weren't too successful with that, we did find that JC Penney had marked down a lot of clothing items. I ended up getting some things I had wanted in the past but didn't buy until now since the prices were even better than normal JCP prices.

I have a lot of decluttering to do that I haven't had time for in the past (although not wh...

Working on Goal to Spend More Time Together as a Family

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 09:01:22 EST

Unbelievably I was able to stay up to ring in 2013. I miss Dick Clark ringing it in, but it was nice that they had a nice tribute to him.

2013 is starting off with very dreary and dark skies, but I am looking forward to a good year. I hope that no matter how busy life gets (and it will) that I remember my New Year's goals and am more aware of my spending, taking care of me (not just my family), and enjoying life in general.

I'm thinking that we as a family need to spen...

How I Saved More Money This Year Than Last - New Year's Repeat Goal

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 09:20:51 EST

I will expound a little bit about my New Year's goals that I mentioned in my blog yesterday. One of my goals was to save more money this year (2013) than last year. That will prove to be challenging since my husband's job is in limbo (company has filed bankruptcy) and I'm not sure what will happen.

I'm dealing with female issues that will most probably require surgery to rectify the situation so that on top of other things could very well prove to be more than a challenge for sur...

My New Year's Hopes & Goals

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 07:59:32 EST

The whole family went shopping yesterday but we didn't find much clothes-wise or really anything much to be honest. I got my husband to stop by a thrift store that is a little distance away from our home (since we were driving by it anyway on the interstate) and my daughter found her absolute favorite Harry Potter hardback book (marked down) and I found her a long sweater jacket that was marked down 3 times and finally was $1.98 (Children's Place) for her.

I have never seen so muc...