Summa-the-hutt

Holy crap. I've gained a lot of weight. More than I realized, actually. It would be easy for me to sit here and blame it on my brothers death and my hectic school schedule, but I'm just going to admit I've been "fat-kid-status" for a little while now. I was doing so well after my first 24 day challenge. I still haven't gained ALL of that weight back. I lost 23 lbs during that challenge. I was kicking fat's butt! Then I got back into my old habits, and after Jack died, I ate and ate... then ate some more. Then came finals. In between this time though, I stocked up on candy at work, and got my soda kick back. Shameful.
I guess I didn't realize how MUCH I had gained until today. I'm too embarrassed to even post the numbers. So I ordered another 24 day challenge.

My first 24 day challenge was awesome. I was motivated and excited. I lost 23 lbs. I decided to do another 24 day challenge, and that one ended up not so great. First off, I got sick on day 2. Strep. (Thanks Angela, AKA strep wrangler) but then I just couldnt seem to get back into the swing of things. About a month later, I attempted ANOTHER challenge, only for my brother to die, and me to stop caring about everything except comfort foods. You know, all the sweets... the carbs.. all the bad stuff. AND soda. Lets not forget that.

This time, I am determined to make my challenge work again. Plus, I'm not gonna be like those sissies who make New Years Resolutions, cause I'm startin BEFORE New Years. See? I'm a go getter! I told yall 2014 would be my year to shine!

In case you haven't read my previous posts, I have decided that 2014 is gonna be the best year evvvaaaaaaa!
For one, I am going to lower my debt. By the end of 2014, I want to ONLY have my car payment and my mortgage. No more credit cards/loans/crap.
Also, I am going back to nursing school. (yes, I've already been once. No, I apparently don't remember the drama cuz I am super pumped to go back.)
I also plan on losing weight, and being 50 pounds lighter by my birthday in September. (By the way, my birthday party is gonna kick ass. I'm gonna turn 30 with a BANG by having a "Roaring 20's 30th Birthday Party." Flapper dresses, gangsta costumes and the works. I'll talk more about that later.
And last but not least, I plan to get my life in order. I want my life back. I am tired of being depressed. I am tired of not enjoying things. I want my pre-baby life back. I don't want to hate pregnant people. Maybe I'll even get back into photography. I'm working on getting back into couponing now. I lost complete interest in all of my favorite things when my uterus was stolen. Yes, it was stolen. I am working really hard to get over that. I want to be old Summer again.

So tomorrow will be a new day for a new me. I will start my 24 day challenge. I will work out (eww.) And, I will quit drinking sodas again. They are actually pretty terrible for you anyways.

Speaking of fat Summer, I just realized Christmas is in 3 days!!!!! I can't wait! I love watching my kids open presents and seeing the look on their faces. Plus, I'm getting prime rib for dinna. How many people can say that?!

Until next time!

All work and no play makes Summer a DULL girl.

2014 Coupon Schedule

Please keep in mind these are subject to change!!

 

2014 Newspaper Insert Schedule

January Coupon Inserts
01/05/2014: (2) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
01/12/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
01/19/2014: (1) Smart Source
01/26/2014: (2) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
February Coupon Inserts
02/02/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
02/09/2014 (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
02/16/2014: (1) Redplum
02/23/2014: (1) Smart Source
March Coupon Inserts
03/02/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
03/09/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
03/16/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
03/23/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
03/30/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
April Coupon Inserts
04/06/2014: (2) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
04/13/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
04/20/2014: No Inserts
04/27/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
May Coupon Inserts
05/04/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
05/11/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
05/18/2014: (1) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
05/25/2014: No Inserts
June Coupon Inserts
06/01/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
06/08/2014: (1) Smart Source
06/15/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
06/22/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
06/29/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
July Coupon Inserts
07/06/2014: (1) Procter and Gamble
07/13/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Purina
07/20/2014: No Inserts
07/27/2014: (2) Redplum, (2) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
August Coupon Inserts
08/03/2014: (2) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
08/10/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
08/17/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
08/24/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
08/31/2014: (1) Procter & Gamble
September Coupon Inserts
09/07/2014: (1) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
09/14/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
09/21/2014: (1) Smart Source
09/28/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
October Coupon Inserts
10/05/2014: (1) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
10/12/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
10/19/2014: (1) Smart Source, (1) Little TiKes
10/26/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source, (1) Procter and Gamble
November Coupon Inserts
11/02/2014: (1) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
11/09/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
11/16/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
11/23/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
11/30/2014: (1) Procter & Gamble
December Coupon Inserts
12/07/2014: (1) Redplum, (2) Smart Source
12/14/2014: (1) Redplum, (1) Smart Source
12/21/2014: No Inserts
12/28/2014: (1) Procter and Gamble

Dave Ramsey...... hmm.

I took some advice from my Aunt Pauly. She read Dave Ramsey's book, even attended some of his classes. She told me it changed her life.
I didn't really take this to heart until I got my life back on track. I decided to make this new year beneficial in several aspects of my life, one being becoming debt free.
So, I bought Dave Ramsey's book, "The Total Money Makeover."
It was very inspiring. Here I thought I was drowning, only to read that people with much more debt than I are now debt free.

So, Dave Ramsey has "baby steps" to follow. The first one involves planning, and creating a budget. I did that last night. Its really a slap in the face when you have to write down and actually LOOK at all of the debt you have accumulated. I cant imagine what it would be like to have more than 3 credit cards. The 3 I have all had very low limits, $200 to be exact. At the time, I was mad.. wondering why they wouldn't give me higher limits. Now, I am extremely grateful they didn't. Aside from my house, my car, those 3 small credit cards and 2 bank loans, we are doing well. My problem is that I spend money ALL the time. I am a sucker for a discount. So, while I am at work, if I happen to find a good deal, I buy it. I am going to have to learn to stop that.

I made a budget. I made a plan. I cannot wait to start crossing things off of my plan as I pay them off. I am also excited to see how much money I can save this year.
I placed a jar on top of my dryer to place loose change. I just started putting away 50-100 bucks each check into a savings. I am going to pretend I do not have that money, though.

Dave Ramsey said to start paying off your smallest debts first. So, I made a list of them with the amounts owed. I will pay off my first debt with my next paycheck.

I also made a list of all of my monthly and quarterly bills. (Quarterly being my HOA payment.)

I have a plan, and I will stick to it.

Here's to becoming debt free in 2014!!!

I'm back, and better than ever.

Well bloggerland, I am back. I realize that I left everyone in the dark during my pregnancy. At the time, I worked such crazy hours, I didn't have time to do much of anything, let alone blog. During my pregnancy, I was a home health pediatric nurse. Everything was going smoothly, until the kid I worked full time was adopted. This happened right before my daughters birthday. 1 week to be exact! After that, I went into work overload. I worked as many hours as I could, at multiple houses. Right before my son was born, I was working about 80+ hours a WEEK. My water actually broke at work, and I drove from harker heights to Temple to go to the hospital. Long story short, my beautiful heaven sent son was born September 4, 2012 at 4:32 am. That was one of the best days of my life.... until about an hour after he was born. I ended up losing my uterus and having an emergency hysterectomy to save my life. That day changed me. I died a little inside. It took a really long time for me to come to terms with what had happened. I became horribly depressed. I gained a ton of weight. I had to start going to counseling because I developed a hatred towards pregnant people. I knew I should be happy for them, and that I should be grateful for my 2 amazing kids, but I couldn't. I hated people that had what I could no longer have.
I started seeing a therapist and got put on some pretty high powered antidepressants. Up until recently, I had lost interest in all of my hobbies. I quit couponing *gasp!*, I stopped going to the gym, I stopped hanging out with friends, and I stopped blogging. During this dark period in my life, I really didn't want to do anything.
10 days after my son was born, I had to go back to work. You see, home health doesn't offer any maternity leave of any kind, So, every day I didn't work, I didn't make money. Thats really hard to do with a new baby. So, I put on my big girl panties, made sure my ugly stitches were always padded and covered, and went back to work. Only, this time I hated leaving for work. I hated driving to Killeen/Harker Heights and leaving my son. I didn't want to work 80+ hours anymore. So, I applied at the VA. I really wanted to work 3J Oncology. I figured it was a blessing, as I had always wanted to do Oncology, but when I had interviewed at S&W straight outta school, they wouldn't hire me due to my tubes not being tied. So, I tried to see the goodness in my hysterectomy. At first, I didn't get 3J. No interview or anything. However, I did interview for 3K, and was hired. So, I started orientation at the VA.
3 days into orientation, the nurse recruiter pulls me from the orientation classes and tells me 3J needs me, and asks if I want it. DUH!!! I believe was my response. I was so excited.
So, my 3J days began. The only downside to working there, is that I have to work 5 days a week. I feel like its home health all over again. I barely get time for anything.

Also during this time frame, I started going back to school. Talk about time consuming. I just finished my fall semester, and will be applying to TC for the bridge program on January 7. 17 days from now. (Not like Im counting though) 

Going to school and working was probably the worst time of my life. However, being on 3J has been amazing. I met my soulmate BFF. I'm serious. We are exactly the same person in different bodies. We have the same sense of humor, we like the same things and we act like we were raised together. She has helped me get through my horrible depression more than she realizes. Its hard for me to imagine a time where I didn't have Angela in my life. I feel like I have known her forever.
I have made some pretty awesome friends from 3J. I am truly blessed to have met all of them. I didn't realize at the time how special they really were, and how they seem to have been put in my life for a reason. Alot of them have also had hysterectomies, and it caused us to bond. They all have made my acceptance to this horrible event much easier. Also, the girls I work with have helped me to get past my hatred towards pregnant people. There are a few girls that want children and can have them, and I cant be anything but happy for them. This is a huge step since this time last year.
So my year of 2013 has been spent on 3J. My daughter turned 8... and I bawled my eyes out. My son turned 1, and I bawled my eyes out. I turned 29. (we arent gonna say what I did that day. It was worse than bawling my eyes out.) My husband and I spent our 6th marriage anniversary together, and our 9 year anniversary of living together.
I am sitting here reflecting the year so far, and I really have so much to be thankful for. At the time, I didn't see everything I had going for me, I just focused on the bad.
I can't sit here and say this year has been totally bad. It was terrible on November 6th when my brother died, but that is still very fresh, so I don't really want to get into that. When I think about that, I go to a dark place. I have to take Ativan as needed to cope with that issue still to this day. So, we will skip over that for  now.

So here it is, Christmas time, and my son is 15 months old. I have started to enjoy things again, and started couponing again. My best friend Angela keeps me in line and keeps my head straight. She gets me out and makes me interested in my life again. We are going to start working out together, so I'll get that back.
I also stated working on becoming debt free. This use to be very important to me, and once I hit my horrible depression state, I just gave up caring. I started charging everything again, and not caring about being late. I am snapping out of it now.
I started another 24 day challenge to lose this excess weight. I did so well the first time, then when Jack died, it went to hell. I care about myself again, so I want to be healthy again.
Healthy physically and financially.
Also, this year I am dedicating to being more involved with my husband and kids. They have tried to help me overcome this time, and I owe them for putting up with my neurotic behavior. I WILL make time for my family.

2014 is going to be my year. My marriage is going to kick ass. I will get into nursing school. I will get accepted into the Vaneep program and NOT have to work. I will get my debt paid off. I will lose weight and be more healthy. And, I will dedicate my extra time to family activities.

I'm back yall. And I am better than ever.

13 weeks

Yes, I know I skipped 12 weeks. For some reason, that was a hard week.. I was too tired to do anything. I am pretty sure I slept the entire week away.

However, this week, I feel amazing!!!

Baby is the size of a PEACH! She's about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces, and -- proportion-wise -- her head's now about 1/3 the size of her body.

How far along? 13 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: Dunno.. I haven't dared to look at a scale. I've eaten pretty much everything this week.

Maternity clothes? Yup.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Back to normal pretty much, although I still like my afternoon nap.

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move.. felt like bubbles. AND being approved to get our pool!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? I am actually enjoying this now.

Movement: tiny bubbles.. and a lump.

Food cravings: Chips & guac, peach cobbler, anything carby.

Anything making you queasy or sick: So far, nothing this week!

Have you started to show yet: Yep.

Gender prediction: Girl    ...according to the Chinese Gender Predictor and heart rate!  teehee!!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: feeling baby move more!

Anything new?: I'm boring.. so I guess not!

Next Appointment: April 5th for another prenatal checkup, April 19 for our ultrasound!