saving, shopping, shoes and stuff

so js and i are saving to buy a house. this has been a challenge for both of us, i think...probably more so for me, unfortunately. i like, scratch that, make that love to shop and shopping for shoes could be a very fun, although expensive hobby for me. i have really tried to bring in the reigns on my spending habits. let me tell you it's not been easy! i don't know how good of a job i've really done.

i have my favorite places to shop and so when i'm out and anywhere near one, it seems to have a force field that reaches out to me and pulls me in. i have to admit that i'm not going unwillingly but am going guiltily. shoes seem to be the worst. i can't seem to pass any shoe store without at least just looking. i can look and not buy, it's difficult but i can and have done that very successfully many times. so if one of these excursions is not so successful in the saving department, i feel incredibly guilty and down on myself.

js and i have a rule that if we buy something we have to get rid of two other things that we don't use or need any longer. this method of purging helps when it comes to packing all of our stuff for a move, local or cross country. we tend to get rid of even more when we're getting ready to move. we do this method so that we don't become the focus of the hoarders tv show on tlc.

i guess this purging method is good until we have so many bags and boxes to go to the thrift shop, not enough room in the car to get it there and end up having to make two or more trips. if we keep up with it we probably take three or four boxes of stuff every three or four months. it helps to keep our closets clean and junk free.

potty training...really???

i thought that pbs had begun the journey called potty training last week but now i'm not so sure. he went several times on his potty and we were all very happy and excited. he was telling everybody that he went potty and poop on his potty. i know it is gross, but coming from a 2 year old...he can say pretty much anything and it would be cute.

now he doesn't seem to want anything to do with it. i'm getting a little frustrated because i know that he can do it. so where do i go from here? i don't want to force him and be at war with him over using the potty all the time. we are not rewarding him with anything but praise and love.

he goes into the bathroom while i'm going and he knows what to do but he will stand in the opposite corner and go on the floor. i get upset with him and tell him that we don't do that and that it's bad to do that. then we go put a new diaper on and i tell him why it's wrong to go on the floor. i tell him that i love him and he says he's sorry.

i don't want to start any sort of rewards program and have him expect to get something every time he goes on the potty. maybe when we know that we are finished with this process, we'll give him a reward.

is this how it goes? are we potty training...really?

any suggestions on potty training would be greatly appreciated.

choices and changes

when a new year starts it always seems to be the time to start making changes and choices. whether those changes and choices are physical, emotional, spiritual, life, that's up to each individual.

js and i have made the choice to get back on the hunt for a house again. this would be our first time purchasing a house. we have high hopes that we are trying to keep in check and trying to lower our expectations for our budget. those are changes that we have to make.

other choices and changes that we have made are to not spend as much money. an example of this is that we eat at home almost every day and try not to go out to dinner. although, i've made a choice to try to help with cooking more. now i don't know if i have ever stated here or not, but the kitchen and i are not friends. this is a huge change for me.

i think pbs is starting to tell us that he is ready for potty training. that will be a challenge and change that we will need to face in time. this morning he looked me in the eye and said, "i poopy." it didn't take me long to figure that out on my own either. he just turned two. my question is how do you know if your child is ready to start potty training or not? anyway...i think that's another post all together.

so i guess what i'm trying to say is that there are so many choices and changes that we make every day that maybe i need to look at it as a blessing.

home again...ahhhh

after being away for almost two full weeks, we were ready to be home again and back into a more normal (to us) kind of routine. i love to travel and visit family but it's exhausting at the same time. add into the mix Christmas, new year's and pbs's 2nd birthday and we're pretty tired.

why is it always nice to get away but so nice to come home too? i've been going on family trips for as long as i can remember and while i loved being away, i loved coming home too. the worst part of coming home is unpacking and figuring out the routine again. it seems to take a few days for everything to come back together.

i know that pbs was happy to come home to see js and all of his trains. we walked up to the door and he was very excited and knew he was home. it was so cute to see.

anyway...it's nice to be home again...ahhhh.

thank you!

i'm just so excited to see how many people have been stopping by to see what i have to say! i can't believe that people actually want to read my thoughts and gibberish. i just want to say thank you and i'll keep writing if you'll keep reading!