On Facebook yesterday I was reminded that many people list things
They are grateful for in November. This was timely because my new plan is to come on everyday and list one silver lining in life that I saw or experienced which helps me deal with our 800 sf of love.

The idea came to me the othernight as I was sitting on couch in living room. Our bathrooom is less than 30 feet away. I was nursing honeybee and my husband was giving the monkey a bath. They were laughing and playing. I kept hearing 'daddy do it again!' I couldn't help but smile. I turned tv off and just listened. It went on for about 15 minutes and the joy coming from the room filled our small home. I couldn't help but think if we lived in our 'someday house' I never would have heArd it. Typing this three days later still makes me happy and helps me cope with our small quarters.

About a year ago a friend asked if my dislike of our small home was all encompassing. I said yes because it's the one thing I would give my right arm - literally - to change. He then asked does it affect my life, meaning my happiness, marriage, state of mind? I thought for a second and said no.

That's when it hit me: this problem we have is at the end of the day superficial. I have friends who are single parents with no support; friends in loveless marriages; whose kids have serious health issues; whose spouses have jobs taking them from home for months at a time and countless other issues. At the end of the day we are happy and healthy. This is what I need to focus on.

So there you have it 365:1. I really hope I can keep it up. Now a housekeeping note, please forgive typos because this is being typed on new iPhone and there are a lot of things to get used to.

Television

I have so many random posts during the day that I want to post here and just never have the energy. My little honey bee keeps me up nights and my monkey runs me ragged during the day. That said, I do love my life.

There is a commecial though that makes me sad. I am writing this commentary tonight because hoping I have the energy to write happy commentary tomorrow. I have an idea for happy commentary and want to see how long I can keep it going.

The commercial is for Lowe's. It has fun music and follows a couple from their wedding day through when their kids are grown. Its genious. The theme is "dont stop." With each new scene they make their house bigger and better.

This is something we will likely never do. I say this as fact, not as anything other than that. Reality is, we will own this condo since there is no way we can sell it, for the rest of our lives...or at least for a very long time. We can't stay here forever. I have a target move out date of April 1 at the latest, preferably Feb 1. We would rent this place. We are simpley too big. We have too much stuff, no matter what I pitch.

So we rent our place. And we continue to rent for years to come. Maybe we can buy a new place in 15 years, if we are lucky. But where that would be is anyone's guess. Point being, our life is on hold. We are stuck. We played by the rules and we got screwed.

But we have each other. We have our beautiful kids, who I must say were adorable tonight on Halloween. My son as an officer just makes me melt every time I look at the picture. And my daughter as a honeybee sleeping was too precious for words. Kim Kardashian may have way more money than we ever will, but God willing our marriage will last 72 years, and if we are all in this condo together, in the end thats fine with me.

Its time to tell the WHOLE story

President Obama announced with much fan fare today, and the media certainly played the part by hyping it as top story almost everywhere, that the goverment was announcing a new plan to help underwater homeowners.

The Washington Post had this story on its website by noon. I read it anxiously as I waited to pick up my son from preschool. Had someone finally decided to help the good people like us who never miss payments, who have excellent credit, who are just getting screwed by the big banks?? Were my prayers FINALLY being answered.

No.

Turns out that this program like so much of what the government has tried to do up to this point to help homeowners only applies to those whose loans are backed by Fannie or Freddie. What about the rest of us??

My first instinct was to email the reporter and tell him to look into it. But now I have decided I am going to try to look into it for myself, even if its only for me and the 10 or so people that read this, or I should say get this in email, who knows if anyone reads it.

So over the coming weeks I will find out who else this applies to and what, if anything can be done about it.

The sooner we refiniance our 800 sf of love, the sooner we can move out. The sooner we move out the sooner we start planning for the future and maybe, dare I dream, buy another house, our Someday House. This will be house we grow old in and watch our children grow in. We are the people the experts say need to start spending again, but we can't start spending until we know what we will be responsible for in the future for a home that will likely not regain its value for another 10 years.

So, if you are a homeowner whose house is underwater and who has not missed payments, but is not eligible for the government programs because your loan is not backed by Fannie or Freddie, PLEASE let me know. I am going to use my reporting skills, dusting them off after four years...figure its about time, please send me an email or comment here with a way to reach you.

Our story is not a singular one. Perhaps the more voices we give to this, the more likely we too can get a chance. I don't want to get off without paying what we owe, we signed the note thats our responsibility. I get that and would expect nothing less. What I do want is a chance to move forward and live my life. We can't do this until we refinance. Is that asking too much???

What I have been up to..

In addition to getting ready for #2, due any day now, I have also begun blogging on occasion for BeCentsAble. This is a blog I have followed since I first started trying to save money. Here are my most recent posts, hope they are helpful to you:

Patience and Planning, 8/31/11

Keeping your car clean, 8/24/11

Saving Money Around the House: In the Baby's Room, 8/17/11

Spend Less on Pricey Uniforms, 8/10/11

How to save on school supplies, 8/3/11

Checking in

This post is just to see if we fixed our posting problem. Hoping it goes through and you all, wherever you are, are having a great Tuesday.

Top Ten Back to School Saving Tips

I have started blogging for another site that offers a slew of great money saving ideas. Its one of my favorites and I have posted links to BeCentsAble before.

Here is my first post for their new feature, Never Pay Retail. I will also be writing about saving tips around the house (not sure of that title yet).

Thanks to all who gave me ideas, and hope you are staying cool this summer.

Enjoy!

I want to sit at the table

These are the words my Monkey said last night and they are just the latest example of how my frustration level with our 800 sf is continuing to grow.

We were coming home from the grocery store and we told him if he was good he would have french fries for dinner. He got all excited and said he wanted to sit at the table. This means, or so we thought, that he wanted to go to McDonalds. We said no, we were eating them at home and he would eat at his seat. His seat is a cushion on the floor with a bed/breakfast tray as his table. Sometimes the tv is on, other times its not.

"But I dont want to sit on the cushion, I want to sit at the table," he said.

We asked if he wanted to sit at the big boy table in our kitchen, the table that was at that moment piled high with newspapers, bills, magazines, diaper bags and who knows what else.

"Yes, please, Mommy. Can I please sit at the big boy table," he asked again.

My heart sank.

How many moms would jump for joy that their 3 year old politely asked to sit at the table? Me, I cringe because in order for him to do this I have to go move everything and sort it and find another home for it (what nook and cranny is not being used now?). I did, of course, move everthing around. And he did enjoy a good dinner there. But it made me sick and sad that we are so cramped for space that I can't even offer my son a place to eat dinner without having to move 1,001 things first.

One day we will have our someday house, and added to the list of things in our someday house, will be a kitchen table that is exclusively a kitchen table and not a desk/catch all.

Money Diet: Part 1

Could you tell how tired I was yesterday? I was horrified with how many typos I had in that post! I went back and corrected them (at least I hope I found them all) but yikes. As my husband put it so delicately, I have officially entered the phase where no sleep position is comfortable. Oh well.

Now, on to more important things.

I took two steps toward our money diet today. First, after debating for months, we finally decided to let go of my husband's cell phone. He gets one through work and he uses it almost exclusively. Last month he did not spend a single minute online with his phone and sent only 60 texts. I thought this would be saving us $15 a month, turns out we are actually saving $30! Whoo hoo! I realize not a lot, but every little bit helps.

I am still paying more than I would like for my own individual plan and am searching for a better deal. But considering Verizon is available pretty much everywhere and I have always been happy with my service, I am reluctant to jump ship (yet!) I will keep you posted.

Second, I transferred our credit card balance. As I noted earlier, we put all of our home improvements from last summer when our bathroom had to be redone because of mold, on a 0% card. What I didn't realize is that if we used the card we would be accruing interest and there was no way to get rid of the interest unless we paid the whole thing in full -- still not an option. What I mean by this is, assume I transferred $2000 and then spent $200. I assumed if I sent in a payment of $300, the first $200 would go toward the new charges and the $100 would go toward the $2000, thus making my balance $1900. Wrong!

So I transferred the balance again (which I do not like, but like better than paying interest on purchases I thought I was paying off) and now have a 0% deal for 18 months! I will not be using this card at all -- I guess the good thing is that I was able to transfer to an existing account and not a new one.

The lesson learned: make sure you understand all the terms of your credit card. I know this sounds stupid and if you had asked me even last week I would have assumed I did. I was wrong. I shudder to think of how much interest we paid this card before I caught the charges...ugh.

Today was the first day I had to implement changes, so stay tuned for more updates on our money diet.

800 sf of love: 3 Mary: 0

Yup, its been one of those days. And by the time these things happened, it was barely 1 pm.

Its one of the hottest days of the summer. My Monkey is 3 and pretty much loves the pool. Would spend all day there if we would let him. So, after going through the process of getting him and me both dressed, something at 7.5 months pregnant I am even slower at than under normal circumstances, we walk over to our pool with our floaty things, sunblock on, water bottles, towels, etc. Its after 12. Sadly, our pool, since we are still mostly a professional development, doesn't open until 1:30 -- right at the beginning of naptime! As I was walking back I saw at least two other sets of parents walking with young kids. I realize this sounds like a stupid complaint, but its a pain. My Monkey took the closure well and did not pitch a royal fit, but wanted to go to another pool. As if thats a possibility. So Mental note: In our "someday house" a term I have stolen from my college roommate because I love it, we will live near a pool that opens at a respectable hour...chances are this will happen with our luck right around the time our kids get sick of pools and think they are too cool to go. Such is life.

Second defeat came at the hand of our thoughtless neighbor. Decided we would turn the sprinkler on so he could run around and stay cool. The one we are supposed to use, according to condo rules since its closest to us, was not in use, but was also not usable. Turns out our thoughtless neighbors, who I will call Patti and Selma, decided they should run the hose into their patio for exclusive use. I guess I could have just pulled the hose, but their patio looks like the wild kingdom with tons of plants and heaven only knows what else growing in there. I didnt want to yank in case I knocked something over. It just amazes me how thoughtless they can be, as if the hose is just for their exclusive use? So Mental note #2: Make sure our Someday House is almost entirely self sufficient so we dont have to be bothered by selfish people. Ugh.

The final blow was actually the worst one and came first. But it still gives me pause. Our craptastic washer machine was "Fixed" by the idiots at Sears this weekend so after more than a month of it being out of commission and me doing exactly what the guy said to make it run properly, I went to use it. Problem was, the door to the washer/dryer (which are hidden in what was presumably once a closet) blocked the soap dispenser, so I had to pull off. I figured my hubby would fix tonight, so placed away from washer/dryer and near our bedroom in the hall. I assumed it was upright secure.

Wrong.

My Monkey went to walk back to his room and the damn door fell...CRASH! He screamed and I screamed and ran (faster than I have in a long time). How this thing missed him and everything else in that narrow hallway, escapes me. Clearly this was an act of God, because something should have been damaged other than my heart rate, but it wasnt. He was just scared and I was too. Now the door lies flat, halfway in our bathroom and halfway in our bedroom, taking up the entire floor. There it will stay until Daddy gets home. I cant believe our fortune and thank God He was looking out for us, because this could have been a lot worse. A lot.

Now in addition to praying for a healthy baby, I also pray for some resolution to our housing situation, because one of these days someone is going to get hurt due to the space, and that really scares me.

Money Diet Suggestions

I have decided we desperately need to go on a money diet. You know where you itemize EVERYTHING! Kind of like Weight Watchers with the points, only this will be with money.

I promised my husband when I started this I would never get specific about our money, as in how much comes in each month. With that said, I am looking for specific ideas as to how to cut and save.

Things I am seriously considering and welcome comments on, either here or on FB page:
1. Do you have cable? If you have done away with it, how goes it? Do you use Hulu, Netflix or nothing at all?
2. How many cell phones do you pay for? Who is your service provider and what is your plan like?
3. What is the one expense you have each month that you simply cannot live without and would never cut? Why?
4. What reward programs do you belong to? Which ones work, don't?
5. What are your tricks of the trade? I have mentioned before my favorite cheapie trick which I never envisioned doing was to reuse freezer bags over and over. What do you do?

These are just a start. I am hoping to implement this new diet starting August 1. I will let you know what we did and update how its going. If you dont want to post publicly, feel free to email me mary(dot)bluepatches(at)gmail(dot)com

Thanks followers!

Harris Teeter Super Doubler

Harris Teeter is doing one of its best promotions this week (now through midnight Tuesday). The store will double all your coupons up to $1.98, meaning if you have a coupon for that much you could actually save $3.96..whoot whoo!

Also, for their eVIC customers, bread is only 79 cents a loaf! Glad our fridge is empty right now so I can stock up.

Snapfish Photo deal

Get 50 4 X 6 prints shipped for $5! Sale ends tomorrow night (Sunday). Use checkout code DADDYPICS

I'm scared

On the weekends my husband and I take turns "sleeping in." Its a relative term. Once our son wakes up there is little chance of falling completely back to sleep, but the "off" parent gets to stay in bed until 10 am or so and fall in and out consciousness. In a word, its awesome!

My husband prefers Saturday to sleep in, so today as I woke up and was playing with our son, I was also thinking two months down the road.

Obviously our weekend sleep-in routine is going to go bye-bye. But the reality is beginning to set in that we are going to have four people in this condo. And its the smallest person who will have the largest effect.

S/he will have a swing and a floor mat. Where will they go?

S/he will sleep, cry, poop, eat, repeat for the first three months or so with no rhym or reason to schedule. How is this timing going to work in a space that is mind numbingly small and where there is no escape from even the simplist noise? Will we take him/her into the kitchen when s/he starts crying? Will this small area off to the side shield our son at 3 am from his/her cries?

A girlfriend suggested going through our son's toys and only saving two cratefuls. This is a great idea, one I will likely try to utilize. But he actually PLAYS with his truck, and his two garages, not to mention stepstool and huge new fire truck. These aren't items that can simply disappear. His world is going to change enough as it is come September, we are not getting rid of his favorites.

I have begun to look into storage facilities so we can store some of our clothes and books that seem to take up endless amounts of room. We cant continue to take advantage of my SILs generosity with their basements.

So in a nutshell I am scared. I have complained ad nauseum for months, but now that the reality is HERE, I have no clue how we will manage. I accept God gives us challenges and this is ours, but its anyone's guess how we will manage.

I looked online this morning for places similar to the one we found last week, and no dice. Nothing even comparable. Ugh.

Things will be ok. We will survive. But I am curious and frightened to see how this ride will evolve...I guess it will be like Space Mountain, an awesome rollar coster in the dark. Once the ride is over I will look back with fondness and excitement, but while on it I will be (and already am) scared $h!#le%%.

Happy Saturday to all.

Restaurant.com -- 80% off

This is one of my favorite sites! Whats great about it, is if you have a smartphone, you can literally order your gift certificate while eating and then present either the phone itself, or write down the info and present to your server when the bill comes. We did this last weekend when we decided at last minute to go out for Fathers Day.

New code, for 80 percent off, is SUMMER. Good now through June 30!

Enjoy.

For more info on this site, check here.

Old Navy Tank Tops $2!!!!

I am now fully into month 7 of the pregnancy and this summer I am LIVING in these tank tops! They are awesome for the heat and especially great for the pregnancy set :)

Click here for the printable coupon. Thanks Carolina Couponer for the h/t.

Stay cool this weekend!

Our life

I have said recently as I try to save money, but seem to have less time to post, that I am going to post more about what its LIKE to live in 800 sf and how this stresses me/how we survive.

This post is along those lines.

We decided to try to rent a townhouse because of our expanding family. We had been looking for a place that fit out budget, we liked, was close enough for my husband to still see our children, and close to our son's new preschool in the fall. Finding this combo was a challenge. But we did it! We found the perfect TH. It was at the top of our budget, but great neighborhood, clean, safe, near friends and family. I knew from the getgo it was too good to be true and that we wouldnt get it. But i never envisioned the WHY.

We visited on Saturday, and submitted our application (including all personal information) as well as a deposit on Monday. The application clearly states whoever signs the lease first gets the place. Fair enough. I was reasonably sure that we were in good shape considering how switftly we moved. Emails from the owner were pleasant and while not overly encouraging, surely not discouraging either. Our credit is stellar so the only way we would not get this place is if someone signed first.

We found out last night that someone had been approved and had lease in hand since last Wednesday, three days BEFORE we even saw the place and five days before we gave our application! I was livid. I burst into tears. I cant believe that he would have an open house AND accept applications knowing someone else had already been approved and had lease in hand. I understand he wanted to cover his ass, but seriously!!

This took a lot of energy out of me. It would have been a quick and stressful move but it would have been worth it. Now we are back to square one. I am scared to death on how we are going to fit FOUR people in 800 sf, especially when the smallest one comes with the most stuff. I hate that my husbands life is essentially going to be groundhog day for the next six months of coming home from work, playing with our son, cleaning up all the toys, eat dinner, go to bed. Repeat.

I will have to go back to work full time or part time more consistently and I hate this. I hate that no banks will even talk to us about refinancing despite steallar credit. Basically I hate our situation and the fact there is NOTHING we can do to change it.

Yes we are blessed and I do count our blessings. We have our health, our love and our children and thats all that matters, but this challenge of 800 sf is going to be the death of me I am sure.

Ugh.

Virginia Sales Tax holiday now through Tuesday

Check out this link here. Virginia is a sales tax holiday for specific items from now through May 31.

Now, I need to read yesterdays post

I need to sit down and reread my own post from yesterday. We need to count our blessings. We are ok. Breathe. Repeat.

A neighbor is selling her condo and I was talking to her realtor today about the economy, the market and basically where things stand. It was a very disappointing conversation.

Basically he said it will be 5 years before the market returns to where it was when we bought in 2005. Our son will be 8 - let's just state here this is a concept I simply cannot grasp, it seems like he was just born and he is afterall still in diapers. His still yet to be born sibling will be 5. Staying here this long is simply not an option.

So I am likely going to have to return to the paid workforce before I want. I love being home with my son, having playdates and watching him grow. I am so close to finished when it comes to becoming a certified teacher, but this will be put on hold if I go back - even part time.

My husband says if the worst that happens is I have to go back pt than we are ok. He is right. We have been very fortunate that I have been able stay home as long as I have. I have cherished every minute. But I feel that if I do go back Baby #2 is somehow being cheated. But s/he will never know the difference, unlike our son who hated going to "school" when he was 2 1/2. We have kept in there now once a week just to keep this option open AND because its good for him to get social skills -- not to mention I need a day to do house administation tasks like bills and the like.

I still hate that we are getting screwed. Why wont any bank help us??? We are the good people, not the ones who took out too much. Not the ones who miss payments. You can add the realtor from yesterday to the people who suggested we miss payments. Ugh!

Count our blessings....

That's what I emailed my husband yesterday after learning a friends home had been turned upside down by contractors hired to fix their lead problem. She and her husband and two small boys (both under 4) are now living in a 1 br high rise because the contractors broke pipes, flooded the basement and made the kitchen structurally unsound. They are in month 2 of the high rise and she guesses it will be another 2 months at least before they can move back home. The good news is her son who had the lead issues which brought about the move in the first place, has been cleared by his doctor.

This definitively qualifies as an emergency and she said they have depleted their savings but its a no brainer.

I have three other friends who come to mind who are single mothers. How they have managed to raise so far healthy, happy and well balanced kids almost entirely on their own, as well as maintained their own sanity amazes me. They are my heroes. This is not an exaggeration. I hate it when my husband leaves on a business trip for 4 days. I hate it when our son has a virus during the workday and I am home alone dealing with his puke. I know God doesn't put anything on our plates we can't handle, but man these ladies seem to be carrying more than their fair share...and all I can say is good help the fathers if I should ever see them, especially if I have enjoyed adult beverages of late. These men are pond scum as far as I am concerned.

I have friends who are in loveless marriages, and other friends whose only time with their children is in the car on their way to and from work. One friend recently nearly cried as she described her daily commute and lamented hardly ever getting to see her son awake.

So here we are. I am still madly in love with my husband and he proves every day that despite my growing belly, my constant nagging to pick up his socks and shirts from the floor in any given room and my alleged-bed hogging ways, that he feels the same. We play with our son in the morning before he goes to work and at night when he gets home from work. We eat dinner together most nights and there are even some days when we drive into his office and have a picnic lunch so our son can look at the bells outside -- something that fascinates him. We have a good car which is reliable and safe for The Monkey and his baby sister/brother due in September.

I have been thinking a lot lately about our blessings. Between the tornadoes in North Carolina (which I experienced first hand when I was there and had to run into an unknown brick structure to escape, while my childhood friend affectionately refered to as DA stayed in the car because she "felt safer") Alabama (did you read the Sports Illustrated story, I am linking it here but I think you have to be a subscriber...if not, go to library its incredible!) and now Missouri, as well the above stories about our friends, I am reminded everyday we are ok.

Yes, I will complain endlessly about our 800 sf, it drives me crazy. And I hate that we have so much C-R-A-P in our house but cant seem to pitch or part with. I hate that we are beholden to the weather and the community gods in hopes we can have a birthday celebration for our son at a local park and not have to worry about others taking the grill first. I hate that I can hardly ever host playdates because I feel our place is so cramped.

But with all that said, I would not trade with any of my friends right now. Those that have bigger houses, more money or live in an area that is less expensive. It seems in life we all have our challenges. Our challenge is keeping sane in 800 sf and trying to keep our head above water. So far we are surviving (even if barely), but compared to the challenges of others, I will take this in a heartbeat.

Should I ever write a book.....

...it will be entitled There is a Special Place in Hell reserved for Wells Fargo.

My dislike for this megabank is well known. The latest episode involves their new fees. I knew they were coming, but expected some sort of warning. Wrong.

This month they began charging us an overdraw fee of $7. Not because we overdrew on the account, but on the offchance we did in the future. I noticed it because I checked my statement. That's the reason for this post. Make sure you always check your statements.

I have asked my husband to go online and download our bank statements going back five years this weekend. Come Monday I plan on closing the account. We use USAA as our primary bank and have been thrilled ever since we made the switch, so dumping WF (or actually Wachovia is the brand name of our bank, but as they never forget to tell you -- they are a Wells Fargo Company) is not a big loss.

Bottom line: CHECK YOUR STATEMENTS! No one should be paying fees in this day and age. If your bank does, find one that doesn't. There are lots out there, start saving!

Its Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerrys!

This deal runs through 8 pm tonight, check out all the info here.

Be creative with cooking...sometimes it works

And last night was one of those nights. Turns out my addiction to Food Network paid off. The best part, I didn't spend a dime on anything different, just used what I had.

Rosemary Wine Pork Chops.

Three boneless pork chops, purchased in bulk from Wegman's a few weeks back.
Splash of White Wine
Bigger splash of olive oil
Sprinkle healthy amount of rosemary (probably two tablespoons)
Less Garlic Powder
Pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a plastic bag. Marinate on counter to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Grill on oven top griller for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Enjoy!

I served with instant brown rice that I added some frozen veggies to. It was a pretty yummy meal if I do say so myself, and since no left overs, hubby clearly agreed!

National Parks are free next week!

Just in time for spring break, and don't we all need a break right about now!!!!

Take your kids, your SO or your friends...or even go it alone. Our parks are gorgeous and what better way to see them when they are FREE! All the information is here.

Sugar content!

I bought a bottle of Sprite today. I don't do this often, but couldn't see a bottled water and was thirsty. I was stunned when I saw the sugar content -- 64 g!!! Lesson learned, no more real soda for me, pregnant or not! I am adding this here because this should serve as a money saver to all...check the sugar contents of your sodas, if they are too high, don't buy!

Women's golf deal -- 50% off

This deal is especially for Marie!

Thanks to Penny Pinchin' Mom for the h/t!

There are a slew of deal websites out there such as Groupon, Living Social, etc. This comes from Eversave. Buy a $25 "deal" and get $50 worth of credit from JGolfandSport.com This deal runs through Tuesday at 8 pm EST. Click here for the details.

Sporting News Magazine -- $4/year subscription

From one of my favorite sites, BradsDeals. More info here

A note about Groupon

This came up in an email conversation with a friend this weekend. Groupon is one of many websites that offers a slew of deals for the savvy consumer. Many (falsely) believe these deals are only good for 24 hours.

THIS IS NOT TRUE!

Many Groupon deals are good for 48-72 hours. Make sure to read the fine print. If the deal sounds good, but you want to find out more (such as if this is good in your area, if your spouse would enjoy, if you really need more furniture, etc.) wait and digest the deal. Giving yourself the extra time that Groupon allows will likely save you money and allow you to choose wisely.

Coffee tip

This is one I have mentioned before, but have started using again in full force, especially since my taste for coffee has (finally!) returned :) It's worth a repeat mention here.

We buy a big container at Wegman's, I think its about 35-40 oz or so. It's generic regular coffee and on its own, its not bad at all! But we received as a gift a pound of French Vanilla from Dunkin Donuts (the best coffee on the planet!). Each morning I add one scoop of the DD to the 2 or 3 scoops of Wegmans. The taste is incredible and just what we need to get the day going.

The container I buy from Wegman's costs around $7. I have seen a similar container at Costco for around $9. Target sells their big one for around $6. I haven't bought coffee by the pound in a bag for years. You get so much more for your money this way, then buying the bag. And it also saves you return trips to the store since the bags are gone in less than a week.

Friday's deals

Woohoo! Two days in a row :)

Going through my inbox these are the deals I found so far....enjoy!

Groupon (DC area):$100 sunglasses for $49! I am a big fan of Groupon for deals that are of value for you. Sometimes they have deals that are tempting, but you don't really need. For me, this one "sounds" good, but since I make losing sunglasses an Olympic sport, I will pass. If you haven't signed up for Groupon in your area though, do. Its free and as long as you have self-control, it can't hurt.

CVS: They have a few photo deals. The one in my inbox says 9 cents/each for 4x6 prints, with a minimu of 50 pix. Promo code 9CENTPRINTS

RESTAURANT.COM: I love this site! My inlaws came last night and at the last minute we went to dinner. I got a $25 gift card for $3!!!! If you want to same deal, use code PLATE between now and Sunday. Yummy!

Yes...we are still here!

But the original Blue Patched Couch is long gone!

That's one of the many many changes we have encountered since I last wrote. I am sad that its been nearly four months! Where does the time go? Oh I know, life gets in the way and before you know it seasons change, babies grow and life evolves.

These observations aside, I do hope that I can get back in the swing of writing and saving, both of which have taken a big hit of late (more on that below). The updates:

1. The original BPC was laid to rest in late November, 2010. It was a wonderful couch and served a fantastic purpose. We will always be grateful to our friends A&E for giving us a perfectly good and extremely comfortable couch! However, after seven years and a very active toddler, it was time to move on. Specifics aside, I think all parents know what I am talking about, some stains and smells just can't be removed and I simply didn't have the energy to keep patching.

Our new couch is a blue sofa-bed. I will admit its not as comfortable to sit on as the old one, but the sofabed makes a world of difference! It has been affectionately dubbed "Auntie Kerry and Auntie Cory's" bed by The Monkey because they were the first to stay here. And this winter we have needed it!

2. The Monkey will be a big brother come fall! How we are going to manage 4 people in our 800 sf escapes me, but somehow we will. I had dreams of moving to a larger place and renting our condo out, and I still have these dreams, but right now its not in the cards. These last few months I have been so sick and tired. And The Monkey as well as my husband have also had their own sicknesses, that this place has been nuts. On top of that I am going back to school to get my teacher certification, so my free time has been negligable. Literally.

3. Our savings have taken a hit. We still have money for an emergency, but if you remember last summer we had to have emergency bathroom work done that was big money. Well we put that on credit because I didn't want to deplete our savings to pay for and we still have this (plus a little more) debt. We are making progress though and I think we should be well on way by the end of the year. I am being honest about this because while we are no longer debt free there are some expenses you just can't not pay, and this was one of them. We could have paid it off in full but we have a zero % credit card and we weren't comfortable not having anything cash-wise in the bank. I hate carrying the balance, but my sanity is better off because we did it this way.

I have been doing some freelance work to help make ends meet and we are managing to save a decent amount of this money, right now its about 20 percent after childcare is paid for, so thats good.

I sincerely hope I can back in the swing of finding deals, sending them along and letting you know how we are making ends meet. I have missed this.

Happy Savings!