Can Being In A Rut Be Fun?

Ever feel like you are in a rut…digging and digging to get out, but getting no where fast?

Ever since Momma started staying at home with Ace instead of going to work, we have really had to watch where our money goes.  And now that we are living in a recession it almost like a noose around our necks!

We pay all of our bills on time, but what’s left over leaves little room for much entertainment or extra curricular activities.

The added stress and lack of doing things hasn’t really helped my blogging much. I mean, do you really want to hear about how we do the same thing every day?  I didn’t think so…  😀

I know that the recession has hurt many families much more than it has hurt ours and I am very grateful that we have done as well as we have throughout these tough times.

I have friends that have been laid off for over a year, depleted all of their savings, and ran up their credit cards.  Now they are living on a shoestring budget struggling to make ends meet.

So how has the recession put unwanted stress on your family?

What have you done to alleviate this stress?

What are some fun (and inexpensive) things that your family does for entertainment?

Do Crocodiles Actually Cry Big Crocodile Tears?

Vacation! It’s coming soon!

Do you know the last time we went on a real vacation? A real getaway? Me neither.

In a few weeks we are going to pack 900 pounds of stuff into the back of Momma’s truck, and guess what…it is all Ace’s!

Seriously, how can such a little guy require so much stuff? The list of stuff to pack is 3 or 4 pages long!

Anyways, if we manage to successfully drive the overloaded vehicle (at what point are you required to stop at the weigh stations with the semis?) halfway across the country, we are going to be in for some good fun in the sun!

So you are probably imagining a beach somewhere,  South Carolina? Florida? Nope, and nope…Iowa!  Yes, I said it…Iowa!

Seriously! We are driving to Iowa to visit some old friends, and we are staying at one of those hotels that have the indoor water park! I’m excited! (I’m really a 12 year old in a…man I hate to say it…almost 30 year old’s body)

Not only do they have an indoor water park, the hotel is located on a lake for some outdoor water fun as well!

I’m so excited!

Even though all of this puts a big smile on my face there is one thing about the trip that I’m sure will make me cry big crocodile tears…

The gas prices make me cry big crocodile tears!
I think I cried 23.743 gallons after filling up my truck. 🙁

I plan on taking a record number of pictures on our road trip, as long as I remember the camera (and we don’t have to pawn it off to pay for gas to make it all the way home) 😆 .  I should have some good shots to show all of ya’s .

Oh yeah!  If the weather cooperates, Ace will be visiting the zoo for the first time this weekend!  Please don’t rain! 🙂

This summer is going to be sooo much fun! 😀

Riding In Style!

My wish list keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.  😀

Back when Momma and I were picking out diaper bags and strollers I insisted that they not be too “girly” looking.  Admit it.  Most diaper bags and strollers are designed for moms.  I wanted something that was gender neutral.  No lace.  No fru-fru.  No bright colors.  I mean I would have to be seen in public using these things too.

Obviously I am not the only one who thinks this.  Why?  Because KidKustoms has come out with some awesome strollers specifically with Dad’s in mind.  Dads with style that is…  Check out “The Roddler”!

the-roddler

How sweet is this beaty!  They are totally customizable with options for built in LCD screens and IPod/IPhone docks.  You pick your colors.  You pick your fender style!  Look at the white wall tires!

This thing is definitely on my Wish List, however I think it will probably be there for a while…  The Roddler may be for Dads with style, but in reality it is for Dads with style…and money.  These awesome rides start at a whopping $2500 according to their website.

Oh well.  It’s OK to dream, right?  I mean, I have an imagination.  I’ll just pretend my hunker-junker…

chicco-stroller

…is one stream lined, baby strolling machine, as I dodge the bumps and cracks in my suburban neighborhood sidewalks. Vroom Vroom Baby!  😀

Turning Trash Into Cash

A while back I wrote about how we save aluminum cans and I crush them with the old Blazer that sits in the driveway. Remember that?

Well, we have been saving cans for a while now. The bags were piling up in our backyard. Every time we had a storm or high winds I would have to trek across my yard and my neighbors yards to gather up all of the bags of cans that had been blown away.

I finally got a chance to take the cans in to get them recycled. Here is a pic of my truck loaded up with all of the cans…

Aluminum Cans Loaded Into The Truck

Well, after driving to the recycling center, unloading the truck, the cans were weighed…

86 lbs of cans!

My engineering mind has got the best of me and I really want to know just how many cans make up 86 lbs?

  • I weighed one empty aluminum can and it weighed 0.5 oz
  • and there are 16 oz per lb.
  • This means it takes 32 cans to make up 1 lb
  • So 32 cans/lb x 86 lbs = 2752 cans in 86 lbs!

Two thousand seven hundred fifty two cans!  Holy cow!

It’s hard enough to save money for ourselves, however we want to be able to put some money away from time to time for Ace’s future.  Recycling cans is one way we decided to get this done.

Anyways, I received $55.90 for all of these cans.  This money is going straight into Ace’s savings account. Don’t spend it all in one place little man!

Not too shabby for something that we would have usually thrown away, eh?

POLL RESULTS: How Much Do You Spend On Each Of Your Children At Christmas?

Well, the poll has been up for a little more than one month and we have had 25 votes.  Here are the results:

POLL RESULTS: How Much Do You Spend On Each Of Your Children At Christmas?

Momma did all the shopping this year, like always, so I’m not sure how much we actually spent on Ace, but I would guess it was in the $101-$200 group.

So, it looks like we are right in there with the majority of parents!  I feel better now. 🙂

Hostinger