In no particular order…

1. Take 5 pictures a day that are not self portraits.
2. Appreciate what I have.
3. Live in the moment.
4. Love myself by taking care of myself.
(no smoking, eat right, get exercise, laugh more, be mad less)
5. Show my family that I love them regularly.
6. Have a clean & organized house.
7. Listen to more music.
8. Walk the dogs at least once a day.
9. Eat in more than out and at the table as a family.
10. Be on the computer less.

I’ve been so lucky the past few days. It’s been rainy, overcast and cold. Today we got super windy added to the mix. I don’t really mind the wind when it’s rainy, I however don’t like it much when it’s warm or sunny. Simi Valley seems to have more wind than any place I’ve ever lived.

I thinks it’s a beautiful day out today, and I don’t understand how people hate the rain. It makes me happy. I hate driving in it, but I even found when I worked, I enjoyed working more on rainy days.

I want to sit around all cozy & warm, sipping coffee, and eating soup.

I hope one day I can move to Washington, someplace where it rains all the time. I was born in the wrong state.

I think I’ve uttered one “I really miss taking self portraits!” Since I abruptly gave up in April on Day 297. Today, would have been my very last day of the project. My last self portrait to finish out my 366th day. What a quitter I am! I really wish I would have stuck it out or quit sooner.

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I have been extra lazy all week. I didn’t do a single thing around the house. Not one, besides cook dinner all week…which was all grilled and easy!

I finally tackled the mountain of dishes in the sink and counter. Seriously, everything we use regularly was dirty besides 1 spoon. An hour later, they were clean! Yay! I hate doing dishes by hand though. It takes so long, and I get all hot and sweaty. I also am dumbfounded on why I wait so long to do them, rather then take 10 minutes at night to do them all.

I’ve washed the kids clothes, got their bag all packed. I’m waiting on their whites to finish so I can put some socks in there for Chase.

These is a couple fly’s in the house. One keeps landing on Betty. It’s annoying the hell out of her. Everytime it lands on her butt, she jumps and turns around all fast trying to catch it. It’s cracking me up.

Here she is waiting for that mofo fly to land on her again. She wants it dead. Ha!

Jeremy just got home about 10 minutes ago. I need to grill some hot dogs and sausages for the kids and us, and then we are headed to L.A. to drop them off, but first we are going to go and hang out with my brother and Agnes!!! She just flew in from Paris on Tuesday, and called me this afternoon to come hang out. So, I am excited about that. I haven’t seen her in a couple years. After the kids leave we will hang out for a while…maybe do something.

So, that’s cool.

My Madre is coming down June 12-15th, then my sister is coming down the 18th-27th…then I am flying to North Carolina July 5th-12th. I can’t wait to go and visit! I just wish Jeremy could go with me, because I will miss him so while I am gone.

Anyway, that is all.

My kids are starting to reprimand me for going to the grocery store now.

While they were in school today, I went to Ralphs #1, Vons, Ralphs #2, and back to Ralphs #1 again.

And it was fun? Ha! I’m sick.

So…here’s my breakdown…

Shelf Value: $290.82

Out Of Pocket: $129.45

Saved: $161.37

Here’s what I got:
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So, last week was my first week with The Grocery Game.

It went like this:

*Total off the shelf price: $191.00

*Saved: $88.00 (46%)

This weekend I printed my lists and did my shopping with Jeremy, and here is my breakdown:

*Total off the shelf price: $494.00

*Saved: $263.00 (53%)

It is a little time consuming right now, as I am trying to juggle my list and coupons…but I am going to get a binder, and photo album inserts to put my coupons in so I can see them and stuff. I’m sure I will get faster the more I get used to it. I am actually having fun shopping. It really is like this game, getting the cheapest prices, and stocking up on stuff for cheap.

Yesterday, I kept teasing Jeremy and saying “Isn’t this fun?” and he was sarcastically saying “Oh yeah, baby! This is great!”.

Then we walked out and he looked on his receipt, and said “Okay this is kinda fun!” LOL!

The best is I bring him, and the coupons I have double of, I give him the doubles, and have him check out with the double products so we get the double coupons, and I don’t have to make 2 trips. It cracks me up though watching him…this tattooed guy using coupons. LOL!

Now, I’m a freak and want a deep freezer. LOL! I think in a month or so, I am going to get one, once my stockpile grows and I am spending less at the store for food all together.

Here’s my stockpile for 1 full week:

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To go grocery shopping!

So, today I got 2 of the Sunday L.A. Times and excitedly tore through it to find the coupons. There have been a few times in my years as a Mom to where I clipped coupons, and I used them for a bit, but the savings really wasn’t worth the hassle.

Well, today I printed two of my lists from The Grocery Game for Vons and Ralphs. I highlighted the items I had coupons for, which was more then I anticipated for one week. It’s going to take a few weeks to build my stash of coupons so I have one for each item on the list, so I can get everything I need. I took out the coupons I will need out of my pile, and printed some more coupons off of The Grocery Game website. Well except for one, because it wouldn’t work. I’m going to have to work on that tomorrow before I head out.

I have never, ever, ever been excited to grocery shopping until today. I can’t wait to go in the morning, and get the things on my list to start my stock pile.

Some things I am going to get are:

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I find myself becoming a tight wad where money is concerned.

Usually everyday I don’t go anywhere so I don’t spend money. I love when 3 days have gone buy and I haven’t spent any money on anything with the exception of food.

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I made it to 2008!!! Yay!!!

I woke up in a good mood today. Last night was really nice. Hee. I have a lot of things I want to work on this year. A lot of changes I want to make.

I plan to work on:

• Me. Physically & Mentally. I just want to be a healthier person all around. I want to be happy in my mind. Not so negative. Closer with my Mom. Seriously forgive her for everything and start fresh. Be the best Mom I can be. Be the best girlfriend I can be. Stop feeding my face with crappy foods, and drinks. Exercise and get to a weight where strangers don’t ask if I’m pregnant. So, I plan on riding my bike, and eventually getting some Yoga DVD’s. Any DVD’s anyone can recommend would help greatly.
• Finances- I want to start saving money. Try to get my credit on the track to some sort of recovery, although I’m not even sure that would do anything for a very long time.
• Keep up with the House- I want to clean regularly. I used to be such a good cleaner. My apartments where always clean and decent. Now, I really let it go to hell, andhardly ever clean.
• Stop being lazy- Really I’m lazy in every aspect of my life. I think this is the one key to a lot of stuff that bothers me about my life. I am lazy about every single thing.
• Do PPP every single day (including weekends) until I have enough money to buy a laptop.
• Which in turn will make me blog more.
• Quit Smoking! Both Jeremy and I. Tomorrow is the day!!! Honestly, I have little faith in myself or Jeremy. I know that’s a bad way of thinking when you want to accomplish something. Yet, I really, really like smoking. Like a lot! It is so intergrated into everything I do, that it’s so hard to even think about not smoking. I know it’s expensive, gross, and unhealthy. I have a whole list of reasons to not smoke, and the only reason I have to keep smoking is I like it. I’ve tried to quit before and failed. Jeremy said he tried once a long time ago. I have a little more faith in myself then in him though. Maybe he’ll surprise me. That would be a great accomplishment though. Financially it would be so rewarding. Like close to $450 a month rewarding. Craaazy! This I think has a huge affect on me and my laziness. After my first cigarette of the day, I feel tired and like I need a nap. Every day. I will be wide awake even have energy, and I smoke and then I just want to sit and go on the computer or wtch t.v. It’s weird, but I know quitting will help inmy lazy factor.
• Have sex more often then every few months. I think sex definitely has a positive effect on people. After sex you always feel happier, sexier, and a little bit on your game. Or something like that?
• Clean the backyard!!!!
• Fix up the Bug, like I wanted to!
• Photography- I want to seriously push myself to learn more about photography and take more pictures. I want to take pictures every day of not just my face sitting in then chair. I know I have it in me, and can be a good photographer, but for some reason I can barely grasp any of it. It’s confusing and hard, and no matter how many times I read about things, they don’t stick. I also want to put out major effort on the last 6 months of my 365. I usually take a picture of my face sitting in my chair, because my camera is ont he tripod right nect to my chair. It’s always at like 1am too. So, I am making myself take my picture during the day. I don’t know how I am able to turn something I like into a nusance. I seriously believe I’ve made it this far. Here’s to making the last 6 months awesome, and something to be proud of.
• Take a picture of the kids every week for a year.

It was rainy and cold all day today! I was in heaven! I really don’t know why I love the rain and gloomy weather so much, but I do. It makes me happy, and I get all kinds of bummed out when the sun comes out. I’m so strange. So, I went to get the kids from school, and it was pouring. I have no windshield wipers. Ha! Luckily the school is super close. I need to get some of that Rain-X.

I know I wanted cold weather, and have been looking for it since summer. However, I realize I don’t dig the cold at night. Well I don’t mind if I’m home, but if I have to go out in it, I get so cold. I am grateful though that I don’t work at the last job I was at. They used to have the A/C on in the winter when it was super cold outside. The mornings were in the 40’s last year, and the A/C would be going. They wouldn’t even turn it off during the day. Then they took the space heaters away, because someone left one on one night. So, I would literally have to wear layers. Most days I’d where a shirt with a hoodie, and then a sweatshirt on over it, zipped up. I contemplated bringing in gloves, and a little blanket to throw over my legs. It was that cold inside. Anyway, glad they fired my butt!