Freebies.

So, I know y'all probably know this already but Netflix is rad. Yes, rad. So, we're trying to pinch pennies as much as possible, as you might be aware. On Tuesday nights I usually abandon Sam and my children and head to yoga class. While I love most things about this such as, getting out of the house with some adult time, and furthering my yoganess, the whole paying money for the class is a bummer. Tonight I opted to see what yoga class Netflix might have on its "watch instantly" list. This one was awesome. My abs are still burning. (Which isn't saying much I guess. When one allows said abs to be stretched to oblivion for 2 years and then barely does anything to get them back; I hardly feel I can complain.) Basically, I need to get back on the exercise train. Mostly for myself and my health but a little bit because I'm a physical freakin therapist and I feel like a bit of a hypocrite. No longer.

Any ideas for freebies?
N.

In other news Kedzie is now in a big boy bed. He's not my baby anymore. All those women in the grocery store are right, they really do grow up fast.

Jailbird...

No, she didn't get arrested. She had us worried for a few days (and sleepless nights) at home and finally when Monday rolled around we decided to head to the MD. Her pediatrician (4 days prior) had diagnosed her with asthma/reactive airway disease and she'd been on steroids (oral and inhaled) all weekend. Nothing seemed to be working and she constantly sounded like a 95 year old frail woman with pneumonia. Not good. Anyway, long story short, she was breathing with great difficulty and a nebulizer treatment did nothing for her in the office so off to the hospital we went. Thank God for family, Kedzie had a grand ol' time with his cousins while Sam, Elsie and I hung out in the hospital. Scary, institutionalized bed and all.

She's doing fine. We really only stayed about 6 hours and they let us out. They monitored her O2 saturation and she maintained well. Her respiratory rate decreased and she calmed down a bit once she took a nap in the Beco. (She was having none of that bed). 

So, a bit scary but made us all thankful that she doesn't have cystic fibrosis or any number of chronic diseases that went through our heads. As Kedzie said to his auntie when we heard we were all coming home to have dinner with everyone, "Elsie happy now?" Elsie is happy now.

n.

The Basement Wins.

So, small hiccup. About two weeks ago, Sam and I both noticed a small wet spot on the carpet that's in the spare bedroom in the basement. I chalked it up to the dog peeing there (I'm not sure why now that I look back on it...he does NOT just pee willy-nilly in the house). Sam, luckily, didn't easily let it go. Come to find out we had a leaky pipe that needed to be repaired immediately. The water had been leaking for a few weeks, it had soaked the floor and seeped under the carpet in the bedroom next door to the utility closet. Long story short, we got it fixed, pulled up the carpet and got everything nice and dry. We totally thought we'd lucked out. Not that big of a problem and we thought we'd salvaged the carpet. We'd just need to clean it and we'd be in business for a renter.

Then, Murphy, (as Dave says) knocked on our door. A few nights ago, Sam poked his head down the steps because he thought he heard something. Yeah, he did hear something. A burst pipe with water shooting EVERYWHERE. A couple inches of water coated our basement floor, many of our packing boxes with many of our belongings, and the carpet is dead. I'm not really into mold so the carpet, along with a few of the walls/drywall has to go.

It's fixed. Everything's OK. It really only cost a few hundred dollars (so far) but mostly, the basement is going to take a bit more work than planned. I'm OK with it. The basement, in its current state, is one of THE ugliest places I've ever been in. It needs some love. I'm learning to be as frugal as possible thanks to these sites. Check them out. Sweet inspiration.
Young House Love
Bower Power
Barefoot in the Kitchen
Ana White
And thanks to Sarah: Man vs. Debt
Happy perusing. Try to not be inspired.

That's where we're at. There will be before and after pictures.
n.

Life...

We've been diligently working towards our goal this last payperiod. I've been working a lot more so our life has been much less like I'm a stay-at-home mama and more like a full-time working mama. This seems to have taken a toll on more than just the expected. Mostly, though, it's difficult to come home, make dinner, pack lunches, clean up dishes, put babies to bed and have any time for each other. And do it all again the next day.

I can hear you..."wah, wah, wah." I know. Our life is blessed and I am thankful for this moment of sleeping babies, a husband (who played house husband all weekend) who is currently tending to our household needs by folding laundry, and a nice chunk of change to show for all this hard work.

 Kedzie 8 months

Elsa 7 months

So, this totally goes against Dave Ramsey philosophy, but I think we're gonna hold onto the money until:

1. we figure out what we're going to do to the basement in order to get it in rentable shape. We don't think this will take very much. Replace the windows, clean the carpet, new shower curtain and LOTS of organization. We're hoping to not have to throw too much cash into it but if we can get it fixed up and rentable by August we will be quite pleased with ourselves.

2. We're totally going to save enough to pay off my graduate student loans, which is a whopping $24,000. I know, ridiculous. That loan is currently our highest monthly payment of around $240. Basically, when we get that baby paid off we'll have $240 extra dollars per month. Awesome. That's what Dave calls a Debt Snowball. 

I'm not sure it's possible, but I'd love to be able to pay that baby off by my birthday. I'm not sure there could be a better present. Goal is set, it's out there in cyberspace. October 12th, here we come!

n.