Um, hello. I’m not really sure where to begin here. I suppose this is my first official “dear blog” entry where I let things all hang out, but I’m a little unsure how to start.

I mean I tried writing in a diary once before. I managed to fill up one pink lined page with my thoughts, and seal them behind a plastic locked notebook. It felt nice letting my thoughts flow, line after line in erasable Papermate pen. Well, it was nice until my classmate Monique found it under my pillow and proceeded to read it out loud at my 12^th birthday slumber party. There was lots of giggling, but many more tears.

Anyhow, after nearly 20 years I figured why not get back on the horse. Perhaps these entries can become a regular thing. Heaven knows I have not been able to publish anything decent on Momisodes in a while. The other day I wrote some lame post about how much autumn affects me with its pumpkins and spice, and everything falling is nice. When really, I think I’m watching too much TV.

Seriously, I went from 10-15 minutes of CNN daily to counting down the days until Wednesday. A new season of So You Think You Can Dance started, and I just love daydreaming about when I was thin, I could still touch my toes, and my thighs were free of cottage cheese.

And Glee? Don’t even get me started. I am a total GLEEK. If Matthew Morrison is not reason enough to watch the show, I don’t know what is. High school would have been so much better if any of my teachers looked like him. Besides, half of the characters on the show are insane. Insanity plus singing? Quality entertainment.

While I’m confessing here, I may as well mention that I finally drank coffee, the kind with actual caffeine. Not just any brew, the holy grail of all coffees- Starbucks. I took their taste test challenge with their new instant coffee and regular brew. Dadisodes and I were able to decipher which was instant. I actually preferred their instant coffee flavor. But really, both are still ridiculously overpriced.  

Oh, and I may have also reached a crossroads in my love affair with Chef Boyardee. I spent an entire day counting every calorie I consumed, which sadly forced me to read the cans nutritional facts.

No wonder my ass is growing faster than my belly.

If I ate just half a can at a time, it would not be so bad.  But I can’t.  My will power is too weak for those mini raviolis.

And lastly, a few months ago, StoryCorps (they also have a segment on NPR) asked me to take part in an interview with a friend. They came to my house with their fancy equipment to record a session. Turns out I had a bit of an unexpected moment while answering a question and relaying a story about my childhood. My voice broke. I shed a few tears. It was very Oprah-ish.

Of course, that moment has been selected as one of the stories to be published in their upcoming book about motherhood. And… the recording will be stored in the Library of Congress…forever.

I suppose it’s better than the one I told them about my leaky boobs while starting an IV on a crying baby.

Well, I guess that pretty much covers things for this week. It felt nice getting things out into the open. Now hopefully nobody actually reads this.

~ Sandy

Our family is no exception.  Dadisodes and I had a good cry last week, post 401K check in.  I am also updating my resume, just.in.case.  As our family buckles down to do a bit of belt-tightening, I figured why not share some of the ways we’re doing it here and get feedback.

13 Ways to Pinch a Penny While Feeling the Pinch

1) Eat out less and cook more meals at home.

2) Give meals longevity by preparing larger portions to save energy or gas, and leftovers can be spread out to other meals.

3) Starbucks (Starcrack).  Make it at home, or opt for the regular brew.   Having a regular $4.50 cup of Joe adds up to $90/month, and over $1000 per year.  A cup of the regular stuff is usually about half the price of the fru-fru brews.

4) Drink more water.  Alcohol, coffee, and juice can really add up.

5) Ride a bike or walk.

6) Purchase store brand versus name brand (example: We love the cushiony clouds of Charmin, but buying the store brand can sometimes cut the cost of bathroom tissue in half).

7) Shop second hand/thrift stores and garage sales.

8 ) Make fewer trips- Plan an itinerary ahead of time to prevent leaving the house for multiple trips.  I’m also purchasing many items I would normally buy at Target at my grocery store.  Not only does it save gas, it also keeps me away from Target, where I tend to spend an extra $50 bucks on stuff I never intended to buy.

9) Vacation delay- The cost of a vacation can be a heavyweight on any budget.  Until the economy mellows out, and job security is more certain, we’re holding off on any extravagant vacations.

10) Do-it-yourself toys and gifts.

11) Library- Rather than purchasing books, check out local libraries for titles (even new releases).  Most libraries have on-line systems where you can search for and reserve books, CD’s and DVD’s from home.

12) Hold off on big purchases or investments. Dadisodes and I share a small car and recently moved into a home.  Although we could certainly use another vehicle and furniture, we’re keeping our coins in the bank for now.

13) Stay home.  It seems every time we leave the house, we spend money.  So we’re spending more quality time at home listening to music, reading, or playing our 5,230th game of Candy Land.

How about you?  Are you and your family taking measures to pull back on spending? Do you have any tips to share?  Please share them in the comments below.

Sorry.  Just thinking about it makes me to nod off.

Anyhow, something else he manages to always find are animal shows.  Not the kind where pure bred animal’s parade around on carpet, and owners brush hair and prop up butts.  I’m talking about where Bambi gently lowers himself before a babbling brook, takes a sip of water, and BAM! Simba and his pals have lunch.

To be honest, I can’t deal.  I cried watching The Lion King, and I’ve never seen the first half of Finding Nemo (Yes, they have doctors for this.  I know).   What can I say?  I’m a bit sappy.  Dadisodes, however? Not so much.

Remember this thing?  The other night, Babisodes decided to bring out this gem I introduced here weeks ago (Dadisodes gave this to her while away on business).  What the heck is that, you ask?  Don’t worry I asked the same question when I first saw it.  It’s a Road Runner, I think.

“Daddy, what do road runners eat?
“Umm…let me think….”
“Uh…I think they eat…lizards.”

“LIZARDS?”

“Yup, lizards.”

*Pause. Insert blank stare*

Fast-forward to the next morning…

…as Babisodes rams the road runner’s face into a plastic reptile.

*Note- Karen of Sillymonkeez nominated Momisodes for a Dottie Award at MomDot!!! She’s an amazing blogger also up for an award.  She thinks I’m “Most Likely to Succeed.”  Me?  Succeed!  Ha! Perhaps at eating record amounts of chocolate in my weight category.

If you have a moment, PLEASE VOTE for me here.

I’ve even nabbed a shot of me in my nerdy glasses…with acne…in front of a bunch of books I’ve never read.

Anyone want to come over for band practice?

I kid. I kid.