tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725249212038349702024-03-18T22:16:20.385-05:00My Perfect MessShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.comBlogger360125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-19172375437829636842011-07-23T15:24:00.000-05:002011-07-23T15:24:24.715-05:00Making the MoveYa'll, I'm making the move to WordPress. Yeps, I am. I was intrigued about why everyone was making the change, so I hopped on over to take a look and the rest was history. So, please move your subscriptions to arkansasrunner.wordpress.com<br />
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I know it's a hassle and a pain, but do it for me :) Heck, while you're at it - check out wordpress too! <br />
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Grandma & family... that means you now have to go to <strong>arkansasrunner.wordpress.com</strong> to read about my boring life :) <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-64316638482905805672011-07-22T07:33:00.000-05:002011-07-22T07:33:26.429-05:00Great Day!My beautiful little niece got to go home yesterday!!! She is eating the required 30 ml at each feeding, gained a little bit of weight, and passed her car seat test! We are SO happy to have her home! My sister reports that all is well so far and that the family dog doesn't know what to think! ha! He just sniffs around and knows something is going on! :)<br />
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In other news, my Marketing class is going well! I've managed to keep up with the heavy course work and I only have 3 more weeks left! YAY!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-74214868945846173622011-07-21T07:35:00.000-05:002011-07-21T07:35:33.952-05:00Exciting News!!Remember the story of my <a href="http://arkansasbelle.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-sister.html">sister's pregnancy</a>? Well, Tuesday July 19th, Baby Laikyn made her debut!!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXkLdHa_2w0NyOACHK5wlzg1TQZP2AuTgmQgNLvQ1ezkv4ygSfen9m47qJsTakbx7OI0wNs4O5h7vkk-e59Y0fhbC5LLpSq-be1SXApGGezz9a-WhJiK3SiUfeETnZr6RZ6rgAXGeo-c/s1600/Laikyn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXkLdHa_2w0NyOACHK5wlzg1TQZP2AuTgmQgNLvQ1ezkv4ygSfen9m47qJsTakbx7OI0wNs4O5h7vkk-e59Y0fhbC5LLpSq-be1SXApGGezz9a-WhJiK3SiUfeETnZr6RZ6rgAXGeo-c/s320/Laikyn.JPG" t$="true" width="240px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqnTbo7u1wJShhZZA8gKk3lhF74EOddmiyGbaID_P5Ch_Le2-HWg7ID9IiCFkezysh0mHmDH2hET281_jXikZXRQDVDy6ea8aQyQ2aUHTFP2O088Fe_LlhXi1bC2ochT4OjMOqEz-62Y/s1600/Laikyn3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqnTbo7u1wJShhZZA8gKk3lhF74EOddmiyGbaID_P5Ch_Le2-HWg7ID9IiCFkezysh0mHmDH2hET281_jXikZXRQDVDy6ea8aQyQ2aUHTFP2O088Fe_LlhXi1bC2ochT4OjMOqEz-62Y/s320/Laikyn3.JPG" t$="true" width="240px" /></a></div><br />
My sister found out she was pregnant on May 16th and Laikyn was born on July 19th! We all had a tad over 2 months to prepare! Here's the story of how Laikyn came <strong>6 weeks early!!</strong><br />
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Monday night/Tuesday morning around 2am, my sister woke up my stepmom and told her that her back was hurting her. She said she looked it up on the internet and that it was normal, but that it hurt. So, my stepmom gave her some Tylenol and a heating pad. My sister moved from couch to couch trying to find a comfortable position. Well, she also had to tinkle a lot. So, my stepmom thought she may have a bladder infection. She called the doctor's hotline and waited an hour. The doctor never called back and my stepmom noticed that my sister was tensing up every 3 minutes. That's when they went to the ER - around 4am.<br />
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While at the ER they checked her - she was at 5cm! That's when the doctor said, "Looks like you're having a baby today!" My dad called me at 5:45am. I was getting ready for work and had just stepped out of the shower. He said he was in Texas - he never has to travel for work, this is the first time in years! So, he was trying his best to drive here quick enough to get back. Sadly, he didn't make it before Laikyn was born, but a few hours later.<br />
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I made it to the hospital with dry, frizzy hair and no makeup. I packed my stuff up and did my makeup and straightened my hair in the room while we waited for things to start up. Around 9am, my sister was ready to start pushing. At 9:38am, Laikyn was born! <br />
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She weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 17.25 inches long! She had a few issues with breathing, but those have corrected itself. She's being monitored for keeping her temperature steady and eating enough. We're not sure when she and my sister will be released, but they are doing very well. <strong>My sister handled labor as a trooper!!</strong><br />
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<strong>I'm one very proud aunt! I'm so proud of my sister and of baby Laikyn! </strong><br />
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You'll see lots of stories and some pictures from me in the future I'm sure. But, to keep things private, I'll only be sharing what has been shared on Facebook by family. I don't want to over share, so I'll be sharing only one my sister and her fiancee have allowed okay via Facebook. ha. <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-25635152613530806122011-07-14T11:52:00.000-05:002011-07-14T11:52:35.775-05:00Did You Know?I'm doing a lot of marketing related reading these days and I thought ya'll would enjoy this!<br />
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<ul><li>People in Seattle buy more toothbrushes per capita than people in any other U.S. city.</li>
<li>People in Salt Lake City eat more candy bars.</li>
<li>People from New Orleans use more ketchup.</li>
<li>People in Miami drink more prune juice.</li>
</ul>These all came from my Marketing Management book. I wonder why people in Seattle buy more toothbrushes? lol<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-40442796890324243512011-07-13T07:59:00.000-05:002011-07-13T07:59:17.821-05:00Stress ReleaseThanks for listening to me stress out yesterday. I hate days like that! <br />
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After work, I came home, grabbed a wine cooler and some chocolate and sat down at our dining room table and worked on those two papers. I completed them - mostly, I still have to finish one during lunch today. Then, the hubs came home and we had supper. Afterwards, I couldn't sit still without thinking that I should be finishing that paper or reading the chapter again. But, I knew it was pointless. My brain was fried. <br />
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So, I went on a bike ride - by myself. This is huge for me, because I always go on bike rides with the hubs and if exercising alone, I always pick running. But yesterday he took his bike to the shop to get a tune up and change out the tires, so I was on my own. Let me just say, I was nervous for the first few miles, but then I began to have fun and unwind. I only went 6.5 miles, but those miles melted my stress away! I think I might be in the beginnings of likeing cycling just as much as running... <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-12700749278476823732011-07-12T13:28:00.000-05:002011-07-12T13:28:23.893-05:00StressedSummer school started last night. My class is 5 weeks and from 6-10pm on Mondays & Wednesdays. 10pm people - that's late! <br />
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Anyways, we were given assignments and had to submit them online by noon today. Crazyness, I tell you. Pure crazyness. The teacher knows that we work, so I have no idea what that noon deadline on a non-class day is about. But, I turned my stuff in at 11am...although looking back at it, I'm not sure one of the articles I submitted was on par...but whatever, it's done. Now, I have to write some stuff up for class tomorrow night. I'm hoping he doesn't keep us till 10pm, but we shall see.<br />
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Besides that crazyness, life is okay. But seriously, school has officially put me in a tizzy. I don't know how else to explain it. I like to plan things. I like to know when things are due - way in advance. Not - read these two long ass chapters and then submit your work at noon tomorrow. Then, write this stuff up and submit in class Wednesday. And the kicker is, it's going to be like this every single class meeting. Atleast I know that going forward and can plan for it.<br />
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That's all I've got. Sorry ya'll. <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-72458566243406242232011-07-07T07:28:00.000-05:002011-07-07T07:28:03.024-05:003 Things Thursday<ol><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=itstri-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004ISW5YY" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<li>Has anyone tried this shampoo? I saw it in Target's ad and I'm really considering it. I hate spending that much on shampoo, but if it helps straighten my hair.... </li>
<li>The hubs and I decided to walk the dogs a mile, then bike 6 miles last night. It was so fun exploring our neighborhood and streets around us. It's so bike friendly!</li>
<li>Speaking of cycling, do any of ya'll use a Camelbak? I'm really considering getting one because every time I try to get my bottle of water from the bracket, I almost fall over or I don't watch where I'm going. Don't even get me started on trying to actually take a drink while driving with one hand! ha! </li>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-22395523417584462732011-07-06T15:45:00.000-05:002011-07-06T15:45:02.590-05:00What Will It Be?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_GNho_URjwOYL7-IAt2cdvzv_97HBwRHo4WjKQ0GsBQ2TUlgUQ7YenDwPltGWDGlSGddL5UqDsRM9CCOBEJB-DTMZU4KtyNiRH0Ny6UExMylqVOHwvosHkTW20tf66TCllGsKBjXgmg/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_GNho_URjwOYL7-IAt2cdvzv_97HBwRHo4WjKQ0GsBQ2TUlgUQ7YenDwPltGWDGlSGddL5UqDsRM9CCOBEJB-DTMZU4KtyNiRH0Ny6UExMylqVOHwvosHkTW20tf66TCllGsKBjXgmg/s320/photo.PNG" width="213px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's definitely going to be a wait-till-atleat-7pm kind of work out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But should I cycle or run?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Both need improvement.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One major plsu is the humidity - less than 50%! YAY!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-62450145638897549422011-07-01T09:58:00.000-05:002011-07-01T09:58:24.032-05:00My SisterYou might recall that a few months back my sister was having tests ran and I asked ya'll to pray. I guess it's time I explained all of that, huh?<br />
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My sister has had female issues in the past. By that, I mean she rarely, if ever, has a cycle. So, back in April, she went to the gyno to get on BC, so that she could resolve this issue and have a cycle. Well, the doctor gave her some medicine that would make her start and then she should've started taking the BC. Well, she never started her cycle after that medicine. <br />
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So the doc brought her in for some bloodwork. Her numbers came back all crazy and so they sent her off for more bloodwork and an MRI of her brain. They thought she had a tumor. Thankfully, her MRI came back clear. So, more bloodwork was ordered. Those numbers came back crazy, too. So, they thought that now she might have something wrong with her ovaries. By this point, it's the middle of May. They call her in for an emergency ultrasound.<br />
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The tech said, "Ah ha, there it is."<br />
"There what is?"<br />
"Your baby's head. Your six months pregnant."<br />
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Yes. My sister was six months pregnant and you couldn't even tell. She's a tiny girl and there wasn't a bump. She looked a little bloated, like she had just eaten too much pizza, but that was it. She had no sickness, no weight gain, no belly. No symptoms what-so-ever. She even had an exam in April when she was 4-5 months pregnant and the doctor missed that.<br />
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Thankfully, the baby is doing fine. It's a girl, by the way. She's measuring a few weeks bigger than originally thought and scheduled to be here at the end of August. To say we are all relieved that it wasn't cancer of some sort is a major understatement. <br />
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So there you have it. <br />
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I've hesitated sharing this on my blog for a while now, because it's family business and I don't normally share info like that on here.... Plus, my little sister is near and dear to my heart and I don't want anyone to think negatively of her at all. <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-20777014602845297902011-07-01T09:25:00.000-05:002011-07-01T09:25:04.075-05:00The Month of Baby ShowersIt's July 1st...which means it's the month of baby showers! <br />
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I've got to be honest. I don't like showers of any sort. I know, I know. But, the reason why is I HATE dressing up. Seriously, can't stand it. I never feel put together enough and I'm always feel uncomfortable the whole time like everyone is thinking "what is she wearing?".<br />
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*le sigh*<br />
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But anyways...<br />
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I have a cousin-in-law's baby shower to attend tomorrow.<br />
I'm throwing my sister a baby shower next Saturday (I'll post about this later today.)<br />
Then I have a friend's baby shower the following Saturday.<br />
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Oh, and then the Saturday after that? I have to work. Lovely. ha! <br />
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Let the fun begin! <br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-90736274403447308822011-06-30T08:04:00.000-05:002011-06-30T08:04:21.150-05:00Grandma Cereal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossroads-market.com/images/HFCE150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i$="true" src="http://www.crossroads-market.com/images/HFCE150.JPG" /></a></div><br />
One of the perks about moving is that I have more free time in the morning. I can sleep in 30 minutes later and eat breakfast before leaving the house. <br />
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I was talking to a coworker this morning about my "grandma cereal" and he asked me why I called it that. So, I thought I'd tell ya'll the story as well.<br />
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When my brother and I were little, we used to spend the night at my grandma's house every now and then. The next morning we'd have cereal. My grandma always had kid friendly cereal at her house, but she also had Cracklin' OatBran as well. The Cracklin' OatBran was <em>her</em> cereal. I tried it once and it was all over from then. I <strong>loved</strong> her cereal. It's been my favorite ever since and it reminds me of her whenever I see it. So of course when I figured out that I'd have more free time and actually have the time to eat breakfast before leaving the house....I had to go get a box of Cracklin' OatBran! <br />
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I hope my grandma realizes how much I love her & think about her... and how much I love her cereal, too! <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-38932323320413038342011-06-29T13:48:00.000-05:002011-06-29T13:48:02.118-05:00Life UpdateNothing really earth shattering going on here! But here are a few life updates:<br />
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<ul><li>We've been walking/jogging the dogs every other night or so! This is something that we'd never done until we moved and the dogs LOVE it.</li>
<li>I'm not sure we'll ever get all of the boxes unpacked. We've unpacked a ton and have everything we need to live day-to-day, so I kind of wonder what's in the rest of those boxes. :)</li>
<li>As of today, we are FINALLY off the overtime at work. I'm so happy that I get to leave work at 4pm today! I've volunteered to work a little bit of OT during my lunch each day. Hey, what can I say, the money is nice. It wont be much, but every little extra bit counts. :)</li>
<li>Life is fixing to get busier again shortly. I'm going to be taking a 5 week summer course. Ugh. I hate summer school. But, I'm getting that much closer with being done with grad school!</li>
<li>I paid $3.14 a gallon for gas today and felt HAPPY about it. Wow, if you would've told me that 4 years ago, I might've cried! ha! </li>
<li>And, I'm almost done (finally) with the book I'm reading - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.</li>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-66208385047141428132011-06-28T07:26:00.000-05:002011-06-28T07:26:03.910-05:00Extreme Couponing?In case ya'll didn't know, I love me some coupons. My husband used to laugh at me, but now he applauds me. Here recently I've been doing better than usual. Now, I wouldn't call myself an extreme couponer by any means - at all - but I'm learning the ropes!<br />
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We just purchased a fridge from Lowe's and I saved us 10% with a coupon I found in a moving packet put out by the post office. Then, we received more coupons from Lowe's after using that one. Those coupons went towards the purchase of a new grill, garden hose, hose carrier, and other yard essentials - saving us about $35! <br />
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Then this weekend, I gathered up all my coupons and made my list for Kroger. Kroger has digital coupons online that you can attach to your Kroger card. If your store hasn't updated their software, you can stack digital coupons with paper coupons. Sadly, my new Kroger has the new software version, but that doesn't stop me from racking up the deals! <br />
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I looked at the sales ad, looked at my coupons, looked especially hard at the coupons that would double at Kroger (65 cents or less), then made my list of stuff we needed. Ya'll my original total was $100 and after my coupons, I paid $80! I saved 20%!! That's awesome for me! I feel like I'm finally starting to get the hang of this couponing thing! And the thing is - I bought stuff that we needed! I didn't buy multiples of things. I didn't buy 4 boxes of pasta or 10 rolls of paper towels. I bought things we needed!<br />
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I'm so proud of myself. If ya'll aren't atleast trying to save some money by using coupons, then you're coo coo! ha! Seriously, give it a try! You'd be surprised on how you do!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-15996885561521168382011-06-27T08:22:00.000-05:002011-06-27T08:22:52.703-05:00We closed!We did it! We closed on our new house last Monday! We officially moved and all that jazz!<br />
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We LOVE the new place! We now take our dogs for walks in the evenings and we've even seen some deer while on the walks! It's SO peaceful and wonderful!<br />
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And..my commute went from 40 minutes to 16 minutes! From 29 miles to 11! UM, YES!!!!<br />
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I'll share more later this week, but now, I've gotta get my booty working to pay for this house! ha! :)<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-961194782603770272011-06-17T08:59:00.000-05:002011-06-17T08:59:57.202-05:00It's Friday!If everything goes as planned, we will be loading a giant uHaul tomorrow morning and then closing on both houses Monday! I hope and pray that everything goes as planned/scheduled and we'll be in our new house on Monday afternoon! <br />
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Have a great weekend and I'll "see" ya'll sometime in the next week or so!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-13227173379759856282011-06-16T08:32:00.000-05:002011-06-16T08:32:24.993-05:003 Things Thursday<ol><li>Our house looks like a box factory threw up in it. The Lowe's installation guy is coming this morning to install our new door and frame. Tomorrow night we do our final walk-through on the new house AND the buyers will be doing the walk-through on our current house. This means we have major cleaning to do tonight. Who decided having a walk-through after we've started packing was a good idea??</li>
<li>We went last night and looked at furniture again. We found a bedroom suite that we really like. I think we'll make it ours next week. We're 99.9% set on that one. I'll take pictures. Btw, I'll be taking pictures of EVERYTHING - LOL!</li>
<li>I'm on vacation next week - moving. So, I wont be online more than likely. Which means, no blog posts or pictures or anything from me next week. Our internet is suppose to be installed on Tuesday, but we'll see. Plus, I'll kinda be busy unpacking! ha! </li>
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-18770188647728587142011-06-15T07:41:00.000-05:002011-06-15T07:41:44.750-05:00Hot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwV-WHPzzFHXdf9_2kZX_LM78_eOIywlDJi3zJcnZ6Jrh99C_lD4IlGGkEn9DtXtdDmXR_N0wZoNw0l64G-LM7gtJF1DhxQwBqbJjuLGrx3ekL70AtMoGGudF7Wgc5TzZOWjPuMxvZfk/s1600/kthv7day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwV-WHPzzFHXdf9_2kZX_LM78_eOIywlDJi3zJcnZ6Jrh99C_lD4IlGGkEn9DtXtdDmXR_N0wZoNw0l64G-LM7gtJF1DhxQwBqbJjuLGrx3ekL70AtMoGGudF7Wgc5TzZOWjPuMxvZfk/s320/kthv7day.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Moving in the middle of June in Arkansas = one hot day. With the humidity, I'm sure the heat index will be over 100. Wonderful. ha!<br />
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I'm thinking about trying to plan a little run for Sunday morning. If I get up at the crack of dawn, it might be below 80. heh.<br />
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On another random note, we bought our fridge last night! YAY! We got the one we wanted and I had a 10% off coupon, which saved us some cash. :-) It will be delivered on Monday afternoon!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-4568986427380912922011-06-15T06:50:00.001-05:002011-06-15T06:50:00.452-05:00Lesson LearnedSit back and relax...this might be a tad long.<br />
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One of the things the new homeowners put into our closing contract was that they wanted the back door replaced. You see, our back door is steel and scratched all to bits. Our golden retriever likes to jump onto the back door and paw at the door - scratching the window and the door as he does so. Then our little jack russell likes to bounce off the back door when he hears that we are home. So, between the two dogs, our door looks a little worn on the outside.<br />
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Well, the hubs and I thought that we could easily replace the back door by going to Lowe's and buying a new door and just taking the old one off the hinges, placing the new one in it's place. Um, no. You see, Friday night we learned that the appraiser wouldn't sign off on our appraisal until the back door was replaced. We had been waiting to replace the door, because we didn't want the dogs to scratch up the new one. But, now, a week from closing, we learned it needed to be replaced ASAP. So, Friday night, we went to Lowe's and purchased a new door.<br />
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We bring the new door home and realize that although it's the correct size, the hinges don't match up. Crapola. Saturday morning hubs went back to Lowe's to see if we could get someone to install the door, because in order to install the new door, the entire door jam/framing had to come down and a new one be put in it's place. Awesome. So, while he's doing that, I'm running around the neighborhood. During my run, a neighbor stopped to talk to me. We chit chat and he tells me that we can get our door from another place in town - one we never thought of. So, as soon as hubs gets home, we go to this other place (Ridout). Turns out they have our exact door, but it has to be ordered - it will take a week to get here and then we'll have to paint it. Small problem - we don't have a week. That would've saved us mucho money, by the way.<br />
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So, we go with the Lowe's installation. The installation guy came on Monday and measured everything to make sure we purchased the correct door (we did). He's supposedly coming back today to install the door - might be Friday, but we've got our fingers crossed for today. Then, the appraisal can be signed off on. Then, the new homeowners can do their final walk through. And then, we can close on Monday and MOVE.<br />
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Lesson to be learned - do your homework WELL in advance. This little lesson cost us an extra $225. Not only was our door cheaper at Ridout, but we could've installed it ourselves.... <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-86210756120117742712011-06-14T12:12:00.000-05:002011-06-14T12:12:22.026-05:00Etsy ShopI thought I'd take a second and mention that one of my friends just opened an Etsy shop. She does baby items and they're all really cute! So, please take a second to stop by her new shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplySweetbySteph?ref=pr_shop">HERE.</a><br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-37263380340261730022011-06-14T07:37:00.000-05:002011-06-14T07:37:19.327-05:00Pity Party of OneThis may be the most "poor me" post I've ever written. You've been warned.<br />
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For the last two months I have been slacking in the running department. Majorly. I'm not really sure what happened except that the past few months have been stressful with school, working 10 hour days for months (and still), trying to sell our house, then selling our house, and now packing and finalizing everything with our house. I've found that when I'm stressed, I tend to shut down. I tend to sit myself down in front of the tv and veg. So my running? It went out the window.<br />
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I've been trying to pretend that I'm okay with that. That this is just a season and I'll start running again once we move. And to be honest, I KNOW I WILL. But, that doesn't help with the right now. The right now is, I feel fat, slow, unmotivated, and gross. And FB isn't really helping that right now. All of those people that I've somehow helped get into running are all posting about their glorious runs. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them and proud for them, but I'm also very jealous. I want to be running, but right now life is in the way. We move this weekend. We close on Monday (God willing).<br />
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So for now, I whine. Next week, I run. :0)<br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-21652667656408905632011-06-13T08:38:00.001-05:002011-06-13T08:39:28.640-05:00To-Do List RevisitedWe close ONE week from today (if everything goes as planned, which is a whole other blog post).<br />
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So, we're revisiting the to-do list.<br />
<ol><li><strike>Buy</strike> & replace back door. </li>
<li>Replace dryer vent outside. </li>
<li><strike>Call & schedule back window glass replacement</strike>. </li>
<li><strike>Call & schedule uHauls</strike>. </li>
<li>Buy & schedule delivery of a new fridge (to new house). </li>
<li>Box up remainder of house & the storage building. </li>
<li><strike>Find stuff to put in stepmom's yard sale. (We have stuff, but it's already packed. Oh snap.) </strike></li>
<li><strike>Pack</strike>, pack, pack. </li>
<li>Buy random stuff that we need before move (<strike>trash bags</strike>, hand soap, etc) </li>
</ol>So, as you can see, we accomplished some of the list!<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-82471333518260056142011-06-10T07:51:00.000-05:002011-06-10T07:51:02.734-05:00What I Learned YesterdayI'm old. Now, before you roll your eyes, hear me out.<br />
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A couple of coworkers were talking yesterday about another coworker and how he's a DJ at night. I asked where at and they name a place that I've never heard of. Then, they look at me like I have 3 heads, because apparently this place (<em>that I can't even remember the name of</em>) is a very popular place. These coworkers are only 5 years younger than me.<br />
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Then, these same coworkers started talking about this song (<em>again, no idea the name</em>). They're talking about how great the song is. I remember distinctly changing the radio station when that song came on last. I guess I'm not hip... Do people still say hip? ha!<br />
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Then, this morning, I see pictures of someone on FB. I don't agree with these pictures or status messages, because I think they make the person look....trampy? When I ask my coworkers opinion, they tell me those pictures and status messages are totally normal and acceptable. Excuse me? If my mother saw those, she'd roast me without asking any questions. So, yet another example of how times have changed...<br />
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<strong>But on a totally unrelated note - today is finally Friday!!!!! Happy Friday and Weekend my friends!</strong><br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-88808596533358455642011-06-09T08:03:00.000-05:002011-06-09T08:03:21.617-05:003 Things Thursday<ol><li>Yesterday I received recognition for my 5 year work anniversary. I'd show you a picture of my plaque-like certificate, but then you'd know where I work and have my last name. ha!</li>
<li>I'm still trying to cut down on the dairy products. I'm doing very well and my stomach has been feeling SO much better. I made a discovery though. While talking to my stepmom about this, she mentioned that a friend's daughter has the same issues and they've noticed that white cheeses usually don't hurt her stomach. It's something about the type of milk they're made out of. This would help explain why pizza doesn't bother my stomach - it's made with Mozzarella, which usually is still made with cow's milk (I believe) but it's usually like 2% milk. Anyways, after this discovery, I've been able to eat Mozzarella cheese and be okay. However, I used some cheddar cheese we had to make enchiladas and my stomach hates me this morning. And seriously, it wasn't even that much cheddar cheese. Ugh.</li>
<li>I bribed myself into going to work this morning. I know I've said it a billion times, but the 10 hr days are getting old. So, I stopped by Sonic and got a Route 44 Cherry Vanilla Coke Zero. I <strong>will</strong> make it through this week with my sanity still in possession.</li>
</ol><br />
<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-89557651213577460102011-06-08T07:55:00.000-05:002011-06-08T07:55:30.305-05:00Wordless WednesdayKinda.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnyOrj2MXkM9uRc8QvJoS0EYNAED7YeUtG539A5IW4vcaTjWvG2Ff7gzYPBUn9J02FQkO4f9wmAabei25pIjbRaTh8Az4nvJtBoojU_rZ4P7cyxMQt8kXFcPpL3ZXgZZ4Vs7SqQNw4qE/s1600/kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnyOrj2MXkM9uRc8QvJoS0EYNAED7YeUtG539A5IW4vcaTjWvG2Ff7gzYPBUn9J02FQkO4f9wmAabei25pIjbRaTh8Az4nvJtBoojU_rZ4P7cyxMQt8kXFcPpL3ZXgZZ4Vs7SqQNw4qE/s320/kitchen.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
This is part of our new kitchen! This was taken with my phone, so the coloring is a tad off. But, seriously, what's not to love about this kitchen!!!! See that door? That's the pantry! There is also another set of cabinets on the other side, plus where the fridge goes. <br />
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I promise to share actual pictures when we move in. :)<br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272524921203834970.post-21292942520481917852011-06-07T08:32:00.000-05:002011-06-07T08:32:07.740-05:00The Dreaded To-Do ListI know ya'll could care less, but this is for my own sanity.<br />
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This is our to-do list before moving day.<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Buy & replace back door.</li>
<li>Replace dryer vent outside.</li>
<li>Call & schedule back window glass replacement.</li>
<li>Call & schedule uHauls.</li>
<li>Buy & schedule delivery of a new fridge (to new house).</li>
<li>Box up remainder of house & the storage building.</li>
<li>Find stuff to put in stepmom's yard sale. (We have stuff, but it's already packed. Oh snap.)</li>
<li>Pack, pack, pack.</li>
<li>Buy random stuff that we need before move (trash bags, hand soap, etc)</li>
</ol>This is our last weekend before moving weekend and it's already looking busy and full of stuff that is not related to our move. I might be a tad stressed. :-) <br />
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<img alt="post signature" class="centered" src="http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/ab298/strickey/untitled-3.jpg" />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12498620939022231672noreply@blogger.com3