Money Saving Mania....

Okay, my friends here in Macon......or anyone that has seen me since February, probably has heard me talk about this "coupon class" that I went to. But for those that have not heard my spill:

It is bananas.

I have always heard of those people that went shopping and bought $150 worth of groceries for only $50. When I heard that, I always thought either #1: They are probably liars. haha. or #2: They are probably 89 years old and have nothing else to do. Well, I found out that neither of those are true. Couponers are smart, savvy, and super cute gals that just know how to save their family mega mega bucks. : )

Again, it is bananas. I highly recommend that you check out the website: http://www.time2saveworkshops.com/. (I have their link on the right....scroll down and you will see it). Look for any workshops they have coming up that you would be able to go to.....It is well worth the time and money.

Since attending this workshop I have not spent more than about $60-$70 a week.....and many weeks I have spent way less than that. The average American family spends around $150 a week. This week was a high spending week for me b/c we were out of town last week.....I spent about $65 but saved $75. So.....I bought about $140 worth of groceries, diapers, cleaning supplies, etc......and only spent $65. And, I don't spend much time on it at all. Okay, yes, the first few weeks I spent a lot of time on it......but now about 2 months into it, I don't spend much time at all......

AND.....if all of that isn't enough......I lots of times get FREE stuff! Free! And, there are even sometimes deals that MAKE you money!!! The picture at the top was my very first couponing try after attending the workshop. Those are 2 things of Purex laundry detergent that I got for......Free. After leaving workshop, I was excited but still skeptical. After buying laundry detergent for free......I was hooked!

I feel like a dork posting this on my blog.....but, I just thought that some of my sweet friends that read this that I don't talk to everyday might want in on the savings.....

Again, check out that website, or call me and I will be more than happy to explain it all! : )

Last thing: have you ever heard of SwagBucks? It was something I was skeptical of as well......I think free things are usually tricks. : ) All swagbucks is is a search engine, just like google, but you earn money using it. You earn points every day that you use it.....and around 400 points wins you a $5 gift card to Amazon.com. (Or they have Target, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, etc.). 400 points might seem like a lot to win.......and it still does to me......but, I have only been using Swagbucks for about 5 days and already have 101 points! If you want to sign up for it, click on my link at the top!

Again, I feel silly posting all this.......but I feel as if I just won the lottery and really love sharing my knew knowledge!

Life is good.....

I think everyone that reads my blog already knows about our most recent big news.... But, since this is my "scrapbook," it needs to be noted.

The for sale signs are in our yard, it is official: We are moving! We are moving.... with an exclamation mark. The exclamation mark signifies my feelings of excitement, but also my feelings of "oh no!" We could not be more thrilled to be moving close to our parents and brothers. We are so excited to be moving back in the state that we would always call "home." But, there have been many tears already shed and I am sure more to come as we think about leaving friends that we have come to know and love sooooo much. I have a lump in my throat as I type....

whew....I need to move on....

I uploaded some recent videos of the kiddos. These are the reason for my title of this post: Life is good. Life is soooo good in the Parish household. Liza is wild and crazy and fully toddler. She is so much fun and it amazes me what she learns everyday. Will is in that wonderful baby stage where you really begin to see his little personality.... He is also in that stage where he is developing so quickly. Just 4 weeks ago he was only lifting up and barely sitting on his own.......now he can get himself to sitting from his belly, and crawl! We bathe them together at night......which is something that I have been looking forward to doing since I was pregnant with him. Don't know why that seemed so much fun to me, but it did. Now it is here, and I do love it! : ) Anyway, these videos aren't super duper funny or special for any particular reason......they are just sweet to me as a mommy. They show a glimpse of our kids right now.....I can see me watching them over and over when I am old and gray..... Or, maybe not. I might be too busy enjoying grandchildren......either way......right now they are my sweet babies and they are growing so fast!

Enjoy!

naked noo noos!

This post is for the grandmothers......it is wayyyy too many pictures of basically the same thing...... but can I help it that I just couldn't pick one that was the cutest???

It all began one morning after breakfast.....I went to get Will dressed while Liza watched cartoons.....Will desperately needed a manicure, so before dressing him I went to do that. I keep their clippers in the den b/c Liza will only be still for me to cut hers with the tv on...... soooo after Liza saw Will getting his nails clipped, she of course wanted hers done, too. Which meant taking off her footed pj's so I could get her feet as well. (Again, all these things she keeps doing b/c her little brother does them......one day I am going to use this when she whines about him copying her.....last night she HAD to have a bit of baby food just b/c he was eating it......she didn't like it, though, so I don't think she will try that one again....) Anyway, that is the long explanation of how and why both of my kids were were down to their skimpies.......they were so cute I had to get the camera.......

I told Liza to go sit "by" Will.....we are still working on our prepositions.

Can you see my teeth???

Sweet baby...... I am just a little obsessed with this boy right now.....Lee says he pitys the girl that tries to marry him......

Cutie Liza.....

These next 3 perfectly sum up their personalities....... Liza puts her finger in Will's mouth, he smiles. Liza puts her foot in his face, he smiles. Liza tries to sit on top of Will, he kisses.

What about this view, mom???

Did she think I wouldn't see her???




This one of Liza cracks me up..... check out her perfect little lounging position with her knee up, arm around Will, and the biggest cheese ever......she looks like she is posing for her Sr. year pictures.....

My sweet babies....

BIG laugh!

Okay, seriously. Mom, enough.

lessons from Liza

I think every mom I know that loves the Lord feels the same way as me: our Children teach us SO MUCH about God. Never has the gift of God sending His Son to die for us become so real to me as much as when Liza was born and I felt the love for a child that was my own flesh and blood. What God did for us truly is amazing.

So, lately, since Liza has become this walking and talking real person, I have been even more blown away at the simple little truths God places on my heart through random, and usually funny moments with Liza. (Just to set the record straight.....my sweet Will, mommy loves you just as much as that crazy sister of yours.....your smiles melt me to my core.....you just aren't talking or moving much yet......hang in there......I am quite sure you will give me much to ponder soon enough!).

Anyway.....considering the fact that Will's baby book might still have plastic wrap around it......I become more and more motivated to record moments with the kids that I never want to forget. This blog is an easy way to do it b/c I don't have to send pics to be printed, worry about my handwriting, and it is so much faster to type than write.

Back to the point: lessons from Liza. Liza does some funny things every day that I never want to forget. But, sometimes, they teach me things and I never want to forget that either. I don't consider myself very deep and I am certainly not a gifted writer/speaker or theologian. Do I even know how to spell that word? But, for me, sometimes the best lessons are little simple truths that a child can shed light on.

So, Liza lesson #1:

Liza can be playing so happily and then all of a sudden it hits: her hunger. That girl goes from being completely content to famished in 30 seconds. Thursday it hit her (mid-morning) when I was digging through the freezer trying to figure out what to cook for supper. While helping me, she came across a frozen bag of veggies. She had to have them. So, I got out a little bowl to quickly zap some in the microwave (what mom wouldn't want to give their kid some veggies even at 10 am?). She couldn't wait 30 seconds....she had to have them right then. So, I reached in the bag and pulled out a frozen green bean and gave it to her. While I was saying, "See, they aren't good until you cook them....." she was already reaching for another. She loved the frozen green beans. Crazy girl. : )

So that is the cuteness I don't ever want to forget.....and here is the little truth the Holy Spirit convicted me of:
Elizabeth, how often do you impatiently settle for something that may be good for you instead of waiting for My best?

6 months old!

So, I am trying to hold true to my promise yesterday of posting all about you, my sweet boy! Where did half of a year go????

I have to say that you are starting to give me almost as much to write about as that crazy sister of yours! : ) (Which is impressive all things considered....)

At six months:

You still smile more than any baby I have ever seen.

Anyone who has ever kept you or taken care of you, falls in love with you.

You have your two bottom/front teeth (but barely....they are your newest addition and accomplishment.....and by your drool I think the top two are right behind them).

You can sit up on your own......but are still pretty wobbly.....and the extra "love nudges" from Liza aren't a huge help. She means well. : )

You can roll both ways......although I seem to miss it every time. But lots of other people tell me about it.....daddy, grandparents, nursery workers at church, etc. I just like to think that you are playing "baby" for me since you know I love you that way. : )

You can get up on all fours and act as if you are ready to crawl......but you only seem to move in reverse. Your face sure is serious when you are trying this one, though. Not aggressive like Liza was, just serious.

You love to gnaw on your feet......shoes, socks, toes.....anything that is attached to your foot.

You love to grab onto hair.....and not let go. I never experienced this wonderful sensation with your sister.....I first thought it was just because my hair is longer with you as a baby than it was when Liza was a baby. But, I have watched you pull your daddy's hair with just as much muscle as mine.....so I now know, you just love hair.

You absolutely light up when Liza comes around you. She can always make you smile and laugh just as you always make her smile and laugh. I knew watching my children together would be fun.....but I had no idea how fun.

As much as I try to get you to use a pacifier, you love to suck your fingers when you sleep. And, much to my dismay, it is your two middle fingers. So far, you don't really do it when you are awake and playing......well.....thats not really true.....sometimes you stick your whole hand in your mouth.....but I think that is more of a teething thing.

I wonder if you might end up being left handed. As a teacher, I well know that there is no way to know for sure until at least 3 years of age.....and sometimes kids change even after that.....but, you suck your left fingers, you usually pick up toys with your left hand first, and these past two days of feeding you rice cereal, you have reached for the spoon with your left hand every time I try to put the spoon in your mouth. Hmmm? I wonder?

Speaking of that rice cereal.....I know this post is all about you.....but this must be noted for the day when Liza says, "He keeps copying me." This morning, while Liza was enjoying her yummy breakfast, she insisted on having a bowl of rice cereal. Just like her little brother. : ) I tried to explain that what she was eating was much better tasting......but oh no. She had to have some. So, after fixing her a bowl......she scarfed it down! One would think after the delightfulness of maple brown sugar oatmeal, one would never go back to rice cereal mush......but Liza ate it as if I was never going to feed her again. We'll see how long that one lasts.

Back to you, sweet boy.
You are incredibly ticklish on your collar bone. You give me big, guttural laughs when I tickle you under your chin. And, you sound just like Liza when you laugh really big like that.

Speaking of laughing and what you and Liza have in common: Y'all both get very silly and delirious at night. Don't get me wrong, you both can get grumpy at the commonly dreaded 5 o' clock hour......but get you through that and into your 7:30 bedtime.....and it becomes comedy hour. I don't know who laughs more during that final diaper change, you or her.

You finally are a good, good sleeper. Well, at least at night. : ) I like to think that you can just run off of less sleep than others during the day. You are like daddy, and Liza is like me......us girls like our sleep and you boys don't like to miss any of the daytime action. But, you now (after some help) are a wonderful sleeper......from around 8pm - 8am every day! :) And the smile that you greet me with in the morning is something that I will never forget!

Will, our sweet little Bubba, you are our bundle of joy and our family just wouldn't have been the same without you these past 6 months!!!

my hungry boy

Yay! Will ate rice cereal for the first time this morning! He did great and loved it!

Will, you are growing so fast! Tomorrow you will be 6 months old! I will try to find time to post tomorrow all about you.....for now, I need to go take care of you and your sweet and busy sister!

liza lingo...

My sweet liza, here are some words you say at 20 months and how you say them. I never want to forget....



your own name: Liza - pronounced "i-la" (with a long I)

pretzel - "tet tet" (which you love)

medicine - "sin sin" (which frighteningly enough you also love)

milk - "nulk" (which for some strange reason always gives me the mental image of "the hulk"......weird). : )

Thank you - gank gu

bracelet - "set set"

Will - as we all know, Will has been Bubba since the day he was born.....but you are finally starting to try to say "Will." It sounds sorta like "bll" or "bull." And Bull is actually (as of at least this week) what you are calling him most often.....however....in a moment of weakness, I still hear an excited, "Oh Bubba!" come from your mouth! : )

soft blanket or night night - used to be "nye nye" but you recently have added the t sound and it sounds like you say "nat nat" now. Oh the southern drawl.....


You really have become quite the talker lately.....saying many words just as they are. Which is so amazing, sad, sweet, funny, and scary all at once! You have even begun singing along with me.....you pick and chose the words you want to sing......and usually just repeat them over and over.....and you usually sing them before it is actually time for them in the song, as if just to prove to me you know whats coming next. : )


I truly think that the growth process is simply an amazing gift from our Father. The fact that just a year ago Liza was Will's size, and now she is a walking talking wonder, is simply a gift and a blessing from the Lord. I feel so blessed to share in His amazing creation of life.....I can't help but think how much He must smile over each child of His just as I smile over Liza and Will. And, thinking of growth spurts.....just as much as I rejoice when Liza learns and begins to apply something new.....how much more does God rejoice over me when I finally begin to learn and apply something new He has taught me??? Thank you, Lord, for your gift of children and how much you teach me through them!