So, this blog is almost completely kid-related, because they are the most important and exciting things around here (sorry, Bella)...but I felt like I wanted to share an informal mental list that I've been keeping for the past 10 years or so. As most of you know, I love to save some money. Some of my clothes may or may not be pre-Bob Era, we don't eat out as much as most people, our house is not really decorated (which results as a combination of my lack of artistry and frugality), and we just try to keep it simple and real. BUT - I have learned over the past several years that there are times when it is well worth it to cough up a few extra pennies. So, here's my list of what I have found to be ok to buy generic and what is NOT ok. Feel free to share what you have found so we can all benefit!
OK TO USE GENERICS:
- medications/vitamins
- butter/margarine
- canned vegetables (noticeable difference but not terrible)
- frozen fruits/vegetables, just be sure to look for stems!
- pasta/noodles
- rice
- most cereals, especially Life, Cheerios, and Honey Bunches of Oats
- bread
- peanut butter
- spices
- baby wipes
- milk
- yogurt
- cheese
- bacon
- chips
- crackers of all kinds
- granola bars/Fiber One bars
- chocolate chips (debatable amongst others)
- nuts
- ice cream
NOT OK TO USE GENERICS:
- canned soup
- pasta sauce
- hot dogs
- pop ("soda")
- MACARONI AND CHEESE...NEVER AGAIN!!
- diapers
- goldfish (according to my kids)
- Pop Tarts
Now, we admittedly don't have the most discerning palates, so maybe others have noticed more differences, but the stuff on my "OK" list really tastes about the same to us. So, there you go. I know you can all rest easy now that you have this new-found wisdom.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2012 in Review
Since the primary purpose of this blog was for us to have written accounts of what we do as a family, I thought I'd write up a quick summary...you know, to have a reference just in case we ever wonder, "gee, what did we do in 2012?". We had a wonderful, busy, fun, happy year, and I sure do hope we have lots more! Here are some highlights:
- Winter fun at Marbles, mall play areas, library, parks, horseback riding with Erin's class (which she did NOT like), Mommy's birthday, Valentine's Day party with Erin's class, and visit from Tom, Pam, and Jimmy.
- Daddy's 6-week assignment in California for work this spring and lots of quality girl time. Thankfully, he took a new assignment at IBM after that stint, and we are all much happier now.
- Farm Animal Days at NCSU, Easter egg hunt at church, Field Day at Erin's school, Pullen Park by ourselves and with Erin's class, and Anna's 2nd birthday, celebrated in Concord in the spring.
- Surprise 30th birthday party for Daddy, our week at Hilton Head with our family, and Sesame Street Live in May/June.
- Lots of splash pad and pool time this summer, plus a trip to the NC zoo, Mommy's weekend away in Chicago, another beach trip, visit with Pam and Jimmy, and Anna got her big girl bed this summer.
- Dance class, shrimp boil with our neighbors, pumpkin patch, Mommy and Daddy's trip to Niagara Falls, NC Fair, Erin's 4th birthday at the park, Halloween, improvised cousin camping trip at our house, early Thanksgiving with Tom, Pam, and Jimmy, and our big trip to Fort Wayne for Katie's wedding in the fall.
- Holiday party with Erin's class and lots of fun Christmas celebrations in December, and finishing the year out right with a Wolfpack basketball game!
In addition, we took our regular once or twice-monthly trips to Concord to see family, had some great visits with Grandma Pam and Grandpa John, and Daddy managed to get in a couple of overnight camping trips with his friends/brothers-in-law. As if that all wasn't enough, we kept ourselves busy with going to the Y several times a week, my church moms group, trips to various parks, playdates with friends, and time with Cole and his parents after they moved to Cary this fall. We also spent a lot of time (as in 2-3 hours a day) outside, usually in our backyard area after school, playing with neighbor friends and enjoying all the fun toys that we all share.
We just did a few house projects this year compared to our pre-kid days: Bob made drawer dividers for all of the kitchen drawers, we painted the bonus room, and had shelves built in the bonus room and in the kitchen entry. We also upgraded to a king-sized bed ("for Bella", as I like to say) and sold our old bed. Our most important project was redoing Anna's room, starting with her big-girl bed in August, followed by repainting and refinishing her furniture in December. We have lofty goals to complete more projects, but it's hard to find time to get them done when there are more fun things to do!
This year had a lot of "firsts" for the girls, most of them small, but meaningful to us. They went on their first Easter egg hunt, Erin got her first stitches, first "show" (Sesame Street Live), first trip to the zoo, first "real" Halloween, and first NCSU basketball game. Also, VERY noteworthy is Erin becoming potty-trained (praise the Lord), and also how well she is doing in school. We couldn't be more proud of her! Anna has turned into quite the little lady, notices everything, and is Mommy's little helper/shadow. I can't get enough of that (most days)! One of our favorite things is watching the girls become friends...they really have started to watch out for each other and play with each other, which is so good for both of them...and it keeps them busy!
Oh yes, in case anyone is wondering, Bella is still alive and kicking and following me around everywhere...as if I need another little duckling :) She's gotten in the habit of taking daily walks again, either after the girls go to bed, or with the girls if I am really ambitious.
We had such a wonderful year, and look forward to 2013!
- Winter fun at Marbles, mall play areas, library, parks, horseback riding with Erin's class (which she did NOT like), Mommy's birthday, Valentine's Day party with Erin's class, and visit from Tom, Pam, and Jimmy.
- Daddy's 6-week assignment in California for work this spring and lots of quality girl time. Thankfully, he took a new assignment at IBM after that stint, and we are all much happier now.
- Farm Animal Days at NCSU, Easter egg hunt at church, Field Day at Erin's school, Pullen Park by ourselves and with Erin's class, and Anna's 2nd birthday, celebrated in Concord in the spring.
- Surprise 30th birthday party for Daddy, our week at Hilton Head with our family, and Sesame Street Live in May/June.
- Lots of splash pad and pool time this summer, plus a trip to the NC zoo, Mommy's weekend away in Chicago, another beach trip, visit with Pam and Jimmy, and Anna got her big girl bed this summer.
- Dance class, shrimp boil with our neighbors, pumpkin patch, Mommy and Daddy's trip to Niagara Falls, NC Fair, Erin's 4th birthday at the park, Halloween, improvised cousin camping trip at our house, early Thanksgiving with Tom, Pam, and Jimmy, and our big trip to Fort Wayne for Katie's wedding in the fall.
- Holiday party with Erin's class and lots of fun Christmas celebrations in December, and finishing the year out right with a Wolfpack basketball game!
In addition, we took our regular once or twice-monthly trips to Concord to see family, had some great visits with Grandma Pam and Grandpa John, and Daddy managed to get in a couple of overnight camping trips with his friends/brothers-in-law. As if that all wasn't enough, we kept ourselves busy with going to the Y several times a week, my church moms group, trips to various parks, playdates with friends, and time with Cole and his parents after they moved to Cary this fall. We also spent a lot of time (as in 2-3 hours a day) outside, usually in our backyard area after school, playing with neighbor friends and enjoying all the fun toys that we all share.
We just did a few house projects this year compared to our pre-kid days: Bob made drawer dividers for all of the kitchen drawers, we painted the bonus room, and had shelves built in the bonus room and in the kitchen entry. We also upgraded to a king-sized bed ("for Bella", as I like to say) and sold our old bed. Our most important project was redoing Anna's room, starting with her big-girl bed in August, followed by repainting and refinishing her furniture in December. We have lofty goals to complete more projects, but it's hard to find time to get them done when there are more fun things to do!
This year had a lot of "firsts" for the girls, most of them small, but meaningful to us. They went on their first Easter egg hunt, Erin got her first stitches, first "show" (Sesame Street Live), first trip to the zoo, first "real" Halloween, and first NCSU basketball game. Also, VERY noteworthy is Erin becoming potty-trained (praise the Lord), and also how well she is doing in school. We couldn't be more proud of her! Anna has turned into quite the little lady, notices everything, and is Mommy's little helper/shadow. I can't get enough of that (most days)! One of our favorite things is watching the girls become friends...they really have started to watch out for each other and play with each other, which is so good for both of them...and it keeps them busy!
Oh yes, in case anyone is wondering, Bella is still alive and kicking and following me around everywhere...as if I need another little duckling :) She's gotten in the habit of taking daily walks again, either after the girls go to bed, or with the girls if I am really ambitious.
We had such a wonderful year, and look forward to 2013!
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