Kitchen Backsplash

This weekend we finally put in a backsplash in our kitchen. When I say we it was really Daniel (a guy that works with Kyle) and Kyle. They did a great job. It took all weekend but it turned out really well. The backsplash was actually my Christmas present from Kyle. I have to say that I really wanted to get this project done but it got off to such a rocky start. I drove all over the place trying to find the tiles I wanted and the right design. So when it started off so rocky I was nervous about how actually putting it in would go but luckily Daniel has done this several times so it went extremely smoothly. Here are the before and after pictures. Thank you Kyle and Daniel!

One small accomplishment

I have been try to coupon for almost a year now and to say I have not been good is an under statement. I feel like I have spent more than I have saved by just trying to coupon. But yesterday I finally had a small break through. Let me start by telling you how I used to coupon. I would purchase the paper and then each week go to southernsavers.com to see what Publix had on sell for the week. Well, for several months I did this and I would save at the most $12 and I would waste a good 30-45 minutes trying to clip the coupons. So after a few months I just gave up. Then this week a friend of mine/family member on Kyle's side told me about these 2 ladies in Athens, AL called "two thrifty sisters". They are a lot like southern savers but a little bit better in my opinion. They lay out all of the sales that Publix is having for the week and which newspaper to get the coupons from (southern savers does this as well but they are not always as accurate with the dates). So yesterday, I went to the two thrify sisters web page to get the coupon deals, I printed out the online coupons, and then I went home and Kyle helped me cut on the newspaper coupons. Unfortunately, in my couponing frustration I got rid of several papers from the month of November which were actually necessary for this week's sale but I still did okay. I say I did okay because so many people I know that coupon will spend $20 on $200 worth of groceries. I am no LB (Laura Beth), she is the one who started we on couponing. She blogs frequently about her couponing success and every time I am just amazed at the success she has since I have not had much. Okay so I cannot give you the whole grocery list to give you an idea of what all I bought but I can tell you that I spent $116 dollars and saved $79 this week at Publix. I blame the $116 on the sale items being more expensive (like the B1G1 olive oil and things like that). I needed to stock up on them but in general they are more expensive plus me not having kept all the papers did not help either. So there you have it a small accomplishment after almost a year. Does anyone else coupon? If you are a good couponer and have tips please pass them along. I love stretching a buck! BTW, these ladies will be holding a seminar next Saturday from 9-12 in Madison if you want to attend just check on their blog.

Mexican Casserole

Here is a recipe I made up a couple of months ago. I absolutely love mexican food but most of the carbs do not come in wheat so I decided to figure out a recipe that would allow me to eat more mexican. It actually turned out really well and it is pretty healthy for you depending on how much cheese you use. 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 1 package of taco seasoning 3/4 cup of water 1 bag of boil in a bag brown rice (family size), cooked 1 can of refried beans cheddar cheese, shredded Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the rice into a greased 9x9 pan. Then combine the ground beef, water, and taco seasoning in the hot pan you used to cook the ground beef. Pour the ground beef over the rice. Then spread the refried beans over the ground beef and then sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake for 45 min to an hour. Let me know what you think. BTW, this is a great casserole to freeze.

3 Month Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures that my friend, Ashley Turnbull, took of Kylie as her 3month pictures.

More pics

3 months and Christmas

This was our biggest month of all. Kylie has started doing so many things. It is just incredible to watch her. Every week we have something new to look forward to. So this month I started back to work...it was extremely difficult for me of course not for her. However, she has a fabulous sitter whom I thank God for everyday. She loves Kylie and takes really good care of her. It took a few days to get used to the new routine but we finally got it down pat and then Christmas came. We went to Guntersville for Christmas Eve and then headed to Auburn for Christmas day. Unfortunately, Kylie and I were both sick but we still had such a great time seeing all of our family. Kylie got so many clothes and toys. This Christmas was exciting for us but not so much for Kylie since she was completely oblivous to what was going on. I cannot wait until next Christmas when she is a lot more mobile and will at least enjoy playing with the wrapping paper! I am posting some pictures of Kylie with my uncle Jimmy and Kyle's dad aka Grandpa. There are also some pictures of Kylie and Hadley...you will notice that some heads are chopped off. My cousin Chris took the pictures and was being all photographer like telling us to work the camera and then I go and look at the pictures and he cut several of the heads off of people (good try Chris but dont quit your day job!). After Christmas was over we came back to Huntsville. My mom came back with us to hang out since she was off from work that week and then my dad came up for New Year's. During the week we went over to Decatur so my dad's side of the family could meet Kylie. We dont get to see them very often but I have the best time when we get together. My cousin Phyllis loves to cook and be a hostess she always makes you feel special by making special treats like cappucinos or spiced tea. Kylie actually did really well with meeting so many people in one day. She is really not a baby that likes to be passed around a lot. Once she is comfortable she prefers to stay in that position and she is not afraid to make that known to us all....two words to describe my child: high maintenance! Unfortunately, going back to work this week was hard for both of us. We got used to being in our routine together again and then we had to change it back up. Our poor sitter had a long week but by Friday things got a lot better. BTW, it was freezing cold and snowing here Thursday and Friday. The snow is gone now but the cold remains. It is supposed to warm up to the fifties this week so hopefully we can stop having to run water at night so the pipes wont freeze. Milestones for month 3: almost rolling over playing with toys-she no longer wants to just stare at herself in the mirror she prefers to play with the toys on her mat coos and squeals frequently no longer prefers to be rocked to sleep for her nap...just lay her straight down takes a 5 ounce bottle like it is nothing! holds her head up well prefers to sit up and look out when in your lap sits in her bouncy seat and swing more she had her 3 month pictures made by a friend of ours, Ashley Turnbull. she has discovered daddy this month. when he talks she looks to find him. when he makes face at her she laughs. she loves her daddy and I love watching it. This month has been my favorite so far. She is learning to do so much and becoming so much more interactive. I know the months ahead are going to be even more fun!

2 months

So it is time to sit down and recap the last 2 months. I have gotten so far behind on blogging and recording Kylie's milestones. So here it goes... At two months Kylie got to meet some very exciting people the first of which is my best friend Sarah. She came to stay with us for a weekend. It was so good to see her. She helped me tremendously by cooking, cleaning, and just catching up. So thank you Sarah for coming to visit...I am so glad you are Kylie's aunt! Then Kylie got to meet two of her cousins Lawson and Harper. They were born a week before Kylie. I was only able to get a picture of Kylie and Lawson...with three babies it was a challenge and of course my battery died. They live just down the road so I cannot wait for them to be best friends. I always loved having my cousins nearby when I was growing up and I really want the same for her. We also went for our first visit to Auburn so Kylie could meet the rest of my family and my former coworkers at Auburn (we met at Big Blue Bagel which I miss terribly). It was a long journey but we had a great visit and that was Kylie's best road trip...the rest have been a struggle since she still hates the car seat. Kylie's milestones were: Sleeping through the night smiling making cooing sounds beginning to play on the play mat and look around I think this is about it she weighed 10.10 lbs and was 23 inches long at her 8 week appointment.