It's such a hassle putting my little ones to bed. This is one of my least favorite things to do, but because it is important to keep the kids on a schedule, I keep up with the routine. 

My Children act like going to bed is punishment, even when they clearly need a nap!
My son believes that bedtime should be on his time. He loves to sleep, but only when he feels like it. I've found my son up late at night pulling all the toys out of the box. 

My daughter will cry and pout about the betrayal of being sent to bed, and then she will whimper "No, no night night."  She truly is an act to see she can go from heartbroken to happy within seconds. She can get a little dramatic when it's time for bed, but most days she doesn't last ten minutes before she's sleepy. Sometimes, they both like to switch up and not even sleep in their beds. Some mornings I wake up and find them in their closet, toy box, or living room floor. No point in me tucking these two in they more than likely won't sleep there.. Sometimes I wish we could all go stretch out on the couch, and just fall asleep watching a movie or two , but they'll thank me one day.

I loathe with all my heart putting them to bed, but once my babies are sleeping, it's pretty great! Once they're ready for bed I tell them that I love them, and even if they're mad and don't want to go to bed they still tell me they love me in return. It's different if my kids are out or have gone visiting a relative. There's nothing more comforting than having them in bed (or wherever they decide to sleep) safe at night. 

Then the house goes silent.

There are no background noises to disturb you, just what you're doing. 

And then... Peace of mind kicks in. = ) 

7 Easy Ways To Shop Smarter

Eat Before You Shop

Shopping while you're hungry only leads to unnecessary purchases, because your mind is so focused on being hungry or what you are craving. 

This was a common mistake for me. Shopping is a lot of work with two kids involved. I used to get them dressed, pack them a snack, and go. This alone took me about two hours, and then finally having to get myself ready. Obviously the last thing on my mind was eating. This was one of my biggest issues shopping.

Be Coupon Careful

How can you not find coupons appealing? They help us save on purchases, but are the purchases offered healthy item? Is the item purchased a necessity?

Always Carry A Shopping List

A shopping list guides you through the store, while preventing you from making unnecessary purchases. This will ensure that you get exactly what you came for. 

When I began grocery shopping, I always made a list, but constantly lost it and left it at home. This constantly left me guessing on what my family needed and open to picking things on impulse. I love trying new foods, but this way of shopping meant my money never spread as far as it could.

Don't Fall Victim To Samples

I know this is a hard one! The samples are always a great treat when grocery shopping, but how often are those samples served actually healthy? How long ago was it when you were offered a sample that wasn't fried, fatty, or sugary?

Don't Buy It, If You Don't Need It

Family-size and super-size packages of food can go to waste especially if you truly don't need it. You could possibly end up trashing a lot of it due to it spoiling. This means you're losing money! 

I was the kind of shopper who always wanted to get something "just in case." It was so easy for me to get into this mindset while I shopped, resulting in me over shopping, and not having money stored away for when I really need it. This also leads to food going to waste.

Become A Single Shopper

Purchase all your sweets and junk foods individually wrapped. 

This was a great help in my weight loss. When I began purchasing things in single, it really helped me manage my food portion consumption, and is also a great way to prevent my kids from over consuming unhealthy foods. 

Keep Your Eyes On The Time

The longer you spend in the store, it can result into you grabbing more unnecessary items. Give yourself enough time to search for your items, read labels, and check out. 

Applying This In My Life!

Grocery shopping was a hassle for me, and every time we went to the store it was always two to four hours before we left. During this time I never had a list so I wasted time walking around trying to remember what we needed, keeping the kids occupied,  and all the while trying to maintain staying out the way of other shoppers. Shopping used to be so stressful.  

From getting my kids ready and preparing myself to leave as well, to grocery shopping, it all just seemed so time consuming. Getting both the kids ready takes about an hour (on a good day), but by the time I'm dressed, I'm ready to take a nap!

Once I applied these changes, I saw a positive change in my shopping experience! I feel like I became a more organized shopper applying. Not only does the food last longer, but it seems like we get more for less. These small changes allowed me to not only benefit my shopping experience, but my health and pockets as well.  = )

Have you struggled with some of these same issues, even sometimes when you're just shopping by yourself?

Are there any tips that you've implemented in your shopping that you would like to suggest?

How Can You Not Love This Face?

My daughter is truly animated, when she is upset there is no hiding it. It's always written in every action and every facial expression. The best part about it two minutes from now she's going to be laughing her heart out!  

My Weight Loss Journey... Before and after

At the age of twenty I was one hundred and seventy pounds, and long overdue for a trip to the gym. My body was holding on to the weight I had gained from both pregnancies of my kids, and I also had a poor diet to help me maintain my weight gain. 

I went from a size twelve to a size eight, it was my New Year's Resolution for 2013!

It was a very hard challenge for me,but I've managed to stay in shape. It only took me eight months to change my diet, and drop those extra pounds. It was life changing enough becoming a single mother of two, but not recognizing myself in the mirror was enough!

The Big Mistake!

My weight loss journey began about two years ago, although, I didn't start losing weight until this year. I never knew how far my weight loss journey could take me, but I knew I was going to do it!

Like the average American dieter, the first thing I did was run to the nearest store. I brought a load of slim-fast, diet coke, and weight loss pills. (Little did I know this would contribute to my weight gain.) 

Sounds familiar?

I was determined to lose weight, and I knew I wanted to do it without exercising.

And I did! I had managed to get down to a size 8, and as soon as I stopped dieting I had gained it all back plus about an extra 20 pounds. I was devastated! But that's the price you pay when you cheat your body!

The first thing I learned about weight loss is that healthy living and exercise is essential for long-term weight loss  I had to understand  the human body, and how to teach my body to let go of that extra weight. And I did it without spending a dime...Why should you?

Save Money & Lose Weight

Here It Is...

As a single parent, there never seems like there is enough time in the day to do everything. It's very important to take time out for our kids, as a reminder that we're there to support them.