tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11894095780773425962012-02-16T07:04:34.907-05:00Welcome to my blog! Here is where I talk out loud about all the things that are in my head (which is lots!).Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.comBlogger3401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-33506724574746401892012-02-14T20:34:00.000-05:002012-02-14T20:34:05.223-05:00

Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about a defining moment. Its fitting that a week ago I was able to witness a similarly impacting momento-- a local friend's homebirth to her second child. It was exactly one week ago (to the minute, as I type this) that I walked into my friend's apartment armed with my camera, some snacks, spare batteries and a large mug of coffee. Photographing her second

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-40986121460730207382011-12-30T20:16:00.000-05:002011-12-30T20:16:34.828-05:00

Wow! What a year 2011 has been! Although it started with the loss of a great friend, solace has been found in the fact that his legacy for good food continues on. Mr D now has an eatery named after him in the same location where his store once stood. Its heartwarming to pass by each day and see his name memorialized on the awning of the shop. 2011 marked a high point in my frugalista lifestyle,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-12903137723731674532011-12-26T20:18:00.000-05:002011-12-26T20:18:03.382-05:00

Its been a long time coming and finally, this past weekend, we said buh bye to cable. At this very moment, we are getting tv via the use of a good o'le antenna and an extra long computer monitor cord. After lots of research and almost buying a Roku, I was given some nifty information about using an antenna to get an over-the-air (OTA) signal. Hubby and I checked out this site and we were able to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-83689362781303312182011-12-12T20:58:00.000-05:002011-12-12T20:58:23.486-05:00

Continued from Part 2 After my stepfather died, we stayed at my aunt's house for what seemed like a really long time. When we finally returned home, we arrived to an apartment that had the electricity and phone cut off. With my stepfather's passing, my mom was left alone, in a country we barely knew, to care for two children (and one on the way). My mom had absolutely zero dollars and no job.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-21237463284261173702011-11-30T18:20:00.004-05:002011-11-30T20:51:07.637-05:00

Its time to start gearing up for the frugal holiday season. Woot! In addition to the frugal gift ideas I shared last year, I have the following deals to help you along in sharing some frugal holiday cheer: Tiny Prints Cards These cards are fabulous! They've been running a lot of promotions lately, so its totally worth checking out. Right now, you can get free shipping on all orders plus 20%

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-54861511106100829032011-11-29T20:51:00.001-05:002011-11-29T20:54:48.752-05:00

I love my children, I really do. If you don't have kids, you will probably think the worst of me upon reading this blog entry. If you have children, then you'll understand where I'm coming from. My kids are assholes sometimes. There, I said it. They suffer from privileged, first-world problems which include, but are not limited to, having to decide which one of their dozen train cars to play

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-67080950431035195672011-11-26T18:40:00.003-05:002011-11-30T20:24:20.612-05:00

Yes, you can certainly have frugal and gorgeous holiday cards! I've decided to do our holiday cards a bit different this year. Usually I would purchase several boxes of cards and fill them out individually. I'm real old school in the sense that I still hand write a little personal note in each of my cards. For the most part, its the only written communication I have all year with some people.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-37100849681392474692011-11-24T09:20:00.000-05:002011-11-24T09:20:37.478-05:00

Items purchased this morning at CVS. After using coupons, a previously earned free gift card and ECBs, I paid $1.79 out of pocket. In return, I got the ECBs pictured above and another free $10 gift card.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-71904047647271271152011-11-18T18:53:00.000-05:002011-11-18T18:53:24.531-05:00

Objectives: ~ To learn the parts of a plant. ~ To learn how plants get nutrients and water up from the roots. ~ To observe how capillary action works and share the observation. Materials: Celery stalks (with leaves intact)                 Clear cups                                Paper and crayons to draw/record observations White carnations          Sharp knife or scissor               Tall

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-62501129171566590922011-11-15T20:10:00.002-05:002011-11-15T20:12:41.929-05:00

I recently decided to scrap my entire science curriculum in order to re-plan it and create an exploration based curriculum. I currently teach the preschool crowd, and although the ages are just between two and five years, it may as well be a decade's difference since the students abilities and interests are extremely varying. Most of my original curriculum will remain unchanged for the older

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-54443830810226214812011-10-15T22:24:00.001-04:002011-10-15T22:58:52.826-04:00

'Twas a regular o'le Saturday with the family, 'cept we added a stop over at Occupy Brooklyn's rally. There were 4-5 police officers per every one person, which frankly killed the mood since this rally was family friendly. After hanging for a few minutes and doing an interview for the Prospect Heights Patch, we headed home for nap time and grub. It was after being home for a while that I came to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-6163455953905994562011-10-05T20:56:00.000-04:002011-10-05T20:56:51.850-04:00

I went in solidarity for the 99% of America, of which I am a part of. I went to add myself to the number of people who were marching in support of Occupy Wall St and against the corporate greed that is rotting our country from the inside out. I took my camera because I knew this was the start of something huge, and with today's technology, it seems the revolution WILL be televised. Having

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-35164681100842890392011-09-24T09:24:00.001-04:002011-09-24T09:24:00.461-04:00

It snuck right up on me faster than I was ready for it. Although its written on every single calendar in the house, I refused to really see it and acknowledge the fact that my baby boy is two years old. Where did the time go? For a little while, we contemplated having a birthday party for him, but changed our minds and instead decided to plan a weekend full of fun stuff for us to all do together.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-13727118170761189832011-09-21T20:30:00.000-04:002011-09-21T20:30:10.782-04:00

My oldest child talks a lot. A LOT! To be honest, I could very easily tune out 90% of what she says and I wouldn't miss much. Its not that what she says is unimportant, its simply four-year-old speak and most of it is her random thoughts that are verbalized even before she's completely thought of them. Oftentimes, the topic changes smack dab in the middle of the sentence and you're left confused,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-38337142831832699962011-08-29T19:15:00.001-04:002011-08-29T19:19:08.122-04:00

This week, CVS has the Dawn Hand Renewal dish soap on sale for 99 cents.  In this month's P&G coupon booklet there is a manufacturer's coupon for either seventy-five cents off or for a dollar off. It seems the dollar off coupon is regional, but a coupon is a coupon nonetheless. My P&G booklet had the $1 off coupon, which made the dish soap absolutely free. As well, once you get to CVS, make sure

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-56701238731671043212011-08-12T14:54:00.001-04:002011-08-12T15:01:19.218-04:00

I have recently had the unfortunate pleasure of getting bombarded with e-mails, text messages and phone calls all over some idiot who started a viral post about Facebook supposedly "stealing" people's contact information and posting it all over the internet. I have consoled three friends who cried on the phone over this supposed invasion of privacy, and one who proposed filing a class action

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-60015240570480152442011-07-31T21:26:00.000-04:002011-07-31T21:26:46.240-04:00

This is one for the record books, folks! We needed some filler items this week 'cause we did all our meat shopping last week and upon checking out the Stop n Shop circular online, I saw that there were some great cereal deals. We eat a whole lot of cereal around here, in case you hadn't noticed. In addition to the weekly sale, some of the cereals had a buy-2-get-1 free deal and then there was a

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-76266121701724112652011-07-24T20:45:00.000-04:002011-07-24T20:45:14.341-04:00

As of 9:24 this morning, Gabriel is 669 days old. *sigh* By this point in Kai's life we'd already decided to have a second child and I was actually already pregnant with Gabe. Its sort of strange to be at this age again and be so sure of not having any more children, yet still feel melancholic over that decision. Damn hormones! Seriously though, the thought of having another child sends chills

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-46046530294617538752011-07-14T15:58:00.003-04:002011-07-14T15:59:38.961-04:00

Kai brought home a big o'le kale leaf from gardening school today along with a super easy recipe for baked kale chips. You'll need a bowl, mixing spoon, a baking sheet, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt (seasoned salt if you prefer). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, wash and dry the kale. Break it up into small pieces, discarding the stalk. Mix the ingredients then place onto

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-44920122930990740222011-07-03T19:31:00.001-04:002011-07-03T19:31:38.059-04:00

Rainy days suck. Being stuck inside with the two kiddies makes an hour seem like an eternity. In order to save my sanity and keep the kids engaged in something other than causing chaos, we did the following activities today: we made our own liquid hand soap, our own bubble bath, some butter and bread. The soap recipe was acquired from another blog which for the life of me I can't find anymore.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-5205374105662524982011-06-29T13:02:00.001-04:002011-06-29T13:03:47.865-04:00

Well its about damn time! Remember that guy who's been illegally dumping his garbage all over my 'hood? Well, even though I was under the impression that ECB court addressed the issue, it turns out that's not exactly what happened. Although I had called and confirmed that Mr. Pollak missed his court date, after seeing his ass yet again dumping his shit in my community, I decided to reconfirm what

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-7619098396548803892011-06-16T11:58:00.001-04:002011-06-16T12:00:30.764-04:00

Once upon a time I sincerely considered the idea of asking hubby to think about the possibility of us having a third child. In retrospect, I blame it all on sleepless nights and post-pregnancy hormones 'cause thinking back to that time, I think I was batshit crazy! Admittedly, I do miss the second trimester, where everything is peachy and one is yet to start the waddle-walk. I sometimes miss

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-45298742212245979652011-06-14T21:30:00.000-04:002011-06-14T21:30:45.679-04:00

For a while there I'd forgotten what it was like to sleep soundly through the night for a full eight to nine hours. There were many times that just when I'd gotten a taste of what sleep used to be like before kids, one (or both) would come down with a cold or other illness that would bring us back to the cycle of highly disrupted sleep. Just when Kai had started sleeping well, we decided to have

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-19434425432285760112011-06-08T13:27:00.000-04:002011-06-08T13:27:21.468-04:00

Its been a long time since I posted a frugal shopping trip, and that's been because I simply haven't been doing much shopping. Our stockpile has reached a point where I haven't purchased certain toiletries in months. This particular trip was to CVS and it involved a combination of the weekly sale, plus manufacturer's coupons, plus 10 ECBs plus leftover money on a free gift card I earned. A nice

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-3528066918168546912011-05-25T20:22:00.000-04:002011-05-25T20:22:20.721-04:00

I'm not talking about Ringling Brothers, either. Remember back when Price Is Right was hosted by Bob Barker? I grew up watching the show and loved it. Through the years, however, Mr. Barker was accused of sexual harassment and at certain points in the show's history there was criticism about the model's skimpy attire and whether or not it was appropriate for daytime television. Sigh. If only

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-82165922015458777042011-05-20T12:12:00.000-04:002011-05-20T12:12:35.475-04:00

In the midst of taking loads of pictures, there's always going to be some outtakes. Check out the three below. More to come as I stumble across them. Maybe he should continue wearing onesies. Can you spot the outtake in this picture? Pull out the camera and there is a 50-50 chance of Gabe hamming it up, or putting his finger up his nose.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-16967697137924550532011-05-18T12:22:00.000-04:002011-05-18T12:22:47.221-04:00

Its been several months since Gabe has climbed out of his crib. After the first time, we put the crib at its lowest setting, which made the sides much too high for him to scale out of of. That is, until last night. Gabe has had a little man-cold for a couple of days so he has been getting extra cuddles and has spent lots of quality time sleeping in the grown-up bed. Once he was feeling better,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-3352860256854661312011-05-09T21:49:00.000-04:002011-05-09T21:49:34.440-04:00

Ten years ago I was in my final semester of college and on the verge of dropping out based on the suggestion of two professors and the head of the Education department. At the time, I had enough credits to walk away with a Biology degree, but I knew that I also wanted to teach, so I pursued the additional field of study and added extra zeroes to my student debt. It was a tough road to pursue the

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-18166526279916026312011-05-05T19:56:00.000-04:002011-05-05T19:56:23.847-04:00

Do not be fooled by this picture. What you see in the image to your left is entirely misleading. The cuteness and happiness are false. The children were smiling simply because I whipped out the camera. The truth is that this car has created great havoc in our home, and it has caused both kids to go psycho killer ninja crazy on each other. We got the car for free via our community freecycle. Kai

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-75160649580735112712011-05-01T16:08:00.001-04:002011-05-01T16:31:02.680-04:00

Yesterday was a very big day in my 'hood. Myself and two local moms had been planning what we thought would be a little community clean-up for a little over a month. As the weeks passed, we realized that the community was ready for action. After ongoing outreach, we ended up widening the scope of our clean-up to involve the entire zoned area for Prospect Lefferts Gardens. This meant we would be

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-2416283479601049102011-04-28T16:15:00.000-04:002011-04-28T16:15:43.850-04:00

After much wait and anticipation, today was the big day in ECB court (background details can be found here). With the flurry of stuff going on lately, I didn't have much time to prep myself as to what to expect in court, so last night I finally carefully read through all the paperwork I've received and looked up info on how NYC's Environmental Control Board works. I did this research at about

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-18061731954558053692011-04-14T19:08:00.000-04:002011-04-14T19:08:41.840-04:00

I regretfully would like to inform some of you that I have officially reached a point of saturation in listening to you go on and on about how godawful your current man is. As a friend, I have provided my full attention to your man-problems countless times. When asked, I have given you my best, most thought out advice: leave his ass. We have discussed, at length, all about your man's awful

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-60899191924044050012011-04-13T20:04:00.001-04:002011-04-13T20:05:37.080-04:00

Its been a rather crazy few weeks around here. Between the launch of my new business, teaching science at the local preschool and keeping up with my duo of trouble, life has been what it usually is around here...busy. After much research and bugging my friends with endless questions, we have moved forth and started our mini garden. Limited outdoor space means I had to be selective on what I

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-16420572856085368332011-03-20T21:45:00.000-04:002011-03-20T21:45:21.659-04:00

I have been a busy little bee lately! Since coming out of the fog of Gabe's first year and finally (finally!) feeling like I have this two-kid business under control, I started thinking about myself and the things that I want to pursue. After much contemplation and lots of support from hubby and close friends, I decided to pursue a side-project and bring it to fruition. Ladies and gents, mommas

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-76189865498935838042011-03-17T19:02:00.000-04:002011-03-17T19:02:39.247-04:00

Original post can be found here. Its been a month since I posted regarding the issue of illegal dumping in my neighborhood. After numerous phone calls and e-mails to my local elected officials and the Sanitation Department I finally have a follow-up. I recently received news that the Sanitation Police was able to execute enforcement on the owner of the vehicle that I identified in the affidavit

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-32292571739773194652011-03-10T20:11:00.003-05:002011-12-12T21:07:21.095-05:00

Continued from Part 1. My most prominent first memory of New York City was how gray and dirty it was. We arrived smack dab in the middle of winter. If we'd had the option of planning our trip, certainly we would have chosen a better time, but we were at the mercy of the US Immigration Services and needed to get a move-on as soon as our paperwork was finalized. Our new home was a one-bedroom

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-32671225836706762122011-03-03T19:46:00.002-05:002011-03-03T19:48:44.414-05:00

Working with preschool aged kids is loads of fun primarily because they say the darnedest, most funniest things without a second thought. Now that I am officially the science teacher at my daughter's school, I am spending lots more time in the classroom and am continually reminded of that fact. Below you will find a few of the funny comments made by the children I have taught. Of course, their

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-44154099139388538592011-02-27T21:09:00.000-05:002011-02-27T21:09:54.420-05:00

Four years ago today, my then-fiance and I brought forth life onto this world. After sixteen long hours of labor, our baby girl, Kai, was born at home. For weeks, I've been both excited and dreading this day. Generally, I've spent my time in denial that the almost eight pound baby I gave birth to "just the other day" could already be this little person with her own ideas and views on life. I miss

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-82492868853873820122011-02-20T19:56:00.001-05:002011-02-20T19:56:50.889-05:00

Several days ago, the House of Representatives voted to ban Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal funding. As a non-profit organization that provides crucial health services, this could mean that Planned Parenthood will no longer be able to provide access to quality health care for millions of women. Mammograms, Pap smears, cancer screenings, HIV testing, annual check-ups and access

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-59920235769341697782011-02-17T19:06:00.003-05:002011-06-14T12:27:32.651-04:00

On a Monday in December, I was on my way to pick my daughter up from school when at the corner of our home, an asshat pulled right up onto the sidewalk in his dark teal minivan. He stopped within a few short feet of where I was standing, attempting to cross the street with Gabe who was in his stroller. Out of the minivan pops out a middle-aged African American man and nonchalantly proceeds to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-54024159934350490082011-02-06T21:27:00.001-05:002011-02-06T21:36:27.622-05:00

Ugh! I can't believe we're back here again! Its taken me a hell of a long time to blog about this 'cause I first needed to digest it all and stop being pissed off about it. The short version is that we are now onto pediatrician number nine (you can read all about what went down with the other eight here). Dr. S came highly recommended and, at the time, was the only pediatrician with a holistic

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-50512381254563492572011-01-31T13:06:00.003-05:002011-12-12T19:57:38.118-05:00

I was born in the late '70's in the Dominican Republic. I lived in a small town that looked more like a village, in Santo Domingo, the capital. My earliest memory is of my grandma calling me to the backyard, "Carmencita, ven!". I ran to the backyard of our house to find my grandmother holding one of our chickens by its neck. "Mira", she says. She places the chicken in a bucket with its head

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-37167992757828353032011-01-30T09:16:00.000-05:002011-01-30T09:16:00.356-05:00

When I was younger, I had the typical thoughts most young girls have about a big, flamboyant wedding with a dress to match. I imagined my husband-to-be being this larger than life being who was greatly loved by both myself and my family. It was very Cindarella-ish. As I grew up and started dating, I had very few long-term relationships. I wasn't allowed to date for an eternity and didn't have my

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-56290971549993718582011-01-29T13:45:00.000-05:002011-01-29T13:45:16.662-05:00

I made a tutu for my daughter the other night. The day prior, I went to the fabric store and carefully picked out the colors of tulle that I thought would look best together. I took my time, placing the fabrics next to each other in an attempt to make the best choice. Though I had some at home, I purchased new elastic that would hold the tulle firmly in place while allowing the fabric to fluff to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-58054308725810682222011-01-26T20:30:00.000-05:002011-01-26T20:30:23.552-05:00

This works, I assure you! Yesterday I spent the entire day quarantined in the bedroom. My entire household has been sick with a yucky cold and for the last two weeks everyone had gotten sick and I tended to them as any good mommy/wife would. Not surprisingly, eventually I got sick too. In an effort to contain the germs and not start a new cycle of illness, I hunkered down for a day of rest and a

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-54216173338050973282011-01-23T20:04:00.001-05:002011-01-23T20:06:35.259-05:00

This is my actual receipt from a recent Amazon purchase detailing my total out-of-pocket cost for a month's worth of Luvs diapers. By signing up for Amazon Mom, I get free 2-day shipping. In addition to that, by signing up for Subscribe & Save I get a percentage off my purchase. The gift cards used to pay for the majority of the purchase were free and came from Swagbucks and by writing qualifying

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-69784645283197944242011-01-19T21:44:00.000-05:002011-01-19T21:44:30.705-05:00

I have finally (finally!) changed my last name on all my identifying documents and accounts. I can't quite explain why it took me so long, but it was something that I certainly took my sweet o'le time doing. Changing my last name due to marriage was a decision that hubby let me make all on my own. After all, it wasn't something that was going to directly affect him, so he simply stated that he

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-38828417165611602162011-01-11T18:50:00.002-05:002011-01-18T13:00:25.138-05:00

Pictured on the left is our weekly grocery shopping trip. We did some bulk meat shopping last week, so for this week we needed mostly to restock on items we were running low on. I had a coupon for absolutely every single item purchased and the majority of the items were on sale for the week at Stop n Shop. Guess how much I actually paid. The person who comes closest to guessing the amount will

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-89465983809425021862011-01-09T21:07:00.000-05:002011-01-09T21:07:49.491-05:00

I was checking out my recent CVS receipt when I noticed that my year-to-date savings is a whopping $1,110. That's my savings in just one store. How awesome it would be to have that as cash in-hand. This is what leads us to my brand spanking new savings idea. Since receipts always show the total savings for that transaction, my plan is to put that amount away in a stash fund and see what I end up

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-14312973902370257142011-01-07T12:44:00.002-05:002011-01-07T12:45:10.471-05:00

  Transaction #1 Listerine 1 ltr @ $5 2 Reach toothbrushes @ $3 each Minus $3.99 manufacturer's coupon Minus 2.50 ECBs Minus $1.93 on gift card Total out-of-pocket: $3.33 Transaction #2 2 Huggies jumbo @ $8.99 each Minus $3 manufacturer's coupon Minus 5 ECBs Total out-of-pocket: $10.77

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-29841474210766342912011-01-04T11:07:00.000-05:002011-01-04T11:07:15.258-05:00

When we first moved to the neighborhood, Mr. D was one of the very first people we met. He owns a bodega on my block which at the time had two other mom & pop shops on either side. As gentrification took hold on the neighborhood, the two stores on either side of his were brought out and new, hip businesses emerged. Mr. D stayed put, and continued to cook his tongue-tingling BBQ-jerk spicy chicken

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-76992565609532523342011-01-03T00:15:00.001-05:002011-01-03T00:15:00.459-05:00

The other day I accidentally ran into a fan-friggin-tastic online sale over at Toys R Us: buy three participating Huggies wipes for $7. Off the bat it sounded like an okay deal. It wasn't until I started taking a closer look at what was included in the offer that I realized what an amazing deal this was. The 3 for $7 offer was not on the tub of wipes as I originally assumed, it was on the big

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-56947293903081816572011-01-02T19:05:00.001-05:002011-01-02T19:08:05.721-05:00

I made another stop at CVS this week mainly due to their Buy-One-Get-One free sale on the Honey Bunches of Oats. We eat a whole lot of cereal around here, so a BOGO offer is not one that we pass up. Most CVS stores now have self-checkout, and unfortunately the machine I ended up using was not processing gift cards that day. It certainly wasn't a biggie, since my out-of-pocket cost was so low. The

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-84694014236098301872011-01-01T20:23:00.001-05:002011-01-02T21:23:36.302-05:00

I have lots of different friends, some of whom I have known for more than twenty years and still keep in touch with, others I just recently met. I am friends with some of my friends' friends too, which is cool. Some of my friends live close by while too many of them live much too far away. I have friends who I see on a semi-regular basis, some that I hardly ever see at all and some who I sadly

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-82123822103013536592010-12-30T19:47:00.000-05:002010-12-30T19:47:19.963-05:00

I recently made three more transactions using my new CVS gift card. Off the bat, I'll tell you that I fudged this up pretty good and ended up coming out of pocket an extra $12 than intended. Originally, I planned to make four separate transactions, but the store was busy, there was a blizzard upon us and Kai was being a whiny-butt. My rush to get us out of the store quickly cost me money but its

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-40948059700640763942010-12-23T19:29:00.000-05:002010-12-23T19:29:43.260-05:00

As is tradition, tomorrow marks Noche Buena, a time to cook a grand feast to thoroughly enjoy with family and close friends. Since having children, hubby and I have been having Noche Buena dinner at our home, rather than traveling to see family. This year is no different. I'm looking forward to our feast, and have come up with a delicious menu that will keep me busy for most of the day with

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-22797612380110877472010-12-20T13:48:00.000-05:002010-12-20T13:48:13.787-05:00

I only recently realized that I have been blogging for just slightly over two years. The down-time of Gabe switching over to one long nap a day has allowed me the opportunity to indulge in extra time bullshitting at the computer. Over the course of several nap-times, I managed to read my blog in its entirety, from start to finish. Though I am ever so entirely biased, I personally think my blog is

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-73182997968692037192010-12-19T13:08:00.000-05:002010-12-19T13:08:56.168-05:00

A wonderful mommy-friend hooked it up with a $50 CVS gift card. I previously blogged about another gift card, with which I managed to make a total of seven transactions for twenty-five dollars. So far, I have made three transactions and have a remaining balance of $31.64. Transaction #1 (not pictured) Advil 4ct Icy Hot Total before coupons: $6.17     I paid: $3.17 Transaction #2 Thermacare

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-47213875488511238622010-12-13T12:14:00.000-05:002010-12-13T12:14:50.890-05:00

Preschool life brings with it a lot of new experiences. Where before we spent all of our time together, nowadays Kai spends three days out of the week in preschool. She absolutely loves it and has established her own little social life at school. Its been fun and exciting and has brought with it its fair share of interesting conversations. Several times now, Kai has mentioned that a couple of her

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-26458213722236085952010-12-12T20:02:00.000-05:002010-12-12T20:02:59.674-05:00

I really outdid myself this year, as in I need to stop Christmas shopping right now. Originally, hubby and I set aside a modest budget for our holiday shopping that we both knew we could easily stick to. My frugality ultimately got the best of me and I decided to scour the internet for deals, rebates and online shopping credits on my little bit of spare time. It all started with a Toys R Us

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-83761480270783337192010-12-10T11:56:00.000-05:002010-12-10T11:56:18.248-05:00

I'm late to post this, sorry! One free week of personal frugal shopping services goes to e-subscriber shta1277@.... An e-mail has been sent to you detailing your prize package. Thanks everyone for reading and commenting.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-43163218066563157822010-12-08T18:55:00.001-05:002010-12-08T18:56:17.309-05:00

Here goes: "like" Crayola's Facebook page and click on 'Holiday Offers'. Scroll down and you will find a coupon for $4 off a Pop-Art Pixies product (your cookies must be enabled to print the coupon). Next, run on over to your local Walgreen's where you can get the Pop-Art Pixies for $1.99 after the four dollar discount. One coupon per household, while supplies last. If your local Walgreen's is

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-29410891427607020532010-12-07T19:29:00.000-05:002010-12-07T19:29:34.031-05:00

1. We survived a year of unemployment Most people don't know this 'cause they assume certain things about my life that aren't true, but when I was six months pregnant, hubby got laid off from his job. I was devastated. Had I not been pregnant, it wouldn't have been so bad, but the hormones combined with the fact that we were adding another expense to the household left me scared to death about

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-43480778143093529772010-12-04T19:24:00.001-05:002010-12-19T12:24:47.748-05:00

I am no longer using cloth diapers on little man for two reasons: he has outgrown most of the stash and the ones that fit him he was happily taking off. So I switched to disposables full-time and have been finding it incredibly easy to save money (and laundry time). If you are a mom with a little one in diapers, you should check out Amazon Mom, where you can get exclusive discounts on baby gear

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-12049227461537337132010-11-28T19:04:00.000-05:002010-11-28T19:04:57.167-05:00

This is my latest freebie, folks! With the holidays looming, there is no better time for savings. Life is busy, so not many have the time to dedicate to frugal shopping. This is why I will do the legwork for you. The freebie details are as follows: For one week, I will work one-on-one with you to help you save money. This isn't a tip-sharing service either. You tell me what you need to buy and I

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-46169365718648842602010-11-27T18:48:00.003-05:002010-11-28T18:55:26.439-05:00

I went and did our weekly food shopping this morning. Total spent was $46, which included meats and fish for the week. Though that was a great total, that wasn't where I saved the most. My local supermarket had an unadvertised deal on Aunt Jemima pancakes and waffles at 4 for $5. My last two packages of Aunt Jemima pancakes each had a coupon for $2 off two products. Since the supermarket was

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-26413491520945456372010-11-25T20:25:00.000-05:002010-11-25T20:25:22.046-05:00

Just like last year (and the one before), I made a bee-line away from the department stores for their Thanksgiving Day sales and instead moseyed on over to my local CVS. This time around, I didn't need any more almost-free kitchen appliances. I hit up the holiday sale because I had a big plan to get lots of stuff for the absolute least amount I have ever ever paid. Originally, my budget was at $5

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-38401203245691595042010-11-23T21:20:00.000-05:002010-11-23T21:20:12.547-05:00

This has been quite the week for freebies! Usually I get free samples and items in the mail every few random weeks, but this time around I got all the items pictured in one week's time. Pretty dang awesome if I may say so myself. The breakdown of my super-cool free items goes as follows:   ~ 30 free prints from Snapfish.com (with free shipping) I used my free photo credits from opening a new

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-22560135715961042010-11-22T20:34:00.000-05:002010-11-22T20:34:52.361-05:00

I've been talking about this idea with a few friends on and off for some time now. Its never been anything serious, more of me just thinking out loud. Well, I've thought about it long enough and I'd like to put my idea out there and see what people think. What do you think about having your own personal frugal shopper? Someone who can individualize deals for you and do all the legwork in finding

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-32410068610555182962010-11-21T21:03:00.000-05:002010-11-21T21:03:31.309-05:00

Days after graduating from college, my roommate and I embarked on quite an adventure. Thanks to Lindblad Expeditions, we began our post-graduate lives with a trip of a lifetime to the Galapagos Islands. We flew for about a day before arriving to Guayaquil, and the following day we finally flew in to Baltra and boarded our new home, a boat named the Polaris. It was as though I entered a completely

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-90473443075506420432010-11-19T19:37:00.000-05:002010-11-21T19:38:45.724-05:00

LYDIA! Congrats! You have won a free e-gift card to Amazon.com. Thanks for reading and commenting. More freebies to come.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-30970643803784952472010-11-17T20:12:00.000-05:002010-11-17T20:12:45.405-05:00

When I was my daughter's age, I lived in a small house on an unpaved road that didn't exactly have a name. My grandma had a garden at the front and the back of the house. We grew a lot of our own fruits and vegetables. We had chickens and sometimes we had goats or sheep. When I was Kai's age, I remember helping my mom and grandma shell beans, pick peppers and prepare the chickens for cooking (we

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-43417430021968051162010-11-16T11:52:00.001-05:002010-11-16T11:52:00.404-05:00

I previously blogged about frugal gift ideas that were primarily photo-based. This time around I want to share some other frugal gift ideas that include gift certificates, housewares, clothing, jewelry and shoes (in other words, cool grown-up stuff). Rue La La If you're looking for high-end name brand items at a steep discount, Rue La La is the site for you. Their boutiques feature clothing,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-90944301528162217082010-11-15T11:41:00.002-05:002010-11-15T11:41:00.153-05:00

CVS: Total was $2.77 and I got back 2 ECBs.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-87062316159033585422010-11-14T08:10:00.001-05:002010-11-14T08:10:00.666-05:00

Hubby and I were kicking it the other evening when we got into a discussion about random things, particularly things that never ever work (yet people think they do). For example: Vacuuming your wood floors Having children and keeping a home clean are two things that don't normally go together. Thankfully, children do eventually go to sleep, which gives the adult(s) time to get all the mysterious

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-91647598020813892582010-11-13T19:44:00.002-05:002010-11-25T21:39:49.602-05:00

If I had one, or several, million dollars via the lottery or some other windfall, there are a few things that I know I'd do. First and foremost, I would lose my shit. I'm finally rich bitches! Hubby and I have talked about this topic at length and he has already disclosed that if we ever won a large sum of money, he would run outside in his boxers yelling 'fuck you bitches!' through the streets

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-59809416701321002012010-11-11T19:36:00.001-05:002010-11-25T21:41:48.354-05:00

Why the heck not? Seriously. How is it ok that the government can create a law to dictate what I cannot do with my body? Before I continue, let me clear that this is not a post addressing the issues of child sex trafficking, of abused women and their pimps, or of strung out hoes. This is an attempt to address the issue of the government telling me that I cannot be an individual business owner

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-4102875658105909942010-11-10T14:33:00.000-05:002010-11-10T14:33:56.973-05:00

This is day 10 of NaBloPomo. I'm running out of topics to write about and wanted to take the opportunity to open it up to outside suggestions. What topic would you like me to write about? Anything goes. Also, by leaving a comment you are automatically entered in my free raffle for an Amazon e-gift card.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-4484231572784743112010-11-09T09:44:00.000-05:002010-11-09T09:44:39.916-05:00

A bad economy doesn't mean you have to skimp on personalized gifts for the holidays. Here I will give you a run-down of frugal gift ideas that I have used myself (and will be using again this year). Artscow When you sign up for a new account, you automatically get credited with 1200 free prints and 3 8"x8" photo books (just pay shipping). Also, they regularly e-mail free codes for items like

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-12141741000231846632010-11-08T10:04:00.000-05:002010-11-08T10:04:53.842-05:00

I'd like to bring the following to your attention in the hopes that you will add your signature to the supporters of the program and hopefully pass it on to your friends. Those of you who supported the Midwifery Modernization Act will appreciate the importance of this petition: Funding to serve low-income pregnant moms is in jeopardy - please help ensure the health of all mothers and babies in

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-14484000693869474232010-11-07T20:29:00.001-05:002010-11-07T20:43:11.731-05:00

During my Sophomore year of high school, I was one of six students selected to take part in a newly developed program called Kids At Sea. Sponsored by Lindblad Expeditions, the small group of us plus two teachers were going to embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure to explore southeast Alaska's coastal wilderness. What follows are my actual journal entries from August 23, 1994 through September 1st

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-5033926671917059982010-11-06T20:58:00.000-04:002010-11-06T20:58:01.330-04:00

I don't usually buy organic goods. Not only are they usually more expensive, but I don't feel that they are necessarily better for me and my family. Others certainly disagree and that is ok. Growing up, I never ever ate anything organic. An apple was an apple and as long as it didn't have any bruising, I ate it and enjoyed it thoroughly. The same went for all fruits, vegetables, meats and other

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-81372748812842228042010-11-05T21:07:00.000-04:002010-11-05T21:07:25.918-04:00

Ah, the B41 bus! No matter which direction I take this bus, an interesting time is almost always guaranteed. Try as might to take other buses, the B41 meets my transportation needs in so many ways, that I have resigned myself to just accept the fact that every ride is likely to be an adventure. Today, of course, was no different. I was on my way back from doing some frugal shopping, when an

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-30988370973468836272010-11-04T09:16:00.002-04:002010-11-04T14:26:57.200-04:00

I usually don't do my shopping online, but this past week there were two great deals that I just couldn't pass up. First, there was a $5 credit over at Sally Beauty for new accounts plus a free shipping code with no minimum. I snagged some hair items for Kai and a hemp lotion for myself. Total out-of-pocket cost was $3.25. Next, I moseyed on over to Amazon and checked out their coupon section

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-74727499240015940712010-11-03T20:24:00.005-04:002010-11-25T21:51:25.111-05:00

Many Dominicans believe that dreaming of teeth, especially teeth that are falling out, means that someone you know is going to die. It is also believed that if the dream includes pain and/or blood, that the impending death will be of someone close to you. I can personally attest that there is some validity to this belief. Any time I have dreamed of teeth, I hear about someone's death within a day

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-58213117366006206992010-11-02T21:07:00.002-04:002010-11-02T21:23:36.589-04:00

Good news folks! For the next 30 days I will be participating in NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month. This means I get to blab about all the interesting (and non-interesting) stuff that's in my head, and you get to read about it. Yipeee! To encourage you to read about my random rantings, I will be raffling off a $5 Amazon e-gift card. In order to enter the raffle you have to subscribe via

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-20617659132389611042010-11-01T13:25:00.001-04:002010-11-01T13:25:56.567-04:00

Feels like I haven't been shopping at CVS for a long time. Aside from the cereal deals, I haven't been doing much shopping at all, actually. See, we are starting to run out of space in our pantry area. We have enough of just about everything to not shop for a solid month (at least). I've reached a point where even if the item is free, I  have to consider whether or not to get it. Usually, unless

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-51073154605315967572010-10-22T20:32:00.000-04:002010-10-22T20:32:52.515-04:00

This is our current stash of cereal, which does not include the five boxes that are currently in use. It turns out that our little man likes cereal too, so now with four of us consuming it, I had to up the ante in terms of stocking up when the time was right. This past week was a perfect time to do that. The Honey Bunches of Oats were buy-one-get-one  free at CVS with your ExtraCare card. I

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-19421439343572085222010-10-18T14:35:00.000-04:002010-10-18T14:35:34.112-04:00

Lately I've been feeling like there's something missing in my life. And, no, I'm not talking about a third child. I'm talking about my career and professional life. I don't really have one at the moment and I need to establish one pronto. The thing is, I don't know where or how to begin. Unlike my previous career crises, this time around I've at least determined what I don't want to do. I don't

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-41349612751147441862010-10-08T20:44:00.002-04:002010-10-08T20:46:48.728-04:00

Once upon a time, in what seems to be an eternity ago, I created a college newsletter that was put together in an effort to air out student grievances. Already we had a great campus newspaper, but I sought to take a different approach and present student issues from a new perspective. It was something I put together on my own, sort of haphazardly. I never really had a 'big picture' for Oyeme, I

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-19839514794790121952010-10-05T20:17:00.000-04:002010-10-05T20:17:19.821-04:00

Used a CVS coupon for the Halloween goodies plus 6ECBs.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-84699482894048845962010-10-04T21:08:00.000-04:002010-10-04T21:08:36.275-04:00

Have you ever called someone back, only to place the phone next to a computer speaker where you were loudly playing porn for them to hear? Prior to today, I hadn't done that either. See, there's this Spanish-speaking lady from the 954 area code, who keeps calling me trying to sell a scam. The first time around she claimed to be calling from a prize redemption company. Supposedly I'd won a prize

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-87599822790143409062010-09-28T21:15:00.000-04:002010-09-28T21:15:15.787-04:00

At this very moment, I have several new gray hairs all thanks to Gabey baby. Its quite possible that today's incident shaved several years off my life. Certainly, the event left me befuddled for several hours as I tried to make sense of it. Before you worry, I'll cut right to the chase and tell you that the most serious injury in today's main event was me almost having a heart attack. We'd just

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-44988261579376802252010-09-24T10:02:00.000-04:002010-09-24T10:02:56.724-04:00

In the blink of an eye, here it is. Gabe is a year old today. I remember very distinctly what transpired between me trying to go to bed on the 23rd and contractions starting, all the way up to the moment when I laid eyes on my baby boy. Oh my what a year it has been! Gabriel's homebirth still gives me the warm fuzzies and fills me with such peace that its hard to describe the emotions its stirs

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-64007813910305519652010-09-22T20:12:00.000-04:002010-09-22T20:12:31.522-04:00

I thought I would share with you a breakdown of our most recent food shopping trip. Since switching to a cash-only budget, we've been going shopping on a weekly basis rather than biweekly. We may tweak this once the cold weather arrives, but for now, its worked out pretty good. This shopping trip was at the Stop n Shop, which doubles manufacturer's coupons up to 99 cents. A week prior, I got a

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-39768322180434353972010-09-21T19:31:00.000-04:002010-09-21T19:31:13.832-04:00

Three transactions at CVS.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-21807307694437158902010-09-19T20:16:00.000-04:002010-09-19T20:16:32.550-04:00

Actually, it was two tornadoes and a macroburst. In Brooklyn. New York. This all happened just a couple of days ago and the clean-up has only just begun. The kids and I were home, getting dinner ready and just hanging out. It got really dark very quickly and it started to rain. There was thunder and lightning and both kids showed interest in looking at the storm from the window. I watched along

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-86093460086468889772010-09-17T20:26:00.000-04:002010-09-17T20:26:34.290-04:00

Today marks the end of the first full week of preschool. I am still really surprised at how smoothly the transition into school has been for Kai (and for me). This week we faced a little bit of a challenge when it came down to quiet time. Given the hours spent at the preschool, it is mandated that a certain amount of time be allocated to resting. The kids each have their own comfy cot, where they

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-48370627666016274262010-09-13T13:13:00.000-04:002010-09-13T13:13:29.640-04:00

In the blink of an eye, not only is she not a baby anymore, but she is experiencing the world completely independent of me. Kai's first day of school came and went more smoothly than I ever imagined. We've been preparing her by reading books and watching school-related DVDs, so when the day came, she was ready. She's visited the school before when we went for tours or to pick-up/drop-off

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189409578077342596.post-42563390464962669902010-09-09T20:12:00.001-04:002010-11-03T10:42:08.734-04:00

I've been interested in writing as an outlet for my many thoughts and feelings since I can remember. From the start of the 90's and onward, I kept a series of journals that documented my life experiences while growing up in the Boogie Down. In 1994 I started entering writing contests, and actually won the three that I entered. That right there was all you needed to have a teenager that thinks she

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05481946288605904033noreply@blogger.com1