So the other day was college day at Costco, students of Lord Fairfax Community College could go to Costco and get a discount and coupons.  Well not knowing what types of benefits those would be I hauled the 3 kids down there to check it out.

So a normal membership is $50 which isn’t bad, we knew we would save that shopping there so it was all good.  But if we bought that membership, we would get a $10 gift card to their store.  Anywhere we can save is good.  So we decided to go with it.

Now the customer service rep that was helping me tried to sell us the VIP Executive Membership (I think that was what it was called).  Now I think it is an amazing benefit but I just don’t think, at lease this first year, we will spend an abundance of money there.  Basically the membership costs $100 and you can earn 2% back on all purchases except gas and cigarettes.  So we would need to spend between $200-$300 a month.  Not to difficult with a family of 6 but we realized that we also discount shop at Martin’s (our local grocery store), Walmart and Aldi.  Oh also as a student we would have gotten a $20 gift card instead of $10.  Well we decided to just get the regular membership and pay $50.

Speaking of Martin’s they rock too.  When you use your reward card or I think they call it the “bonus card” you can earn gas points.  For every 100 points you can save $0.10 on gas.  Now with gas as expensive as it is, that is superb.  I think when we went on vacation to Illinois (we drove)we filled up on our way out of town and because of all the points, we only paid like $0.80 a gallon.  Yeah that’s right, $0.80, crazy huh?

So overall I am hoping this will help us out.  Maybe in a year or two when we make a little more and our kids start eating more we will shop at Costco more often but for now every penny counts.  :-)

Money is never something I want to stress about but some months I do.  Some months are more difficult than others.  I really wish I could win the lotto and take all my worries away.

I LOVE staying home with my kids I wouldn’t change that for the world but sometimes I wish I could find some local jobs that I could do and make it worth going to work a couple days a week.  I just think with Tony working full time, both of us in school full time and trying to spend as much time with the kids and each other as possible, doesn’t seem to leave much time for anything else.  Just a little extra money a month would be so helpful!  My craft venture is taking off a bit slower than I wanted but it is moving in the right direction.  Maybe a few more months and I might actually be able to make money selling the craft supplies.

I guess until any great changes like that can be made I will just have to be patient and do what I can every month.

So I got my test back from Accounting.  I took a test last Wednesday and I had to wait until today for the score.  YIKES that is a long time but I am happy to announce that I got a B.  Not the A I wanted but I was only ONE POINT away from an A.  That makes me a wee bit mad.  Oh well it was pretty tough, and I did have a lot of red marks on it.  LOL!  So I guess it could have been worse.

So I aced my Math test and got a B in accounting and so far have almost an A+ in Computer tech and I have an A in English (for now) too.  So far so good!

The end of another week only reminds me there are many more to come.  What a rough week.  2 tests and 3 sick kids (plus myself).  YAY I aced my Math test and I won’t find out until tomorrow what I got on my Accounting test.  I am convincing myself it will be a B or a C so I won’t be disappointed when it isn’t an A.  LOL!  My kids have been uber cranky from being sick and I am on edge.  I NEED a vacation.

I just want to relax by the pool or take a stroll along the beach a night, with Tony, without the kids.  Family fun by day, mommy daddy time by night.  LOL!

Who wouldn’t want to spend the day with their kids laying by this pool.  I would love to get away with my family.  My son has been begging to go to the pool, I bet he would love to play in this pool.  So my birthday is in a  week, maybe Tony will surprise me with an Outer Banks vacation rental package for next summer.  Look at this beautiful house
With Tony and I spending so much time on school and Tony at work we worry that will we miss out on time with our kids.  We try to spend time with them but the last few weeks have been tough and I think we both worry it won’t get any better.  What better way to spend some quality time with our kids than in a lovely house like this.  Play a little pool
Do a little swimming, have some family meals in a kitchen like this

And end the evening with some family games in a living room like this

Wow, I need to stop dreaming. LOL!  Maybe some day we will be able to afford a place like this to spend a week.  :-)

So I have been on this kick that I want to take better care of myself and my skin and my body.  I want to not let my facial skin start “looking old”.  I had some friends from Facebook when we first got in touch after 15 yrs say that I still look the same.  Over the last 3 yrs however, I feel I have aged.  3 kids will do that.  LOL!  I want to get a skin care regimen going.  I did some online searches last night for skin care products that would work, I also did some searches for the best colon cleansing pills.  LOL!  Yeah I know TMI, but ya know that feeling that you are just full.  That is how I feel a lot.

I think I will start with the skin care products though, I have never cleansed my colon and that seems a bit scary.  Will I be on the toilet all day?

Is it just me or am I very indecisive or what?  To diet or not to diet that is the question.  To take diet pills or to not take diet pills that is the question.  I just don’t know what the best solution is.  I was talking to Tony tonight about it all.  I dread going to the gym.  I HATE cardio.  If I was going to the gym and I knew I was going to do weights the whole time I would be more eager to go than to do cardio the whole time.  I LOVED the boot camp that I did, I LOVE Jazzercise.  I love a classroom type atmosphere for working out.

What are the side effects of diet pills?  Are there any?  Would they serve a purpose for what I want to accomplish.  All I can say is if I was wealthy, I would have liposuction, a tummy tuck and boob lift in a heart beat.  I’m tired of having a weight problem.

Random-ness is that even a word?  So anywho, school is going well.  I can’t wait until tomorrow because I find out my test score in my Accounting class.  I really hope I did well.  I know I missed some questions but I hope I still get an A.  I aced my Math test last Monday so let’s hope for an A on this test.

I am still waiting to have my first stamp set completed.  I mentioned before that I found an illustrator that designed me a stamp set for Artfuldelight.  I am also restocking my online store.  I hope things will go better this time around.  Last time I don’t think I made but one or two sales in 6 months, it was a bit depressing.  LOL!  Only time will tell.

As for Tony and I we still have a goal to get our education and move, hopefully buy a house in the next 2-3 years.  Will it happen?  Can we save enough to make that happen?  Will we marry before then, will we be able to afford to marry ever?  May we can get lucky and find some loose diamonds, like winning the lotto.  LOL!  Not likely but one can only hope.  I don’t foresee that happening.  We don’t plan on having an actually wedding, probably just the justice of the peace or something but I don’t think Tony wants to do anything until he has a ring to propose.

My kids are all doing well, actually we all have a bit of a cold but other than that pretty good.  Bubby barely got sick, Isabel has a little cold, Max has it the worse.  I had it a bit and Tony said his nose is getting stuffy.  So far Nicki hasn’t gotten sick at all.

Well off to rest with the kids, need to get better for the start of another week.