November 25, 2011

The holidays.......

         Well Christmas has came and gone now! I have mixed emotions about that. You spend so much time preparing for it and it is gone in a flash. We make special time to spend with our loved ones and just enjoy being together even if we don't exchange gifts. The heartbreaking truth is most of us won't get together again for another year. Maybe we will see each other at the store or (gag) Walmart. But we will not make time to spend together. Is life really that busy for us that we can't take one evening or weekend afternoon to just get together and visit? My answer is NO. We just don't want to make the time! We are selfish individuals. I am guilty of that on several occasions. But as I look at my kids growing fast I think to myself I want them to have memories of our families being together all the time!
        We were spoiled this year with many gifts. More than I ever dreamed of. We ate tons of great food and sat by the fireplace and talked. The girls giggled while playing with their new toys (OK not the whole time...they fought over who was gonna play with what first but hey let me have my Norman Rockwell moment!!) All and all it was a FanTaSTic Christmas!!!
        Now we  get ready for the new year! In our younger years we would have got all dressed up and went to a dance or went to the bars but now it is all about spending time with family at home! Normally we have Wii tournaments, EAT alot of snacky foods and most definately karaoke! It is truly the best way to end the old year and begin the new year. This year has been good and bad but I am ready for a fresh start for all my family!!! Here's 2012!! Let's make it a wonderful year full of health, wealth and love!!! Oh and good food....that is important too. ;o)
         I wish that we would have taken more pictures this Christmas but we will have the memories forever!! I hope that your holidays were as blessed as mine were. And I wish you the Happiest New Year! Cheers...........until we meet again ~Jen Diaz~

Rain rain go AWAY!

Luck.......I have had NONE lately! You know the saying when it rains it pours? Well it is pouring right now! It has been a series of unfortunate events at my house the past week or so.......the kind of luck that is COMEDY worthy. Well here we go I will entertain you with my life!!!! 
Deep breathe here we go..........So it all started with my van. It is overheating and there is a clunky noise from underneath and a squealy belt like noise going on. Which only translates to me like this $$$$$$$!  I  have only been driving when absolutely necessary! Then we noticed some water around the toilets in both bathrooms. Well Tomas put on his plumber hat and showed a lil' butt crack and figured out that the tank is cracked on our main toilet! So it is leaking into the other bathroom! So there again $$$$$! And if that is not enough to just make your head spin......along comes Friday and there is NO DEPOSIT! None zilch nada a big fat zero! Come to find out NOBODY got paid. What the ???? How the???? I mean seriously! I have a sqealy clunkity van and a leaky toilet and NO $$$$$$! Ok are you cracking up yet? It gets better! So all this stress but hey let's throw in a slumber party and a wienie roast! I mean why not??? So no relaxing all weekend, everyone is GROUCHY in my house and really need to get laundry started for Monday and guess what??? Yup you guessed it NO SOAP! None not a drop! Good thing everyone did have something to wear! Monday is here finally here.....awwww! Sigh of relief right? NO no NO! Still no deposit and no answers! Get the girls ready for school and of course no bread for lunches and  1 juice box left! Hello Monday! Izzi forgets her jacket so I have to make a trip back to the school......then I notice that Claudia forgot he water bottle for her lunch.....trip #2 to the school! I must say I am a good momma! So after school I go to get gas and while I am pumping the gas my 10 year old gets out (she is the only one with me) and accidentally locks  the van. Yes the clunkity squealy van! And wait did I mention I had both sets of keys with me? Well I did! So thank God my mom was there in  her van and had her phone cuz mine was locked in the van! We called the lock smith and 30 minutes and $40 later we were in! So there you have it! That is my series of unfortunate events and I am praying that the lil' black rain cloud is moving on to the next poor soul! Yes it is FUNNY to read NOW but I can't say that I was laughing then.....and I can't repeat the things that  were said either......I am not always an ANGEL!!  ;o) Well a lil' bird said blog about it sista' so that I have done and now I can laugh about it..........um NOPE not yet but at least ya'll can get a kick out of a day in the life of ME!
Well that is  all I can take for today HELL for a year! I am eating me some popcorn and ending this day with my family! P.j.s on and I am doing nothing more for today! GOOD BYE bad luck you are not welcome anymore!
Until we meet again ~Jen~

ChRiStMaS...........I am SOOOOO decoratin' for it already!

I have been trying to "clean" from top to bottom each room in mi' casa and while I am doing this I am gonna go ahead and start gettin' my Christmas stuff out! YES I said it I am going to start decorating for my favorite time of the year! Call me CRaZY........go ahead I will wait....O.K. I look at it like this I love my Christmas decorations and I want them out as long as possible so if  Walmart can do it why can't I????? Hmmm! Now you are thinking about it too huh? Maybe my tree (then me clarify that, my main tree) won't go up right away but the 5,000 santa's and 1,000,000 snowmen will be coming out of hibernation really soon! There are 3 snowmen in my living room right now as we speak! I love decorating and I love buying gifts for people and I love the whole feeling that the holidays radiates! It is really the most WoNdErFuL time of the year! Little by little my house will be transformed into a winter wonderland....each and every room! O.k. maybe not the bathrooms but all the rest! Now the only crappy thing is getting some the MANY boxes and totes from my mom's attic! Grrrrr! Honey can you do me a favor? That is a big (clears throat....H*LL NO) no dear not YET! But really does the big guy have a say....um no not really! Sorry honey I love you but I am just not giving you that control!!! ;o) 
SO my stinkin' van is on the fritz. Not really sure what is going on with it because one day it runs perfecto and the next not SO perfecto! I get it everyone has their days but really I kinda need my van. We kindalive in it somedays......well most days it seems! I had to drive the hubby's truck to get the girls and yeah that is NOT really cool at all! Just not digging the whole stick thing! Oh well it will all work out one way or another! =) 
Until next time.........believe it or not I have nothing more to say! ;o)
                                        ~Jen Diaz~ 

To coupon or not to coupon.......that is the ??????

I am really intrigued by this whole couponing craze! Not that I am interested in a stock pile type deal but the groceries for nothing concept is a darn good one! It is really hard to balance the bills and budget food money! You have to creative and sometimes that is not an easy thing to do. I have hit a rut when it comes to cooking. I am tired of spaghetti, hot dogs, chili (I know chili season just started but we have overkilled it a smudge)!!! I want to think outside the box a little. Nothing crazy just a little more variety but when you are on a "budget" (stupid word) you have to buy what is CHEAP! We have kinda beat the cheap to death. I search online for recipes that would "please" my whole family....which is tricky considering I have a "CHEESE-HATER" .....but I just sit there like duh! Feeding my family is tricky! So then I watch these people on the tube and they are getting all these groceries for FREE! Well it does look like a lot of work though.  I am not gonna walk around town and take other peoples trash or dumpster dive for coupons that is for sure! But I want coupons! Do I really wanna put forth all my "free time" (hahahahaha) to couponing and trying to find the best deal??? Do I wanna go to that extreme??? Probably not. It would awesome if someone would just do it for me.........yeah I know not gonna happen. I just love watching these shows though where the mom's (or dad's) have their cupboards all organized and nothing is out of place in their kitchen. WHATEVER! That is not real life. I don't care what they say. Unless you never sleep and I mean NEVER or you have someone helping you and I mean a housekeeper MAYBE? But a big maybe at that. It is not easy running a household and planning a MENU for the troops. The whole point of my excessive rambling is "How does this coupon thing work?" Is is really worth it in the end? Well honestly I will be tossing the idea around for awhile but in the end I most likely will not take the time to "coupon"! But if anyone has any tips that would make it a little easier than it appears that would be much appreciated! Or some easy recipes for a family of 5! Well enough of my nonsense for today but no worries I shall return........(o;
Until we meet again.....~Jen~

Dinner in a pinch

I just thought I would share this quick and easy dinner..........Tuesdays and Thursdays are crazy at my house and this is a quick dinner idea. 
Breakfast Burritos........I use stir fry steak meat but any thin steak meat would do. Fry up the meat and in a separate pan make some scrambled eggs. When both are finished combined the 2! Put egg and steak mixture in a flour tortilla with some salsa and there you have it! I serve them with re-fried beans and a fruit of choice. Does not get any easier that this right here! YUMMO! SO TAKE IT IR LEAVE IT!!!!!! =o) Until next time....~Jen~ 
 

A Wonderful Life..........oh yes indeed!!

For those of you wondering there is a little sarcasm in the title! ;o) Like most SAHM (probably more that you think) we try so hard to keep clean houses, happy hubbies, happy kids, our families feed and all the other duties us momma's do on a DAILY basis and through it all we try to keep a HAPPY face! Well sometimes it just does not work that way! Mom's sometimes (DON'T JUDGE) loose their minds! I kinda sorta have had that happen a little more that normal lately! Again people DON'T JUDGE....lol! I know if it was me reading this I would totally judge!! Hey we are only human!  For example I cleaned the fridge out today..GAG ME.....mopped the kitchen floor. The kitchen looked pretty darn nice I must say. The kids were home for maybe and hour tops and it looked like I had not done much! I freaked a little! Just a little! Which really do 10 year olds really care that you spent all day cleaning the house? NOPE! A big fat NOPE! She looked at me and said "Mom really? GEEZ" and then then rolled her brown eyes at me! I have regained my cool and straightened up once again so that I can relax and enjoy what is left of my evening!
So my hubby finally got hired on permanently at his work! YEE-HAW! I am so happy and proud. He has been hanging on for almost a year. Looks like our prayers were finally answered. I guess it is true maybe God answers prayers when he knows we are ready! SO yes I do have a wonderful life! I am blessed with beautiful (mouthy) daughters and a hard working loving husband! My life is good not without bumps or stress but darn good! 
Until we meet again...........~Jennifer Diaz~