baby couponer.

Every time I watch Extreme Couponing on TLC, I get this EXTREME motivation and drive to become just like these crazy women who hold up lines and get super stressed out, BUT save hundreds of dollars every shopping trip!

I surf the internet looking for "how to's" on awesome money saving websites trying to morph into one of these women, but have sadly only become what I like to call a "baby couponer."

I have only mastered CVS.  I don't know if it's because my husband works there and I feel comfortable shopping there or if it is truly the easiest place to save money.  I'll share what I've learned and what I do to accomplish saving money, because it is addicting and everyone should do it... ( just don't go to my CVS, because I hate when they're out of what I'm buying!) :)

1) Every Sunday I buy 1-2 papers that have the inserts with coupons. I come home to cut them out and sort them into piles... baby, food, toiletries, and won't use.  The ones I will use I put into separate envelopes.

2) I get the CVS ad either in paper form or from the internet and make a list of things I need or want.  It's important to look for things that are on sale and also will give you cash back (ECB/Extra Care Buck).  Take note of items that you can only buy one per household on sale.

3)  I will go into CVS and scan my extra care card several times to get various coupons you can use within the store.  Any CVS coupon can be used with as many other CVS coupons you want.  And sometimes you will get CVS coupons based on what you have bought previously. 

4) I will organize my cut out coupons and combine them with my CVS coupons and double check that these items are already on sale and get will ECB's back. 

5)  Then you buy!  If you want to you can ring up several transactions so that you can use your ECB's on your other items.

Example:  This week CVS was running their Huggies jumbo pack of diapers on sale for $8.99 (originally $11.99).  I had 2 CVS coupons for $1 each off Huggies diapers.  I also had a $3 coupon off Huggies that I cut out of Sunday's paper.

They also had Huggies wipes on sale for $2.79 (originally $3.99).  I had a cut out coupon for $.40. 

They also had Johnson Bedtime Baby Lotion on sale for $2.99 (originally $5.99).  I had 2 manufacturer coupons for $1 each. 

I combined this with a CVS coupon I had gotten earlier this week that will take $3 off of $15 you spend on baby items.

I also used an ECB I had gotten from another item. 

The total original price  was $28.  After having a a combo of coupons and ECB's I spent $6 and saved $22!  Not to mention I got $4 more dollars I will spend on my next visit!

 On the box of Pampers I saved $7 and got $3 ECB's :)

mom cuts, sweatpants, and no makeup.

Growing up I've always looked at mothers wondering why they all insist on getting the "mom" cut, why they are usually never wear makeup, and why they never want to dress up and wear cute clothes.  I have finally realized exactly why they quit trying, because I am SO there.. well, minus the mom cut. 

I would love to have my hair long again and wear it down and curly, but unfortunately I have a 2 month old that LOVES to grab at anything he can get a hold of....so I wear my hair in a ponytail everyday and he still grabs all the baby hairs he can find.  Thanks, Sam.  Do I need to shave my head?

I would love to go shopping and dress in super cute fall clothes and get new heels, but as I stand in the isle, all I find myself looking at is sweats and flats.  I feel like without them, I'm in a constant state of uncomfortable.

I would love to look pretty for my husband and myself and put on makeup, but what's the point?  If I stay inside all day with Sam, I might as well go natural.  He doesn't mind :)  And I guess I'm saving money on makeup, so yeah!

I'm sorry for silently judging all moms who decided to leave the house looking a hot mess, because I have jumped on that band wagon and I'm not even ashamed.  Maybe when he's older I'll try again....but don't count on it.

one down, a million to go...

Last week my baby boy turned 1 month old.  WHAT?!?!  I feel like I just brought him home from the hospital!  And now I'm starting to sound like my parents.  Great.

Being a mom is so much more different than I ever anticipated.  This kid survives because of me.  No pressure.  I feel like I have no time to do anything I want to do, let alone need to do.  Where the time came from to write this, I have no idea.  My day consists of changing a diaper, feeding, burping, fighting with Sam to put him to sleep, repeat.  I do this all day with an occasional bath, projectile poop/pee, and hysterical crying fit thrown in the mix.  Needless to say, by the end of the day I am exhausted.

Samuel wakes up about 2-3 times a night.  It isn't so bad anymore.  I guess I've gotten used to it.  Caleb sleeps right through it, which at times has made me want to throw things at him...which I'm sure I have :)  I have finally stopped being so clingy and am okay with people holding and watching him.  Caleb watched him for the first time today for maybe an hour.  When I called to check up on him, I thought the poor boy was going to have a panic attack.  Sam had gas and was hungry and Caleb couldn't figure out how to console him at first.  When I got home, I found him bouncing him on the bed in the dark.  All I could do was giggle a little.  Caleb knew it was hard, but I don't think he fully realized what I go through until today.  When I relieved him, all he said was "And I didn't even get to play Call of Duty!"  Nice.  I was proud of him for putting in the work and being so nurturing, because I must say that I was nervous, but now I know I have nothing to worry about.  Caleb is an excellent father and an incredible husband.  I am so thankful to have him in my life!

Caleb is still awaiting orders from the Marine Corps for his TBS report date in October.  For now, we're just enjoying spending time with family and friends in Cleveland and are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives.

same same, but different.

So, I know I'm the worst blogger EVER and haven't updated this like I should.  So here it goes.  I'm sure you've all been waiting :)


The time finally came on July 18 @ 6:24 p.m.  My precious baby boy arrived on a Monday weighing 7 lbs 12 oz and was 20.5 inches in length.  This is a time that I anxiously awaited for what felt like forever!  I thought I was ready...little did I know that my life was about to be so much more different than I ever imagined.

My pregnancy was pretty normal.  Not really any problems.  We had several ultrasounds, because they were concerned about his growing weight and size of his head...we ended up being induced at 39 weeks, which I was stoked about considering I was MISERABLE!


I went in at midnight on the 18th and was given meds to get the cervix going.  I had an amazing team that consisted of our beautiful mothers, our dear sister, and my sweet husband.  Words cannot express how much they meant to me.  In the morning I was given Pitocin (which I was petrified of) and surprisingly enough, I could definitely handle these contractions.  I didn't have any pain killers and I thought it was looking good for no epidural.  Around early afternoon, my doctor came in to break my water.  Boy, was I unprepared.  Not only did that hurt like WOAH, but the contractions  that came after went from being a 2 to an 8 in no time!  I quickly asked for pain killers which did NOTHING, but make me high as a kite.  Funny, I'm sure.  After having a drunken talk with my husband about deciding on an epidural, I made my decision.... Operation GET ME ONE NOW!  Best decision I have EVER made in my life.  Before I knew it I was ready to start pushing.  Also, another thing I was unprepared for.  It took 1.5 hours of hard pushing.  Can we say exhausting?  I've never been so tired.  After all that pushing and hearing the entire time that he's almost here, he actually did come out!  (without feeling it, thank you, Lord!).  

I didn't get to initially hold him, because he had to get checked out.  So I watched from the bed as everyone else got to admire him and take his sweet little face in.  This was the hardest part of the whole process.  I've waited all this time to finally meet my precious man and he's just out of reach.  All I wanted was to touch him, hold him, look into his beautiful eyes.

Finally, the moment was mine.  I was able to meet God's amazing gift to me.  He was absolutely perfect.  The love and admiration I felt was indescribable.  I could only praise the Father for His greatness.  

Caleb and I were blessed to have tons of family and friends to visit us in the hospital and at home for our first week.  Our wonderful mothers were there to help us, which was amazing!  Now we're just a family of 3 and on our own.  So many emotions, so many thoughts, and can I just say, So many diapers?!?!  For real.

Everything has been so different than I could have possibly imagined.  I'm so much more protective than I thought I'd be (trying to work on it).  It's so hard to let go and let people help with taking care of him.  I constantly think about him and if he's okay and what I can do better to make him happy.  My heart breaks when I hear him cry.  All of this is a recipe for disaster I'm sure.  I'm hoping that I'll start to relax and ease up, but easier said than done. 

forever waiting.

Is it just me, or is your whole life devoted to waiting?  Waiting to hear if you got the job, waiting to see that special someone, or waiting for the clock to strike 5 so you can go home.  Today I am 19 weeks pregnant and I have been waiting to find out what this 10 inch baby in my stomach is.  Boy? Girl? Boy? Girl? Boy? Girl?  It's driving me nuts!  As most of you know, I'm not a very patient person.  Someone always has to say "well, patience is a virtue."  Blah. Blah. Blah.  I get it and trying to work on it, but failing miserably.  I just need extra help from the Man Upstairs (my Jesus, in case you weren't sure). 

My two sisters-in-law are pregnant too.  Krista is due two weeks before me and Aubrey is due one month after me.  Krista just found out she's having a boy (second one) and my fate is sealed.  The Peterson boys are incapable of producing females.  There are not any women in this family except the ones that married in!  What did I sign up for?  Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a boy or two, but I would LOVE to have a girl or twelve.  :)  My waiting misery is gone in exactly 9 days and I will confirm that I too am carrying ANOTHER Peterson boy.

All of this may sound like complaining to some, but I assure you it's not.  Just stating the facts.  I mean, I'll be thrilled with whatever God chooses to give me.  I feel blessed more than you can imagine that he gave me a baby at all, regardless of if I get 10 boys (but just to be clear, I would LOVE a girl).  This whole pregnancy thing is just a whole lot different than I thought it would be.  It's a big game of waiting... waiting to see if you're actually pregnant, waiting to find out the sex, and waiting for that baby to make it's big debut.  And why is it that when people gush over babies and being pregnant, do they not mention the gas, headaches, dizziness, loss of balance, swollen feet, uncomfortableness, throwing up, heartburn, and countless hours of sleep you DON'T get at night????  But, I suppose that's a whole other thing I shouldn't get into right now.  Whatever... I'll just sit here waiting....waiting for next Monday to come.  I promise you, that if this baby decides to be shy and not show us his/her gender, I will have to be drug out of that doctors office!

official start into Marine life...

As I entered into my last week of my first trimester, we headed to Murfreesboro, TN to witness a great moment in our lives.  12 weeks of extremely hard work, no sleep, and 84 letters later, Caleb graduated from the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) in July, 2010 in Quantico, VA.  On January 15, 2011 at 6:30 p.m., Caleb was sworn in as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

This was an extremely proud moment in not only my life, but many others.  Joined with us to celebrate Caleb's accomplishments were his mother, father, grandmother, 2 brothers, 2 sister-in-laws, nephew, cousin, and my mother :) 


Watching him up there, I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear.  I was speechless to watch my loving husband finally receive his dream...the one thing he's worked so hard for.  He definitely deserves it!  Even with the crazy pregnancy hormones, I must say I didn't cry until he gave his little thank you speech.  Thanks, Cabe.  I was doing so good too!

Basic School doesn't begin until October and although my hard-working husband is disappointed, we will both be in Cleveland to fully enjoy the birth of our first child.  God's Will is perfect for our lives and I'm very thankful for that.  It's peaceful to know that I can rest on Him.

new beginnings.

I've never really tried the whole blogging thing before, but figured with the military life I'm about to begin, it might be a nice way to catch a glimpse into what's going on around us.

I graduated from Lee University in December of 2009 with a BS in Elementary Education.  After graduation, I went home with my boyfriend, Caleb, to Michigan for Christmas.  On Christmas morning, he bent down on one knee popping the big question.  To my surprise, all I could retort was "Shut up."  Classy, I know.

This isn't the best picture, but it will do.  

In February, I began a new "Big Girl" job at Camelot Care as an in-home counselor for children with anger management issues, home problems, drug problems, etc.  Caleb finished his last semester at Lee and graduated in May of 2010 with a BS in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising.  He then went on to his 2nd increment in OCS, where I wouldn't see him for 6 weeks.  No bueno.  In July he graduated from OCS in Quantico, VA and I couldn't have been more proud.

On July 24, 2010 at 6:30 pm, we said "I Do."  Such an incredible day, one that, looking back now, went by way too fast.  I remember seeing him before he was able to see me.... How perfectly handsome he was.  I felt so honored to become his wife.  One of the best feelings I've ever had, one that I'll cherish forever.

We have been married for a little more than 5 months and we will be expecting our very first child in July of this year.  Baby Peterson is due on July 23, one day before our anniversary.  What an amazing gift God has given us!  I have had three prenatal doctor's visits so far.  At 7 weeks, we saw our baby for the first time.  Baby had a heartbeat of 133bpm. :)  At  11 weeks the baby had a heartbeat of 168bpm.  Such a beautiful sound to hear.  I have two more appointments and then on March 7th, we will find out if we are having a pink nursery or blue nursery.  ( I think it's going to be a girl )  Until then, we will just be waiting with anticipation :)