I think I’ve decided to start a monthly family update so that you can see what we’ve been up to as a family, and can see some of our frugal successes, frugal failures, favorite recipes, and more. Not sure what all these update posts will include, but I’ll try to do one once a month!
What We’ve Been Up To
If you haven’t picked up on it via Twitter, we’re expecting our fourth child at the end of August! So, I guess now you know that some of my grocery impulse purchases are maybe sort of justified? Man, I’ve been feeling pretty good but hungry!
The only bad thing about this pregnancy so far has been going to my midwife’s office for a first appointment and realizing I weighed 10 lbs more than I thought. That is just not a cool way to start out, you know?
Anyway, we’re super-duper excited that God has blessed us with a fourth child and are excitedly anticipating his or her arrival in late August. My biggest concern right now is how on earth am I going to go grocery shopping with four children ages five and under?!
Frugal Successes
We used Christmas money from great-grandparents to purchase our three year old a practically new tricycle for $8 at Goodwill. The kids have been riding it inside, but of course there was a great desire on the part of big brother for a bike of his own.
We didn’t find a bike, but after a couple of weeks of waiting, we did find a Little Tykes car at Goodwill for $10. I think we are teaching our children something about the value of money, patience, and prayer by teaching them that we can’t always buy what we want to buy right away – sometimes we have to wait, earn, and pray for God to provide the appropriate thing at the appropriate price in His time!
They’re both thrilled to have their own bikes now and can’t wait for spring to come so they can ride outside.
Frugal Failures
Um, yeah. McDonald’s $1 large soft drinks and McDoubles were my downfall this month. See “extra 10 lbs I didn’t know about” above. ;)
Pictures of Family Life
Recipes We Tried And Liked
Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy with Crispy Noodle Cake – this recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated, but I’m linking to a different site because the Cook’s Illustrated site is for members only. Anyway, we really liked this recipe – Jeremy said it was “different” than the Asian dishes I usually make, and he really liked it. The kids? Not so much.
Caramel Cream Cheese Dip – this isn’t a recipe, really… Just dump a brick of cream cheese and some caramels in a pan and melt them, then use it as a dip for apples. Awesome.
Fact You Didn’t Know
We don’t eat casseroles. None. There is one Mexican Spaghetti recipe we eat on occasion that is kind of like a casserole, but it’s cooked in a skillet on top of the stove, so it’s not really a casserole at all. We eat meat, potatoes, pasta, rice, veggies – but I don’t dare throw it together like a casserole. ;)
So, that’s our life in a nutshell! Hope you enjoyed the scatterbrained recap.
I don’t tweet or twitter or however you say it, so CONGRATULATIONS! What a blessing! I’m so happy for you!
(Do you want me to print you diaper coupons? We did cloth with Little Bit, but I didn’t have 4 children, either! ;) )
You know, I actually get a lot of diaper coupons, enough that I *usually* have more than enough! I’ll let you know if I need some, though. ;)
Congratulations carrie! 4 kids is fun. I live it every day!
Great update, Carrie! Congrats on your pregnancy, too! I totally identify with the cravings on the soft drinks. I craved Pepsi with my 3rd baby.
Wanted to share a blog I have followed for about a year and a half. I don’t know if you know of it or not. It’s been wonderful to find a few new recipes- that aren’t casseroles! LOL! http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ My husband’s new favorite meal is the Crockpot Bacon and Cheese Chicken.
Thanks for sharing your saving strategies. You have been so helpful to my family as we “Dave Ramey” our way out of debt!
I love this Carrie! I love that caramel dip recipe.. so going to try that. I have been trying to figure out how to use up all the cream cheese I got on sale at Christmas time. Stef
LOL, yep – that’s what I’m doing, too. Too bad I didn’t stockpile caramels at the same time. :)
Congrats Carrie! What day? We’re due around the 16th of August :) You mention you’re seeing a midwife…do you guys do homebirths? We do! I’m so happy for you. The no casserole tidbit was a shock, I would have never guessed.
Brandy, yes, we’ve had all three at home and Lord willing, will have this one at home, too! :) And I know this is WEIRD, but starting with #3 I stopped telling people when I was due… Got tired of people saying “haven’t had that baby yet?! aren’t you due tomorrow?!” and people worried because I was “overdue”, lol. So, it’s just easier for me to say “end of August” – and honestly, at this point, I can’t even remember the day I’m due, lol! (I also can’t remember how many weeks I am, but I figure it’s a good thing to not be keeping track because it goes by so slooooowly when I do. :)
Of course, this works out great, except for when you say you’re due at the “end of December” when your due date is December 30th, as it was with #3 – and she didn’t come until January 10th! I learned my lesson – next time I’m due at the very end of the month, I’ll say I’m due middle of the next month. :)
CONGRATS on the new baby!!! I am due in June :)
Congratulations Carrie on your pregnancy! Will be praying you continue to feel good! :) Your site is such a blessing. Keep doing what you do!
No casseroles?! I never thought I would be a casserole cooker but we make many we like around here!!!
Love the monthly review!
Congratulations! Here’s hoping you have an easy and uneventful pregnancy.
Congrats, Carrie!! Can you elaborate on why you don’t eat casseroles? I didn’t quite understand the “I don’t dare” part. Also, at one point you said you don’t buy/eat/use “cream of anything” soup. Can you tell me about that one too? Thanks!
Next time, sprinkle some crunched-up Heath bars on top of your apple dip… even better! (But it may not help with those 10 pounds!)
Oh man oh man oh man… STOP IT, Melissa! ;)
Congrats on the upcoming arrival!
I don’t eat casseroles, either. Ick.
Thanks for the great site. I check in just about every day.
congratulations on the 4th baby-on-the-way! It seems everyone I know is pregnant with their 4th child!
congrats on baby number 4! We are also expecting number 4 in mid August. And its hard to dreg up the energy to go grocery shopping when I am so exhausted and so sick! Trying to muster up the strength to hit up KS today to use up a bunch of my coupons that match the mega sale before they expire. Shopping with 3 kids is hard! Glad my older ones are in school during the week so I can usually go when they are there, but this summer is gonna be hard.
Hi Carrie! Thanks for this post ~ I really enjoyed a peek into your life!
I too like the peek into your life. And congrats on the pregnancy! Hope it smoothly!!
I noticed you said sometime that you don’t buy “cream of..” soups and I thought that most casseroles and many crock pot recipes would be out. That would add a twist to meal plans, but then again when I tell people that my hubby doesn’t eat chicken, rice or pasta – people ask me what the heck I make for dinner every night. LOL! All I know is we do what we have to, huh?
I hear ya on the due date situation! Being non-specific is so much easier when it comes to those “questions”. I’ve always loved your blog and think it is very neat that you’re a home birth mama yourself. I hope you’re feeling well come blissdom time. Should be fun and relaxing :)
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Yay! Congrats on baby #4!!!! That’s super exciting! Thanks for the “peek” into your life…..it’s good to get to know the amazing woman who’s saving us all a lot of money. Thanks for all of the work you do! You are a blessing!!!!
Michele
Congrats Carrie!!!! My first pregnancy I craved Pepsi and M&M’s, but I wasn’t coupon shopping. The horror of the thought of how much I spent stopping in at a gas station every other night on my way home from waitressing.
Congrats Carrie! Your midwife wouldn’t happen to be Laura Luckett is it? Homebirth is the only way to go! We had our first at home this July, best experience of my life, maybe not the whole labor thing, but the homebirth and our beautiful little girl! I love you website, thank you so much for everything you do!
No, but I know of Laura Luckett – a friend has used her! My midwife is Merrie MacDowell. So fun to find out some readers are homebirthers, too! :)
Congrats Carrie! I went to Merrie for an ultra sound when I was preganat with my 3rd. I used a different midwife and had my three at home (I also have three little ones – mine are 4 and under).
Thanks for sharing a bit about your life.
I should have known so many of you were homebirthers – isn’t that the frugal way to go?! ;) (Not my primary reason, but it’s definitely one nice part!)
So exciting to know you are a homebirther! That was the plan with our littlest one, but due to some complications I had to go to the hospital. With this one we are gonna attempt again! Being a military family it would cost us nothing if we went the hospital/ob route, so seeing a midwife and doing a homebirth ends up costing us a good chunk OOP but I think the midwifery care alone is worth it. Save money on groceries, put some more towards our homebirth costs :)
I must first say that I love you website. I marked as my home page so I can check deals everyday. I think that it is wonderful that you are on your baby number 4. Dangerously fun to have them all under 5. I’ve got two and it enough for now. I want to do a home birth but my daughter complicated thing by needing to come at 27 weeks by c-section. I glad that God has blessed you. Thanks for all you hard work please keep it up. By the way whats wrong with a cassorole every now and then?
Homebirth is for sure the frugal way to go ;) I actually fight my insurance company every time though and so far have gotten them to reimburse me for each birth. We have to have insurance anyway and they’re willing to cover a $15-20,000 hospital birth with no gripping so I feel they should be covering all homebirths too! Merrie and Candace are great. I use Dana Savage.
Melissa- You may want to try getting an “exception” from Tri-care. I have one friend who successfully got them to pay for her homebirth.
Congratulations Carrie – that is so wonderful! I pray that you have a easy and uneventful pregnancy and delivery! My husband wanted a home birth, I was too nervous! So good on ya! I have 4 boys – and they are great (most of the time :) our house is always busy!! Blessings on you and your family!
Congratulations!!! BTW, thanks for visiting my blog to say congrats about my pregnancy. :) Due beginning of July, so just a bit ahead of you. I cannot imagine being in your position, pregnant with so many young children at home (I have a two-year-old), but I admire you. And to think you came up with this blog in the midst of it all! My downfall has been McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches…yum. :)
LOL – I’d better just not even try McD’s breakfast sands. :)
Congrats on the new baby. We also have 4 but mine are spred way out. Oldest 12 youngest 2. Don’t know how you do it with the other little ones. whew. Praying that you have an easy pregnancy and birth. Love your look into life and website.
Congrats, Carrie! So glad to hear that you’re feeling well. I’m expecting #4 in early September and I have been SO sick and unbelievably tired. Hope all continues to go well for you!!
I just made your apple dip today. Tasty! Thanks for the recipe!