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I never post this much. But I figured that since no one reads it, I can use it to whine. I do not feel good...at all. I am achy...and my legs just do not feel good. Trying to suck it up...but I just don't feel right. My ribs, the MonSter hug I think and my back right above them hurt. :( I am sure that my husband forgetting my birthday and then telling me he is going to take my children to Kentucky with or without me doesn't help either. I just can't do anything right. I am sure that the thoughts of how long does one wait before saying goodbye, doesn't help either. The motrin I have just doesn't cut it...may have to make an appointment and get the good ibuprofen. Just a crappy birthday over all...

It's been a while...

So...I haven't written because if I admit it...it means it is true, lol. :) I am just being a big baby, I think. I went back to see the AMAZING Dr. Steel. Bub went with me and was giggling the whole time Dr. Steel was doing his overall exam. Tapping my fingers together...reflexes...walking heel to toe...grip and strength in arms and hands, etc. All the fun stuff. He, of course, asked how things were going and I brought up the MonSter hug, where my ribs had been hurting. He didn't seem to think this had anything to do with the MonSter, but I don't know what else it could be from. Anyhow, he left the room to go and look at my MRI scan again. Bub was fascinated by the posters about the parts of the brain on the wall (fingers crossed he becomes a doctor and can take care of good 'ol Mom, lol). When Dr. Steel comes back, he tells me there are about 20 active lesions and he is surprised considering how well I am doing. So....this means I have to start the dreaded and hated injections again. And I have really tried to be good about it, but not as good as I should. Now that some other areas of my life have calmed down, I am going to be a good girl and do them right. For those who are interested, I am supposed to do the injections in different areas on the body because it can make the muscle tone deteriorate. I told Brice, I may just do them all in my stomach where it hurts the least because NO ONE will ever see my stomach again anyhow, lol. So I just really need to suck it up and do it...boo. I guess by writing about it, I am kind of cheering myself on to do it and do it right. Here's to tackling the MonSter again...

Some fun savings...it is always nice to get free stuff! :)

So, I talked Brice into going to Lowe's with me to get some free cereal. :) I spent OOP 11.19 and saved 19.76 between Lowes rewards, coupons and double coupons. :)

I got three boxes of Cocoa Puffs: It was 2/$5 making them 2.50.
Get three boxes, it was 7.50. Sale takes $3/3 at the register making it 4.50 and 1.50/each. I had .75 off coupons which double to 1.50 for each box; therefore making them free. Yay!

I also got 3 boxes of regular Bisquick 40oz that were on sale of 3.19. I had .50 off coupons that double to $1 off each, so they were only 2.19 each. I picked up one box of Bisquick complete that was 2/$4 and I had a .50 off coupon that doubled to $1 off and I also had a .50 cents off with my Lowes Rewards Card, so it was only .50 cents for the box.

I grabbed two boxes of Betty Crocker Gushers. (Can you tell Jake was with me? He said "You have coupon for it, Mom?")They were 2.89 and I had .50 off coupons that doubled to $1 off each box. So I got each box for 1.89.

Came home after my MRI and saw the offer for free Expo Markers. This coupon was going fast, so I printed one and headed to Walgreens. Expo Marker two-packs are on sale for .99 cents and the coupon is $2 off any two packs of Expo markers. Get two packs and they are free! I got three 3 subject composition notebooks (120 page) on sale for .99 each, 2 packs of 24 crayola crayons ($1 register reward on both of these, so you have to do 2 seperate transactions to get it for both, Papermate mechanical pencils box of 30 for 1.99 (love these, never have to hear the 7 year old complain that he doesn't have a sharpened pencil! Plus, I can keep these at my desk too.), and 2 packs of Expo markers. (I also had one picture to pick up.)I got all of the above for about $7 and saved 19.49 in Walgreens savings and coupons.

What a great day! Could have spent around $57.38 at Lowe's Foods and Walgreens but only spent $18.13. Let's just hope I can be that successful at Harris Teeter later this week, lol.

Grrrrr...with a smile on my face. :)

So, I do try hard to stay positive and upbeat at all times...and it works most of the time. Today, though, I almost melted...the MonSter (yes, I have named my MS MonSter-I think of the cookie monster and it makes it not so scary, lol) has been hugging my ribs lately. More on the right side than the left. And while exercising, I feel it for a little bit, but when sitting, it is more intense. I got my girdle that helps because it helps with counterpressure against my ribs (as well as my stomach after having three kids of course). Well, I got frustrated because I didn't wear my girdle earlier and it was bugging me at that time. I knew I had to ride into Morehead, so I put it on to help some. Well, the drive to Morehead was horrible. The counterpressure didn't help and when the hubby called, I almost got teary over it. But I didn't and just told him I was uncomfortable and would call him on the way home. I am just frustrated because my means of taking care of it didn't work today...and trying to stay positive that when school starts, I will be so busy I won't notice it as much. I hope the wonderful Dr. Steel will be able to give me some good advice as to how to deal with it...this imaginary, invisible, pain in the ribs MonSter.

Love the summertime...I get to try out new recipes.

First new recipe of the summer: A new and improved meatloaf! I had been reading where others used a large muffin tin to make individual meatloaves and wanted to try it. I didn't have any brown sugar to make Bub's favorite brown sugar and ketchup meatloaf, so I totally threw something together. It was:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can of rotel tomatoes
a little bit of salsa (lol...because that is all I had)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 egg
2 pieces of bread just ripped into pieces, nothing fancy

Mix very well. Form "patties" and then put them in to the muffin tin and push down. You can make them as big or as small as you want. I put them in the oven on 375 for about 40-45 minutes and kept an eye on them and of course sliced one open to see if it was cooked all the way. That is it! Very easy, right? This is all stuff that I had in the house already which made it even better. :)

The next on the new recipe list: Bacon cheeseburgers with a twist
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tub Philadelphia Cooking Creme Italian Herb and Cheese (I imagine any would probably taste good)
7-8 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients very well. You could possibly get away with one egg if you can make sure it mixes with all of the hamburger but I preferred two. Form your patties. The hamburger will probably fall apart if too big. If I made them "slider" size, they didn't and flipped easily. Put them in the skillet and cook until they are brown on both sides and cooked in the middle (to your preference). We added cheese on some and voila, you have a very yummy (according to my 7 year old) bacon cheeseburger.

One more quick recipe: Chicken Nuggets
6 chicken breasts cut up into chunks (more or less depending on how many you want to make- they go quickly among my three big boys)
Frosted Flakes- either processed up in smaller pieces or put them in a plastic bag and get some aggression out smashing them works too. :)
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Black Pepper for seasoning before you cut chicken up

After cutting up the chicken breasts into chunks (I always put black pepper on them the breasts before cutting them up to get it a little kick), dredge them through the honey mustard dipping sauce (ranch works well too as well as sweet baby ray's sweet and spicy). After they are covered, dip them into the mashed up frosted flakes and place them onto a greased cookie sheet. Place them into the oven on 350 and keep an eye on them. After about 10-15 minutes you may need to flip them to get it evenly crispy. After about 25 minutes, cut one open to see if it is cooked all the way thru. Serve with dipping sauce if needed. A much healthier version of the chicken nugget for the kiddos. :)
(I can't remember exact times but I will update next time I make them.)

Finding new motivation...a great website!

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Here's to something new! Can't beat a FREE website that allows you to track your eating habits and exercise and weight loss! :) Check it out! It has been soooo hard, but since Henry was born, I have been able to lose 60 pounds so far. I have 50 more to go (I would LOVE to lose more but being realistic). Trying to earn my way back onto the Hot Tamale Train! WHOOO-HOO! Lol. :) That was for all of my SYTYCD fellow fans.

Successful Harris Teeter Trip with Super Doubles!

I spent $88 this morning and saved $82!  Any coupon 1.98 or less doubled.  Some of the freebies I got were:
3 Philadelphia Cooking Creme- on sale for $2 and I had a $1 off coupon that doubled.
3 Lance Cracker Creation- on sale for $2 and I had a $1 off coupon.
3 Dan-o-nino Yogurt 6pk- They were 1.99 and I had a $1 off coupon.
1 Oreo Ultimate Icing- They are 1.50 and I had a $1 off coupon which creates an overage. :)  I was only able to get one however because that is all they had but will check again next time.

I also got 2 Smart Balance Milks- 3.99 and I had a 1.50 off coupon which brought it down to .99 cents milk.
6 Lunchables with fruit- I had a B1G1 raincheck plus $1 off coupons and they were only 3.19.  So I really only paid 3.57 for 6 lunchables. :)
3 OreIda Sweet Potato Fries which were 3.69 and I had $1 off coupons which made it 5.07.
2 Snyders Sandwiches, 3.19 and I had a .75 cents off that doubled.
Everything else was B1G1 or on sale through EVIC.
Thomas English Muffins: B1G1
Perdue Boneless Fit and Easy chicken breasts: B1G1
4lbs Ground Beef: 1.99lb sale
4 Stouffers Mac and Cheese for $10 (plus I get a dollar back on my Saving Star account for this purchase)
4 Stouffers Salisbury Steak for $10
and Buy 2 Get 3 free Pepsi products  (I actually forgot to put those in the picture!) which made all five 12.98. :)



A pretty good morning in my book!  This was the most coupons I have used in a trip- it was exactly 20 (you can only double 20).  I have two more transactions laid out and hoping I can talk my sister into going so I only have to make one more trip. :)

My granny, the coupon queen who cuts them out of the newspapers that she can get a hold off at the home, was proud of me.  That made my day even better.

Summertime...new recipes and the never-ending housework. :)

Since it is summertime and I will have more time to experiment with recipes, I figured I could blog about it! :)  The hubby and I have both become big fans of the mocha frappe.  I love them from anywhere but we both LOVE them from the Java Post in Cape Carteret.  However, it adds up really quickly.  So I googled it of course and then played with some ideas.  The key is freezing the coffee in ice cube trays!  I made strong coffee and poured it into the ice cube trays.  Then when I want to make a frappe, I put however many into the blender with some milk and hersheys chocolate and Voila!  You have a version of the Mocha Frappe.  Saves money and calories, I am sure!

Brice has had tons of yellow squash come from his garden so far.  I took it and mixed 1.5 cups of bisquick (or any pancake mix will work), 1 egg, 1 cup water, and some garlic salt.  It also asked for parmesan or romano cheese, but I think I may use sharp cheddar and see if it adds more taste.  I also sprinkled the slices of squash with black pepper on both sides.  Next time I will also substitute the garlic salt with cayenne pepper.  You will dredge the squash through the mixture and then fry it up.  It becomes nice and fluffy.  It was not very crispy, so you may want to fry it longer but it was just as good not very crispy.  I put it in the oven on about 250 to keep it warm until the rest of dinner was ready. The hubby and I were both shocked because it was very yummy!  You are getting this from a girl who typically doesn't eat squash but I have eaten it both fried and in a casserole in the past month, lol.  Enjoy!

Fingers crossed because I have already downloaded different recipes for cantaloupe. :)

Updated...things are looking up.

Thank the Lord, I have not had any big relapses since the last!  I have been feeling pretty good so far.  I got a "why didn't you call me?" from the neurologist when I told him about the last, but he is so super nice.  We discussed me stopping nursing in September when he wants me to come back in and begin treatment again. 

The heat, of course, is making my legs tighten up but other than that, not too bad.  I spent the weekend out in the yard with the hubby and was glad to see that I didn't have to spend a day in bed to make up for it this time.  I try not to think about it, but I am a little nervous at how hot it already is this year. 

My newest symptom seems to be what they nicely call the "MS hug".  Not as friendly as it sounds but mine isn't as bad as it could be.  I found a solution however. :)  I am now proudly wearing a version of "spanx".  It not only holds parts of me that aren't quite bouncing back as I lose weight, but it also holds my ribs.  Part of the MS hug is your ribs somewhat hurting.  For me it is more uncomfortable than anything else.  It is almost as if the ribs have rubbed against each other and are sore.  I was having to, at times, just put my hands on my ribs when they were bothering me and the compression helped it not bother me as bad.  With the compression from my new "girdle", I have not experienced as many hugs.  Two benefits for the price of one, lol. 

I am so blessed with great friends and support system.  Especially my Sheri.  When I am down in the dumps, all I have to do is call her and listen to any of her crazy stories and my day is made right again.  <3