Fears...

 If talking about pregnancy and delivery and things of that nature make you squeamish, just go somewhere else. This post is NOT for you. You have been warned.

I've been debating/thinking about writing this for a while, but I always stop myself. When I initially wrote Henry Wallace's birth story, I kept it light and fun and spared some details...If you haven't read that post, here's your chance: The Birth of Henry Wallace

I've always been a fairly rational person, until I became pregnant. Then I become the most irrational person you could ever imagine. I go through every single pregnancy scenario and continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. And then once we cross into the point of no return, I immediately go into every single delivery scenario and still pray for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. And google becomes my best friend/my worst enemy.

Does it make me a bad person if I want the delivery to go a certain way? Of course, I want baby to be taken care of, but I want my needs to be addressed as well. Does that mean I'm selfish? I don't think so. I think only a few women get to experience pregnancy and labor and I intend on relishing in it...I honestly enjoy pregnancy and delivery (up to a certain point)...the ring of fire, that is all.

With Henry Wallace...my doctor only listened to ONE request of mine, and I had 3. And they weren't crazy requests y'all, they were totally normal and most woman have this same "birth plan."
Request 1: NO C-Section unless absolutely necessary
Request 2: no episiotomy unless medically necessary
Request 3: immediate skin to skin and nursing

This time around, I've voiced these concerns to my new doctor and pray that he can make this delivery more of an "enjoyable" experience for me...not that labor is enjoyable, but mama's who have been there, you know what I'm taking about. You want to be present. You want to remember every detail...you want to share your labor story with anyone who will listen. Your husband is tired of hearing you say you were stitched up with NO medication and begged for it, but the doctor continued to stitch while you cried and tried to get a glimpse of your baby on the other side of the room.

The goal of labor is to deliver a healthy baby, but what about a healthy and happy mama? And what about her recovery? Most women have one postpartum checkup at 6 weeks. I had three separate checkups in the first 6 weeks after delivery due to the episiotomy, multiple additional tears, and the blood pressure that wouldn't go down! At my last checkup, my doctor told me, "I can't even tell you've had a baby!" Wait, I'm sorry, what? I mean, that's a hell of a compliment, but let's be honest...there's no way of NOT knowing I've had a baby..I pee when I sneeze most times, I've most definitely had a baby!

I think about my labor and delivery with Henry Wallace and something was missing. It was a beautiful experience in which I met my son, but it didn't go as planned. And I said up front, I didn't have a plan, and I didn't. Most women have the same "birth plan" I have listed above, and most of them are able to live it out, but we weren't..and it makes me endlessly jealous of woman who have a "normal birth" if there even is such a thing! After he was born, he wasn't placed on my bare chest for skin to skin. We didn't get to nurse right away. He was immediately whisked to the other side of the room and surrounded by an amazing NICU staff who had to intubate him. All the while, I'm just sitting there, wide open, being stitched up, Tay's sitting next to me, and our baby is in the corner. Hell, I didn't get to see Henry Wallace until he was about 30 minutes old. Everyone got to hold him before I did. I'm sitting there; not seeing my baby, not hearing my baby, not holding my baby. I know with a nuchal cord and a meconium delivery that everything goes out the window, but I pray that this delivery will be different. I pray that I don't have to be induced (pitocin makes it feel like your uterus is being RIPPED from your body and it NEVER ends), I pray that the cord isn't wrapped around baby's neck multiple times. Most of all, I pray for healthy.

I also pray for a more successful breastfeeding relationship with our 2.0. After having Henry Wallace, my lochia wasn't terrible and only lasted for about 7 days, I was lucky! But sadly, my period came back 4 weeks postpartum and my supply suffered tremendously. Feeding on demand, pumping all the time when I was working, even throughout the night so Tay could feed him in the morning, nothing was helping my supply. I fought hard, so damn hard to ensure that Henry Wallace got breast milk for the first 3 months of his life (and by some miracle, he did!)  I started drinking more water than you can even imagine, made a dozen different lactation cookies, tried every supplement imaginable (and smelled like maple for weeks!), and even got a prescription to help increase my supply and nothing worked. I've read those stories on Pinterest and "Breast is Best" websites that say most women don't have low supply, they just aren't dedicated...really, then what did I have? Lack of commitment? No dedication? Nothing could get my supply to where it needed to be to sustain Henry. So I pray that I am able to do at least 3 months for our 2.0, if not longer.

This time around, we have decided to deliver at the hospital that my Tay works at. Most people would be scared of delivering at a small town hospital as opposed to the large baby factory where we had Henry, but I'm excited. I have a doctor who listens to me and squeezes me in when I have inane questions, yes he laughs at me, but I'd take that any day! I have a doctor who literally lives right around the corner, who I see at Wal-Mart every so often and who knows and calls me by name and has promised NOT to take a vacation in June or July so that he delivers our 2.0. So yeah, I think we kind of won the lottery with him.

All of that to say this, it obviously must not have been that bad or either I'm just really stupid for doing it all again so quickly or I have mama amnesia, but I just can't help it. Henry turned out so cute, I need more. I need more snuggles, more kisses, more bath time fun, more sleepless nights...I need it all. And I'm secretly hoping that July gets here quickly! I have also learned that you can plan whatever you want. Nothing ever goes according to plan! The goal is happy and healthy mama and baby.

I can't wait to do it all again. Now enjoy these pics of the day he was born, I'll be crying in the corner if you need me :(

A Sad Day

Yesterday, while working overtime, I received a text message from my mama. It said Robin Williams was dead. I thought it was joke. The meanest, most cruel joke ever, but a joke nonetheless.

It turned out that it was not a joke.
He had killed himself.

And I was devastated. So much so that when Tay come home, I told him I had bad news.
He gives me a curious look and I immediately start tearing up.
"Robin Williams died."
"What?!"
"They think he killed himself."
"This day just got so much worse."
Indeed it Tay, indeed it did.

Robin Williams was a staple of my childhood, just like many kids from my generation. We all loved his array of movies: from Hook to Mrs. Doubtfire to the ultimate Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society.

The world will never be same.

I think that President Obama said it best.

I don't know about you, but the Skelton family will be having a Robin Williams marathon this weekend to try and cope.

Skelton Photographie Office Tour

When we first moved into this house last year, we knew that Tay needed a quiet dedicated office, and that I need a small nook/corner/office area for myself. Tay got the third bedroom as his office and I used the formal dining room as mine. Well, I put a desk there and some art, but I never actually used the space. I always felt so disconnected from everything else going on in the house, since the dining room was closed off from the living room and the kitchen.

And, of course, since we are renters, actually putting our own stamp onto the space was not an option. I need colors. I need patterns. I need to be visually stimulated! The below photo is not visually stimulating or inspiring. A photographer needs to be inspired, and the old dining room was not cutting it. 

The only good thing about my old "office" was that I could see the world from it!

I would always end up with the laptop in the recliner. That also had its flaws. I was easily connected with everyone else in the house, but I didn't have a dedicated space to edit photos and write notes and address packages. I always wound up taking up the coffee table and two end tables. Nothing seemed to work.

And then I decided to bite the bullet and FINALLY invest in the new desktop computer I had been dreaming of/coveting for months. That was the catalyst that made me decide to have a dedicated office area that was connected to the house and functional as well.

With the hopes of a new computer and office lingering on the horizon, I decided it was also time to do more branding with Skelton Photographie. I have some business cards that I bought years ago, that frankly, are completely embarrassing looking at them today. Oh Lord, what I would tell myself if I had the chance before ordering those things!  Since we were doing the whole out with the old and in with new thing, it was time to update the embarrassing cards.

Oh Hello...Skelton Photographie business cards

I'm starting to incorporate these cool notes into my wedding packages.

Before the new computer came in, I decided to start getting my office nook ready. We have an old desk that has been in the family for years and you can tell! But, instead of spending money on a new desk, we just used the old one. One day I will paint it. One day. And add new hardware. But, for now, I just spray painted the old hardware red to match my awesome chair - that came from Goodwill for about $5.

The inspiration board. Which has a lot more added now.

Bam! The new office area! With a fire engine red chair and matching red hardware. Aside from the one that was lost in the shuffle somewhere.

Big screen swallow little laptop. I'm totally in love!

The newly painted hardware.

The inspiration board, a little photography cheat sheet, and a monthly calendar. God bless you organization!

I try to keep my planner with me at all times to know dates far in advance, but this allows me and Tater to see what I have going on in the current month. And it is a lifesaver.

Tay & I honeymooning in Jamaica, an old Minolta, and my grandfather on his honeymoon.

The wireless mouse & keyboard are amazing. I will never go back.

Yes, It's Time to Update the Look of Your Blog

The blog got a facelift! And I think she is absolutely beautiful. And I love her, and her new look.
So much cleaner and more professional looking.

When I first started this photography adventure, I didn't want to spend much, if anything, on advertisements or branding or anything; I honestly did not think it was necessary.
Years later, I can say that it is necessary.

How can you expect clients to pay you their hard earned money, when you run a free site that looks like it was made by a drunk toddler. I am guilty of that. Whoops! 

After gaining more followers and more pinners, I have known for a while now that it was time to update the ole blog, but how? And what did I want my blog to say about my business?

In the end, I wanted something simple and classic, that I could easily maintain as my business changed. And I wanted it to correspond with my already existing site. I think I hit the jackpot.

If you are wanting to update your blog, there are numerous designers out there who can work so much magic; get your butt on etsy and start researching!

You will not be disappointed!

Being Married to a Student

When Taylor and I first met, he was one semester away from graduating with his BSN and I had just graduated from Mississippi State and was taking the semester off before starting grad school.

Every since I've known Tater, his dream has been to be a CRNA.
Our entire life together has been leading up to him becoming one. We have been working on this together for years. And I say we because I'm the one working two pay jobs, paying the bills, washing his clothes, and making his lunches...so yeah, it's been a group effort - thank God I don't have to attend class!

When people ask me what my husband does, and I happily say "he's unemployed at the moment, focusing on school to receive his DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and become a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist"), I'm normally met with, " You guys will be rolling in it someday.” Which always prompts an unnecessary conversation where I overexplain our current debt situation and how we probably won’t have any sort of money until we’re in our mid forties. More importantly, anyone in medical school (or any grad school) knows that if you’re doing it for the money, you’ll never make it. The energy-spent to dollars-made ratio just isn’t worth it.

What most people do not realize is the expense to attend school. The entire process is daunting:  applications, application fees, moving, moving again, interviews, more interviews, waiting, more waiting, rejections, not buying a house, not having money, not having freedom, moving again, away from our friends, going further into debt, and renting for the next decade. Hi, I'm 30 and have yet to purchase a home and still drive a 1998 model car. Sacrifice, folks, sacrifice.

Our life is definitely not bad, it's just different from how it was before Tater started school. Instead of him working 36 hours a week, it’s as soon as he can wake up until he’s too tired to study anymore; which normally involves him going to bed way past midnight and rising about 5:00; not to mention all the hours he has to put in at pretty much EVERY hospital in the Memphis area. Instead of TGIF! it’s “How much can I expect to see you this weekend?”Which is not much. We live in the same house and see each other only sporadically, due to both of our demanding schedules.
**Though last week, we both were free on Sunday and watched the entire season of Penny Dreadful.

Being married to a student means sacrifice. It means waiting. It means patience and understanding when they need to leave a party early to study. It means not freaking out when the bank account reaches absolute zero or when they forget to plan something for your anniversary because it’s test week. It means putting everything on hold. Everything. It means seeing that new couch and desperately needing it, but not wanting to drop the money on it or have to move it because you know in less than a year, you'll be moving, yet again. It means living on student loans and my measly salary and not buying that dress at Target. It means a lot of time alone.

To Taylor's credit, I knew all of this going in to our relationship. I just didn't expect it to be this hard or this long. When he first started school, we always said, "May 2015, it's not that far away." Finally, in July 2014, I can honestly say that May 2015 isn't too far away at all. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, a very small light, but a light nonetheless! 

With all of these challenges and facing the unknown, it also gives us an opportunity. An opportunity that most people will never have to deal with. Where to live?

Since he's less than a year from graduation (praise the Lord),it's time for us to start looking at employment opportunities and the benefits offered. We have been tossing around the idea of moving back to the Delta or going on an even bigger adventure and packing up and moving out west.

After talking to several CRNA's and reading more and more about student loans and the cost of living in some areas, we are seriously debating on moving back home. The reasons are too many count. All of our family and most of our friends are there; and we would love to be near everyone again. Another perk is the cost of living. In our current 3bed/2bath 1970s ranch, we pay $1,100 a month for rent, while our first home in the Delta was eerily similar and only cost $500. I am not the best at math, but that's a good deal! And one of the biggest perks is this...after much research and talking to the student loan company, the Ms Delta is considered an under served area, and the federal government would pay a HUGE percentage of his loans if he were to work there. Before anybody gets their panties in a wad, consider this...his loans by graduation will total approximately $200,000. We have both been paying on our undergraduate loans, but the monthly payment on a loan as large as that would be about $4,000; not a number easily managed.

Our main goal after graduation isn't money or his salary, our main goal is paying off the loans; so that we can eventually start buying that cute dress from Target (for me of course!) and looking at vehicles made in the current decade and maybe even buying a home or becoming parents.

Being married to a student means sucking it up and realizing a lot of people are married to other people with hard jobs. We all have our cross to bear, right? It also means sacrificing family and friends and time. But it will all be worth it in the end, right?

A Trip to Kansas City, Missouri

As a write this, I'm sitting in my 11th floor Holiday Inn room overlooking I-70 and laughing at the people stuck in traffic, simultaneously thanking God I don't have to drive a lick while here, thanks to hotel shuttles.

So now, why am I in Kansas City?
Because it's a vacation?
Because I just love BBQ that much?

While I wish the above was true (the BBQ thing totally is), I'm here for work. Yeah, I got to take a FREE trip to Kansas City to attend the SkillsUSA National Competition, which takes place every year.

Now, another question, what the hell is SkillsUSA?
The short version is this, SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization serving more than 320,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations.

Last year, I was told that I would become the new SkillsUSA advisor for Mid-South Community College; a challenge that I happily(?) accepted with trepidation.

On top of my regular duties at the college, I was now tasked the duty of putting together our Internal Competition, preparing our students for the State Competition, and now, overseeing them at the National Competition. Lot's of responsibilty that completely scared me.

What if I screwed up? Would I have any help in planning? Would I even know what to do?
I'm sure I screwed up. I know that I didn't do it perfectly, but as my first year as an advisor, I would consider it a success. I took over 30 students to the State Competition in Hot Springs, AR, and of those 30, two students won Gold medals, which means they won scholarship money and a trip to the National Competition. Not bad, considering that the help I received was very minimal. Only a few people on our campus tried to help me, while others constantly criticized and bitched about how I was doing it wrong, without offering any advice on how to remedy it. Looking back, they are just a part of the problem, and need something to complain about, and I became their scapegoat.

BACK TO TASK!
So, now I'm in Kansas City with my two students and it's amazing! This is my first trip to Kansas City, and I have to say, the city is pretty amazing. The way I described it to my Tater was this, "it's a larger, cleaner, and nicer version of Memphis."

I'm assuming that everyone knows who Mike Rowe is...if you don't, please climb out from under that rock and watch some old school Discovery Channel.

Mike Rowe is an advocate for skilled labor. And for SkillsUSA.

Here are a few quotes from him about the skills gap:

"We've got millions of people looking for work and millions of jobs that nobody wants. College graduates are a trillion dollars in debt and struggling to find employment in their field of study. Meanwhile, 88% of all the available jobs don't require a four-year degree. They require specific training. So what do we do? We push a four-year degree like it's some sort of a Golden Ticket. We remove vocational education from high schools at the time we need it most. We're lending money we don't have to kids who can't pay it back, educating them for jobs that no longer exist. I'm no expert, but I'd say that's profoundly disconnected." - Mike Rowe to Bill Maher on Real Time

"Remember Rosie the Riveter? When it comes to work, we used to have American icons. Now we have American Idols. Is it any wonder no one wants to pick up a wrench?" - Mike Rowe to Oprah

Like I always say, it's not a post without some photos, so here we go!

Passed this bad boy on the way...seriously thought about hijacking them, but then I realized that the '98 Camry was no match for that aluminum greatness.

The Third (and final) Year

That's right folks, June 2014 marks the beginning of Tay's LAST YEAR of CRNA school!
Looking back, it seems as if time is flying, but actually living it day to day is slow!

Since January 2014, he's been working at the Med in Downtown from 5:00am to at least 6:00PM, everyday, Monday thru Friday. He devotes his Saturday's to sleeping in, which is well deserved, and Sunday's are family time - which is basically the three of us laying on the couch and dreading that Monday is coming, yet again! And he works for free. Yeah, no money at all. Could you imagine working at least 12 hours a day and not receive a penny for it? I know I wouldn't be able to do that.

Tay will continue working is various area hospitals up until graduation, which is May 2015. That means that he'll have a year and a half of experience under his belt before he even graduates. And while he's working (for free), he still has to attend class and complete assignments...so to say we don't have a life would be the understatement of the year.

Each year, I make Tay take a photo with his backpack to mark the first day of school, and as we all know, it's not a post unless there are some photos involved.

 

The first year photo.

In the house with the blue door.

 The second year photo.

In the house with the green door.

And an amazing backyard!

And the third year photo.

In our current house.

And if you're thinking he doesn't look thrilled, it's because this was at the end of the day, after he'd already changed into his pajamas. And the horrible wife that I am made him put scrubs back on :(

I guess the next milestone photo we will take will be at graduation!

Self-diagnosing

Lord, I just want to take this time to thank you for the Spring like weather we've been having lately. The winter was brutal. Cold. Rain + ice + slush = depression.
I like the cold for two reasons: I look amazing in winter clothes; especially the fall orangish colors and I love having a fire in the backyard. Other than that, winter can suck it. Seriously.  You make my skin dry. My feet are always freezing, regardless of how many pairs of socks I'm wearing. You make morning showers unbearable. You make trips to the mailbox seem like a trip to Mordor - a never ending journey filled with obstacles and barriers.

I have diagnosed myself with season affective disorder. Basically, just a case of the winter blues.
But now since the sun is starting to shine more often and for longer periods of time, I find myself wanting and wishing to call in sick everyday and day drink on the patio. But isn't that everyone's dream?

If all goes according to plan (fingers crossed) next week I will have a Spring Break. Our students will be out all week, but faculty and staff are still required to come in...sometimes though, we get a few days off - that should allow plenty of time to day drink and even time to take the fat boy to the park.

Let us pray.
Lord I pray for glorious weather next week. I pray for a few days off that are much needed so that I can find my sanity again. I pray for long mornings with a never-ending cup of coffee. I pray for beautiful afternoons and for parks that are not littered with people who dislike large breed dogs.
I pray for Norman and I to be able to get out and enjoy the weather. I pray for Norman to get so exhausted on our park trips that he passes out upon entering the house. I also pray that Tater has a small break from school so that we can actually have a meal together, or see a movie, or just spend a few hours together in the same room.

Amen.

Snow Day: Part Two

Thanks to Winterstorm Titan, I was off work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. So today, Thursday, is like my Monday and tomorrow will still be Friday. My brain and body are so very confused.
The snow/ice/slush finally all melted in Northern Mississippi on Wedesday, when the temperature finally crept a little above freezing; so I knew that on Thursday I'd have to return to work.

But when I crossed the I-55 bridge connecting Tennessee to Arkansas, I was amazed.
West Memphis, Arkansas was still covered with ice/snow/slush. And let me clarify something: the Arkansas Delta doesn't normally receive snow - just like the Memphis area normally doesn't. And when we do, things shut down. Like down down.

Our area is never prepared for snow/sleet/ice/slush. We don't have the resources that most large cities have to combat it, so our method is just to shut everything down.

The storm rolled in Sunday night, these photos were taken on Thursday morning...I can only imagine what it looked like the day of! And thank God my employer had the decency to close our campus, because driving in all this in an old ass Toyota Camry is gut-wrenching - especially when 18-wheelers are still going their normal speed and throwing ice and sleet and snow and slush directly at you.

 This is the road directly in front of Mid-South Community College. And my turn was coming up. I had to barrel through that wall of snow to get to work. Interesting? Oh you bet!

 This is our parking lot...covered with ice. I only busted it twice walking into the building.

Some side street in West Memphis. Some of the roads are ok, but there are downed power lines and trees everywhere!

A New Decade

Over the weekend, I hit a milestone. I turned 30. And I'm not ashamed to admit my age.
All in all, the birthday weekend was just what I wanted. The twin brother and his wife came up and we all had a grand time.

 I always feel sorry for Tay around Valentines Day and my birthday, they are two days apart and that puts a lot of pressure on my dear husband - though I tell him, no worries, a card and a hug is all I need.

But this year was different. My dear sweet husband got me and Drew on stage at Silky's in Memphis and had the dueling piano fellows sing happy birthday to us.

Embarrassing; yet so fun.
I'm 98% sure there is video from this blessed event, but I'll keep it to one photo.

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines to my hubs.

He's pretty great.

Actually, he's awesome. 

And he's all mine.

We exchanged cards this mornings between brushing our teeth and brushing our hair.

He even got me a card from Norman.

Winning.

 

Being a photographer, I take so many photos of others, but have hardly any of us.

These photos from our 4th anniversary will have to suffice.

Happy Valentines Day!

The $5 Plan

 Earlier this year, I posted Ways We Are Cutting Back.
I just listed some general tips and ticks that we were trying out in our house. So far, so good!
Within that post, I also mentioned the $5 savings plan; which is, every time you come across a $5 bill, you save it, rather than spend it.

And I did. I saved all my 5's from the month of January in a coffee tin - because I'm classy like that.
And the running total of the $5 bin for January? $35!

Yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking. $35? That's it. You have to start somewhere and I am proud of my accomplishment. Think of it like this, if I continued to save AT LEAST $35 a month for an entire year... I would end up saving $420 at the end of the year.

Budgeting and saving and couponing and living frugally won't save you tons of money overnight. You have to work at it and be committed, which I am. And I'm proud of my whopping $35!

If y'all have any budget ideas or savings tricks, feel free to share!

Things to Consider Before Buying (Rescuing) A Mastiff

I remember the very first time I saw a mastiff, an English Mastiff. I was in third grade and had just finished watching the movie The Sandlot. Hercules or the Beast was an English Mastiff and I was immediately smitten.

Too bad we already had dogs and my parents were not keen on adding another to the mixture.
Cut to about 8 or 9 years later.

My mama and I were headed to Yazoo City to buy a new/used car for her, with $1,000 in our pockets.
We picked up the classifieds and searched and searched for a car. They were all too pricey :(
I continued to entertain myself (before cellphones were super prominent) by thumbing through the classifieds and just happened upon the dogs page.

There, in large bold print, MASTIFF PUPPIES $1000.
We had the money. And I had the dream.

So, what do you think happened?
We got a puppy!
He was beautiful and fluffy and everything I had ever imagined a big ole dog to be.
Dudley was the first Mastiff I loved (he's no longer here, and I don't want to talk about it!), and he's led me to getting more Mastiffs.

Moses was the next Mastiff.
We adopted him from Southern States Mastiff Rescue.
Visit their site and please consider adoption.
http://www.southernstatesmastiffrescue.org/

We loved him dearly. For years. But then, as what happens with most of our 4 legged creatures, he went over the Rainbow Bridge.

Since Tay and I have been married, he's known that we would have a Mastiff or two or 12.
I let him know up front that I wanted to be a crazy Mastiff lady - similar to a crazy cat lady - but a little more socially acceptable.

Now, we are the proud owners of Norman. Click the side label: Adventures from Norman to see more of his antics!

Things you need to know about getting a large dog:

 - Most people think that large breeds means more space. That is not true. Mastiffs are content in small spaces - wide open spaces are not necessary.

- They require exercise, but a very little amount. I used to take Norman on daily walks, but then I realized that he was losing weight. Now we go the park once a week, but we do play in the backyard and/or living room daily.

- They will not eat you out of house and home. People always say, "I'd get a mastiff, if  I could afford to feed it." Guess how much money we spend in one month for Norman's food? $20. That's it! We buy Pedigree Large Breed Dog Food in the thirty pound bag for about $20 a month.
See? Not expensive.

- They have no concept of personal space. If you are cooking in the kitchen; he'll prop up against you in the hopes that you'll love on him and/or drop food his way.

- They think they are lap dogs. If you are sitting on the couch, floor, or laying in bed, they will be directly next to you or on top of you. Mastiffs have a thing for always touching their people. I think it's their security blanket. If you don't like your personal space invaded, don't get a mastiff.

- They will destroy things (while in the puppy stage.) All dogs do, but when your beast is only a pup, be careful about what you let him chew on. Chewing on shoes as a puppy is cute - as an adult dog, not so much. When we HAVE to leave Norman all day - which breaks my heart - I'll come home to him laying on the couch; with my pajama pants next to him and my shoes under his jowls. He never chews, just using them for the smell I assume.

- Food training is important. Large dogs need to know where their food comes from. You.
When Norman was a little pup, we would put food down, let him eat a little, and then take it back up.
Why? We were teaching him that WE feed him and training him to not bite our hands off. It worked!

- Crate training will save your life. Crate training is amazing. Norman was the first dog we crate trained. It cut down on the potty training time, and now, as an adult dog, he knows that the crate is his safe place. He still sleeps in his crate, only because it's in our room and he can't stand to sleep alone. We tried letting him sleep alone on the couch at night - he would end up at our door in thirty minutes scratching and crying to get in :(  The magic words for getting Norman in his crate? "Norman, let's go night night." Done.

- They are protective. Not of food. Not of toys. But of you, their person. Their human. They will be loyal to you until they die. Remember that.

- They are subject to bloat. This is an issue with large breeds. Sometimes, when large breeds eat too much or too fast and then decide to play, their stomach will twist. It will cause them immense pain and you some exorbitant vet bills. To cull this, we feed Norman a small meal in the morning (after he's played a bit) and then a small meal in the evening. Our personal rule is no hard/rough play 30 minutes after eating.

- They sleep. A lot.  No, he's not sick. He's just fine. He just likes to sleep a lot. There is nothing wrong with that or him. If you are looking for a hyper or active breed, this is not the dog for you.

- They have gas. Bad. And can clear a room in no time. And it scares them, which is utterly hysterical! 

- Remember, he's bigger than you. And could hurt you with one single bite. But he doesn't. Why? Because he loves and respects you. You should treat him the same way. Hitting a dog will not teach him a lesson. What's effective with Norman is a loud, "NO." Then we looks at you with sad eyes, wanders over, and wants to know you still love him. And of course, we do.

- Their average life span is about 10 years. Some last longer, some a lot shorter. When you are thinking of getting a mastiff, be sure that you can devote 10 years of your life to make his something special. If you don't have the time, don't waste his. When we got Norman, Tay asked me if I was prepared to let him go (since their lifespans vary). I told Tay that my goal for our pup was to give him the best life possible. If that's only one year or 12, my dog will have lived his life to the fullest in a house full of love and play and naps.

Having a dog is a wonderful thing. If you can't commit to a dog, then please do not get one.
You will continue with your life, while surrending your dog to a shelter. To me, that means you are careless and mean - and I have no tolerance for that. There are no excuses.

If you are considering getting a dog, please look at adoption first. Adopting a dog has some awesome benefits and opposed to buying a puppy. Most dogs from shelters/kennels are already potty trained, some have been fixed, and most are even socialized. Plus no puppy whining or gnawing!

Rant over.

Double Duty

So I guess it's time that I share some news.
My older brother, the guy in life who is content with beer and Xbox and deer hunting - the one who swore he would never marry - is, well, getting married!

Way to finally jump on that bandwagon Bub!
His soon to be bride has been a friend of mine for yours - and I always thought that we would end up being sisters! And now it's finally happening. Happy? Very!

To my knowledge, some of details are still being ironed out, but I get to perform double duty.
I get to be photographer and bridesmaid. Bring it on! I still haven't worked out all the kinks of how the day is going to go, but I'm going to take a cue from my husband, just shoot from the hip; though not literally of course!

I've already come up with some great photo ideas and already purchased my bridesmaid dress. Things are moving right along! And did I mention the dress is black? And did I mention that with Tay's school they hold a ball every year...so it seems like my dress may be doing double duty as well :)

Ways we are cutting back

 **Long Post**

At the beginning of the New Year, I mentioned that we were going to try and budget more and spend our money more wisely. Now that the month of January is coming to an end, I'd like to give y'all an update on some of the ways we are saving.

Our first thing to do on the money saving list was change our cable plan. I work from 7:30-4:30 Monday through Friday plus do photography work once I get home - so I'd say I definitely work over 12 hours every day. Tater is always locked in his office studying; and when he's not studying or in class, he's asleep. Since we don't have the time to watch TV much anymore, we cut our package.
Last months bill was $180. Crazy, I know! I finally told Tay that was enough. Spending $180 a month on something we barely use! So we contacted our cable provider, dropped our package down - we have to keep Showtime (Homeland, Masters of Sex, Nurse Jackie, Shameless) - but other than that, all movie channels are nixed. Our new cable bill total? $87.51. Do the math, we saved over $92 a month just by changing our cable plan. $92 a month!!!!!!!

 Some other ways we are trying to save:

- We are also trying to change the bad habit that we both possess - having the TV on as background noise, even when no one is watching. New rule? TV is off unless you are actually engaged in it.

-I'm a lamp lover. I swear I have at least 2-3 lamps in every room of our 3 bedroom house. And all of them are always on. Why? Because I think it looks pretty. And because I obviously do not mind throwing money down the drain. No more! New rule - the only lamps on WHEN IT'S DARK are the one's we need. The one in Tater's office and a single lamp in the living room. All other lamps are unplugged.

-Which brings me to my next point. Unplugging unnecessary appliances/lamps/everything in between. If you do not use them often, just unplug! Appliances and lamps still use electricity even when they are not on. I even unplug my coffee pot every morning when I'm finished and then plug it back in when I need more coffee.

- Our electricity bill is not due yet, so I cannot see the changes, but I'm stoked for next month to hopefully see the change! Our last bill was $106. I think if it even went down by $5 would be a big difference!

- Our water bill isn't expensive - it runs about $25 a month. That's with washing clothes when I NEED to wear this or taking the extra 15 minutes in the shower or leaving the water running while brushing our teeth.  New rules - always leave the lid on the toilet seat.  A 150 pound pup constantly drinking out of two toilets = lots of wasted water. Another thing we are trying is the whole flushing less. When I drink coffee in the morning, I pee about 12 times - no lie! So why would I flush all 12 times. And yeah, I'm to the point of doing anything to save a buck. Judge if you must. We are also only washing clothes once a week. And only washing the necessities: undies, socks, scrubs for Tay, dress clothes for work, and towels. T-shirts and other 'wear around the house' things are being washed once a month. We both have so many t-shirts and only wear a handful because I'm always washing clothes - not anymore!! Also, if I wear jeans once and don't spill anything on them, they are still clean, right? I'm hoping to see at least a $3 difference on the next months bill.

-Cutting down the amount of paper/plastic products that we use. I've always had this weird desire to save Kroger sacs, Target, Walgreen's, anything. Normally, I save them, they begin to reproduce in the cabinet under the kitchen sink and then BAM - full blown plastic bag takeover. Not anymore. Instead of buying overpriced name brand trash bags from Kroger, we are using the little plastic bags that are free! That should easily save us about $5 a month. We are also on the no paper plate rule. We both get lazy. Paper plates are so easy and convenient. Yet they are expensive. Let's add that to our total; approximately $4 a month. Not to mention paper towels. A few weeks I had an awesome Dollar General coupon - save $5 when you spend $25. So I bought a few necessities - all with coupons of course - and some paper towels. Those paper towels have yet to be opened. We have a slew of old 'Norm towels' - one's that he's ripped up etc...so I decided they would become our new daily use towels. So far so good!

- I use Ponds or the cheap Target/Walgreens/Walmart brand face wipes. And I don't wear that much makeup. I noticed that I really only using about half of each face wipe. So, I put my Masters degree (more on that later) to good use. I cut each face wipe in half. Now a 30 day supply has been turned into a 60 day supply. Genius I tell you!

- Since I am the breadwinner (and that freaks me out to no end!!) Tater and I just couldn't see spending $300 a month on our student loan payments. Since, he's in school and I'm not wealthy, we decided to defer our loans while he's in school. Yes, I know that the interest is steadily accruing, but once he gets done with school, paying $300 a month on loans won't seem so tedious.

- I am also a couponer. Not an avid couponer. Not a crazy couponer. I just don't understand paying full price for Dawn or Charmin when I get it on sale with a coupon and save a buck or two. I realized that my  newspaper subscription has gone from $4 a month to $8 a month. I can get coupons for free online and even load them to my Kroger card. So, bye bye newspaper subscription. Hello $8 savings a month! That's almost $100 a year!

- I have also realized recently that I have a penchant for buying unnecessary items. Insert Goodwill. And Kohls sales. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean I need it. Yeah, I spent $75 at Kohls, but it was all discounted. But that is $75 we could have saved. And put towards groceries. Or gas.
A lot of these unnecessary items that I buy on whim are just taking up space. So, I've listed some items on Craigslist. I know that I cannot get full price for them, but an extra $10 bucks here and there will make a difference.

- We have also instituted the $5 savings plan. Since I'm working on a cash only basis, I'm coming across more and more five dollar bills. But I refuse to spend them. I put them in a coffee tin and hide them from myself.

Let's do some math:
$92 savings from cable bill
$5 on electricity
$3 on water bill
$9 cutting out paper/plastic products
$8 a month cancelling newspaper

For a total of: $117.  For one month. Not to mention just changing our attitudes about spending money. If we were to save $117 on our bills every month, we could save $1400 a year! And I haven't even calculated in the money from our $5 bin.

You have to start somewhere. And we have. Here's hoping it all goes well.

Goodwill is my friend, no seriously

Before the New Year and the NOT resolutions, I was hitting Goodwill like a crazy woman...I mean $20 goes a long way in Goodwill. A real long way. They were all things I did not need, but at the time I wanted - yeah yeah I know, I'm working on the whole want/need thing.

So here are some things from my previous hauls at Goodwill; and this is not including the clothes, shoes, and purses that I have purchased from them. \

 Spaghetti always needs a place, right?

She set me back about .50 cents.

 An old dining chair, used as a photo prop. 

Cost: approximately $2.50

 See the pretty green-ish headboard hiding back there? 

Yep, another Goodwill find. That cost $5.00

 Red school desk.

She actually cost a pretty penny, but I think it was worth it.

$25.00

 See the HUGE mirrors flanking the bed?

Both of them total: $15.00

 I felt bad for this. Just sitting alone on a shelf in Goodwill.

So I bought her. For .50 cents. 

And last but not least, this little gem. That sits in our kitchen window set us back about .50 cents.

If you don't have a Goodwill nearby (I know Delta - y'all are totally missing out!) come to the Memphis area. I have about 4 Goodwill Stores within a 20 mile radius that I hit when I'm in the mood to spend a little money or am looking for something particular. I've never had a bad experience at a Goodwill store.

Oh, did I mention the grand total for all items above??

Just under $50. 

Happy shopping!!

Don't Call it a Resolution

In an earlier post, I decided to once again NOT have a New Years resolution. And I'm standing firm on that. But, I plan on making subtle changes in my life throughout the entire year...and just see how well things go.

Don't Call it a resolution 1: BUDGET
I used to believe that budgets and coupons were reserved for grandmother's and poor people. I am neither of those. Well borderline poor. For a family of three (hey, the dog eats and has needs too!) the money that I make just isn't cutting it. And if there is any extra money at the end of the month, I spend it. On sale items, but spend it nonetheless. I have already purchased some items to help me in my quest to save more money. How stupid does that sound? I just spent money in order to save money. Oh well. Let's just say this, I'm trying damn it.

 You see this clear beauty? Yep, it's my new wallet. Fancy, right? I've never really been too fashioney anyway! So this is just an expandable folder that fits into my purse and it has separate sections. Some of my sections are: grocery, gas, sins (anything from a convenient store), coupons, and eating and a hidden one in the back: savings! I get paid twice a month. One paycheck goes directly to rent. The other paycheck will be cashed and divided into this handy folder.
Example: I'm only allowing $300 a month for groceries, so in the grocery tab, there should be $300. When that money is gone, it's gone. No more groceries for the month. The same goes for all the other tabs as well. If (by any lucky chance) there is money left over in a section at the end of the month, I will move it to the savings tab within this folder and eventually deposit it into my actual savings account. This all sounds so easy in theory. I'm only on day two, and it's hard to practice what you preach!

I really try to stay away from frivolous spending: lattes from Starbucks, manicures, cute new pillows...sometimes it's hard. Remember before the days of glorious online banking, you had to write down where your money went? Well I'm bringing that trend back. Instead of checking my account and the end of the month and wondering where my money is going, I'm going to try and do it on a daily basis. Fingers crossed folks!

Don't Call it a resolution 2: NO MORE TARGET
I have no intentions of going to Target - 2 miles away - unless it is a planned trip for things like make-up, household necessities, school supplies or birthday cards. And I will not be taking any debit/credit cards. Only the list and just enough money to purchase what is needed. No more "oh that's a cute top!" or "cute shoes!" NO MORE!!

Don't Call it a resolution 3: GOODWILL, GOODWILL, GOODWILL!
Ever since I've moved up here, Goodwill has been my buddy, but really now more than ever. I can get Banana Republic dress pants for work for $5.00; as opposed to driving the hour to Wolfchase Mall and then actually purchasing the pants full price. That folks, is considered a win. A huge win.

Don't call is a resolution 4: DISTINGUISH BETWEEN WANT AND NEED
Right now, Tay and I have a house over our heads, food in the pantry, electricity to keep us warm and yet, I'm still looking for something. Cute new pillows to spruce up the couch that Norman has desecrated... I need to start distinguishing between wants and needs. Coffee (for me) is an absolute need, but buying Starbucks Blond Roast for $8.00 is a want; especially when I can get the Kroger brand in a larger container for much cheaper. 

Don't call is a resolution 6: BE BETTER AROUND THE HOUSE
Tay and I are notorious for being careless when it comes to paper products. We go through paper plates and paper towels like crazy. So I've decided to change that up a bit. Instead of going through 5-10 paper towels in a days span, I'm going to have something in the kitchen called the 's**t rag.' It will be my napkin when I eat, my sponge when I make a mess, and whatever else it needs to be.
I also used to be the type to wash clothes when I got bored (crazy I know!), but now I've decided to wash clothes only once a week. Less water + less washing time + less drying time = more money in my pocket.

I sorta debated on the whole let's save water by not showering thing - we have decided against that, showers are a necessity after all! 

I'm (we) are hoping that these small changes will make our household run more smoothly and hopefully save us some money. University of Tennessee CRNA tuition is too damn high!