Not sure where I'm going with today...

Hello readers...if there are any...

Today is supposed to be "Day 5: Siblings"...but I'm an only child. So, what to write about? First, I thought I could write about my siblings-in-law. They're wonderful, and I'm certain I could write a blog about them, but it wouldn't really be the introspective post that kind of follows the pattern of the others so far, because I really haven't had them in my life that long. We have great memories already, but not the kind that blood siblings would have.

So then, I had an idea to write about my best friends, because they're the closest things I have to siblings. There are only a few of them, and they've all been around for important events so I'd definitely have things to write about. But, then I got to thinking that I have other, not-as-close but still amazing people in my life that deserve to be written about, too. And there are a lot of them, and that might take a long time. And what if I left someone out accidentally? Then I'd feel like a big, fat jerk, and who wants to feel that way?

Next, I thought I could write about Lily. She is definitely a topic I'm not short on words to write about. After all, she was the reason I started this blog last June. I started thinking that I talk about her a lot already, and I'm sure there will be another post sometime in the next 30 days that will be better suited to talk about her.

Then came couponing, particularly after my awesome trip to Publix today. 10 jars of Beech Nut baby food, 210 Pampers wipes refill pack, 72 Pampers wipes container, 72 Huggies wipes container, 36 pack of Huggies size 3 diapers, 80 pack of Pampers size 3 diapers, 2 bottles of Infant's advil, hand sanitizer, cocoa butter lotion, rubbing alcohol, 2 large coffeemate coffee creamers, a 1.37lb container of Similac infant formula, and a 1.37lb container of Similac Grow and Go 9-36 month formula...all for $53.76...for those of you who might have been trying to figure all this up in your head...my total before coupons was over $157, so that's a savings of $104!! So yea, I could definitely write some tips and tricks. But I kind of want to save that for another time.

So what to write about? I'm incredibly sleep deprived (for the record, Lily STILL hasn't cut that tooth, and last night was so bad JP had to come home from work early just to help me, and I still only got 2 hours of sleep), and have a laundry list of things that I could be doing (including, well, laundry) instead of blogging but yet, here I sit. I think I'll fill you fine people in on some of my short term goals.

1. I want to learn to garden. Not flowers and pretty things, but fruits and vegetables. My dad puts out a giant garden every year, and he always just asks us what we'd like and he plants it. In my ever on-going quest to become more "handy" and self sufficient, I've decided I want my OWN garden. Now, this won't stop me from taking a share of seeds to my dad, just in case I have a purple thumb instead of a green one (a girl needs her vegetables and fruits regardless of gardening ability), but I want to try it on my own. So over the next few weeks, my dad will be helping JP and I mark off a spot in our yard. There, we're going to build a boxed area where my garden will be. I've also decided I'm going to plant a grape vine by our fence, along with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. The garden itself will contain: cantaloupe, watermelon, green beans, peppers (green and some colored ones), onions, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, squash, and cucumbers.

2. Hand in hand with the garden...I want to learn how to can and preserve. I have two friends who can. One does more vegetables and the other makes her own jams, salsas, and tomato sauces. I'm hoping to learn as much as I can from them, and an old book I found at my mom's, so I can start providing my family with fresh vegetables and a more organic array of food. Aside from being homegrown and healthier, it will help us save even more on our grocery bills. We eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, and let's face it, that (along with good meat) can get expensive. And no one makes coupons for fresh stuff.

3. I want to learn to run, and not only just be able to say "Yes, I can run without looking like a duck with two left feet". I want to run a 5k sometime in the fall, and half marathon by next year. These are VERY lofty goals for someone as uncoordinated and non-athletic as myself. But I want to do it.

I really want my family to be healthy and active, and I think I need to start making these changes for myself so everyone else will just follow suit. I want to raise Lily as an active, healthy child who won't refuse to eat anything but McDonald's. I want her to look at her parents and see that we're not couch potatoes who weigh 2308940239502 lbs. Not only that, but I also want to show her the value of hard work and budgeting. I don't want to just GIVE her anything she wants. Don't get me wrong. I want to be sure that we have the money to provide her ANYTHING, but I don't want to teach her to be spoiled and entitled. I want her to see that hard work pays off. I want her to learn the value of a dollar, so when she wants us to buy her things, she knows how hard we've worked for it.

I think I've rambled on enough. I don't know if anyone even reads this, but it's nice to write this all down. I wonder what I will think when I look back on this in a year or two or five?