I am a horrible blogger…

…so yes, I haven't been keeping my blog up….and I want to start doing that.  Now that soccer is over for Brynlee and football is over for Evan, I might be some time to try to catch up.

The biggest news is that I finally got a fulltime job.  I start November 5th at Geico.  It wont be phone work which I find wonderful.  It may not pay  much either but it will get my foot in the door.  I do have a Master’s degree after all so I figure that something should happen when it comes to that. 

So even though I am making this entry brief since it is midnight, I do have plan on working on this blog and getting it where it should be.

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

• 9 6-inch corn tortillas

• 15 ounces canned enchilada sauce

• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained $
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

1. Place an oven rack about 5 inches from broiler and preheat broiler to high. Toast tortillas under broiler, turning once, until lightly spotted, 2 to 3 minutes total. Reserve 2 Tbsp. enchilada sauce. Combine beans and remaining sauce in a bowl.
2. Mist slow-cooker insert with cooking spray. Place 3 tortillas in bottom, breaking one into pieces if necessary to cover bottom. Spread half of bean mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with 1 cup corn and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat with 3 more tortillas, remaining bean mixture, remaining corn and 1 cup cheese. Top with 3 remaining tortillas, reserved sauce and remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and cook on low until cheese has melted and is beginning to crisp on edges, 2 to 3 hours.

So yes, I have been slacking on my blog. It has been hard to update as I am trying to pass all my classes so that I can graduate this quarter. I really want to be able to be done with school so that I can possibly finally get a job. I am constantly applying for jobs...mostly government which might be a bad thing...so I know I will eventually hear something. I know the big problem is that I haven't worked full time since 2005. So right now, I just need something in order to show some job history.

On top of that, I am starting the "spring cleaning" in the house to start getting rid of stuff. We have a lot of clutter so I am trying to sell it and what isn't worth selling or doesn't sale, gets taken to the thrift store. I am hoping to get it done within the next few weeks.

Well, got to get ready, we are taking the kids bowling with the scouts tonight.



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Location:Slacking

Test

Test


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Trying Out New Blogging App

 I am trying out a new blogging app on my iPad. For some reason, the other one that I was using, just wasnt working. We will see how well this does. 

Well don't you just hate that.

I just wrote a whole post only for it to get deleted. Well it was about Ryan's first weekend with the boy scouts so I am going to let him to just write a post of how it went.



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Weekend.

So this weekend is the first that Ryan has been away on a boy scout camping trip by himself. He seems to be having fun. He called me tonight and said everything was fine. I guess I just kind of worried because it chilly at night and I know how cold he gets. I wonder if I can get him to do a post about how he felt about it.

Today I got some schoolwork done which is a plus. I still have a lot more to do tomorrow before it is due. Now that I have been doing some more during the week, it has made it a little easier.

I know I haven't done a snowflake update but that is because I haven't made any extra money. I stopped babysitting a few weeks ago to focus on schoolwork and since then, I have been trying to learn this program for a class that I haven't been able to work on getting more stuff out for the virtual yard sale. I am hoping to get some done this week. It is just so crazy because this one class I have a huge project due at the end, not to mention a paper due every week. In February, if
Everything works out good then I will be started another class on top of
These two to get my project manager certification.

OAMC

So I got some of my OAMC cooking done today. I have to continue tomorrow on top of homework and laundry. Today I got done:

2 mustard and garlic pork chops marinade bags.
8 individual pork and ride dinner
10 individual servings of meatloaf
6 individual chicken enchiladas
4 family size chicken tortilla soup
2 trays of lasagna
18 small egg casserole cups
3 family size skinny meatballs

3 servings of chicken broccoli salad

And I still have chicken, butternut squash, and sweet potato dinner cooking. Tomorrow I have about 4 more recipes to do on top of schoolworkand
laundry I am beat.

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Location:Holly Crest Dr,Culpeper,United States

Gotta get it done!

Today I got a lot of running around done which was nice. With that though, brings a lot of work tomorrow. Here is my list of things:

1. Get the downstairs cleaned
2. Do my OAMC all completed
3. Study while doing laundry.


I will fie gym in tomorrow, I just haven't what time yet. Got it to get not the schedule though.


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Location:Nature Trail,Culpeper,United States

Today…

Once again I am behind.  Today I am going to go through some stuff that has been sitting around that I have been neglecting.  I really need to get some reading done for school but I am going to try to do that after lunch but before I have to meet someone at 2.  Tomorrow the kids have half day so I have to try to get as much studying and schoolwork done before 1.  Then I will work on some other things I need to get done that don’t require quietness.  If I wasn’t my last quarter of school, I would seriously consider going back to a laptop instead of having a desktop.  That way I could go hide myself in my room to do schoolwork.   I don’t know, maybe I will consider still going back to one after all. 

Tomorrow night, we are taking the kids to a hockey game in Charlottesville…well if all the plans happen like they are supposed to.  The game isn't until 9 so I told them they had to take naps or at least try to once they got home from school.  Hopefully they will have fun going.

Yeah! And Nay!

So I have been on a roll, I have gotten to the gym for the last two days in a row. I'm super excited about that. I am hoping to get to go tomorrow but it will most likely have to be in the evening. I hate going that late but I have no choice. If I plan on winning the challenge, I have got to get workout time in every day.

Ryan started boy scouts tonight. It seems like yesterday he was just starting out in cub scouts as a tiger. Unfortunately our happiness switched when we found out that the people we had trouble with before have decided to join this new troop. I am just going to try to leave the past in the past. With that though, I have decided it would be best if I try not to pursue any leadership roles. Maybe for once, I will be the one to play dumb.

The Coming Week…

Well seeing as this is officially Monday, guess we can say the weekdays have started.  This week is an exciting week.  We start back on our diets this week.  Yesterday we signed up for the challenge at the gym and today we are going to sign up at another challenge here in town.  I feel so bad that I have gained back 30 lbs. of the 40 I have lost.  It just seemed that I let everything get in the way.

This week will be filled with a lot of catching up to do.  This is my official last week of babysitting.  I am already so behind in school and we are already the second week.  It is hard when you go fulltime to get it all done.  If I was working a real job, I would have been going part time and could handle it a little better.  I am glad that I am going full time, however, because I got it done much quicker.

On Tuesday, Ryan starts Boy Scouts.  I can’t believe this has finally came.  He has decided to go with Troop 1202 and is pretty excited about it.  I think they sold him on how much stuff they do besides camping.  He is going on his first activity with them a week from Saturday.   He isn't camping the whole weekend with them since he has never been winter camping before but he is going to hang out with them for the day.  I think he will have fun.

Thursday we have Cub Scouts for Evan.  It is going to be so weird to have them go to two different places for scouts now. 

Friday is tae kwon do and the kids are trying to get back into that. 

So between all this, I have a ton of reading to do for school and we gave ourselves busy list to keep us from the pantry. The top of my list, is cleaning out the pantry.  Everyone in the house is going to start eating healthy.  I think it will be good for everyone and maybe they will get to try things that they didn’t know they like.

Snowflake Challenge #2

Same thing as last week, no extra money but, I am going to be working on getting some stuff out of the house this week.  I am looking forward to having sometime to do it :)

Good day!

Today has been a pretty productive day so far. I was actually able to run all the errands that I needed to this morning YEAH! I came home and clean the entire downstairs and disinfected finally. Now I have laundry going. I should be ashamed that Evan alone had 7 loads for me to do and that is not counting linens. Until it is time to get dinner going, I am actually going to have some time to finish schoolwork. So all in all, it has been a great day :)

Ranch Style Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 pkg Ranch mix
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 lb. spaghetti

Directions.

In a bowl, mix together ground beef, egg, and ranch mix.

Brown in a skillet and drain, if needed.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and drain.

Return browned meat to skillet and add pasta sauce and diced tomatoes.  Simmer until heated through.

Serve meat on top of spaghetti or mix sauce into noodles and serve.

As so it begins….

Here in the next two weeks, things are going to get super busy around the Grayson household.  Not only do the kids activities start up in full force, I have to start getting ready to graduate and all the work that comes with final projects.  I hated to do it but I had to tell the people I babysit for that I can only do it for 2 more weeks.  I need all the available time I can to get stuff done.  That way, if Jay is home and I need to, I can sneak off to somewhere quiet whether it is somewhere in the house or even to the library.  I am super excited about graduating though, I think it will be a great opportunity to help with job searches.  Crossing my fingers :)

Snowflake Challenge Update #1

Sorry that I am behind, I should have posted this Friday.  With deciding to do this challenge so late in the week, I kind of knew I would have an additional money to put towards any debts.  I am hoping for something this Friday though.  I will keep you updated :)

Already broke a goal..

So I broke a goal for January to stop eating out so much.  Last night, I had my wonderful husband stop and get some dinner on the way home.  I was feeling yucky and didn’t feel like cooking.  I guess compared to what we normally do as far as eating out, I guess the one slip up isnt too bad.

The Snowflake Debt Challenge

A few days ago, I pulled mine and Jay’s credit report to see where we stand for the new year.  Our big goal is put a huge chunk in the debt that we owe.  Obviously, we wont be able to pay off things like our student loans in a year but there is no reason why we can’t get rid of the small stuff.  With this, I have joined the Snowflake Challenge.

Snowflaking is when you take any extra or unexpected money and immediately add it to your debt.  You must apply the money immediately so that you don’t have the ability to spend it.

Every Friday in 2012, I will report any additional money that I have received and have applied them to a debt.  Happy Snowflaking

Job Applications…so many

So today, I am getting ready to clean a little down stairs.  It isn't too bad down here, just a few dishes from breakfast and I need to vacuum.  After that, it is a full day of job applications.  I am going to try to apply for as many jobs as I can.  I kind of slacked off during the holidays so it is back into gear.  At this point, I am even willing to take a part time job.  I have been told though that I can’t do a weekend job so my criteria is kind of low on that one.  I am hoping that 2012 brings me a new career opportunity.  At this point, I am even applying for jobs that I’m not sure I would even be qualified for, just to get my resume out there.  So we will see what comes of it. 

Goal for January

So the goal this month is to have us eat out less.  I am going to take the time to get back into my menu planning like I used to.  I used to be really good about making one and then going to the grocery stores on Wednesdays since that was payday.  I have let that go to the wayside these last few months especially since I have been babysitting.  I am just going to  have to get back into my groove even if it is with an extra toddler in tow.  Guess it is a good thing that they make those double seated carts

I am hoping to be successful in this.  I know one night we may have to go out to IHOP, only because I have a gift certificate to use