Happy New Year everyone!

I figured I'd post my New Year's Resolutions here. If you write it down, you're supposed to be held accountable!

1 - #1 for me, literally, is to lose 50-70 lbs. I had 20 more than I wanted when I had my gallbladder removed. Now I have 50 more & I hate how I look in the mirror and the size I am in!

2 - To work on my relationships with my family. All of them.

That's it. I think I can do that...

Happy New Year to all of you. Best wishes for a Grand 2009!

Blessings,
Angie

If you're a fan of Celine Dion or just love great live entertainment, check out Celine’s Taking Chances World Tour. Her North American tour dates have been extended into February ’09 so take a look and see if she’s coming to your town. Celine’s concert tickets may just be the perfect gift for a friend, family member or yourself. See what the show is like here.

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you & yours a Merry Christmas!

My children have opened their gifts and are enjoying them. They mostly got gift cards, a few things each to open, but it's easier for them to choose what they want.

I finished my holiday baking yesterday, all except for the fudge, which I may (or may not) do today. I made Peanut Butter Blossoms, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip (with peanut butter & chocolate chips), 'Dream' cookies which are oats, cocoa powder, and regular cookie dough, with some whit chocolate chips, and some Pumpkin Cheesecake bars. YUM!

Right now the ham is in the oven. It's almost finished it's first hour, one more (or longer to go). We were invited to go to my "boyfriend's" mom's family's house at 4 today but I haven't decided yet if we are going (I may post about this later...).

For now I am enjoying my day. It's in the 50s here in Maryland, a little overcast, but a beautiful day.

I hope you & your family enjoy each other and celebrate the birth of our Savior!

God bless you!

Merry Christmas!

Angie & kids

Yup... just as I thought, the kids are too sick to go to school today. I woke them up at 5 am and felt their foreheads and asked how they felt. My son's face is swollen (mostly his eyes) and he sounded HORRIBLE!! So I called my boss and told him I wouldn't be in today. So this means I have to work tomorrow, if they are well enough to go to school. Tomorrow is a half-day of school so it doesn't really matter, but I do need to go to work!

This time off finds me freezing in this old house (built in the 70s) with horrible drafts. My baseboard heat is no match for these temps and wind! They are all on high but I am still freezing, and I have on a tank top, a t shirt, and a sweatshirt!

I am also planning my holiday cookies from my new book, Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Cookie Book, that I got from having a House Party Cookie Swap. So, I thought I'd share a recipe or two here.

Here's one that I am planning on making:
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds
Prep: 30 min Bake: 10 min per batch oven: 375 degrees F makes: about 48 cookies

3/4 c. Butter, softened
1/2 c. Peanut butter
1 c. Granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/4 c. All-purpose flour
2 c. Rolled oats
1 c. Chopped cocktail peanuts or semisweet chocolate pieces (I am going to use the chocolate in ours!)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining fliur. Stir in oats and peanuts/chocolate pieces.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

I have never made fudge and this book also has an easy fudge recipe. Here it is:

Fabulous 5 minute fudge

Prep: 5 min. Chill: 30 min. Makes: 24 pieces

(These are great as gifts! I think I may make double to pass some out!)

1 12 oz. Package of semisweet chocolate pieces (2 cups)
2/3 c. Sweetened condensed milk (one-half of a 14-ounce can)
1 TBS. Water
3/4 c. Chopped walnuts, if desired
1 tsp. Vanilla

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate pieces, sweetened condensed milk, and the water.

2. Microwave, uncovered, on 100% power (high) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 1 minute more or until mixture is smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Pour onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread into a 9X6-inch rectangle. Chill about 30 minutes or until firm. Cut fudge into 1 1/2-inch squares.

Note: store candy as directed on p. 16. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Easy peasy right?

Well I am off to the store to grab eggs, brown sugar, and a few other things for my cookie making.
Might be back later to share a few more recipes! (Wish I could share pics!! Why Blogger, why?!)

Blessings,
Angie

Hello!

Thanks for reading my blog!
I hope that God is continuing to bless you & your family, as he is doing to mine!

What a weekend I have had!! WOW!!!

First of all, I work at my real job from 630 am to 5 pm Monday through Thursday and this gives me every Friday off, which is very nice, especially to get some 'me' time! So this past Friday I was enjoying my day off to myself, I ran to Rite Aid (you may have read my post about that trip the other day), in the rain grr!!, and about 10-15 minutes after I got back in, the school that my youngest daughter goes to called & said that she had a 99.7 degree fever, could I please pick her up? So I did... even though they usually call when it gets over 100, but whatever, right? I mean, I was watching The Young & The Restless, but Baby Girl is more important. She wasn't whiny or fussy, so that was good; I made her some chicken noodle and made sure she kept fluids in her, and she played nicely in the living room and helped me get our Christmas cards together so I could mail them out that day.

My son came home from middle school & wanted to go to a friend's house in another town so I took him later that evening. I spoke to him on the phone the next day, Saturday, and the poor guy was stuffed up - he was sick too! He stayed there all weekend & even went to his biological father's house - who gave him $50!! But hasn't paid me support in exactly a month?! (Another Wtf Moment!!)... anyway... I will leave that alone for now...

I had a headache all week - I usually keep a headache (which is VERY frustrating!) but on Saturday it kept coming back... then this morning it was bad! I stayed in bed & slept off & on all day (luckily Baby Girl was playing nicely again), trying to get rid of my headache, but by 6-7 pm, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to go pick up my son anyway so I called him & told him I was on the way down & that I had a Major Migrained & would not be stopping in, so I would call him when I arrived & to be ready. On the way there I had to stop and get some headache medicine, so I stopped at the closest store, the local Giant grocery store, and luckily, their store brand migraine medicine was on sale from $6.49 to $3.99 for 100. I took 4 in the car & proceeded on my way. The trip is about 25 minutes depending on traffic and since I knew that I wouldn't be able to deal with a lot of lights, I went back roads to avoid traffic. Luckily by the time I was almost home my headache was finally gone, so I stopped back at Giant and picked up our holiday ham (on sale for $1.49/lb), some Clementines (on sale for $3.99), soda (on sale for 4/$10 - we got 2), snack for Baby girl for school snack time, drink boxes for Baby girl's holiday party on Tuesday, and a few other things. Luckily I was able to buy those items since my mom sent us gift cards for Christmas - my gift was a $50 GC to Giant, which is almost gone now.

Since both of my kids are sick tomorrow I may not be able to work tomorrow. I will be waking them up when my alarm goes off to check temperatures and see how they feel, and then make my decision from there. My son hopes he is not worse - he is striving for perfect attendance this year. He is my one child who doesn't get sick that much & he barely ever misses school; Baby Girl is the one who gets sick A LOT - I always wonder if the ADHD has anything to do with that... anyone know??

I was planning to take off Tuesday so I can start my holiday baking. I already requested off Wednesday, but I want Tuesday off now also! It will be slow at work but if I miss tomorrow I will have to go in on Tuesday for timesheet submissions. Then I will be off from Wednesday until next Monday. Nice break - but Tuesday through Monday would be an even nicer break!

I will be back tomorrow to post an update on our Christmas - God is good!!! I was going to update now but this post is already long enough!! Plus the news is on since the Giants won the game FINALLY! And I have to check the weather for tomorrow... no snow here like Most of the rest of the country but it's windy and cold with a wind advisory with gusts expected up to 45 mph up until tomorrow at 6 pm. Happy Winter Solstice to all of you!


Angie

I had a few dollars and neede (and wanted!) a few things from Rite Aid, so I wanted to share what I got there today with you.

I spent $68.08 and got the following:
12 silver ornaments for my tree: $1.99 (75% off!)
12 ft silver garland: $1.40 (also 75% off)
Kotex 18 ct ultra thin with wings: $3.99 (used $1 off coupon)
A tree skirt for my tree, really pretty too!: $3.24
Duracell 4 pk D batteries: on sale for $6.99 from $8.99 and I used a coupon for $1 off
Olay Total Effects tint of foundation face cream: on sale for $15.99 from $21.99!!!!
Crest Pro Health clean mint toothpaste with bonus Crest Pro Health mouth rinse for $4.29 (used $1 off coupon)
Halls Sugar free cough drops - buy one at $2.49, get one free
Charmin Basic 12 roll: $8.49 (used $2 off coupon, so I paid $6.49!)
Jergen's Ultra Healing Lotion for $4.29 (used $1 off coupon)
Soft Soap Nutra Oil Body wash: on sale for $2.99 (wait - I don't think they charged me the sale price! I have to call back up there tomorrow! MAN!!!!)
Listerine Fresh Burst mouthwash: $4.49 (also used $1.50 off coupon)
Body pouf for $2.99
Gift tags labels for Christmas: $1.86 (on sale - I think 50% off)
Bob's Candy canes- buy one at $1.59, get one free.
1 box of Christmas cards at $4.99, got 2 free!! (And I make cards! THE HORROR!!! I haven't taken the time to make them so I bought them! And I got them all out today too!!!!)
So I did pretty good huh?

But now I am upset that they didn't charge me the sale price! The sales change on Saturdays so I am definitely calling over there! There was a sign right under it saying how much it cost!

Anyway - catch any awesome deals this week? Have any to share? I think I will be taking a trip to the grocery store tomorrow - I will share my finds afterward!

Have a good one!

Angie

I'm back! That was fast, I know!!!

A few of you read my venting post that I posted on Dec. 4th and you encouraged me, and sympathized with me. I know that life is hard for most people right now, unless you are the CEO of a company, or a member of the Government, the rest of us are having a hard time...

Well the Christmas season is Not about money or spending it. It is about Jesus & HIS gift to the world... everlasting life. My children know this and they understand (I think) but we live in a pretty affluent area, so their friends all have things that they do not.

I grew up pretty nicely- my parents weren't rich, but I guess they were responsible because we had a nice house, and everything we needed, some things we WANTED, and we were only a one-income family.

Anyway, I mentioned how I wouldn't be able to get any gifts (personally) for my kids but I know resources in my area, so I utilize them. I signed up for gifts from a local agency, and I pick them up tomorrow.

I was able to get a few things for my children, due to belonging to Think Big with HP: they "pay" members in Amazon.com gift cards and I saved a few up to get my kids a few things. Hopefully they arrive today!

At work I am a secretary for a rather small Telecommunications company based in Chesapeake, Va. They do government contracts, so I work on Aberdeen Proving Ground here in MD. I support 42 men and 2 women. They are an eclectic bunch but I love them all in their own way.

Yesterday was our work Christmas "party" and I organized that, as well as a collection for our boss. We presented him with a handmade card (yay!!! Love handmade!!) with $250 in AMEX GC's, and $30 - the cash came from late donaters! Hehe...

Little did I know that the guys were organizing their own collection - for ME!! So they gave me $120, which I immediately deposited into the bank and went to Kmart.com to look at the prices of their outerwear, because my son has no coat, only jackets. I found him a nice coat for $29.99, and while I was there I figured I'd spend $50 to get free shipping, so I looked for one for Baby Girl - found one for her for $24.99!!! So I am happy about that.

My parents sent us some GC's too - $50 for Walmart for both of the kids, and $50 to Giant grocery store for me. Much needed & appreciated!!!

Tomorrow I pick up the gifts that were donated to us - hopefully Christmas will be good! No clue who we'll spend it with but as long as we are with loved ones, it will be a good one!

Have a great day!!

Angie

Good morning!

It's Friday! Yippee!!! My day off... I love it!!! I still wake up with the children on my day off but not as early as I do to go to work!

I have been meaning to post this since last Friday, but LIFE has gotten in the way!

Last Friday was a good day for me... I had found out on Thursday that I won the Land's End contest over at Momma in Flip Flops 2 (post on that to come soon!!!), and I was ecstatic! I got a choice of a duffel bag, a cashmere sweater, and something else, which has escaped my mind right now! I picked the cashmere sweater since it's been about 8 years since I had one! I can't afford cashmere on a single mother income!

On Friday I received the Garmin nuvi 200 that I had won back in September in an instant win game from Nationwide. (Review on that coming soon, it will be on my other blog Review It! By Angie, but I will post a link here as well.)

I also received the $50 in DC Lottery Scratch offs that I found out I won a fee weeks ago! I immediately scratched them all and won $49!!! So that was pretty cool!

I also received a birthday planning book that I didn't know that I won until I got it. That was a winning from Central Penn Parent newsletter, based in York County (I think) in Pennsylvania.

So all in all it was a good day. Soon I will be posting about the Land End's sweater but I can't do that on my mobile as I need to add Momma in Flip Flops 2's button as well as a permalink, and that's VERY difficult to do on a cell! (No copy and paste!)

I hope you all are having a great week and preparations are going well for your Christmas plans!

God bless,
Angie

Hi! Over at www.craftsbykim.blogspot.com, she's giving away some awesome Christmas blog candy! Be sure to tell her I sent you!!!!

Good luck!

Angie

Hi all,

This is a serious post, so sit down with your favorite cuppa, and let me tell you MY STORY.

When I was younger, like most of us, I made some bad choices. I am still trying to figure out why. The sad reality is that I may never know...

When I was 16 years old I married a man who was abusive to me. Why? Because I wanted to get out of my parents' house. Because I felt that they were too strict... my bedtime was 9 pm, I couldn't go certain places with friends, etc.

Boy, was I stupid.

I stayed with him two months. Yup, a whole two months until he went to jail for beating up a previous girlfriend.

A year later, I was back in the same situation, but with a different man. This one was mentally, verbally, and physically abusive, and almost kicked me in my stomach when I was 8 months pregnant. He did punch me in the face that night too, but I fought back on that one. "Don't you EVER punch me in the face!!!"

I stayed with him for four years and two children later. Why? Again, I don't know... I guess I was young, stupid, scared, whatever you call it... I was co-dependent.

This guy was bad news from day 1. From the alcohol and drug abuse to not keeping a job, he did nothing for me. Finally, when my daughter was about to be born, social services was called because we had been living in a house with no electric.

That was the best thing that could have happened to me.

I had my Social Worker contact the local battered women's shelter and I went to move there. That was very hard for me. I had been on my own since I was 16 and I was, at that point, 22. I was used to my rules, doing what I wanted when I wanted...

I moved into the shelter and they make you write down goals. And once you accomplish a goal, you have to replace it with another. That was great discipline for me!

In 3 months I had my GED, had registered for the local community college, and was working. Yes, there were tough times but I learned a lot, both through my experiences and through the women I met.

I can never replace that experience.

And I wouldn't want to.

One thing I noticed is that the domestic violence laws are very lax. Get a restraining order - they break it with no regard. Sometimes they kill you. About 2 years ago here in the MD/DC/VA area, a woman was burned by her estranged husband at her job by gasoline. He walked right into her job, doused her with gasoline, and lit a match. I will never forget when I saw that on the news.

Luckily he was sentenced but she will forever be disfigured, and I'm sure, emotionally scarred, from her life with him.

Also, the lack of shelters for abused people (this includes men because they are victims sometimes also!) in this area especially. Most women will not leave because they don't know where or who to turn to.

I plan to change this by opening a shelter... not sure when or how but that is a goal for me.

Your thoughts? Please share!

Angie

I want (NEED!!!!) to win this package soooo bad that I am entering MOST of the blogs hosting the HP Magic Giveaway!
So far, I've entered 8 and this post will be for my 9th entry and tomorrow (since it's 2 am Saturday night!) I will email another entry (#10).

So you can see how bad I want (NEED!!!) this!

First thank you to all the bloggers, and the sponsors of the giveaway! This post in particular is for Techie Diva's blog - found here:
Http://www,techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/

I would love to win this for these reasons:
Back in Feb. 2008, I had a leak from my bathroom that leaked through the ceiling right onto my custom-built pc, ruining my 8-in-1 drive that houses USB ports, and various media card readers. Not until recently did I know that it also harmed my power supply, making my pc virtually pointless to have.
I'm a single mom and can't afford to have it fixed right now.
So, since I have children, and my 7th grade son constantly needs to use a pc to type papers, do research, or write reports, I always have to take him to the library or to friends' houses to use the pc. This is getting to be very time consuming & frustrating.
I am also a computer junkie. I love gadgets. I could replace the power supply myself but again is the money issue...
So to get my internet fix outside of work, which blocks all social networking, to include blogs, I have to use my Sidekick cell phone, which causes cramping & continuous battery charging!

If I were to win this package I would share it with the following people/organizations:
1 - my sister-in-law and brother, whose pc was stolen a couple of months ago. They had never backed up their pc so they lost tons of photos of their daughters and MP3s.

2 - about 10 years ago I was in a tight spot & had to go live at a battered women's shelter for about a year. I will give back by sharing part of this package with them.

I really hope to win one of these packages!!! I'm praying!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Angie

I want (NEED!!!!) to win this package soooo bad that I am entering MOST of the blogs hosting the HP Magic Giveaway!
So far, I've entered 8 and this post will be for my 9th entry and tomorrow (since it's 2 am Saturday night!) I will email another entry (#10).

So you can see how bad I want (NEED!!!) this!

First thank you to all the bloggers, and the sponsors of the giveaway! This post in particular is for Techie Diva's blog - found here:
Http://www,techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/

I would love to win this for these reasons:
Back in Feb. 2008, I had a leak from my bathroom that leaked through the ceiling right onto my custom-built pc, ruining my 8-in-1 drive that houses USB ports, and various media card readers. Not until recently did I know that it also harmed my power supply, making my pc virtually pointless to have.
I'm a single mom and can't afford to have it fixed right now.
So, since I have children, and my 7th grade son constantly needs to use a pc to type papers, do research, or write reports, I always have to take him to the library or to friends' houses to use the pc. This is getting to be very time consuming & frustrating.
I am also a computer junkie. I love gadgets. I could replace the power supply myself but again is the money issue...
So to get my internet fix outside of work, which blocks all social networking, to include blogs, I have to use my Sidekick cell phone, which causes cramping & continuous battery charging!

If I were to win this package I would share it with the following people/organizations:
1 - my sister-in-law and brother, whose pc was stolen a couple of months ago. They had never backed up their pc so they lost tons of photos of their daughters and MP3s.

2 - about 10 years ago I was in a tight spot & had to go live at a battered women's shelter for about a year. I will give back by sharing part of this package with them.

I really hope to win one of these packages!!! I'm praying!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Angie

I want (NEED!!!!) to win this package soooo bad that I am entering MOST of the blogs hosting the HP Magic Giveaway!
So far, I've entered 8 and this post will be for my 9th entry and tomorrow (since it's 2 am Saturday night!) I will email another entry (#10).

So you can see how bad I want (NEED!!!) this!

First thank you to all the bloggers, and the sponsors of the giveaway! This post in particular is for Techie Diva's blog - found here:
Http://www,techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/

I would love to win this for these reasons:
Back in Feb. 2008, I had a leak from my bathroom that leaked through the ceiling right onto my custom-built pc, ruining my 8-in-1 drive that houses USB ports, and various media card readers. Not until recently did I know that it also harmed my power supply, making my pc virtually pointless to have.
I'm a single mom and can't afford to have it fixed right now.
So, since I have children, and my 7th grade son constantly needs to use a pc to type papers, do research, or write reports, I always have to take him to the library or to friends' houses to use the pc. This is getting to be very time consuming & frustrating.
I am also a computer junkie. I love gadgets. I could replace the power supply myself but again is the money issue...
So to get my internet fix outside of work, which blocks all social networking, to include blogs, I have to use my Sidekick cell phone, which causes cramping & continuous battery charging!

If I were to win this package I would share it with the following people/organizations:
1 - my sister-in-law and brother, whose pc was stolen a couple of months ago. They had never backed up their pc so they lost tons of photos of their daughters and MP3s.

2 - about 10 years ago I was in a tight spot & had to go live at a battered women's shelter for about a year. I will give back by sharing part of this package with them.

I really hope to win one of these packages!!! I'm praying!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Angie

I want (NEED!!!!) to win this package soooo bad that I am entering MOST of the blogs hosting the HP Magic Giveaway!
So far, I've entered 8 and this post will be for my 9th entry and tomorrow (since it's 2 am Saturday night!) I will email another entry (#10).

So you can see how bad I want (NEED!!!) this!

First thank you to all the bloggers, and the sponsors of the giveaway! This post in particular is for Techie Diva's blog - found here:
Http://www,techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/

I would love to win this for these reasons:
Back in Feb. 2008, I had a leak from my bathroom that leaked through the ceiling right onto my custom-built pc, ruining my 8-in-1 drive that houses USB ports, and various media card readers. Not until recently did I know that it also harmed my power supply, making my pc virtually pointless to have.
I'm a single mom and can't afford to have it fixed right now.
So, since I have children, and my 7th grade son constantly needs to use a pc to type papers, do research, or write reports, I always have to take him to the library or to friends' houses to use the pc. This is getting to be very time consuming & frustrating.
I am also a computer junkie. I love gadgets. I could replace the power supply myself but again is the money issue...
So to get my internet fix outside of work, which blocks all social networking, to include blogs, I have to use my Sidekick cell phone, which causes cramping & continuous battery charging!

If I were to win this package I would share it with the following people/organizations:
1 - my sister-in-law and brother, whose pc was stolen a couple of months ago. They had never backed up their pc so they lost tons of photos of their daughters and MP3s.

2 - about 10 years ago I was in a tight spot & had to go live at a battered women's shelter for about a year. I will give back by sharing part of this package with them.

I really hope to win one of these packages!!! I'm praying!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Angie

I want (NEED!!!!) to win this package soooo bad that I am entering MOST of the blogs hosting the HP Magic Giveaway!
So far, I've entered 8 and this post will be for my 9th entry and tomorrow (since it's 2 am Saturday night!) I will email another entry (#10).

So you can see how bad I want (NEED!!!) this!

First thank you to all the bloggers, and the sponsors of the giveaway! This post in particular is for Techie Diva's blog - found here:
Http://www,techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/

I would love to win this for these reasons:
Back in Feb. 2008, I had a leak from my bathroom that leaked through the ceiling right onto my custom-built pc, ruining my 8-in-1 drive that houses USB ports, and various media card readers. Not until recently did I know that it also harmed my power supply, making my pc virtually pointless to have.
I'm a single mom and can't afford to have it fixed right now.
So, since I have children, and my 7th grade son constantly needs to use a pc to type papers, do research, or write reports, I always have to take him to the library or to friends' houses to use the pc. This is getting to be very time consuming & frustrating.
I am also a computer junkie. I love gadgets. I could replace the power supply myself but again is the money issue...
So to get my internet fix outside of work, which blocks all social networking, to include blogs, I have to use my Sidekick cell phone, which causes cramping & continuous battery charging!

If I were to win this package I would share it with the following people/organizations:
1 - my sister-in-law and brother, whose pc was stolen a couple of months ago. They had never backed up their pc so they lost tons of photos of their daughters and MP3s.

2 - about 10 years ago I was in a tight spot & had to go live at a battered women's shelter for about a year. I will give back by sharing part of this package with them.

I really hope to win one of these packages!!! I'm praying!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Angie

Okay... if you know me and have stopped by to read my blog, or if you just ran across my blog, please note that I am not asking for help or for sympathy! I just need to get some things off of my chest!

Here it is, December 4th. 21 days until Christmas. Now I know that Christmas is about Jesus & His birth, not the commercial holiday it is now.
But, since I am a single mom of 3 (even though one does not live with me), how do u tell them that they don't need any gifts?

Life in my household is extremely difficult right now. I have no money for anything right now, not money to pay most of my bills or even put food on the table, let alone gifts.

A lot of this I blame on the government. The cost of gas/electric (including petroleum) is kicking my butt! Here in Maryland, our electric was deregulated back in the 90s but price increases were capped until recently. We who live here have seen our electric bills rise by 75%! That means for those of us who used to pay $150 a month are now paying substantially more. My electric bill typically runs from $300-400 anymore, and most of the day no one is in my house! And my computer is dead so even that is not sucking up the electricity.

In the past three weeks I have had to put $900 (approximately) into my vehicle, because I need it to get back & forth to work.
And guess what?! I still have about $300 in repairs that I need to do to my car!

I am behind on my rent, my electric, and my house phone got turned off today. I have no food in the house.

I will utilize the resources that are available to me, hopefully they can help.

I really need to win a computer! My goal is to offset my income with doing a little bit of work here at home when I am able. Plus I enjoy technology and love computers! I currently review products for a few sites, as well as take surveys and do paid emails, but so far, they don't amount to much. I hope to join the Family Review Network soon - I applied for that 2 days ago. (Pray I get picked please!)

I would also love to guest blog and be a moderator, since I love to write! (That journalism class in High School WILL pay off - I am determined in this!)

Part of the reason my financial situation is so bad is that I pay $600 out of my checks each month for medical insurance. My company picked some really crappy stuff and they don't put much into it. I also pay a couple hundred a month for Child Support for the child who does not live with me. I just contacted my local DSS to talk to them about letting me cancel this policy due to the impact it is having on my finances. I can get it cheaper from an individual rep! I checked into it last year but never heard back from DSS.

Oh and get this - I have 3 kids and only get support for ONE! And even that is "whenever"... he is currently in arrears by $1400, give or take. But if it were me, they'd lock me up!!!

So yeah... this is a very rough time for us this year. It always is. I don't even want to put up the tree but I feel bad that I didn't last year, so I will this year.

So for now I keep praying to do the following:
1 - win as many gifts as possible
2 - win a pc
3 - let the local radio station that is helping people with child support arrears help me out! (Hint hint 92Q - 92.3 WERQ Baltimore & the Rickey Smiley show!)
4 - pray, pray, pray
5 - hope my children "understand".

Thanks for listening... everyone needs a shoulder to cry on!

Angie