Late Father's Day Post

I have to give a shout out to my amazing husband, who has just been working himself thin to make sure his family, us, have all we need and things we want.

He is a wonderful dad, so patient and kind.  So generous and understanding.  Just so gifted in his people skills.  I tell him all the time, he is a better parent than I am, especially when it comes to how he handles the kids.

I know Father's day already passed like a month ago, but I still just had to post this.  It goes without saying that everyday is father's day and he is appreciated and doted upon more than once a year.  But this year we did make sure to shower him with special gifts, like a bottle of wine and a t-shirt saying #1 Dad.  And we all went out to dinner as a family to celebrate his special day.  So even though Father's day officially did pass, this post is still right on time because no matter what time of year, it's always dad's day around here.

Buying A Car In Costa Rica

Buying a car in Costa Rica is a B*%&*$!  It's a beast!  I cannot believe how hard it is to actually buy a car here, I just wanna rip my eyes out and weep.

So we have been needing a bigger (newer) and better car for a while now.  Once we got pregnant with our fourth child, we knew my Hubby's 5 passenger Honda Civic sedan was not going to be roomy enough for our large family.  We needed something bigger but affordable and also reliable as well.

We started researching and looking into the cars we wanted about the time we had our baby, who is about to turn 3 in a matter of weeks, so we have been searching for a good deal on a car for a long while.  Mind you, we were not really in a position at that time to actually physically purchase a newer car, but we wanted to make sure we did our research.  We knew what kind of vehicle we wanted and around how much we could afford to pay each month.  Plus we factored in a rough estimate of how much we would need for a down payment.  We also knew in order to buy a newer car, we needed to sell our old one.

So in order to sell our car, we knew it needed some work.  After taking our sweet time (after of course getting the funds in order), we finally sent our car to the mechanic for the second time in about  7 months to get it ready for the sale.

In our wildest dreams we never thought how quickly our car would sell.  We purposely priced it competitively (which means below market value, like, way below) because we knew it still needed some cosmetic touches and body work.  In just under 24 hours, our car was sold.  Now we could move onto the next step of seriously looking into purchasing our newer vehicle.

So we knew exactly what we needed in a car.  We needed room for our entire family.  We needed comfort, which meant we needed air conditioning in our new car.  We needed automatic and this was a requirement for me.  And we needed something a bit newer, made in the 2000's.  So we started our search again.

We really only looked mainly at cars we were familiar with and brands we knew we could trust, mainly Honda and Toyota.  We thought the best vehicles to suit our families needs would be either the Honda Pilot or Odyssey, both 7 passenger vehicles with loads of space.  We knew these cars came at a premium price and so in order to actually afford either car, we would have to buy used, like at least 8-10 years old to be exact.  But then something happened unexpected.  Someone told hubby about a 7 passenger vehicle that was roomy enough for our family but less expensive than a Honda and we could get a newer model, like 2015.  It was the Suzuki Ertiga.

Never heard of the Ertiga? Yyou are not alone.  I had never heard of it either.  But now that I know about it, I see them everywhere.  We went to check out the Ertiga and we fell in love.  Now, Suzuki is a good brand and we are familiar with the company so no worries there.  We were impressed with the car itself as well.  Though not as roomy or spacious as a Honda Pilot or Odyssey, it has more than enough room for our family.  The trunk space is little tight, well, a lot tight but it works.

And the best part is for the same price we would pay for a 2008 Pilot or Odyssey, we can get a 2015 Ertiga.  We were ecstatic.  Where do we sign up?!!

I did a ton of research online about the Ertiga to make sure we were buying the right car for our family.  Looks are nice but we needed a reliable and safe vehicle as well.  After all my time on google and Youtube, I was ready to sign and buy our new car.  Halt! Stop! Brakes! Not so fast!  The buying process in Costa Rica is SO MUCH DIFFERENT than it is in the states.  We were so not prepared for what happened next.

With a $2000 down payment in hand (which we thought for sure was enough) and my Hubby's excellent credit, we headed off to the dealership to buy our 2015 Suzuki Ertiga.  As we got excited about having all the paperwork and finally being able to get our car we were blindsided to find out we needed $4000 for a 2015 semi-used car.  WHAT!!!!!  Are they insane?  Costa Rica is a third world country.  Why do they make it so difficult to buy a car???  We were devastated.  We thought for sure we would be walking out of the dealership with a newer car.

Come to find out, you cannot buy a car here without a downpayment and most places, if not all, ask for 25% down on a used vehicle.  We were clueless to this newfound information as we had newer bought such a new car in Costa Rica before through a dealership.  Now, deflated and a little confused, we have to figure out what to do as far as getting our car.  The Ertiga we were about to purchase was the only one the dealership had in their possession and who knows how long they'll get another 2015 Ertiga automatic for that price.  Without that $4000 downpayment, we lost out on our car.

Lesson here:  do ALL your research and don't just assume, like I did.  But there is something positive that came out of all of this.  We are now pretty much debt free and that means hubby's excellent credit just went up a few notches.  That will make it even easier for him to get a loan (again), which we will probably need in order to get the car we want.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to get our newer car in the next month, so stayed tuned.

Buying A Car In Costa Rica

Buying a car in Costa Rica is a B*%&*$!  It's a beast!  I cannot believe how hard it is to actually buy a car here, I just wanna rip my eyes out and weep.

So we have been needing a bigger (newer) and better car for a while now.  Once we got pregnant with our fourth child, we knew my Hubby's 5 passenger Honda Civic sedan was not going to be roomy enough for our large family.  We needed something bigger but affordable and also reliable as well.

We started researching and looking into the cars we wanted about the time we had our baby, who is about to turn 3 in a matter of weeks, so we have been searching for a good deal on a car for a long while.  Mind you, we were not really in a position at that time to actually physically purchase a newer car, but we wanted to make sure we did our research.  We knew what kind of vehicle we wanted and around how much we could afford to pay each month.  Plus we factored in a rough estimate of how much we would need for a down payment.  We also knew in order to buy a newer car, we needed to sell our old one.

So in order to sell our car, we knew it needed some work.  After taking our sweet time (after of course getting the funds in order), we finally sent our car to the mechanic for the second time in about  7 months to get it ready for the sale.

In our wildest dreams we never thought how quickly our car would sell.  We purposely priced it competitively (which means below market value, like, way below) because we knew it still needed some cosmetic touches and body work.  In just under 24 hours, our car was sold.  Now we could move onto the next step of seriously looking into purchasing our newer vehicle.

So we knew exactly what we needed in a car.  We needed room for our entire family.  We needed comfort, which meant we needed air conditioning in our new car.  We needed automatic and this was a requirement for me.  And we needed something a bit newer, made in the 2000's.  So we started our search again.

We really only looked mainly at cars we were familiar with and brands we knew we could trust, mainly Honda and Toyota.  We thought the best vehicles to suit our families needs would be either the Honda Pilot or Odyssey, both 7 passenger vehicles with loads of space.  We knew these cars came at a premium price and so in order to actually afford either car, we would have to buy used, like at least 8-10 years old to be exact.  But then something happened unexpected.  Someone told hubby about a 7 passenger vehicle that was roomy enough for our family but less expensive than a Honda and we could get a newer model, like 2015.  It was the Suzuki Ertiga.

Never heard of the Ertiga? Yyou are not alone.  I had never heard of it either.  But now that I know about it, I see them everywhere.  We went to check out the Ertiga and we fell in love.  Now, Suzuki is a good brand and we are familiar with the company so no worries there.  We were impressed with the car itself as well.  Though not as roomy or spacious as a Honda Pilot or Odyssey, it has more than enough room for our family.  The trunk space is little tight, well, a lot tight but it works.

And the best part is for the same price we would pay for a 2008 Pilot or Odyssey, we can get a 2015 Ertiga.  We were ecstatic.  Where do we sign up?!!

I did a ton of research online about the Ertiga to make sure we were buying the right car for our family.  Looks are nice but we needed a reliable and safe vehicle as well.  After all my time on google and Youtube, I was ready to sign and buy our new car.  Halt! Stop! Brakes! Not so fast!  The buying process in Costa Rica is SO MUCH DIFFERENT than it is in the states.  We were so not prepared for what happened next.

With a $2000 down payment in hand (which we thought for sure was enough) and my Hubby's excellent credit, we headed off to the dealership to buy our 2015 Suzuki Ertiga.  As we got excited about having all the paperwork and finally being able to get our car we were blindsided to find out we needed $4000 for a 2015 semi-used car.  WHAT!!!!!  Are they insane?  Costa Rica is a third world country.  Why do they make it so difficult to buy a car???  We were devastated.  We thought for sure we would be walking out of the dealership with a newer car.

Come to find out, you cannot buy a car here without a downpayment and most places, if not all, ask for 25% down on a used vehicle.  We were clueless to this newfound information as we had newer bought such a new car in Costa Rica before through a dealership.  Now, deflated and a little confused, we have to figure out what to do as far as getting our car.  The Ertiga we were about to purchase was the only one the dealership had in their possession and who knows how long they'll get another 2015 Ertiga automatic for that price.  Without that $4000 downpayment, we lost out on our car.

Lesson here:  do ALL your research and don't just assume, like I did.  But there is something positive that came out of all of this.  We are now pretty much debt free and that means hubby's excellent credit just went up a few notches.  That will make it even easier for him to get a loan (again), which we will probably need in order to get the car we want.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to get our newer car in the next month, so stayed tuned.

Trying To Lose It All

I had made a new years resolution with myself, sort of, to lose weight.  I missed how I looked before I got pregnant for the fourth time and wanted to get my body back.  But there was a big problem.  I had NO motivation.  I was in no mood to exercise.  And dieting is just not a part of my mentality.  So how was I going to lose the baby weight and then some?  Well, I got sick.

How did getting sick spark a weight loss journey you ask?  Well, I was sick and a little on the down side after my phone got stolen, so my appetite was not really at it's peak like it usually is.  So I lost a few pounds.  That was all the motivation I needed.  I knew I had to at least start eating more sensibly and cut back on all the late night snacking if I wanted to take this weight loss seriously.  If I could curb my appetite without feeling deprived, the weight would disappear without me even having to sweat, literally.

So I started eating more sensibly, less snacking.  And stopped eating after 7pm which, for me, is a big weight loss factor.  I was finally fitting into jeans I was not able to fit into for the last 3 years.  It felt good being able to wear the clothes I wanted to wear and actually look good in them.  I no longer had to 'hide'.  My stomach is flatter.  My thighs are slimmer.  My arms even look more sleek and toned.  Now, I know I will eventually have to start doing some sort of exercise a few days a week in order to stay on this path but for now, I am happy with the results from just eating better.

Hopefully I can keep this up, without going overboard.  I only need to be at around 130-135 to be happy and to fit all my clothes, with having to get a whole new wardrobe.  Anything less than that and I might start looking anorexic again.  That is why I am slowly building up to the exercise part of my weight loss journey.  Once I am happy with how my body is, and I am pretty happy right now, I can maybe start walking two days a week just to keep the weight off and to kick start a healthier lifestyle.  Eventually, I'll be my old self again with the confidence to boot.

And Another One

Did I mention how I've been sleeping lately?  Well, let me tell you... I have been sleeping wonderfully!  Wanna know why?  Because I stopped breastfeeding, that's why.  Who knew that the two were so closely related.   All the while I thought having my baby/toddler in my bed in close proximity would help me sleep better, it was just the exact opposite.  While I had me breastfeeding toddler in bed with me, I was waking up 2 to 3 times a night just so he could suckle.  It did not make for the best am's.

Soon after I stopped breastfeeding my *whispers* almost 3 year old,  Hubby and I decided that it was also time for him to move to his own room and sleep in his own bed, on his own!  Best decision we made on that front.  Not only did he sleep the entire night without so much as a peep but he woke up in the best mood ever.  It has been about a week and a half now since he started sleeping his own bed in his own room and he continues to sleep through the night and wake up cheery and bright eyed each morning.  I am still on cloud nine in disbelieve.  If I had know this was how it could have been, I would have transitioned him months ago.

Now, granted, there is a catch to this fairytale.  I still have to lie with him in my bed in my room at first to get his to fall asleep, which most nights that process takes roughly about 5 to 10 minutes tops.  But he won't actually go to bed on his own.  He still needs the comforts of mommy to fall asleep, which I am OK with for now.  Eventually, however, it would be ideal for him to have a set bedtime where he knows that is it time for bed and goes sleep in his own bed straight away.  I know we'll get there, hopefully soon.

But now however, I am just relishing in the fact that he actually sleeps in his own bed at night in his room and is sleeping soundly through the night.  That is more than enough for me so  I'll take it.

A New Obsession

Hello, my name is Carina and I am a planner-holic.  Yes, y'all.  I LOVE to plan.  Do I need to go to a  planners anonymous meeting or something?

Ok, all joking aside, I am so obsessed with planning right now it's not even funny.   To be honest, planning is not a new thing for me.  I have been planning and have been in love with planning and daily planners since my days in high school when I got my very first planner, a bad-ass franklin Covey.  Since I started planning my days and making plans in a planner I have not looked back.  That was eons ago.

What has become my new obsession, however, is planner decoration and decorating in my planner with 'planner' stickers.  It has become a new craze I guess, as I just discovered planer decorating this year and dove in full force.  There are videos on youtube solely dedicated to planners, planning and planner decorating.  You have your 'Plan With Me' videos, 'Planner Sticker Haul' videos, and 'Planner Review and Unboxing' videos, among others.  And Etsy, the website that promotes self employment for many small business owners, has exploded with sticker shops solely dedicated to selling stickers, accessories, clips and the like for your planners.

Now, I have yet to delve into the world of Etsy... those stickers can get expensive.  But I did get smart (after figuring this out a few months ago), and started printing off free planner stickers off the internet onto sticker paper.  I get the satisfaction of getting cute, fun, pretty and functional stickers to plan with in my planner yet it cost only a fraction of what I would have to pay if I ordered from Etsy.  Granted, I have to cut out the stickers myself as I don't have a cricut or silhouette, which apparently is what a lot of planner girls who go the DIY sticker route use, but I am fine with that.

But the obsession is real you guys.  So real, I had to force myself not to get on Google anymore to look for or print off any new free printable planner stickers.  It is just so hard to resist.  When I first started planner decorating, I was using the stickers you get from the stores and a few that came with my planner.  I was a novice.  but the more I got into watching the planner videos, the more I wanted those stickers those ladies would use.  Their planners were hooked up and I wanted that.

I am not so hard core where I  decorate every inch of space with stickers as some ladies do, but my planner has defiantly gotten bulkier with the amount of stickers I have started using.  I have over a 100 sticker sheets at the moment and a sticker to mark just about everything and every occasion:  got a birthday?  I have a sticker for that!  Need to mop  the floors? I got a sticker for that!! Time to blog? I have a sticker for that!!! Time to plan... yes I have a sticker for that also!!!!  It is just too mush fun.

Also, not to mention the cathartic feeling I get when I am planning.  I can spend hours planning out my week, selecting the right stickers and decorations for each day.  Plus, I like having things written down as it helps me to not forget.  Daily plans are planned for the heck of it but appointments, meetings and the like are planned out of necessity.  If it's important, it goes in my planner.  Not to mention, planning is a good way to look back on your life, so to speak, and see what you were doing at that particular moment in time down to the day and sometimes even the hour.

So, yes, I am a planner girl at heart and have been for a long time.  But now I am a planner girl who loves to decorate as well and it feels (and looks) so good.