Balance… Where Are You?
Do you every have those days? You know, those days! You wake up in the morning and your hair seems a little more out of whack than usual. Your kiddos are screaming about the cereal they want for breakfast… the cereal that’s gone. You see, the box is still sitting in the pantry, but it’s empty. I don’t know why, but those empty boxes in the pantry annoy me… BIG time! (I still love ya, honey!)
The morning continues to unfold in a way that’s not so inviting… making you want to head back to bed. Yes, that has been my morning! Sounds like fun, huh?!
Lots of you email asking me how I do it all. Well, the thing is, I don’t! My life is NOT always balanced perfectly (or is it ever?), but I’m trying my best everyday and that’s all I can do. I know that when I’m more organized in every aspect of life, I feel a lot better. I’m guessing lots of you feel the same way, so that brings me to this new upcoming monthly challenge I will be starting May 1st. This challenge will help us all to streamline our lives…. from meal planning to organizing your coupons to cleaning to taking time for yourself and much more. There will be lots of giveaways, weekly challenges, guest posts, so stay tuned for lots of fun …and maybe a little work ;)!
Alright, so before we begin this upcoming challenge, what would you like to see?! Do you struggle finding time in your life to do everything? Is there something you’d like to incorporate into your daily routine? Please let us know in the comment section. I may even include some of your ideas in the upcoming monthly challenge!
Glad to see that I am not the only one that feels out of whack most days….what I would like to see is how to organize all of these great deals in a VERY limited amout of space. And easy dinner suggestions- that is the one thing I hate the most is trying to figure out what to make for dinner. DH and teenager are of no help.
Along with everyone else I would love to see meal planning tips and what should be good pantry staples for healthy homecooking…Plus I am a nurse and work 12.5 hour shifts and though I only work 3 days a week I feel like life is sucked right outta me…I work days and nights on no special schedule so I am not used to just one shift and have trouble figuring in an exercise routine along w/ my 4 years olds school.soccer schedule, time w/ family, cleaning and organizing, me time, honey time and I’m going back to school in may, plus I am getting married in October and getting those last 20 lbs off is important….HELp I’m pooped!!!
I love this whole coupon thing. I am just stressed trying to keep up with all the stacks that I see laying around everywhere. I’m trying to figure out a different way of clipping my coupons, and planning out meals. With three kids…2 of them being teenagers ( and 1 will graduate next month) that is something else I’m trying to keep up with. Also, I have Lupus plus many other autoimmune diseases so needless to say I really have to find the strength and energy to do what is a simple task for the next person. I keep hanging in there, but any advice on making couponing easier, and planning out meals etc.. would be great. THANK YOU ALL!
You could recruit the older ones to help cut coupons! When my hubby helps out it seems to fly by! Plus we have time to talk about our day with no tv, cells phones, ect. 🙂
Christy, (and Collin if you read this!)
I think I may be the ONLY one who does not actually ‘clip’ my coupons…Okay, let me clarify. I DO clip some, but ONLY what I am going to go to the store and buy. Does that make sense. Here is a little scenario that I hope makes sense and helps. When the paper comes out on Sunday, I will pull the inserts and write the date out on the front like 4/25 and then they go into a manilla folder Behind the last dated insert. Are you with me so far? Usually by then Collin has put out her scenarios for deals, savings, etc. on her blog according to what the stores have so I go through her blog mostly on Mondays (and this can take a couple times depending on what is going on, etc. may have to stop/start that kind of thing due to kids, life-whatever) but basically that is how I line up my shopping. I look at all the things listed and ‘see’ if it is something I am needing or will need/can use in the very near future and then I go to the link she has on there (if there is one for an additional coupon) then I go to the particular insert and find the specific coupon. I have a small notebook that I jot this info down on and stick the coupons in there and then once I have all my deals jotted down, I am off to the store or ‘fit it in’ when I am out. I am very, very fortunate in that I have a Wags, CVS and a Rite Aid all basically on one block/area. A Publix sits adjacent there too, so Wow! I feel totally spoiled. I think I came into this on my own b/c I knew from the start I did not have time to cut all the coupons out from the inserts each week. And I always have my inserts to reference back to. When the expiration date nears or has past, I just clean it out; often creating a recycle box and once that is full, go down to the closest recycle place. This might sound like a lot, but it works for me and really does not take a lot of time. Honestly too, I think we as Moms should look at this whole process as how to streamline it b/c it should really be a small part of our day but one of the most important b/c it impacts us so much. I check Collin’s site a few times a day. But I am on then I am off. I like to fill out sample forms, etc. but some days, I just don’t have time or bother. Nothing against it, just have other priorities to do and attend to. I hope this has helped! Oh, I also sometimes take a thin pink, see-through leaflet that I poke reg. coupons in when I go to Wal-mart. I look ahead and see what I am going to use and often that is what is in the binder. But it is simple. 😉
I have tried the method that keeps the coupons intact until you need them, but what about when you are at the grocery store and you see a great unadvertised deal??? Do you spend hours looking through all of your inserst for that coupon??????
I do the same as BamaVicki, and no, I don’t spend hours going through inserts looking for a coupon after seeing a great deal on something. I just do a quick search for whatever coupon I’m looking for on Hot Coupon World, A Full Cup, or Coupon Mom.
Likewise, I don’t freak out if I see a good deal in a store for which I don’t have a coupon. I clip coupons for items I regularly buy, for items that I know are usually moneymakers, and for items that I need. If I run into an awesome clearance find and I don’t have a coupon, I don’t worry too much about it. My stockpile’s sufficient, so if I didn’t cut the coupon, I probably didn’t need it anyway. If I decide I do want it, I’ll clip the coupon when I get home and check the store next time I’m there. Once you have a reasonable stockpile, missing a clearance deal isn’t the end of the world. I know another will come along–and oftentimes, a better deal!
What do you do when you get to the store and see items clearanced, on sale or price cut and you didnt know about those items? Do you go home and get those specific coupons and go back or do you just pass up those deals? I live relativiely close to Kroger, Meijer, CVS, Rite Aid, Target and Walgreen they are all within a mile, and I find that it saves time and gas not to have to make multiple trips or take the risk of it being gone if I have to go back.
Would be cool to win something that makes it easier to “get ahead” on things that never seem to get done, chores and whatnot. I cannot seem to get “everything” finished, let alone organize my q’s. I feel like I could be saving so much more money, I find expired coupons for things I know I saw on sale. I just can’t keep it all straight with a part time job, full time school, a 4 year old, shopping, cleaning, couponing, etc. Let alone time to shower!! I don’t get “me time” EVER!! LOL! Unless you want to count the shower…that’s only when the hubby isn’t bugging me or the kid isn’t trying to get in LOL!! Hey…what about an energy gift basket…vitamins, coffee, toothpicks to hold your eyes open…
I can relate, I have the pt job, ft school, 4 kids all playing sports and in school activities and no matter how hard I triy to get everyone on the same page it never seems to work.
How about a post on peoples schedules for their day, including cleaning, shopping, and adding in how to fix and make dinner when you get home at 5:30 and when you have to run back out again at 6pm. But don’t want to keep throwing pb and j at your kids.
I think crockpot cooking is a miracle for those days where you only get home in enough time to actually eat. I always joke that my crockpot is my “cook” – it does all the work so I can come home from work and it’s made dinner 🙂
Time for myself? Does this exist? I am a mother of 5 children. Their ages are 15(girl), 11(boy), 9(girl), 5(boy) and 3 1/2(boy). 4 out of 5 play baseball/softball, they are very busy with after school functions, they go to church and always have something going on. I work about 30 hrs a week and my husband works about 60 hrs a week. I want to find time to excercise and go to the gym, more time to good better for you foods(we all know cooking good for you foods takes longer) and more time with my Boo! HELP!
I have 3 kiddos…one who is in school, one who is 2.5 and a 7 mths old ..I feel like once I clean up one mess, another one appears..my hubby works alot of hours and i do alot by myself and recently became a sahm.. No one naps on the same schedule. I meal plan alot and always have frezzer meals …lots of pasta with gravy (red sauce) , dinner is never a problem.it is just hard to get things done. and by the time all the kiddos are in bed and i showered i am beat and my hubby gets home..he wants to hang out and i want to pass out……
Much like Christi above, I love the ideas behind couponing, but am new to the whole concept and am having a hard time figuring out how to get organized, and how to plan meals from my coupons vs. coupons around my meals. I would love some advice from the experienced savers on organizing and planning.
I would also love to see a meal planning info section. I have 4 kids, work full time and that is always a struggle at the end of the day
I too struggle with the meal planning. How do you incorporate the things you are buying on sale that week into your meal planning?
Any info on organizing loose coupons would be great. I have them all over…the kitchen table, the desk, my dresser, my purse, the kitchen counter, buried under stuff. When I need them I can’t find them! P.S. My 13 year old still leaves empty boxes in the pantry!!!
i love my new accordian binder that I got from office depot…it looks like a purse! Then I used post it tabs and clear business card pages (10 pockets to a page) to organize within the folder slots. I have 7 store folders (CVS, Walgreens, Riteaid, Target, Kroger, Walmart, and Schnucks – local grocery), 1 folder for misc. or need to file coupons, and then the rest are labeled B-S for each category (Baby, Baking, Cans, Clean, Cereal, Drinks, Dairy, Entertainment, Frozen, Meat, Medicine, Pet, Personal, and Snacks). I then alphabitzed each category by writing with a magic marker on the clear business card pages on each pocket. Now when I need a Dove coupon, I just go to the “Personal” pages and go to the “D” pocket. It has worked great and I can find things so much faster when I find something on sale that I hadn’t planned on getting!
Boy! This has been sooooo interesting. I have read all the posts and it’s seems unbelieveable that we all have so much in common when it comes to taking care of family, home, etc. Collin, you did us good today! as every day! I think each one of us thought we were the only one in this situation. I know my kitchen table is laden with mail, catalogs, etc. and I thought I must be the only one. I think just being able to express our feelings today and share in this has helped us.
One thing of interest to me though and I’ve thought about this a lot since I found Collin’s site and others like hers (but hers is definitely the BEST!!), I know I spend wayyyyyyy too much time on her blog and others like it. How in the world though can we shorten that time and still get the information? I’ve often wondered how those of you that work and have several kids, how do you do it, spend time here and get anything done??? I enjoy reading the comments after most of the posts to see what others thought of the “deal”, was it worth it, has it expired already, etc. That is time consuming, but also timesaving because if we go to the deal and it’s not working or is no longer good because they were only giving to the first 3000 or whatever, that was a waste of time. But, all this time on the computer. I have had to take a day off from it here and there because I realized IT was controlling me. Don’t know how we can fix this one.
I am excited to see what Collin has in store for us. While waiting, those that are really bogged down, I would go check out the site that “Me” kept mentioning, flylady.com I went and took a peek and read the press releases from the lady’s site and it looks like she has some very tried and true ways of helping people get organized. I have already picked up some tips from some of you. And, that mealmakeover.com looks very helpful. That’s what’s so neat about our being able to express ourselves here. I hope Collin will be able to set up a place where we can share ideas and like someone else mentioned, a place where we can find out if any of us live near each other (remember the posts from Indiana and Florida-couldn’t believe how many people were from those areas on here). We could get together, do things with the kids, possibly set up taking turns babysitting so one at a time could have a day off (once people got to know each other well).
One more thing-about the lack of time for exercising, what about a walk with the kids in the evening after dinner, good exercise and a way to tire the kids down before bedtime (the fresh air is great for them). Also, people mentioned the wii-fit, I don’t know what they cost, but think it is probably expensive for some of us. There is also the Urban Rebounder (I mentioned it earlier) a little costly too, but can be done in your living room also and is more than just jumping up and down. I’ve seen it shown a lot on Home Shopping Network (was on this weekend). Of all the exercise gadgets they show on TV informercials, this one seems really legit. It is sturdy, can be used while watching your favorite TV shows 🙂 and can be hidden away when you’re not using it. They had it on sale for $99 which is also expensive for some of us. Can’t beat walking, no equipment, PRICELESS!!
There are ways for us to get organized, get rid of the feeling of being overwhelmed by everything, no matter how much time we have, whether we work inside or outside the home, no matter how many kids we have and SHARING is a great way of learning. Thanks so much, Collin, looking forward to what’s coming!!
I’m with you on all the time I spend couponing, reading the blogs, reading forums, organizing the coupons, planning the shopping trips, ordering coupons, going to a bunch of stores multiple times getting all the great deals, the organizing my stockpiles in my smaller apartment. It’s so time consuming! Theoretically I should spend less time researching on blogs/forums and just spend all my time on a couple stores/deals and only go to a couple of stores each week. But I find that so difficult! It’s really hard to do it in moderation and to know when to stop. You see all these great deals and you don’t want to pass them up. And I have improved at not chasing every deal and I’m still spending way too much time on it. I’ve read on Money Saving Mom several times that Crystal spends no more than an hour a week planning her shopping trips, and it makes me laugh out loud. There’s no way I could keep it down to an hour a week – it’s more like an hour a day for me!
Excited for May! I’ve gotten off the coupon track, and need to get back on. I would love to see that helps me simplify my home (clutter!), checkbook, etc. Some kind of organizing challenge would be great, or see who can get rid of the most unnecessary things in their home. Can’t wait to see what Collin has in store for us!
It would help me a HUGE amount to have recipes/meal plans to pair with items that can be found on sale or free with coupons. I love your May idea.
When my husband gets home from work we have dinner & we both get the kids ready for bed. then I leave to go shopping 2-3 times a week while he puts the kids in bed (again & again! 🙂 ) I do my coupon shopping then and maybe some clothing shopping once in a while. One night I spend 3 hours at the bookstore, kid-less!!… AAAAHHHHH!!! It works for us! He gets to watch his MMA fights etc… and I get me time, too. 🙂
For meal planning, I love using Saving Dinner books. And for home balance, I use FlyLady routines. Having said this, I don’t always have my meals done on time nor get all the cleaning finished for the week while chasing an 11-month old. But it sure keeps me on track!
Check out the FlyLady online. Amazing, makes sense, so helpful!
http://www.flylady.net
Thanks Amy, I mistakenly wrote flylady.com when it is flylady.net.
I’ve only noticed a few comments about all the time so many of us end up spending on Collin’s site and the other money saving and coupon sites trying to put deals together and gather coups and freebies.. I know that this time consuming activity IS keeping us from doing some of our other “chores” and activities. What are some of your feelings about this? I’d love to know how some of the rest of you deal with this as it has me torn. Any comments or ideas of how to limit time spent here, but still get what we need????
flylady is usually good for those that have an empty house all day. Other wise you never really get caught up. No one can keep a sink clean shiny and DRY if you have a house full of kids that need to wash their hands!!
It is time consuming too if you follow along, read all the comments, wait for the emails- it gets to be a lot of work.
My suggestion is to take some of the ideas you know will work for you and then set up your own cleaning system based on that but not check back for the daily stuff. It will save time!
I think I need a new system of organizing my coupons.. i am using an acordian envelope.. but it is getting too full! I have seen some others, but not really sure how they work.. i want to be able to fit it in my purse cuz I like to have them all with me in case I see a deal so I don’t have to go back.. any suggestions?
My house is never cleaned and my coupons never organized. I always feel overwhelmed and unorganized. I would love to feel better about the job I am doing at home and get excercise in during the day. And I only have a 20 month old I have no idea how full time working moms or moms of more than 1 do it!
I would love to see a mommy “confession” section…like Oprah did! Just funny stories of the things that help us live and learn and know no mom is perfect!
BTW…mom to 3 🙂
Collin, this is so exactly what God is convicting me of these days!! I found this GREAT blog called Inspired To Action – she has an ebook for free download that I highly recommend. Check it out: https://allaboarddeals.blogspot.com/2010/03/maximize-your-mornings-free-ebook.html
Also, I’m a big fan of putting things on paper…so here are two sites that might help:
-List Plan It (you can become an affiliate!) – here’s my link: https://9dcdec46tjs90jpavow9-02g-1.hop.clickbank.net/
-a post from another blog, Passionate Homemaking, on making a Home Journal: https://www.passionatehomemaking.com/?s=notebook
I hope these are helpful, Collin! I look forward to following along on this journey.
I would like to see some recipe ideas to go along with some current on sale deals for the week! My friend and I are about try meal swapping that I read about in the April All you magazine (love the magazine!). We are going to each take a few hours one day every two weeks and each make 5 meals – enough for her family and mine with each meal. We will freeze each meal. That way we each have 5 meals that I made and 5 meals that she made = 10 meals. Then we can just thaw, heat, and eat! We just have to sit down and figure out which meals will work for each family since her 3 kids are picky eaters and my 4yr old has food allergies.
Love any new ideas for anything…..
Easy meals that you can make in bulk and then freeze.
How do you organize?….ideas from others.
Family fun time…..cheap, easy, fun family ideas, themes etc.
How to …..”how to” anything!
Days of the week….do you have certain chores or activities each day that you do…laundry on mon & thursday, shop on Wed., Bills on Friday, etc.
Pamela,
even though this at my house are somewhat crazy with the 3 kiddos, by having each day with something to do….that has helped me so much. Laundry is done daily and of course the kitchen is cleaned after each use….like i mentioned, we always have something in freezer to eat and always have a frozen pizza just in case. here is my schedule
monday-downstairs …dusting and bathroom
tuesday-floors
wed-upstairs playroom and the kids room
thurs-upstairs bathroom
friday-vacum
also, have something to do each day…that has helped me also because when my hubby is home, we get to spend time as a family and i am not spending time cleaning….
i have been couponing for about 9 months and have redone my file several times. i now have a leather binder that looks like a photo album and i use baseball card pages and business card pages and have 15 sections. and this works well. i seem to spend so much time clipping and filing and keeping it organized, i find it hard to find the time to organize the coupons for special deals like at walgreens and such, it takes time to look at the sales and see if you have the coupons and get a plan together to use the RR or cvs bucks etc… i find it easier to go to our local publix. with working three days out of the week and having two 5 year old girls, i would love to just be organized to keep everything clean and actually cook good meals. lots of good ideas on here. we do all seem to share alot of concerns. you do a great job collin
As a full time working mom of 3, I also find that flylady’s routines help. Also, my sister gave me a good tip for organizing/clipping coupons. With multiple copies of the Sunday coupons, I tear them all apart and staple the “like” pages together on the actual coupons, being careful to avoid the bar codes and exp dates, then I just cut once for multiple coupons, and they “organize” so much easier in my box. (I use a shoe box with dividers – fits perfectly in one of those grocery “wine” bags w/ the dividers cut out 🙂 If you only need one coupon at the store, and multiples are stapled together, just peel the back one off.
As a full time working mom of 3, I also find that flylady’s routines help. Also, my sister gave me a good tip for organizing/clipping coupons. With multiple copies of the Sunday coupons, I tear them all apart and staple the “like” pages together on the actual coupons, being careful to avoid the bar codes and exp dates, then I just cut once for multiple coupons, and they “organize” so much easier in my box. (I use a shoe box with dividers – fits perfectly in one of those grocery “wine” bags w/ the dividers cut out 🙂 If you only need one coupon at the store, and multiples are stapled together, just peel the back one off.
Amen sisters!!!! I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one to feel unorganized (ADHD & OCD all in one!!!). I have a 3 month old and 2 year old, work full time and have a hubby in which I love to spend time with…..what about me? I’m new to couponing and love it. It is making a huge difference in our financial life, however it takes so much time, that I wonder if I am being a good mom to my kids. SO, couponing….that is my question – how can we streamline couponing to which it wil benefit us but not take up SO much time? Also Collin, how do we decide what coupons/deals to spend our time on? What do you do…how many stores do you frequent per week? I feel like a kid in a candy store and not sure which store to go first, etc…. I find myself going to 3 maybe 4 stores per week to score great deals. It is working , but MAN am I tired from shopping!! 🙂 (I never thought I would say that…ha ha ha).
As I read the posts, I see alot of you struggling to get alot done. There was an old poem I used to hang on fridge when I was younger. Said something like….cob webs and dust can wait til tomorrow. My kids grow up to fast much to my sorrow. As i get older too with cancer now. I have come to MORE so realize that the simple times were the best of times. Looking back, how I was too busy working or DOING that I didnt’ make enough time for others. A simple call to make grandma happy maybe. Even one little stem flower can brighten someones day with some words of kindness or encouragement. So make time…smell the roses…take a walk…hold hands…..look at the stars. Many of the best things in life are simple and FREE ! Get a wicker basket at garage sale or cheap fill it with things you saved money on. Take it to a friend and have fun with each other ! I although I dont’ know you all personally enjoy THIS site the best of ALL on the web !!!!!! Thanks !!
Well said and so true, Sandy. We should just do our best every day and not beat ourselves up all the time.
Saying that….. my top 3 sanity savers are:
1.Setting a time limit of 2 hours every weekend to clean the house and whatever gets done gets done and whatever doesn’t waits!
2.Making a weekly menu plan on Sunday . It saves so much time, money and stress throughout the week.
3.Cooking some rice and pasta on Sunday and having 2 weekday meals almost ready to eat. I freeze the rice as it reheats really well in the microwave. I almost always base my meals around the starch we are eating….rice, pasta, couscous, potatoes etc.
Hot Coupon & Quick Recipe match!!!!!!! Make my day!
YES!!! I need to better organize meals and chores. This last year has been difficult as now I am homeschooling an 11 year old, with two others in public school. As soon as the school year is over as a family we are going back to monthly meal plans. I remember when my children were small and I was part of MOPS and learned this system. As they’ve grown older with life’s challenges we’ve moved away from that. I know there’s alot of money to be saved by this idea. Not too mention changing a frustrating day teaching, along with a teenage daughter, into a calm “I know what’s for dinner” attitude!
My other plan is to have all chores written on 3×5 cards in a box. I’ve started this, but haven’t finished. I’ve grouped them according to daily, weekly, monthly, etc. I plan on having children pull their own cards and do the work required. I’m positive they will be on board, but I’ve already heard the groans. I want this to be an affirming part of their lives. I plan on treats and rewards depending on how willingly chores are carried out. I know this will free more time for me in the coming school year as a teacher as they are responsible for the house…not me!
Any tips on home organization, meal planning, etc. Any ways that I can do it faster and cheaper!
I struggle with how to use up ingrediants. I’ll buy a head of cauliflour for a recipe, use half, and the rest sits in my fridge until it molds. 🙁 I guess I’m not that creative without a recipe.
One of my favorite things that helps me with meal planning and cooking is using my crock pot. I don’t use it a lot but when I do I remember how convenient it is and remind myself that I should use it more. Its so simple…put the ingredients in before I leave for work and when I get home dinner is done!
One thing I would like to know is how other moms get THEMSELVES ready for bed! We try to streamline and routinize our children’s bedtimes, and I think mine gets overlooked. My husband is the sort of guy who just hits the pillow and falls asleep but I have a harder time with it. I HATE going to bed. I would like to hear about ideas that can make the idea of going to bed more appealing or at least sends a signal to my brain that it is okay to go to bed.
Thanks for the site! I love it!
I’m a sahm of 2 boys, a 2 1/2 yr old, a 1 yr old and am 3 months pregnant with our 3rd child. Needless to say I’m always exhausted and find that I don’t have time or the energy to clean, cook or play with the kids. I look around the house and tell myself we can’t live like this anymore it’s too stressful. Coupons, papers, laundry, etc all over the place. I just feel overwhelmed and am trying to get it together but it’s been hard for me, any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Plus trying to figure out things to do from home to help with our everyday expenses.
I think a reader forum would be great. People could post in specific categories about recipes, meal planning, getting the 900 coupons I have clipped actually filed in my binder before they expire, etc. So many people on here have posted great ideas and there’s lots of encouragment, too! Plus, people from specific areas could connect if they wanted. This would also take some of the load off of Collin to come up with all of the tips/ideas herself!
I think my biggest challenge is just to get to the store. We have 3 kids, a 4 year old and twin 18month olds and I am 8 months pregnant. My hubby works nights and puts in about 60 hours a week. There is little time to myself and it seems like NO time to get out to the store unless I want to take all 3 kids along by myself which is a feat. Is there any tips you can give for grocery shopping with little ones? When I do take them I end up skipping much of the shopping to just get out of the store quickly and with my sanity.
I find myself making the same dishes over and over again. They need to be fast because I have a 2 yer old, 1 year old and I am 7 months pregnant. My kids also hate to let me cook anything. How can I cook and keep them entertained? What are some quick and simple meals. I am talking about meals that you already have the ingredients for. We are getting tired of all the same old stuff but if I try something new it seems to take me to long to make and my kids can’t handle it.
I’ve got a 2 year old and a 3 month old – there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all. Some weeks I choose couponing, other weeks I just have to let the deals go. God always has provided for our needs, but it is hard to know about a deal and not have time to get to the store to get it. When that happens, I usually tell all my friends about it, so at least I feel someone I know was able to enjoy it.