Quick Trip to CVS and an Easy Supper

I am shopping less as of late, because we need so little.  I did run into CVS tonight to pick up just a few things.  I spent a total of $7.08 out of pocket and earned back $4.00 for my next trip.   I love these Glade candles, and these are the nice big 3 wick style.  This is our favorite toothpaste, so I was glad to get it as a money maker.  The other items were great deals as well, and I needed the milk.  I pretty much copied some of the deals from this site, so go here if you want the details.  Thanks to Jamie for the deals, and thanks to my friend Kara for one of the necessary coupons.  Can you believe it, I left home without a needed coupon? 

After CVS and a trip to the bank, I needed an easy supper.  This is one of my "go to" recipes for a tasty pizza supper.  My friend Kelley gave me the pizza dough recipe years ago and I have used it countless times.  Oldest son took this recipe with him to Amsterdam and made pizza for the crew at the hostel on several occasions during his 6 month employment there.  So, you could say this recipe has been around!   Tonight I doubled the recipe to have a thicker crust. The recipe below is the original recipe (not doubled)

***Take notice of what the pizza is on.  I bake my pizzas on what is known as a pizza screen.  You can get them at most restaurant supply stores.  They allow a more uniform baking on the bottom crust.  They are also amazing for oven fries.   In this picture the pizza screen is on top of a pizza pan, that is how I cut it (less crumbs on my stove)***

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 pkg dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup hot water

1 TBS vegetable (or olive) oil

3/4 tsp sugar

Mix flour, yeast, salt, and sugar together in medium bowl.  Stir in water and oil.  Mix well and place in bowl with 1 TBS oil, turn dough to coat well with the oil.  cover and let rise 45 minutes or until double. Roll or spread into greased pan, top with favorite toppings , and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. 

Update / This never happens to me...

Husband is very fortunate tonight.  I am never this lucky.  I just wonder how long it will be before World War 3 breaks out on top of him?

"One step away from Heaven"

I asked husband to help me fold laundry.  He told me no.  This is quite unusual for him.  When I asked why, he told me, "Not now, I'm one step away from Heaven."   When I looked, this is what I found.  I guess I can't argue with this. 

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

You know the drill...click in the middle of this picture if you want to see these up close and personal! 

Do you remember the old Rice Krispie Treat commercial where the mom pretended she worked all day making them?  Well, this is one of those recipes.  It is so easy that you feel guilty.  Just throw your ingredients into the bread machine, walk away for a while.  Then you roll the dough out, slather it with goodness, and pop those babies in the oven.   A second rise is not required, although I might let them at least rise about 1/2 hour before baking.  They did spread out a lot, but did not rise much in height.  Other than that I would not change a thing.  But believe me, not having them rise a second time will not prevent us from gobbling them up!    The icing is very yummy as well.  

I found the recipe on Money Saving Mom's site and have included the link here.  I made mine a bit smaller than hers, because then I think I can eat twice as many...

I just decided this was "Be kind to husband week"  and have done my baking based on his favorites.  Tomorrow is Valentine's Day you know. 

Husband just had one and declared this recipe "A Keeper" 

Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

(To truly appreciate this picture, you need to click in the middle of it so you can see the "sugary-cinnamony"  goodness.)

I told husband that since I was out of school today that I would make him something special.  These are some of husband's very favorite cookies, but for some reason I forget about them.  They do require the extra steps of rolling into balls and then rolling in cinnamon-sugar, so maybe that is why I neglect making them.

They are very tasty though.  They are not your old fashioned soft and chewy oatmeal cookie. When baked just right they have a slightly crisp sugary outer "shell" and then they give way to a slightly bendable soft inside. The cinnamon-sugar coating sets these apart from most oatmeal cookies.  I think you would enjoy them.  

 There, I took a bite for you.

Husband should hurry home before they are all gone. 

Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening

Cream together, then add:

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Then add 3 cups quick cooking oats

Mix well, roll into small balls, then roll balls into a sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.  I usually rotate my cookie sheets half way through. Remove immediately to cooling racks.   Enjoy! 

SNOW DAY- 2nd in a Row!

I needed these days.  Yesterday I organized all of my coupons flyers, stripped the bed, made a yummy supper and relaxed (a lot).   Today I am emptying out my chest of drawers and completely sorting the contents.  This has needed done for a while.  I might move on to husband's clothing after that...He has accumulated quite a stash of tee shirts.  

My Life as of Late

I have not done much personal posting lately.  I guess that comes in seasons for me.  Sometimes I feel deeply about something and have to get it out, sometimes I keep stuff in.   Lately, I have held a lot in.  I have had many things I have turned over in my head, but not willing to put them out there, publicly, on a blog. 

As far as our family goes, the 4 of us are okay.  Oldest is seeking a better job, (and if anyone knows of something, please please let us know.)  Youngest is busy with school and is perfecting his artistic talents.  My boys are really quite creative.   I feel so blessed to have grown sons that love God, love us, and consider each other to be their best friend. 

My health is fine and sometimes I forget about my previous health concerns.  Odd that I would "forget", but sometimes I really do.  Cancer seems so far away and long ago.  I am so fortunate compared to others.

Life around us has changed, and we are trying to adjust.  Parents age,  family members face serious health issues,  friends disappoint,  finances fluctuate, and life goes on.  I am so thankful that we are Christians and can lean on and rely on God to get us through life's trials.  

At some point I may go deeper into all of the above, but for now I choose not to. 

I just wanted you to all know that I am still around.

Walgreens' Bargains

Without coupons this would have cost $79.50 , with coupons it cost just $19.97 plus I left with a $5.00 RR for my next trip.  Bottom line spending :  $14.97.  

I did not start out with any Register Rewards, but I did have some sweet coupons.  I did do 6 transactions to make everything work to my advantage.  No one was in line, and the clerk is super nice to me.  I go in there often, and I use a ton of coupons.  This store realizes how much income my coupons generate for them.   

I just mentioned to someone about 2 weeks ago that I was out of men's body wash.  Since last Sunday I have added 5 to the stockpile, and have made money on all of them! 

CVS -ing

I have not done much shopping at CVS for a very long time.  The deals just have not been nearly as nice as at Walgreens.  Today, I did alright.  I had a $4.00 ECB that would expire in 4 days, so I was glad to find a deal for it.  Counting that ECB, some nice manufacturer coupons, and a $4.00 off of $20.00 CVS coupon, I spent a total of $6.04 for everything in the picture and left the store with another $5.49 in Extra Care Bucks!   I was especially happy to get the deal on the fish oil, because I use it every day.  That was my first transaction , and thanks to coupons and a B1G1 sale,  my total came to a minus .96!   I bought the travel kit (clearance item) to bring it back up! 

My stockpile is so full right now, and I am really cherry picking my deals.  I am mostly concentrating on what we need, but will stock up on what we like at great prices. 

Swag Bucks

Okay, 

I have not really gone "commercial" on this blog, but I just want to share something I recently discovered.  Swag Bucks.  They are "digital" dollars that you earn from doing nothing more than normal, everyday, on-line searches.  Like going to Google and searching for whatever.  Only now, I go through Swag Bucks and earn while I search.  I just joined last weekend and am already up to 24 bucks.  I will trade these in for a $5.00 Amazon gift card when I hit 45 , all without spending a penny! 

If you refer people then you earn even faster, because you earn when they earn!  So, this is my shameless plug.  Click on the banner on the side of my blog and check it out.  If you are going to search, you might as well earn something! 

I get my snow day!

Our district announced earlier this evening that there is no school tomorrow!  Thank you for announcing early!  Husband and I just watched a movie, and will sleep in tomorrow. (His day off)

I love bonus days!

If you have to get out, you might as well shop!

Well, since they made me go to school today, I guess it wasn't that hard to get out to Walgreens. 
Plus, Walgreens has had a bunch of deals this week.  

I did not take a picture of it, but last night I purchased 4  -24 packs of Aquafina Water.  I spent just under $16.00, but got back $10.00 in Register Rewards.  Today, I took that RR, and some sweet coupons and took out my stress over not having a snow day, and went shopping.   I purchased all of this loot for $3.42 out of pocket.  I then earned back another $10.00 in Register Rewards for later.  

The Ester C was BOGO this week, plus I had 2 $5.00 coupons.  Husband uses this EVERY day.   The beef broth was clearanced to .34 cents a can, and I use a lot of this in the winter.  I was out, so I was glad to see it!  It expires in 2012.  The cookies and crackers were all free after coupons and RRs.  I made money on the Neosporin Lip products, and the Jergen's Lotion ended up being .29 cents after coupons and RRs.  

I used about $24.00 in coupons plus the Register Reward. 

No Snow Day, Poor Me.

I Want a Snow Day

I know, I know.  I just had two weeks off.  Snow days are just precious to me though.  They are like little vacations from God.  I love the unexpected day off to putter around my house.  I love the fact that I got a lot of cleaning done during my last week off, and I could actually enjoy a day off tomorrow.  

Come on snow, bring all your friends, and come quickly.  There is a crucial timing for these events.  We need a lot of snow before 5:30 AM.   Shall I cross my fingers?

Stock Up Shopping

(You can click on the picture for a close-up)
After school today I hit Wal-Mart,  Menards and Walgreens.  Thanks to price matching, coupons, and rebates, I got everything pictured for $63.79.   I used exactly $75.00 in coupons!  I love it when I save more than I spend!

I am very well stocked up now on my dishwashing tablets, detergent, and toothbrushes.  Believe it or not, I was getting low on toothbrushes.  

Here is a breakdown of the loot by store:

Wal-Mart:

• 7 packages of Quantum dishwasher tablets (my favorite) priced matched to Target's ad, and used $2.50 coupons (.99 cents each)
  
• 6 bottles of All, I made a mistake there, I didn't know this was a CVS "card" price.  I thought it was just a sale price.  They did not want to put it back, and price matched it anyway.  Used $2.00 coupons ($1.99 each)
• 5 Healthy Choice meals, $1.89 each, used $5.00 off of 5 coupons , so .89 cents each
• 2 I Can't Believe it's not Butter, used $1.00 coupons
• Velveeta, used a $1.00 coupon
• Husband's prescription
• Miracle Whip
• Tabasco 
• Caesar dressing
• Constant Comment Tea
• A deli pizza for supper (some things you just buy with no coupons because you want them...) 

Menards:

I took advantage of a rebate here to buy some additional things we need / want

• 2 bags chips
• 2 containers Fritos Cheese Sauce (great on potatoes)
• parmesan cheese
• 2 bags of marked down Snickers

Walgreens:

• 4 double packs of Reach toothbrushes 
• 2 single Reach toothbrushes (all toothbrushes ended up free after coupons) 
• 2 packages of Nepsporin Lip Health

I spent $3.62 at Walgreens and then received a $3.00 Register Reward for the Neosporin! 

I had not been doing much coupon shopping lately.  Felt good to feel the rush again! 

I am tracking my spending this year, and my coupon savings.  I will probably give a monthly report. 

Merry Christmas / Happy New Year!

Yeah, I know, I am a bit late with those greetings.  

Can I fall back on my old excuse that things have been busy here?

In all honesty, things have been busy.  I am so glad I have had the last 2 weeks off of school, because I have been needed.  Husband's folks have both been having health issues lately.  Since I have been off work, I have been able to help some with laundry, dishes, cooking, appointments, shopping, un-decorating,  and other necessary tasks.  My first week off was the busiest.  Things have settled down a bit now, and for the last few days, I have been able to focus on some much needed tasks at home.  

I must say that my boys are wonderful!  

There is no way I could accomplish so many things without them. 

 Each has been a huge help.  

Youngest has helped with the following since Tuesday:

• Took down the tree and all the trimmings
  
• Re-arranged 3 rooms of furniture.  They look so nice now.  Remember when I bought the used furniture for our spare bedroom?  Well, it was too nice to never be seen, so it is now in my sun-room. (Picture at end of post). 
• Helped with a massive amount of paperwork that needed sorted and  filed, and then  burnt the paperwork that was discarded (we do not have a shredder, but we do have a wood-burner in the garage)
• Completely emptied 3 big shelves in my hall built-in cabinets that desperately needed sorted, and organized.  He then helped to put what we kept back inside. 
• Emptied my buffet storage, helped to pitch, sort, and organize the contents. 
• Put together a small storage unit that now houses all of my coupon files and supplies.  (I will take a picture of that soon.  It is in our spare bedroom along with our old love seat from the sun-room, and my treadmill.) 
• Helped hang 11 new mini blinds! (Ours are getting brittle, they are 10 years old, so I replaced all 8 in the sun-room, and replaced 3 in the living room.  More to come)  

Oldest helped in these ways:

• Came home on New Year's Eve so he could help out
• New Year's Day he went through a lot of his old belongings in the basement and pitched out about 3 boxes of  unwanted items.
• Did a few loads of my laundry
• Completely emptied my stand alone pantry cabinet,  washed it out, and helped me pitch a few things, and organize the rest
• Emptied my lazy susan cabinet, washed it down, and helped me replace what was kept
• Made pancakes for breakfast today!
• Did my grocery shopping!

Am I spoiled or what?   I tell you, they are good boys! 

 I accomplished a few things on my own as well this week:

• Organized my vanity area, and re-purposed a cabinet that I had to use beside the vanity to hold extra nail polish, and other girly items
• Organized my pots and pans cabinet
• Organized my coupon filing system
• Walked on my treadmill and have read my Bible two days in a row! 

I will not quite go as far as to say I am ready for school on Monday, but with all of these things done, I am much closer to being ready than I was!

My cat is so funny.  She loves the radiators so much, that she cannot even lay completely on her bed, she sort of slides to the end so she is directly on the radiator. 

My sun-room is decorated very frugally.  The furniture was all purchased second hand from a friend of our sons, and the TV and cabinet were purchased second hand from my sister!   Works for me. 

Cereal News

Most of you remember how much my husband loves his cereal.  Well, I have received great news!  

A few weeks ago General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets. 

Other cereal benefits:

• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.


• Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.


• More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office. 

Now, why am I posting all of this cereal information?  This information has been provided to me by General MIlls through MyBlogSpark and they have graciously offered my family coupons to try these cereals for ourselves!  I received 4 VIP coupons to try our favorites for free!   I am excited!

Such a busy time

I have had a great weekend, but these days are certainly busy. On Friday husband and I went Christmas shopping. Now, I have done a lot of shopping, and much was done last summer. However, this is the first time that husband has really gone with me. We scratched off a few more names from the list and we are getting close.  On Saturday I traveled with a friend to another town for a bridal shower for her future daughter in law.  That was a very fun day. What did I do today?  Not much. We ate a simple lunch at home after church and I made two trips to Walgreens.  Funny thing is that I had just told husband last week that I was not buying anymore cereal until I got a deal.  He loves his cereal as I have explained quite a few times on this blog.  I just cannot believe that I used to actually pay about $4.00 a box back in the old days.  Now I will not pay more than $1.00 because I know if I wait, I will get a deal. The deal is here! Husband can rest assured that his cereal stash is protected from dwindling.  

Walgreens has cereal $1.99 a box, which for some is a good deal, but not good enough for me.  Thank you Target for posting a manufacturer's coupon on your site which gave me an additional $5.00 off of 4 boxes!  That made my cereal only .74 cents a box!   Better than I had hoped.  Everything in the picture below came to $9.37.  I also earned a $5.00 register reward from the Triaminic to use later. 

The above picture shows:

• 8 boxes of cereal
• 2 boxes of Kleenex
• 2 boxes of Triaminic Thin Strips ( I made money on these)
• 4 packages of Chinet
• 1 gallon of milk

All for  $9.37!   

You can copy my deals, I found all of them at Common Sense With Money.  (check my sidebar) 

Other than "robbing" Walgreens, as husband puts it. I took a nap and watched a movie with hubby this evening.  

A restful end to a busy weekend. 

Thanksgiving 2009

It is just after 8:00 am as I type this.  My family, dog, and cat are all sleeping peacefully.  The house is quiet.  Soon we will all be awake, eating our canned cinnamon rolls (family tradition from way back) and awaiting the feast.  I will put together my broccoli-rice casserole, and we will prepare to fry the turkeys.  Somewhere, though in all of this preparation, we must remember the reason for this day.

Giving thanks.  

I do not have to think long to realize what I am thankful for.  I am thankful for my God, His son Jesus, and His Spirit.  What a wonderful trio to have on your side. I cannot imagine my life without them.  I am thankful for my family, both immediate and extended.  I think that many of us would say that. I am thankful for my health.  Very thankful. 

Please take a few minutes this year, and seriously give thanks. 

This post is short, but I wanted to at least remind myself to give thanks. 

Weekend Wrap Up

This has been a pretty good weekend. Believe it or not, it did not involve shopping!  On Friday husband took me to the spine clinic to be evaluated by a specialist.  She agreed that my SI joint is more than likely the source of my problems, although she did look at my X-rays and say, "That's arthritis, that's arthritis, that's arthritis, and that's arthritis."   Gettin' old, I tell ya.  

She gave me an arsenal of drugs to get me through until about 3 weeks from now when I will get an injection in the joint.  One drug was a muscle relaxer.  It relaxed me alright, I went to bed at about 10:00 Friday evening and did not wake up until 10:30 Saturday morning! 

Friday evening husband and I spent a quiet night at home eating leftovers and watching a movie.

On Saturday, after I finally got up, I spent the morning piddling around my house doing odd jobs and catching up on some paperwork.  Saturday evening we took husband's folks along as we went to pick up our youngest.  He was visiting our oldest.  Youngest will be home for a week-long break from school.  We had a nice dinner at Cracker Barrel before returning home. 

Sunday after church we rested a bit, then took husband's parents to another town for a family get together.  It was nice seeing this side of husband's family.   

We had a pretty full week-end, and I am getting anxious now for Thursday to spend time with even more family.  

Life is good,

Kudos to Target and Kohl's

Good customer service will mean a lot this holiday season.  Let me give shout outs to both Target and Kohl's!  

Husband and I had a quick date night tonight and took advantage of a quick trip out to eat and to two of my favorite stores. We made such great time and were back home by 7:15!  Plus, the deals were sweet!

Target:  

I purchased everything in the picture for just $16.53.  Without coupons, and using just Target's sale prices,  I would have paid $37.49.  Because of being able to stack Target coupons with manufacturer coupons, I was able to get the Del Monte vegetables for just .20 per can. The fruit came in at .57 per can, but would have cost .95 each.  The Reynold's Wrap cost just $1.00 each due the sale price and manufacturer's coupons. The Ritz Crackers were just .50 per box, thanks to both Target and Manufacturer's coupons.  The Pledge Fabric Sweeper was free with a free item coupon.  The cheese was on sale and I used one of the $1.50 off of 2 lbs of any brand cheese coupons. 

Now, this is why I am impressed with Target. 

On our way home I realized that the cashier accidently rang up 2 Pledge Fabric Sweepers.  I called the store from my cell phone and explained the situation.  After giving the customer service girl the receipt numbers, she was able to credit back $5.00 to my debit card right then and there.  No return trip to the store for a refund!  That was quite impressive!

Now on to Kohl's--

See my nice new kitchen rugs?  I have needed new rugs for a very long time.  I have actually been hanging on to one for quite a while that our dog got hold of a long time ago.  Let me say that a rug with fringe on the ends is not good for dogs or for Dysons.   

Anyway.  

Last week I did major Christmas shopping at Kohl's.  I had received a 30% discount and I take advantage of those when I get them.  I charge what I want and then pay it off.  Because of this I also earned a lot of Kohl's Cash.  I planned on using the Kohl's Cash for new kitchen rugs.  The rugs I wanted go on sale TOMORROW.  However, the kind man at customer service let me have the sale price tonight!  After the sale price,  I had an additional 15% off due to my "pick a day", and then I used my Kohl's Cash.  I was able to purchase rugs that would have cost $140.00  for a total of $11.85!   Now, I am sure I would not have ever paid $140.00 for these rugs.  But I would have probably been willing to pay  more than $11.85.   (click on receipt to enlarge) 

So, there you have it.  Two really good experiences at two of my favorite stores, plus our night out turned out to be a very frugal one! 

(I just noticed that if Kohl's had given me my 15% discount BEFORE using my Kohl's Cash, that my balance would have been much less.  I am not going to complain though.  I still only paid $11.85.)

House Party Rocks!

Remember the free chocolate delivered to my door?  That was courtesy of House Party, a word-of-mouth group that sends merchandise for you to share with your friends or tell them about.  Well, I hit the gold mine again, because I just found out I have been selected to host a Rowenta Project Style House Party.  While I will not be able to hand out Rowenta irons, I do get a FREE Rowenta Pressure Iron and Steamer!  I am really excited about this.  I do get some cool freebies for my friends and I will be letting them in on my plan soon.  The premise of this party is really cool.  You are to get your friends together, each are to bring 2-3 articles of clothing that they do not want and you then press and share!  Sounds fun to me, and I have tons of clothes that I am not wearing.    

If you have not joined House Party, then you need to soon.  My first few events were pretty simple, but since then I have been able to get some great things! 

I Smell Christmas...

Ahhh, I love me a bargain. 

Today I hit (husband says, "Robbed") Walgreens.  Thanks to making money there last week (Lubriderm and Almay) I had a  very nice stash of Register Rewards.   Between those, manufacturer's coupons, and store coupons, I was able to snag all of this for only $5.12 out of our pocket.  Without any deals, this would have cost $67.68.   Now, that is a high price compared to Wal-Mart, but the deals were not at Wal-Mart.  I still have $23.00 in Register Rewards in my purse. 

If it wasn't so pretty out today I would go bake something. 

Pain of the Month Club

I would like to officially welcome you to The Pain of the Month Club!  Membership is free, all you have to do is be over 50 years old and seriously out of shape.  You may NOT cancel at any time.  Well you could, but if you cancel this membership, then  ALL of your benefits will expire. (and I do mean EXPIRE)  So, once you join, you are in for life and you might as well get used to it!  

You will love this club, because everyday is a new adventure.  A different body part quits working, hurts, or rebels every day.  At times you get the satisfaction of a prolonged visit of a certain ailment, but for the most part your misery is made new every day. 

You will meet friends you once only dreamed of and you will really get the "gist" of it when you get to know them. Yeah, I do mean the "gist" of it :  cardioloGIST,  endocrinoloGIST, gastroenteroloGIST, and many more new friends. 

 Then,  if you are really lucky you get to know physical therapists.  Otherwise known as physical TERRORISTS!   They are meant to do good, but I think they forgot about that oath that says, "First, do no harm."   

So, if you are not a sissy, and can take it, welcome to my club!

Day 2 on the treadmill

I am on a roll!  If you can call 2 days "a roll".  I made it for another 30 minutes tonight and upped my speed to 3 mph.  

I will "blog" again soon, but tonight is pretty full.

A Date with the Treamill

I am happy to report tonight that the treadmill and I had a sweet reunion.  After dusting it off (literally) I managed to walk a full 20 minutes .  Now, I realize I was only going 2.7 mph, but it has been a while.  At least I did not fly off the back again.  My sister and I are holding each other accountable in making a few wise choices. I feel pretty good.

Look at This!

I wish I could take credit for this amazing idea, but it came from my friend Reta.  This is a mega pill organizer and it is filled with my earrings!  All neat and tidy in their own little home. They are ready to pack in a suitcase if I choose, or just ready for my daily selection.  I love it.  I used some soon to expire Extra Care Bucks at CVS and there you go!

Shopping Marathon

The last few days have been good for our budget, but I am TIRED !  The deals have taken me to Walgreens, WalMart, CVS,  SAMS, Target and Meijer.  I have enough free air fresheners, free Chex Mix, and very inexpensive Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Meals to last quite a while.  (or "more inexpensiver" as our waitress from Smokey Bones would say) I have spent a lot this week in my standards.  About $100.00.  Now, to some of you that is a normal week, but I am used to only spending about $30.00 for Hubby and myself each week.   I have not spent $100.00 in one week for about 2 years!  This week however, I opted to spend more so that I could take advantage of some fantastic deals.    $40.00 out of that was at SAMS to purchase a few bulk items.   Funny, I used to go to SAMS and could easily spend $200.00, now I only buy a few items there because of better deals elsewhere.  I am thinking about not renewing in the future.  

One example of what was saved today: my WalMart receipt  alone went from $96.18 before coupons, to $44.30 afterwards. 

Now, a few of those stores are not in my town, and I do not travel 35 miles for Chex Mix.  However, since we traveled last night to see our boys and celebrate my birthday with them, I took advantage of a shopping trip to Target.  My sister visited today and wanted to go shopping in the "big" city, so we traveled the 35 miles, but made the very most of it with many many coupons spread out over 3 stores  and a free lunch thanks to her Coke Rewards.  That makes the trip profitable. 

There was WAY too much to even consider taking a picture, but this week alone I have purchased the following, plus a ton of other things. 

•  12 Steam Fresh Meals at $1.74 each (these normally cost $4.98 each at WalMart--having the right coupons sure helps)
  
• 32 bags of Chex Mix at Target- price matching the Walgreens ad price, plus using a Target Coupon and a manufactures' coupon on each made most of them free, and some only 25 cents.  I have already given about half of those away, to my son, sister,  and  some set aside for hubby's parents. 
• 8 Air Wick Fresh-Matic  air freshener systems, $6.00 rollback at WalMart - used 8 -$6.00 coupons, so all I paid was tax
• 8 packages of 9 roll Northern packages at Walgreens that came to $2.99 each after my coupons, but cost nothing due to Register Rewards from previous purchases (that should last a while.)  This comes in way under SAMS price for TP, and since I paid with register rewards, it is even sweeter. 
• I lost track of the Glade Sense and Spray and Lasting Impression Air Freshener kits at CVS.  Between CVS coupons from their web site, and my coupons, I got about 12 of these for free. 

Those are just the highlights,   I also got 4 Progresso Soups for 50 cents a can at WalMart,  6 free deodorants and 6 free shampoos at Walgreens. and lots and lots more.  

I regret not keeping exact totals, but this was by far one of my best weeks ever.  

Now, looking ahead at the deals for next week. they look pretty slim.  I actually am glad.  I will focus on other things next week and enjoy the bounty.   I will only need to buy milk for the next few next weeks , so it will definitely balance out. 

I am just so humbled and blessed at what God provides. 

The day in the middle

As I write this, it is still October 22nd. And I am celebrating my 53rd birthday.  This is a birthday I actually looked forward to.  My sister knows why.  Too deep of a reason to go into now, but she understands. 

On the 24th, one of my brothers  will celebrate his birthday.  I always thought it was fun growing up, that my brother,  who is 12 years older,  had his birthday after mine.  It made me feel like I should be older in some strange way. 

The day that falls between is October 23rd.  That day is significant to our family as well.  I am reminded of that fact more-so this year than most.  This year marks 30 years since our father passed away. 

Isn't it just like a dad to try his best to not have that anniversary fall on one of his children's birthdays?   It is pretty amazing to me how God worked that out.  On the day of my birthday 30 years ago we received a call to tell us that Daddy was in the hospital and not doing the greatest.  As the day progressed he became much worse, yet held his passing  until after midnight.  Thus changing the date from my birthday to that of the next day.  My brother was spared having that fall on his birthday as well.  

30 years is a long time. I was still quite young as far as things go.  Much too young in my opinion to have  been left an "orphan".   As I have said before, I have lived longer without parents, than I ever did with them. 

 I have little concept of being an adult with parents.  

Strange, huh?  Every now and then I have a pity party about that, but mostly I just have to take it for what it is.  

So, this day in the middle of two birthdays will always be remembered.  It kinda seems like a father's last birthday gift to two of his children. 

The gift of timing.

Thank you Daddy. 

SUSIE--I AM 53!!!!!!

A Sweet Farewell

This past weekend was a difficult one.  Saying goodbye is never easy. Especially when you were never given the chance to say hello. 

 Little Mary's service was beautiful. Man, do they know how to sing at my nephew's church.  I kept thinking, is there a choir of angels behind me?  The songs were really pretty.  It was a nice service, with many songs and very fitting scriptures, all reminding us of the hope we have in Christ.  I know one day we will meet Mary and it will be a very sweet time for all of us. 

 The hardest part was visiting the grave-site that evening with the family.  We all stood in sadness as Grandpa said a prayer and we placed flowers on her grave.  It is so sad to be standing on the grounds where many precious babies are buried all around you. So much sadness. We joined together as a family and sang Amazing Grace before leaving. 

I am quite physically tired.  I still think I have issues with some of my medications, but it was a long and emotional weekend, and that could be the cause.  I will go to bed early tonight.  

I ask that as each of you read this, that you would continue to say a prayer for our nephew and wife.  They will hurt for a very long time. 

Thank You Coupon Class

To my E.P. coupon class, 

Thank you for being such a great class!  I loved it and I hope you all learned something.  Let me know if you ever have any questions.  Be sure and check the blogs that I have on my left sidebar.  They are all great for giving you the latest deals, and they are all FREE. (some actually charge a fee, can you believe that? )

Feel free to browse around on my blog and check my frugal posts to see some of my great adventures. 

Just remember, if you are ever behind me at Wal-Mart, watch out!  

We are born, we live, we die. Right?

That is how it is supposed to be, right?  Anything not in that order is just wrong. 

 I am having a hard time knowing why a precious baby girl, Mary Genevieve,  had to have this "natural" order  turned around.  Our great niece died while still in the womb.  She did not have the opportunity to be truly born until she opened her eyes in Jesus' arms, instead of her mother's.  Her living will be eternal, but not on this earth. 

Our nephew and niece had to say their goodbyes before any hellos and their grief is tremendous.  All day I have been reminded of the scripture in Isaiah that says "My ways are not your ways".  But being reminded of that is giving little comfort here.  This is too big for me to ever wrap my head around.  My husband and I suffered the miscarriage of our first child after just 8 weeks.  Our attachment and anticipation were already great, and that loss hit us hard.  To lose a child after carrying it for a full 9 months,  when you had  all of your thoughts focused on meeting your son or daughter for the first time is beyond grief.  Is there a word in the dictionary to describe this pain?  

I love God with all my heart and yes I trust Him,  but do I understand this?  Never.   About 30 years ago I saw someone in my own family go through this same horrible grief.  I did not understand it then, and yes, I questioned God on that one.  I realize now that there are no answers.  Just questions.  

Please, for those of you who pray, I am asking for prayers so strong that they are physically felt. This family needs to feel love in a mighty way.   If you knew this couple you would know how devastating this loss will be. They adore their children. They do things right. They realize that children are such a gift and they cherish theirs.   

Quite honestly, our entire family needs to see healing. We are hurting. 

I don't understand

Sometimes life really hurts.  I cannot share the details right now, but sometimes there are things that happen that I just do not understand.  I love God, I trust God, He has seen me through many things, but this is something that is really hard to grasp.  

I just need prayers right now.  Not so much for me, although I need them too, but for the ones that this is hurting the most. 

Coupon Class

I am so excited.  I am gearing up to teach my very first coupon class!  I have my Power Point and handouts all ready, my coupons are up to date, (I must be a good example) my "show and tell" receipts are all in order, and I even have copies of the October Walgreens' coupon booklet to hand out.  I am stoked!   I even have door prizes prepared from my stash of  goodies ! 

When I was preparing my material I was surprised at just how much I have picked up in the last 2 years.  It is funny when I go back and look at all of the "secrets" of using coupons.  It is so much different than in my mother's day, when she clipped a 5 cent coupon and happily used it on a bag of sugar.   Little did she know that things have changed so much that her daughter would one day have to teach a class on using coupons!  Mother, I hope I am making you proud. 

My first class will be at my school.  I am hoping to teach one at church soon as well.  People have asked me if I fear letting everyone in on my secrets.  ~ Fearing that would cut down on my available bargains.  Well, if you would see my stockpile you would know that  I shouldn't  worry about not cashing in on every deal.  I can pick and choose at this point, and if I miss one or two, I will be more than fine. 

This has taken quite a bit of work though.  I wanted my Power Point to be good and informative.  I named it "Couponing 101", but I think it covers more than a 101 class would! 

I will let you all know how it goes.

Lazy Sunday

Can you hear my hubby snoring in the living room?  I am surprised if you can't.  He does that very well.  

Not much new around here.  I just returned from my trips to Walgreens and CVS, nothing stellar to report.  We needed paper towels so I blew through some ECBs to stock up on those.  I did just a few deals at Walgreens, and I hit Family Dollar for a deal on Dawn.  I ended up purchasing 2 huge packages of paper towels(6 double rolls each pkg) , one package of napkins, 1 Fusion razor, one gallon of milk, one package of Halls, 2 bottles of Softsoap hand soap, and 3 bottles of Dawn.  My total out of pocket was just $6.09 plus I earned $2.00 back at CVS and $7.00 back at Walgreens.  Not bad. 

We are so stocked up right now, that the only other spending I will do this week is at the local grocery to buy some frozen pizzas I have been waiting to go on sale, to use my coupons, and a few more of their coupon specials.  I should get out under $20.00.  

I am thinking I need to bake something late this afternoon.  It is so cool and crisp out that it is just crying out to have me make something.  

All in all that is about it for today.  I think I will be a bit lazy. 

Wicked Good

Click on picture to enlarge.  Just don't drool on your keyboard.

These are by far the most dangerous things I have ever made.  This afternoon, while watching The Food Network, I happened to see these yummy creations being put together.  They looked so easy, and I knew I had the ingredients lurking in my pantry. I thought this would be a good use for part of the chocolate I just happened to buy last night at Kmart with a double coupon, so I got to work. 

 

These are called Millionaire's Shortbread, but you just need to think  "Twix Bar".   They taste exactly like a caramel Twix.  They really were easy to make, and in case you truly are drooling now, click here for the recipe.  I put mine in a bigger pan than the recipe calls for, so mine are a bit thinner.  ( I can eat more that way, right?)  As I was looking around on the web at different recipes, I saw that some had really fat layers. That could be deadly.   The recipe calls for "good quality" milk chocolate, but I have only met one type of chocolate that I don't like.  These were made with Hershey's Kisses, melted in the microwave for about 2 minutes.   The only other adjustment I made to the recipe, is that I lined my pan with parchment paper instead of using butter and flour.  Only thing I might need to do better, is cook the caramel layer just a little bit longer.  See it oozing out of the edges.  Although, oozing caramel is not necessarily a bad thing. 

I can think of much worse.

Next time I make them I am going to find a way to make a peanut butter layer in the middle instead of the caramel and I will have my very favorite Twix Bar.  I am wondering if just peanut butter, straight up would work. Well, that might slide off.  Maybe I will a bit of peanut butter to the caramel while it cooks, and make sure it is cooked long enough.  Then it will be a gooey-caramel-peanut butter layer. 

I am taking some to church tomorrow to share with my high school group of girls. They are just too dangerous to leave them all here.  Let me know if you make them, or if you really are drooling. 

Odds and Ends

Things have been pretty busy around here so I have not updated for a few days. 

This past weekend we went to Tennessee for our nephew's wedding.  It was a nice little get away for us and we had a great time with family.  I cannot believe that this "little" boy who loved transformers and Michael Jackson could be getting married.  I guess time flies.

Last night I hit Walgreens hard and it was quite an amazing trip.  I did not take a picture, but I  should have.  I did MULTIPLE (14) transactions and ended up getting $118.00 worth of stuff for $21.00.  It was such a wide variety of food items and health and beauty and that is always a good thing.  My Walgreens is so easy to work with, and just so you know, I ALWAYS step aside and let people pass in front of me.  I never want to anger their other shoppers, or the clerks for that matter. My 14 transactions were during 3 trips to the store, luckily they are really close. 

Today at the end of the school day I was able to share the ins and outs of shopping at Walgreens with a couple of teachers.  That was fun.  I really do intend to host some coupon classes in the future.  I just need to get my materials in order. If you read my blog and are local, please comment sometime and let me know if you would be interested in attending a class in the future.  I need to do this.  I feel this has been such a blessing in our lives and has cut our spending way down, and I need to pass this knowledge on. 

I WON AGAIN !!!

This is my lucky week !  I won another give-away!  I have gone FOREVER and have not won a single thing, and now I won two prizes!   I love my blogs that I visit and I just found out that I won a Nature Valley gift pack from Mrs. Buys More and Mr. Save A. Lot!  This gift pack is awesome!   Look at what I won!    You need to check out this blog because she is great about posting links to printable coupons.   She keeps my printer humming, and my wallet happy!

I WON !

I RARELY win anything to speak of.  I was delighted to find that I had won a prize from one of my favorite blogs.  The blog is titled: Stretching a Buck, and Marcy chose me in her recent "Couponizer" give-a-way!  I am so excited about this product and have been wanting to try one.  It will be perfect to hold my clipped coupons.   I love her blog and have had it listed in my sidebar for a very long time.  Not only is she great for helping me spend wisely, she was even thoughtful enough to give me words of encouragement on my blog when I was going through my health issues.  Stop by her blog and stay a while!

Plus, you should really check out getting a "Couponizer" for yourself. 

One of Those Nights

I am so sleepy right now.  it is 7:37 p.m. as I type and there is no real reason for me to be so tired.  After school today I did just a few errands, but I ran out of steam so fast.  I sat for a while, and hubby came home to me still sitting, and to me having no clue as to what to fix for supper.  Finally I got my act together and made quite a good supper in my sorry state.  I went rummaging through the house and found some chicken in the freezer that I had roasted, picked off the bone, and froze a while back.  I knew I had some heavy cream and a block of parmesan that I needed to use, and some fresh broccoli in the fridge.  Before you know it I whipped up some delicious (and very fattening) broccoli / chicken  fettuccine alfredo. Check out the sauce recipe here. 

Maybe that is why I am so tired. I really did not eat a large portion, but it is rather rich. Other than doing a load of laundry, filling the weekly pill containers, and cleaning up a bit in the kitchen (hubby is helping) I do not plan on much else for the night. 

I guess we all have lazy nights once in a while. 

Monday Mail Call

I love it when my mailbox holds surprises.  I guess that must be the kid in me.  Today I had 2 nice items. The first was a box from Pssst, a word-of-mouth, product sampling web-site from General Mills.  In the box was a full size sample of the new Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters.  Yummy stuff, I might say. Pssst will send you great products and coupons that you can share with your friends.  You then  get an email to take a brief survey.  It is a pretty easy way to get great coupons and try new products. Go here  if you want to sign up.  The next item was a $4.00 coupon for a Pace product.  That will translate into a pretty big jar of salsa. Pace has an instant win game, and although I thought I would never win, I finally did   Go here to play. 

Little things make me happy.

Sweet Deal

What do you do when you are able to purchase $2.49 Ghiradelli Luxe Milk Chocolate bars for around .20 cents a piece?   Buy lots.  

Then what do you do?  Eat them all in one sitting with a Diet Pepsi?  Tempting, but no.

Break some up and make cookies!  I made 4 batches of Ghiradelli chocolate chunk cookies. 

Due to the perfect combination of deals at Walgreens, and having the right coupons, I snagged 40 bars of milk/dark combination chocolate bars.  (Not all of them posed for the picture.)   

The math went like this:

 The grand total for 40 bars was around $7.50, this was for a total of 120 ounces of chocolate.   120 ounces could be translated into 10  bags of chocolate chips, 12 ounces each.  This would be like paying .75 cents each for premium bags of chocolate chips.   Pretty good deal, I'd say.  

Now, the most fun thing about it all, is that I made a double batch of cookies just for the staff at my Walgreens because they always welcome my crazy coupon habit!    (CVS needs a treat soon as well, because they are great also.) 

The majority of these chocolate bars will go in the freezer.  I used 6 bars total today for 4 batches of cookies.  

Happy Anniversary to me...

It's an anniversary of a different sort.  Today I am cancer free for one year!   This is a date I will take note of each year.  It is a good day for me. 

Kmart Double Deals

I could have spent just over $22.00  on these items, ($5.99 each for the Northern, and $5.29 each for the Clearasil)

But...thanks to Kmart double coupons, I spent just over $22.00 for everything in the bottom picture (t.p. and Clerasil included!)  That's what I call smart shopping.   If you notice, we will have happy pets in our house!  
I love the variety of items too.  I have cleaning products, food items, pet treats and food, mascara,  other health and beauty items, plus batteries and playing cards.  Great way to round out the stockpile.   I am loving my coupons!   The word is out though that Kmart is suspending all double coupon events until the end of the year.  I guess we all better take advantage of it this week. 

Forgot to mention...

Look what we did last Wednesday night.  We lucked into Cardinals' tickets again and zipped off to St. Louis for the evening.  We drove to Fairview Heights and then took the Metro right to Busch Stadium.  Such an easy way to get there.  Free tickets with  great seats helped for a fun night.  Plus, they won!  We also got to see Albert hit another homer which sweetened the evening.  

For those of you not familiar with Albert, that is him warming up on the jumbo-tron.

In the Freezer

*Corn: both on the cob and off

*Strawberries:   some individually frozen,  some sliced and sugared, and some chopped and frozen waiting to make jam

*Peaches: sliced and sugared

*Green Beans, 4 quarts given to us: blanched and frozen

*Blackberries:  3 lbs, individually  frozen and bagged

Yum, it will taste like summer for a long time. 

Shopped till we Dropped

Shopping to near the point of exhaustion is not a good thing.  Super double coupons at Kmart is however.  Sister and I know the grocery section of that store very well after our marathon trip yesterday.  Has anyone else ever spent 3 HOURS in a Kmart?  Granted, it was a yukky, muggy, hot day, but 3 hours?   I know we are crazy.  But, I will tell you the deals were sweet.  I definitely went over my usual spending , but that is how I shop.  "Buy at the rock bottom price, buy lots, and don't buy again for months".   Thing is, I spend less on these "marathon" trips than I used to spend weekly. 

This is how our day went:

• Walgreens #1
  
• CVS
  
• Lunch at Quizno's (those little Torpedo thing are good)
  
• Kroger
  
• Back to her house to put Kroger stuff in fridge
  
• Walgreens #2  (great deal going on with Kraft Velveeta Shells and Cheese, and we cleaned them out)
  
• Kmart (3 hours)
  
• Walgreens # 3 (sorry we took all of the Shells and Cheese, they will get more)
  
• Back to her house to transfer all my loot from her car to mine and to pick up Kroger goodies
  
• Said good-byes and I came HOME
  

**We used to shop for fun things and spend our money on cute things for our houses, clothes, craft things and then eat too much at a fancy restaurant for about $20.00 plus tip.  Now we bargain and  grocery shop and eat for less than $10.00 total.   Are we getting old, or have we learned to be frugal?  Both probably **  Thing is, we are still spending time together, and enjoying our company just as much.  We have just learned how to do it in a fun way and spend less. 

I do not have a picture.  When I got back home with all my loot I was just focused on putting everything away.  We had also shopped at Kroger (not for 3 hours) and there I purchased about 6 pounds of boneless chicken breasts due to a sale and coupon match ups (yes, there are even coupons for chicken).   I separated those and vacuum sealed them for the freezer.  I also had blackberries that were on an amazing sale to lay out on cookie sheets and quick freeze.  I had so much to put away and organize, that I just did not even think of taking a picture.  

I am just about couponed out though.  My high value ones are gone.  Either that, or even with doubling it was not a good deal and I kept my coupon,  You gotta pick and choose your deals.  I do have one more planned trip to the local Kmart this week to buy our dog food.  I have $2.00 coupons for that and I want to double them , but they were out.  

I am tired though.  My legs ached through the night!  I must have logged about 5 miles in that store yesterday wearing flip-flops. Mistake.   

Today I am off to a meeting at school, yeah it's starting.   My bargain hunting days will slow down, but for the last month I have feathered the nest very wisely!  We are set.

KMart Double Coupon Deals

This is why I save those coupons!  

First of all, I will say that my Kmart does not mind multiple transactions.  There is a 10 coupon limit, and my Kmart allows 10 coupons per transaction.  We did several. 

 

Total if no coupons were used:  $304.96

Total after coupons :                           $81.39 

-minus a $10.00 Kmart card $71.39

-minus a $5.00 rebate I will get for the cereal,  so our total was really, $66.39   

Not bad when you look at all I bought.   It is hard to make everything out, but there are Christmas presents there, cat food, cereal, cleaning supplies, some food items, health and beauty, and on and on! 

Tomorrow I am going to sister's town and going again, but this time I will focus on food only.  She has a super Kmart and I can get some great deals on frozen foods and meat products there.    

Walgreen's Paid ME !

Once in a while I actually get paid to buy things.   Today I went to Walgreens with a stash of coupons and a $3.00 Register Reward.  When all was said and done, I earned a $4.00 Register Reward and they had to give me a  37 cent credit on a "W" card.  Click on the picture to read the receipt, it is pretty sweet.  In reality, I earned $1.37 total to buy this stuff.  One dollar was the extra in the Register Reward and the 37 cents they put on the card.   See why I like to use coupons!      

Huge Blessing!

Husband and I were graciously given corn from two of our friends today. 

What a blessing this was!  Our family has quite a history of putting corn up for the freezer.  Before husband and I were even married I would help "do" corn.  I have done corn for over 30 years.  We used to get corn from a relative, then when he retired from farming  we were lucky enough to find another source.  Last year due to my health issues we did not do corn, but fortunately we were blessed by some people from our church who did some for us.  

Today, when husband got off of work we drove to a field and picked our corn.  Just the 2 of us.   About 6 bushels!  We were also given about 1 bushel today already picked from someone else.  We then headed home to begin husking,  and our "silking team" arrived.   Three  friends dug right in and silked their way through the mound of corn.  I started as soon as I could inside with the blanching, and cutting.  Truth be told, husband and I finished just after midnight, but oh, what a wonderful feeling to have two freezers full of corn!  (Ours and husband's parents) 

Grand total:

99 quart bags cut off the cob

20 bags of 4 ears each, on the cob

60 ears given away

 Just a portion of our bounty, isn't it beautiful?

   Cut and ready for bagging

  Nearing completion  

Look what 7 cents will buy...

Just so you all know I am still bargain hunting, even though I have not posted a deal for ages, I bought all of this for only 7 cents out of pocket.  The rest was paid for in coupons and extra care bucks.  ( I earned back $11.00 more)

Great way to buy items for the classroom wouldn't you say?

Writer's Block...

I have taken a break from writing and hope to get back into this soon.  I just do not know what to write about right now.   I am to doing a few deals and coupon trips, but I don't really want to write about that.  I have not done much lately around the house, so not much to write about there.  My health is great, so nothing much on that, and we do not have anymore trips planned in the near future.   So I guess I am a bit boring right now.

There are some deep thoughts going on in my mind, but I am not willing to put those into words yet.  

Check back every now and then and I might surprise you. 

Ahhh Summertime

This week husband and I ran away from home again.  We were invited by husband's sister and brother-in-law to share Cardinals' tickets so we went to St. Louis for one night.  We were gone only about 36 hours but it was a good trip.  We squeezed in the following:

A chance to see "our" Cardinals win a home game.

A quick trip to the St. Louis Zoo - reminder, do not go on a holiday weekend.   It seemed like there were 7 million people there.  But hey, it's free.  We visited the bears and apes, and then left. 
Last, we went to Albert Pujol's restaurant.  I was very impressed with the food and prices there.  They let us hold Albert's ESPY award for MVP.  His first!

Nice to get away, nice to get home. 

Frugal Update

In case you are missing my "frugal -look what I bought for pennies- posts", I have pretty much taken a break from shopping.  We just do not need much at all.  The stockpile is huge and we are living out of that  and the  freezer and pantry.  I did go to the grocery after we got back from our trip to replenish a few things, but mostly I am using up what we have.  I am saving money and adding a bit back into savings after vacation spending.  

I am still buying my Sunday papers, because a great coupon is always good to have.  When the next Kmart doubles rolls around, I am sure I will be there.  I just am not chasing every deal right now, because my past deals are serving me well.  

I think they only thing I really need right now are potatoes.  That and milk.  We ALWAYS need milk. 

Getting back into the swing of things...

Gee, it is hard to un-vacation.  (made up word , I know)

I do have the suitcases empty, all nestled together and placed in the closet.  I bought new suitcases for this trip because all we had were a collection of old, somewhat broken down , suitcases that were currently housing my winter wardrobe.  I decided that a nice set of designated "trip only" suitcases were in order.  We have another trip coming up and it is about time we had a decent set of luggage.  These were on sale and an extra 30% off so the time was right.   They served us well on this trip.  

I do still have odds and ends all over the place  from vacation yet to deal with.  I did put a dent in that today, but there is still more later to finally put away.  

Like I said yesterday, it is HOT here.  What a shock to the system to go from fall temps to blazing hot summer overnight!  Thank you God for our air conditioner.  

I am missing my bargains and deals, and I am sure that before the week is out I will have to make a few trips to satisfy my urges.  Any amazing deals out there? 

While I am working through the house, I am also playing a lot on the computer (10 days without was causing withdrawal symptoms).  

Look at what I did at a neat site,   dumper.net

That is our cat, Abby and I just put her in a museum!   I played around yesterday with some baby pictures and they were adorable!