Another Williams' Family Blog

Jammin'

2010-06-17T13:04:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite things about living in Oregon...BERRIES!!! At church, we were able to order berries in bulk...I just picked up by 40lb. bucket of strawberries (sliced and all!!) and just have to share what you can do with 40 lbs. of fresh strawberries.

Shellie came over and we made strawberry Jam galore!

We ended up with:
8 - quart bags of sliced strawberries to freeze
10 Cups of Strawberry syrup
18-Pints of Strawberry Jam
and 6 cups of sliced strawberries to eat

and it only took us about an hour. I am LOVING the pre-sliced strawberries!!

A must have!

2010-06-09T12:06:00.003-06:00

What a wild weekend! The craziness began on Friday night while I was scrapbooking with a friend at my house...the kids were playing and watching movies in the next room and I hear this screaming.

"Mom! Isaac has a Lego stuck up his nose and it's bleeding!"
Fantastic! I have managed to raise 3 kids so far with nothing being stuck up any noses. I inspect the culprit and walk straight over to my scrapbook tool tote. (My scrapping friend, Cindy, is looking at me very funny by now) I grab my Close To My Heart tweezers They have the perfect suspension-grasping action which was exactly what I needed to grab hold of the Lego and pull it right out.

EVERY mother should have a pair of these things in their home! You can buy them here.

Creativity & Good Deals

2010-06-01T13:15:00.005-06:00

I know, I always post pictures of my shopping trips. So, today I thought I'd show you what I've been working on for my sister, Cyndee.
She is getting married this August and trusted me to make her invitations. (Thanks sis!)
You probably can't tell the heart image is stamped on a vellum overlay with ink distressing on the Colonial White CS and tone-on-tone ink distressing on the Amethyst CS. And in 2 more months I'll be working on the wedding cake. You'll either see pictures posted here (if it turns out) or on CakeWrecks (if it doesn't) ;)

And just because I can't post without mentioning couponing... I went out to do a little doubling this morning.Thats 4-boxes of Graham Crackers
4-packages of Hershey Bars
4-Bags of Marshmallows (Yummy S'mores this summer!)
3-bottles of Hershey syrup
8-packages of Ziploc containers (I couldn't resist!)
6-bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
2-jars of Mayo
4 lb container of Strawberries

and I only paid $2.85!!! on $91.16 worth of food. (But seriously, who would pay that much?)

The joys of couponing

2010-05-25T12:24:00.004-06:00

One of the things I LOVE about couponing is that I don't have to hit every sale...I actually took the last couple weeks off...didn't hit any of the sales, didn't even go to Albertsons for their double coupons (gasp!). We finally have enough of a stockpile built up, that it's okay if I'm not a super shopper every week and just get the fresh produce for a week here and there.

That being said, I did sneak off to Safeway today in hopes of hitting the Ziploc sale. The buy 4 containers and they are 1.99 each. Thankfully they were very well stocked, my purchases didn't even dent their inventory!

Here's how it turned out...

16- Ziploc Containers
6-Carefree Pantiliners
12-Vitamin Waters
Bunch of Bananas

Before Coupons, Doubles, & Club Card this would have cost $84.31

I spent $7.74 AND got back a $4 catalina for my next purchase.

The cashier even said, "Wow, will you teach me how to shop?"

Glad to see I haven't lost my couponing prowess after a couple weeks off!

Are you ready to learn yet?

Bread...yummy!

2010-05-19T08:37:00.006-06:00

While Shellie & Devin were living with us, I got to experience fresh bread every week. So, after 2 months, I guess we got a little spoiled and can't seem to go back to store bought bread (bleh!). I had to continue on in the bread making...and thankfully-having it around all the time now, I don't feel the need to eat as much of it, since I know it is always there.Anyway, here's what it's like (Thanks Aunt Colleen for the FANTASTIC recipe!)

Someday I'll move on to making Wheat Bread, but for now, white bread is just SO yummy!

Ingredients you'll need to make 6 loaves:
6 C. (very warm-hot) water
1/2 C. + 1 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. salt
6 Tbs. oil (I use olive oil)
(Flour & Yeast--see below)

Mix in a very large bowl. Start adding a cup of flour at a time. After adding 3-4 cups of flour mix in 3 Tbs. instant yeast. And continue adding flour until dough is not sticky.

Let raise until double in size. Separate into buttered loaf pans (sorry no pic, I had to hurry out on an errand and got home just in time to bake em) Let raise again til double in size. Bake at 350 for 30 min.
Cool on wire rack, and enjoy!!! YUMMY, just in time for some fresh strawberry jam.
They actually turned out fairly evenly this time--except for the huge one in the back, that's my biggest pan.

I usually put 4 loaves in the freezer (if I don't give any away) and we end up making bread about every 10 days. It's very light and airy and just perfect if you ask me!!

Strawberry Bandit

2010-05-17T19:07:00.005-06:00

It must be strawberry season, because the strawberry bandit has been to our house. He eats part of the strawberry and leaves a little trail ... this time, I caught him before he finished ALL of them. Saved one for me. Good thing it was the biggest.

CAUGHT HIM! I heard Isaac in the next room saying "these strawberries are SO good!"

Happy February!

2010-02-01T15:25:00.002-07:00

It's been awhile...so here's the lowdown on what's been going on...

Wade's cousin, Devin (and his wife Shellie), visited last week while they did some job searching. We had a GREAT time with them and our fingers are crossed that they move here soon.

My computer was taken over by viruses and I had to wipe it all out and restore it to the factory settings (first of all--why did I not know the computer came with this disk? And secondly, should I pay myself for fixing my own computer?) I was VERY grateful to have been introduced to this website as I had started on their email program for emergency preparedness and backed up ALL my computer data not too long ago. So it was an easy decision to start all over. I had tried several virus scanners and they all FOUND the viruses but none of them seemed to get rid of them. So we are starting fresh. It's like spring for my computer. ;)

And as if I could get through one blog post without mentioning couponing... I have totaled up the amounts for January. (I of course had to download a new version of the savings tracker as I apparently didn't have the right version of Excel...urg!) So after re-entering all my receipts for the month.....

drum roll please......

I purchased $696.36 in groceries/toiletries in January

and only spent $185.19 !!!!

I saved over $500 in just ONE MONTH!

and THAT is what keeps me couponing!

After many requests from my family, I am going to attempt to post deals for them in the boonies of California to try to help them save money too. So, stay tuned!

Too Cute

2010-01-02T01:41:00.003-07:00

I know, I know, 2 posts in as many days! What can I say, my kids are cute, and it's very slow & quiet at work. So you get to see Libby's new laptop!

She was so excited to have her very own! It even came with it's own mouse. SO COOL! I kinda think she's too young, but she just loves it SO much......
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She made it herself...I just love the screen and the mouse cord. Is that not the funniest thing?

Okay, so we went to Walmart tonight to hit the Christmas Clearance sale stuff and scored a bunch of wrapping paper for $0.25 each (awesome) and some other ribbons and things. We are driving out and see the "HOT" sign lit at Krispy Kreme and we decide to take the kids in to get a free donut.

So we are standing there watching the donuts being made and at first nobody else is really in there, maybe a couple people sitting down. I snuck off to get the each of the kids one of those hats they all MUST have and then all of a sudden there is a line forming to buys donuts. One lady asks for a free hot donut and they say they don't do that anymore. The kids looked devistated. Because they knew that we didn't go in there to BUY donuts ;) (we are really trying to keep ourselves on a tight budget and enjoy freebies where we can, and we aren't ashamed to admit it) In all the devistation of getting backin the car with no donut, Isaac's hat broke.

I told Libby that maybe she should write a letter to Krispy Kreme. And Ethan says,

"Dear Krispy Kreme,
Isaac's hat broke."

Aah, cute kids.

Gasp! I'm updating my blog!

2010-01-01T03:08:00.003-07:00

Can you believe it? It's only been 2 months and I'm updating my blog already...not waiting the usual 6 months. I know shocking.

I've been dying to share my favorite Christmas gift with you. Everytime I see it, I smile. (and giggle a little). Isn't he adorable? My very talented Sis-in-law, Gina, made all my kids robes for Christmas. And Isaac just looks like a little man, especially sipping his Hot Chocolate.

Couponing Step 6

2009-10-20T15:18:00.001-06:00

6. Some final tips

6.1. Walgreens

6.1.1. It is Walgreens (Wags) policy that you cannot have more coupons than items, so you often have to find “filler” items. There are often little caramels, laffy taffy, or cowtails near the register for about $0.30 each.

6.1.2. Register Rewards(RR) don’t usually “roll”, meaning if a RR prints for the q-tips you bought, you can’t use the RR to pay for the next q-tips or else the RR won’t print again, so you have to rotate the purchases for the best possible deal.

6.1.3. The best order for coupons at Wags is to hand them MC first, then store coupon (in-ad), and then RR.

6.2. Albertsons

6.2.1. Double coupons usually limit you to using 1 set of 3 (or however many are in the ad) per shopping trip. So, I do one transaction, walk it out to the car and then head back in for another transaction. But I only do this for doubles.

6.3. Safeway

6.3.1. You can load ecoupons to your Safeway card at shortcuts.com and cellfire.com. The coupons will be automatically deducted from your total when your card is scanned at checkout. And the great thing is the coupons will stack! So you can have a clipped MC for $0.40 off Granola Bars, plus a cellfire ecoupon for $0.35 off Granola Bars AND a shortcuts ecoupon for $0.35 off Granola Bars…PLUS use a safeway Double for another $0.40 off—you just saved $1.50 off one box of granola bars—and say they are on sale for $1.75, you get them for $0.25! But the ecoupons will only be used once, so you can’t get that off of 4 boxes of granola bars in the same transaction.

6.4. What about other food?

6.4.1. I continue to make once a month trips to Winco to get items we haven’t found with coupons. (I buy the 5 doz. Eggs there) But in general, you can pick up produce here and there to eat up any overages you may generate with your coupons. And I always shop the on sale produce. I used to just put what I needed on the grocery list and select from the best priced apples or whatever. Not anymore. Today for example, I bought bananas at Safeway (with 3 boxes of Tissue and only paid $0.26) and I bought Strawberries at Fred Meyer where they were on sale. I also watch FM for milk & butter to go on sale.

6.5. One-Stop Shopping does not always save you the most money!

6.5.1. It doesn’t always make sense to buy everything at one store. This summer I did a grocery challenge, keeping track of everything I spent for 4 weeks and everytime I went to the store. I found I went 20 times in 28 days. Some days I stopped at 2-3 stores others I didn’t go at all. But I ended up spending $241.08 that month and got $565.76 worth of food.

6.5.2.Don’t make impulse purchases when you are couponing. Never fails, when I take my husband couponing, he ALWAYS wants to add something (usually Oreos) and I always have to insist on waiting and looking for a coupon. Why pay $3.99 for Oreos when you can find them on sale in a week or two for $1.99 plus a coupon? Anyway, it will cut into your cost and you will think, “hu, that didn’t save me THAT much money” so, just give your hard work a chance to pay off.

6.6. Give it time

6.6.1. Building up a supply will take some time. And until then, you may have to suffer through some not so frugal prices for things. Give yourself some time to get your stockpile (food storage) built up, and once you do, you will be able to wait for the great sales to purchase the things your family likes. I mentioned that I always watch for the butter and milk to go on sale at Fred Meyer. Every couple weeks they will have a gallon of milk 3 for $5 or butter 4 for $5, and I stock up. I bought 8 butters last time and I was down to my last 2 packages when the sale came around again this week.

6.6.2. Don’t expect to see the huge savings right away. Your first month, you may not be saving $320 like I did in August, but it will happen. I’ve only been couponing since Mar/April 2009, so it did take a couple months to build it up (we did have a “move to a new state” adventure in there too). It takes a couple months to build up your stockpile, and then the majority of your grocery budget can be used toward couponing.

6.7. It’s okay to not do EVERY deal

6.7.1. You will run yourself ragged doing every deal at every store. Give yourself a break! It is refreshing to sit out and watch all the craziness from the sidelines once in awhile. Plus you will burn out quicker if you don’t. It is not always constant deal craziness, there are slower times when the deals aren’t as great. And then there are SUPER GOOD deals when you will go to Albertsons 6 times in one day to use all your doublers and pay hardly anything out of pocket. So hang on when it’s crazy and enjoy the quiet when it’s not.

6.7.2.Truth be told, I have not yet even mastered ALL the stores. I’m still learning RiteAid’s rebate program and therefore don’t do their deals very often. But one of these days I will.

Helpful websites:

www.fabulesslyfrugal.com

www.frugallivingnw.com

www.thekrazycouponlady.com

www.wantitall4free.blogspot.com

http://athriftymom.com

www.pinchingyourpennies.com

Sites to print coupons from:

www.coupons.com

www.smartsource.com

www.grocerysmarts.com

Couponing Step 5

2009-10-19T14:43:00.000-06:00

5. Couponing Etiquette

5.1. It is best for you to coupon without children in tow. It is easier to concentrate when you aren’t having to entertain your little ones. Keep that in mind when planning your trip to the store.

5.2. Don’t Hoard! Clearing the shelves just because you have a coupon for the items is rude. Well, it’s rude even if you don’t use coupons. If you plan on purchasing a large amount of an item, place a special order with the grocery/store manager. Or do a little bit at each store in the area.

5.3. Try to avoid the busy times of day. I have found the best times to go are early in the morning (8-9am), or after dinner (9-10:30p). Be aware of those around you, and maybe let someone buying milk and bread go in front of you when you have a coupon + doubles for every item in your cart.

5.4. Be honest. Stealing newspapers for the coupons is NOT okay, photocopying coupons is NOT okay, No matter how good a deal is, it is not worth your integrity!

5.5. Be kind. Cashier’s will be more helpful if you are kind to them. Customers in line behind you will be more patient if you are kind. It’s a good rule of thumb to not do more than 2 transactions back-to-back, if people are waiting in line, just do one transaction and get back in line. Or go to the self-check and ask the cashier there if it’s okay to do your coupons there—most stores require cashier assistance with coupons at self-checkout registers.

Couponing Step 4--Stockpiling

2009-10-17T22:18:00.001-06:00

4. Stockpiling

4.1. Storing your stockpile—It’s a good idea to keep your stockpile foods in air tight bins so as to prevent them attracting unwanted pests.

4.1.1. Check the date! I arrange my stockpiled cereals and crackers by date so I am sure not to overlook expiration dates.

4.2. Stock up, but don’t buy more than you’ll eat/need

4.2.1. What in the world are you going to do with 20 bottles of BBQ sauce? Some things just aren’t logical to have an endless supply of, especially if they expire within a year. Of course, you can also donate the free/cheap items to a food bank.

4.3. Know what a good stock up price is

4.3.1. It’s a good idea to keep a price list so you know what you are willing to pay for certain items and when it’s a good deal. For instance, I know that I will not pay more than $1/box of cereal—NAME BRAND. The idea of stockpiling is to stock up now when it’s on sale so you don’t have to pay full price+ when you need it. I was able to stock up on Peanut Butter this summer for $0.24/jar (using a sale + coupons). I have enough Skippy Peanut Butter to make it through the school year.

4.3.2. PYP has a printable shopping list that rates each item in the ad with stars…the 4-5 star items are the best deals. So if you aren’t sure what a good price is, you can check the items on the list to start with.

Couponing Step 3

2009-10-16T22:08:00.002-06:00

3. Using your coupons

3.1. Store Match-ups—Match up the weekly store ad with coupons. There are MANY sites/blogs that do this work for you. Pick one or two sites you like to start with. Also helps to focus on one or two stores to start with. Each store has it’s own coupon policy, so learn the rules for the store you are shopping and when you get the hang of it, add another store to your regular shopping routine.

3.1.1. Pinchingyourpennies.com (PYP)– Printable shopping list which tells you automatically what coupon to use and how much each ad item is. Also has forums to discuss other couponing issues. Nationwide.

3.1.2. Thekrazycouponlady.com (KCL) – Blog that does store ad matchups and purchasing scenarios.

3.1.3. Frugallivingnw.com – local (pacificnw) blogger matching up local deals

3.2. Plan your trip—I plan out my trips, and write out my list (unless I’m using a printable shopping list from PYP) I specify which items for each transaction and group those coupons together. It’s always a good idea to have in mind some alternate items for promotions in case your 1st choice is sold out.

3.3. Promotions—A promotion is something like “Buy 10 cake mixes for $1 each and get $5 off your next order”. This means you will get a $5 catalina printed out after your transaction is complete. If items are sold out, you can ask for a raincheck, but even though you will still get the sale price, the catalina will only work while the promotion is going on.

3.4. Clearance—don’t forget the clearance rack! Always a good idea to keep your coupons with you in the store in case you come across a great deal on something you weren’t planning on, but know you have a coupon for.

Couponing Step 2

2009-10-15T21:39:00.007-06:00

2. Organizing your coupons:

2.1. To Clip or Not To Clip

2.1.1. Many price-matching sites tell you the date the coupon was in the paper, so some choose to organize their inserts by date unclipped.

2.1.2. Others choose to clip all coupons and store by category/brand, etc, in a binder system/box.

2.1.3. Ultimately you have to find what works for you. If you choose not to pre-clip, you will have to take the time to clip when planning your shopping trip. And if you do pre-clip, that takes time up front for some coupons you probably won’t end up using.

2.2. Tips:

2.2.1. Clipping—I collate each coupon insert and staple like coupons together (usually over the picture) and cut all 5 copies at once. No need to cut each page separately if they are all the same. I sort my clipped coupons with the ones expiring soonest in front . This way it is easy for me to spot expiring coupons when I flip through my book.

Here are the pages collated:

As I clip them, I sort them into one of three piles: food, non-food, and trade (coupons I won't use)

Then, I sort the coupons into categories: Dairy, Baking, Freezer, etc. and file them in the binder, pulling out any expired/soon to expire coupons.

2.2.2. Expired coupons can be sent overseas to be used by military families for up to 6 months after they expire. You can adopt your own military base, or send them to:

KCL Overseas Coupon Program
c/o Andrea Ponder
30865 Shelton Rd.
Parma, ID 83660

It is best to have food and non-food coupons separated into ziplocs. Which is why I sort my trade coupons into food & non-food Ziploc's when I clip em, so I can easily add the expired ones to my envelope to mail off every other month.

2.2.3. Some stores have a coupon swap bucket/box where you can leave coupons you won’t use and take coupons you will use.

Couponing Deals

2009-10-13T13:23:00.004-06:00

It has been awhile since I got REALLY good deals with the coupons, but here is what I got last night with the Quaker promo at Albertsons.
4-TreeTop Juice Boxes (3pk.)
5-bags Goldfish
4-boxes Pop Secret Popcorn
4-Aunt Jemima Syrup
4-Boxes Chewy Granola Bars
3-Hamburger Helper
2-Sugar (5lbs each)
1-Crunch Berries --Isaac's favorite
5-boxes True Delight Granola Bars
2-Clorox Wipes
3- containers of Old Fashioned Oats
4-boxes Instant Oatmeal
10- boxes of pasta
1-Nivea Lip Balm
2-64oz. Welches Juice blends (not pictured)

Total spent: $15.80 on $160.37 worth of groceries

So WHY aren't you couponing??

If it is because you aren't sure HOW to start, you are in luck...I will share with you the papers I'll be handing out at my class this weekend.

It's got quite a bit of info in it, so we'll break it up into sections...

This is not your grandmothers way of couponing—the difference? Matching coupons up with sales/promotions to get the lowest out of pocket cost.

1. Finding coupons:

1.1. Sunday Paper inserts—each week there are typically at least 2 coupon inserts: SS (Smartsource) and RP (Red Plum) 1^st Sunday usually has up to 5 inserts including a P&G (Procter & Gamble) . Subscribe, ask neighbors/family/friends, buy at the Dollar store. The “This Week/Food Day” paper typically comes with a SS insert on Tues/Wed. There are NO coupon inserts on Holiday Weekends (Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc)

1.2. Internet Printables—(IP) print direct from manufacturer’s website, coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com, etc. Each coupon should be able to be printed twice from each computer. It is best to set up a “coupon email” account for registering on manufacturer’s sites, so as to not bombard your regular email account with all the offers/junk they send.

1.2.1. Printing—you can print coupons in color or black & white…I select “grayscale” and “draft” copy and it uses less ink this way.

1.3. Coupons in the store

1.3.1. Peelie’s—located ON a product, peel off to use at purchase or save for later

1.3.2. Blinkie—Located in the store in a blinking dispenser sticking out off the shelf

1.3.3. Tearpad—usually located on a display of the product

1.3.4. Flyer—handed out by a demo. Person or in the box on a display of the item

1.3.5. Ecoupons—load coupons online to your store loyalty card (Fred Meyer Rewards Card, etc) and the coupon will be deducted automatically when you swipe your card/give your phone number.

1.3.6. Catalinas/Register Rewards—coupons for $$ off your next purchase that print AFTER your transaction.

1.3.7. Doublers/Twice the Value—both Safeway and Albertsons often have these in their weekly ad. At Albertsons you can double up to $1 on 3 coupons. Safeway will double up to $0.50 on 4 coupons.

1.4. Ebay—you can purchase coupons online for items you buy often. You pay for their time, not the coupons, so you can buy a package of 10 coupons for $1 off 1 box of cereal vs. only getting 1 in your Sunday paper.

Next post will be about How to Organize your Coupons and the great clipping debate... To Clip or not to clip??

It's been TOO long

2009-10-13T13:04:00.002-06:00

Wow, I can't believe I let 4 months go by without posting anything...yikes!

We are all settled in Clackamas, OR; kids are in school, making new friends, joining after-school groups/activities. Libby started Drama Club this month and they will be performing in Nov. Ethan started Tae Kwan Do yesterday and was so excited to learn what his name looked like spelled in Chinese.

Wade is keeping busy at work. His patients love him (of course!) and he is earning respect from his fellow providers in the company for his ability to sell to some tough patients. He does miss hanging out with his friends, so he still gets very homesick for Idaho.

I've started up my scrapbook classes and have a couple ladies that come each month. I also got recruited to teach couponing and cake bites at a Super Saturday (this weekend) for Wade's Patient Care Coordinator's ward. So I've been trying to type up all the helpful info and add a few pics too.

We just started Dave Ramsay's Total Money Makeover (Wade and I agreed we can't move back to Idaho until we are out of debt) and that is going pretty good so far. Couponing definitely helps the grocery budget to stay in control and still get plenty to add to our food storage.

Speaking of Food Storage...we got re-acquainted with some friends from our past....Eric & Becki Reed. They don't live far from us and we have been getting together almost every Sun. (after the Bears game of course) Anyway, Becki introduced me to foodstoragemadeeasy.net and I have been excited to get my family prepared and organized. ( I'm sure I have a 3 mo. supply of food, but I need to finsh up my 3 mo. plan in excel to be sure.) We put together our 72 hr. kits and praticed escape routes from inside the house. The website has a place you can sign up to get checklists every 2 weeks...and if you know me, you know I will do almost anything if it's on my checklist ;)

I have also been canning. I LOVE all the fresh produce around. I'm sure I had access before, but here, it is just overwhelmingly available. I have raspberry jam, peach jam, raspberry/peach jam, strawberry jam, zucchini puree (all frozen), salsa and spaghetti sauce. I am having a blast learning new things. I had done freezer jam before, but this time, they actually turned out! And I learned about the water bath canning.

There some things we really like about Oregon. Yard Sales--start later, sometimes 10am and go untilthe early evening. So that is nice, we don't have to be up at the crack of dawn to find good deals. We like to go explore--each weekend we try to go somewhere new. We've been to the waterfalls 2x, 3 different beaches, the zoo, and a handul of rivers.

Granted, it hasn't started to really rain yet either ;)

So we'll see. I have a great ward--much more spread out than in Idaho. I haven't found any BFF's yet, but some really good people anyway. We difinitely miss our friends back in Idaho and hope to see them around Thanksgiving when we head to I.F. for the holiday.

Well, that's all for now.

How do YOU do Prescriptions?

2009-06-15T15:00:00.003-06:00

My last few posts have either been about couponing or sickness, well this is about both!

I wasn't feeling my usual fantastic self on Thursday and could tell I was probably coming down with something. Isaac kept saying, "Mommy I don't feel so well"

Sure enough Friday morning I woke up with an incredibly sore throat. So I rounded the whole gang up and took us all to the Express Care we had gone to before. She lined up the strep tests and the whole row ended up POSITIVE again!!!!

She only charged me for 2 of us and wrote 4 prescriptions. (saved $110)

I didn't fill them right there at Albertsons, because I remembered I had 4 coupons for $25 gift card when you transfer a prescription to Rite Aid. I went home and called to make sure I could get the coupons to work and they said yes, but to just bring in the prescriptions to fill them.

So I took them in. They gave me a Prescription Savings card making each prescription only $8.99--well that is PER BOTTLE and the kids each needed 3!!! So they gave me each kid prescription for $12 + a $25 gift card.

I paid $42.99 for prescriptions and got $100 in gift cards! So even though I hate that we are sick again--at least I got a deal out of it right?
The dr. gave us each stronger prescriptions for longer to make sure we don't have to do this again next month. I did go out and buy new toothbrushes, color-coded water bottles-so they'd stop drinking from eachothers, and LOTS of Bath & Body Antibacterial Soap!

I am a Krazy Coupon Lady

2009-06-10T13:52:00.005-06:00

Admitting it is the first step right? For a great 10 Steps to becoming a Krazy Coupon Lady, click here

Well, my hobby has now become an obsession. My little 1 inch binder was getting too small to hold my coupons, so I had to upgrade my storage system. I saw a cool binder here on A Thrifty Mom, and did a little search for one of my own. I found a cute pink one on ebay so I bought it. When it came on Monday I was a little surprised that is was more BRIGHT pink, but oh well.

So here is my fantabulous new coupon organizer

It has two separate sets of 3 rings with velcro tabs to secure the contents of each (LOVE IT!)So, I use regular page protectors, I printed off section headings onto cardstock (to give it more support) and then glued clear envelopes to the cardstock. I slip the cardstock inside the page protector and use the handy islice from pampered chef to slice slots in the page protector so I can slide the coupons through the page protector into the envelope.

You can also buy the baseball card sheet protectors--but I had these supplies on hand, so that is what I used.
Each week, I go through and plan out my trip to each store I plan to shop. (I'm a little OCD) So I write what I'm buying and write it all out so I can see it all laid out--how much I'm spending vs saving. I gather the needed coupons and paperclip them with my list and store them in the handy pocket in my binder.

Now, I haven't even taken my new binder shopping yet, so I can't tell you how it worked out.

I have the pages in order of how my grocery store is laid out, but I can foresee myself adding tabs to allow quicker access. I also have the food items and store pages on the right side of the binder and non food items on the left side.

Feel free to post questions, or if you want me to email my organizer pages.

Deal-A-Day Freebies

2009-06-03T09:52:00.003-06:00

Here is a deal for all my scrapbooking friends...
everyday in June, Close To My Heart will have a new FREEBIE to add to your order placed on my website. All you do is place an order for ANY My Acrylix Stamp set! New Deal announced every morning at 9am MT.

Sweet Deal!

Had an hour to kill

2009-05-22T13:54:00.003-06:00

I dropped my son off at preschool and headed over to Albertsons to do a little double couponing. (I know, I'm crazy) Anyhoo, I didn't get the paper the other day and missed out on some doubles, so I was figuring I'd just grab an ad in the store...WRONG they were all out. I happened to see a little booth set up for the newspaper guy to collect subscription orders. He asked if I had all the doubles I needed, I told him I didn't and he gave me a bunch! SWEET! He also hooked me up with a Sunday subscription for only $1/issue...which he said the newstand price is jumping to $2 June 1st I think.

Anyway, I did my shopping as planned--I had to do 2 trips to use the doublers the way I wanted to, but here is what I got:1st transaction:
2-Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce 10/$10 2.00
- MC $1/2 -1.00
doubled -1.00
FREE
Marshmallows, Hersheys, Graham Crackers 6.49
Promo -$3 when you buy all 3 -3.00
-MC $1 off crackers -1.00
doubled -1.00
1.49
Wheat Thins 1.47
-MC $1/1 -1.00
doubled -1.00
OVERAGE -0.53
2-Bar S Hot dogs 1.98
MC $1/2 -1.00
$0.98
Total= $2.30

Transaction #2
Marshmallows, Grahams, & Hershey's -- see above-- $1.49
2-Wheat Thins--see above-- OVERAGE -$1.06
2-Hot Dogs--see above--$0.98
Total= $1.74

Spent $4.04 on $47.64 worth of groceries!

For good measure...

2009-05-17T19:17:00.004-06:00

Okay, here's how the last part of my week went:

Libby had come home from school Tues. and started to not feel well. (She had a cough for about a week) Wed. she had a slight fever and hadn't improved by the next morning so I took her to an Express Care (inside Albertsons--so convenient) on Thurs. and she tested positive for Strep. The NP suggested I may want to get my other kids tested--of course I didn't have them with me though.

Isaac had a cough a week before Libby. He seemed to improve when she and Ethan came down with it. Well, Friday night, his cough really kicked back into gear, kept him (&me) up most of the night, by the toilet in case he gagged it all out. (TMI, I know) We slept in the LaZboy and by Sat. afternoon he wasn't feeling great and had a slight fever (like 99.9) so, we thought we might as well take him in too. The NP (different one, of course) started talking inhalers for his poor lungs and did a swab for strep just because Libby was positive. And guess what--positive! She suggested I bring Ethan back and get him tested (of course, he wasn't with me at the time--you think I'd learn, right?).

Ethan, who has the strongest immune system of all of them, and possibly the highest pain threshold, has been coughing a little bit, like 5-6 times during the whole day. Not enough that I would've taken him in on that alone. But the NP said she wouldn't charge us to get him tested, so Wade took him in to get tested....

POSITIVE! Can you believe it! I figured I should probably have gotten tested too, since I was taking care of the little sickies for 2 weeks, but of course, I wasn't there at this last appointment.

Oh well, at least I don't have to hear any complaining about why the non-sick ones can't have the bubblegum medicine...cause they ALL have it!

FYI--their throats were only barely red and NO spots...so watch those coughs and slight fevers.

My newest hobby

2009-05-12T21:33:00.005-06:00

Buying ALOT for very little... I am way into couponing. I've always been one to enjoy the thrill of Black Friday. I look forward to perusing the ads after a filling Thanksgiving meal and waking at the crack of dawn (or earlier) to get the good deals...and then we always hit the thrift stores ;)

Anyhoo, I stumbled across a few cereal sales at Albertsons in the past, and had NO IDEA that people actually shopped those kinds of sales all the time. I found a few blogs that keep track of things very nicely--inform you of the super deals you just can't miss out on, and I started clipping those coupons. I even made myself a binder. (For someone less OCD than me, I would recommend one of those photo books-2 per page or something, or ya know- an envelope)

So, yesterday was my first big, plan it out, couponing trip and this is what I got:

10 boxes Mac n Cheese
4 boxes Capri Sun SUnrise
3 boxes HOney Bunches of Oats w/ Almonds
3 boxes Velveeta Shells & Cheese
6 bottles of BBQ Sauce
10 Yoplait Yogurts
2 Salad Dressings
6 boxes of Jello
2 dozen eggs
2 strawberry milks
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
5 Frozen Dinners
and Butter Toffee Peanuts

Spent $21.34

I was pretty excited, but not done yet. Because there were more deals I wanted to get before my dbl coupons expired. So I went out again today:

4 boxes Ritz
4 boxes Honey Bunches of Oats
2 boxes Pops cereal
2 boxes Frosted Flakes cereal
1 box Fruit Loops... Read More
18 boxes Mac n Cheese
4 Easy Mac Cups
1 box Capri Sun Sunrise
2 bottles of salad dressing
1 BBQ sauce
1 Mayo
1 Miracle Whip
1 box Wheat Thins
2 cheetos snack things (filler item)

Spent $20.01

Now, I really try not to hoard. I s'pose I did go a little overboard on Mac N Cheese...but it is like our food storage so, deal with it ;)

So, if you want to embark on a very affordable grocery game journey of your own...you can do it!
This site has a Grocery Guide tool. Just enter your zip code, select the stores you shop, and it will tell you what is on sale...there is a "find coupon" link, but I haven't gotten it to work for me. I would say, look through to see what products you buy are on sale, then look through your coupons (helps if they are organized into categories or alphabetical).

So that is a site helpful to you no matter where you live (even June Lake or Ridgecrest;) ) Those in Idaho/Utah can check out some of my fave frugal blogs for more specific tips/sales:
FabuLESSly Frugal
A Thrifty Mom
Being Frugal is Fabulous

Coupon Lingo/Abbreviations:

MC=manufacturer coupon

catalina=coupon printed after a transaction

RR=Register Rewards (name of the catalina coupon that prints at Walgreens)

SS= Smart Source Coupon (comes in the newspaper or print from your grocery stores website)

RP=Red Plum coupon (also comes in the SUnday paper)

P&G=Procter & Gamble (comes in the Sunday paper)

blinkies=the coupons in the displays at the store that stick out from the shelves

peelies=the coupons attached to products

Tips/rules I've learned (mostly the hard way)

You can only use one store coupon AND one manufacturer coupon per item.

If you use RR or catalina you earned from item "A" to pay for another item "A", you won't get another cataling/RR. For instance:

Yesterday's sale: bought 4 Mac n Cheese (10/$10) $4.00
1 Mayo $3.99
1 Miracle Whip $3.99
Kraft promo $3 off $10 purchase -$3.00
MC buy 3 Mac n cheese get 1 Free -$1.00
MC $1/1 Mayo -$1.00
MC $1/1 Miracle Whip -$1.00
Double Coupon (Albertsons had 3 in their ad)
I used 2 -$2.00
Total paid $3.98 + tax
Mac n Cheese catalina prints for $1.00 off next purchase.

I used a $1 catalina I had from the day before (forgot it was from Mac n Cheese) so the new catalina wouldn't print for me. Make sense? So use the catalina/RR to pay for a different transaction to make the most of your $$.

You won't use EVERY coupon you clip...don't bother trying.

Expired coupons can be sent to military families and are still usable for up to 6 months after expiration. C'mon, I KNOW you know someone in the military that can stand to save a few bucks.

To save the most money, you want to use your coupons when the item is on sale. I started saving my coupons for 2-3 weeks before I did my first shopping trip.

I went to Walmart last night for some VERY last minute items I needed. It was late, and I wasn't thinking right and left my coupon binder at home--I wasn't intending to do a bunch of shopping, just a thing or two (for which I had grabbed the associated coupons). Of course, the brands I wanted were not on sale, and a different brand was cheaper even if I had used a coupon. So that is why you watch for sales...unfortunately I couldn't wait for a sale...but FYI Philly Cream cheese is on Rollback at WalMart for $1.18 and when you use the Kraft coupon $1/2 they are only $0.68 each which is cheaper then the generic.

I still make a 1-2/month trip for regular groceries that I don't happen to get on the sales. We have a Winco, so things are pretty well priced, but I'll still use my coupons there. That is the only instance where I will use a coupon with a full price item. If you have to buy it anyway, use the coupon. But if you can wait to get it on sale, that's the best.

Good luck and thanks for letting me share!

Out of left field

2009-04-26T20:55:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know, been curious, or are bored at work and need something to read...this is what is happening with the Williams'.

We are moving to Portland, OR.

Almost a year ago, Wade got a "head-hunting" letter from a Miracle Office in Oregon/Washington offering interviews for positions. At the time, he was looking for something as his current boss was making unrealistic requirements. He drove out to the area where the opening was and didn't like it, he also happened to get an interview for a place here in the Boise area and happened to get that job. So we of course, stayed here.

Over the past month or two, his position has been less and less stable. Even though he often outsells his boss, they can't fire her when they are in jeopardy of going under, Wade would be the one let go...a fact that is often made clear.

Well, on Tuesday, Wade got a call from the M.E. offices in Oregon to see if he would be entertain the idea of a job in the Portland area. We talked it over and decided we might as well give it a chance, see if he gets offered the job, whatever. So we called and told them that Wed. Thursday, they called to offer the job!!

We drove out there on Friday night with the kids and spent Saturday talking to the boss, looking at the office/area, and drove home on Sunday. All week we've been talking to friends/family that know the area to find out pros/cons (thank you to you all!) and decided it is a great opportunity, that we just can't pass up.

As much as we love Meridian/Boise, we've never really felt like this is where we would be for the duration--everything has really fallen into place for us to accept this job and we hope to have many visitors!

We will definitely miss all our good friends we have made here...I can't even think about it or I'll get all misty...

Right now the plan is for Wade to start end of May/June 1st and I will follow after the kids get out of school in June. So, schedule your "Kari time" now- ;)

Why not?

2009-04-01T09:34:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I have a ton of stuff I should be doing...dishes, laundry (my washer broke) =(, cleaning up the toy explosion that IS my living room...the list goes on and on. But instead, I'm FINALLY updating my blog.

As many of you know, I volunteered to make a birthday cake for my Papa's 80th birthday bash. We're talking 150 people. So, I finally got some pics from mu lovely sister Cyndee. And here is how it turned out:

Here it is close up:

I got a ton of help from Beki & Ricky, and supposedly Ricky didn't ever want a piece of cake ever again...until we cut it anyway LOL.

It was so great to see almost all of my cousins again, some I haven't seen in 10 years!

and of course, spending time with my sisters (Lots of time with Beki over the 20 hours we drove together)

Happy Birthday Papa! And thanks to Yoni for taking such good care of him!

Pay it Forward

2009-02-05T09:45:00.004-07:00

I saw this on someone's blog and thought is was a cool idea.

Here's how it works...

Leave a comment on this post and I will select random recipients to get a gift from me. Most likely it will be hand stamped or maybe a delicious treat. BUT before you can leave your comment you have to pledge yourself to "pay it forward" on your blog or whatever random selection you want to choose.

Have fun!

Who doesn't like FREE?

2009-02-02T10:20:00.003-07:00

Okay, first of all, I'm happy to announce the my niece Marley is home from the hospital and all is well. They linked the apnea to the UTI and told them anytime she gets any infection, she needs to be brought in and monitored for the apnea. Fun times ahead! SO GLAD she is doing better! Reason to celebrate!

Also celebrating, is Close To My Heart...25 years of great products! And the great thing is, you get the gift! With every $25 stamp purchase, you get an ADORABLE stamp set FREE. Looks like this:

Super cute, no? So, visit my website to order (and checkout all the items on sale), or contact me with your order.

Happy Celebrating!

Marley Mae

2009-01-29T09:39:00.003-07:00

My niece, Marley, has been hospitalized since Saturday when she was feverish and cyanotic (just her lips were blue--does that word still apply?) Anyhoo the docs at Mammoth Hospital discovered she had sleep apnea and a UTI. The apnea would cause her resp. rate to tank at any given time as low as 8 breaths per min. (wikipedia says optimum resp. rate for an infant is 20-40 bpm)

They put her on antibiotics for the UTI and kept monitoring her breathing until they could get her transfered to a Children's Hospital with a specialist is apnea.

So finally, yesterday, after MUCH anticipation, they got transfered to Children's Hosp. in Orange Co. and were running some tests last night, including a sleep study and and ECHO. I'm anxiously waiting to hear any news...

Blessing in disguise??

2009-01-16T10:44:00.003-07:00

Not sure if it's a great blessing or what...

Almost everytime I have time "off" (i.e. relaxation time, when I am not IN CHARGE of something, but there simply to relax and enjoy myself) I get sick. A cold, usually. And here it is, like clockwork. The first day of our 4 day weekend...and I am NOT Claritin clear. If the past is any indication, my nose will be redder than Rudolph's by the time Monday rolls around. And I will not be looking forward to getting back in the swing of things when school starts again on Tuesday. Especially since I've had no break! UGH!

The blessing part being that I'm NOT sick when I'm needed (getting kids off to school, and taking care of everything else). Better me than the kids I s'pose. Of course, they probably gave it to me. Those germy little hands at school...eeew!

Biggest Loser

2009-01-08T17:48:00.003-07:00

So it's a new year which means I set ANOTHER goal to lose weight...

well, I must say that this year WILL be different because:

1. I got a Wii Fit for Christmas and I'm so competitive I get up every morning to try and beat my own score.

2. My SIL joined a BBL (Biggest Blogging Loser) group and she is NOT leaving me in the fatty zone--so I joined it too...

3. I want to win MONEY from the BBL group

4. I want Wade to take me to Hawaii

And don't even THINK of looking at my BL blog... TMI people, TMI ;) I will update you when I win though =)

You may wonder how I can focus on weightloss when I am into all this baking. That is my trick...I really don't crave it at ALL when I see it so often. It really doesn't even tempt me. Okay sometimes it does, but hardly ever. So I keep making it to keep me from wanting it. And give it to all my skinny friends to even out the playing field ;)

Set your DVR!

2009-01-07T17:37:00.001-07:00

I am SO excited! The show I was raving so much about--"Lost in Austen" is coming to a TV near you this weekend! They will be showing the first 2 episodes on the 11th on Ovation TV--channel 274 on DirectTV. So check your schedule and don't miss it! It is so cute!

Christmas Tag

2008-12-16T10:26:00.002-07:00

Apparently, I am not a good blogger friend...I was tagged like almost 2 weeks ago and just realized it. (I hate tag, I'm "it" FOREVER!)

But, since there are a ton of things I should be doing instead of blogging, I take a moment to entertain you all with my wit and humor ;)

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper--
2.Real tree or artificial? Real. Though the idea of having the lights already on the tree is very appealing to me.
3.When do you put up the tree? After Libby's b-day (dec. 6) we always try to make it a separate event...though for all our effort, I don't think it makes a difference to her.
4.When do you take the tree down? Depends on how crispy it is. Usually Jan 2nd-ish. Funny thing, last year, I took the tree down while the kids were asleep and had it on the curb for recycling, when then kids woke up they followed the pine needles for clues to see where the tree had gone off to.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hard to say...oh, I remember...New Kids on the Block concert tickets wrapped in box after box after box, using EVERY extra scrap of wrapping paper.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Wade
8. Easiest person to buy for? Libby
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Got it free with purchase at RC Willey a few years ago.
10.Mail or email Christmas cards? I always intend to mail them and just never get around to it...so, email;)
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Now that I'm an adult I can see the necessity for a box o' socks, but as a kid, it wasn't all the great. Neither was the maraca when everyone else got guitars.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? While you were Sleeping
13.When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday
14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Only white elephant ones
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas Crack...you'll see what I
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, I prefer white lights, but wade put the colored ones on this year before I could give instructions
17. Favorite Christmas song? Candlelight Carol, Not that far from Bethelehem, and Where are you Christmas?
18 .Travel at Christmas or stay home? We have been home that last couple years.
19.Can you name all Santa's reindeer? Dasher and dancer, prancer, and vixen, comet, Cupid, Donner, but do you, DO YOU know BLITZEN? He's a boogie woogie reindeer and he boogies all day!
20. Angel on the tree top or Star? Star
21.Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? MIL makes jammies every year that we open Christmas Eve.
22.Most annoying thing about this time of year? Guilt of not getting my Christmas Cards done.
23. Favorite ornament? I don't think I have one
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Growing up it was like Thanksgiving 2.0, so we have changed ours to be ham, funeral potatoes, green beans, rolls, mmmmm, I'm hungry.
25. Favorite Christmas drink ? Apple Cider or diluted egg nog.
26.What do you want for Christmas this year? new shoes or Jane Austen Books
27.What don't you want for Christmas this year? ugh, I would really HATE to get a new car....that would be SO annoying!
28. What is something you have never done that you want to do for Christmas? Play hand bells with fam on christmas eve. Or go Christmas caroling--never gone with the kids.
29.Who is the most likely to respond to this? Don't know
30.Who is least likely to respond? someone who doesn't read my blog??

Random Thoughts

2008-12-11T17:40:00.002-07:00

Sorry, I've been neglecting my blog lately...I'm addicted to Facebook.

Anyway, thought I'd better update my blog with a new post.

It's pretty cold right now here in Meridian...and today I saw these ducks...and I thought, "SO glad I'm not a duck--not only would I not want to sit my butt in the FREEZING COLD water, I certainly wouldn't want to stick my head in to find something to eat! I mean, I won't open the fridge without slippers/socks on..."

So there is something to be thankful for...

Lost in Austen

2008-11-12T22:11:00.002-07:00

Okay, so for the last couple months, I've had a new obsession...Pride & Prejudice. I saw the 2005 movie (Keira Knightley) and it started me on a kick. Reading the book, watching the '95 mini-series, reading P&P sequels, etc. And now I have come across another 4 part series that aired in the UK back in September: Lost in Austen; about a girl (Amanda Price) who swaps places with Elizabeth Bennet. Here is one of the clips that made me laugh.

Always Be Prepared

2008-09-23T13:46:00.003-06:00

So, this fabulous Parenting Class I've been taking...oh I wish you all could experience it. I leave feeling uplifted, encouraged, and full of great ideas to implement.

So here is one for you LDS mommies. With General Conference Weekend upon us, I have been preparing some Conference Notebooks for my kids to keep them busy (read quiet) and maybe help them pay attention during the sessions.

And if you go to http://www.sugardoodles.net/ they have some GREAT resources for any church thing you can think of practically. Also a good site is lds.about.com

The point we talked about for Sunday's and Sunday activities is for it to be DIFFERENT then the rest of the week. Let them color with markers on Sunday and crayons the rest of the week. On Sunday, watch home movies, but not the rest of the week.

I loved that these are ideas I can implement even though my sweet hubby & I aren't on the same page "church"wise. So, do what works for your family. I'm working on my conference notebook and will post pics when I'm done. TIP--best time to buy binders is during back to school shopping, otherwise they are ridiculously expensive and hard to find. So a family tradition was born--you get a conference notebook the fall conference after you finish 1st grade--cause they have to have a binder in first grade that they don't need for 2nd. So--there ya go--way to recycle right?

Brotherly Love

2008-09-18T10:18:00.003-06:00

Okay, so last week I started a Positive Parenting Class at the Institute (cause who couldn't use a little parent pep talk every now and then hu?) Anyway, one of the things we talked about was the importance of siblings bonding together. That they are closer with siblings than school friends. **not that it isn't important to have friends**

Anyway, yesterday was just a wonderful, proud moment for me watching my boys.

Here's the story (and a lot of back story)
The kid's go to a year round school. One of the kids that goes to our bus stop always brings his Dog and Brother (who is a bit of a bully--well both boys are--the older one poked Ethan daily with a tack on the kindergarten bus last year) and Mom with baby (who is very tolerant of their wild behavior "boys will be boys").
They are on a different track than we are, so when they are on track break I have no problems at the bus stop. When they aren't on break, I try to avoid the bus stop. 1. they are mean 2. it is hard to control Isaac when he is running after their dog to pet it.
But yesterday, I didn't have any errands to run after the kids went to school, so I opted for the bus. Isaac brought a little toy with him to occupy him.

We get to the bus stop and there are the boys and dog--mom off talking with other moms. So we line up and the little brother starts asking--more like demanding--Isaac to give him a turn with the toy. Isaac, being the diplomatic 3 yr old that he his, ignores him and walks away. He stands by Ethan at the back of the line. The boy comes up to Isaac again and demands his turn. To which Ethan replies, "He doesn't have to! It is HIS"

I was only a few feet away, keeping a very close eye on the little bully's reaction--he stood there quiet, opening and closing his fist very slowly, then pushes Ethan hard so he falls over. I put my hand on the boys shoulder and said "No! that is NOT okay" He runs the 30 ft to his mom.

I couldn't hear if she said anything to him, but he did walk over to Isaac and said "Sorry". To which Isaac replied "You go tell Ethan sorry" And he did.

While I will go back to my avoidance of the bus stop for awhile, I was SO proud of my boys for standing up for each other.

This picture is from last winter (hence the snow boots).

My little garden

2008-09-04T12:20:00.004-06:00

Okay, so this spring I wanted to plant a garden. I chose a square foot garden as to not get in over my head. I researched all the materials I'd need, decided what I would plant, and bought the supplies.

I got the seeds/plants planted by June. And enjoyed watching my little seeds grow. Well, nothing could quite prepare me for what I would get out of those little pumpkin seeds I planted...

Okay so over on the right you can see the box I used to plant everything in. It is a 4' square garden. The pumpkins were only planted in 1' square.

All I can say is, I'm glad I planted them in an outside square and not an inside one.

At last count I had 11 pumpkins growing. It is my most successful garden item. Apparently I'm growing baby carrots and 1 ear of baby corn ;)

better luck next year I suppose.

Calling all Mom's of daughters

2008-09-03T19:32:00.003-06:00

Any of you who know me & Liberty, know that I struggle keeping her hair cute and out of her face. I have often wondered why I never came across a good "hairstyles" book. Well, my good friend Amy sent me a link to a blog and from there, I found more hair blogs.

Oh the ideas! Granted I spend much more time on Libby's hair these days, but it turns out SO much cuter! At least, when she walks out the door. It is still messy when she comes home.

Anyway, this blog Girly Do's is having a drawing for free hair stuff, but it ends tomorrow. So, go enter and tell her I sent you!

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-03T09:10:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it! Isaac is off to preschool! He is only 3 1/2 but is already brilliant (if I do say so myself). He knows his letters and letter sounds and I couldn't possibly keep him out of some type of school for another year. He can hardly stand to watch Libby and Ethan get on the bus in the morning. The bus driver thinks it's hilarious to watch Isaac stand at the door at wave and holler to Ethan & Libby.

Anyway, he was very excited for his first day and says he had so much fun!

We were so excited to find out Libby's preschool teacher was going to do preschool this year. She is a friend that is a teacher here locally and hasn't done preschool since Libby's class (3 years ago) because she was going to teach full time at the Charter School near by. Well, this year she got moved to Kindergarten and felt she had time in the afternoons to do preschool. Music to my ears! I don't think we'd have Isaac in preschool already if she wasn't doing it. But she is SO good. I would not be surprised if Isaac starts reading this year.

Oh, and I really enjoy the afternoons to myself ;)

Ethan turned 6!

2008-08-23T09:57:00.001-06:00

Okay, Ethan was having a Spiderman party and I COULD NOT bring myself to pay the $20 for the Pinata at WalMart, it just didn't make sense to me to pay that much, pay to fill it with candy only to last 3 minutes till it rips to shreds. So I made my own! I used 2 soda fridge pack boxes, taped them together and wrapped with brown paper. I had the fridge opening of the boxes facing down, so it was like a 2-barrel pinata. The first side busted after everyone hit it twice, they cleaned up the candy, and then we had a whole other round of hitting before the 2 nd side gave way. I think it worked out great, and I didn't spend a dime on the pinata (just the candy).

Spiderman! You're laying down on the job! Apparently Buttercream is not his preferred habitat for optimal performance. Sadly, this was Spidey's only chance to prove himself as he succombed to the sharp, pointy teeth of our puggle later that evening. R.I.P Spidey.

We could barely get Ethan to put his pizza down long enough to blow out the candle!

Ready, Set, Go!

2008-08-23T00:03:00.000-06:00

So, I'm really on a roll getting the blogging thing going. Might as well jump right in, hu? I really enjoy looking at everyone's blogs and getting updated on what is going on in your lives, so I wanted to create one of those for my little family to provide the same little window into our lives and what is going on with us. I guess that is pretty much why everyone starts a blog though right?

Though this talking to myself thing is pretty appealing.

Anyhoo...I will post some pics soon. So check back.