The thing I gave today I cannot blog about because it's a surprise for the person I am giving it to.
I have just realized after one hour that one sentence is all I have written. I am totally out of it today. Today has just been "one of those days"! Mom always says she remembers having days where she just would say to herself, "Okay, it's only an hour until Ken gets home..." And that's what I felt like today. That is, until Stephen called saying he was having to work late. He didn't get home until almost 7:00 and then his dad called him to go out on a bond call with him. Stephen wanted to go but after realizing what time he would get home from it, he decided not to. He still isn't feeling very good and now I am only breathing out of one nostril. Isn't that so aggravating? Anyway, so after Stephen got home we were working tirelessly trying to finish decorating tonight. He even skipped Men's Group at church because of how late he was getting home. Of course we ended up decorating about 15 minutes and then Brianna was ready for a bath and bed! Even though she was asleep by 7:45 we didn't want to do too much down here and risk waking her up. So our dining room is still a disaster area.
Anyway, when I found out that Stephen was working late, I was this close to calling one of our youth group members and begging him to babysit. It would have been worth the $7 an hour. But I struggled through. So what if the dishes didn't get washed? So what if styrofoam from our decorations has been fluttering on the floor for two days now? So what if my coupons are strewn across the kitchen counter? When you're tired, it just doesn't matter.
And then I realized tomorrow night is my night to teach youth group. I knew that - was planning a lesson on Saturday and Sunday. But then yesterday and today seemed so crazy and hectic I just totally forgot about it. Now I feel bad because I don't think my lesson is going to be very good.
Such is life. And life is still good. Even if it is a little harried and crazy.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Giving New Things
Today I didn't even leave the house. It is really hard to give someone something when you don't even step outside. But, I persevered.
I gave Brianna apple juice and avocado for the first time today. No, we had never given her juice before. I know, it's a sin or something. Everyone has an opinion on babies and everyone wants to share their opinions. Half the people I know thought we were crazy for exclusively breastfeeding Brianna for six months. By the time she hit 3 months, I was hearing left and right that she should be starting solids anytime now. People were telling me about friends of theirs whose 4 and 5-month olds were eating solids and did I know I can start anytime? Why yes I did.
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that "all babies, with rare exceptions" be exclusively breastfed for six months. Heck, the World Health Organization even recommends continuing use of breast milk through two years of age, along with solids. It's just not the "norm" in the United States, sadly. I think it's because there are a lot of doctors that don't encourage it, and there isn't much support in the hospital system either. I don't know what other people's experiences has been with breastfeeding, but I considered Brianna to be a champ from the very beginning. When she was given to me just a few minutes after the delivery, she latched right on with absolutely no problem. The lactation specialist stopped by to see me and offered her number and wanted to stop by the house to help with lactation. I politely refused. I knew I could always call her if I needed to, but I wanted Brianna to have the chance to figure out her act too. I remember having a few questions along the way (Why does she hiccup so much after eating? How much spit-up is too much?) but nothing so major as to constitute a home visit. Any questions I had were easily answered by mom, Google, and my friend Debra. I think if I had had real issues I would have felt comfortable calling the lactation specialist, but not every area offers that type of service. Heck, we even took an entire class on breastfeeding before the delivery. I didn't remember anything from the class, but it was interesting anyway. It just made me more sure I wanted to breastfeed.
Anyway, so yep, we were insane for waiting until Brianna was six months old to give her any type of solid food. Even now, she is almost eight months, and she rarely eats solids more than once a day. When she does eat solids it's a very limited amount - usually between 1-3 ounces and then a lot of times I will even breastfeed her after that. I know, it is so crazy.
The problem with juice is that most juices are not even juice anymore! I mean, Juicy Juice which proclaims that it is juicy juice is not even mostly juice!! Pretty much every juice has corn syrup in it, or something along the lines of corn syrup. (Puts the child at risk for developing botulism. Yikes.) So I have to read labels really carefully when thinking about giving it to Brianna. Well, I guess I don't have to, but I choose to. I finally found some that I can give her - Walgreens brand that they had on sale the other day, and then Mott's brand which I also found on sale. So today she had just eaten but she kept acting like she wanted something else so I figured I would give her some juice. She loved it - I'm sure it's very sweet and delicious to her! I only gave her two ounces - I will try to never give her more than 4 ounces in a day until she is much older... like, years older. After she has juice I give her water to rinse it out of her mouth. She's got little teeth coming in and I'd prefer for them not to come in prepared with cavities. Also, something I usually do for myself and plan on doing it for her, is preparing a mixture of 1/2 juice and 1/2 water. That way it is still good and hydrating but the water is the good stuff that we really need to be drinking.
One thing I might do is make a fruit smoothie for her. Mix up some strawberries (I have some in the freezer) and plain yogurt in the blender - mmm mmm!!
Okay, I didn't mean for this post to become a soapbox. I was just trying to complete my post for the day. That is all.
By the way, Bri liked the avocado (don't ask me why) but after about 4 bites started crying to go to bed. It happens. She'll get some more tomorrow night. She has eaten every vegetable she can have before 8 months and several fruits and has loved all of them. She's going to be like her mommy, I can just tell.
I gave Brianna apple juice and avocado for the first time today. No, we had never given her juice before. I know, it's a sin or something. Everyone has an opinion on babies and everyone wants to share their opinions. Half the people I know thought we were crazy for exclusively breastfeeding Brianna for six months. By the time she hit 3 months, I was hearing left and right that she should be starting solids anytime now. People were telling me about friends of theirs whose 4 and 5-month olds were eating solids and did I know I can start anytime? Why yes I did.
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that "all babies, with rare exceptions" be exclusively breastfed for six months. Heck, the World Health Organization even recommends continuing use of breast milk through two years of age, along with solids. It's just not the "norm" in the United States, sadly. I think it's because there are a lot of doctors that don't encourage it, and there isn't much support in the hospital system either. I don't know what other people's experiences has been with breastfeeding, but I considered Brianna to be a champ from the very beginning. When she was given to me just a few minutes after the delivery, she latched right on with absolutely no problem. The lactation specialist stopped by to see me and offered her number and wanted to stop by the house to help with lactation. I politely refused. I knew I could always call her if I needed to, but I wanted Brianna to have the chance to figure out her act too. I remember having a few questions along the way (Why does she hiccup so much after eating? How much spit-up is too much?) but nothing so major as to constitute a home visit. Any questions I had were easily answered by mom, Google, and my friend Debra. I think if I had had real issues I would have felt comfortable calling the lactation specialist, but not every area offers that type of service. Heck, we even took an entire class on breastfeeding before the delivery. I didn't remember anything from the class, but it was interesting anyway. It just made me more sure I wanted to breastfeed.
Anyway, so yep, we were insane for waiting until Brianna was six months old to give her any type of solid food. Even now, she is almost eight months, and she rarely eats solids more than once a day. When she does eat solids it's a very limited amount - usually between 1-3 ounces and then a lot of times I will even breastfeed her after that. I know, it is so crazy.
The problem with juice is that most juices are not even juice anymore! I mean, Juicy Juice which proclaims that it is juicy juice is not even mostly juice!! Pretty much every juice has corn syrup in it, or something along the lines of corn syrup. (Puts the child at risk for developing botulism. Yikes.) So I have to read labels really carefully when thinking about giving it to Brianna. Well, I guess I don't have to, but I choose to. I finally found some that I can give her - Walgreens brand that they had on sale the other day, and then Mott's brand which I also found on sale. So today she had just eaten but she kept acting like she wanted something else so I figured I would give her some juice. She loved it - I'm sure it's very sweet and delicious to her! I only gave her two ounces - I will try to never give her more than 4 ounces in a day until she is much older... like, years older. After she has juice I give her water to rinse it out of her mouth. She's got little teeth coming in and I'd prefer for them not to come in prepared with cavities. Also, something I usually do for myself and plan on doing it for her, is preparing a mixture of 1/2 juice and 1/2 water. That way it is still good and hydrating but the water is the good stuff that we really need to be drinking.
One thing I might do is make a fruit smoothie for her. Mix up some strawberries (I have some in the freezer) and plain yogurt in the blender - mmm mmm!!
Okay, I didn't mean for this post to become a soapbox. I was just trying to complete my post for the day. That is all.
By the way, Bri liked the avocado (don't ask me why) but after about 4 bites started crying to go to bed. It happens. She'll get some more tomorrow night. She has eaten every vegetable she can have before 8 months and several fruits and has loved all of them. She's going to be like her mommy, I can just tell.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Giving Groceries
I have actually had a handful of people in the past few months tell me they would love to pay me to do their grocery shopping for them. I normally just laugh it off - that is a huge undertaking, a lot of responsibility, and plus most people are way too picky about brands for it to really work. I mean, if you refuse to use anything but Windex glass cleaner, and Windex doesn't ever have coupons and never goes on sale, I can't help you out. It doesn't work that way.
So when a guy at church asked me, dead serious, if I would help him out, I really didn't take him seriously at first. But after talking to him, we agreed on a way that won't be too hard on me and will also (hopefully) save him a lot of money.
So today, I gave him his first round of groceries at church. His daughter later came to me and said, "Miss Amanda, I can't believe how many groceries you got for that amount of money!" Of course I love finding good deals and helping people so this is right up my alley. I just hope it continues to work out.
A girl from church whose family sells Christmas trees spoke to me today. She wants to donate a Christmas tree to the family we are adopting this month for Fed By Faith. How cool is that??? I love it.
I also had a guy at church tell me he has a friend whose husband just passed away and she wants to donate his entire wardrobe to Fed By Faith. Bring it on, I said!! We quite possibly have already run out of room for all the donations. The first week I announced this, my preacher jokingly said we might have to build an addition just to store everything. That's definitely not a joke anymore. God is so great - he is really moving throughout the whole community!!
Oh yeah, I also had another guy at church tell me he has a ton of old dishes - sets of 4 - and other kitchen stuff, comforters, and sheet sets that he wants to donate. Oh my goodness! That is AWESOME! I want to see the look on someone's face when they receive a warm comforter. This just thrills me.
So when a guy at church asked me, dead serious, if I would help him out, I really didn't take him seriously at first. But after talking to him, we agreed on a way that won't be too hard on me and will also (hopefully) save him a lot of money.
So today, I gave him his first round of groceries at church. His daughter later came to me and said, "Miss Amanda, I can't believe how many groceries you got for that amount of money!" Of course I love finding good deals and helping people so this is right up my alley. I just hope it continues to work out.
A girl from church whose family sells Christmas trees spoke to me today. She wants to donate a Christmas tree to the family we are adopting this month for Fed By Faith. How cool is that??? I love it.
I also had a guy at church tell me he has a friend whose husband just passed away and she wants to donate his entire wardrobe to Fed By Faith. Bring it on, I said!! We quite possibly have already run out of room for all the donations. The first week I announced this, my preacher jokingly said we might have to build an addition just to store everything. That's definitely not a joke anymore. God is so great - he is really moving throughout the whole community!!
Oh yeah, I also had another guy at church tell me he has a ton of old dishes - sets of 4 - and other kitchen stuff, comforters, and sheet sets that he wants to donate. Oh my goodness! That is AWESOME! I want to see the look on someone's face when they receive a warm comforter. This just thrills me.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Giving a Book
Today I gave away a book on Bookmooch. This is a website I found a long time ago and I love it. I know there are other similar sites, like PaperBackSwap and SwapTree but I started on Bookmooch and don't want to move from there.
Basically, you add books on there, and then from there you are allowed to "mooch" books from other people. You receive all the books you want for free. The trick is you pay for postage when sending books out. You receive points for sending out books and adding books to your inventory. You lose books by requesting books and removing books from your inventory. Since 2007 I have mooched 111 books, given 129, I have 78 books still on my wishlist, I've had 129 positive feedback scores, made 2 friends and given 1 charitable gift.
The one I shipped out today was Cars, Curfews, Parties and Parents by Susie Shellenberger. Name ring a bell, anyone? She used to write for a little magazine called Brio. Oh yeah, that's right. All you old subscribers of Brio, raise those hands. What a great magazine!!
I have loved this because I've received so many great books over the years... and gotten rid of so many crappy ones!! Yes, Jenn, people actually request the Christian romance novels! She has always teased mom and I for liking those. I've requested most of Ted Dekker's books through here, many of the sci-fi series that Stephen likes, Max Lucado books, Beth Moore book studies, John Ortberg books, almost all of a cooking murder series that mom and I love, and I even requested about 15 copies of Power of a Praying Wife and distributed them among ladies in the church. It has been so cool, and I LOVE seeing a big package in the mail!!
So if you're interested and you have piles of books like I do, maybe you should check it out too!!
Basically, you add books on there, and then from there you are allowed to "mooch" books from other people. You receive all the books you want for free. The trick is you pay for postage when sending books out. You receive points for sending out books and adding books to your inventory. You lose books by requesting books and removing books from your inventory. Since 2007 I have mooched 111 books, given 129, I have 78 books still on my wishlist, I've had 129 positive feedback scores, made 2 friends and given 1 charitable gift.
The one I shipped out today was Cars, Curfews, Parties and Parents by Susie Shellenberger. Name ring a bell, anyone? She used to write for a little magazine called Brio. Oh yeah, that's right. All you old subscribers of Brio, raise those hands. What a great magazine!!
I have loved this because I've received so many great books over the years... and gotten rid of so many crappy ones!! Yes, Jenn, people actually request the Christian romance novels! She has always teased mom and I for liking those. I've requested most of Ted Dekker's books through here, many of the sci-fi series that Stephen likes, Max Lucado books, Beth Moore book studies, John Ortberg books, almost all of a cooking murder series that mom and I love, and I even requested about 15 copies of Power of a Praying Wife and distributed them among ladies in the church. It has been so cool, and I LOVE seeing a big package in the mail!!
So if you're interested and you have piles of books like I do, maybe you should check it out too!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Giving Discounts
I didn't accomplishing my "giving" goal today and I won't tonight so I might as well admit defeat. One thing I love to do and planned on doing today was give a coupon to a stranger. I know mom does this too, and I'm sure some of you out there do it as well. If I am behind someone in line who has an item and I have a coupon, I get really fidgety until I finally go up to them and beg them to take the coupon.
The other day at Walgreens, Red Baron pizzas were on sale and two men were there at the same time as I was, and they put two in their shopping cart. I stared and stared, trying to read what type they had gotten, matching it up with the correct coupon. I mean, the worst would be to give someone a coupon and then have it cause problems at the register! Finally I said, "At the risk of seeming crazy, could you guys use this coupon?" They were happy to take it and thanked me twice before leaving the store. Fun!!
I had to go back to Walgreens today so my goal was to give someone a coupon to use. I was there for at least 45 minutes (it takes me forever) and I never saw anyone buying one single item I had a coupon for. When I checked out, the one person in front of me bought cigarettes (no coupons here) and the person behind me was buying some random item that I also didn't have a coupon for. My intentions were good. I promise that the next time I can give a coupon away, I will! Okay, so here was my trip for today. Very good, in my opinion.
Tuf paper towels (1 to FBF)
RP $0.79. After WG coupon FP - $0.49
Pert Plus shampoo (FBF)
SP $1.99. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - $0.99
Walgreens toilet paper roll (1 to FBF)
RP $0.89. After WG coupon FP - $0.50
Skintimate shaving cream (FBF)
RP $1.89. Minus $1.50 coupon. FP - $0.39
Olay lotion (1 to FBF)
RP $5.99 each. Minus a $3.00 coupon. Minus a BOGO Free coupon. FP - $0.99 each
Dentek floss picks (FBF)
SP $1.99. Minus a $1.00 coupon. RR - $2.00. FP - Free
Votive candles (3 to FBF)
RP $0.49. After WG coupon FP - $0.17
Natrol Acai Berry
SP $4.00. Minus $3.00 coupon. RR - $4.00. FP - Free
Revlon lip gloss
RP $7.99. SP $2.19. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.19
Sure deodorant
RP $2.79. Minus $1.00 coupon. Minus full rebate. FP - Free (after rebate)
Final shopping total: Spent $3.79. Saved $46.68. Received $6 in Register Rewards. Once again, I am HAPPY with my trip to Walgreens! It's a miracle!
My items probably seem pretty random. Brianna was so relaxed in the Bjorn that I just took my time walking around the store. When I was done with the things I wanted to get, I just started going through my coupons to see if I could spot some other deals. Sure enough, I did! The Skintimate lotion I got was a small travel size so it was really cheap and the coupon still went through, which is how I got it for 39 cents. I randomly found the Olay coupons in my binder and after pricing them figured 99 cents per bottle was a great price. They're pretty big bottles too - I think 26 oz? I'd have to check for sure. I got the Dentek floss picks yesterday and there was a $1 coupon in there so I just went back to use that coupon. I got the six candles to make sure I had more items than coupons. The Acai Berry supplements... oh let me tell you. I showed them to Stephen last night - I was just going to sell them on eBay - and I thought he was going to have a heart attack! He was super excited to try them. I guess they're the new "thing" for health nuts. Supposedly they help you sleep soundly and have more energy during the day. They also "cleanse your toxins". I said to Stephen, "Is that just a polite way of saying they are laxatives??" But I don't think they are. They're safe while breastfeeding and even recommended to new moms for the energy boost. The one I got yesterday was a package deal, buy one get one free, and then I got another bottle today so now we have three bottles just in case we like it. The Revlon lip gloss was on last chance clearance which is why it was so cheap. And then I saw my Sure coupon and figured I'd get it and get the rebate at the same time. So I'm happy because a lot of my about-to-expire coupons got used and I got GREAT deals!!
P.S. When I got home and checked my mail, I got several coupons for Babies R Us which I will never use. So I am giving those coupons to a friend who I think will put them to good use.
The other day at Walgreens, Red Baron pizzas were on sale and two men were there at the same time as I was, and they put two in their shopping cart. I stared and stared, trying to read what type they had gotten, matching it up with the correct coupon. I mean, the worst would be to give someone a coupon and then have it cause problems at the register! Finally I said, "At the risk of seeming crazy, could you guys use this coupon?" They were happy to take it and thanked me twice before leaving the store. Fun!!
I had to go back to Walgreens today so my goal was to give someone a coupon to use. I was there for at least 45 minutes (it takes me forever) and I never saw anyone buying one single item I had a coupon for. When I checked out, the one person in front of me bought cigarettes (no coupons here) and the person behind me was buying some random item that I also didn't have a coupon for. My intentions were good. I promise that the next time I can give a coupon away, I will! Okay, so here was my trip for today. Very good, in my opinion.
Tuf paper towels (1 to FBF)
RP $0.79. After WG coupon FP - $0.49
Pert Plus shampoo (FBF)
SP $1.99. Minus $1.00 coupon. FP - $0.99
Walgreens toilet paper roll (1 to FBF)
RP $0.89. After WG coupon FP - $0.50
Skintimate shaving cream (FBF)
RP $1.89. Minus $1.50 coupon. FP - $0.39
Olay lotion (1 to FBF)
RP $5.99 each. Minus a $3.00 coupon. Minus a BOGO Free coupon. FP - $0.99 each
Dentek floss picks (FBF)
SP $1.99. Minus a $1.00 coupon. RR - $2.00. FP - Free
Votive candles (3 to FBF)
RP $0.49. After WG coupon FP - $0.17
Natrol Acai Berry
SP $4.00. Minus $3.00 coupon. RR - $4.00. FP - Free
Revlon lip gloss
RP $7.99. SP $2.19. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.19
Sure deodorant
RP $2.79. Minus $1.00 coupon. Minus full rebate. FP - Free (after rebate)
Final shopping total: Spent $3.79. Saved $46.68. Received $6 in Register Rewards. Once again, I am HAPPY with my trip to Walgreens! It's a miracle!
My items probably seem pretty random. Brianna was so relaxed in the Bjorn that I just took my time walking around the store. When I was done with the things I wanted to get, I just started going through my coupons to see if I could spot some other deals. Sure enough, I did! The Skintimate lotion I got was a small travel size so it was really cheap and the coupon still went through, which is how I got it for 39 cents. I randomly found the Olay coupons in my binder and after pricing them figured 99 cents per bottle was a great price. They're pretty big bottles too - I think 26 oz? I'd have to check for sure. I got the Dentek floss picks yesterday and there was a $1 coupon in there so I just went back to use that coupon. I got the six candles to make sure I had more items than coupons. The Acai Berry supplements... oh let me tell you. I showed them to Stephen last night - I was just going to sell them on eBay - and I thought he was going to have a heart attack! He was super excited to try them. I guess they're the new "thing" for health nuts. Supposedly they help you sleep soundly and have more energy during the day. They also "cleanse your toxins". I said to Stephen, "Is that just a polite way of saying they are laxatives??" But I don't think they are. They're safe while breastfeeding and even recommended to new moms for the energy boost. The one I got yesterday was a package deal, buy one get one free, and then I got another bottle today so now we have three bottles just in case we like it. The Revlon lip gloss was on last chance clearance which is why it was so cheap. And then I saw my Sure coupon and figured I'd get it and get the rebate at the same time. So I'm happy because a lot of my about-to-expire coupons got used and I got GREAT deals!!
P.S. When I got home and checked my mail, I got several coupons for Babies R Us which I will never use. So I am giving those coupons to a friend who I think will put them to good use.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Giving a Sandwich
Today, Jenn and I had a date to go to Chick Fil-A together. The Chick is one of our favorite restaurants to go to together. It doesn't matter how many fits the babies throw, or if we have to stand up and rock them, because there are always a dozen other mothers in there at the same time. The employees all know us, comment on how the babies are growing up so fast, carry our trays to the table for us, and take our trash for us. We were regulars long before we were pregnant, so they've all seen us become pregnant, become whales in our pregnancies, and now they're watching our babies grow up! Hilarious. Chick Fil-A is the best. It must be in our blood because our Grandma and Grandpa Loyd have frequented their local CFA for years, and the employees treat them just as well down there in Atlanta. When Grandma Loyd passed away several months back, a huge flower arrangement arrived from the CFA staff. That definitely brought a grin to everyone's face. Our manager here is incredible. He does just as much work as any other staff member, is constantly checking in on people, and never acts like you're wrong for taking up a perfectly good table for 3 hours after you're obviously done with your meal.
But that's not really my point. I just got sidetracked. I was really excited the other day because in a stack of coupons that someone gave me - I can't remember whose stack it came from - there were CFA coupons in there. So I was glad to be getting a free sandwich!
Then I started thinking about this month's theme - giving. And I know someone who really likes CFA too, and has been a great friend recently. So it's something small but I'm going to give her my CFA coupons. Even though it may seem insignificant, I hope she takes it as a sign that I was just thinking of her and wanting to do something special for her. And I hope she uses it!!
Okay, so after an incredible lunch and chat at CFA, I had to run to Walgreens. Remember - I had all those Register Rewards that had to be put to use. Today's trip is a fantastic example of something Melody wrote on Jenn's recent blog post; she said "But when you can get a deal, you get a deal... right?!" Well, that is very true on this day!
First of all, I went in with low expectations. I had a ton of RR (register rewards) and expected only about half of them to be used. I had a ton of coupons and expected to have problems with about half of them. Lo and behold, some of my RR weren't used but all my coupons went through without a hitch. So I got some really great deals!! These run through Saturday so if anyone wants to try and copy this, go right ahead. Although that only gives you two days to prepare. Also, a lot of this will go to Fed By Faith.
Soft Botanicals hair texturizer (FBF)
SP $5.00. RR - $5.00. FP - Free
Bowl Fresh toilet bowl deodorizer (1 to FBF)
RP $0.99. After Walgreens (WG) coupon FP - $0.50
Votive candles (3 to FBF)
RP $0.49. After WG coupon FP - $0.17
Complete contact lens solution (FBF)
SP $7.99. RR - $8.00. FP - Free
Dentek floss picks
SP $1.99. RR - $2.00. FP - Free
Goody's elastic hair bands
SP $2.00. RR - $2.00. FP - Free
Mentos gum (1 to FBF)
RP $1.69. Minus 3/$3 WG coupon. Minus $0.55 coupon. FP - $0.45.
Pantene shampoo (FBF)
RP $4.79. After WG coupon - $2.99. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.99
Natrol AcaiBerry
SP $4.00. RR - $4.00. FP - Free
Oral-B floss (1 to FBF)
SP - 2/$5. Minus $1 couponx2. Minus $3.00 RR. FP - Free
Oral-B toothbrush and Oral-B toothpaste (1 of each to FBF)
SP - 4/$10. Minus $1 couponx4. Minus $5.00 RR. FP - $0.50 each
Final shopping total: Spent $10.73. Saved $59.71. Received $29 in Register Rewards. Nice!! I like it when things work out at Walgreens, even though it's uncommon.
P.S. No, I didn't even get the Nivea deal that I was so excited about. They were out of the chapstick. A truck was supposed to come in today though so maybe I'll check back for that.
But that's not really my point. I just got sidetracked. I was really excited the other day because in a stack of coupons that someone gave me - I can't remember whose stack it came from - there were CFA coupons in there. So I was glad to be getting a free sandwich!
Then I started thinking about this month's theme - giving. And I know someone who really likes CFA too, and has been a great friend recently. So it's something small but I'm going to give her my CFA coupons. Even though it may seem insignificant, I hope she takes it as a sign that I was just thinking of her and wanting to do something special for her. And I hope she uses it!!
Okay, so after an incredible lunch and chat at CFA, I had to run to Walgreens. Remember - I had all those Register Rewards that had to be put to use. Today's trip is a fantastic example of something Melody wrote on Jenn's recent blog post; she said "But when you can get a deal, you get a deal... right?!" Well, that is very true on this day!
First of all, I went in with low expectations. I had a ton of RR (register rewards) and expected only about half of them to be used. I had a ton of coupons and expected to have problems with about half of them. Lo and behold, some of my RR weren't used but all my coupons went through without a hitch. So I got some really great deals!! These run through Saturday so if anyone wants to try and copy this, go right ahead. Although that only gives you two days to prepare. Also, a lot of this will go to Fed By Faith.
Soft Botanicals hair texturizer (FBF)
SP $5.00. RR - $5.00. FP - Free
Bowl Fresh toilet bowl deodorizer (1 to FBF)
RP $0.99. After Walgreens (WG) coupon FP - $0.50
Votive candles (3 to FBF)
RP $0.49. After WG coupon FP - $0.17
Complete contact lens solution (FBF)
SP $7.99. RR - $8.00. FP - Free
Dentek floss picks
SP $1.99. RR - $2.00. FP - Free
Goody's elastic hair bands
SP $2.00. RR - $2.00. FP - Free
Mentos gum (1 to FBF)
RP $1.69. Minus 3/$3 WG coupon. Minus $0.55 coupon. FP - $0.45.
Pantene shampoo (FBF)
RP $4.79. After WG coupon - $2.99. Minus $2.00 coupon. FP - $0.99
Natrol AcaiBerry
SP $4.00. RR - $4.00. FP - Free
Oral-B floss (1 to FBF)
SP - 2/$5. Minus $1 couponx2. Minus $3.00 RR. FP - Free
Oral-B toothbrush and Oral-B toothpaste (1 of each to FBF)
SP - 4/$10. Minus $1 couponx4. Minus $5.00 RR. FP - $0.50 each
Final shopping total: Spent $10.73. Saved $59.71. Received $29 in Register Rewards. Nice!! I like it when things work out at Walgreens, even though it's uncommon.
P.S. No, I didn't even get the Nivea deal that I was so excited about. They were out of the chapstick. A truck was supposed to come in today though so maybe I'll check back for that.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Giving Solution
Not solution to a problem. Contact lens solution.
Yes, I know, you thought Nablopomo was over. It was. But there is a theme for every month. I think the only time Jenn and I did it not in November was one month when the theme was "lists". We're both big fans of lists so that one was fun and easy. This month's theme is "Mitzvah", or giving, though. The point is to give something to someone every day and blog about it. Hopefully I won't give anyone a piece of my mind or give anyone a hard time. But I am changing the rules. Because I am so blessed by people giving me things I want to use this opportunity to give them props if deserved.
So I want to thank Jenn for giving me the Complete contact lens solution that she got for free from a Rite Aid rebate. She probably thinks it is really insignificant and silly but it's not. I am almost out of solution and I have been putting off buying it because it's SO expensive. The last time I bought it, in fact, was when Rite Aid had it for free from a rebate about 10 months ago. I'll squeeze the bottle a little harder tonight thanks to her.
So this was a very necessary gift, one that I will definitely use and appreciate!!
And thank you God, for the rain! I love storms like this - not necessarily being out in them - but we got to church and home safely and now we get to spend the night listening to the rain beat on our roof. It's times like this that make me miss the tin roof at mom and dad's house.
Yes, I know, you thought Nablopomo was over. It was. But there is a theme for every month. I think the only time Jenn and I did it not in November was one month when the theme was "lists". We're both big fans of lists so that one was fun and easy. This month's theme is "Mitzvah", or giving, though. The point is to give something to someone every day and blog about it. Hopefully I won't give anyone a piece of my mind or give anyone a hard time. But I am changing the rules. Because I am so blessed by people giving me things I want to use this opportunity to give them props if deserved.
So I want to thank Jenn for giving me the Complete contact lens solution that she got for free from a Rite Aid rebate. She probably thinks it is really insignificant and silly but it's not. I am almost out of solution and I have been putting off buying it because it's SO expensive. The last time I bought it, in fact, was when Rite Aid had it for free from a rebate about 10 months ago. I'll squeeze the bottle a little harder tonight thanks to her.
So this was a very necessary gift, one that I will definitely use and appreciate!!
And thank you God, for the rain! I love storms like this - not necessarily being out in them - but we got to church and home safely and now we get to spend the night listening to the rain beat on our roof. It's times like this that make me miss the tin roof at mom and dad's house.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Rabbit Rabbit
If Stephen and I were still dating, today would be our 10-year anniversary. (Raise your hand if that just made you feel really old.) But we're not dating anymore, so this date in history is just a sweet, sweet memory.
When we met, I had actually just started "talking" to this guy James from Pinecrest, frequently known in our county as "Redneck". I was really diggin' this guy, but for some reason Stephen grabbed my attention too. I dated both for a couple of weeks, and when Stephen asked me out I said no. But finally on that fateful December day, I told him I thought we should make it official. My reasoning was that the first day of each month was a really easy day to remember for monthly anniversaries. And you know how important monthly anniversaries are in high school!! We never did break up, much to the chagrin of some, and despite my threats a couple of times. Now I'm really grateful we made it through these last ten years, changing together - for the better! - and growing together.
Man, ten years has flown by. I look at my youth group members and I grimace every time I accidentally call them "kids". I was 15 only a couple of years ago, right?? I mean, I remember it like it was yesterday! Trust me, things weren't so different ten years ago. Time flies. In another ten years I'll have a 4th grader and who knows what else running around this house. I can't wait. Life is good and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.
When we met, I had actually just started "talking" to this guy James from Pinecrest, frequently known in our county as "Redneck". I was really diggin' this guy, but for some reason Stephen grabbed my attention too. I dated both for a couple of weeks, and when Stephen asked me out I said no. But finally on that fateful December day, I told him I thought we should make it official. My reasoning was that the first day of each month was a really easy day to remember for monthly anniversaries. And you know how important monthly anniversaries are in high school!! We never did break up, much to the chagrin of some, and despite my threats a couple of times. Now I'm really grateful we made it through these last ten years, changing together - for the better! - and growing together.
Man, ten years has flown by. I look at my youth group members and I grimace every time I accidentally call them "kids". I was 15 only a couple of years ago, right?? I mean, I remember it like it was yesterday! Trust me, things weren't so different ten years ago. Time flies. In another ten years I'll have a 4th grader and who knows what else running around this house. I can't wait. Life is good and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.
Monday, November 30, 2009
It's Over!
Yay! I made it through another year of NaBloPoMo! It was kind of hard fitting in a blog every day but I'm really glad I did it. My life isn't quite interesting enough to continue blogging every day but it made me realize it's crazy to go two or more weeks with no blogging. I want to blog so that I can remember things. I've tried keeping a journal just for Brianna but I haven't updated it in almost a month. The blog helps me keep up with things that I forget to write in there or my devotions journal.
Brianna is still not 100%. Her cough makes me feel so sorry for her, but it doesn't really seem to affect her except to make her really tired. Seriously, she is sleeping so much! But as long as she's not tired or hungry she is still playing like usual and even smiling through her coughs. What a trouper! Right now she is pulling everything out of one of my desk drawers so I think I will stop her before she really wreaks havoc.
Brianna is still not 100%. Her cough makes me feel so sorry for her, but it doesn't really seem to affect her except to make her really tired. Seriously, she is sleeping so much! But as long as she's not tired or hungry she is still playing like usual and even smiling through her coughs. What a trouper! Right now she is pulling everything out of one of my desk drawers so I think I will stop her before she really wreaks havoc.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving Pictures
These are pictures only from our family gatherings for Thanksgiving. I will have to upload the ones from our out-of-town visitors at another date! Just to do these has taken me all day. But they turned out great!
Second stop: Stephen's dad's side of the family. This is Brianna's cousin Riley and our cousin Rachel (Riley's mom):
Just a few Talberts:
Next stop: Eden, to see Stephen's mom's side of the family:
Can you tell what Nenah's earrings are? I love it!!
And last round of family members, my maternal grandfather's side of the family!
A beautiful plate that someone made - I never did find out who did it:
If you look closely you can see me and Brianna on this side of the tree. Jessie, if you're reading this, you're over here with us!!
Sunday turned out to be a major "day of rest" for us because Brianna kept us up all night last night. We've been having problems with our heating and air. We're not sure if that contributed to her waking up, or if she woke herself up somehow. She has a little baby cough and that could have startled her and woken her up. In any case, Stephen and I were up a lot last night. He went to church this morning and I stayed home with her. About ten minutes after he left for church she fell asleep (about 10:30 or so) and she woke up at 12:45 refreshed. Only a couple of hours after that she was ready for another nap! She's been asleep now for about an hour and a half. I think she's mainly just exhausted. Stephen will stay at home with her tonight while I go to church. Bri will most likely sleep well tonight!!
First stop: My maternal grandmother's side of the family! Best food ever!
Second stop: Stephen's dad's side of the family. This is Brianna's cousin Riley and our cousin Rachel (Riley's mom):
Just a few Talberts:
Next stop: Eden, to see Stephen's mom's side of the family:
Can you tell what Nenah's earrings are? I love it!!
And last round of family members, my maternal grandfather's side of the family!
A beautiful plate that someone made - I never did find out who did it:
If you look closely you can see me and Brianna on this side of the tree. Jessie, if you're reading this, you're over here with us!!
Sunday turned out to be a major "day of rest" for us because Brianna kept us up all night last night. We've been having problems with our heating and air. We're not sure if that contributed to her waking up, or if she woke herself up somehow. She has a little baby cough and that could have startled her and woken her up. In any case, Stephen and I were up a lot last night. He went to church this morning and I stayed home with her. About ten minutes after he left for church she fell asleep (about 10:30 or so) and she woke up at 12:45 refreshed. Only a couple of hours after that she was ready for another nap! She's been asleep now for about an hour and a half. I think she's mainly just exhausted. Stephen will stay at home with her tonight while I go to church. Bri will most likely sleep well tonight!!
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