A blast of winter hasn't quite finished with us here in the north yet. Here it is not even a week before St. Patrick's Day and we have white out conditions and all this other yuck. It's not that beautiful light snow you get right before Christmas. No no it's that winter is not done yet snow where if you dare drive you are gripping the wheel and begging to make it home okay.
As I get older the winter seem to attach to my bones. Getting warm isn't as simple as putting on a blanket and sitting in front of the fire. That helps don't get me wrong, but I need to be warm from the inside out. I don't go for the fancy coffee or the added flavors etc I just want good coffee. I make a pot of coffee that the whole family can drink if they choose and wait for the aroma to fill the house. I kid you not it is just like the commercial. Those taking naps wake up, those hid away in their rooms on their laptops come out. Just to touch the warm cup of coffee. Not even in the fancy coffee pots, but the old ones that the whole family gather around waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. It's one of those things that is pretty special, and you didn't know it would be.
I really liked that quote from Norman Vincent Peale so much so that it actually made me give it more than just a passing thought. I dared to think how can I apply that to my life, particularly let's give it a practice run today.
My day wasn't set out to be glamorous it was to be filled with cleaning, and every day household duties. I applied enthusiasm to each thing I did. Not to be mistaken for rage, hostility, or the ever lasting 'why me'. Just some old fashion enthusiasm. That enthusiasm caused me to hum, that hum caused me to quicken my step, that step caused the sleeping dog to get off the couch and join me, and quite frankly it caused the whole day more production and a better attitude all the way around. I kinda like something new to focus on...enthusiasm.
It's not like I have some huge fan base that follows my blogs anymore, but I enjoy rereading posts I've wrote from years past. It's like an online journal that doesn't get lost just because your computer crashes. That being said your pictures are always here too.
I'm turning 40 this year, and it's bothered me since the ball dropped on Jan. 1st. I didn't make New Year resolutions or anything I just kept thinking about that 40th birthday. I've set things in motion for years trying to fix my health, marriage, career, broken bridges, etc. and for the life of me none of these things have ever made huge advances forward. Some unfortunate events have happened in my life recently that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and I didn't have a chance to over analyze them so I just kept pressing on. It seemed that "all of a sudden" things were falling into place. The irony of it all is quite simple the bottom could fall out again tomorrow and I will be fine. Even if everything falls apart and I start over from scratch I will make it somehow. I may not have accomplished what I thought I should have by 40, but what I have accomplished I didn't know I wanted. I accomplished the ability to rise from the ashes time and time again.
This is a photo of the deer coming in looking for food on our apple tree last week. There are things in life that still to this day leave me with wonderment and amazement. It was breathtaking.
Of course I'm getting better at staying on top of blogging about the family activities, lol. That being said. Madeline has been adjusting to college life, and what an adjustment it has been. Her mind has jumped in completely, while she has to drag her body through the changes. Since being at college she has had a weird reaction to the water, a nasty blistered sunburn, and a lovely case of mono just to highlight some of the more complicated problems. She is involved in the color guard (marching band) which does take time away from her studies, but it also gives her a whole other element to college life. She has a supportive boyfriend who is not far from campus, who's family is also a supportive component to her life. Her classes are hard but manageable. If I would have to say what I wish the high school would have made her more prepared for it would be writing, but she takes the extra study tables to help in that area.
My charming son, well that is a whole new ball game. He comes by school work way too easy. His idea of studying is literally scanning over his notes, clearly he didn't get this from me. He has a full class load this year with some pretty tough courses, so time will tell. He was voted junior homecoming attendant this year so that was a real treat seeing how he is totally not my dress up kind of kid. He has his license and wants to go go go all the time. I think by the last child you as a parent get warn down and seem to let them do more (according to the girls he does more than they were allowed too).
As for me well I'm still sewing and working as a substitute for the county's libraries. I'm still cutting the corners, couponing, and try to keep the home fires burning.
I think that describes things best around here lately. "Trying to find 'normal'." It amazes me what normal means to each person. I struggled for days after graduation to try and get back into my routine or find my balance. The truth of the matter is life is changing for us all and right now we each our setting new routines for ourselves, combined with summer makes for a lost routine. One day at a time.
People ask me all the time why I don't talk more about my son. My son is very very different from his sisters. He doesn't like me posting things about him, he doesn't like me talking about him, and goodness sakes I barely get pictures of him at his age. He has went as far as wearing the same jersey for picture day year after year just so I won't buy the package. The only time I manage to get a photo of him is when he is actually participating at something for school so that he can't dodge the camera. (That being said the lighting almost always messes with the camera so the picture turns out too dark.) All that being said he has forgotten about my blog so I should be able to post all about how proud I am of him here.
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He just turned sixteen and is growing so fast I can't keep up. He is driving with his permit now. He is the last of my children I have to teach to drive, and either I'm completely beaten down or he's just a good beginner. We drive and I barely have to say anything to him, except 'watch your speed'. When I was teaching his sister she would drive for 11 min. and try rounding up to 15 for her hours, not Brandon he is exact on the time. So I have a feeling we will be permit driving for awhile.
The amount of food this kid can eat completely amazes me. Long ago it was us parents eating more than the kids, not now. I have talked to the dr. about this and they say it's completely normal. It still amazes me. Even with all the coupons and deals I get our food bill still racks up there as one of our bigger expenses. We go through almost 50lbs of potatoes in 2 wks, and the produce drawers are packed on top of the whole bottom area being nothing but veggies and fruit. That doesn't include the 6lbs of bananas on top of the fridge, the big window sill has all our tomatoes, and oranges, and the quick reach counter with all the apples, starfruit, and mango. I have to look up to him when I'm talking because his height is way taller than mine now.
He's chosen one sport to keep up with throughout the year instead of multiple ones so he spends all the time he can in the weight room, open gyms, and any outside hoop he can get a game going. Our television is primarily used for sports. He can always tell you what players have been switched, their stats, and what time any game is playing that night.
His school work...well now this could take a minute. He's always been super smart, but as he gets older he isn't driven to be the best but settles for slightly above the norm. (I can not begin to tell you how many many times we argue about this.) We had a little encounter early in the year with a math teacher and the compromise was for him to take his math course online. It's a lot harder than you may think. There is no teacher looking over his shoulder, there is no teacher giving short cuts. We wanted him to be challenged and be able to complete this class and still be ready for pre-cal so Brandon is learning as he goes and having to retain more than he expected. When you go to complete the tests there isn't time to look through your notes if you were tempted by such a thing, and the math projects have to all be done online so you can't just hand draw a graph. All that being said he's not falling in the all A's group, but more of the A's and B's category these days.
He may fight and scrap with his sister at home but when he walks out the door he's a young man finding his balance in this world with confidence, pride, commitment, hard work, and respectful nature.
Yes I went ahead and tried embroidery with a crash course via telephone from my cousin Christy. I fell in love with it!! I went ahead and tried it out on a quilt I was making for Maddie's wrestlerette advisor. The embroidery was fine, the squares were fine, the borders were fine....it was the backing that brought me to tears. I was pushing it super close to the deadline, I tried a different backing than I originally planned. The seam ripper & I became the best of friends needless to say. It wasn't exactly how I envisioned it, but it was still lovely. I quilt with a purpose meaning for summer quilts lighter batting, winter quilts heavy batting, and certain fabrics for different things. That being said this one is one of those quilts you display or tuck away in a hope chest. I didn't design it to be that type, but that's how the recipient chose to use it.
It was her senior banquet, and most of the girls didn't have a lot of money to chip in for a gift. Since she was captain, and the responsibility fell on her we decided on the quilt since we already had most of the material. She helped me iron pieces and sew and she even did one of the embroidery squares after school. As proud as she was of the quilt her speech and presentation of it to her advisor had me holding back the sobbing tears. She was giving her speech while the senior wrestlers held the quilt out for all to see while she talked of how much her advisor had meant to her and the rest of the girls. After the presentation she not only received applause, but standing applause. I couldn't have been prouder of the young woman who stood before me.
Goodness sakes!! Everyone has tried to warn me how hard senior year is on the parents. I did listen. I've planned as much as I could, Madeline has worked hard and saved all her money to pay for all the senior stuff. The eighteenth birthday has come and gone and we've made some adjustments. What no one can prepare you for is the roller coaster of emotions and reflecting you go through as a parent.
Senior night is tomorrow night for the wrestlers & wrestlettes. I could go get all emotional and I do looking over photos and such, but we are so busy with the activities of the night you don't have time. I think that's good, and the way it should be. She has grown into a beautiful young woman with passion and pride. I couldn't be prouder of her. Deep down inside she is and will always be my little tomboy who likes to catch toads and play in the creek. Rise and go forth my beautiful baby girl!!
I had to make a quick trip to Giant Eagle yesterday. 8 boxes of fruit roll up/gushers, 5 cans of spaghetti O's, 2 boxes of multi-grain Cheerios, and 2 boxes of the new medley crunch Cheerios for $8 and some change.
Here's how: Sale on fruit roll ups 4/$8 when you buy 4 the register takes off $4 making them 4/$4. Sunday's paper had coupons for these 75 cents off 2 or coupons.com had coupons 50 cents off 2. Giant Eagle doubles coupons up to 99 cents. So 75 cents doubled is $1.50 off 2. Final price 25 cents each if you have the 75 cents off coupon.
Spaghetti O's were $1 each with a 50 cents off 5 coupon making them $4 for 5 cans.
Betty Crocker had the cereal coupons 75 cents off each box of the different kind of cheerios. The cereal sale was 4/$10, buy 4 get $2 off at register. Making the cereal $2 with the doubled coupon each box was 50 cents each.
This is a great coupon week for some favorites and stocking up items. The online printable coupons I use is coupon.com, smartsource, and redplum. I also follow different facebook sites like their page & receive coupons. My absolute favorite products I go to their website and see the special offers that they have going on. Betty Crocker & Pillsbury also offer coupons and some awesome recipes. Kellogg's also has coupons & a rewards program that is great!! If you have done away with online opportunities and only use your mobile you can still get in on the action with mobile coupons or loading coupons straight to your shopping cards. If you boycott all technology and only get coupons through your Sunday paper there is still great coupons for you.
Okay for you beginners the coupons that are in the Sunday paper usually will match up with a sale going on that week. It's the beginning of the year and lots of people have made resolutions so more of your protein bars, shakes, etc are on sale this week at multiple stores and there is coupons that match some of these. Giant Eagle has some great sales this week on soups, cereal, fruit snacks, and lots of other goodies. There is coupons to match these and under $1 they double them. Check your local ad for the exact matching. Dollar General has a nice little promo on buy a certain item and getting different items for free. Plus match items to a manufacture coupon & a dollar general coupon for maxium saving. Drug Mart has some great fruit & veggie prices this week. Target has the exercise equipment on sale. Your smaller grocery stores also have some great sales. Just because their overall prices can be high doesn't mean you should cross them off your shopping list all together. Believe it or not the drug stores offer some pretty great deals this week also. If you are one of them people that like to do all your shopping at one place Walmart honors price matching, take your ad just in case.
I am one of those people that work very hard to try to save at least 50% on my groceries. My grocery budget includes anything extra such as laundry detergent, shampoo, health & beauty items, pet food, gifts, etc.
Spring is just around the corner. I keep reminding myself of this. The snow has been beautiful to look at this year wonderful pictures to take of the snow hanging on the trees. That being said I'm ready for spring.
II am all about trying a new product for our household. I do have my favorites though that I try to stick with. That being said when I printed off a coupon for a new multi-surface cleaner I was hesitate to say the least. I thought well if there is a good sale maybe I'll give it a try. There was a sale that with the coupon made it cheaper to try a new cleaner then stick with my usual brand. I bought the cleaner but have had it on my shelf for awhile. Yesterday was it's debut.
The product is Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Cleaner!! Seventh Generation I knew was better for the environment, less chemicals, and all this other positive stuff. Of course I would love all these things and usually I thought it was too expensive or I didn't think it would clean as well as my usual brand that had a high concentrate smell to it. I couldn't have been more wrong. First off we already knew the price was better if we just paid attention, but the big question was how does it clean? It cleaned better than any other product I've had in the past. No harsh smell, no extra scrubbing power, no doubts that it was working great. The real test came in cleaning the bathroom. Usually I have to turn the vent blower on when I clean the bathroom because the cleaning smell in such a small place worries me and causes a headache. (which I definitely don't need when I'm cleaning) This product eliminated the whole smell process, and cleaned BETTER than my usual brand. There was no soaking or leaving it on for 30 minutes to get a better clean. Spray and clean...it was that easy. I used less product, which better for the environment & better on saving more money. Let's not forget I spend less time cleaning, which is a HUGE plus for me.
Great job seventh generation on making a great product!!
It has been almost a year since my last post. That being said let's bring on a new and better year. My blog this year is going to cover a lot of the in's and out's of my world. I started this blog years ago to keep my family updated on everything going on....I will continue with this. I will be adding some couponing greatness, some new discoveries, products I think are well worth the money, services that are important to our family, some bizarre daily life stuff, ongoing rebate information, our book club book of the month, and some other interest to me stuff. Buckle up your seat belts and lets take a ride through 2013!!!
Family updates: Madeline graduates this June (approx. 5 months), Brandon will be getting his license this year (my last child to teach driving too, YEAH!!), and Heather & Casey are busy raising my full of life grandsons (Gabe who will turn 5 this year, and Gideon & Lucas who will celebrate their 1st birthday). Brian & I will continue to be in awe of the family we created so long ago.
Okay let's get to what everyone that I have ran into the last few months has been asking...the couponing. Let's start at the very beginning for those of you starting out, and for those of you who still can't wrap your mind around all of it. I will tell you how I do it, and you have to decide what works best for you. I leave my house with my keys, my purse, my water, and my coupon binder. The binder is a 2 inch 3 ring binder that you find with school supplies. Cashiers roll their eyes when they see the binder, and people stop me to ask me where something is located in a store or just stare. Think of it like a giant grocery shopping list.
Let's break down exactly how this binder helps me keep things organized for my store trips. The picture you see here is my ads for the week. I clip them to the inside front cover for reference checks or price matching if need be. I include every store within a 30 mile radius of my home. Different store run different sale dates so pay attention. (Some start on Sun or Mon or Tues etc.) If there is a store that is within my radius but doesn't mail a flyer for the week or isn't included in the Sunday paper I go to their website make an online shopping list with the store name, address, and sale dates and print that one out. (Walmart will accept this for price matching, but Target will not.) It also helps me to know exactly what store are carrying what and what is on sale. I also check a lot of blogs out too, but you have to be careful because sometimes the blog is giving you California prices and a lot of the time it's not our states prices.
Moving on...I divide the binder with different tabs for quick finding. My tab system is the system that I have found that works for me (EVERYONE is different) My tabs are: Misc, personal care, meds & make-up, health bars, cleaning, box food, refridge food, frozen food, other food, hair care, pets, and baby items. The sleeves that I use to hold the coupons are baseball card inserts. I check expiration dates on the coupons every 2 weeks.
After I clear out the expired coupons I have all my new coupons clipped and in piles by their tabs to insert into the binder. (I highly recommend inserting coupons in weekly so you don't get behind.) Constantly paying attention to the expiration dates. I usually shop every two weeks so if there is a coupon that isn't expired but will expire before my shopping date I take them out and paperclip them to the side just in case I need them before then.
Some stores have there own coupons too which you can use that coupon plus a manufactures coupon. The picture is kinda hard to see, but next to the expiration date it will say manufacture or will give the store name. These coupons I keep in a blue pencil pouch thingy that stay in my purse.
All this being said keep a few things in mind. I didn't get this way over night and neither will you. When I first started out I did a few coupons in an envelope in my purse. I also couldn't buy any extras because I needed every dime for my family's needs. I started with $5 to start on the stockpile. As time went on I learned to shop sales, specials, and the coupons so I always had an item on hand and wasn't at the mercy of the high price of the stores for the products I needed.
Our local library was holding a free couponing class this week. I thought maybe I can learn a thing or two...so I went. That was 2 hrs of my time I will never get back, lol. One of these classes would have been extremely helpful when I first started. But in true me fashion I've learnt the hard way on how to do couponing. I've even went over some friends houses to teach them what I know. I pay less than a dollar on all health and beauty products that includes make-up and my cabinet of first aid. My cabinet of first aid is huge. It has every type of band-aid, gauze, wraps, heating patches, ointments, things to help with minor colds to things that help with congestion and allergies. My family gives me a symptom and I go to the cabinet (we are all in shock and awe of the cabinet).
Okay so moving on I'm going to give a few tips that I've learned that might help someone else out there:
- Shop ahead of time not when you're out of the item. Plan, plan.
- A coupon is most valuable when you combine it with a sale. Bonus is if an item is on clearance or if your store doubles coupons/and has a sale.
- It's okay to have multiply transactions. Examples: Some stores have a 12 cpn. limit per transaction so at these stores I divide my items up and usually have 4 transactions., The stores that have register rewards or extra bucks (which is cpn that prints out say $4 off your next purchase) again multiple transaction so I can use them in one trip but multiply transactions.
- I have a list ahead of time for each store and I check each product before I go to see if there is any mail in rebates for the items.
- I enter at least one giveaway a day, and I sign up for free samples at least once a day.
- Donate. This has become one of my favorite things.
- Don't clear a shelf, be courteous. If you need multiply of a said item order it online and have it shipped to the store so you can still get the sale but not clear a shelf.
- Just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you have to use it. Remember you're trying to save your family money not use coupons.
- Stacking coupons is simple it is a store coupon and a manufacture coupon. A coupon will say manufacture next to the expiration date or have a store name. Example dollar general has $1 off say shampoo plus there is a manufacture coupon in Sunday's paper for $2 off the same shampoo you can use both of them to get a total of $3 off combine that with a sale you are talking pennies for shampoo.
- Have fun and don't get frustrated. Every store has a coupon policy check their websites and if you are confused about something go to customer service and ask them.
Okay the blog post will probably be all over the map so try to bear with me. My coupon world is out of control...kinda. It's gotten huge! I donate my expired coupons to a military organization that gives them to military families and can be used for up to 6 months. I send an entire manila envelope every 2 wks.
With Maddie being involved in so much with the royalty court there is more people involved in our lives, which brings up Christmas gifts??. It's too hard to narrow down so we made a list of people and searched the homemade gift ideas and have included 24 people the total price for the homemade gifts was $7. (Pat Catan's had a great sale at the beginning of Nov. plus me & Heather combined our purchases to be able to use a bigger coupon.) We decided to go with clear bulbs paint their names on them and add scrap ribbon inside them. I think they turned out really cute. She is also attaching special name cards with why they are special to her. One of her teachers is also on the list. The kids don't usually do teachers at the high school level, because one there is too many teachers and two it's not cool. But this one teacher has made a big impact on Maddie and she feels it's important to acknowledge that. I found a Christmas mug on clearance for 46 cents and we filled it with hot chocolate packets (free) and some of my peppermint chocolate coffee stirrers that the kids say taste great with the hot chocolate and wrapped it in cellophane. Looks cute!!
On the line of saving and coupons Brian and Brandon love the auctions in their free time. Me and Brandon do the auctions online @ Listia, which is super cool. It's with credits not cash. The seller usually pays the shipping (postal service and the flat rates are awesome right now).
All the extended family shopping is done for Christmas and the plan is to finish my kids and the grandbaby up on black friday.
I found a really cool Thanksgiving idea on pinrest with a thankful tree and adding leaves everyday in November for things you are thankful for. The kids weren't hip on the idea at first but they've come around. I love it!! I'm thinking of doing a Christmas tree for December of giving. With the idea of giving of your time, giving a word of encouragement. That type of thing. I think it's especially important as they get older to focus on others sometimes instead of all the holiday rush rush.
An additional side note that I don't know if I previously mentioned was the weight group that I previously belonged to left our town because of a business decision. It was hard on those of us who attended regularly. We were able to form our own group that isn't as structured but helps one another by discussing healthier choices talking about different exercises yet still weighing in every week. It's completely different but is still working.
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