I'm BACK!!!

It's been years but I am glad to be back.  I first had computer problems which took forever to resolve.  I finally bought a new laptop.  It has taken me a long time to get back in my groove.  I am so excited to be back.  I have lots of new ideas to share and I look forward to reconnecting with everyone again.

I will start full time blogging on Monday, June 4!

Back to School Open House - I Didn't Know I Was Expected to Spend Money

Last week, we went to open house at Payton's school.   This will be her second year in school.   She began 1st grade this morning.


I was amazed at how much money I could have spent at open house.  At that time, school had not even started.  Most parents had already purchased school supplies, clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes etc.   That in itself can be a huge dent in most families budget especially if you have one or more kids in school. 

There was a brief meeting before parents and children could visit their classrooms and meet their teachers.   Within 10 minutes, I was asked to spend a total of $46.

Prepay Lunch for 1 Week - $10

Yearbook - $20

Book Fair - Asked to buy your child a book and donate one to your childs classroom -  The cheapest one I have ever seen is $4 each = $8

NEW School T-shirts - $8

Total - $46


I just wish they could have at least wait until school started before parents were expected to spend money. 

Does anyone feel this way besides me??

Sign Up and Help Me Earn FREE Gift Cards

Very rarely do I ask for favors, but for FREE gift cards......you know me I LOVE anything FREE.  Sign up here for the newsletter from Shop It To Me and for every 10 people that sign up I will receive a FREE $20 gift card.  You can then refer others and you can earn too.  Its very simple.

Thank you !!

Disclaimer:  The link posted does help me earn a free $10 gift card for every 10 people that sign up.

Thought of the Day - Where Have I Been?

Thought of the Day - Treasure every moment you have with your children!!

Well it has been over 3 weeks since I have blogged.  I went on vacation, spent every moment possible with my children doing lots of fun things, and shopping for school clothes and supplies.

I had a great vacation at the beach.  Made lots of wonderful memories that I will always cherish. I have come to the conclusion my children have no fear, even my 2 year old.  That both love the water.  It doesn't matter whether it is the ocean, the pool, or on a water slide. 

This was my first year of having to plan and prepare for school.  I took advantage of some great deals on school supplies and clothes.  I was very happy that I was able to purchase everything needed and still had money left in my budget.

This past Thursday was a BIG day in my home.  It was Payton's 1st Day of School!!!  It was a big day for everyone.  She has been home with me everyday for over 2 years.  She was very excited up until Thursday morning.  She started to get nervous while eating breakfast and she did get a little teary eyed.  I assured she was going to be fine and she was going to love school.  After that, I wasn't sure how she was going to act when we got to school.  Needless to say, she did great!!  I was the one who cried.  I started crying as soon as I walked out of her class after walking her to class.  I continued to cry half the day.  I was so excited when it was finally time to pick her up.   

She had a wonderful 2 days of school.  She was excited to go back this morning.  I hope the excitement continues.

Here is a couple of pictures from her 1st day. (Sorry I had to share!)

Having breakfast before school!

Little brother walking sissy to class!

Sitting at her desk at school!

The whole family is getting use to our new schedule.  Everything will be back to normal this week!

Where Have I Been??

Wow, it has been a few days since I last blogged.  I hope everyone is finding some great deals and enjoying their summer. 

I haven't been able to blog due to an eye injury.  My energetic almost 2 year old son stuck his finger in my eye last week.  I avoided going to the doctor for several days and thought it would eventually be ok but I was wrong.  I finally went to the eye doctor Tuesday.  I have a severe abrasion on my right eye and it is infected.  I am applying eye drops every 3 hours and it is feeling much better. 

My eye has been very sensitive to light especially sunlight.  I haven't been able to blog because the light on the monitor.  Hopefully, I will be back Monday!!

Until then, have a great weekend!!

Wow, What a Week!!

I'm back!  Sorry for being gone for a week but there was a couple of issues at home that had to be taken care of.

Last Monday was a very sad day.  Our pony, Peanut died Monday morning and I had a heartbroken little girl.   We have no idea what happened, unless it was his age.

I spent of Monday trying to figure out what to tell Payton.  She had never had a pet or a family member to die.  I decided after much thought that it was best to tell her the truth.  I waited until Monday evening after dance class.  It was one of the worst motherhood moments that I have ever had.  She was heartbroken and full of questions.  So I spent most of my week spending lots of extra time with her,  comforting her and answering questions.

Hopefully, this week I can get back to my normal schedule!

New Year, New Goals for 2012

I find it hard to believe that it is already a new year.  I think 2011 flew by.  With a new year, comes new goals for my family, my blog and me.  I reviewed my goals from last year and realized there was a couple I didn't achieve.  Hopefully, I will have better luck this year.

One of my biggest goals for me is to stay more organized with EVERYTHING in my life.  Organization is key for me in fulfilling all of my duties in life.  I began the new year by cleaning and organizing every drawer, cabinet (except laundry room), and closet in my home.  Amazingly, I had 7 bags of trash!  I felt like this gave me a fresh start in the new year and will help me in accomplishing my goals in 2012.

2012 Goals:

- Finishing paying off all my debt.  I made a huge dent in it in 2011but I still have more to pay.

- Continue to work hard each day at saving money and making money with my blog.  I plan on sharing these tips with you.

-  Plan and prepare my shopping trips with sale items and coupons.  I hate to pay full price on anything. 

- Continue set aside time for just me.  I love being a stay-at-mom but I also love having some "me" time.  A break is sometimes needed more than you know.  I do enjoy my time after the kids go to bed each night.

- Plan a menu for each week.  This is so helpful for me and my husband.  Deciding what is for dinner can be such a problem for me and dh. 

What are your goals for the new year?  Do you have any of the same ones that I do?

ALWAYS Compare Prices

I haven't been blogging in the past couple of weeks because my husband broke my laptop screen.  I purchased my first laptop in April and it has been one of the best investments ever.  I love that I can blog anywhere in my home.  With 2 small kids, going to my home office upstairs wasn't always convenient. 

My husband was very upset when he accidentally broke it.  He knew that I was going to be upset but it was an accident and accidents happen.  I immediately called the retailer that I purchased the computer from to check the prices for repair.  I then called the manufacturer directly for an estimate.  Next, I called 2 local computer repair places for prices.  I was shocked at the differences in quotes that I received.  This is a perfect example for everyone to always compare prices. 

Here is the quotes I received: (I will not mention any names)

Retailer - $600 to return and repair includes shipping
Manufacturer - $230 just to return and look at it
Local Computer Repair Store #1 - $130 for screen, $75 labor
Local Computer Repair Store #2 - $110 for screen, $65 labor - also includes 60 day warranty on repairs at no extra charge

Of course, I went with the last quote I received.  If I had not compared prices, I would have probably purchased a new laptop. 

Total Savings by Comparing Prices (using prices above) - $425

Where Have I Been and More!

Wondering where I've been?  My dear hubby broke my laptop and it took me over 2 weeks to get it repaired.  Thankfully, I got it back Friday and I will be back to blogging soon.  I never knew how much I would miss my laptop.  With two small kids, it is so convenient to have a laptop.  I missed everyone and I'll be back to sharing great deals and how I'm saving money soon.

Happy Labor Day!!  I hope everyone has a great holiday.  

My Grocery Budget Problem .... What Do You Recommend?

I have a grocery budget that I try to stick to.  Sometimes I do go over, if I find an awesome deal.  I always try to make up for it next week.  Here lately, we have been going over budget and its not my fault.  My husband likes to cook, which is great.  It is really nice to have him cook dinner especially on the weekends.  Instead of using what we have, he will make a trip to the grocery store.  He will spend $30-$40 on a meal.  It all depends on what he wants.  Don't get me wrong, I love that he cooks but his cooking is starting to cost us a fortune.

Any suggestions on what to do?

Our Vacation to Chicago and Indianapolis

Last week, I was gone on vacation to Chicago and Indianapolis.  We left last Saturday afternoon and didn't get home until 2 am Sunday morning.  We had a wonderful time.  It is always amazing to view new things through a childs eye. 

While in Chicago, we got to do some amazing things.  Thanks to Aunt Cindy for being our tour guide, we got to do everything we wanted in 2 days. We took the train to the Museum of Science of Industry and spent the day.  Afterwards, we walked across the street and cooled off by walking along the beach and getting our feet wet in Lake Michigan.  The following day we went to Navy Pier, rode the 150 ft ferris wheel, took a water taxi to Willis Tower (Sears tower) and went to the Sky Deck, took a taxi ride, and ate lots of great food and snacks.

The rest of the week was spent in Indianapolis.  DH's cousin got married on Friday.  Most of our time was spent with family but we did fit in a couple of trips to our motel pool.  Payton's highlight of the trip besides seeing her cousins was the train, taxi and water taxi.  She loved all 3 and especially loved the fact that she didn't have to wear a seatbelt.  The only problem on our trip......my 1 year old did not like sleeping in the motel baby beds.  The 1st night I got 3 hours of sleep.  He ended up in the bed with me every night and that meant I didn't sleep well.  Thankfully, he is now back to his regular sleeping schedule.

Here is a few pictures from our trip:

The biggest highlight of our trip was..........Bryson made his walking debut while we were in Chicago!  There is no stopping him now.

On a Road Trip......

First, let me Happy Birthday to my dear grandma.  She will be 100 on Sunday.  We are celebrating with a birthday party today!

We will be leaving after the party and will return home next weekend.  We are heading to Chicago for 4 days and then to Indianapolis for 4 days.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Happy couponing, bargain hunting,  and deal finding.  I will be posting all the ways we saved money on our trip. 

I do have a great giveaway coming Monday.......Stay tuned!!

Where Have I Been...

If you are wondering why I have shared any deals, freebies or coupons lately, I have been enjoying the summer with my kids.  I took a couple of days off from blogging to devote the entire days to summer fun. One of the great things about our summer fun is that it has been very thrifty and hasn't required a lot of cash.  We spent the whole day Wednesday outisde.  We started the day out having breakfast on the deck.  Then we spent the rest of day swinging, playing ball, blowing bubbles, painting the sidewalk (bucket of water and a paintbrush = loads of fun), and swimming.  We ended the day with dinner cooked on the grill.  We had so much fun and my kids were ready to go to bed early. 

Yesterday, Payton and I had a long overdue girls afternoon out.  We both went and got our hair cut.  Then, we went shopping.  I found a couple of tops on the clearance rack at Catos for $5.99 and $7.99 that I love.  I also found a pair of sandals for Bryson on sale at Payless for $5 and Payton picked out a pair of lavender flip flops on sale for $6.  She went to memas for the evening and then we headed to my nephews baseball game.  Who doesn't love a baseball game in the summer? 

So today I am back to blogging and catching up.

10 Time-Saving Tips for Making Your Life as a Busy Mom Easier

Motherhood is a full-time job.  You are never off the clock.  Even when I do get a babysitter, I am always thinking of them or even doing something for them while I'm out.  I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom but I still have time-saving tips that I do daily to make my life a little easier.  Besides spending time with my kids everyday, I have a list of things that I try to accomplish so I can have a productive day.  Here is a list of 10 time-saving tips for making your life as a busy mom easier:

1) Always plan ahead for the next day.  I always check my calendar each night to see if I have any appointments or play dates for the next day so I can plan ahead and be prepared for the next day.  Whether it is laying out clothes or packing a diaper bag, it is the little things that save a lot of time.

2) Plan a weekly menu - I go through my pantry and freezer and see what items I have on hand and what items I need to purchase.  This saves a lot of time in deciding what we will have for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Since I am a stay-at-home, most days I have 3 meals to plan for.

3) Prepare shopping lists - With 2 kids shopping can be a hassle.  I always check the sales ads, make a list and pull any coupons that I will need to receive the best deals and save money.

4) Save all errands for 1 day if possible - Running errands is very time consuming when you have kids.  You have to be prepared when leaving home with kids especially if you have small children.  I always try to make a list of places I need to go and I try to do them in an order that is the easiest.  When running errands, you are constantly loading and unloading kids.  I try to take things with us to keep them occupied because running errands is not the funniest thing to do.

5) Organize - Staying organized makes me feel better and makes each day a little easier.  Being able to find whatever you need is so much easier when you are busy.  I find it so much easier when the kids rooms, the kitchen and my bedroom is organized.  When these rooms of my home are not organized, I feel like I can't do anything until they are.

6) Bank online.  - I do almost all of banking and bill paying online.  It is so much quicker and easier.  You can schedule payments in advance and you don't have to worry about bills being paid late.  I also don't have to worry about having stamps on hand to get things mailed on time.

7) Have a Gifts and Cards on Hand - It seems like someone in my family has a birthday each month.  It is so convenient to have gifts and cards when you need them.  Kids are also invited to birthday parties all the time, I try to keep gifts available for boys and girls.  I am always checking the clearance and sale items for gifts to add to my stockpile.  I also have a supply of gift bags, tissue paper and boxes for wrapping. 

8) Keep Gas in the Car - As a mom I can plan ahead when we have somewhere to go but things don't always go as planned when getting kids ready to leave.  You never know when one is going to get hurt and need a little attention and a band aid.  I have found that having gas in the car has helped me get to places on time. 

9) Shop Online - I find it so much easier to shop online especially for Christmas.  You can find great deals and savings just like you can in the store.  I also like to earn cash back when shopping online plus you save time and gas.  Last year, I probably did 75% of my Christmas shopping online.

10) Have some "me" time each day.  I have found that having some "me" time each night after my kids are in the bed makes me a happier person.  As the saying goes....when moma is happy, everyone is happy.  When I am happy, I am a more productive person hence making life my life easier by being able to do my time-saving tips.  This gives me a few minutes to relax and just enjoy some peace and quiet.

Hopefully, you will find some my tips maybe helpful for you. What do you do to save time and make your life a little easier?


Disclosure:  “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”


About Starbucks

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How I Saved $100 Today!



Earlier today, I recorded my receipts in my check register, balanced my checkbook, and paid some bills.  I always compare my checkbook with my online checking account balance every couple of weeks to make sure dh hasn't lost any receipts.  As I verifying that I had recorded all my receipts, I came across a $100 debt for gas made last week.  I knew it was a debit that I had not done so I immediately checked the date and verified that it was a day that dh had worked.  I couldn't figure out which vehicle would hold $100 in gas.  After a few minutes of trying to figure this out, I called dh.  I explained the $100 debit and his responded by oh no I used the wrong card.  He had used his personal debt card instead of using his company's gas card when he filled up his company truck.

I am so glad that I found this.  That would have $100 lost due to him using the wrong card. Thankfully, he has the receipt and we will get reimbursed for the gas purchase. 

This proves you need to always double check your purchases.  This could happen to anyone.  I am just so glad that I found it.  I would hate to have lost $100. 

Whew.......What a Day!!

Just when I think that today is going to be a nice, calm productive day.  I woke up this morning in a cleaning mood.  If you know me, when I get in this mood I take full advantage of it.  By 8:30 I had both kids feed, changed, and playing and I began to do laundry.  After that, I immediately straightened up the kitchen, cleaned all countertops, swept and mopped the floor, cleaned 2 bathrooms, made all the beds, went through all my summer clothes and pulled out things that I haven't worn in 2 years, cleaned out 2 drawers, continued doing laundry, took out the trash, watered flowers that I forgot to water last night, and swept the front porch.  I was just sitting down to my deal posts for Food Lion and Lowes Foods when Payton came running to me crying.  She was holding the side of her hair and all she could say was I'm sorry moma.  I immediately thought she had found a pair of scissors and cut her hair (yes, I keep those of her reach).  While I was in the kitchen, she had asked for a piece of gum.  I gave her a piece thought nothing else of it (she chews it often) but today she decided to chew on her hair while chewing gum.  She never chews on her hair.  Why start today, I don't know?  For almost an hour, I pulled and worked on getting gum out of her hair.  She finally confessed that not only did she take the piece I gave her but she also had snuck and got a second piece.  So she had 2 pieces of gum in her hair.  I finally had to cut a small piece out.   As a mom, you never know what is going to happen.  I prove that saying true today.  Hopefully, the rest of my day will be better.  At least, I did get a few things accomplished this morning.  Now to more blogging and preparing my coupon shopping for this week.

  Oh, how I wish I was here right now!!

Happy Easter and a Few More Thoughts!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter.  I hope you all had a wonderful day.   I spent the day with my family and it was wonderful.  My children received so many Easter gifts, it sorta looks like Christmas morning in my house at the moment. 

Also, I just wanted to apologize for the lack of posting the past few days.  I had family from out of town visiting and I wasn't prepared for everything that came my way.  Posting will return to normal tomorrow.


**Reminder - Purex with Zout Giveaway ending tonight.  Don't forget to enter!**

Coca-Cola Memory and Recipe

Do you have certain items/products that remind you of your childhood?  I do.  Most of them always reflect a childhood memory with one of my grandmas.

While growing up, I use to spend my summers staying with my grandma who also kept other children.  Every afternoon we would get a snack before our parents would pick us up.  While gathering around the kitchen table, we would always look toward the cabinet beside the kelvinator (that's what she called the refrigerator) to see if she had gotten out a bottle of Coca-Cola.  Back then, Coca-Cola came in glass bottles.  As a special treat, she would give us a paper cup of Coca-Cola to go with our cookies or chips.  She would never let us have the whole bottle.  There was 6 of us that would have to split one bottle.  We would often finish our Coca-Cola before touching our snack and ask for more.  She would never give us more.  She would say if you want more to drink, you can have water. Coca-Cola was something she always kept and never wanted to run out of.  Not only was it a treat for us with our snack but she also gave to us if we were sick.  She said Coca-Cola would always make an upset stomach feel better.  I never understood why but it always seemed to help.   To this day, I always drink Coca-Cola if my stomach is not feeling well.  A non-typical tradition that I am carrying on with my children too.

I don't see the bottles of Coke often but when I do I always have to have one.   There is nothing better than a bottle of pop!

Coca-Cola can be used when cooking too.  I have used it before as a marinade for steaks or beef tips.  My mom has made a Coca-Cola cake before.  Here is a recipe that I make a lot during the summer months with Coca-Cola as an ingredient.   I never knew that I would be cooking with it one day.

Coca-Cola Chicken Wings

3/4 cup Coca-Cola
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon of Prepared Mustard
1 Small Onion, Chopped
10 Chicken Wings

In a mediaum saucepan, combine Coca-Cola, soy sauce, brown sugar, prepared mustard, and chopped onion.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Bake wings at 350° for 25 minutes.  Pour sauce over wings and back 10 additional minutes at 375°.

You can also make these on a grill.  They are great for cookouts or tailgating parties.


For more information on Cooking With Coke Recipes, visit their website at www.cookingwithcoke.com. You can also follow Coca-Cola® on Facebook here and Join Coca-Cola® on Twitter: .

Disclosure:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Coca-Cola® blogging program. If I am one of the first 100 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 gift card. For more information on the program, click here.

Extreme Couponing - Realistic or Unrealistic?

I admit I did not watch the new episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC last night.  However, I did watch the first episode a month or so ago.  I like everyone else use coupons to save money.  I feel like I am making money by using them.  Why spend a $1 on something when you don't have to? 

I did not learn anything new by watching "Extreme Couponing".  The show seemed very unrealistic to me.  It also made the ladies/gentleman on the show to look a little bit off their rocker.  Why would anyone purchase so many items in a store that they have to spend 6 hours just to check out?  Why would anyone miss a family outing or give up spending time with their husband just to shop with coupons?  There is no sale worth that.

Here is a few other things I didn't agree with:

- Don't clear the shelves when you find a sale, save some for others.  There is such a thing as coupon etiquette.
- My stores have a limit on the number of coupons you can use in a transaction.  This policy didn't seem to apply to any store featured in the show.  Why is that?
- I have a stockpile but nothing in comparison to ones featured on the show.  Seriously, how many people have rooms in their home dedicated to just store items purchased with coupons?  My stockpile is contained to my pantry, stand alone freezer, and bathroom closet.
- I use the binder method to use file my coupon inserts.  I do want to waste hours each week to cut coupons.
- Purchasing numerous papers each week is not necessary to me.  Here is a list of where I get my coupons.

Did you watch the show?  If so, what did you think?  Did it seem realistic or unrealistic to you?  Does it make couponers look bad?  Will stores take notice and possibly change their coupon policies?

   

Where Do I Get My Coupons?

I have received a couple emails asking me where do I get all of my coupons. One email asked me why I spend money to buy coupons in the Sunday papers.  She felt like if she didn't spend money to buy the Sunday papers she was already saving money.  I buy 3 Sunday papers every week as long as I know there is going to be coupons in it.  I spend a total of $4.25.  I always make my money back plus save a whole lot more with the coupons in the paper.

Here is a list of where I get my coupons:

Sunday Paper - I always check to see what coupons are going to be in the paper with the Sunday Coupon Preview that I post each week.  Sometimes, I buy more than 3.

Friends and Family - My mom always gets the coupons out of items that she uses and then saves them for me.

Coupons on my Blog - (Right hand side) I use coupons.com very often.  They always have great coupons.

Emails - If you sign up for a companies newsletter, they often include coupons.

Manufacturer Websites - Manufacturers often have coupons on their websites as promotions.

Included with Samples - If you request a sample/freebie that is listed on my blog, the sample usually comes with a coupon.

Magazines- You never know what coupons you are going to find in a magazine.  Sometimes they have inserts for groceries, retailers, drug stores etc.

All You Magazine - I receive around 10 magazines a month and this is the only one that I pay for.  All You magazine is always filled with coupons.  You can subscribe for this magazine or it is sold at Walmart.

Where do you get your coupons?  Have you ever ordered from a coupon clipping service?